Abstract:
A cover for a vehicle sun visor. The cover comprises a sleeve in which the sun visor is receivable through an open end thereof. The sleeve is elasticized to allow stretching of said sleeve for easily receiving and removal of the sun visor and to effect gripping of the received sun visor by the sleeve. A rear panel of the sleeve has an access opening which allows access to accessories on the sun visor. A flap panel preferably covers the rear panel and has one edge which is secured thereto and another edge which is releasably securable thereto so as to be liftable therefrom to allow access to the access opening. A front panel of the sleeve and the flap panel have indicia thereon or a surface upon which indicia can be provided.

Description:
The present invention relates generally to vehicle accessories. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cover for an automobile or other vehicle sun visor for displaying messages, advertisements, team logos, artistic impressions, and other indicia (information). 
   Automobile owners often desire to display their support for a particular sports team, cause, etc. However, bumper stickers are difficult to remove, and decals or other window-clinging devices are often small in size, the latter having to be removed and repositioned any time a vehicle owner wished to clean his or her automobile windows. In view of these difficulties, a desirable alternative for such display would be on covers which are easily attachable to and removable from sun visors. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,971 discloses an automobile sun visor slip cover upon which advertising material or the like can be placed. The cover includes a deformable hollow body that has an opening along a side in which the sun visor is receivable to be encased by the cover. The cover body includes portions which are heat shrinkable and portions which are stretchable. Heat from a hand-held hair dryer is applied to the cover to shrink those heat-shrinkable portions to securely encase the sun visor. Such a cover is not easy to attach or remove and does not provide access to accessories such as mirrors on the sun visor. 
   Examples of various other sun visor covers or accessories that have been proposed are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,391,053; 4,781,409; 5,330,085; 5,429,335; 5,943,805; 6,276,081; and Des309,756. Sun visor covers provided in these references are not easy to install or remove, do not provide access to accessories on the sun visor, and/or otherwise fail to achieve the advantages of the present invention. 
   Sun visor covers have been provided which have a panel (with pockets to hold items) which lies against a rear-facing surface of a visor and which have a pair of straps which extend around the visor to hold the cover in place. A strap comprises a pair of strap members which are attachable by hook and pile fasteners. In a similar product, a CD visor organizer provided by Action Sports Image, LLC of Concord, NC, a pair of elastic bands extend around the visor to hold the cover in place. The cover includes a sports logo as well as CD pockets. Such covers undesirably are not able to display advertising or sports indicia or the like toward both the front and the rear. Nor are such covers able to, when the sun visor is pivoted to block incoming sun streaming in from the driver&#39;s left side when seated behind the steering wheel, display indicia toward traffic driving along the right side of the vehicle in a parallel lane, for instance, while passing another vehicle. Moreover, such covers do not adequately secure the cover to the visor and result in unsightly display of the front surface of the visor. 
   It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a sun visor cover which allows advertising or other indicia to be displayed forwardly and/or rearwardly of the sun visor (which includes display to one or both sides of the automobile when the sun visor is pivoted to block incoming sun light streaming in from the driver&#39;s left side when seated behind the steering wheel or from a passenger&#39;s right side), which is easily attachable to and removable from the sun visor, and which provides access to accessories which may be found on the sun visor, such as, for example, reading lights, makeup mirrors, and buttons built into the sun visor to be programmed for opening a garage door. 
   It is a further object of the present invention to allow advertising or other indicia to be displayed both forwardly and rearwardly of the sun visor. 
   In order to achieve the above objects, in accordance with the present invention, a sun visor cover is provided which comprises a sleeve in which the sun visor is receivable, the sleeve having two ends at least one of which is open for receiving the sun visor and including front and rear panels sized for covering front and rear surfaces respectively of the sun visor and including elastomeric material for elasticizing the sleeve to allow stretching of the sleeve for receiving of the sun visor and to effect gripping of the received sun visor by the sleeve, the rear panel having an access opening therein sized to allow access to accessories on the sun visor. 
   In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, in order to allow indicia on both the front and rear panels, the cover further comprises a third panel sized to cover the rear panel and being attached to the rear panel along one edge of the rear panel and detachably attachable to the rear panel along the opposite edge. 
   The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein the same reference numerals denote the same or similar parts throughout the several views. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a typical automobile sun visor. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the rear side of a sun visor cover which embodies the present invention, with a closed flap. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the rear side of the cover installed on the sun visor and with the flap partially opened. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the front side of two of the cover, one with indicia and one without indicia, installed on sun visors. 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the rear side of an alternative embodiment of the cover installed on the sun visor with a flap member opened up. 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the front side of the cover of  FIG. 5  installed on the sun visor with a flap member opened up. 
       FIG. 7  is a view similar to that of  FIG. 5  of an alternative embodiment of the cover. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 4 , there is shown generally at  12  a typical automobile sun visor having a lighted mirror  14  on the rear visor surface  16  thereof. As used herein and in the claims, the terms “rear” and “front”, or variants thereof, are meant to refer to the surface of a visor or cover thereon which faces rearwardly and forwardly respectively of the vehicle in which the visor is located when the visor is lowered to a position for blocking sun light. As used herein and in the claims, the terms “top” and “bottom”, or variants thereof, are meant to refer to locations on the visor and cover when the visor is lowered to a position for blocking sun light. An accessory in the form of a sun visor cover, illustrated generally at  10 , is provided for the sun visor  12 . The cover  10  is composed of fabric or other suitable material, preferably washable. While the present invention is intended to be used primarily on automobiles, it should be understood that it may also be used on other vehicles such as, for example, semi-trucks. 
   The cover  10  includes an elasticized fabric (or other suitable material) sleeve, generally illustrated at  20 , sized to surround and securely grip onto the mid-portion of the sun visor  12 , covering substantially the entirety of the sun visor  12 . Thus, the sleeve  20  may be composed entirely of washable stretch-cloth material or, as described hereinafter, non-elastomeric material to which elastomeric material is sewed to elasticize the sleeve  20 . The cover  10  is preferably composed of washable material. Notched sections, illustrated at  90 , may suitably be provided in the top edge of the cover  10  to suitably allow for a male latch on the visor to mate with a female latch on the vehicle roof. 
   The fabric sleeve  20  is open at both ends  26  and  28 . A first side surface  30  of sleeve  20  includes a flap member  34  having a decoratable outwardly facing surface area  36  thereon and is securable in a down position, as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , in a manner to cover an access opening  40  provided through the first side surface  30  of the sleeve  20  by two pairs of mating Velcro (or other suitable) hook and pile fasteners  44   a  and  44   b . Flap member  34  is composed of non-elastomeric material but may alternatively be composed of stretch-cloth material. 
   Flap member  34  is liftable into an up position, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , to allow access to opening  40  by grasping and pulling on a lifting tab  50  provided along a bottom edge  52  of flap member  30  such that a user may access mirror  14  or other accessory provided on the rear surface of the sun visor  12 . 
   Each of the open ends  26  and  28  has elastic bands  60   a  and  60   b  respectively provided to extend along the upper and lower edges  70  and  72  thereof for allowing the sleeve to be stretched to be fitted onto the sun visor  12  and for effecting gripping of the sun visor  12  by the sleeve to securely hold the sleeve  20  on the sun visor  12 . 
   A second side surface  76  of the sleeve  20  is provided with a decoration area  80  which may be decorated with indicia, illustrated at  92 , which, for the purposes of this specification and the claims, is defined as markings including, but not limited to, messages, advertisements, advertising logos, artistic impressions, sports logos, sports team rally statements, event notices, vehicle sales information (for example, For sale, low miles, one owner), popular cartoon characters, promotional give-aways, designer labeling, personalized messages, or may be left plain. The outwardly facing surface of the flap member  34  may also be decorated with indicia  94  or left plain. The indicia  92  and  94  may be provided by silk screened imprinting or other suitable process. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , there is shown generally at  100  a fabric (or other suitable material) cover including a sleeve  102  to which is attached (as hereinafter described) a flap member  104 . 
   The sleeve  102  includes a rear panel  106  and a front panel  108 . The rear panel  106  comprises upper and lower strips  110  and  112  respectively of non-elastomeric fabric (or other suitable non-elastomeric material) joined at each end by an elastomeric strip  114  as by stitching  120  which also serves for hem stitching, thereby defining therebetween an access opening, illustrated at  116 , for gaining access to the mirror  14  or other accessories on the sun visor  12 . The front panel  108  is composed of non-elastomeric fabric (or other suitable non-elastomeric material). Stitching  120  throughout the cover  100  is preferably reinforced double stitching. 
   The lower edges  122  and  124  of panels  106  and  108  respectively are joined, as by stitching  120 , by a strip  126  of elastomeric material, and the upper edges  128  and  130  thereof are similarly joined by another strip  132  of elastomeric material to allow the thus elasticized sleeve  102  to be stretched so that the sun visor  12  can be easily received therein as well as removed therefrom and so that the sleeve  102  may snugly grip the received sun visor  12 . 
   The flap panel  104  is composed of non-elastomeric fabric (or other suitable) material and is suitably stitched to the upper edge  128  by stitching  120  so that it may fold (open) upwardly to provide access to the access opening, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 . A plurality of Velcro (or other suitable) hook and pile fasteners (or other suitable fasteners)  134  are sewed, as illustrated at  136 , or otherwise suitably attached to the flap panel  104  adjacent the lower edge  138  thereof to mate with similar fasteners  140  on the fabric strip  112  to secure the flap panel  104  in a closed position. 
   Desirably, the non-elastomeric fabric used for the cover  100  is a double layer of fabric. Stiffening rods (not shown) may be sewn into the lower and upper edges (those edges facing the opening  116 ) of strips  110  and  112 . 
   The resulting cover  100  is open at both ends. However, it should be understood that it need be open at only one end. Moreover, an open end may be closed by, for example, a zipper after the sun visor  12  is received within the cover  100 . For the purposes of the claims, such an open end which is closable by a zipper or the like is still defined as an open end. 
   Referring to  FIG. 6 , indicia  142 , which may be similar to indicia  92  and  94 , may be provided on the outwardly facing surfaces of the front and flap panels  108  and  104  respectively. If desired, one or both of the surfaces may be left blank. It is contemplated that customers may desire that pockets or the like be provided in the cover for keeping small items. 
   Referring to  FIG. 7 , there is shown generally at  150  a cover wherein the rear panel  152  comprises a single piece of non-elastomeric material providing the access opening  116 . The material of panel  152  may be serged (or otherwise suitably stitched), as illustrated at  154 , around the opening  116 . For aesthetic purposes, the elastomeric material may be colored and/or textured to match that of the non-elastomeric material. The cover  150  is otherwise similar to cover  100 . If desired, covers  100  and  150  may be provided with a lifting tab similar to lifting tab  50 . 
   As shown in the various embodiments, the sleeve can be elasticized in various ways, for example, in  FIG. 5 , one of the elastomeric strips  126  and  132  may be eliminated. For another example, the sleeve panels may comprise a single piece of non-elastomeric material with opposite ends joined by a strip of elastomeric material. For another example, the front and flap panels may comprise a single piece of non-elastomeric material. 
   The sun visor cover according to the present invention may have additional advantages. Thus, when installed on newer vehicles, it may assist in ameliorating the deleterious effects of sunshine on the fabric covering of the sun visor. Thus, if the cover is kept in place by the vehicle owner throughout ownership of the vehicle, the owner may be able to reap a higher trade-in value when and if he or she one day decides to use the vehicle as trade-in for a different vehicle. With the cover in place during shipment and transit of brand new vehicles, sun damage may advantageously be prevented occurring. Nor would the visor fabric be subject to marring due to dirty hands of any of those involved in shipping or delivering vehicles or due to those looking over the vehicle, touching this and that, in an effort to determine if they would like to purchase the vehicle. 
   Often, when a fan of a sports team is inclined to purchase a souvenir of the team (i.e., fly his or her team colors), he or she is motivated by a passion for the team. I believe that someone purchases such a souvenir because that person is particularly passionate about the team and has an emotional bond to the team, i.e., because thinking about the team and being surrounded by the team&#39;s image imparts a certain camaraderie, a feeling like he or she is part of the team in some way. Thus, he or she may enjoy looking at the souvenir from time to time. The visor cover, having both forward and rearward indicia as well as being viewable from both sides of the vehicle when the visor is pivoted to the side, would allow him or her to effortlessly look at the souvenir from time to time, i.e., it is not stuck on the back of his or her bumper solely for the enjoyment of others to view, now is it stuck in the corner of a window, out of his or her view and glanced at only by happenstance now and then. 
   Thus, there is provided a vehicle sun visor cover which desirably comprises a sleeve made of non-elastomeric material so that indicia can be provided to face forwardly (to be viewed through the windshield) and/or rearwardly (as well as sidewardly to one or both sides when the driver or passenger pivots the sun visor to block sun entering the vehicle from the left and/or right side respectively), preferably both forwardly and rearwardly, wherein the cover comprises a sleeve which is elasticized so that it may be easily slipped over and removed from the visor yet be snugly retained thereon and wherein an access opening may be provided to a mirror or the like on the visor, the access opening being preferably covered by a flap panel. 
   It should be understood that, while the present invention has been described in detail herein, the invention can be embodied otherwise without departing from the principles thereof, and such other embodiments are meant to come within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.