Vehicle Mirror Head Opaque Coating Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing interior rear view mirror arrangements for vehicles face high manufacturing costs and damage to reflective coatings due to exposure during assembly and handling, particularly in frameless designs where the coating is applied to the rear side, making it difficult to cover the entire front visible area and leading to a reduced quality impression.
Innovation Solution
A mirror head design where the mirror glass is connected to the interior rear view mirror housing via an opaque coating on the rear side, which conceals the material connection and protects the reflective coating, allowing for a frameless or framed assembly without exposing the coating to damage during handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the mirror glass is connected to the housing via a circumferential bead protruding from the housing walls, then the mirror glass is securely held in place, but the manufacturing effort increases due to precise insertion requirements and the risk of damaging the reflective coating
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the connection function into two parts: the mirror glass with its reflective coating remains intact, while a separate mounting structure (bead or frame) handles the mechanical connection. This segmentation prevents direct contact between the mounting elements and the reflective coating, eliminating the risk of coating damage during assembly while maintaining secure holding of the mirror glass
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary element (mounting bead or frame structure) that mediates between the mirror glass and the housing. This intermediary handles all mechanical stress and connection tasks, keeping the reflective coating at a safe distance from the mounting interface, thus preventing coating damage while ensuring reliable mirror glass retention
2Reliability
If the reflective coating is applied to the rear side of the mirror glass to cover the entire front visible area, then the quality impression improves, but the coating becomes exposed to direct contact and damage during handling and assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the reflective coating to the rear side of the mirror glass (changing the dimensional position of the coating), which allows the entire front visible area to be covered with high-quality coating while the rear-side coating remains protected from direct contact during handling and assembly, thus improving quality impression while reducing exposure to damage
3Shape
If the mirror head is designed without a frame (frameless design), then the appearance is modern and the coating can cover the entire front visible area, but the assembly process becomes more complex and the coating is more vulnerable to damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the frameless design into a separate mounting structure (bead or frame) that handles all connection tasks, allowing the mirror glass to maintain its clean frameless appearance while the mounting elements manage the assembly complexity and protect the coating during installation
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 enhances the protection of the reflective coating, reduces assembly complexity, and maintains a high-quality appearance by preventing damage and ensuring the coating remains intact, thus lowering production costs and improving the impression of the mirror head.
Implementation Method 1
an opaque coating (13) is applied at least to the rear side (07) of the glass carrier (06), which comprises at least the edge (09) provided for the material connection with at least one wall (11) surrounding the opening (04). The opaque coating (13) conceals at least the material connection (14) as seen from the front side (05) through the glass carrier (06) of the mirror glass (03).
Implementation Method 2
The mirror glass (03) consists of a transparent, clear glass carrier (06), for example made of mineral glass or plastic, which is provided on its rear side (07) facing away from the front side (05) of the mirror head (01) with a reflective coating (08) that reflects electromagnetic waves at least in the wavelength range visible to the human eye.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The mirror head (1) has an opaque coating attached on a rear side (7) of a glass carrier (6). The coating covers a section (15) of the glass carrier, where the section encompasses an edge (9) on the rear side. A formfit connection (14) of a mirror glass (3) i.e. wedge glass, with an inner rear view mirror housing (2) exists via the opaque coating. The opaque coating is seen by a driver via the glass carrier and laminates the formfit connection. The glass carrier is made of transparent, clear mineral glass and plastic.