Magna Mirrors of America, Inc.

Donnelly Corporation

Titon Ideas, Inc.

Craig Kendall

Mark L Larson

Jeremy R Shooks

Niall R Lynam

John T Uken

Mark E Kramer

Rodney K Blank

Joseph D Suchecki

James A Ruse

Darryl P De Wind

Christopher R Koetje

Michael J Baur

Hans J Fuchs

Daniel Alejandro García Orellana

Michael Andrew Furst

Tyson Paul DeJonge

A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror reflective element, a mirror back plate, and a blind zone indication module having a light source that is electrically powered to emit light. When the light source of the blind zone indication module is electrically powered, light emitted by the light source passing through (i) a light-transmitting portion of a housing of the blind zone indication module and (ii) a light-transmitting aperture of the mirror back plate illuminates an icon that is viewable to a driver of the vehicle who views the mirror reflective element. Illumination of the icon is responsive to a blind spot detection system of the vehicle detecting presence of another vehicle that is traveling in the same direction and in a lane adjacent to a lane that the equipped vehicle is traveling in and that is approaching or is overtaking the equipped vehicle.

Exterior mirror assembly with blind zone indication module

Suspension system for a helmet

A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head and a mounting assembly. The mirror casing includes a sidewall having an outer end region that circumscribes an open portion of the mirror casing. The outer end region includes a rounded outer surface curving between the open portion and a less-curved outer surface of the sidewall. The mirror reflective element is disposed at the open portion of the mirror casing. The mirror reflective element has a glass substrate having a rounded perimeter edge of at least 2.5 mm and a thickness of less than 2 mm. Curvature of the rounded outer surface of the outer end region of the sidewall matches curvature of the rounded perimeter edge of the glass substrate to provide a curved transition between a flat region at the front surface of the glass substrate and the less-curved outer surface of the sidewall of the mirror casing.

Interior rearview mirror assembly for vehicle

An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror head and a mounting structure attached at a central region of the mirror back plate. A circuit board is disposed at the mirror back plate to one side of the central region, and first and second electrical connectors are disposed at the rear of the reflective element to the other side of the central region, with the first and second electrical connectors being in electrically conductive continuity with electrically conductive coatings at respective surfaces of the front and rear glass substrates. The electrical conductors are electrically connected between the respective electrical connector and reflectance control circuitry at the circuit board. A wire harness is electrically connected to the circuit board, and a portion of the wire harness passes through the mounting structure and has a connector end for electrically connecting to a vehicle wire harness.

A vehicular rearview mirror assembly includes an electro-optic reflective element and a back plate, with a spring-loaded electrical connector disposed in a passageway of the back plate. The spring-loaded electrical connector is spring-biased toward an extended state and compressible toward a compressed state. The reflective element has an electrically conductive element established at the rear surface and in electrical connection with a conductive coating of the reflective element. A circuit element is disposed at the back plate and has an electrically conductive trace electrically connected to control circuitry. With the back plate attached at the reflective element and with the circuit element attached at the back plate, the spring-loaded electrical connector is compressed toward the compressed state and electrically connects the electrically conductive trace at the circuit element and the electrically conductive element at the reflective element.

Vehicular rearview mirror assembly with spring-loaded electrical connector

A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror reflector sub-assembly having a mirror reflective element, a mirror back plate, a heater pad, and a blind zone indication module that includes a plastic housing. When at least one light emitting diode of the blind zone indication module is electrically powered, light emitted by the light emitting diode exits the blind zone indication module via a light-transmitting portion of a front end of the plastic housing. With the blind zone indication module disposed at the mirror reflective element, and with the light-transmitting portion of the front end of the plastic housing juxtaposed with a light-transmitting aperture of the mirror back plate, light emitted by the light emitting diode passes through the mirror reflective element and illuminates an icon of the mirror reflective element that is viewable by a driver of a vehicle equipped with the mirror assembly.

An exterior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror reflective element, a back plate, and an attaching element having first and second spring-loaded electrical connectors disposed thereat. The attaching element includes a cover element with the spring-loaded electrical connectors disposed thereat. The attaching element includes electrical leads that electrically connect to the spring-loaded electrical connectors and that electrically connect to an electrical connector. With the cover element attached at the attachment portion of the back plate, and with the back plate attached at the rear side of the mirror reflective element, the spring-loaded electrical connectors contact and are biased into electrical contact with respective electrically conductive elements disposed at the rear side of the mirror reflective element, and the electrical connector is disposed at the back plate and configured to electrically connect to a connector of a wire harness of the mirror assembly or of the vehicle.

Mirror assembly with spring-loaded electrical connectors

An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly and a self-contained battery powered module releasably disposable at the mirror head of the mirror assembly. The self-contained battery powered module includes a toll transponder that communicates with an automated toll system. The mirror head has a receiving portion for receiving the self-contained battery powered module thereat. The receiving portion includes an opening established through a wall of the mirror casing. The self-contained battery powered module may be releasably retained at least partially in the receiving portion via a push-to-release mechanism. The self-contained battery powered module may be removable from the receiving portion via pushing at the self-contained battery powered module to release the self-contained battery powered module from the push-to-release mechanism.

Interior rearview mirror system with battery powered toll transponder module

A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror reflector sub-assembly having a mirror reflective element, a mirror back plate, a heater pad, and a blind zone indication module that includes a plastic housing. When at least one light emitting diode of the blind zone indication module is electrically powered, light emitted by the light emitting diode exits the blind zone indication module via a light-transmitting portion of the front end of the plastic housing. With the blind zone indication module disposed at the mirror reflective element, and with the light-transmitting portion of the front end of the plastic housing juxtaposed with a light-transmitting aperture of the mirror back plate, light emitted by the light emitting diode passes through the mirror reflective element and illuminates an icon of the mirror reflective element that is viewable by a driver of a vehicle equipped with the mirror assembly.

A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror reflector sub-assembly having a mirror reflective element, a mirror back plate, a heater pad, and a blind zone indication module that includes a plastic housing having a front end configured for attaching the blind zone indication module at the rear side of the mirror reflective element. When at least one light emitting diode of the blind zone indication module is electrically powered, light emitted by the light emitting diode exits the blind zone indication module via a light-transmitting portion of the front end of the plastic housing of the blind zone indication module. With the blind zone indication module disposed at the mirror reflective element, and with the light-transmitting portion of the front end of the plastic housing juxtaposed with a light-transmitting aperture of the mirror back plate, light emitted by the light emitting diode passes through the mirror reflective element.

An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror head having a mirror casing and a mirror reflective element, and a mirror mounting structure configured to adjustably mount the mirror head at an interior portion of a vehicle. A receiving portion of the mirror head is configured for receiving a portable self-contained garage door opening module at least partially thereat. The module is operable to wirelessly transmit a radio frequency signal responsive to actuation of a user input of the module. With the module at the receiving portion of the mirror head, the user input is accessible by the vehicle driver. A cover element is configured to detachably attach at the mirror casing at the receiving portion to releasably secure the module at the mirror head, with the module being releasable from the mirror head when the cover element is detached from the mirror casing.

Interior rearview mirror with GDO module

A vehicular rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head having a mirror casing and an electro-optic mirror reflective element. A mirror casing sidewall has a terminal end region that circumscribes an open end of the mirror casing and has a rounded end region surface. A first substrate of the reflective element has a rounded circumferential perimeter region extending at least partially between a front surface and a rear surface of the first substrate and having a first radius of curvature. The rounded surface of the mirror casing has a second radius of curvature. The substrate thickness of the first substrate is less than the first radius of curvature. The rounded surface of the mirror casing and the rounded circumferential perimeter region of the first substrate combine to provide a curved transition between the front surface and the outer surface of the mirror casing.

Rearview mirror assembly for vehicle

A method of manufacturing a rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes providing an electro-optic reflective element and a back plate. First and second spring-loaded electrical connectors are disposed in respective passageways of the back plate. A circuit element is provided that has an electrically conductive trace electrically connected to control circuitry. The back plate is attached at the reflective element, and the circuit element is attached at the back plate. With the back plate attached at the reflective element and with the circuit element attached at the back plate, the spring-loaded electrical connectors are biased into electrical contact with a respective electrically conductive element at the reflective element and a respective electrically conductive trace at the circuit element to electrically connect the electrically conductive trace to the electrically conductive element.

Method of manufacturing mirror assembly with spring-loaded electrical connectors

A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a blind zone indication module that includes a plastic housing having a front end configured for attaching the blind zone indication module at the rear side of the mirror reflective element. When at least one light emitting diode of the blind zone indication module is electrically powered, light emitted by the light emitting diode exits the blind zone indication module via a light-transmitting portion of the front end of the plastic housing of the blind zone indication module. With the blind zone indication module disposed at the mirror reflective element, and with the light-transmitting portion of the front end of the plastic housing juxtaposed with a light-transmitting aperture of the mirror back plate, light emitted by the light emitting diode passes through the mirror reflective element.

A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes an electro-optic reflective element, a back plate, and an attaching element having first and second spring-loaded electrical connectors disposed thereat. The attaching element attaches at the back plate such that the first spring-loaded connector contacts and is biased into electrical contact with a first electrically conductive element at a fourth surface of a rear substrate and the second spring-loaded connector contacts and is biased into electrical contact with a second electrically conductive element at the fourth surface of the rear substrate. The first and second spring-loaded connectors are electrically connected to a connector disposed at the back plate and are configured to electrically connect to a connector of a wire harness of the rearview mirror assembly or of the vehicle to electrically connect the first and second spring-loaded connectors to an electrical power source.

Growing community of inventors

Grand Haven, MI, United States of America

Craig Kendall