EP0728618A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Dimmable rearview mirror for motor vehicles
Assignee: Gentex Corp
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Filing: 1995-12-08
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2015-12-08
Abstract
Abstract An improved dimmable electro-optical rearview mirror for motor vehicles is provided, the mirror including a multilayer combination reflector/electrode that is low in electrical sheet resistance per unit area, and a transparent electrode that is higher in electrical sheet resistance per unit area than the multilayer combination reflector/electrode whereby such components operate in a synergistic fashion resulting in an electro-optic mirror having improved speed of reflectance change, improved high end reflectance, good uniformity of reflectance change across the surface area of the mirror, neutral colour and continuously variable reflectance, and a low end reflectance low enough to relieve strong glare.
Inventors
- 👤 Frederick T. Bauer
- 👤 William L. Tonar
- 👤 Harlan J. Byker
- 👤 David J. Cammenga
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 04:15
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60R; B60R1/00; B60R1/02; B60R1/06; B60R1/08; B60R1/083; B60R1/088; G; G02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/15; G02F1/153; G02F1/155; G02F1/157; G02F2001/1502; G02F1/1514; G02F2001/15145
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
163 words
An electro-optically dimming rearview mirror for motor vehicles, said mirror comprising, in combination, front and rear spaced elements, said front element and said rear element defining a chamber therebetween, said front element being transparent, the side of said front element confronting said rear element including transparent electrically conductive means, including combined electrically conductive light reflecting means, said chamber containing an electro-optic reversible variable transmittance medium in contact with said transparent electrically conductive material on said front element and said combined electrically conductive light reflecting means on said rear element, said combined electrically conductive light reflecting means on said rear element being effective to reflect light through said medium and through said front element when said light reaches said combined electrically conductive light reflecting means after passing through said medium and through said front element, said combined electrically conductive light reflecting means on said rear element having a lower electrical resistance per unit area than said transparent electrically conductive means on said front element.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
20 words
A mirror according to claim 1, wherein said transparent electrically conductive means on said front element comprises indium tin oxide.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
A mirror according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said combined electrically conductive light reflecting means on said rear element comprises chromium and rhodium.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
A mirror according to claim 1, 2 or 3, including indicia means visible through said front element.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
A mirror according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein said transparent electrically conductive means on said front element includes colour suppressing means and a doped tin oxide in contact with said electro-optic medium.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
A mirror according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said combined electrically conductive light reflecting means on said rear element includes at least one high conductance base coating over which is deposited at least one high reflectance coating.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
A mirror according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said combined electrically conductive light reflecting means on said rear element includes separate layers of chromium and rhodium.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
A mirror according to claim 7, wherein said layer of rhodium is on the side of said layer of chromium confronting said front element.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
A mirror according to claim 8, wherein said layer of chromium is greater in thickness than said layer of rhodium.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
45 words
A mirror according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said combined electrically conductive light reflecting means has an opening, and further comprising vacuum fluorescent display means visible through said front element and through the opening in said combined electrically conductive light reflecting means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
A mirror according to any one of the preceding claims, including bezel means extending around the periphery of said front element.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
50 words
A mirror according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising means for applying electrical potential to said transparent electrically conductive means on said front element and said combined electrically conductive light reflecting means on said rear element to cause variations in the light transmittance of said electro-optic medium.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
A mirror according to claim 12,wherein said means for applying electrical potential to said transparent electrically conductive means is automatic.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
A mirror according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said front and rear spaced elements are made of glass.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
A mirror according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said combined electrically conductive light reflecting means has a plurality of layers.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
20 words
A mirror according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said reversibly variable transmittance medium is an electrochromic medium.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
22 words
A mirror according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said combined electrically conductive light reflectance means functions as a cathode.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
31 words
A mirror according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said transparent electrically conductive means on said front element includes multiple coatings, one of said coatings comprising indium tin oxide.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
42 words
A mirror according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said combined electrically conductive light reflecting means on said rear element includes coatings selected from the group consisting of rhodium, platinum, ruthenium, iridium, gold, stainless steel, silver, titanium, nickel-chromium and chromium.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
27 words
A mirror according to any one of the preceding claims, including resistance heater means adhered to the side of said rear element remote from said front element.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
37 words
A mirror according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said transparent electrically conductive means on said front element includes a coating selected from the group consisting of fluorine doped tin oxide and indium tin oxide.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
31 words
A mirror according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said combined electrically conductive light reflecting means is disposed on the side of said rear element confronting said front element.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
26 words
A mirror according to claim 23, wherein said rear element also includes a conductive transparent coating on the other side than that confronting the front element.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
68 words
A mirror according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said combined electrically conductive light reflecting means on said rear element includes a first high conductance coating selected from the group consisting of chromium, stainless steel, nickel-chromium, gold, silver and titanium, and alloys thereof, and a second high reflectance coating selected from the group consisting of rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, platinum, chromium and stainless steel and alloys thereof.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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