Exterior Mirror Bezel Integration to Prevent Optical Distortion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional automotive exterior mirrors face issues with optical distortion due to stress and molding effects from integrated attachments, and require oversized designs to account for assembly tolerances, which can lead to distracting reflections from non-viewing areas.
Innovation Solution
An automotive exterior mirror design featuring a viewing portion with a reflective area and a bezel portion that is non-reflective, allowing for seamless transition and attachment to the mirror assembly without imposing stress on the viewing area, using a single integral part made from glass or polymer materials, with the bezel portion configured to form part of the mirror assembly's housing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the glass piece is designed to move relative to the housing (adjustable mirror), then the mirror can be adjusted for different viewing angles, but the glass piece must be oversized to account for edge cutting, grinding and assembly tolerance variation
Solution Approach 1:
The mirror is divided into a viewing portion and a bezel portion that are integrally formed but serve different functions. The viewing portion contains the reflective coating for the actual mirror function, while the bezel portion provides the adjustable attachment interface. This segmentation allows the viewing area to be precisely sized without needing oversizing for tolerance compensation.
Solution Approach 2:
The viewing portion and bezel portion are integrally formed as a single piece, combining the optical function and the mechanical attachment function into one component. This eliminates the need for separate mounting brackets that would require additional clearance and tolerance compensation.
2Ease of manufacture
If the glass piece is bonded to a larger visible bezel, then the bezel provides rounded edges and attachment means, but the non-viewing area creates distracting reflections
Solution Approach 1:
Different portions of the mirror have different reflective properties. The viewing portion maintains high reflectivity for the mirror function, while the bezel portion is designed with non-reflective or less reflective characteristics to eliminate distracting reflections. This local differentiation of optical properties solves the contradiction between attachment needs and visual distraction.
3Manufacturing precision
If the automotive exterior mirror is made from polymer with integrated attachments, then build variation is reduced, but optical distortion phenomena develop due to stress and molding effects
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment function is extracted from the optical viewing area and placed in the bezel portion. This separation ensures that attachment stresses and molding effects are confined to the bezel portion and do not affect the viewing portion, thereby maintaining optical quality while still achieving consistent manufacturing through integral formation.
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
This design maximizes the viewing area size by eliminating attachment-related distortions and stress, ensuring unobstructed reflection and blending the bezel into the vehicle's design, focusing the driver's attention on the primary viewing area while maintaining the bezel's non-reflective properties.
Implementation Method 1
The viewing area may be at least partially reflective such that reflections may be viewed in the viewing area. The non-viewing area may be less reflective than the viewing area, which may include being substantially non-reflective.
Data Source
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AI summary
The disclosure relates to an automotive exterior mirror (10) for attachment to an automotive exterior mirror assembly (1), the automotive exterior mirror (10) comprising a viewing portion (12) having a viewing area (13), the viewing area (13) being at least partially reflective such that reflections may be viewed in the viewing area (13), and a bezel portion (14) having a non-viewing area (15), the non-viewing area (15) being less reflective than the viewing area (13), the viewing portion (12) being adjacent to the bezel portion (14) and the bezel portion (14) being configured to form a bezel (2) of the automotive exterior mirror assembly (1), when the automotive exterior mirror (10) is used therein.