Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Glare screen or visor
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-22
2001-07-03
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Glare screen or visor
C296S097100, C296S097500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06254168
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to sun visors of the type having a substantially self-supporting relatively thin shell folded into two shell halves with an upholstery cover covering the shell. In particular, the present invention relates to more simply and economically producing a sun visor of the type described with a vanity mirror assembly.
Various methods have been utilized to secure a vanity mirror to a sun visor.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,467 to Cziptschirsch et al. discloses a visor body having a recess for holding a mirror. The section of the covering layer overlapping the recess is more expandable than the remainder of the covering layer. To make this section more expandable, it is punched with holes defining a lattice of the material, and various shaped holes are disclosed. In this configuration, the covering does not have a peripheral free end portion located within the aperture and between shell halves.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,723 to Canadas discloses a mirror disposed in a detachable support which is fixed in the cavity of a visor by hooking tabs located on the support into corresponding openings provided in a metal insert. During manufacture of the visor, the metal insert is placed in the bottom of the cavity and covered with a film of foam, and then the entire visor shell is covered with a vinyl cover. Thereafter, the elastic tabs extending from the detachable support are hooked through the vinyl cover to engage the edges of openings formed in the metal insert, thereby securing the vanity to the visor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,391 to Dykstra discloses a vanity mirror package which is lockably retained within a visor body formed of a folded polymeric core. The core forms a recess, and the vanity mirror package is snap-fitted and held within the recess by means of a pair of facing spaced resilient arms which extend rearwardly from the front core half and include inwardly projecting locking tabs on their ends cooperating with backing tabs to hold the vanity mirror package in place.
U.S. Pat. No.5,338,082 to Miller discloses a sun visor of the type formed from two shell halves folded together with one of the shell halves having an opening therein for insertion of the vanity mirror. An aperture is formed in the upholstery cover approximately the same size as the opening in the shell and is aligned therewith. The free end of the cover folds around the opening and extends into the inside periphery of the opening. Slits are formed in the free end and are placed over a plurality of stakes located around the periphery of the opening and which extend inwardly from the interior of the shell. A bezel having openings spaced to correspond to the stakes is fit over the stakes and sandwiches the free end of the cover against the inside of the shell. The bezel includes sharp prongs which further secure the free end of the cover.
It is desirable to improve and simplify the attachment of a vanity mirror to a sun visor, and to improve and simplify the overall structure of the sun visor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a sun visor with a plate member disposed within the visor's shell. The vanity mirror is disposed within an opening in the shell and attaches to the plate member via heat stake technology. The plate member doubles as a conventional “core member,” thereby obviating the latter.
In one form thereof, the present invention provides a sun visor for use in a vehicle. The sun visor comprises a shell having first and second shell halves folded together, the first shell half defining an opening therethrough. A plate member is disposed between the shell halves and aligned with the opening. The plate member is spaced away from the first shell half. A vanity mirror assembly is disposed proximate the opening and is attached to the plate member.
In a preferred form, either the plate member or the vanity mirror includes stakes, the other includes holes to receive the stakes. The stakes are fused into the holes via heat stake technology. Preferably, the back of the vanity mirror assembly includes the stakes and the plate member includes the holes. The sun visor includes an upholstery cover which covers an exterior of the shell and a portion of the cover is disposed over said opening. In this preferred form, one of the stakes extends through the portion of the cover.
In another preferred from, the plate member is disposed on a slant relative to the first shell half and the plate member is aligned substantially parallel to the second shell half The plate member further includes a wall member depending therefrom, the wall member being of variable height and having a substantially flat edge abutting against the first shell half, whereby the wall member defines the slant.
In another form thereof, the present invention provides a method of installing a vanity mirror in a sun visor of the type having a substantially self-supporting relatively thin shell folded into two shell halves with an upholstery cover covering the shell. The method comprises forming an opening in one of the shell halves to accommodate the vanity mirror. An upholstery cover is installed on an exterior surface of the shell and at least partially covers the opening. A plate member is placed against the half having the opening and is aligned with the opening. The vanity mirror is aligned with the opening and a stake extending from the back of the vanity mirror is fused into a hole formed in the plate member, thereby securing the vanity mirror to the sun visor.
One advantage of the present invention is that the plate member to which the vanity mirror attaches eliminates the need for a “core member” which is typically present in the type of sun visor subject of the present invention. The plate member doubles as the structural core of the inventive sun visor.
Another advantage of the present invention is that the upholstery cover need not be cut around the opening provided in the shell for the vanity mirror. Instead, the cover covers the opening, and as the vanity mirror is installed, it stretches the upholstery cover and sandwiches it between the plate member and the back of the vanity mirror. Meanwhile, the heat stakes “punch” through the cover and fuse into the holes provided for same in the plate member. In this manner, the cover fits tightly around the opening, yet several process steps, e.g., cutting the cover, securing it around the opening, etc., are avoided. Such a process is quicker and less expensive than prior art processes.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the vanity mirror can be attractively recessed within the shell without the need for extra parts or process steps.
The plate member includes walls of variable height which space the plate member away from the opening, thereby creating a cavity into which the vanity mirror is placed.
Yet still another advantage of the present invention is that the recessed vanity allows the visor cross-section to be thinner than the cross-section of a visor which is mounted to the surface. Additionally, the present invention permits attachment of the vanity mirror by means of other means than heat staking.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4411467 (1983-10-01), Cziptschirsch et al.
patent: 4494789 (1985-01-01), Flowerday
patent: 4570990 (1986-02-01), Flowerday
patent: 4685723 (1987-08-01), Canadas
patent: 4922391 (1990-05-01), Dykstra
patent: 5007532 (1991-04-01), Binish
patent: 5031951 (1991-07-01), Binish
patent: 5308137 (1994-05-01), Viertel
patent: 5318336 (1994-06-01), Aymerich et al.
patent: 5338082 (1994-08-01), Miller
patent: 5553907 (1996-09-01), Finn et al.
patent: 5603547 (1997-02-01), Finn et al.
patent: 5678879 (1997-10-01), Mailander et al.
patent: 5695237 (1997-12-01), Erickson et al.
patent: 5716092 (1998-02-01), Dellinger et al.
patent: 5887933 (1999-03-01), Peterson
patent: 6033005 (2000-03-01), Crotty, III
Baker & Daniels
Coletta Lori L.
Crotty Corporation
Dayoan D. Glenn
LandOfFree
Sun visor with vanity mirror does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Sun visor with vanity mirror, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Sun visor with vanity mirror will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2495298