Patent ID: 9090212
Filing Date: 2015-07-28
Classification: B60R,G02B,G02F

Abstract:
1. An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising: a mirror casing; an electro-optic reflective element, wherein said reflective element comprises a front glass substrate and a rear glass substrate with an electro-optic medium disposed therebetween and bounded by a perimeter seal; wherein said front glass substrate has a generally planar first surface that generally faces a driver of the vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the vehicle and a second surface opposite said first surface, and wherein said rear glass substrate has a generally planar third surface and a fourth surface opposite said third surface, and wherein said electro-optic medium is disposed between said second and third surfaces; wherein said rear glass substrate has a reflective mirror reflector established thereat; wherein the surface area of said front surface of said front glass substrate is larger than the surface area of said front surface of said rear glass substrate, and wherein no part of said rear glass substrate extends beyond any part of said front glass substrate to be viewable by a viewing said first surface of said front glass substrate of said reflective element, and wherein said reflective element comprises an electro-optic active region where said electro-optic medium is disposed and is bounded by said perimeter seal; wherein said second surface has a transparent electrically conductive coating established at said electro-optic active region; wherein said front glass substrate has a perimeter band established along a perimeter region of said second surface of said front glass substrate to generally hide said perimeter seal of said reflective element from view by the driver of the vehicle normally viewing said first surface of said front glass substrate of said reflective element when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the vehicle; wherein a perimeter portion of said front glass substrate extends beyond a corresponding perimeter portion of said rear glass substrate to establish a user input region that is outboard of said electro-optic active region; wherein a touch sensor is disposed at said user input region, and wherein said touch sensor is not in electrical contact with said transparent electrically conductive coating that is disposed at said second surface of said front glass substrate at said electro-optic active region; and wherein said touch sensor is operable to detect the presence or touch of a person's finger at said user input region.