Patent ID: 9701247
Date: 2017-07-11
CPC Classifications: B24B,B29C,B29D,B29L,B60R,C03C,C23C,G02B,G02F

Claim:
1. A method of forming a mirror reflector sub-assembly suitable for use in an exterior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of: providing a glass substrate, said glass substrate having a first surface and a second surface, said glass substrate having a thickness between said first surface and said second surface of less than 3 millimeters; physically removing glass from a portion of the second surface of said glass substrate to form a curved recess locally thereat, said curved recess having a maximum recess depth that is less than 2.26 millimeters and a cross-dimension size that is less than 80 millimeters; coating via a vacuum deposition process the second surface of said glass substrate with a mirror reflector to form a mirror reflective element suitable for use in an automotive exterior rearview mirror assembly, said mirror reflector comprising at least one mirror-reflecting metal thin film layer; wherein, when said mirror reflective element is used in an automotive exterior rearview mirror assembly, said mirror reflective element provides a principal reflector portion and an auxiliary reflector portion to a driver of the vehicle who views said mirror reflective element when normally operating the vehicle; forming a mirror back plate in a plastic molding operation, wherein said mirror back plate has a first side and an opposing second side, and wherein said plastic molding operation comprises injection molding; wherein said plastic molding operation establishes at said second side of said mirror back plate structure for attaching said mirror back plate to a mirror actuator; providing a heater pad, wherein said heater pad has a first surface and an opposing second surface; disposing said heater pad between said coated second surface of said glass substrate and said first side of said mirror back plate, with said first surface of said heater pad facing said first side of said mirror back plate and with said second surface of said heater pad facing said coated second surface of said glass substrate; and wherein, when an exterior rearview mirror assembly equipped with said mirror reflective element is normally mounted at a side of a vehicle, said curved recess is generally disposed at an outboard region of said glass substrate relative to the side of the vehicle.