Multifunctional rearview mirror system

• US 5,805,367 A
• Filed: 12/22/1995
• Issued: 09/08/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Murakami Kaimedio Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Murakami Kaimedio Company Limited
• Inventors: Kanazawa, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms, David C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CORNELY, JOHN
• Application Number:
  US08/577,746
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 359/267, 359/268, 359/269, 359/271, 359/868, 359/866, 359/850
• US Class Current: 359/868
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/082 using a single wide field mirror or an association of rigidly connected mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors

Abstract

A transparent electrode 21 formed by the ITO film, an EC layer 22 of an optoelectronic comprising element, a reflecting film also serving an electrode thin film 23 and an insulating sealing film 24 are deposited on a rear surface of a transparent substrate 20 of a main member of a mirror 10. The transparent substrate 20 has dividing lines 15, 16 for dividing a mirror surface area into a main mirror surface area 11 of a certain curvature convex surface having a large radius curvature and a supplemental mirror surface area 12 of a gradually varied curvature convex surface having a gradually decreased radius curvature. The EC layer 22 and the reflecting film also serving the electrode thin film 23 are divided along the dividing line 16 by cutting the transparent electrode 21 so that a reflectivity can be independently controlled on the main mirror surface area 11 and the supplemental mirror surface area 12 to achieve a safe driving of an automobile.

Claims

1. A multifunctional rearview mirror system, comprising a transparent substrate having a main mirror surface area being a convex surface of a certain curvature and a supplemental mirror surface area being a convex surface of a gradually varied curvature;

and a transparent electrode thin film, an optoelectronic layer, a light reflecting film also serving as an electrode thin film, and, an insulating sealing element deposited in that order on a rear surface side of said transparent substrate;

wherein dividing lines are formed in said transparent electrode thin film so that one part of said dividing lines serves as a boundary line between said main mirror surface area and said supplemental mirror surface area and another part forms a non-boundary line;

such that the insulating sealing element is directly deposited in said one part of said dividing lines serving as the boundary line and only the optoelectronic layer is filled in the non-boundary line.

2. A multifunctional rearview mirror system as defined in claim 1, wherein said insulating sealing element is formed as an insulating sealing film.

3. A multifunctional rearview mirror system as defined in claim 2, wherein said insulating sealing element is an insulating sealing substrate.

4. A multifunctional rearview mirror system as defined in claim 1, wherein said optoelectronic layer is an electrochromic layer deposited on a rear surface area of the transparent electrode thin film that corresponds to both the main mirror surface area and the supplemental mirror surface area.

6. A multifunctional rearview mirror system as defined in claim 1, wherein said optoelectronic layer includes an electrochromic layer formed in an area corresponding to said main mirror surface area and a transparent ferroelectric thin film layer formed in an area corresponding to said supplemental mirror surface area.

7. A multifunctional rearview mirror system as defined in claim 1, wherein said dividing lines are formed in an upside down T-shape so as to divide a mirror surface into three areas so that a vertical line of the upside down T-shape forms a boundary where said main area and said supplemental area are divided.

8. A multifunctional rearview mirror system as defined in claim 1, wherein said dividing lines are formed in a cross-shape so as to divide a mirror surface into four areas so that a vertical line of said cross-shape forms a boundary where said main area and said supplemental area are divided.

9. A multifunctional rearview mirror system as defined in claim 1, wherein said dividing lines have a width substantially equal to between 0.5 mm and 2 mm.

5. A multifunctional rearview mirror system, comprising a transparent substrate having a main mirror surface area being a convex surface of a certain curvature and a supplemental mirror surface area being a convex surface of a gradually varied curvature;

and a transparent electrode thin film, an electrochromic layer, a light reflecting film serving as an electrode thin film, and, an insulating sealing element deposited in that order on a rear surface side of said transparent substrate being said main mirror surface area;

a transparent electrode thin film, an electroluminescent layer, a light reflecting film also serving as an electrode thin film, and, an insulating sealing element, deposited in that order on a rear surface side of said transparent substrate being said supplemental mirror surface area;

wherein dividing lines are formed in said transparent electrode thin film so that one part of said dividing lines serves as a boundary line between said main mirror surface area and said supplemental mirror surface area and another part forms a non-boundary line;

such that the insulating sealing element is directly deposited in said one part of said dividing lines serving as the boundary line and only the electrochromic layer is filled in the non-boundary line.

10. A multifunctional rearview mirror system, comprising a mirror body having an opening portion openable toward a rear of an automobile;

a reflection variable mirror supported in said mirror body and including a plurality of mirror surface areas with different curvature conditions along a mirror longitudinal direction and having a rear surface side; and

a mirror holder supporting said mirror body, said reflection variable mirror including a transparent substrate formed with said mirror surface areas with different curvature conditions; and

a transparent electrode thin film, an optoelectronic layer, a light reflecting film serving as an electrode thin film and an insulating sealing element orderly deposited on said rear surface side of said transparent substrate in that order, clip electrodes for applying a certain voltage to said transparent electrode film, an layer and a light reflective film serving as an electrode thin film, wherein dividing lines are formed for dividing said transparent electrode thin film deposited on said transparent substrate into a plurality of areas, wherein said mirror surface areas of said transparent substrate including a main mirror surface area being a convex surface of a certain curvature and a supplemental mirror surface area being a convex surface of a gradually varied curvature of which radius of curvature being gradually decreased, one part of said dividing lines serving as a boundary line of said mirror areas having different curvature conditions and another part forming a non line;

such that the insulating sealing element is directly deposited in said one part of said dividing lines serving as the boundary line and only the optoelectronic layer is filled in the non-boundary line.

11. A multifunctional rearview mirror system as defined in claim 10, wherein said insulating sealing element is an insulating sealing film.

12. A multifunctional rearview mirror system as defined in claim 10, wherein said insulating sealing element is an insulating sealing substrate.

13. A multifunctional rearview mirror system as defined in claim 10, wherein said optoelectronic layer is an electrochromic layer deposited on a rear surface side of said transparent electrode thin film.

14. A multifunctional rearview mirror system as defined in claim 10, wherein said optoelectronic layer includes an electrochromic layer deposited on said transparent electrode thin film in an area corresponding to said mirror surface area and a transparent ferroelectric thin film layer deposited on said transparent electrode thin film in an area corresponding to said supplemental mirror surface area.

15. A multifunctional rearview mirror system as defined in claim 10, wherein said dividing lines have a width substantially corresponding to between 0.5 mm and 2 mm.

16. A multifunctional rearview mirror system, comprising a mirror body having an opening portion openable toward a rear of an automobile;

a reflection variable mirror supported in said mirror body and including a plurality of mirror surface areas with different curvature conditions along a mirror longitudinal direction and having a rear surface side; and

a mirror holder supporting said mirror body;

wherein said reflection variable mirror comprises a transparent substrate with said mirror surface areas having a main mirror surface area being a convex surface of a certain curvature and a supplemental mirror surface area being a convex surface of a gradually varied curvature with a gradually decreasing radius of curvature; and

a transparent electrode thin film, an electronic layer, a light reflecting film serving as an electrode thin film and an insulating sealing element orderly deposited in that order on a rear surface side of said transparent substrate being said main mirror surface area;

another transparent electrode thin film, an electroluminescent layer, a light reflecting film also serving as an electrode thin film and an insulating sealing element orderly deposited in that order on a rear surface side of said transparent substrate being said supplemental mirror surface area;

clip electrodes for applying a certain voltage to a reactive layer and a light reflective film serving as an electrode thin film;

wherein dividing lines are formed on said transparent electrode thin film so that one part of said dividing lines also serves as a boundary line between said main mirror surface area and said supplemental mirror surface area and another part forms a non-boundary line;

such that the insulating sealing element is directly deposited in one part of said dividing lines serving as the boundary line and only the optoelectronic layer is filled in the non-boundary line.

17. A multifunctional rearview mirror system comprising a mirror body and having an opening portion openable toward a rear of an automobile;

a reflection variable mirror supported in said mirror body and including a plurality of mirror surface areas with different curvature conditions along a mirror longitudinal direction and having a rear surface side; and

a mirror holder supporting said mirror body;

said reflection variable mirror including a transparent substrate formed with said mirror surface areas with different curvature conditions; and

a transparent electrode thin film, an optoelectronic layer, a light reflecting film serving as an electrode thin film, and, an insulating sealing element, orderly deposited in that order on said rear surface side of said transparent substrate, clip electrodes for applying a certain voltage to said transparent electrode film, an electrochemical reactive layer and a light reflective film serving as an electrode thin film, wherein dividing lines are formed for dividing said transparent electrode thin film deposited on said transparent substrate into a plurality of areas, said transparent substrate including a main mirror surface area being a convex surface of a certain curvature and a supplemental mirror surface area being a convex surface of a gradually varied curvature with a gradually decreasing radius of curvature, one part of said dividing lines serving as a boundary line between said main mirror surface area and said supplemental mirror surface area and another part forming a non-boundary line; and

wherein the insulating sealing element is directly deposited in said one part of said dividing lines serving as the boundary line and only the optoelectric layer is filled in the non-boundary, line and wherein said dividing lines are formed as an upside down T-shape to divide a mirror surface into three areas so that a vertical line of said upside down T-shape forms a boundary of said main mirror surface area and said mirror surface supplemental area, and a horizontal line of said upside down T-shape is covered by a lower periphery of said mirror holder to prevent from appearing outwardly.

18. A multifunctional rearview mirror system as defined in claim 17, wherein the optoelectronic layer and the light reflecting film serving as the electrode thin film are not laminated on said vertical line while the insulating sealing element or the insulating sealing substrate is directly deposited thereon, wherein the optoelectronic layer, the light reflecting film serving as the electrode thin film and the insulating sealing element or the insulating sealing substrate are deposited on the horizontal line.

19. A multifunctional rearview mirror system as defined in claim 17, wherein the optoelectronic layer is an electrochromic layer deposited on the main mirror surface area and the supplemental mirror surface area divided by the vertical line and on the horizontal line.

20. A multifunctional rearview mirror system comprising a mirror body having an opening portion openable toward a rear of an automobile;

a reflection variable mirror supported in said mirror body and including a plurality of mirror surface areas with different curvature conditions along a mirror longitudinal direction and having a rear surface side; and

a mirror holder supporting said mirror body;

said reflection variable mirror including a transparent substrate formed with said mirror surface areas with different curvature conditions; and

a transparent electrode thin film, an optoelectronic layer, a light reflecting film serving as an electrode thin film, and, an insulating sealing element orderly deposited in that order on said rear surface side of said transparent substrate, clip electrodes for applying a certain voltage to said transparent electrode thin film, an electrochemical reactive layer and a light reflective film serving as an electrode thin film, wherein dividing lines are formed for dividing said transparent electrode thin film deposited on said transparent substrate into a plurality of areas, wherein said transparent substrate includes a main mirror surface area being a convex surface, of certain curvature and a supplemental mirror surface area being a convex surface of a gradually varied curvature with a gradually decreasing radius of curvature, one part of said dividing lines serving as a boundary line between said main mirror surface area and said supplemental mirror surface and another part forming a non-boundary line; and

wherein the insulating sealing element is directly deposited on said dividing lines serving as the boundary line and only the optoelectronic layer is filled in the non-boundary line; and

wherein said dividing lines are formed in a cross shape so as to divide a mirror surface into four areas, said cross-shape having a vertical which forms a boundary wherein said main mirror-surface area and said supplemental mirror surface area, and also a horizontal line and a vertical line portion under a cross point with said horizontal line which are covered by a lower periphery of said mirror holder for preventing from appearing outwardly.

21. A multifunctional rearview mirror system as defined in claim 20, the supplemental mirror surface area and the optoelectronic layer and the light reflecting film serving as the electrode thin film are not deposited on the vertical line while the insulating sealing element or the insulating sealing substrate is directly deposited on the vertical line, the light reflecting film serving as the electrode thin film and the insulating sealing element or the insulating sealing substrate are deposited on the non-boundary line.

22. A multifunctional rearview mirror system as defined in claim 20, wherein the optoelectronic layer is electrochromic layer deposited on the main surface area and the supplemental mirror surface area divided by the vertical line of the cross shape and on the horizontal line of the cross shape.