Vehicle mirror and manufacturing method therefor

• US 8,004,768 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2009
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murakami Corporation
• Original Assignee: Murakami Corporation
• Inventors: Nakamura, Masatoshi, Takayanagi, Shinya
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh; Jack
• Application Number:
  US12/649,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20100214662A1
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 359/883, 359/900, 359/630, 359/839, 345/7
• US Class Current: 359/630
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0833 comprising inorganic materials only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 359/90 Methods

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle mirror and a manufacturing method therefor which allow the rear face side of a mirror element to be dark-colored without using a color plate or color coating. A mirror element is configured by forming a semitransparent reflective film made of a dielectric multilayer film on the front face of a flat transparent substrate. A dark-colored self-adhesive film is attached to the rear face of the mirror element. The dark-colored self-adhesive film is configured by forming an adhesive layer on the rear face of a dark-colored film layer by means of application. Grid-like air release channels are formed at fine pitches with minimal depth on an entire surface of the adhesive layer. After the dark-colored self-adhesive film is attached to the rear face of the mirror element, the grid-like air release channels visible from a front side of the mirror element are eliminated by heating and/or pressurizing.

Claims

1. A vehicle mirror comprising:

a mirror element in which a semitransparent reflective film is formed on a front face or a rear face of a transparent substrate; and

a dark-colored self-adhesive film which is attached to a rear face of the mirror element and which has an attaching side which is dark-colored, wherein

the dark-colored self-adhesive film has air release channels on a surface of an adhesive layer before the dark-colored self-adhesive film is attached to the mirror element, and when the dark-colored self-adhesive film is heated or pressurized after being attached to the mirror element, the air release channels are eliminated as viewed from a front side of the mirror element.

2. The vehicle mirror according to claim 1, wherein the air release channels are formed in a grid.

3. The vehicle mirror according to claim 2, wherein the semitransparent reflective film is a dielectric multilayer film.

4. The vehicle mirror according to claim 3, wherein the rear face of the mirror element has a region not covered with the dark-colored self-adhesive film and a light-emitting information display monitor is installed behind the mirror element with a display surface facing the region not covered with the dark-colored self-adhesive film.

5. The vehicle mirror according to claim 2, wherein the rear face of the mirror element has a region not covered with the dark-colored self-adhesive film and a light-emitting information display monitor is installed behind the mirror element with a display surface facing the region not covered with the dark-colored self-adhesive film.

6. The vehicle mirror according to claim 1, wherein the semitransparent reflective film is a dielectric multilayer film.

7. The vehicle mirror according to claim 6, wherein the rear face of the mirror element has a region not covered with the dark-colored self-adhesive film and a light-emitting information display monitor is installed behind the mirror element with a display surface facing the region not covered with the dark-colored self-adhesive film.

8. The vehicle mirror according to claim 1, wherein the rear face of the mirror element has a region not covered with the dark-colored self-adhesive film and a light-emitting information display monitor is installed behind the mirror element with a display surface facing the region not covered with the dark-colored self-adhesive film.

9. A manufacturing method for a vehicle mirror, comprising:

preparing a mirror element in which a semitransparent reflective film is formed on a front face or a rear face of a transparent substrate;

preparing a dark-colored self-adhesive film which has an attaching side which is dark-colored and which has air release channels formed on a surface of an adhesive layer before the dark-colored self-adhesive film is attached to a target surface;

attaching the dark-colored self-adhesive film to a rear face of the mirror element; and

heating or pressurizing the mirror element with the dark-colored self-adhesive film attached thereto, thereby eliminating the air release channels as viewed from a front side of the mirror element.

10. The manufacturing method according to claim 9, wherein the air release channels are formed in a grid.

11. The manufacturing method according to claim 10, wherein the semitransparent reflective film is a dielectric multilayer film.

12. The manufacturing method according to claim 11, wherein when the dark-colored self-adhesive film is attached to the rear face of the mirror element, a region of the rear face of the mirror element is not covered by the dark-colored self-adhesive film, and

the manufacturing method further comprises installing a light-emitting information display monitor behind the mirror element with a display surface facing the region of the rear face of the mirror element not covered with the dark-colored self-adhesive film.

13. The manufacturing method according to claim 10, wherein when the dark-colored self-adhesive film is attached to the rear face of the mirror element, a region of the rear face of the mirror element is not covered by the dark-colored self-adhesive film, and

the manufacturing method further comprises installing a light-emitting information display monitor behind the mirror element with a display surface facing the region of the rear face of the mirror element not covered with the dark-colored self-adhesive film.

14. The manufacturing method according to claim 9, wherein the semitransparent reflective film is a dielectric multilayer film.

15. The manufacturing method according to claim 14, wherein when the dark-colored self-adhesive film is attached to the rear face of the mirror element, a region of the rear face of the mirror element is not covered by the dark-colored self-adhesive film, and

the manufacturing method further comprises installing a light-emitting information display monitor behind the mirror element with a display surface facing the region of the rear face of the mirror element not covered with the dark-colored self-adhesive film.

16. The manufacturing method according to claim 9, wherein when the dark-colored self-adhesive film is attached to the rear face of the mirror element, a region of the rear face of the mirror element is not covered by the dark-colored self-adhesive film, and

the manufacturing method further comprises installing a light-emitting information display monitor behind the mirror element with a display surface facing the region of the rear face of the mirror element not covered with the dark-colored self-adhesive film.