WO1998046439A1 - Center mounted visor - Google Patents

Center mounted visor Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO1998046439A1
WO1998046439A1 PCT/US1998/005657 US9805657W WO9846439A1 WO 1998046439 A1 WO1998046439 A1 WO 1998046439A1 US 9805657 W US9805657 W US 9805657W WO 9846439 A1 WO9846439 A1 WO 9846439A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
visor
torque control
rod
bracket
visor body
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US1998/005657
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Edward G. Curtindale
Angelo R. Melotti
Girma M. Gebreselassie
Original Assignee
Ut Automotive Dearborn, Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Ut Automotive Dearborn, Inc. filed Critical Ut Automotive Dearborn, Inc.
Publication of WO1998046439A1 publication Critical patent/WO1998046439A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60J—WINDOWS, WINDSCREENS, NON-FIXED ROOFS, DOORS, OR SIMILAR DEVICES FOR VEHICLES; REMOVABLE EXTERNAL PROTECTIVE COVERINGS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES
    • B60J3/00—Antiglare equipment associated with windows or windscreens; Sun visors for vehicles
    • B60J3/02—Antiglare equipment associated with windows or windscreens; Sun visors for vehicles adjustable in position
    • B60J3/0204—Sun visors
    • B60J3/0213—Sun visors characterised by the mounting means
    • B60J3/0265—Attachments of sun visors to mounting means including details of sun visor bearing member regulating the rotational friction on the support arm
    • B60J3/0269—Attachments of sun visors to mounting means including details of sun visor bearing member regulating the rotational friction on the support arm in middle region of sun visor

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a visor, and more particularly to center mounted visor for use in a vehicle
  • the passenger compartments of vehicles include a windshield and a roof structure
  • the vehicle further includes an A-pillar separating the windshield and a side window, and a side rail separating the side window from the roof structure
  • Both the A-pillar and the side window are structural members of the vehicle
  • the roof structure includes an exterior roof panel, a central, longitudinal reinforcing rib, and a forward windshield header
  • the reinforcing rib is mounted to the roof panel using conventional methods
  • the interior of the roof structure is covered by a headliner with an upholstered surface to provide a trim appearance to the vehicle
  • Vehicles are usually equipped with sun visors
  • the visors are mounted on pivot rods
  • the visors pivot downwardly from a stored position against a headliner of the vehicle to various lower positions for shielding the eyes of the occupants from sunlight
  • a torque control rotatably attaches the visor to the rod
  • the torque control must hold the visor at the various positions, yet permit relatively easy adjustment of the visor
  • an elbow bracket is used to pivotally attach the rod to the roof of the vehicle
  • the visor when lowered pivots from a position adjacent a windshield to a position adjacent a side window
  • the elbow bracket is attached at the intersection of the A-pillar, the side rail, and windshield header
  • the mounting is to
  • a sun visor assembly is disclosed.
  • the sun visor assembly is for use in a vehicle which includes a roof structure
  • the visor assembly includes a single bracket, a visor body, a torque control and a rod
  • the bracket is coupled to the roof structure.
  • the torque control and the rod cooperate to rotatably couple the visor body to the bracket, such that the bracket is centrally disposed along the upper edge of the visor body
  • the visor body is mounted to the roof structure near the center of the visor, and can be held at various positions to shield the occupants' eyes from sunlight.
  • the bracket is coupled to the vehicle roof and includes a torque control for holding the visor in various positions
  • the visor body includes a rod including a flat The rod is fixed to the visor body along the upper edge of the visor Once assembled the rod is disposed within the torque control so that the flat engages the side wall of the torque control in the stored position
  • the bracket is coupled to the vehicle roof and includes a rod with a flat.
  • the visor body includes a torque control for holding the visor in various positions, such as stored and lowered positions.
  • the torque control is fixed to the visor body along the upper edge of the visor. Once assembled the rod is disposed within the torque control so that the flat engages the side wall of the torque control in the stored position
  • Fig 1 is a fragmentary front view of driver side and passenger side center mounted sun visor assemblies of the present invention, the visor is in a lowered, use position
  • Fig 2 is a cross-sectional view along line 2-2 of Fig 1 of the center mounted sun visor assembly of the present invention
  • Fig 3 is a fragmentary enlarged view of the center mounted sun visor assembly
  • a vehicle 10 includes a windshield 12 and a roof structure 14
  • the roof structure 14 includes an exterior roof panel (not shown), a central, longitudinal reinforcing rib (not shown), a forward windshield header 16, and a headliner 18
  • the windshield header 16 is coupled to the external roof panel (not shown) using conventional means
  • the headliner 18 may be mounted to the windshield header 16 using conventional mounting techniques known in the art for mounting headliner panels to the underside of a vehicle roof
  • the headliner 18 provides a trim appearance to the vehicle
  • a center mounted sun visor assembly 20 is coupled to the roof structure
  • the sun visor assembly 20 includes a bracket 22, a torque control 24, a visor body 26, and a pivot rod 28
  • the bracket 22 houses the torque control 24
  • the torque control 24 used is conventional and of the type designed to function with the rod 28
  • the torque control 24 allows the visor body 26 to be moved between and held at various rotational positions with respect to the headliner 18
  • the torque control 24 is piece of metal bent to form a channel 30 into which the rod 28 is placed
  • the torque control 24 is formed from spring steel
  • torque control 24 includes a two side walls 32 joined by a curved portion 34 to form a substantially U-shaped cross-section Each of the ends of the side walls 32 extend perpendicularly to form a flange 36
  • the flange 36 provides a surface for coupling the torque control 24 to the windshield header 16, using a conventional fastener, such as a rivet
  • the visor body 26 includes a channel 38, a rod 28, and a cover 40
  • the visor body 26 is substantially rectangular
  • the channel 38 extends longitudinally along a central portion of the top edge of the visor body 26
  • the rod 28 is fixedly mounted within the channel 38
  • the cover 40 has a cutout 42 When cover 40 made of cloth or the like is wrapped around the visor body 26 the channel 38 is enclosed, and a cutout 42 is centrally disposed along the upper edge of the visor body 26
  • the rod 28 When assembled the rod 28 is disposed within the channel 30 of the torque control 24 and the bracket 22 fits within the cutout 42
  • the rod 28 includes a flat 44
  • the flat 44 engages one of the side walls 32 of the torque control 24 when in the stored position (as shown in Fig 2)
  • the visor body and the bracket may be integrally injection molded from ABS plastic or other suitable plastics that have the appropriate properties for an automotive environment
  • the dimensions of the torque control and rod are experimentally determined and depend on the predetermined visor system thickness, the materials used, and the force requirements A conventional lubricant should be used
  • the visor body 26 may be lowered from the stored position to variable lowered positions During the entire rotation the torque control 24 exerts a clamping pressure on the rod 28
  • the force required to move the control 24 out of the stored position is large enough to retain the visor body 26 in the stored position during vehicle operation During visor movement the sidewalls 32 are resiliently moved by the camming action of the pivot rod 26
  • the camming action occurs when the control 24 moves from contact with the rod flat 44 to the curved portion of the rod
  • the force required to moved the visor between the intermediate, lowered, and the final positions is small enough that the visor can be moved easily
  • the camming action occurs creating a rotational torque which snaps the visor up into the stored position
  • the point at which the torque control snaps the visor up is predetermined by the particular vehicle's environment In order to shield occupants from sun that enters the side window, it would be best to use the center mounted visor 22 with
  • the principal advantage of the present invention is that the center mounted visor eliminates the need for the elbow bracket thus making a less expensive assembly Furthermore, since the center mounted visor is attached to the windshield header spaced from the intersection of the A-pillar, side rail and windshield header, thus in the event of a impact against the sun visor the windshield header resistantly moves decreasing the force on impact

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Vehicle Step Arrangements And Article Storage (AREA)

Abstract

A center mounted visor for use in a vehicle includes a bracket (22) and a visor body (26). The bracket (22) is coupled to the vehicle roof and includes a torque control for holding the visor in various positions, such as stored and lowered positions. The visor body includes a rod with a flat portion. The rod (28) is fixed to the visor body (26) along the upper edge of the visor. Once assembled the rod (28) is disposed within the torque control (24) sot that the flat portion engages the side wall of the torque control in the stored position.

Description

DESCRIPTION
CENTER MOUNTED VISOR
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a visor, and more particularly to center mounted visor for use in a vehicle
Background of the Invention
The passenger compartments of vehicles include a windshield and a roof structure The vehicle further includes an A-pillar separating the windshield and a side window, and a side rail separating the side window from the roof structure Both the A-pillar and the side window are structural members of the vehicle
The roof structure includes an exterior roof panel, a central, longitudinal reinforcing rib, and a forward windshield header The reinforcing rib is mounted to the roof panel using conventional methods The interior of the roof structure is covered by a headliner with an upholstered surface to provide a trim appearance to the vehicle Vehicles are usually equipped with sun visors The visors are mounted on pivot rods The visors pivot downwardly from a stored position against a headliner of the vehicle to various lower positions for shielding the eyes of the occupants from sunlight A torque control rotatably attaches the visor to the rod The torque control must hold the visor at the various positions, yet permit relatively easy adjustment of the visor Typically, an elbow bracket is used to pivotally attach the rod to the roof of the vehicle Thus the visor when lowered pivots from a position adjacent a windshield to a position adjacent a side window The elbow bracket is attached at the intersection of the A-pillar, the side rail, and windshield header Thus, the mounting is to a hard(*) area of the vehicle body The elbow bracket is not ideal for automotive applications because it is costly and is not reliable The reliability problems are based on the fact that the bracket can be bent or broken due to the high mechanical loads applied during use of the visor Side visors have also been used for pivoting from a stored position to a lowered, used position, next to the side window One of these visor designs includes a pair of pivot control devices for allowing the aforementioned movement. The pivot controls are spaced apart so that the visor can be used with an assist handle mounted therebetween. Therefore, a visor is sought, which eliminates the elbow bracket It is desired that the visor be aesthetically pleasing, and inexpensive
Summary
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a sun visor assembly is disclosed. The sun visor assembly is for use in a vehicle which includes a roof structure The visor assembly includes a single bracket, a visor body, a torque control and a rod The bracket is coupled to the roof structure. The torque control and the rod cooperate to rotatably couple the visor body to the bracket, such that the bracket is centrally disposed along the upper edge of the visor body As a result the visor body is mounted to the roof structure near the center of the visor, and can be held at various positions to shield the occupants' eyes from sunlight.
In one embodiment, the bracket is coupled to the vehicle roof and includes a torque control for holding the visor in various positions The visor body includes a rod including a flat The rod is fixed to the visor body along the upper edge of the visor Once assembled the rod is disposed within the torque control so that the flat engages the side wall of the torque control in the stored position
In another embodiment, the bracket is coupled to the vehicle roof and includes a rod with a flat. The visor body includes a torque control for holding the visor in various positions, such as stored and lowered positions. The torque control is fixed to the visor body along the upper edge of the visor. Once assembled the rod is disposed within the torque control so that the flat engages the side wall of the torque control in the stored position
The foregoing invention will become more apparent in the following detailed description of the best mode for carrying out the invention and in the accompanying drawings Brief Description of the Drawing
Fig 1 is a fragmentary front view of driver side and passenger side center mounted sun visor assemblies of the present invention, the visor is in a lowered, use position
Fig 2 is a cross-sectional view along line 2-2 of Fig 1 of the center mounted sun visor assembly of the present invention
Fig 3 is a fragmentary enlarged view of the center mounted sun visor assembly
Best Mode for Carrying Out an Embodiment the Invention
Referring to Fig 1 and 2, a vehicle 10 includes a windshield 12 and a roof structure 14 The roof structure 14 includes an exterior roof panel (not shown), a central, longitudinal reinforcing rib (not shown), a forward windshield header 16, and a headliner 18 The windshield header 16 is coupled to the external roof panel (not shown) using conventional means The headliner 18 may be mounted to the windshield header 16 using conventional mounting techniques known in the art for mounting headliner panels to the underside of a vehicle roof The headliner 18 provides a trim appearance to the vehicle A center mounted sun visor assembly 20 is coupled to the roof structure The sun visor assembly 20 includes a bracket 22, a torque control 24, a visor body 26, and a pivot rod 28
The bracket 22 houses the torque control 24 The torque control 24 used is conventional and of the type designed to function with the rod 28 The torque control 24 allows the visor body 26 to be moved between and held at various rotational positions with respect to the headliner 18 The torque control 24 is piece of metal bent to form a channel 30 into which the rod 28 is placed In this embodiment, the torque control 24 is formed from spring steel
Referring to Fig 2, torque control 24 includes a two side walls 32 joined by a curved portion 34 to form a substantially U-shaped cross-section Each of the ends of the side walls 32 extend perpendicularly to form a flange 36 The flange 36 provides a surface for coupling the torque control 24 to the windshield header 16, using a conventional fastener, such as a rivet Referring to Figs 2 and 3, the visor body 26 includes a channel 38, a rod 28, and a cover 40 The visor body 26 is substantially rectangular The channel 38 extends longitudinally along a central portion of the top edge of the visor body 26 The rod 28 is fixedly mounted within the channel 38 The cover 40 has a cutout 42 When cover 40 made of cloth or the like is wrapped around the visor body 26 the channel 38 is enclosed, and a cutout 42 is centrally disposed along the upper edge of the visor body 26
When assembled the rod 28 is disposed within the channel 30 of the torque control 24 and the bracket 22 fits within the cutout 42 The rod 28 includes a flat 44 The flat 44 engages one of the side walls 32 of the torque control 24 when in the stored position (as shown in Fig 2)
The visor body and the bracket may be integrally injection molded from ABS plastic or other suitable plastics that have the appropriate properties for an automotive environment
The dimensions of the torque control and rod are experimentally determined and depend on the predetermined visor system thickness, the materials used, and the force requirements A conventional lubricant should be used
Referring to Figs 1 and 2, in use the visor body 26 may be lowered from the stored position to variable lowered positions During the entire rotation the torque control 24 exerts a clamping pressure on the rod 28 The force required to move the control 24 out of the stored position is large enough to retain the visor body 26 in the stored position during vehicle operation During visor movement the sidewalls 32 are resiliently moved by the camming action of the pivot rod 26 The camming action occurs when the control 24 moves from contact with the rod flat 44 to the curved portion of the rod The force required to moved the visor between the intermediate, lowered, and the final positions is small enough that the visor can be moved easily As the visor is rotated counter clockwise from the lowered position toward the stored position, the camming action occurs creating a rotational torque which snaps the visor up into the stored position The point at which the torque control snaps the visor up is predetermined by the particular vehicle's environment In order to shield occupants from sun that enters the side window, it would be best to use the center mounted visor 22 with a conventional side window visor or one configured like the center mounted visor
The principal advantage of the present invention is that the center mounted visor eliminates the need for the elbow bracket thus making a less expensive assembly Furthermore, since the center mounted visor is attached to the windshield header spaced from the intersection of the A-pillar, side rail and windshield header, thus in the event of a impact against the sun visor the windshield header resistantly moves decreasing the force on impact
While a particular invention has been described with reference to illustrated embodiments, various modifications of the illustrative embodiments, as well as additional embodiments of the invention, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to this description without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as recited in the claims appended hereto These modifications include, but are not limited to, reversing the location of the rod and the torque control The rod can be mounted to the bracket and the torque control can be mounted in the visor The torque control may be modified so that a simpler or more complex clip is used depending on the application This center mounted visor concept can be used with any other type of visor construction, such as a two piece visor body It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will cover any such modification or embodiments that fall within the true scope of the invention
I claim

Claims

Claims
1 A sun visor assembly for use with a vehicle, the vehicle including a roof structure, said sun visor assembly comprising
a visor body,
a single bracket coupled to the roof structure,
a torque control, and
a rod, said rod being rotatably coupled to said torque control, said torque control and said rod rotatably coupling said visor body to said bracket, such that said bracket is centrally disposed along the upper edge of the visor body, and said visor body can be held at various positions
2 A sun visor assembly comprising
a bracket coupled to the vehicle roof,
a torque control mounted within the bracket,
a visor body, and
a longitudinally extending rod disposed within the visor body along the top edge thereof, said rod engaging said torque control such that the bracket is centrally disposed along the edge of the visor body 3 A sun visor assembly comprising
a bracket coupled to the vehicle roof,
a longitudinally extending rod mounted within the bracket,
a visor body, and
a torque control disposed within the visor body along the top edge thereof, said rod engaging said torque control such that the bracket is centrally disposed along the edge of the visor body
PCT/US1998/005657 1997-04-14 1998-03-20 Center mounted visor WO1998046439A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US83718897A 1997-04-14 1997-04-14
US08/837,188 1997-04-14

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1998046439A1 true WO1998046439A1 (en) 1998-10-22

Family

ID=25273774

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US1998/005657 WO1998046439A1 (en) 1997-04-14 1998-03-20 Center mounted visor

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO1998046439A1 (en)

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2518592A (en) * 1947-08-22 1950-08-15 Bell Lee Alexander Glare screen mounting for motor vehicles
FR1407244A (en) * 1964-06-19 1965-07-30 Guillet Amurat Ets Sun visor device for motor vehicles
DE3814315A1 (en) * 1988-04-28 1989-11-09 Happich Gmbh Gebr Sun visor for vehicles
DE4129747A1 (en) * 1991-09-09 1993-03-11 Happich Gmbh Gebr Sun visor for vehicle - incorporates hinged attachment for supplementary visor for use in oblique sunlight
EP0763446A1 (en) * 1995-09-13 1997-03-19 Becker Group Europe GmbH Roof cladding element for vehicles

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2518592A (en) * 1947-08-22 1950-08-15 Bell Lee Alexander Glare screen mounting for motor vehicles
FR1407244A (en) * 1964-06-19 1965-07-30 Guillet Amurat Ets Sun visor device for motor vehicles
DE3814315A1 (en) * 1988-04-28 1989-11-09 Happich Gmbh Gebr Sun visor for vehicles
DE4129747A1 (en) * 1991-09-09 1993-03-11 Happich Gmbh Gebr Sun visor for vehicle - incorporates hinged attachment for supplementary visor for use in oblique sunlight
EP0763446A1 (en) * 1995-09-13 1997-03-19 Becker Group Europe GmbH Roof cladding element for vehicles

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