GB2115761A

GB2115761A - Vehicle rear window visor

Info

Publication number: GB2115761A
Application number: GB08137677A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Daniel James Linehan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1981-04-09
Filing date: 1981-12-14
Publication date: 1983-09-14
Also published as: GB2115761B

Abstract

A visor for external mounting to the rear window of a motor vehicle, has a lattice of louvre-type bars (12) extending between opposite sides (14) of a peripheral frame (16) which is provided with clips (18) enabling mounting of the visor by engagement of said clips under the rubber trim surrounding the window. The visor (10) is moulded in two parts (30, 32) which clip together at the centre, and the window mounting clips may include hinges which enable the two visor parts to be hinged open from the centre outwardly to enable access to the vehicle window. The two part visor may be stiffened by a locking means including a security lock (74) which prevents unauthorised removal of the mounted visor from the vehicle window. The clips are hinged or pivoted relative to the visor so as to allow the clips to be moved from a position overlying the edge of the visor to an operative position in which the clips can be pushed under the rubber trim. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in visors for vehicle rear windows Field of invention This invention relates to a visor for the rear window of a motor vehicle.

Background to the invention Rear window visors comprise a lattice of louvre type bars integrally formed with a frame for attachment to the vehicle. Known fittings for attaching the visor include bolts for permanent fixings and suction cups for non-permanent fixing.

European Patent Specification 0006332 described a mounting device for securing inter alia a rear window visor to a vehicle rear window.

The arrangement incorporates mounting lugs which are adapted to be fitted in part below the rubber trim surrounding the window and provide sockets which can be aligned with sockets in the visor frame and into which locking members can be secured for holding the visor onto the mountings.

With all such devices there is a difficulty in accurately locating the positions of the mountings within the rubber trim so that their sockets align with apertures in the visor and it is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative and improved visor fixing arrangement which does not suffer from this disadvantage.

The invention According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a visor for external application to a vehicle rear window having a rubber trim, comprising a lattice of louvre type bars extending between opposite sides of a supporting frame sized and shaped substantially to match the size and shape of the rear window, said frame being provided at least at its side edges with clips which include flat lips adapted to fit under the rubber trim to be clipped in position thereby in order to mount the visor to the window.

According to a preferred feature of the invention, the clips are moveable at least outwardly of the side edges to allow the visor to be placed in position on the window with the clips retracted and which can then be secured to the window by pushing the flat lips of the clips below the rubber surround.

Preferably the clips are secured by rivets or the like to the visor and are thereby pivotable from a position in which the clip overlies (or underlies) the visor edge to a position in which the clip protrudes outwardly from the edge for clipping under the rubber.

The clips are preferably formed in a shape or from a material such that there is a natural resilience which holds them in at least the outward position so that there is little tendency for the clips to rotate backwards from under the rubber.

According to another aspect of the invention a vehicle rear window visor is moulded in righthand and left-hand parts adapted to be connected together to form a complete visor ready for mounting to the window. This enables a smaller and less expensive moulding machines to be employed for production of the visor. In one practical arrangement the two visor parts are adapted to fit detachably together at the centre and in a preferred such arrangement the window mounting clips on the side edges of each visor part include hinges to enable the two visor parts to be hinged apart outwardly from the centre thereby facilitating access to the rear window for cleaning or other purposes.

According to a further aspect of the invention a vehicle rear window visor has means for locking the mounted visor in position over the window, preferably including a security lock operable by a unique key. The locking means will preferably comprise a displaceable bracing strut having one position in which the visor is tensioned to urge the mounting clips inwardly under the rubber window trim and a second position in which the visor is relaxed to permit withdrawal of the clips from under the trim.

According to a still further aspect of the invention there is provided a method of externally mounting a visor to a vehicle rear window having a rubber trim, according to which the visor is provided at its periphery with clips having flat lips, the clips being hingeable relative to the remainder of the visor and are adapted to be inserted under the rubber trim for clipping in position, thereby to mount the visor to the window.

A preliminary manufacturing step may include moulding the visor in right-hand and left-hand parts adapted to connect together at the centre to form a complete visor having said mounting clips.

Further features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of practical embodiments, making reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of visor; Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of a visor having a security locking device; Fig. 3a and 3b show one possible construction of hinged mounting clip; and Fig. 4 shows an alternative construction of hinged mounting clip.

Detailed description of the drawings The vehicle rear window visor 10 shown in Fig.

1 comprises a lattice of louvre-type bars 12 extending between opposite side edges 14 of a peripheral frame 16 with which said bars are integrally formed.

The frame 1 6 is shaped and sized substantially to match the shape and size of the rear window (not shown) of the motor vehicle to which the visor is to be externally mounted.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, for the purpose of mounting the visor 10 to the window, the peripheral frame 1 6 is provided with clips 1 8 which include thin flat lips 20 adapted to fit under the rubber trim which conventionally surrounds a vehicle rear window. The inside periphery of the trim covering the edge of the window glass is lifted at the appropriate points to enable insertion of the flat lips 20, and the trim is then pressed back against the glass, if desired using an adhesive sealant, to clip the lips in position and thereby mount the visor 10 to the window.

In Fig. 1 the visor 10 is provided with window mounting clips 1 8 at the side edges 14 of the frame 16, and also at the upper edge 22 thereof.

It is alternatively possible to provide clips 1 8 at the bottom edge 24 of the frame 16, either additionally to or instead of the clips at the upper edge, or to omit the top and bottom clips altogether if the visor is sufficiently rigid. In this connection, reference is made later to a locking means which stiffens the visor in its mounted condition.

The visor 10 is moulded of plastics material, and the clips 1 8 are preferably moulded integrally with the frame 1 6 as part of the moulding process. However, the clips 18 may alternatively be formed of spring metal if desired, located as inserts in the moulding machine to be fixedly embedded in the frame 16 when the visor is moulded. The spring metal clips may be so shaped as to make it possible for them to be sprung under the rubber trim. In this connection, it is to be appreciated that although the clips 18 shown in Fig. 1 are simple flat projections adapted to fit under the inner periphery of the rubber window trim, it is also equally possible to form the clips with re-entrant lips for location under the outside periphery of the rubber rim, i.e.

between the trim and the edge of the car body surrounding the window.

The simple clips 18 described above can provide a substantially permanent mounting of the visor to the exterior of the window, which may render access to the window, e.g. for cleaning purposes, relatively difficult. Modified clips overcoming this problem are later described.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the visor 10 is moulded in two parts. In addition to other advantages later apparent, this enables the visor to be produced in smaller and less expensive moulding machines.

In Fig. 1, the visor 10 is moulded in left-hand and right-hand parts 30, 32 which clip together at the centre. The clip together fittings 34 as diagrammatically illustrated comprise button projections on the right-hand part 32 which engage with keyway slots in the left-hand part 30, thereby to effect a firm connection between the two parts. These fittings 34 are formed at respective inner side strips 36, 38 of the two parts 30, 32 which strips overlap to define a central divider to the frame 1 6. Various other kinds of clip together fittings may be employed such as interlocking claws or interengaging male and female portions to connect together the two parts 30, 32 in order to form the complete visor ready for mounting to the window.Such fittings will preferably be moulded of plastics material integrally with respective parts 30, 32 of the visor, but may alternatively be separately formed, e.g. of metal, to be incorporated as inserts in the moulded visor during production thereof.

When the visor 10 is constructed in two parts, it is readily practicable to make provision for a hinging open of the two parts to enable access to the rear window, e.g. for cleaning purposes. Thus, assuming the use of clip together fittings 34 at the centre which are readily separable, the provision of hinged window mounting clips at the side edges of the visor 10 will enable the two visor parts to be hinged open outwardly from the centre.

Figs. 3a and 3b show one possible construction of a hinged window mounting clip 40, comprising a flat lip 42 clipped between the window glass 44 and the rubber trim 46, a bracket portion 48 connected to the lip 42 and a hinge socket 50 carried by the bracket. On the side edge 14 of the frame 16 is provided an angles hinge pin 52 which engages in the hinge socket 50, as indicated at 54.

Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 4, the male hinge portion may be carried by the part 60 of the clip which is clipped between the window glass 62 and the rubber trim 64. The female hinge portion (not shown) will then be formed on the peripheral frame 1 6 of the visor. As will be clear from Fig. 4, the axis of the hinge is in this instance normal to the window edge, whereas in Fig. 3 the axis of the hinge is parallel to the window edge.

The arrangement of Fig. 4 is thus suitable for a window mounting clip on the upper or lower edge of the peripheral frame 1 6 of the visor, in particular to enable a centre hinge on which the two visor parts pivot one another. In such an instance, the window mounting clips at the side edges of the visor will be formed with separable clip together portions, one integral with the clip that clips under the window trim and one integral with the peripheral frame of the visor.

In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, the visor 10 is provided with a security locking means. This is especially but not exclusively useful in the case of the two part visor wherein the two visor parts can be hinged open, in order to prevent unauthorised removal of the visor from the vehicle.

In Fig. 2, which shows a two part visor 10 from the rear the security lock is combined with a bracing strut 70 located through bridges 72 formed on the back of one of the overlapping side strips 36, 38 at which the two visor parts are clipped together. This bracing strut 70 is longitudinally displaceable, in a manner in itself known for a one piece visor, to stiffen the visor 10 in its mounted position to the window. In one position of the strut 70, the visor 10 has a degree of flexibility which facilitates its mounting by means of the window mounting clips; in a displaced portion of the strut the visor is stiffened in all directions, but in particular to tend to urge the side edges 14 of the peripheral frame 1 6 apart and thereby force the flat lips 20 tightly inwards of the rubber trim under which they engage.The strut 70 engages at one end with a lock 74 carried by the frame 1 6 of the visor 10.

This lock 74 is lockable by a unique key 76, thereby to lock the bracing strut 70 in its displaced position in which the visor 10 is stiffened and thereby tightened into its mounted position.

Without unlocking the security lock 74, thereby to enable the bracing strut 70 to be retracted to its loose position in which the visor 10 is relaxed, it is substantially impossible to detach the visor from the vehicle window.

In the case of the two part visor illustrated, it will be appreciated that it also effectively acts to lock the clip together fittings 34 between the two visor parts 30, 32. However, the security lock 74 of this invention is also applicable to a one part visor. In both instances, the security lock 74 has the advantage of enabling a non-permanent mounting of the visor which at the same time is substantially secured against theft.

It will be appreciated that the lock 74 can be arranged to act in other ways, and may take the form of a combination lock operable by a unique code instead of a unique key.

Various other modifications are possible within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. For example, the two parts of the visor can, if desired, be formed with clip together fittings at the centre which interlock the free ends of the louvre bars of the two visor parts so that, with the possible exception of the bracing strut if provided, the louvre bars extend substantially without interruption from one side of the visor to the other. Finally, it is to be appreciated that, although reference is made to window mounting clips on the peripheral frame of the visor, it is not essential for the said frame to extend around the entire periphery; in some instances, for example, the visor may be sufficiently rigid when the lower edge thereof is defined by the lowest louvre-type bar.

In accordance with the preferred feature of the invention, clips 1 8 are riveted to the edges of the visor by means of rivets one of which is designated by reference numeral 19. The clips are stepped along their length and include a flat thin lip 20 as previously described for fixing below the rubber. By forming the clips from resiliently deformable or springy material so the clip will be held firmly in position by virtue of the step when rotated through 900 from the position shown in Fig.1 so as to overlie the surface of the periphery of the visor. The rotation of the clip from that position into the position shown in Fig. 1 will result in a snap action as the clip is finally rotated perpendicular to the edge whereupon the step will align with the edge of the frame and will hold in position with little tendency for the clip to twist or turn.

The advantage of the fixing of the clips in this way is that no accurate alignment or jigging of the visor relative to the window is required before the visor can be fitted to the window. It is merely necessary to offer up the visor to the window with the clips are rotated through 900 from the positions shown in Fig. 1 and for the clips to then be rotated into the positions shown and sliding the thin lips 20 under the rubber in so doing.

Although not shown, the rivets may be fixed to the clips so as rotate therewith in which event the rivet head may be formed with a screwdriver slot or the like to facilitate in the twisting of the clip and rivet.

Claims

Claims 1. A visor for external application to a vehicle rear window having a rubber trim, comprising a lattice of louvre type bars extending between opposite sides of a supporting frame sized and shaped substantially to match the size and shape of the rear window, said frame being provided at least at its side edges with clips which include flat lips adapted to fit under the rubber trim to be clipped in position thereby in order to mount the visor to the window. 2. A rear window visor according to claim 1, wherein the clips are hinged to the edges of the visor. 3. A rear window visor according to claim 2, in which the clips can be rotated relative to the edges of the frame from a position in which the clips overlie the edge of the frame into a position in which the clips can be pushed under the rubber trim around the window. 4. A rear window visor according to claim 3, moulded in right-hand and left-hand parts adapted to be connected together to form a complete visor ready for mounting to the window. 5. A rear window visor according to claim 4 wherein the two visor parts are moulded with integral fittings adapted to clip together to assemble said two parts into the complete visor. 6. A rear window visor according to claim 4 or claim 5 wherein the two visor parts are adapted to fit detachably together at the centre. 7. A rear window visor according to claim 6 wherein the window mounting clips on the side edges of each visor part include hinges to enable the two visor parts to be hinged apart outwardly from the centre. 8. A rear window visor according to claim 4 or claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the two visor parts are adapted to hinge relatively to one another at the centre and the said window mounting clips on the side edges of each part include detachable connections. 9. A rear window visor according to claim 6 or claim 7 or claim 8, wherein each said hinge and/or detachable connection comprises two hinged or connectable portions one of which is moulded integrally with the relevant one of said two visor parts. 10. A rear window visor according to any of claims 1 to 9 including means for locking the mounted visor in position over the window. 11. A rear window visor according to claim 6, wherein said locking means includes a security lock operable by a unique key. 12. A rear window visor according to claim 6 or claim 11 when appendant to claim 2, wherein said locking means is operable to lock the two visor parts together. 1 3. A rear window visor according to claim 10 or claim 11 or claim 12, wherein said locking means comprises a displaceable bracing strut having one position in which the visor is tensioned to urge the mounting clips inwardly under the rubber window trim and a second position in which the visor is relaxed to permit withdrawal of said clips from under said trim. 14. A visor for a vehicle rear window substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 5. A method of externally mounting a visor to a vehicle rear window having a rubber trim, according to which the visor is provided at its periphery with clips having flat lips, and said flat lips are inserted under the rubber trim to be clipped in position thereby in order to mount the visor to the window. 1 6. A method according to claim 15, in combination with the preliminary manufacturing step of moulding the visor in right-hand and lefthand parts adapted to connect together at the centre to form a complete visor having said mounting clips. 1 7. A method of mounting a visor to a vehicle rear window substantially as hereinbefore described. New claims filed on 30 April 1982 Superseded claims 1-17 New or amended claims:

1. A visor for external application to a vehicle rear window having a rubber trim, comprising a lattice of louvre type bars extending between opposite sides of a supporting frame sized and shaped substantially to match the size and shape of the rear window, said frame being provided at least at its side edges with clips which include flat lips adapted to fit under the rubber trip to be clipped in position, thereby in order to mount the visor to the window and characterized in that the clips are hinged to the edges of the visor so as to be permanently secured to the visor but to be rotatable relative thereto so as to allow the flat lips to be inserted or removed from under the rubber trim.

2. A rear window visor according to claim 1, in which the clips can be rotated relative to the edges of the frame from a position in which the clips overlie the edge of the frame into a position in which the clips can be pushed under the rubber trim around the window.

3. A rear window visor according to claim 1 or 2 in which the clips are stepped along their length and are formed from resiliently deformable or springy material so that the clip is held firmly in position by virtue of the step when overlying the visor periphery, the step being positioned along the length of the clip so as to align with the edge of the frame of the visor when the clip is rotated for positioning the flat lip: thereof below the rubber trim so as to hold the clip in position with little tendency for the clip to twist or turn once so inserted.

4. A rear window visor according to any of claims 1-3, moulded in right-hand and left-hand parts to be connected together to form a complete visor ready for mounting to the window.

5. A rear window visor according to claim 4 wherein the two visor parts are moulded with integral fittings adapted to clip together to assemble said two parts into the complete visor.

6. A rear window visor according to claim 4 or claim 5 wherein the two visor parts are adapted to fit detachably together at the centre.

7. A rear window visor according to claim 6 wherein the window mounting clips on the side edges of each visor part include hinges to enable the two visor parts to be hinged apart outwardly from the centre.

8. A rear window visor according to claim 4 or claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the two visor parts are adapted to hinge relatively to one another at the centre and the said window mounting clips on the side edges of each part include detachable connections.

9. A rear window visor according to claim 6 or claim 7 or claim 8, wherein each said hinge and/or detachable connection comprises two hinged or connectable portions one of which is moulded integrally with the relevant one of said two visor parts.

10. A rear window visor according to any of claims 1 to 9 including means for locking the mounted visor in position over the window.

11. A rear window visor according to claim 6, wherein said locking means includes a security lock operable by a unique key.

12. A rear window visor according to claim 6 or claim 11 when appendant to claim 2, wherein said locking means is operable to lock the two visor parts together.

1 3. A rear window visor according to claim 10 or claim 11 or claim 12, wherein said locking means comprises a displaceable bracing strut having one position in which the visor is tensioned to urge the mounting clips inwardly under the rubber window trim and a second position in which the visor is relaxed to permit withdrawal of said clips from under said trim.

14. A visor for a vehicle rear window substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 5. A method of externally mounting a visor to a vehicle rear window having a rubber trim, according to which the visor is provided at its periphery with clips having flat lips, and said flat lips are inserted under the rubber trim to be clipped in position thereby in order to mount the visor to the window.

16. A method according to claim 15, in combination with the preliminary manufacturing step of moulding the visor in right-hand and left hand parts adapted to connect together at the centre to form a complete visor having said mounting clips.

1 7. A method of mounting a visor to a vehicle rear window substantially as hereinbefore described.