AU4446499A - Auxiliary shade visor - Google Patents

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

S

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: "AUXILIARY SHADE VISOR" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 2

TITLE

"AUXILIARY SHADE VISOR" FIELD OF INVENTION THIS INVENTION relates to shade visors in motor vehicles and, in particular, devices to provide shade protection auxiliary to that of a conventional vehicle shade visor.

BACKGROUND ART Conventional shade visors in vehicles do not protect the eyes of an occupant across the full width of a windscreen. In general, an .:i 10 unprotected area is left in a central part of the windscreen. Similarly, an unprotected area can also arise when the shade visor is located across a side window of a vehicle as the visor does not extend across the full width of the window.

When the vehicle is in certain orientations relative to the 15 sun, the sun's rays may pass directly through the abovementioned ooooo unprotected areas onto the face and/or the eyes of a passenger and, more importantly, the driver. This situation not only causes discomfort to a person exposed to these rays, but may also create a dangerous situation if a driver's vision is compromised. In addition, exposure to direct sunlight is a major contributor to skin pathologies, including squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma and melanoma.

The regularity of such occurrences increases at certain seasons of the year due to the sun's position relative to the earth's surface. The risk will also be exaggerated in areas in which drivers travel on hilly or winding roads.

It would be of advantage to have an auxiliary shade visor which could be used when required to supplement the effect of a conventional shade visor and which could also be unobtrusively stored in an inoperative position at other times.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to overcome, at least in part, one or more of the deficiencies of the prior art.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 10 In one form, although it need not be the only or indeed the broadest form, the invention resides in an auxiliary shade visor for a vehicle, which is used in addition to an existing shade visor and comprising: a plate element; and 15 attachment means for attaching the plate element to the oooo• existing shade visor; wherein the plate element is movable relative to the attachment means from an operative position to an inoperative position and vice versa.

The attachment means may further include a support element for carrying the plate element with the support element being secured to the existing shade visor by fixing means.

The movable plate element is preferably adjustably mounted to the support element.

4 Suitably, the plate element is linearly adjustable relative to the support element.

The plate element may be slidably coupled to the support element. The plate element may be suitably coupled to the support element by plug and socket means.

The plug and socket means may include one tab on the plate element or support element engaging with a mating slot on the other of the plate element or support element.

o .However, more preferably, there are two spaced tabs on the :*10 plate element or support element which engage with respective mating ~slots on the other of the plate element or support element.

°The plate element may also be pivotally mounted to the support element and may further include a plurality of indentations on the plate element or the support element which engage adjustably with a 15 projection on the other of the plate element or support element The support element of the auxiliary shade visor may be substantially planar. The fixing means may be at least one adherent pad.

Alternatively, the fixing means may include at least one hook and loop fastener.

When the plate element is in the inoperative position it may substantially overlay the shade visor.

The auxiliary shade visor may also include retention means to support the plate element in an inoperative position. Suitably, the retention means may be a retaining clip or bracket for receiving the plate element. Preferably, the bracket is attached to the existing shade visor.

Alternatively, it may be attached to the support element.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top view of the support element of a linearly adjustable auxiliary shade visor.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a plate element of a linearly adjustable auxiliary shade visor displaying the surface which adjoins the surface in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an auxiliary shade 10 visor.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of an assembled auxiliary shade visor of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of the auxiliary shade loll visor of FIG. 1 attached to the shade visor of a car.

0000. 15 FIG. 6 is a representation of a pivotally adjustable auxiliary o 0.o0 shade visor attached to the shade visor of a car.

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of a pivotally adjustable auxiliary shade visor.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the auxiliary shade visor of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a support element 10 of an auxiliary shade visor having two parallel slots 11, 12. The slots 11, 12 are continuous with recesses 13, 14 located under the surface of the 6 support element FIG. 2 shows a plate element 15 for coupling with the support element 10 of FIG. 1. The plate element 15 has two resiliently deformable tabs 16, 17 which may be engaged with the slots 11, 12 of the support element 10 of FIG. 1. The tabs are then located in recesses 13, 14 of the support element 10 thereby permitting the linear adjustment of the plate element 15 relative to the support element 10. The plate element 15 may be moved a distance equal to the distance of travel of the tabs 16, 17 in the slots 11, 12.

9*oo 10 FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the components of the auxiliary shade visor showing the plate element formed by backing Ssheet 18 and reinforcing sheet 19. The tabs 20, 21 are shown as stepped for engaging the slots 22, 23 and recesses 24, 25 in the support plate 26.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the assembled auxiliary 15 shade visor of FIG. 3 taken through the tabs along line AA. The backing ooooo sheet 18 is adhered to reinforcing sheet 19 with stepped tabs 20, 21 located through slots 22, 23 and into recesses 24, 25. The support plate 26 comprises top sheet 27, spacer sheet 28 and bottom sheet 29. This view highlights the coupling of the plate element 18, 19 and support element 26 to allow linear adjustment of the plate element 18, 19.

Although bottom sheet 29 is shown in this embodiment, it is clear to a skilled addressee that it is not required if the spacer sheet 28 is wide enough to provide clearance for the stepped tabs 20, 21 to slide freely.

The spacer sheet may even have an adhesive backing for direct attachment to the existing visor.

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of an auxiliary shade visor including a support element 30 attached to a conventional shade visor 31 of a vehicle. Both are supported by a support bar 32 which is attached to a retaining fitting 33 in the roof 34 of the vehicle. The support element is attached to the conventional shade visor 31 by an adherent strip 45 (shown in phantom). It is clear to a skilled addressee that the support element may be attached by any suitable means including hook and loop fasteners. The plate element is shown in phantom in an 10 operative position 35 when it is slid linearly beyond an inner edge 36 of the visor 31. When in an inoperative position, the plate element substantially overlays the support element 30 and shade visor 31. The *°*plate element may be adjusted to any convenient position along the oooo length of travel of the plate element relative to the support element.

.i 15 Friction will retain the plate element in the selected position. The plate element may be attached to the conventional shade visor by any suitable means (not shown) including the use of tabs engaging slots as described in the FIGS. 1-2 embodiment or, alternatively, by the use of elongate tongues (not shown) engaged in mating tracks (not shown).

FIG. 6 is a representation of a pivotally adjustable auxiliary 0 shade visor 36 attached to the existing shade visor 37 of a car. Plate element 38 is shown in an inoperative position and, additionally, is shown in phantom in an operative position. The plate element 38 is carried by the support element 39 and is pivotally connected thereto by a pivot pin 8 The support element 39 has two adhesive pads 41, 42 which fix the support element 39 to the shade visor 37. Clearly, any form of suitable attachment means may be used. For example, the adherent pad may be a single pad which substantially covers the surface of the plate element.

Alternatively, there may be a plurality of adhesive pads. Another option involves fixing with rivets, screws or similar. The plate element 38 is adjustable to a variety of positions relative to the shade visor 37 and the support element 39 and may be held in place by friction. The plate element is shown as transparent but it is clear to a skilled addressee that 10 it should be at least tinted. It may be opaque.

This view also shows a retention means by way of retaining clip 45 (also shown in FIG. 8) which receives the plate element 38 when *,oin an inoperative position. the clip 45 provides support of the plate element to prevent "sagging" of the plate element when the existing o. 15 shade visor is in operation. Clip 45 may be attached to the existing visor 37 by any suitable means, including by gluing.

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of a pivotally adjustable auxiliary shade visor. The plate element 38 is shown in an initial inoperative position and then shown in phantom in a variety of possible adjusted positions to which the plate element 38 may be moved. This view demonstrates the adjustment mechanism which consists of a series of recesses 43 in either the support element 39 or the plate element 38 and a corresponding protrusion or lug 44 on the other one of the support element or the plate element which is locateable in the recesses 43. The 9 protrusion 44 overlays recess 43 in this view. This arrangement may also be called a detent mechanism.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the auxiliary shade visor of FIG. 7. The plate element 38 has protrusion or lug 44 which is alignable with a series of recesses 43 on the support element 39.

The support element 39 is pivotally attached to the plate element 38 by pivot pin 40. The support element 39 further includes two adhesive pads 41, 42 for attachment to the shade visor of a vehicle.

The lug 44 provides a releasable stop to rotation of the plate 10 element 38. The number of recesses 43 will reflect the number of available positions for locating the plate element 38 relative to the support element 39.

The retaining clip 45 is locateable on an existing shade o°0o visor (not shown) by use of adhesive pad 46.

15 A particular advantage of the invention is that it allows adjustment of the plate element to a number of positions. The auxiliary shade visor can, therefore, be aligned to provide protection appropriate to the direction of sunlight which, at the same time, minimising obstruction of vision in directions in which the sun's rays cause no discomfort.

Claims (17)

1. An auxiliary shade visor for a vehicle, which is used in addition to an existing shade visor, said auxiliary shade visor comprising: a plate element; and attachment means for attaching said plate element to the existing shade visor; wherein the plate element is movable relative to the attachment means from an operative position to an inoperative position and vice versa. 10

2. The auxiliary shade visor of claim 1, wherein the attachment S. means further includes: a support element for carrying the plate element; said support element being secured to the vehicle by fixing means.

3. The auxiliary shade visor of claim 2, wherein the movable .i 15 plate element is adjustably mounted to the support element.

4. The auxiliary shade visor of claim 3 wherein the plate element is linearly adjustable relative to the support element.

The auxiliary shade visor of claim 4, wherein the plate element is slidingly coupled to the support element.

6. The auxiliary shade visor of claim 5, wherein the plate element is coupled to the support element by plug and socket means.

7. The auxiliary shade visor of claim 6 wherein the plug and socket means includes at least one tab on the plate element or support element engaging with a mating slot on the other of said plate element or support element.

8. The auxiliary shade visor of claim 7, wherein there are two spaced tabs on the plate element or support element which engage with respective mating slots on the other of the plate element or the support element.

9. The auxiliary shade visor of claim 3, wherein the plate element is pivotally mounted to the support element.

10. The auxiliary shade visor of claim 9, further including a plurality of indentations on the plate element or the support element which °i 10 engage adjustably with a projection on the other of said plate element or support element

11. The auxiliary shade visor of any one of claims 2 to S- wherein the support element is substantially planar.

12. The auxiliary shade visor of any one of claims 2 to 11, wherein the fixing means is at least one adherent pad.

13. The auxiliary shade visor of any one of claims 2 to 11, wherein the fixing means includes at least one hook and loop fastener.

14. The auxiliary shade visor of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plate element substantially overlays the shade visor when the plate element is in said inoperative position.

The auxiliary shade visor of any one of the preceding claims further comprising retention means for supporting the plate element in an inoperative position.

16. The auxiliary shade visor of claim 15 wherein the retention means comprises a retaining clip.

17. An auxiliary shade visor substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this Twelfth day of August 1999. JAMES EDWARD ROSS SMALLWOOD By his Patent Attorneys FISHER ADAMS KELLY *see *0 oo o*o*