Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Glare screen or visor
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-05
2001-10-30
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Glare screen or visor
Reexamination Certificate
active
06309004
ABSTRACT:
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of Invention
This invention relates to auxiliary glare shield sun visors for motor vehicles that can be attached to the vehicle's factory installed sun visor and pivots to a position whereby it partially shades the side window of the driver or front seat passenger of the vehicle.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Previously, sun visor attachments have been made that can be attached to the permanent vehicle sun visor to reduce light glare to the driver and front seat passenger. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,992 issued to Vu, et al, for a glare shield which could be clipped onto a sun visor with alligator clips. U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,816 issued to Cimmino includes a glare shield that slides along a pair of elongated rods and attaches to permanent visor with spring clips. U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,405 issued to Urbano which is a sun visor with extending shields attached to an extending column projecting from an actuator. U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,386 issued to Thomas was for a sun guard attached to permanent visor by a clip having at least one double clamp spring.
Prior to our invention others have invented auxiliary pivotal side sun visors. In most cases the auxiliary visors required extensive modifications in the permanent sun visor or in its mounting hardware. Also, extensive hardware was required to attach the auxiliary visor to the permanent visor. We are proposing an auxiliary sun visor that requires virtually no modification to the permanent sun visor and no metal or rigid hardware to attach the auxiliary sun visor to the permanent sun visor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Our proposed auxiliary sun visor comprises a glare shield of tinted transparent non-breakable semi-flexible plastic material molded onto a plastic strap which attaches to the permanent sun visor. Our auxiliary sun visor can pivot to the side window when the permanent visor is deployed down on the windshield. It can be used on driver or passenger side. The main differences between our invention and prior art are
(1) Our auxiliary sun visor is a glare shield made of semi-flexible plastic which is unbreakable.
(2) Our auxiliary sun visor attaches to the permanent sun visor without any clips, clamps, hooks, rods or other articles of metal.
These differences and improvements are very important with the innovation of the Head Curtain Air Bags. The rapid inflation head bags descend from the roof directly above the front doors of the vehicle.
The permanent sun visor, when pivoted to the side window or a rigid auxiliary sun visor could interfere with the proper rapid deployment of the side curtain air bag causing serious injury to the driver or front seat passenger of the vehicle.
Because the metal attachments are not used in our invention, there is no danger of flying metal parts when the side curtain air bags suddenly deploy downward. Under the prior art the air bags could force the auxiliary visor from the permanent visor with such force that the metal parts would become dangerous projectiles inside the vehicle during a crash. Also, our semi-flexible plastic glare shield would not increase injury to the occupant whereas a rigid visor could increase injuries dramatically. Prior art rigid auxiliary visors with multiple parts would be especially dangerous when the side curtain air bags deployed.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 432490 (2000-10-01), Golenz
patent: 4526415 (1985-07-01), Jardine
patent: 5098149 (1992-03-01), Lee
patent: 5165748 (1992-11-01), O'Connor
patent: 5259657 (1993-11-01), Arendt et al.
patent: 5730484 (1998-03-01), Robinson
patent: 5762246 (1998-06-01), Drew
patent: 6139084 (2000-10-01), Miles
patent: 2156294 (1985-10-01), None
patent: 2253822 (1992-09-01), None
McNutt Eddie Ray
McNutt Mary Sue
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