Patent ID: 9352691
Filing Date: 2016-05-31
CPC Classification: B60R,G02B

Claim Text:
1. An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising: a mirror casing having a rear wall with a passageway therethrough; a mirror reflective element comprising at least one transparent substrate and a mirror reflector established at a surface of said at least one transparent substrate; a mirror backplate disposed to the rear of said mirror reflective element, said mirror backplate having a front side opposing the rear of said mirror reflective element and a rear side opposite said front side; a mounting base formed separate from said mirror backplate and configured for attachment at an interior portion of a vehicle, said mounting base comprising a ball member; a socket element formed separate from said mirror backplate and separate from said mounting base, wherein said socket element is directly attachable to said rear side of said mirror backplate, and wherein said socket element is configured to pivotally attach to said ball member of said mounting base to form a ball and socket pivot joint; and wherein, with said socket element directly attached to said rear side of said mirror backplate, said socket element pivotally attaches to said ball member to pivotally mount said mirror backplate and said mirror reflective element at said mounting base, and wherein, with said ball member pivotally attached at said socket element directly attached to said rear side of said mirror backplate, a portion of said mounting base passes through said passageway of said mirror casing for attachment at the interior portion of the vehicle; and wherein, with said ball member pivotally attached at said socket element directly attached to said rear side of said mirror backplate, and with said mounting base attached at the interior portion of the vehicle, the weight of said reflective element and said mirror backplate is supported via said socket element and said ball member and not via said mirror casing.