Electrochromic Rear-View Mirror Housing for Wide Safe Viewing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle rear-view mirror assemblies with electrochromic mirror elements face challenges in providing a wide field of vision, safety, and collision-proof design while meeting regulatory requirements for edge curvature and visibility.
Innovation Solution
The proposed vehicle rear-view mirror assembly incorporates a substantially transparent concave housing with a shielding layer, flexible design of electrically conductive substrates, and an improved electrode lead-out method for quick and flexible assembly or disassembly, ensuring safety and collision-proof functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a plastic housing with a plastic frame is used to cover the edge surface of the electrochromic mirror element, then the safety requirements and edge curvature requirements are met, but the field of vision is limited and the appearance is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the traditional plastic frame that covered the edge surface of the mirror element. Instead, it uses a housing with a curved front edge that directly exposes the mirror element's edge while maintaining safety through the curved geometry meeting regulatory requirements. This extraction of the frame allows for an unobstructed field of vision while preserving safety functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies curvature to the front edge of the housing, creating a rounded profile that satisfies the minimum curvature radius requirement of 2.5mm specified in regulations. This curved design eliminates sharp edges for safety while maintaining a sleek appearance and maximizing the visible mirror surface area for an expanded field of vision.
2Reliability
If a plastic housing with a plastic frame is used to cover the edge surface of the electrochromic mirror element, then the safety requirements are met, but the visual appearance is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the traditional plastic frame that obscured the mirror element's edge. By removing this frame and using a housing with a curved front edge instead, the design achieves safety compliance while revealing the mirror element's clean edges, resulting in a more modern and aesthetically pleasing appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The curved front edge of the housing provides a sleek, modern aesthetic while meeting safety requirements. The smooth rounded profile eliminates the need for bulky plastic frames, creating a more refined visual appearance that integrates the housing and mirror element seamlessly.
3Ease of manufacture
If a traditional plastic frame structure is used, then the assembly process is straightforward, but the design flexibility and adaptability are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the housing into distinct functional sections: a main housing body and a separately attachable frame assembly. This segmentation allows the frame to be configured in different ways for various applications while maintaining a consistent overall structure, enhancing design flexibility without complicating the basic assembly process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a frame assembly that can be attached or removed from the housing, creating a dynamic configuration system. This allows the same basic housing to adapt to different design requirements, mirror element sizes, or application-specific needs, significantly improving versatility while keeping the core manufacturing process simple.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a visually appealing, wide field of vision, and enhanced safety with reduced risk of damage, while allowing for flexible design and quick assembly, thus addressing the limitations of prior art.
Implementation Method 1
Electrochromism refers to that under the action of an external electric field, a material is subjected to a redox reaction or changes of charge (electron or ion) injection or extraction inside its molecular structure, thus causing reversible changes in optical properties of the material such as transmissivity, absorptivity and reflectivity
Implementation Method 2
a sealing member which hermetically bonds the first electrically conductive substrate to the second electrically conductive substrate and defines a cavity
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a vehicle rear-view mirror assembly, comprising an electrochromic mirror element, said element comprising: a substantially transparent first electrically conductive base material, which comprises a first surface and a second surface as well as a first edge surface; a substantially transparent second electrically conductive base material, comprising a third surface and a fourth surface as well as a second edge surface; a sealing piece, approximately circumferentially arranged between peripheral areas of the first electrically conductive base material and the second electrically conductive base material, so as to seal and combine the second surface and the third surface and define an empty cavity; an electrochromic medium, which is arranged within the empty cavity; and a substantially transparent con-cave outer casing, comprising an outer casing upper part which has an upper part outer surface and an upper part inner surface, and an outer casing side part which has a side part outer surface and a side part inner surface, a covering layer being provided along the outer casing side part and an area along the periphery of the outer casing upper part; when examining from the concave outer casing outer surface, the sealing piece is hidden behind the covering layer. The present vehicle rear-view mirror has advantageous qualities such as being aesthetically pleasing as a whole, providing a wide field of view, being safe and injury preventing, and not easily shattering.