Patent ID: 7710631

Claim:
An interior rearview mirror assembly adapted for mounting to an interior portion of a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising: a reflective element assembly comprising a front substrate and a rear substrate with an electro-optic medium sandwiched therebetween; wherein said electro-optic medium is disposed between said front substrate and said rear substrate in a cavity established by a perimeter seal that connects said front substrate to said rear substrate and that spaces said front substrate apart from said rear substrate; wherein said front substrate defines a first overhang region at a first perimeter edge of said front substrate that extends beyond a corresponding first perimeter edge of said rear substrate; wherein said front substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite said first surface, said second surface facing said electro-optic medium; at least one first electrically conductive layer disposed on said second surface of said front substrate, wherein said at least one first electrically conductive layer comprises a transparent electrically conductive layer; wherein said rear substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface opposite said third surface, said third surface facing said electro-optic medium; at least one second electrically conductive layer disposed on said third surface of said rear substrate, wherein said at least one second electrically conductive layer includes a metallic reflective layer; a substantially non-transparent perimeter band disposed at said second surface of said front substrate and around a perimeter border region of said second surface of said front substrate, wherein said perimeter band is not specularly reflective to visible light that passes through said first substrate and is incident on said perimeter band, and wherein said perimeter band renders said perimeter seal at least substantially unobservable to a driver of a vehicle normally operating the vehicle and viewing said reflective element assembly when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle; a first electrical connection at said first electrically conductive layer at said first overhang region; a second electrical connection at said second electrically conductive layer; and wherein said perimeter band is dimensioned so as to render the presence of said perimeter seal and at least said first electrical connection substantially unobservable to a driver normally viewing said reflective element assembly when the vehicle is normally equipped with said interior rearview mirror assembly.