An anti-glare rearview mirror for automobiles with improved conductive structure

Abstract

This utility model belongs to the technical field of automotive electrochromic lenses, specifically disclosing an automotive anti-glare rearview lens with an improved conductive structure. It includes a front glass substrate, a rear glass substrate, a front transparent conductive layer and a rear mirror conductive layer respectively disposed on their inner sides, and an electrochromic layer structure sandwiched between them. Grooves are provided on the mating surfaces of the front and rear glass substrates for embedding a conductive structure composed of conductive silver paste, which is connected to the conductive layer. It has the following advantages: it achieves an embedded low-resistance conductive path, effectively improves the uniformity of electrochromic coating, enhances the bonding force between the conductive structure and the glass, avoids the problem of easy detachment of traditional screen-printed conductive layers, improves lens reliability and assembly yield, and is suitable for the structural compatibility requirements of frameless rearview mirror designs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of automotive electrochromic lenses, and more specifically, to an automotive anti-glare rearview lens with an improved conductive structure. Background Technology

[0002] Anti-glare rearview mirrors, as a crucial component for automotive driving safety, can controllably and reversibly alter their reflectivity under external voltage, effectively suppressing glare from strong light from behind the vehicle and improving nighttime driving safety. In existing technologies, electrochromic anti-glare rearview mirrors typically employ a double-layer conductive glass structure: one layer of transparent conductive glass and the other a mirror-like conductive glass, with an electrochromic material sandwiched between them, and bonded together with adhesive to form a closed cavity. However, the limited conductivity of the conductive glass itself in this type of structure results in a lower actual voltage experienced in areas far from the electrode contact points when energized compared to the normal operating voltage of the electrochromic material. This leads to insufficient color change in these areas, manifesting as uneven coloring across the mirror surface, with one side darker than the other, affecting the anti-glare effect and product consistency.

[0003] To address these issues, a common improvement is to print conductive silver paste (Ag) onto the lens edge to form a ring electrode, thereby enhancing overall edge conductivity. While this method can mitigate conductivity unevenness to some extent, the printed Ag electrode is typically only about 10 micrometers thick, resulting in a limited conductive cross-sectional area and still relatively high resistance, making it difficult to completely eliminate uneven coloring. Further increasing the silver paste thickness to improve conductivity leads to the Ag layer easily detaching during subsequent processing or assembly due to weak adhesion between the Ag layer and the glass substrate, impacting product yield.

[0004] Furthermore, in the widely adopted frameless anti-glare rearview mirror structure, the sealing adhesive typically contains particles of hundreds of micrometers in size to control the gap between the two layers of conductive glass. If the Ag electrode thickness is too large, it may also cause uneven gaps, affecting the overall assembly accuracy and the uniformity of the color-changing effect.

[0005] Existing patent CN215042461U discloses a structure with silver screen-printed edging on the edge of a lens to improve conductivity. However, its structure is essentially still a thin Ag electrode, with limited thickness, making it difficult to ensure both conductivity and uniform control of glass gaps and processing reliability. Furthermore, the Ag layer is prone to detachment, which is detrimental to mass production.

[0006] Another patent, CN220410415U, proposes using conductive silver paste to replace traditional Ag electrodes and encapsulating and fixing them with an additional sealing adhesive, thereby improving conductivity and durability. However, this solution requires a large amount of conductive silver paste, significantly increasing costs. Furthermore, the contact area between the silver paste and the conductive glass electrode layer is small, limiting its effect on the main electrode layer (such as the ITO layer). While improving edge conductivity, it still falls short in terms of voltage equalization in the central region.

[0007] To address this issue, an improved conductive structure is proposed for automotive anti-glare rearview mirror to solve the problems mentioned above. Utility Model Content

[0008] The present invention aims to provide an automotive anti-glare rearview mirror with an improved conductive structure, in order to solve or improve the problems mentioned above, such as insufficient conductivity of the conductive structure and easy detachment of edge electrodes in existing electrochromic anti-glare rearview mirrors, which lead to uneven mirror coloring, reduced assembly accuracy and poor processing reliability.

[0009] In view of this, the first aspect of the present invention is to provide an automotive anti-glare rearview mirror with an improved conductive structure.

[0010] The first aspect of this utility model provides an automotive anti-glare rearview lens with improved conductive structure, comprising a front glass substrate, a front transparent conductive layer disposed on the front glass substrate, a rear glass substrate, a rear mirror conductive layer disposed on the rear glass substrate, and an electrochromic layer structure sandwiched between the front transparent conductive layer and the rear mirror conductive layer; the front glass substrate and the rear glass substrate respectively have grooves formed on their opposing surfaces along the mating direction, the grooves being used to install embedded conductive structures to extend the embedded conductive structures along the mating direction; the embedded conductive structure located on the front glass substrate penetrates and connects to the front transparent conductive layer, and is located on the surface of the front glass substrate surrounding the electrochromic layer structure; the embedded conductive structure located on the rear glass substrate penetrates and connects to the rear mirror conductive layer, and is pressed between the rear glass substrate and the electrochromic layer structure.

[0011] The beneficial effects of this utility model compared with the prior art are as follows:

[0012] By enabling the charge to reliably connect with the front and rear mirror conductive layers through the embedded conductive structure with a large cross-sectional area, the resistance of the conductive path is significantly reduced, thereby improving the uniform distribution of current on the surface of the conductive layer and effectively solving the problem of uneven coloring caused by local voltage drop on the mirror surface. The embedded structure uses groove guidance and positioning to make the mechanical bonding between the conductive structure and the glass substrate more stable and less prone to detachment, reducing the risk of conductive layer peeling during processing and transportation. At the same time, the tight fit between the embedded conductive path and the front and rear mirror conductive layers avoids surface stacking, ensuring precise control of the lens stacking spacing and improving the overall production yield and long-term stability of the lens.

[0013] Additional aspects and advantages of embodiments of the present invention will become apparent in the following description or may be learned by practice of embodiments of the present invention. Attached Figure Description

[0014] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this utility model will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0015] Figure 1 This is a front view of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 2 This is a rear view of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of cross section along direction A;

[0018] Figure 4 for Figure 2 Diagram of cross section along direction B;

[0019] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model where the first conductive strip is replaced with a second conductive strip and a metal foil.

[0020] in, Figure 1-5 The correspondence between the reference numerals and component names in the attached drawings is as follows:

[0021] 1. Front glass substrate, 2. Front transparent conductive layer, 3. Mirror metal shielding layer, 4. First conductive strip, 5. Second conductive strip, 6. Metal foil, 7. Rear glass substrate, 8. Rear mirror conductive layer, 9. Electrochromic gel layer, 10. Sealing frame, 11. Electrical connection post, 12. Tank. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To better understand the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this utility model, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in these embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0023] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0024] Please see Figure 1-5 The following describes an improved conductive structure automotive anti-glare rearview mirror according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0025] An embodiment of the first aspect of this utility model provides an automotive anti-glare rearview mirror with an improved conductive structure. In some embodiments of this utility model, such as... Figure 1-5 As shown, the automotive anti-glare rearview mirror includes a front glass substrate 1, a front transparent conductive layer 2 disposed on the front glass substrate 1, a rear glass substrate 7, a rear mirror conductive layer 8 disposed on the rear glass substrate 7, and an electrochromic layer structure sandwiched between the front transparent conductive layer 2 and the rear mirror conductive layer 8.

[0026] The front glass substrate 1 and the rear glass substrate 7 have grooves 12 respectively on their opposite surfaces along the mating direction. The grooves 12 are used to install embedded conductive structures to extend the embedded conductive structures along the mating direction.

[0027] An embedded conductive structure located on the front glass substrate 1 extends through the front transparent conductive layer 2 and is situated on the surface of the front glass substrate 1 surrounding the electrochromic layer structure.

[0028] An embedded conductive structure located on the rear glass substrate 7 extends through the rear mirror conductive layer 8 and is pressed between the rear glass substrate 7 and the electrochromic layer structure.

[0029] This utility model provides an improved conductive structure for automotive anti-glare rearview mirror lenses. The overall structure of the rearview mirror lens is a double-glass layer bonding form, mainly including a front glass substrate 1 and a rear glass substrate 7, which are correspondingly arranged and cooperate to form an integrated lens assembly. A front transparent conductive layer 2 is provided on the inner surface of the front glass substrate 1, and a rear mirror conductive layer 8 is provided on the inner surface of the rear glass substrate 7. The rear mirror conductive layer 8 and the front transparent conductive layer 2 face each other and form a functional stacked area through an interposed electrochromic layer structure, which is used to change the reflectivity of the lens area under external voltage excitation to achieve anti-glare control.

[0030] The front glass substrate 1 and the rear glass substrate 7 each have a groove 12 on their opposite surfaces along the lens thickness direction, i.e., the mating direction. The groove 12 extends in a long strip shape, with its concave direction facing the center of the lens, so that the groove space is located between the mating surfaces of the two glass substrates. The main purpose of this groove is to provide a stable mounting area for the embedded conductive structure without compromising the structural integrity of the glass body, while simultaneously enabling the conductive structure to be embedded into the glass structure along the mating direction, achieving good positioning and assembly reliability.

[0031] An embedded conductive structure located on the front glass substrate 1 is disposed within the corresponding groove 12 by insertion or filling, and penetrates and connects to the front transparent conductive layer 2 to form an effective electrical contact. This conductive structure not only establishes an electrical connection path along the thickness direction, but also exposes the embedded conductive structure to the outside of the electrochromic layer structure.

[0032] Similarly, the embedded conductive structure on the rear glass substrate 7 is also disposed in the corresponding groove 12 and is connected through the rear mirror conductive layer 8. During assembly, this conductive structure is also pressed between the rear glass substrate 7 and the electrochromic layer structure to form a reliable back-side conductive path. The two embedded conductive structures are arranged opposite each other in the lens structure and form an electrical contact alignment with the front conductive layer and the rear conductive layer, respectively. This allows externally introduced current to flow into the front transparent conductive layer 2 and the rear mirror conductive layer 8 respectively, and establish an electric field on both sides of the electrochromic layer structure.

[0033] In summary, by setting a groove 12 and arranging an embedded conductive structure on the opposite surfaces of the front glass substrate 1 and the rear glass substrate 7, the conductive structure is connected to the front transparent conductive layer 2 and the rear mirror conductive layer 8, forming a low-resistance continuous conductive path. This improves the potential uniformity within the conductive layer and enhances the overall color-changing consistency. The embedded conductive structure is pressed between the glass substrate and the electrochromic layer structure, and the electrical contact is stably constrained by the interlayer clamping, resulting in small contact resistance fluctuations and high long-term reliability. The groove 12 provides geometric accommodation and lateral restraint, significantly enhancing mechanical bonding and anti-detachment capabilities, and is more resistant to handling and vibration impacts than surface-mount solutions. The conductive structure is located between layers rather than on the surface, without increasing the outer surface height or local protrusions, making it easier to control the flatness of the stack and the mating gap, thus improving assembly accuracy and consistency. The groove 12 extends along the mating direction, providing a linear positioning reference for the conductive structure and increasing the cross-sectional area to form low resistance, resulting in more accurate assembly alignment and better process repeatability.

[0034] In any of the above embodiments, the electrochromic layer structure includes:

[0035] An electrochromic gel layer 9 is sandwiched between the front transparent conductive layer 2 and the rear mirror conductive layer 8.

[0036] The sealing frame 10 surrounds the circumferential sidewalls of the electrochromic gel layer 9.

[0037] In this embodiment, the electrochromic gel layer 9 is sandwiched between the front transparent conductive layer 2 and the rear mirror conductive layer 8. When an external potential is applied to the front transparent conductive layer 2 and the rear mirror conductive layer 8, the electrochromic components in the gel undergo a reversible electrochemical reaction accompanied by a change in optical density, thereby achieving controlled increase and decrease in specular reflectivity. This gel layer 9, on the one hand, forms continuous ion conduction and electron coupling channels within its surface, ensuring that the applied electric field acts uniformly within the effective area to obtain a consistent color-changing response; on the other hand, through its bulk adhesion and flexibility, it provides adhesion and stress buffering between layers, reducing the risk of mechanical delamination at the laminated interface. To improve the stability of repetitive driving, the sealing frame 10 surrounds the circumferential sidewall of the gel layer 9, undertaking the dual functions of peripheral sealing and structural connection. Firstly, it inhibits gel evaporation and the intrusion of external media such as water vapor and oxygen through circumferential sealing, maintaining the long-term stability of gel composition and electrochemical environment. Secondly, by limiting the cavity boundary and controlling the interlayer spacing, it keeps the gel thickness within a preset range to facilitate electric field distribution and ion migration, thereby improving color change uniformity and response consistency. At the same time, the sealing frame 10 provides electrical insulation and mechanical lateral restraint around the lens, reducing the risk of edge leakage and short circuit and improving assembly reliability and service life.

[0038] Furthermore, an annular mirrored metal shielding layer 3 is provided between the front glass substrate and the front transparent conductive layer. The mirrored metal shielding layer 3 and the front transparent conductive layer are laid on the front glass substrate. When creating the groove, the tool passes through the mirrored metal shielding layer 3 and the front transparent conductive layer to create the groove on the surface of the front glass substrate. The mirrored metal shielding layer 3 corresponds to the sealing frame 10 along the mating direction.

[0039] In any of the above embodiments, the cross-section of the groove 12 along the docking direction is tapered.

[0040] In this embodiment, the groove 12 adopts a tapered cross-section along the docking direction as a guide and self-centering structure. After the embedded conductive structure enters, it is guided to the center of the groove by the tapered surface, reducing the insertion force and the risk of jamming, and reducing the scraping of the edges of the front transparent conductive layer 2 and the rear mirror conductive layer 8. It forms a wedge-shaped locking and holding force. The lateral clamping force of the tapered surface gradually increases with the insertion depth, so that the embedded conductive structure can obtain higher pull-out resistance and vibration loosening resistance after interlayer pressing. The contact state is more stable and the contact resistance drift is smaller during long-term operation. It provides thermal cycle self-compensation and assembly tolerance absorption. The tapered surface fit allows the embedded part to be stably clamped even with small dimensional deviations, and maintains the necessary contact pressure under the dimensional changes caused by temperature changes, reducing loosening and fretting wear.

[0041] In any of the above embodiments, the embedded conductive structure includes a first conductive strip 4.

[0042] A first positioning strip is formed on the first conductive strip 4, which is inserted into the groove 12.

[0043] A first extension edge is formed on the first conductive strip 4, which extends perpendicularly to the docking direction.

[0044] In this embodiment, the conductive silver paste completely filled in the tank 12 serves as the longitudinal low-resistance main channel, corresponding to the formation of the first positioning strip. It penetrates the front transparent conductive layer 2 and is inserted into the tank 12, achieving alignment and limiting in the axial direction and providing a thick cross-section conductive trunk line, significantly reducing the series resistance and voltage drop from the access point to the in-plane. A thin layer of silver paste screen-printed at the slot opening is continuously conductive with the silver paste in the tank and extends along the perpendicular to the docking direction to form the first extension edge. This thin layer, on the one hand, constructs a wide-area contact interface on the surface of the front transparent conductive layer 2, expanding the effective conduction width, reducing interface contact resistance and current congestion, and promoting the current to transition from "point / line" to "surface" coupling, spreading evenly to the surrounding area. On the other hand, it achieves surface bridging with minimal stacking height, maintaining the flatness of the stack and control of the assembly gap, and suppressing micro-movement and peeling through the mechanical interlocking of the silver paste and glass sidewall and the in-plane spreading of the surface thin layer, thereby improving long-term conduction stability and vibration resistance.

[0045] Thus, the first positioning strip undertakes vertical conduction and structural locking, while the first extended edge undertakes in-plane flow spreading and contact homogenization. Together, they form a low-resistance, stable, and uniform power supply inlet on the front glass substrate 1 side, making the in-plane potential distribution of the front transparent conductive layer 2 smoother and further improving the color change consistency and assembly yield in subsequent working conditions.

[0046] Specifically, the sealing frame 10 is used to clamp the first extended edge of the first conductive strip 4 located on the rear glass substrate along the mating direction with the rear mirror conductive layer 8.

[0047] In any of the above embodiments, the embedded conductive structure includes a second conductive strip 5 and a metal foil 6.

[0048] A second positioning strip is formed on the second conductive strip 5, which is inserted into the groove 12.

[0049] The second conductive strip 5 has a second extension edge that extends perpendicularly to the docking direction, and the metal foil 6 covers the surface of the second extension edge corresponding to the sealing frame 10.

[0050] In this embodiment, the conductive silver paste filling the tank 12 serves as the longitudinal low-resistance main body, and the second positioning strip on it is inserted through the tank 12 to guide and limit it in the axial direction, so that the conductive strip and the corresponding conductive layer are coaxially aligned, forming a stable, thick-section main current channel to significantly reduce series resistance and voltage drop; the silver paste overflows appropriately at the opening of the tank and extends along the perpendicular direction of docking to form a second extension edge. The metal foil 6 attached to the second extension edge provides a larger equivalent conductive cross section and a wider overlapping interface in the plane, so that the current transitions from point-line coupling to surface coupling, and promotes a more uniform potential distribution in the conductive layer.

[0051] The metal foil 6 covers the surface of the sealing frame 10 corresponding to the second extended edge. After interlayer pressing, the sealing frame 10 provides circumferential clamping and continuous contact pressure, stabilizing the conductivity between the metal foil 6 and the conductive silver paste. At the same time, it provides lateral limiting and surface reinforcement for the second extended edge, reducing the risk of micro-movement and peeling under vibration and thermal cycling. The synergy of the groove 12, the second positioning strip and the metal foil 6 enables the second conductive strip 5 to have both thick cross-section longitudinal conductivity and large-area in-plane flow spreading capability. It improves conductivity uniformity and contact stability without significantly increasing the surface stacking height, and the structural arrangement located in the sealed area suppresses the intrusion of external media into the interface.

[0052] Specifically, the sealing frame 10 is used to clamp the second positioning strip of the second conductive strip 5 and the metal foil 6 located on the rear glass substrate along the mating direction with the rear mirror conductive layer 8.

[0053] In any of the above embodiments, the groove 12 extends on the surfaces of the front glass substrate 1 and the rear glass substrate 7 along a direction perpendicular to the docking direction.

[0054] In this embodiment, after the embedded conductive structure is inserted, it forms a low-resistance in-plane current-spreading channel parallel to the front transparent conductive layer 2 or the rear mirror conductive layer 8 along the groove, so that the current is no longer injected only at a point, but diffuses in a line-to-plane manner along the groove. This significantly lengthens the current spreading area, reduces the local current density peak and voltage drop, and suppresses current congestion. On the other hand, by overlapping the long boundary formed by the extension section and the conductive layer, it effectively increases the parallel contact path and effective cross-sectional area, reduces the interface contact resistance, and allows the conductive layer to reach a near-equipotential state in the plane more quickly. The potential gradient from the edge to the center is smoother, thereby improving the color uniformity.

[0055] In any of the above embodiments, one end of the embedded conductive structure is connected to a power contact pin 11, and the two power contact pins 11 are respectively connected to the vehicle power supply.

[0056] As described above, the specific conductive working principle is as follows: the charge enters the embedded conductive structure on the front side from the positive terminal of the vehicle power supply through the contact pin, enters the first conductive strip or the second conductive strip, and forms a surface contact with the front transparent conductive layer at the groove; after the charge spreads in the front transparent conductive layer, it passes through the electrochromic layer structure to reach the rear mirror conductive layer, and is also led out through the first conductive strip or the second conductive strip in the embedded conductive structure on the rear side, and finally returns to the negative terminal of the vehicle power supply through another contact pin.

[0057] Specifically, to facilitate reliable connection with the vehicle power supply, the power connection pin 11 can adopt two equivalent connection methods:

[0058] Firstly, a through hole is formed at the corresponding position of the power receiving post 11 on the back glass substrate 7, and the through hole is filled with conductive silver paste, so that the silver paste in the through hole makes electrical contact with the conductive strip preset on the other side of the glass, and at the same time makes electrical contact with the power receiving post 11 on the outside of the through hole, thereby establishing a vertical conduction path from the power receiving post 11 through the through hole silver paste to the conductive strip, so as to realize the power supply to the conductive layer of the lens.

[0059] Secondly, silver paste lines are continuously drawn from the rightmost end of the conductive strip 4 to the edge of the glass by screen printing, so that the silver paste lines are wrapped around the edge of the glass to the back side, and electrical connection is achieved at the contact area set at the power connection post 11 on the back side, thereby forming an in-plane-flipped conductive path from the power connection post 11 through the silver paste lines on the back side to the conductive strip 4, thus achieving equivalent power supply.

[0060] Both of the above methods use the power terminal 11 as the external power interface, and establish a stable electrical connection with the conductive strip by filling the through hole with silver paste or leading out silver paste wires from the edge, thereby providing the required potential input for the front transparent conductive layer 2 and the rear transparent conductive layer 8.

[0061] The embodiments described above are merely preferred embodiments of the present utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of the present utility model. Various modifications and improvements made to the technical solutions of the present utility model by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present utility model should fall within the protection scope defined by the claims of the present utility model.

Claims

1. An automotive anti-glare rearview mirror with improved conductive structure, characterized in that, It includes a front glass substrate (1), a front transparent conductive layer (2) disposed on the front glass substrate (1), a rear glass substrate (7), a rear mirror conductive layer (8) disposed on the rear glass substrate (7), and an electrochromic layer structure sandwiched between the front transparent conductive layer (2) and the rear mirror conductive layer (8). The front glass substrate (1) and the rear glass substrate (7) have grooves (12) respectively on their opposite surfaces along the docking direction. The grooves (12) are used to install embedded conductive structures to extend the embedded conductive structures along the docking direction. An embedded conductive structure located on the front glass substrate (1) extends through the front transparent conductive layer (2) and is located on the surface of the front glass substrate (1) surrounding the electrochromic layer structure; An embedded conductive structure located on the rear glass substrate (7) extends through the rear mirror conductive layer (8) and is pressed between the rear glass substrate (7) and the electrochromic layer structure.

2. The automotive anti-glare rearview mirror lens according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electrochromic layer structure includes: An electrochromic gel layer (9) is sandwiched between the front transparent conductive layer (2) and the rear mirror conductive layer (8); A sealing frame (10) surrounds the circumferential sidewalls of the electrochromic gel layer (9).

3. The automotive anti-glare rearview mirror lens according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cross section of the groove (12) along the docking direction is tapered.

4. The automotive anti-glare rearview mirror lens according to claim 2, characterized in that, The embedded conductive structure includes a first conductive strip (4); A first positioning strip is formed on the first conductive strip (4) and inserted into the groove (12); The first conductive strip (4) has a first extension edge that extends perpendicular to the docking direction.

5. The automotive anti-glare rearview mirror lens according to claim 4, characterized in that, The sealing frame (10) and the rear mirror conductive layer (8) clamp the first extended edge along the docking direction.

6. The automotive anti-glare rearview mirror lens according to claim 2, characterized in that, The embedded conductive structure includes a second conductive strip (5) and a metal foil (6); A second positioning strip is formed on the second conductive strip (5) and inserted into the groove (12); The second conductive strip (5) has a second extension edge that extends perpendicular to the docking direction, and the metal foil (6) covers the surface of the second extension edge.

7. The automotive anti-glare rearview mirror lens according to claim 6, characterized in that, The sealing frame (10) and the rear mirror conductive layer (8) clamp the second positioning strip and the metal foil (6) along the docking direction.

8. The automotive anti-glare rearview mirror according to any one of claims 3-7, characterized in that, Along the docking direction perpendicular to the docking direction, the groove (12) extends on the surfaces of the front glass substrate (1) and the rear glass substrate (7).

9. The automotive anti-glare rearview mirror lens according to claim 1, characterized in that, One end of the embedded conductive structure is connected to a power contact pin (11), and the two power contact pins (11) are respectively connected to the vehicle power supply.

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