AUTOMATICALLY DIMMABLE REAR-VIEW MIRROR ARRANGEMENT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A MIRROR ASSEMBLY FOR A REAR-VIEW MIRROR ARRANGEMENT

• US 20150283945A1
• Filed: 10/16/2013
• Published: 10/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Mirrors Holding GmbH (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Mirrors Holding GmbH (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Krebs, Peter, Fuchs, Hans-Joachim, March, Phillip
• Granted Patent: US 10,166,926 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1337 Surface-induced orientation of the liquid crystal molecules, e.g. by alignment layers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13439 characterised by their electrical, optical, physical properties; materials therefor; method of making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 Manufacturing circuit on or in base

Abstract

A rear-view mirror arrangement for motor vehicles that includes a housing and a mirror assembly arranged thereon and which is to observe following traffic. The mirror assembly has a front side and a rear side, in which a reflectance thereof that it is variable by a control device. The mirror assembly has an electrically drivable liquid crystal cell arranged between transparent carrier layers, and at least one reflection coating. One of the transparent carrier layers which faces toward the housing on the rear side is an optically transparent plastic film that is provided with the reflection coating on the rear side.

Claims

1-9. -9. (canceled)

10. A rear-view mirror arrangement for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a housing; and

a mirror assembly arranged on the housing for observing following traffic, and having;

a front transparent carrier layer and a rear transparent carrier layer composed of an optically transparent plastic film and which faces toward the housing on a rear side thereof,

at least one reflection coating provided on the rear transparent carrier layer, and

an electrically-drivable liquid crystal cell arranged between the front and rear transparent carrier layers, and having a liquid crystalline layer arranged in a sealed fashion between transparent electrically conductive layers, and a transparent alignment layer provided between the electrically conductive layers and the liquid crystalline layer to align liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystalline layer.

11. The rear-view mirror arrangement of claim 10, wherein the at least one reflection coating comprises a silver, aluminum or chromium material.

12. The rear-view mirror arrangement of claim 10, wherein the electrically conductive layers comprise an indium tin layer or indium tin oxide layer.

13. The rear-view mirror arrangement of claim 10, wherein the optically transparent film comprises polyethylene terephthalate, or polycarbonate, or polymethyl methacrylate.

14. The rear-view mirror arrangement of claim 10, wherein the reflection coating comprises a semi-transparent reflective coating.

15. The rear-view mirror arrangement of claim 14, further comprising a display arrangement arranged between a rear side of the mirror assembly and the housing.

16. The rear-view mirror arrangement of claim 10, further comprising an anti-corrosion protective layer as a terminating layer on the rear side of the rear-view mirror arrangement.

17. The rear-view mirror arrangement of claim 10, wherein the front transparent carrier layer comprises glass or plastic.

18. The rear-view mirror arrangement of claim 10, wherein a reflectance of the mirror assembly is variable by a control device.

19. A mirror arrangement for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a mirror assembly having;

a front carrier layer composed of a transparent first material,

a rear carrier layer composed of a transparent second material,

at least one reflection coating composed of a third material, and which is on the rear transparent carrier layer, and

an electrically-drivable liquid crystal cell arranged between the front and rear carrier layers, the electrically-drivable liquid crystal cell having outer layers composed of a transparent, electrically conductive fourth material, inner layers composed of a transparent fifth material, and an innermost, liquid crystalline layer between and aligned by the inner layers.

20. The mirror arrangement of claim 19, further comprising a housing for the mirror assembly.

21. The mirror arrangement of claim 19, wherein the transparent first material comprises glass or plastic.

22. The mirror arrangement of claim 19, wherein the transparent second material comprises polyethylene terephthalate, or polycarbonate, or polymethyl methacrylate.

23. The mirror arrangement of claim 19, wherein the third material comprises a non-transparent silver material, or a non-transparent aluminum material, or a non-transparent chromium material.

24. The mirror arrangement of claim 19, wherein the transparent, electrically conductive fourth material comprises indium tin or indium tin oxide.

25. The mirror arrangement of claim 19, wherein the transparent fifth material comprises a polyimide.

26. The mirror arrangement of claim 19, wherein the third material comprises a semi-transparent material.

27. The mirror arrangement of claim 19, wherein the mirror assembly further comprises an anti-corrosion layer which terminates the mirror assembly on a rear side thereof.

28. The mirror arrangement of claim 19, wherein the mirror assembly further comprises a seal to circumferential seal the innermost, liquid crystalline layer.

29. A method for producing a rear-view mirror arrangement for a motor vehicle, the method comprising:

producing a first assembly by providing a front transparent carrier layer, coating the front, transparent carrier layer with a first electrically conductive layer, and arranging a first alignment layer on the first electrically conductive layer;

producing a second assembly by providing a rear transparent carrier layer, coating the rear, transparent carrier layer with a second electrically conductive layer, and arranging a second alignment layer on the second electrically conductive layer;

arranging, in a circumferential fashion, a seal to the coated surface of the first assembly or the second assembly, and also a liquid crystalline layer within the sealed region; and

then

connecting the first assembly and the second assembly under a vacuum.