Patent ID: 8021005

Claim:
An electrochromic mirror reflective element suitable for use in an exterior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle, said electrochromic mirror reflective element comprising: a front glass substrate having a first surface and a second surface; a rear glass substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface; an electrochromic medium disposed between said front and rear glass substrates, wherein said electrochromic medium is bounded by a seal and wherein said electrochromic medium comprises electrochromic material; said electrochromic mirror reflective element comprising a principal planar reflector portion and an auxiliary wide angle curved portion; wherein said principal planar reflector portion comprises a principal mirror reflector disposed at said rear glass substrate; wherein said auxiliary wide angle curved portion comprises one of (a) a curved recess established at a region of said second surface of said front glass substrate by at least one of grinding and ablating and (b) a curved recess established at a region of said fourth surface of said rear glass substrate by at least one of grinding and ablating; wherein said auxiliary wide angle curved portion comprises an auxiliary mirror reflector coated at said curved recess; wherein said first surface of said front glass substrate comprises a generally planar surface; wherein said third surface of said rear glass substrate comprises a generally planar surface; wherein said curved recess has a cross-dimension size that is in the range from about 30 millimeters to about 80 millimeters; wherein said curved recess comprises a radius of curvature that is in the range from about 200 millimeters to about 1,000 millimeters; wherein said curved recess has a maximum recess depth that is in the range from about 0.11 millimeters to about 4.04 millimeters; and wherein said electrochromic medium disposed between said second surface of said front glass substrate and said third surface of said rear glass substrate is in contact with said principal planar reflector portion and with said auxiliary wide angle curved portion.