REFLECTIVE COATINGS AND MIRRORS USING SAME

• US 20170158138A1
• Filed: 02/22/2017
• Published: 06/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Original Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Inventors: Field, Simon David, Herrmann, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 10,703,281 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2665 on rear-view mirrors lighting devices for vehicle interior on or for rear-view mirrors B60Q3/258
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/381 with several light sources activated in sequence, e.g. to create a sweep effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/06 mounted on vehicle exterior B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/072 for adjusting the mirror relative to its housing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/08 involving special optical features, e.g. avoiding blind spots , e.g. convex mirrors; Side-by-side associations of rear-view and other mirrors B60R1/025, B60R1/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/1207 with lamps; with turn indicators
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 27/06 Alloys based on chromium
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 28/00 Alloys based on a metal not provided for in groups C22C5/00 - C22C27/00
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0015 characterized by the colour of the layer
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/024 Deposition of sublayers, e.g. to promote adhesion of the coating C23C14/027 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/20 on organic substrates
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/205 by cathodic sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/228 Gas flow assisted PVD deposition
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/35 by application of a magnetic field, e.g. magnetron sputtering C23C14/3457 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/00 Coating for obtaining at least two superposed coatings either by methods not provided for in a single one of groups C23C2/00 - C23C26/00 or by combinations of methods provided for in subclasses C23C and C25C or C25D
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/321 with at least one metal alloy layer
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/345 with at least one oxide layer
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 30/00 Coating with metallic material characterised only by the composition of the metallic material, i.e. not characterised by the coating process C23C26/00, C23C28/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/26 Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S43/235 - F21S43/255
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/142 Coating structures, e.g. thin films multilayers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/144 : using partially transparent surfaces without spectral selectivity G02B27/147 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/10 : with curved faces
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 : Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12 : All metal or with adjacent metals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12569 : Synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12847 : Cr-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 : 1 mil or less

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mirror having a backing plate or polymeric substrate being coated with a reflective coating, for example a chromium-based reflective coating. A mirror assembly includes a mirror housing, a reflective element having a first field of view, a reflective coating having a second field of view, the second field of view being wider than the first field of view, and a multi-function backing plate supported by the mirror housing and comprising a reflective element supporting region where the reflective element is supported by the multi-function backing plate and a reflective coating supporting region where the reflective coating is applied to the backing plate.

Claims

1. A mirror assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a mirror housing;

a reflective element having a first field of view;

a reflective coating having a second field of view, the second field of view being wider than the first field of view;

a multi-function backing plate being placed in the mirror housing and comprising a reflective element supporting region where the reflective element is supported by the multi-function backing plate and a reflective coating supporting region where the reflective coating is applied to the backing plate.

2. The mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the reflective coating supporting region is convex so that the reflective coating is convex and provide a wider field of view.

3. The mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the reflective element supporting region includes a recess for receiving the reflective element, and the reflective coating supporting region is thicker than the reflective element supporting region.

4. The mirror assembly of claim 3, further comprising a shoulder being provided between the reflective element supporting region and the thicker reflective coating supporting region.

5. The mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the reflective coating is a chromium-based reflective coating.

6. The mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the reflective coating is an alloy of chromium and a dopant material, the dopant material being selected from the hexagonally close-packed transition metals, the alloy having a crystal structure of a primary body-centered cubic phase in coexistence with a secondary omega hexagonally close-packed phase.

7. The mirror assembly of claim 6, wherein the alloy is a binary alloy of chromium and the dopant material.

8. The mirror assembly of claim 7, wherein the atomic percentage of the dopant material in the binary alloy is in the range of from about 1.9 at. % to about 5.8 at. %.

9. The mirror assembly of claim 6, wherein the dopant material is selected from the hexagonally close-packed transition metals zirconium, titanium, cobalt, hafnium, rubidium, yttrium and osmium.

10. The mirror assembly of claim 6, wherein the dopant material is selected from the hexagonally close-packed transition metals zirconium, titanium, cobalt, hafnium, rubidium, yttrium and osmium.

11. The mirror assembly of claim 6, wherein the alloy is a binary alloy and the dopant material is zirconium, and wherein the atomic percentage of the zirconium in the binary alloy is in the range of from about 4.5 at. % to about 5.8 at. %.

12. The mirror assembly of claim 6, wherein the alloy is a binary alloy and the dopant material is titanium, and wherein the atomic percentage of the titanium in the binary alloy is in the range of from about 1.9 at. % to about 5.8 at. %.

13. The mirror assembly of claim 6, wherein the alloy is a binary alloy and the dopant material is cobalt, and wherein the atomic percentage of the cobalt in the binary alloy is in the range of from about 1.9 at. % to 5.7 at. %.

14. The mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the reflective coating has a thickness of 200 nm or less.

15. The mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the reflective coating is 100 nm or less.

16. The mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the reflective coating is in the range of from 40 nm to 80 nm.

17. The mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the reflective coating is in the range of from 50 nm to 70 nm.

18. The mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the reflective coating is about 60 nm.

22. The mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the reflective coating supporting region of the backing plate is elevated with respect to and overlapping with the reflective element supporting region.

23. The mirror assembly of claim 22, further comprising an inclined shoulder that is provided between the reflective element supporting region and the reflective coating supporting region such that the reflective coating supporting region of the backing plate is elevated with respect to and overlapping with the reflective element supporting region.

24. The mirror assembly of claim 1, further comprising an inclined shoulder that is provided between the reflective element supporting region and the reflective coating supporting region such that the reflective coating supporting region of the backing plate is elevated with respect to and overlapping with the reflective element supporting region.

25. The mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the reflective coating supporting region of the backing plate is formed as part of an actuator that is configured to separately control movement of the reflective coating with respect to the reflective element.

26. The mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the reflective coating supporting region and the reflective element supporting region are both flat and formed on adjacent surfaces, and the mirror assembly further comprises an intermediate support formed between the flat reflective coating supporting region for supporting the reflective coating.

27. The mirror assembly of claim 26, wherein the intermediate support has a convex outer surface so that the reflective coating is convex and provides a wider field of view.

19. A mirror assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a mirror housing;

a reflective coating having a field of view;

a multi-function backing plate being placed in the mirror housing and comprising a reflective coating supporting region where the reflective coating is applied directly to a surface of the backing plate.

20. The mirror assembly of claim 19, further comprising a reflective element, wherein the multi-function backing plate further comprises a reflective element supporting region and the reflective element is mounted to the reflective element supporting region.

21. The mirror assembly of claim 19, wherein the reflective coating is a chromium-based reflective coating.