GB2216082A

GB2216082A - Sun visor

Info

Publication number: GB2216082A
Application number: GB8903462A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Joanna Rowley-Conwy
Original assignee: ROWLEY CONWY JOANNA
Current assignee: ROWLEY CONWY JOANNA
Priority date: 1988-02-17
Filing date: 1989-02-15
Publication date: 1989-10-04
Also published as: GB8803670D0; GB8903462D0

Abstract

A sun visor assembly 1 for use in a motor vehicle has a visor part 10 securing means 5 and adjustable positioning means 3, allowing the visor part to be secured adjustably relative to a baby seat, a carry cot or body parts of the vehicle to shade a child from sun. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Sun Visor DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to a sun visor.

It is common pratice to provide automobiles with sun visors, usually as flaps pivotably secured to the roof or window surround of a vehicle, which can be deployed over the window by occupants of the driving and passenger seats of the vehicle to shield the eyes of the occupant from sun and glare. The position of known visors assumes that the eyes of the occupant are at a level which allows the visor to interrupt the source of the glare and this is not always the case where the occupant is less than average height and present a particular problem for children especially babies or small children secured in baby seats, even babies in a carry cot, who are unable to appreciate the reason for their discomfort when being dazzled by the sun or glare. In any event, motor vehicles do not provide sun visors in the rear which is the more usual location for baby seats.Accordingly, nothing is known for protecting the eyes of said small children or babies who cannot make use of the sun visors provided by the automobile manufacturer.

The present invention aims to provide a device for protecting the eyes and thereby provide a solution to the afore-mentioned problem.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a sun visor assembly comprising a visor part, securing means therefore and adjustable positioning means for the visor part relative to the securing means.

More particularly the securing means comprises a clip, say of spring, cam or screw clamp action, for affixing the visor to such as a baby seat, carry cot or even to body parts of the vehicle whereby the securing means is selectively positionable so that in conjunction with the adjustable positioning means the visor is able to shade a child within the vehicle.

Hence the visor assembly is detachable and portable.One particularly convenient adjustable positioning means comprises an elongate metal or plastics member which is flexible and which stays in the shape to which it is bent. One such flexible member is known for positioning a lamp head relative to a base.

I propose to have the visor part attached to one end of the flexible positioning member and the fixing clip attached to the other end. By this means the visor can be attached to a baby seat and positioned to protect from glare the eyes of the baby strapped into the seat. The visor can be positioned sufficiently far from the baby to avoid contact by the baby's head. It is not impossible that a child will learn to position the visor itself although more likely it will be out of arms reach.

It is particularly advantageous if the visor part itself is made of a tinted material, typically plastics, posibly polarised, and preferably curved to give protection to glare from ahead or to either side.

A frame to the visor could be of a soft/deformable material to give added protection from contact.

The present invention will now be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 illustrates a first embodiment of visor according to the present invention, Figure 2 illustrates the visor in position on a child seat; and Figure 3 illustrates an alternative construction.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 and there is shown a visor 1 having a lens 10 which is of a tinted, see-through plastics material and shaped to protect against glare from both ahead and the sides i.e. of arcuate shape when viewed from above. The visor lens 10 is surrounded by a frame 11 say of plastics material and preferably of a protective nature, i.e. with a soft plastics or rubber like covering, even padded material.

The visor 1 is carried on the end of a positioning member 3 which is flexible, say of plastics or metal, and constructed to stay in any shape to which it is bent, by virtue of its construction. Such flexible members are well known in other applications, but have not been hitherto used for positioning a visor adjustably.

The other end of the positioning member carries securing means 5 for locating the visor within the vehicle. As illustrated, I propose a resilient clip having a pair of limbs 7 which are urged into a closed position as at 7' by spring biasing and are openable against the spring biasing for fitting onto such as the edge of a child seat 9 as shown in Figure 2. With the visor located in this manner it can be adjusted into the required position to provide protection for the occupant of the child seat 9.

Figure 3 shows an alternative embodiment to illustrate that the flexible positioning member 3 may be replaced by say two interconneted rods 15, 16. The visor 1' is secured to one rod fixedly or adjustably as illustrated, and the fixing means 5' to the other rod 15. The clamp 17 allows for up and down movement and angular adjustment of the two arms relative to one another. The clamp 19 allows for fore and aft movement of the visor, although in the alternative this may be accommodated at the clamp 17.

The clamp 5' is illustrated as of clamping screw type, which is an alternative to the spring clamp of Figure 1 and vice versa.

Claims

1. A sun visor assembly comprising a visor part securing means therefor which is selectively positionable and adjustable positioning means for the visor part relative to the securing means.

2. A sun visor assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said securing means comprises a clip.

3. A sun visor assembly as claimed in claims I or 2, wherein the securing means is of spring action.

4. A sun visor assembly as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the securing means is of a cam action.

5. A sun visor assambly as claimed in claim 1 or 2, is of a screw clamp action.

6. A sun visor assemmbly as claimed in any previous claim, wherein said adjustable positioning means comprises an elongate flexible member which stays in the shape to which it is bent.

7. A sun visor assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein said flexible member is made of metal.

8. A sun visor assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein said flexible member is of plastics material.

9. A sun visor assembly as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the visor part and the securing means are located at opposite ends of the adjustable positioning member.

10. A sun visor as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the visor part is made of tinted material.

11. A sun visor assembly as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the visor part is polarised.

12. A sun visor part as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the visor part is curved to give protection from ahead or to either side.

13. A sun visor assembly as claimed in claims 12 to 14 wherein the visor part is made from plastics material.

14. A sun visor assembly as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the visor part is of a soft/deformable material to give added protection from contact.

15. A sun visor assembly as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the visor is secured by said securing means to a baby seat or carry cot.

16. A sun visor assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the visor is secured by said securing means to a body part of the vehicle.

17. A sun visor assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings for figures 1 and 2 or figure 3.