Vehicle mirror

[54] VEHICLE MIRROR

[75] Inventor: Toru Komatsu, Shimada, Japan

[73] Assignee: Murakami Kaimeido Co., Ltd., Japan

[21] Appl. No.: 490,073

[22] Filed: Jun. 13, 1995

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data

Jun. 29, 1994 [JP] Japan 6-168582

[51] Int. CI.6 B60R 1706; G02B 7/182;

H05B 3/84

[52] U.S. CI 359/512; 359/884

[58] Field of Search 359/507, 509,

359/512, 883, 884

[56] References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

3,895,155 7/1975 Shukuri et al 359/507

4,410,790 10/1983 Berg et al 219/219

4,634,242 1/1987 Taguchi et al 350/588

4,940,317 7/1990 Reuben 350/588

5,039,492 8/1991 Saaski et al 359/839

5,155,625 10/1992 Komatsu et al 359/512

5,273,812 12/1993 Oguchi et al 428/220

5,418,643 5/1995 Ogasawara et al 359/507

Primary Examiner—-Timothy P. Callahan

Assistant Examiner—My-Trang Nu Ton

Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Hedman, Gibson & Costigan,

P.C.

[57] ABSTRACT

A vehicle mirror has a rnirror housing and a mirror assembly provided in the mirror housing. The mirror assembly includes a glass substrate and a reflecting film made of chromium or aluminum and formed on the back surface of the glass substrate. A panel heater is bonded by adhesive to the back surface of the reflecting film. A hydrophilic film is formed on the front surface of the glass substrate. The hydrophilic film is made of a hydrophilic oxide film such as Si02 and functions to spread a waterdrop deposited on the rnirror surface in the form of a thin water film.

10 Claims, 4 Drawing Sheets

10