Donnelly Corporation

Pierr-Marc Allemand

Niall R Lynam

Anoop Agrawal

Desaraju V Varaprasad

Craig Allen Dornan

Mingtang Zhao

Mingtao Zhao

A variable transmission window includes a first substrate having a first transparent conductor coated surface and a second substrate having a second transparent conductor coated surface. The second substrate is positioned relative to the first substrate with the first and second transparent conductor coated surfaces facing each other. An electrochromic medium is disposed between the first and second substrates whereby the transmission of light through the electrochromic medium is changed when an electrical potential is applied thereto. The electrochromic medium includes a cross-linked film. The window may be one of (i) an aeronautical glazing and (ii) a vehicle glazing, and/or the window may be a large area glazing of an area of at least 99 square inches.

Variable transmission window

An electrochromic mirror reflective element suitable for use in a rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle includes first and second substrates having an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween and bounded by a perimeter seal. A perimeter coating is disposed at a second surface of the first substrate proximate at least a perimeter portion of the first substrate. The perimeter coating generally conceals the perimeter seal from view by a person viewing a first surface of the first substrate and through the first substrate. An at least partially reflective stack of thin films is disposed at least a portion of a third surface of the second substrate. The perimeter seal is at least partially visible to a person viewing a fourth surface of the second substrate and through the second substrate.

Electrochromic mirror reflective element for vehicular rearview mirror assembly

An automotive rearview mirror assembly includes an electrochromic reflective element having a transparent electrical conductor disposed at a second surface of a first substrate and a mirror reflector disposed at a third surface of a second substrate. The mirror assembly includes electrochromic mirror dimming circuitry for controlling dimming of the electrochromic medium. The mirror assembly may include one or more features and at least one of the features may share a component with the electrochromic mirror dimming circuitry and/or share circuitry with the electrochromic mirror dimming circuitry. The mirror assembly may include a video camera and/or an on-demand display viewable through the mirror reflector by the driver of the equipped vehicle when displaying information and substantially non-viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle when not displaying information.

Automotive rearview mirror assembly

A method of forming a mirrored bent cut glass shape includes bending a flat sheet of glass to establish a curved sheet of glass. A machine vision system determines a surface profile of the curved sheet of glass, and a computer numerical controlled cutting tool is positioned at the curved sheet of glass and its cutting wheel is maintained at or close to 90 degrees to the tangential plane of the curved sheet of glass. At least one of (a) the cutting wheel and (b) the curved sheet of glass is controlled in three dimensions to cut a bent cut glass shape from the curved sheet of glass, and such controlling is, at least in part, responsive to the surface profile of the curved sheet of glass. A mirror reflector is established at a surface of the bent cut glass shape to form a mirrored bent cut glass shape.

Method of forming a mirrored bent cut glass shape for vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly

An exterior reflective mirror element suitable for a vehicle includes a transparent glass substrate having a reflector and a visual indicator display disposed to the rear of the substrate. The visual indicator display may be part of a blind spot detection and display system of the vehicle wherein the visual indicator display is actuated to emit light responsive to a detection by a blind spot detection detector of the equipped vehicle of an overtaking vehicle in a side lane adjacent the side of the equipped vehicle. The visual indicator display includes at least a first indicator at a first location to the rear of the exterior reflective mirror element. A first portion of the reflector may be at least partially removed at the first location in order to establish an at least partially transmissive first portion of the exterior reflective mirror element at the first location.

Exterior reflective mirror element for a vehicular rearview mirror assembly

Exterior reflective mirror element for a vehicle rearview mirror assembly

An exterior mirror suitable for use in a vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a reflective mirror element having a light transmitting substrate with a mirror reflector having a metallic reflective layer coated thereon. A visual indicator display is disposed to the rear of the light transmitting substrate and actuated to emit light when powered. Light emitted by light sources of the display passes through the light transmitting substrate so as to be viewed by a driver of the vehicle equipped with the reflective mirror element. The mirror element has portions of the metallic reflective layer at least partially removed by laser scribing to establish at least partially light transmissive portions of the mirror reflector so that light emitted by light sources, when powered, passes through the respective at least partially light transmissive portions to be viewed by a viewer viewing from the front of the reflective mirror element.

Vehicular exterior mirror

An exterior electrochromic reflective mirror element for a vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly comprises an electrochromic cross-linked polymeric solid film disposed between a first substrate and a second substrate. The electrochromic cross-linked polymeric solid film contacts a transparent conductive layer of the first substrate and a conductive layer comprising a metallic reflective layer of the second substrate. A visual indicator display is disposed to the rear of said second substrate and is part of a blind spot detection and display system and is actuated to emit light responsive to a detection of another overtaking vehicle in a side lane. Light emitted by the visual indicator display passes through the second substrate, through the electrochromic cross-linked polymeric solid film and through the first substrate to be viewed by a driver of the vehicle equipped with the exterior electochromic reflective mirror element.

Exterior electrochromic reflective mirror element for a vehicular rearview mirror assembly

An electrochromic mirror device suitable for use in a vehicle comprises a first transparent substrate having a transparent conductive layer on a surface thereof and a second substrate having a conductive layer on a surface thereof. The conductive layer of the first substrate opposes the second conductive layer of the second substrate in a spaced-apart relationship thereby forming an interpane distance between the substrates. A boundary seal is interposed between the first and second substrates spacing apart the substrates and forming a cavity wherein the interpane distance is at least about 10 microns. An electrochromic cross-linked polymeric solid film is disposed within the cavity. The electrochromic cross-linked solid polymeric film is formed from an electrochromic monomer composition that includes at least one cathodic electrochromic compound. The second conductive layer comprises a metallic reflective layer.

Electrochromic polymeric solid films, manufacturing electrochromic devices using such solid films, and processes for making such solid films and devices

The present invention relates to electrochromic polymeric solid films, manufacturing electrochromic devices using such solid films and processes for making such solid films and devices. The electrochromic polymeric solid films of the present invention exhibit beneficial properties and characteristics, especially when compared to known electrochromic media. The electrochromic polymeric solid films are transformed in situ from a low viscosity electrochromic monomer composition by exposure to electromagnetic radiation, and in so doing minimum shrinkage occurs. The electrochromic polymeric solid films of the present invention also perform well under prolonged coloration, outdoor weathering and all-climate exposure, and provide an inherent safety aspect not known to electrochromic media heretofore.

The present invention relates to electrochromic ploymeric solid films, manufacturing electrochromic devices using such solid films and processes for making such solid films and devices. The electrochromic polymeric solid films of the present invention exhibit beneficial properties and characteristics, especially when compared to known electrochromic media. The electrochromic polymeric solid films are transformed in situ from a low viscosity electrochromic monomer composition by exposure to electromagnetic radiation, and in so doing minimum shrinkage occurs. The electrochromic polymeric solid films of the present invention also perform will under prolonged coloration, outdoor weathering and all-climate exposure, and provide an inherent safety aspect not known to electrochromic media heretofore.

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Pierr-Marc Allemand