INTERIOR REARVIEW MIRROR ASSEMBLY
First Claim
1. An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
- a mirror reflective element;
a mirror support element comprising at least one attachment surface at which said mirror reflective element is adhesively attached;
a mounting assembly comprising a mirror mount and a mounting arm, wherein said mounting arm is pivotally attached at said mirror support element;
wherein said mirror mount comprises a plastic structure with a metallic clip attached thereat, and wherein said metallic clip is configured to slide onto a mirror mounting button with the mirror mounting button adhesively attached at a vehicle windshield;
wherein said metallic clip comprises a stop tab at a first end and anti-backout tabs at a second end opposite the first end;
wherein said stop tabs limit sliding movement of said metallic clip onto the mirror mounting button when said metallic clip slides onto the mirror mounting button in a first direction; and
wherein said anti-backout tabs, with said metallic slip slid onto the mirror mounting button to where the stop tab limits sliding movement, limit movement of said metallic clip at the mirror mounting button in a second direction opposite the first direction, and retain said metallic clip and said mirror mount at the mirror mounting button without use of a fastener.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror reflective element, a mirror support element having at least one attachment surface at which the mirror reflective element is adhesively attached, and a mounting assembly having a mirror mount and a mounting arm that is pivotally attached at the mirror support element. The mirror mount includes a plastic structure with a metallic clip attached thereat. The metallic clip is configured to slide onto a mirror mounting button adhesively attached at a vehicle windshield. The metallic clip includes a stop tab at one end to limit sliding movement of the metallic clip onto the mirror mounting button and anti-backout tabs at another end to limit movement of the metallic clip at the mirror mounting button in the opposite direction, so as to retain the metallic clip and the mirror mount at the mirror mounting button without use of a fastener.
3 Citations
33 Claims
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1. An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
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a mirror reflective element; a mirror support element comprising at least one attachment surface at which said mirror reflective element is adhesively attached; a mounting assembly comprising a mirror mount and a mounting arm, wherein said mounting arm is pivotally attached at said mirror support element; wherein said mirror mount comprises a plastic structure with a metallic clip attached thereat, and wherein said metallic clip is configured to slide onto a mirror mounting button with the mirror mounting button adhesively attached at a vehicle windshield; wherein said metallic clip comprises a stop tab at a first end and anti-backout tabs at a second end opposite the first end; wherein said stop tabs limit sliding movement of said metallic clip onto the mirror mounting button when said metallic clip slides onto the mirror mounting button in a first direction; and wherein said anti-backout tabs, with said metallic slip slid onto the mirror mounting button to where the stop tab limits sliding movement, limit movement of said metallic clip at the mirror mounting button in a second direction opposite the first direction, and retain said metallic clip and said mirror mount at the mirror mounting button without use of a fastener. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of assembling a mirror head for an interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said method comprising:
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providing a mirror casing, wherein the mirror casing comprises an upper receiving portion and a lower receiving portion; providing a prismatic reflective element at the mirror casing; providing a toggle mechanism comprising (i) a body portion and (ii) a toggle lever joined to the body portion via a frangible portion of the toggle mechanism; one selected from the group consisting of (i) inserting a pivot mount of the body portion into the upper receiving portion of the mirror casing or (ii) inserting a pivot mount of the toggle lever into the lower receiving portion of the mirror casing; separating the body portion from the toggle lever via breaking the frangible portion; after breaking the frangible portion, one selected from the group consisting of (i) inserting a pivot mount of the toggle lever into the lower receiving portion of the mirror casing or (ii) inserting a pivot mount of the body portion into the upper receiving portion of the mirror casing; and wherein, when the pivot mount of the toggle lever or body portion is inserted into the respective lower or upper receiving portion of the mirror casing, corresponding engaging surfaces of the body portion and the toggle lever engage one another such that, when the toggle lever pivots relative to the lower receiving portion of the mirror casing, the mirror casing pivots relative to the body portion to, when the mirror head is mounted at a mirror mount at an interior portion of a vehicle, flip the mirror head between a daytime reflecting orientation and a nighttime reflecting orientation. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of assembling an interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said method comprising:
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providing a mirror support structure; providing a prismatic reflective element; adhesively attaching the prismatic reflective element on at least one attachment surface of the mirror support structure; providing a toggle mechanism comprising (i) a body portion and (ii) a toggle lever; pivotally attaching the toggle mechanism at the mirror support structure via pivotally attaching the body portion of the toggle mechanism at the mirror support structure and pivotally attaching the toggle lever of the toggle mechanism at the mirror support structure; providing a mounting assembly comprising a mirror mount and a mounting arm pivotally attached at the mirror mount; pivotally attaching the mounting arm at the body portion of the toggle mechanism; mounting the mirror mount at a mirror mounting button adhesively attached at an in-cabin surface of a vehicle windshield via sliding a metallic clip of the mirror mount onto the mirror mounting button in a first direction until a stop tab at a first end of the metallic clip engages the mirror mounting button and limits sliding movement of the metallic clip onto the mirror mounting button; and wherein mounting the mirror mount at the mirror mounting button further comprises retaining the metallic clip and the mirror mount at the mirror mounting button without use of a fastener via anti-backout tabs at a second end of the metallic clip that is opposite the first end engaging the mirror mounting button when the stop tab engages the mirror mounting button to limit movement of the metallic clip at the mirror mounting button in a second direction that is opposite the first direction. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification