Abstract: A vehicular interior prismatic rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror casing and a prismatic reflective element disposed at the mirror casing and comprising a glass mirror substrate. The mirror substrate has a forward rounded perimeter region that is contactable and viewable by the driver of the vehicle and that provides a rounded transition between a front surface and a perimeter edge of the substrate. The mirror substrate has a rear perimeter edge region chamfered to form an angled surface between the rear surface and the perimeter edge. A reflector coating and a protective coating are disposed at the rear surface. An encapsulant is disposed about a perimeter region of the rear surface so as to encompass and overlay a portion of the angled surface and the reflector coating and the protective coating at the rear surface, with no part of the encapsulant being disposed at the forward rounded perimeter region.

Abstract: An electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element includes front and rear glass substrates with an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween and bounded by a perimeter seal. A perimeter layer is disposed at a second surface of the front substrate proximate a perimeter edge of the front substrate. The perimeter layer conceals the perimeter seal from view by a driver of a vehicle. No part of the rear substrate extends beyond any part of the front substrate. At least a portion of the mirror reflector disposed at at least a portion of the third surface of the rear substrate extends from under the perimeter seal outward towards at least a portion of the perimeter edge of the rear substrate. The mirror reflector includes a stack of thin films that includes at least a first metal thin film and a second metal thin film.

Abstract: An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror casing and a mirror reflective element having a first glass substrate and a second glass substrate with an electro-optic medium sandwiched therebetween and bounded by a perimeter seal. A front substrate has a rounded perimeter edge region that has a radius of curvature of at least 2.5 mm and that spans between a front side and a rear side of the front substrate. The rear side of the front substrate is adhesively attached at a first surface of the first glass substrate of the mirror reflective element. The rounded perimeter edge region of the front substrate is exterior the mirror casing and provides a smooth continuous transition between the front side of the front substrate and a side wall surface of the mirror casing.

Abstract: A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror reflective element having a first glass substrate and a second glass substrate with an electro-optic medium sandwiched therebetween and bounded by a perimeter seal. The first glass substrate has a first surface and a second surface and the second glass substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface. The second surface has a transparent electrically conductive coating that opposes and contacts the electro-optic medium and the third surface has an electrically conductive coating that opposes and contacts the electro-optic medium. A front substrate has a rounded perimeter edge region that has a radius of curvature of at least 2.5 mm and that spans between a front side and a rear side of the front substrate. The rear side of the front substrate is adhesively attached at the first surface of the first glass substrate of the mirror reflective element.

Abstract: A method of making a mirror reflective element suitable for use in a vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes providing front and rear substrates, and disposing an electrically conductive layer and a metallic reflector at respective surfaces thereof. With the substrates joined and with an electrochromic medium disposed in an interpane cavity, light that reflects off of the mirror reflector and passes through the electrochromic medium and the front substrate is non-spectrally selective when no voltage is applied to the electrochromic medium. At least a portion of the mirror reflector extends under the perimeter seal and towards a perimeter edge of the rear substrate. A display is disposed to the rear of the rear substrate of the mirror reflective element at a light-transmitting window. The display is operable responsive to a blind spot detector of a vehicle equipped with an exterior rearview mirror assembly that incorporates the mirror reflective element.

Abstract: An electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element includes front and rear glass substrates with an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween and bounded by a perimeter seal. A perimeter layer is disposed at a second surface of the front substrate proximate a perimeter edge of the front substrate. The perimeter layer conceals the perimeter seal from view by a driver of a vehicle. No part of the rear substrate extends beyond any part of the front substrate. At least a portion of the mirror reflector disposed at at least a portion of the third surface of the rear substrate extends from under the perimeter seal outward towards at least a portion of the perimeter edge of the rear substrate. The mirror reflector includes a stack of thin films that includes at least a first metal thin film and a second metal thin film.

Abstract: An electro-optic rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a caseless electro-optic rearview mirror reflective element and a plate attached at the rear of the reflective element. The mirror reflective element connected to and pivotal about a windshield electronics module via a ball and socket pivot joint. Control circuitry may be disposed in a windshield electronics module for automatically controlling dimming of the electro-optic medium or alternatively, dimming of the electro-optic medium is automatically controlled via a multifunctional rear backup camera system of the equipped vehicle. Optionally, the control circuitry controls dimming of the electro-optic medium of the mirror reflective element via wiring that passes through the ball and socket pivot joint. Optionally, image data captured by the multifunctional rear backup camera may be used for ambient light determination and to provide video image display at the interior rearview mirror assembly.

Abstract: A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mounting assembly having a base portion and a mounting arm extending from the base portion. A mirror head is pivotally adjustable relative to the mounting assembly via a pivot joint having first and second pivot elements. The mirror head includes a mirror reflective element, with the first pivot element disposed at the rear side of the mirror reflective element and fixed thereat. The mounting arm includes a proximal end proximate the base portion and a distal end distal from the base portion, with the second pivot element being at the distal end of the mounting arm. The second pivot element is disposed at a damping element that is received at the distal end of the mounting arm. The damping element and the second pivot element are biased toward the distal end of the mounting arm and away from the base portion.

Abstract: A mirror reflective element assembly for a vehicle includes an electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element that includes front and rear substrates with an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween and bounded by a perimeter seal. A perimeter layer is disposed at a second surface of the front substrate proximate a perimeter edge of the front substrate that conceals the perimeter seal from view by a driver of a vehicle. No part of the rear substrate extends beyond any part of the front substrate. At least a portion of the mirror reflector disposed at at least a portion of the third surface of the rear substrate extends from under the perimeter seal outward towards at least a portion of the perimeter edge of the rear substrate. The mirror reflector includes a stack of thin films that includes at least a first metal thin film and a second metal thin film.

Abstract: An electrochromic mirror reflective element for a vehicular rearview mirror assembly includes front and rear glass substrates with an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween and with a fourth surface reflector coated at the fourth surface of the rear substrate.

Abstract: An electro-optic rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a caseless electro-optic rearview mirror reflective element and a plate attached at the rear of the reflective element. The mirror reflective element connected to and pivotal about a windshield electronics module via a ball and socket pivot joint. Control circuitry may be disposed in a windshield electronics module for automatically controlling dimming of the electro-optic medium or alternatively, dimming of the electro-optic medium is automatically controlled via a multifunctional rear backup camera system of the equipped vehicle. Optionally, the control circuitry controls dimming of the electro-optic medium of the mirror reflective element via wiring that passes through the ball and socket pivot joint. Optionally, image data captured by the multifunctional rear backup camera may be used for ambient light determination and to provide video image display at the interior rearview mirror assembly.

Abstract: An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror head with a mirror reflective element. The mirror reflective element includes a transflective mirror reflector. A video display screen is disposed behind the mirror reflective element and is operable for displaying video images viewable through the transflective mirror reflector of the mirror reflective element. When not operated to display video images, the presence of the video display screen behind the mirror reflective element is rendered covert by the transflective mirror reflector. The interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mechanism operable to change the orientation of the mirror reflective element relative to the vehicle driver. The mechanism operates to flip the orientation of the mirror reflective element between a first position that is tilted towards the vehicle driver and a second position that is tilted away from the vehicle driver.

Abstract: A sun visor assembly for a vehicle includes a front transparent glass substrate having first and second surfaces and a rear transparent glass substrate having third and fourth surfaces, with an electro-optic medium sandwiched between the second surface of the front glass substrate and the third surface of the rear glass substrate. A vanity mirror including a mirror reflector is established at one of (i) the first surface of the front glass substrate and (ii) the second surface of the front glass substrate. When not electrically powered, the electro-optic medium is substantially transparent, and when electrically powered, the electro-optic medium is darkened so as to have reduced light transmission. When the electro-optic medium behind the mirror reflector is darkened, the mirror reflector is usable as a vanity mirror by a user of the sun visor.

Abstract: An electro-optic mirror reflective element for a rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a front substrate and a rear substrate. A surface of the front substrate and a surface of the rear substrate oppose one another and are spaced apart by a perimeter seal, with an electro-optic medium disposed between the surfaces and bounded by the perimeter seal. A transparent electrically conductive coating is established at the surface of the front substrate, and a specularly reflective mirror reflector is established at the surface of the rear substrate. The specularly reflective mirror reflector includes a stack of thin film layers having (i) an environmentally stable electrically conductive metallic reflecting thin film layer including chromium, (ii) an environmentally vulnerable electrically conductive metallic reflecting thin film layer and (iii) a transparent electrically conductive thin film layer including aluminum doped zinc oxide.

Abstract: A method for making electrical connection to a mirror reflective element for a vehicular rearview mirror assembly includes providing a mirror reflective element having a front substrate and a rear substrate with an electro-optic medium disposed therebetween and in contact with a transparent conductive coating and a third surface reflector. A metallic electrical connector is provided that includes an attachment portion and a wire receiving portion. An electrical wire is inserted in the wire receiving portion such that at least one tang of the wire receiving portion engages the electrical wire to secure the electrical wire in the wire receiving portion and to make electrically-conductive connection with the electrical wire. The attachment portion is attached at the front or rear substrate to attach the electrical connector at the mirror reflective element such that the attachment portion electrically conductively connects to the transparent conductive coating or the third surface reflector.

Abstract: A mirror reflective element assembly for a vehicle includes an electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element that includes front and rear substrates with an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween and bounded by a perimeter seal. A perimeter layer is disposed at a second surface of the front substrate proximate a perimeter edge of the front substrate that conceals the perimeter seal from view by a driver of a vehicle. No part of the rear substrate extends beyond any part of the front substrate. At least a portion of the mirror reflector disposed at at least a portion of the third surface of the rear substrate extends from under the perimeter seal outward towards at least a portion of the perimeter edge of the rear substrate. The mirror reflector includes a stack of thin films that includes at least a first metal thin film and a second metal thin film.

Abstract: An electro-optic mirror reflective element for a rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a front substrate and a rear substrate. A surface of the front substrate and a surface of the rear substrate oppose each other and are spaced apart by a perimeter seal, with an electro-optic medium disposed between the surfaces and bounded by the perimeter seal. A transparent electrically conductive coating is established at the surface of the front substrate, and a specularly reflective mirror reflector is established at the surface of the rear substrate. The specularly reflective mirror reflector includes a stack of thin film layers having (i) an environmentally stable electrically conductive metallic reflecting thin film layer, (ii) an environmentally vulnerable electrically conductive metallic reflecting thin film layer and (iii) a transparent electrically conductive thin film layer. The transparent electrically conductive thin film layer includes aluminum doped zinc oxide.

Abstract: A vehicular interior prismatic rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror casing and a prismatic reflective element disposed at the mirror casing and comprising a glass mirror substrate. The mirror substrate has a forward rounded perimeter region that is contactable and viewable by the driver of the vehicle and that provides a rounded transition between a front surface and a perimeter edge of the substrate. The mirror substrate has a rear perimeter edge region chamfered to form an angled surface between the rear surface and the perimeter edge. A reflector coating and a protective coating are disposed at the rear surface. An encapsulant is disposed about a perimeter region of the rear surface so as to encompass and overlay a portion of the angled surface and the reflector coating and the protective coating at the rear surface, with no part of the encapsulant being disposed at the forward rounded perimeter region.

Abstract: A mirror reflective element assembly for a vehicle includes an electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element that includes front and rear substrates with an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween and bounded by a perimeter seal. A perimeter layer is disposed at a second surface of the front substrate proximate a perimeter edge of the front substrate that conceals the perimeter seal from view by a driver of a vehicle. At least a portion of the mirror reflector extends from under the perimeter seal outward towards at least a portion of the perimeter edge of the rear substrate. The mirror reflective element includes a more curved outboard region and a less curved inboard region. A laser-etched demarcation may demarcate the more curved outboard region of the mirror reflective element from the less curved inboard region of the mirror reflective element.

Abstract: A system for filling a vehicular electrochromic rearview mirror reflective element includes a filling crucible, a compressible sealing element, and a fixture configured to support an unfilled mirror cell. The filling crucible includes a fluid reservoir, a mirror cell receiving portion and a channel between the fluid reservoir and the mirror element receiving portion. The mirror cell receiving portion of the filling crucible is shaped to receive a perimeter portion of the unfilled mirror cell therein such that the fill port of the unfilled mirror cell is aligned with the channel of the filling crucible. With the unfilled mirror cell supported at the fixture, the mirror cell receiving portion of the filling crucible receives the upper perimeter portion of the unfilled mirror cell with the compressible sealing element between the filling crucible and the unfilled mirror cell. The mirror cell is filled under negative pressure.