Interior rearview mirror assembly

• US 9,352,691 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2013
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Watson, Ryan W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Doak, Jennifer L.
• Application Number:
  US14/071,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20140133043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/182 for mirrors

Abstract

An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror reflective element having at least one transparent or glass substrate and a mirror reflector established at a surface of the at least one transparent or glass substrate. A mirror backplate is disposed to the rear of the mirror reflective element. A mounting base is configured for attachment at an interior portion of a vehicle. The mounting base includes a ball member. A socket element is formed separate from the mirror backplate and the mounting base. The socket element is attachable at the mirror backplate and is configured to pivotally attach to the ball member of the mounting base. With the socket element attached at the mirror backplate, the socket element pivotally attaches to the ball member to pivotally mount the mirror backplate and the mirror reflective element at the mounting base.

Claims

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

a mirror casing having a rear wall with a passageway therethrough;

a mirror reflective element comprising at least one transparent substrate and a mirror reflector established at a surface of said at least one transparent substrate;

a mirror backplate disposed to the rear of said mirror reflective element, said mirror backplate having a front side opposing the rear of said mirror reflective element and a rear side opposite said front side;

a mounting base formed separate from said mirror backplate and configured for attachment at an interior portion of a vehicle, said mounting base comprising a ball member;

a socket element formed separate from said mirror backplate and separate from said mounting base, wherein said socket element is directly attachable to said rear side of said mirror backplate, and wherein said socket element is configured to pivotally attach to said ball member of said mounting base to form a ball and socket pivot joint; and

wherein, with said socket element directly attached to said rear side of said mirror backplate, said socket element pivotally attaches to said ball member to pivotally mount said mirror backplate and said mirror reflective element at said mounting base, and wherein, with said ball member pivotally attached at said socket element directly attached to said rear side of said mirror backplate, a portion of said mounting base passes through said passageway of said mirror casing for attachment at the interior portion of the vehicle; and

wherein, with said ball member pivotally attached at said socket element directly attached to said rear side of said mirror backplate, and with said mounting base attached at the interior portion of the vehicle, the weight of said reflective element and said mirror backplate is supported via said socket element and said ball member and not via said mirror casing.

2. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said socket element is attached directly to said rear side of said mirror backplate via at least one fastener.

3. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein electrical wiring passes through said mounting base and through said ball member and through said socket element, said electrical wiring making electrical connection to circuitry at said backplate.

4. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said mirror backplate comprises a first material and said socket element comprises a second material, and wherein said second material is different than said first material.

5. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 4, wherein said first material comprises an ABS material.

6. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 5, wherein said second material comprises at least one of (i) an acetal material and (ii) a polypropylene material.

7. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 4, wherein said second material comprises at least one of (i) an acetal material and (ii) a polypropylene material.

8. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said mirror casing attaches at one of (i) said mirror backplate and (ii) a bezel portion that circumscribes said mirror reflective element.

9. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 8, wherein, with said socket element attached to said rear side of said mirror backplate, said ball member of said mounting base is received through said passageway to attach to said socket element.

10. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said ball member attaches to said socket element by at least one of (i) a snap attachment and (ii) a press fit attachment.

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

a mirror reflective element comprising at least one glass substrate and a mirror reflector established at a surface of said at least one glass substrate;

a mirror backplate disposed to the rear of said mirror reflective element;

a mounting base formed separate from said mirror backplate and configured for attachment at an interior portion of a vehicle, said mounting base comprising a ball member;

a mirror casing;

a socket element formed separate from said mirror backplate and separate from said mounting base, wherein said socket element is attachable directly to said mirror backplate, and wherein said socket element is configured to pivotally attach to said ball member of said mounting base to form a ball and socket pivot joint;

wherein said mirror casing has a passageway therethrough for passing said ball member of said mounting base through said mirror casing;

wherein, with said socket element directly attached to said mirror backplate, said ball member of said mounting base is received through said passageway of said mirror casing and said ball member pivotally attaches to said socket element to pivotally mount said mirror backplate and said mirror reflective element at said mounting base;

wherein said ball member attaches to said socket element by at least one of (i) a snap attachment and (ii) a press fit attachment; and

wherein, with said ball member pivotally attached at said socket element directly attached to said rear side of said mirror backplate, and with said mounting base attached at the interior portion of the vehicle, the weight of said reflective element and said mirror backplate is supported via said socket element and said ball member and not via said mirror casing.

12. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 11, wherein said socket element is directly attached to said mirror backplate via at least one fastener.

13. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 11, wherein electrical wiring passes through said mounting base and through said ball member and through said socket element, said electrical wiring making electrical connection to circuitry at said mirror backplate.

14. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 11, wherein said mirror backplate comprises a first material and said socket element comprises a second material, and wherein said second material is different than said first material.

15. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 14, wherein at least one of (i) said first material comprises an ABS material and (ii) said second material comprises a polypropylene material.

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

a mirror reflective element comprising at least one glass substrate and a mirror reflector established at a surface of said at least one glass substrate;

a mirror backplate disposed to the rear of said mirror reflective element, said mirror backplate having a first side opposing said mirror reflective element and a second side opposite said first side;

a mounting base formed separate from said mirror backplate and configured for attachment at an interior portion of a vehicle, said mounting base comprising a ball member;

a socket element formed separate from said mirror backplate and separate from said mounting base, wherein said socket element is directly attachable to said rear side of said mirror backplate, and wherein said socket element is configured to pivotally attach to said ball member of said mounting base to form a ball and socket pivot joint;

wherein said mirror backplate comprises a plastic mirror backplate formed via a first injection molding operation and wherein said socket element comprises a plastic socket element formed via a second injection molding operation; and

wherein, with said socket element directly attached to said rear side of said mirror backplate, said socket element pivotally attaches to said ball member to pivotally mount said mirror backplate and said mirror reflective element at said mounting base.

17. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 16, wherein said socket element is directly attached to said rear side of said mirror backplate via at least one fastener.

18. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 16, wherein electrical wiring passes through said mounting base and through said ball member and through said socket element, said electrical wiring making electrical connection to circuitry at said backplate.

19. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 16, wherein said mirror backplate comprises a first material and said socket element comprises a second material, and wherein said second material is different than said first material, and wherein at least one of (i) said first material comprises an ABS material and (ii) said second material comprises a polypropylene material.

20. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 16, comprising a mirror casing having a passageway therethrough for passing said ball member of said mounting base through said mirror casing, wherein, with said socket element directly attached to said rear side of said mirror backplate, said ball member of said mounting base is received through said passageway to attach to said socket element.