The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 27, 2001
Filed:
Mar. 16, 1999
John K. Roberts, Grand Rapids, MI (US);
Edward L. DeNave, Zeeland, MI (US);
Kent J. Ypma, Grand Rapids, MI (US);
Keith J. Timmer, Grandville, MI (US);
Gentex Corporation, Zeeland, MI (US);
Abstract
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.