Patent ID: 8508384

Claim:
A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said rearview mirror assembly comprising: an electro-optic mirror reflective element comprising a front glass substrate and a rear glass substrate; wherein said front glass substrate has a planar first surface and a second surface with a circumferential edge along the periphery of said front glass substrate, said circumferential edge spanning a thickness of said front glass substrate between said first and second surfaces, and wherein said first surface of said front glass substrate comprises the outermost surface of said mirror reflective element that is closest to a driver of a vehicle equipped with said rearview mirror assembly; wherein said rear glass substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface opposite said third surface; wherein said electro-optic mirror reflective element comprises an electro-optic medium disposed between said second surface of said front glass substrate and said third surface of said rear glass substrate and bounded by a perimeter seal; wherein said mirror reflective element comprises a mirror reflector established at one of said third and fourth surfaces of said rear glass substrate of said electro-optic mirror reflective element; wherein no portion of said rear glass substrate extends beyond any portion of said front glass substrate; wherein said electro-optic mirror reflective element comprises a perimeter band disposed around a perimeter border region of said second surface of said front glass substrate, and wherein said perimeter band generally conceals the presence of said perimeter seal from view by the driver of the equipped vehicle when said rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted at the equipped vehicle and when the driver is normally operating the equipped vehicle and viewing said first surface of said front glass substrate of said mirror reflective element of said rearview mirror assembly; a plastic molding; wherein said plastic molding is circumferentially disposed about said circumferential edge of said front glass substrate without overlapping onto said first surface of said front glass substrate; wherein the outermost part of said plastic molding lacks a sharp edge; and wherein the plane of said first surface of said front glass substrate is generally flush with the outermost part of said plastic molding.