Gentex Corporation

Edward L DeNave

John K Roberts

Bradley L Busscher

Kenton J Ypma

Timothy A Bonardi

Daniel J Bostwick

Randall S Braun

Randall J Beute

Wayne M Jordan

Gregory A Bosch

Bradley L Northman

Keith J Timmer

Kent J Ypma

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 and housing assembly includes a multi-layer electrochromic (EC) mirror subassembly supported by a carrier. The EC mirror subassembly includes a front transparent element and a rear element, each having front and rear surfaces, a reflector on one of the surfaces of the rear element, and further includes a seal spacing the front and rear elements apart to define a chamber therebetween. An EC material, such as solution phase, gel phase, solid phase, or a hybrid EC material, fills the chamber and is electrically connected to a control for controlled dimming of reflections from the reflector. The front and rear elements each are characteristically very thin, such as about 1.6 mm to 0.8 mm, or more preferably 1.2 mm to 1.0 mm, and most preferably 1.1 mm, such that the EC mirror subassembly is characteristically surprisingly and unexpectedly low in weight. This makes the front and rear elements flexible and sensitive to bending in a thickness direction, which can result in unacceptable distortion of the reflector. However, the carrier includes a support surface supporting the rear element in a co-extensive flat manner and a retainer holding the EC mirror subassembly in a uniform manner that minimizes bending and deforming the rear element in the thickness direction. Several different reflector and carrier arrangements are shown for accomplishing non-distorting support for the EC mirror subassembly.

Lightweight electrochromic mirror

Growing community of inventors

Zeeland, MI, United States of America

Edward L DeNave