Patent ID: 8649082

Claim:
An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising: a mirror reflective element comprising a front substrate and a rear substrate and an electrochromic medium sandwiched therebetween; wherein said front substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite said first surface, said second surface having a transparent electrically conductive layer established thereat; wherein said front substrate has a circumferential perimeter edge extending between and connecting said first and second surfaces; wherein said front substrate has a length dimension and a first width dimension and a second width dimension and wherein said first width dimension is greater than said second width dimension; wherein said rear substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface opposite said third surface, said third surface having an electrically conductive layer established thereat; wherein said rear substrate has a circumferential perimeter edge extending between and connecting said third and fourth surfaces; wherein said rear substrate has a length dimension and a third width dimension and a fourth width dimension and wherein said third width dimension is greater than said fourth width dimension; wherein said electrochromic medium is disposed in an interpane cavity established between said third surface of said rear substrate and said second surface of said front substrate and bounded by a perimeter seal disposed between and spacing said front and rear substrates apart to establish said interpane cavity; wherein, when said front and rear substrates are joined by said perimeter seal, said front substrate extends beyond said perimeter seal to establish a front connecting portion at a side of said reflective element and said rear substrate extends beyond said perimeter seal to establish a rear connecting portion at said side of said reflective element, and wherein said front substrate comprises said first width dimension at said front connecting portion and said rear substrate comprises said third width dimension at said rear connecting portion; wherein electrical connection to said transparent electrically conductive coating at said second surface of said front substrate is established at said front connecting portion of said front substrate and electrical connection to said electrically conductive coating at said third surface of said rear substrate is established at said rear connecting portion of said rear substrate, wherein said front and rear connecting portions of said front and rear substrates are situated one from another along said side of said reflective element; and wherein said circumferential perimeter edges of said front and rear substrates are generally aligned except along said side of said reflective element.