Abstract:
A mirror reflective element sub-assembly for an exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror reflective element attached at a mirror back plate, which includes a mirror actuator attaching portion established at the back plate by a plastic injection molding operation. A heater pad is disposed between the mirror reflective element and the mirror back plate. An indicator associated with a blind spot detection system has a light source that is activatable to emit light. When the mirror assembly is mounted at a side of a vehicle and with the light source activated, light emitted by the light source passes through a light diffuser and through an aperture of the mirror back plate and through a light transmitting portion of the heater pad and through a light-transmitting window of the mirror reflector and exits the mirror reflective element to provide a visual icon visible to a driver of the vehicle.
Abstract:
A method of coating a rear glass substrate for an electrochromic reflective element includes providing a fixture having a recess and a masking element extending from a perimeter region of the recess over a portion of the recess. The masking element includes a disc portion and an arm portion extending between the disc portion and the perimeter region of the recess of the fixture. A rear glass substrate is positioned in the recess and the masking element extends over and is spaced from the surface of the glass substrate. The glass substrate surface is coated with a mirror reflector coating. The masking element is shaped such that the mirror reflector coating is deposited at the surface behind the arm portion but is substantially not deposited behind the disc portion so as to establish a window region through the mirror reflector coating at the glass substrate surface.
Abstract:
An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror casing and an electro-optic reflective element. The reflective element has an electro-optic active region where an electro-optic medium is disposed and bounded by a perimeter seal. A transparent electrically conductive coating is established at the rear surface of the front substrate at the electro-optic active region. A perimeter portion of the front substrate extends beyond a corresponding perimeter portion of the rear substrate to establish a user input region that is outboard of the electro-optic active region. A user input, such as a touch sensor, is disposed at the user input region, and the user input is not in electrical contact with the transparent electrically conductive coating at the rear surface of the front substrate. The user input is operable to detect the presence or touch of a person's finger at the user input region.
Abstract:
A vehicular slider window assembly (10) includes upper and lower rails (22, 24), at least one fixed window panel (16, 18) and a movable window panel (20). The lower rail comprises a channel (26) and a guide element (28) received in and secured to the channel. The guide element extends at least partially along the fixed window panel and the opening and the channel extends at least partially along the fixed window panel and beyond an end of the guide element and receives a carrier (30) of the movable window therein during loading of the movable window. The movable window is received in the channel at a first depth during the loading process and is raised to a second depth to generally align the carrier with the guide portion (28a) of the guide element for insertion of the carrier into the guide portion for movement along the guide portion.
Abstract:
An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror casing and an electro-optic reflective element. The reflective element has an electro-optic active region where an electro-optic medium is disposed and bounded by a perimeter seal. A transparent electrically conductive coating is established at the rear surface of the front substrate at the electro-optic active region. A perimeter portion of the front substrate extends beyond a corresponding perimeter portion of the rear substrate to establish a user input region that is outboard of the electro-optic active region. A user input, such as a touch sensor, is disposed at the user input region, and the user input is not in electrical contact with the transparent electrically conductive coating at the rear surface of the front substrate. The user input is operable to detect the presence or touch of a person's finger at the user input region.
Abstract:
An interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head and a mounting assembly for adjustably mounting the mirror head at an interior portion of a vehicle. The mounting assembly includes a mounting structure that is attachable to an interior portion of the vehicle and includes a mirror mounting element pivotally attached at an end of the mounting structure to establish a mirror ball pivot joint. The attaching portion of the mirror mounting element is configured to attach to a receiving portion of the mirror head via a snap connection and/or a twist connection. The attaching portion of the mirror mounting element, when the mirror mounting element is attached at the end of the mounting structure, is attachable to the receiving portion of the mirror head from a position rearward of the mirror casing and from exterior the mirror casing to attach the mirror head at the mounting structure.
Abstract:
A window assembly for a vehicle includes outer and inner window panels and a spacer element disposed therebetween to establish an interpane cavity between the inner and outer window panels. At least one of (a) the outer window panel has a larger cross dimension relative to the inner window panel to provide overhang regions, and (b) the inner window panel has a different contour or curvature than that of the outer window panel so that the interpane cavity varies in gap distance across the window assembly. A roller shade is disposed in the cavity and is electrically deployable to coil and uncoil between a coiled light transmitting condition, where the roller shade functions to substantially allow light transmission through the window assembly, and an at least partially uncoiled light attenuating condition, where the roller shade functions to at least partially attenuate light transmission through the window assembly.
Abstract:
A rearview mirror reflective element assembly for an exterior mirror assembly of a vehicle includes a mirror reflective element having a principal mirror and an auxiliary wide angle spotter mirror. A curved recess is established at a spotter portion of a rear surface of a glass substrate of the mirror reflective element. A spotter mirror reflector coating is established at at least a portion of the curved recess to establish the auxiliary wide angle spotter mirror. A principal mirror reflector coating is established at a surface of the mirror reflective element to establish the principal mirror. A portion of the curved recess is substantially not coated with the spotter mirror reflector coating or a portion of the spotter mirror reflector coating is at least partially hidden from view of a person viewing the front of the mirror reflective element by a coating of the mirror reflective element.
Abstract:
An interior rearview mirror assembly includes a housing and a mirror reflective element having a glass substrate. The housing includes an element that protrudes beyond a rear surface of the glass substrate and towards the front surface of the glass substrate when the reflective element is at least partially received at the housing. The glass substrate includes a slanted rear perimeter edge-portion along a perimeter circumference of the rear surface of the glass substrate to at least partially accommodate the element of the housing when the reflective element is at least partially received at the housing. The glass substrate includes a beveled front perimeter along a perimeter circumference of the front surface of the glass substrate. The beveled front perimeter of the glass substrate is exposed and viewable by the driver of the vehicle.
Abstract:
An exterior mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mounting portion mountable at a side of a vehicle, a mirror head portion at the mounting portion, and an actuator. The mirror head portion includes a mirror casing and a reflective element at least partially housed at the mirror casing. The actuator is operable to impart pivotal movement of the reflective element mirror relative to the mirror casing to adjust a rearward field of view of a driver of the vehicle. The actuator includes a drive post that is pivotally attached at the reflective element. The actuator also includes a motor that rotatably drives a clutch device to adjust the drive post to adjust the reflective element relative to the mirror casing. The clutch device allows for manual adjustment of the reflective element and the drive post in a non-ratcheting manner.