Mirror assembly

• US 7,253,723 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2005
• Issued: 08/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lynam, Niall R., Whitehead, Peter J., Karner, Lee, Uken, John T., Hook, Richard R., Lindahl, John O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland; Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US11/029,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20050169003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 340/438
• US Class Current: 340/438
• 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 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0033 Rear-view mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/157 Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. reflectors or illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof

Abstract

An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a casing having a human machine interface thereat. The human machine interface includes at least one user actuatable input integrally formed at a portion of the casing during the molding operation that forms the casing. The mirror assembly includes circuitry. The user actuatable input may be actuatable by a user to operate at least one element of the circuitry. The human machine interface may be at least partially at a bezel portion of the casing, or may be at least partially at a rear casing portion of the mirror casing.

Claims

1. An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a casing comprising a bezel;

said bezel formed of a molded plastic material in a molding operation;

at least one portion of said bezel adapted in said molding operation to provide a user actuatable element;

user actuatable element integrally formed at said portion of said bezel during said molding operation that forms said bezel, said user actuatable element comprising a molded plastic material body portion and a molded plastic material flexible portion, said molded plastic material flexible portion connecting said molded plastic material body portion to the remainder of said bezel so that said body portion is movable relative to the remainder of said bezel via flexing of said flexible portion when said user actuatable element is actuated by a user pressing said body portion;

circuitry, said circuitry disposed within said casing and having an electrical actuation switch located generally proximate to and rearward of said body portion or said user actuatable element; and

said electrical actuation switch of said circuitry being actuatable by a user of the vehicle pressing said body portion whereby movement of said body portion via flexing of said flexible portion causes said body portion to contact said electrical actuation switch to actuate said electrical actuation switch.

2. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said circuitry is disposed on a printed circuit board.

3. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one user actuatable element includes at least one actuating portion that is insert molded with said portion of said bezel.

4. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said user actuatable element is at least partially at a chin portion of said bezel.

5. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said body portion of said at least one user actuatable element comprises a surface finish that is different than a surface finish of the remainder of said bezel.

6. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said casing comprises a rear cap portion that supports at least one electrical element thercat.

7. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said casing comprises a resinous material and said at least one user actuatable input comprises said resinous material.

8. The interior rearview minor assembly of claim 7, wherein said at least one user actuatable element includes a hinge established of said resinous material.

9. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 7, wherein said resinous material comprises an olefin material.

10. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 7, wherein said resinous material comprises a polypropylene material.

11. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 7, wherein said at least one user actuatable element comprises a user actuated portion that is movable via flexing of at least a portion of said at least one user actuatable element to operate said at least one element of said circuitry.

12. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 11, wherein said user actuated portion includes an insert portion.

13. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 12, wherein said insert portion comprises at least one of a translucent insert portion and a printed insert portion.

14. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one user actuatable element comprises at least one of a user actuatable button, a touch sensor and a proximity sensor.

15. The interior rearview minor assembly of claim 1, wherein said minor assembly includes at least one accessory associated therewith.

16. The interior rearview minor assembly of claim 15, wherein said accessory is associated with a moisture sensor for detecting moisture on an interior surface of the vehicle windshield.

17. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 16, wherein said accessory activates a blower motor of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system of the vehicle in response to a threshold level of moisture being detected.

18. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 16, wherein said moisture sensor comprises a capacitive moisture sensor for detecting surface condensation.

19. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 15, wherein said accessory comprises a cabin air monitoring device that monitors the air within the cabin of the vehicle.

20. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 19, wherein said cabin air monitoring device monitors the level of carbon monoxide present in the air within the cabin of the vehicle.

21. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 20, wherein said accessory is operable in response to a detection of a carbon monoxide level within the cabin of the vehicle exceeding a threshold level.

22. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 21, wherein said accessory is operable to at least one of activate an alert, deactivate the engine, and open at least one window of the vehicle in response to the detection of carbon monoxide exceeding said threshold level.

23. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 20, wherein said accessory comprises an air intake.

24. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 23, wherein said air intake comprises a fan assisted intake.

25. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 20, wherein said accessory is associated with a remote ignition system of the vehicle.

26. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 20, wherein said air monitoring device is associated with a humidity sensing device that detects a humidity level within the cabin of the vehicle.

27. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 26, wherein said accessory controls a blower motor of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system of the vehicle in response to a detection of the humidity level exceeding a threshold level.

28. An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a casing, said easing formed of a molded plastic material in a molding operation;

at least one portion of said casing adapted in said molding operation to provide a user actuatable element, said user actuatable element integrally formed at said portion of said easing during said molding operation that forms said casing;

said user actuatable clement comprising a molded plastic material body portion and a molded plastic material flexible portion, said molded plastic material flexible portion connecting said molded plastic material body portion to the remainder of said casing so that said body portion is movable relative to the remainder of said casing via flexing of said flexible portion when said user actuatable element is actuated by a user pressing said body portion;

circuitry disposed within said casing and having an electrical actuation switch located generally proximate to and rearward of said body portion of said user actuatable element; and

said electrical actuation switch of said circuitry being actuatable by a user of the vehicle pressing said body portion whereby movement of said body portion via flexing of said flexible portion causes said body portion to contact said electrical actuation switch to actuate said electrical actuation switch.

29. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 28, wherein said user actuatable element is at least partially at a rear casing portion of said casing.

30. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 29, wherein said circuitry is disposed on a printed circuit board.

31. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 29, wherein said circuitry comprises compass circuitry.

32. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 29, wherein said rear casing portion comprises a rear cap portion that attaches to a bezel portion of said casing.

33. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 28, wherein said casing comprises a resinous material and said at least one user actuatable input comprises said resinous material.

34. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 33, wherein said user actuatable element includes a hinge established of said resinous material.

35. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 34, wherein said resinous material comprises an olefin material.

36. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 34, wherein said resinous material comprises a polypropylene material.

37. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 28, wherein said body portion of said at least one user actuatable element comprises a surface finish that is different than a surface finish of said casing.

38. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 28, wherein said circuitry comprises compass circuitry and wherein said electrical actuation switch operates a calibration control and a zone control of said compass circuitry.

39. An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a casing, said casing comprising a molded plastic material;

said casing having a user actuatable element thereat, said user actuatable element being integrally formed at a portion of said casing during the molding operation that forms said casing;

circuitry disposed within said casing, said at least one user actuatable input being actuatable by a user to operate an element of said circuitry;

wherein said user actuatable element comprises a molded plastic user actuated portion that is movable via flexing of a molded plastic flexible portion of said user actuatable element relative to the remainder of said casing so that said user actuated portion is movable when said user actuatable element is actuated by a user pressing said user actuated portion;

said element of said circuitry being located generally proximate to and rearward of said user actuated portion of said user actuatable element; and

said element of said circuitry being actuatable by a user of the vehicle pressing said user actuated portion of said user actuatable element.

40. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 39, wherein said circuitry is disposed on a printed circuit board.

41. The intoner rearview mirror assembly of claim 39, wherein said user actuatable element includes at least one actuating portion that is insert molded with said portion of said casing.

42. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 39, wherein said user actuatable element is at least partially at a bezel portion of said easing.

43. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 39, wherein said user actuatable element is at least partially at a rear casing portion of said casing.

44. The interior rearview minor assembly of claim 43, wherein said rear casing portion comprises a rear cap portion that supports at least one electrical element thercat.

45. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 39, wherein said casing comprises a resinous material and said user actuatable element comprises said resinous material.

46. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 45, wherein said user actuatable element includes a hinge established of said resinous material.

47. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 45, wherein said resinous material comprises an olefin material.

48. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 45, wherein said resinous material comprises a polypropylene material.

49. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 39, wherein said user actuated portion includes an insert portion.

50. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 49, wherein said insert portion comprises at least one of a translucent insert portion and a printed insert portion.

51. The interior rearview minor assembly of claim 39, wherein said user actuatable element comprises at least one of a user actuatable button, a touch sensor and a proximity sensor.

52. The interior rearview minor assembly of claim 39, wherein said mirror assembly includes at least one accessory associated therewith.