Patent ID: 11890991
Assignee: MAGNA MIRRORS OF AMERICA, INC.
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  F  G | IPC B  F  G

Claim 22:
23. A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly, the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
an electrochromic mirror reflective element sub-assembly comprising a electrochromic mirror reflective element;
said electrochromic mirror reflective element comprising a front glass substrate and a rear glass substrate;
wherein an electrochromic medium is disposed between said front glass substrate and said rear glass substrate;
wherein said rear glass substrate has a first side and a second side separated by a thickness dimension of said rear glass substrate;
wherein a metallic reflector coating is disposed at the first side of said rear glass substrate;
wherein said metallic reflector coating contacts said electrochromic medium;
said electrochromic mirror reflective element sub-assembly comprising a mirror back plate;
wherein said mirror back plate comprises a plate portion having a front plate side facing the second side of said rear glass substrate and a rear plate side rearward of said front plate side that is separated from said front plate side by a thickness dimension of said plate portion of said mirror back plate;
wherein said mirror back plate comprises first structure at said rear plate side;
wherein said first structure is configured to attach at an actuator of the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly;
wherein said mirror back plate comprises second structure at said rear plate side;
wherein said electrochromic mirror reflective element sub-assembly comprises a heater pad disposed between the second side of said rear glass substrate and said front plate side of said plate portion of said mirror back plate;
wherein said heater pad is adhered at said second side of said rear glass substrate, and wherein said front plate side of said mirror back plate is adhered at said heater pad;
wherein said heater pad comprises a light-transmitting portion;
said electrochromic mirror reflective element sub-assembly comprising an indicator element disposed at said second structure of said mirror back plate, said indicator element having a circuit board and a light source disposed at said circuit board, wherein said light source is activatable to emit light;
wherein said light source comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes;
wherein said indicator element comprises electrically conducting terminals electrically connected to said circuit board and extending therefrom;
wherein said electrically conducting terminals extending from said circuit board extend into a connector portion of said indicator element forming an electrical connector configured for connection to another electrical connector for electrically connecting circuitry of said circuit board at least to electrical power when the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly utilizing said electrochromic mirror reflective element sub-assembly is mounted at a side of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly;
wherein said indicator element comprises a diffuser that diffuses light emitted by said light source;
wherein said indicator element is a self-contained unit;
wherein an icon is established through said metallic reflector coating disposed at the first side said rear glass substrate;
wherein said icon of said indicator element is associated with a blind spot detection system of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said icon comprises a light-transmitting aperture;
wherein, when said light source is activated and with the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly attached at the equipped vehicle, light emitted by said light source passes through said light-transmitting portion of said heater pad and through said light-transmitting aperture of said icon;
wherein, with the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly attached at the equipped vehicle and when said light source is activated, said icon is illuminated and is viewable by a driver of the equipped vehicle; and
wherein the electrical connector formed by said electrically conducting terminals extending from said circuit board and said connector portion of said indicator element comprises an electrical socket connector for electrically connecting circuitry of the circuit board to an electrical plug connector of the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly utilizing said electrochromic mirror reflective element sub-assembly.