Gentex Corporation

Bradley L Northman

Kenton J Ypma

Frederick T Bauer

John W Carter

John K Roberts

Bradley L Busscher

Wayne J Rumsey

Timothy A Bonardi

Daniel J Bostwick

Randall S Braun

Randall J Beute

Wayne M Jordan

Edward L DeNave

Gregory A Bosch

Mark W Durnwald

A mirror assembly includes a housing, an angularly adjustable power pack, wires for supplying power and mirror angle control, an electrochromic mirror subassembly including a heater, and a turn signal device. The components include individual connectors that plug into a multi-prong connector on the bundle of wires, or that piggyback into each other. Optionally, the heater incorporates an internal wire with end connectors for communicating power to opposite sides of the heater, and also includes layers of light-transmitting/diffusing material for diffusing light passing from the turn signal device through the diffusing material. A printed circuit board fits into a pocket in the panel-shaped carrier, and an integral retainer releasably secures the printed circuit board. The power pack is attached to the carrier via a ring of resilient fingers, and a continuous hoop flange prevents distortion of the carrier and in turn of the glass elements in the mirror subassembly.

Rearview mirror constructed for efficient assembly

A mirror includes a housing, a mirror subassembly including a reflector layer with a portion defining an opening, and an indicia panel covering the opening and configured to form a visual display. At least one light source is positioned in the housing to pass light through the indicia panel and the opening of the mirror subassembly to selectively illuminate the visual display. The at least one light source emits a light matched in color to the indicia panel so that a maximum of light from the at least one light source passes through the indicia panel and is visible to a vehicle driver. Optimally, the light sources emit an amber colored light, and the indicia panel includes a diffusing layer also having an amber color.

Rearview mirror with display

Mirror

A mirror includes a housing, an electrochromic mirror subassembly in the housing including front and rear transparent elements, a layer of electrochromic material associated with the front and rear transparent elements, a reflector layer associated with the rear transparent element, with a portion of the reflector layer defining an opening, and an indicia panel covering the opening and configured to form a visual display. The visual display includes a panel with a discrete number of pre-formed letters and symbols. At least one light source is positioned in the housing to pass light through the indicia panel and the opening of the mirror subassembly to selectively illuminate the visual display. The plurality of light-emitting devices being a number that is equal to or less than the discrete number. The at least one light source emits a light matched in color to the indicia panel so that a maximum of light from the at least one light source passes through the indicia panel and is visible to a vehicle driver. Optimally, the light sources emit an amber colored light, and the indicia panel includes a diffusing layer also having an amber color.

A mirror includes an electrochromic mirror subassembly including front and rear transparent elements, a layer of electrochromic material associated with the front and rear transparent elements, and a reflective layer, a portion of the reflective layer defining an opening. An indicia panel is located proximate the mirror subassembly and covers the opening, and one or more light sources are positioned to pass light through the indicia panel and the opening of the electrochromic mirror subassembly to illuminate detailed symbols and information on the indicia panel. The indicia panel is adhered to the mirror subassembly, and a housing and a mating bezel are configured to receive the mirror subassembly. The indicia panel includes a pair of apertured locator tabs, and the bezel includes protrusions that engage the apertured locator tabs to accurately locate the indicia panel and the mirror subassembly and also a printed circuit board in the housing. A foam light seal is located between the printed circuit board and the indicia panel and is shaped to sealingly engage the printed circuit board and the indicia panel to prevent light leakage around the indicia panel. Where multiple light sources are used to illuminate different areas on the indicia panel, the foam light seal defines multiple windows engaging the indicia panel for containing light as each window is illuminated. The housing and the bezel snap together and are shaped to compress together the mirror subassembly, the indicia panel, the printed circuit board, and the light seal, thus compressing the light seal to assure good contact by the light seal.

Growing community of inventors

Belmont, MI, United States of America

Bradley L Northman