Abstract:
Provided is a sun visor extender that slips over or is attach to a standard automobile or other vehicle sun visor and is configurable to increase the length of the standard sun visor. One embodiment is constructed of a rectangular piece of material, which, when folded over, forms a tube-like shape that slips over an existing sun visor. Another embodiment is a single piece tube or multiple tubes that fit into each other and “telescope” into an extended position. Another embodiment is a “clip-on” visor extender in which a piece of material is affixed to an existing sun visor by means of one or more clips. Another embodiment of a clip-on visor extender is made of a single piece of material and includes one or more lips that hook around an existing sun visor to affix the extender in a variety of positions.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Technical Field  
         [0002]     The invention relates generally to an apparatus for protecting the eyes of a vehicle passenger or driver from the sun and, more specifically, to a portable sun visor that affixes to an existing sun visor in a passenger or commercial vehicle and is operable to extend the length of the existing visor.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Certainly, the invention of the sun visor improved the comfort of automobiles and trucks for both passengers and drivers. When the sun is low enough in the sky to shine in a driver&#39;s eyes, driving can become dangerous due to limited visibility. In this situation, a typical sun visor is lowered and/or swung into place so that the visor blocks the incoming rays of the sun. However, the standard sun visor is often too short to block the sun at certain angles, e.g. central and very lateral angles, causing the driver or passenger who is using the visor either to look into the sun or shift the driving position so that the sun is blocked.  
         [0005]     Some vehicle manufacturers have addressed this problem by installing an “internal” sun visor extender that fits in a slot in the visor and slides out of the slot, effectively increasing the length of the visor. However, there are problems with this approach. First, a visor must be manufactured with this option, increasing the cost of the visor. Also, since an internal visor extender is stored inside the visor, the extender must be narrower than the visor itself. The narrowness of the internal extender means that it can not provide the same angular protection as the external portion of the sun visor. In other words, there may be a gap between the top of the interior extender and the roof of the vehicle such that sun light passes at certain angles of the sun.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0006]     Provided is an apparatus and method for increasing the utility of a vehicle&#39;s sun visor. An “external” sun visor extender is configured to slip over a standard sun visor and is configurable to increase the length of the standard sun visor. When a driver or passenger of the vehicle slides the extender into an extended position, the length of the existing sun visor is increased and, as a result, the driver or passenger&#39;s eyes are protected from the glare of the sun more than otherwise possible with the existing sun visor itself.  
         [0007]     One embodiment of the external sun visor extender is constructed of a rectangular piece of material, stiff enough to support its own length when folded over into a tube-like shape. The tube-like shape is then slipped over an existing sun visor where it can be positioned into either extended or unextended positions. A first strip of material affixed to one end of the rectangular piece of material attaches to a second strip of material affixed to the other end of the rectangular piece of material. One example of materials that may be used for the first and second strip of material are the two materials that comprise Velcro™. In another example, the two strips are sticky with respect to each other. In the alternative, the rectangular piece of material can be fastened into a tube-like shape by means of buttons and corresponding button holes, without a first and second piece of material.  
         [0008]     In this manner, the external sun visor extender is fastened into the tube-like shape, or sleeve. The rectangular piece of material, in addition to being stiff enough to hold its shape, can be stretched so that the external sun visor extender can be fitted to existing sun visors of different width. In the alternative, the first strip and the second strip (or buttons and button holes) are capable of being attached to each other in different positions so that the width of the sun visor extender may be adjusted.  
         [0009]     Another embodiment of the external sun visor extender is a simple, single piece, flattened tube, or sleeve, which is slipped over an existing sun visor. The extender may be stretchy, so that it can fit multiple size visors, or be manufactured in multiple sizes. In the alternative, there may be multiple tubes that fit into each other such that the tubes “telescope” with respect to each other, effectively increasing the length of the sun visor to which they are installed.  
         [0010]     Another embodiment of the external sun visor is a “clip-on” visor extender in which a piece of material such as, but not limited to, cardboard or plastic is affixed to an existing sun visor by means of one or more clips. Another embodiment of a clip-on visor extender is made of a single piece of material such as plastic and includes two lips that hook around an existing sun visor to affix the extender in a variety of positions.  
         [0011]     Another embodiment of a clip-on visor extender is formed of a flattened tube with one or more convex sides. The one or more convex sides serve to affix the sun visor extender to a sun visor by pinching the sun visor.  
         [0012]     Each embodiment may also include printed information such as, but not limited to, date and time information, schedules, logos, advertisements, and warning information. The information is printed or otherwise affixed to a particular visor extender so that a driver or passenger of a vehicle can conveniently view the information. The visor extender may include a pocket so that a printed information sheet can be slipped into the pocket, thereby enabling a user to replace one set of information with another. The pocket may include a clear plastic window so that the information sheet is protected from the elements.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0013]     The invention can be better understood with reference to the following figures. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.  
         [0014]      FIGS. 1A and 1B  illustrate an existing “internal” sun visor extender in a stored position ( FIG. 1A ) and an extended position ( FIG. 2B ).  
         [0015]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  illustrate another embodiment of the claimed sun visor extender both by itself ( FIG. 2A ) and installed on an existing vehicle sun visor ( FIG. 2B ).  
         [0016]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate a “telescoping,” external sun visor extender in a stored position ( FIG. 3A ) and an extended position ( FIG. 3B ).  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  illustrates another embodiment of the claimed visor extender that clips onto an existing sun visor.  
         [0018]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate another embodiment of a clip-on sun visor extender.  
         [0019]      FIGS. 6A and 6B  illustrate another embodiment of a clip-on sun visor extender.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0020]     Although described with particular reference to a automotive sun visor, the sun visor extender of the present invention can be implemented in any vehicle in which it is desirable to shield a driver or passenger&#39;s eyes from the sun at particular angles. In addition, a sun visor may be manufactured according to the disclosed principles such that the claimed subject matter is not an “add-on” product but is incorporated into a sun visor.  
         [0021]      FIGS. 1A and 1B  illustrate an existing “internal” sun visor extender  100  in an unextended, or “stored” position ( FIG. 1A ) and an extended position ( FIG. 2B ). Sun visor  100  includes a main body  101  and an internal portion  105 . Internal portion  105  is typically plastic and slips into and out of a recess  107  in main body  101 . In the stored position, internal portion  105  is slipped almost entirely into recess  107 , with only enough of portion  105  showing so that portion  105  can be grabbed and pulled into the extended position. In the extended position, just enough of portion  105  is inserted in recess  107  to keep portion  105  from falling loose from main body  101 .  
         [0022]     A pivot point  103  attached to main body  101  enables visor  100  to be rotated around an edge  109  and an edge  111  and thus positioned with respect a bright source of light such as the sun or oncoming headlights so that visor  100  protects the eyes of a vehicle&#39;s passenger or driver. Pivot point  103  is typically attached to the inside of the roof of a vehicle (not shown). Those with experience with automobiles and/or other vehicles should be familiar with the operation of a typical sun visor and probably visor  100  as well.  
         [0023]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  illustrate a sun visor extender  200  both by itself ( FIG. 2A ) and in an installed position  250  on an existing vehicle sun visor  201  ( FIG. 2B ). Sun visor extender  200  is constructed on a main body  205 , which has an interior surface A and an exterior surface B. Sun visor extender  200  is illustrated folded along an edge  225  so that both interior surface A and exterior surface B are displayed. In one embodiment, main body  205  is constructed of a flexible material such as, but not limited to, neoprene or Spandex®, first developed by E. I. du Pont de Nemours &amp; Company in the 1950&#39;s, so that when in installed position  250  visor extender  200  pinches visor  201 , thus keeping visor extender  200  from slipping off visor  201 . In another embodiment, main body may be made of a material that can bent into a tube without breaking and provides enough friction between visor extender  200  and sun visor  201  to keep visor extender  200  from slipping off visor  201 .  
         [0024]     In an alternative embodiment, visor extender  200  may be build as a tube such that different sizes are manufactured for different size, existing visors or manufactured of a stretchy material so that “one size fits all.” 
         [0025]     A strip of adhesive material  207  is affixed to interior surface A of main body  205  and a strip of adhesive material  209  is affixed to exterior surface B of main body  205 . Strips  207  and  209  can be any materials that are capable of sticking to each other, such as the two types of material that make up Velcro®, patented by George de Mestral in 1955. In one embodiment, strips  207  and  209  may both be a type of glue that sticks to itself and can be repeatably suck and unstuck. In another embodiment, strips  207  and  209  may be able to be attached to each other only once so that once a user has folded and thus “sized” visor extender  200  to a particular vehicle, extender simply slides on and off visor  201 . Strips  207  and  209  may even represent a series of buttons and button holes. One with skill in the art should recognize the existence of several methods by which the two sides of main body  205  can be affixed to each other.  
         [0026]     By folding main body  205  over so that strip  209  sticks to strip  207 , a tube is formed, with side A on the inside and side B on the outside. In this embodiment, strip  207  has a width  211 , which is larger than a width  217  of strip  209 . Because strip  207  is wider than strip  209 , strip  209  can be placed at various positions with respect to strip  207 , thus providing a variable width  223  for use with different, existing sun visors of different widths and shapes. By varying the width of visor extender  201 , a user can modify the grip visor extender  200  exerts on visor  201  when in installed position  250 .  
         [0027]      FIG. 2B  illustrates visor extender  200  wrapped around conventional visor  201  so that an edge  221  of main visor  201  runs parallel or approximately parallel to an edge  215  of visor  201 . In some visors, edge  215  is not parallel to an opposing edge  231  and therefore an edge  213  is longer than an edge  229  (shown here as a dotted line because a corresponding portion of visor  201  is obscured by visor extender  200 ). In other words, visor  201  may not be rectangular.  
         [0028]     Like visor  101  ( FIG. 1 ), visor  201  is attached to a vehicle (not shown) by means of a pivot point  203 , which enables visor  201  to be rotated around either edge  213  or edge  215 . Strips  207  and  209  cannot be seen in  FIG. 2B  because they are on the inner side of visor extender  200 , which is formed into a tube as explained above. The degree to which visor extender  200  effectively lengthens visor  201  depends upon how much of visor  201  is contained within the tube of visor extender  200 . In a fully retracted position, visor extender  200  is positioned entirely within the length of visor  201  and thus does not extend visor  201  at all. Dotted line  229  indicates an edge of visor  201  that is obscured by visor extender  200 . In a fully extended position, a portion  225  of visor extender  200  encloses only enough of visor  201  to keep from falling off visor  201 . In other words, visor extender  200  is able to effectively increase the length of visor  201  by a portion  227  of visor extender&#39;s length, i.e. length  219  of visor  201  minus the length of portion  225 , which is necessary to grip visor  201 . Visor extender  200  is made of material flexible and thick enough that when in extended position  250 , portion  225  is able to grip visor  201  regardless of the width of visor  201  at any particular point and portion  227  maintains its shape and does not hang down.  
         [0029]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate another embodiment, or “telescoping,” external sun visor extender  305  in a stored position  300  ( FIG. 3A ) and an extended position  350  ( FIG. 3B ). Existing visor  201 , explained above in conjunction with  FIG. 2 , is attached by means of pivot point  203  so that it can rotate around edges  213  and  215 . Telescoping visor extender  305  includes one or more sections, e.g. three sections  307 ,  309  and  311 . Section  307  is slightly wider that visor  201  so that section  307  is able to slide on visor  201 . Section  307  is not so much wider than visor  201  that section  307  falls off visor  201 . Like visor extender  200 , section made be made of Spandex® so that section grips visor  201  when installed or simply made of some material such as a paper product (e.g. cardboard) or plastic and held on by means of friction or compression (see  FIG. 6 ).  
         [0030]     Section  309  is slightly wider than section  307  and section  311  is slightly wider than section  309 . In both cases, the wider section  309  or  311  slides over the more narrow section  307  or  309 , respectively, with enough friction or compression to be held in either the retracted position  300  or the extended position  350 . In retracted position  300 , the effective increase in length of visor  201  is relatively small or nonexistent. In extended position  350 , the effective increase in length of visor  201  is equal the sum of the individual lengths of sections  307 ,  309  and  311 , minus an amount necessary to enable the sections  309  and  311  to grip sections  307  and  309 , respectively, and for section  307  to grip visor  201 .  
         [0031]     Section  311  of visor extender  305  includes information  313  pertaining to a local sports team&#39;s schedule. Many types of information can be displayed on visor extender  305  such as, but not limited to time and date information, logos, advertisements and warning information. Although not shown in  FIG. 2 , visor extender  200  could also include information printed upon side B so that a driver or passenger of a vehicle so equipped can conveniently read or view the information.  
         [0032]     In an alternative embodiment, information is displayed in a pocket (not shown) incorporated into visor extender  305  such that a printed information sheet may be slipped into and out of the pocket. In this manner, a user of visor extender  305  can replace one set of information with another set. In addition, the pocket may include a clear window through which an installed sheet of information is viewed, thus protecting the sheet from the elements.  
         [0033]     Like visor extender  200 , each of sections  307 ,  309  and  311  may be a one-piece tube, manufactured in different sizes to fit different size existing visors or, in the alternative, manufactured like visor extender  200  so that “one size fits all.” 
         [0034]      FIG. 4  illustrates another embodiment, or a “clip-on” sun visor extender  401 . Clip-on visor extender  401  is constructed of a stiff material such as, but not limited to, a paper product (e.g. cardboard) or plastic. Sun visor  201 , pivot point  203 , edges  213 ,  215  and obscured edge  229  are the same as described above in conjunction with  FIGS. 2 and 3 . One or more clips, in this example two clips  403  and  405 , hold clip-on extender  401  to sun visor  201  by pinching the two  201  and  401  together. In this manner, clip-on extender  401  extends the effective length of visor  201  by clip-on extender&#39;s  401  length  407 , minus whatever length of material is necessary for clips  403  and  405  to pinch against visor  201 . Like visor extenders  200  ( FIG. 2 ) and  305  ( FIG. 3 ), visor extender  401  can be positioned in a variety of positions, including a stored position (not shown) and an extended position  400 .  
         [0035]     Visor extender  401  also includes a printed advertisement  409 , specifically the phrase “KIP&#39;S BBQ.” As explained above in conjunction with  FIG. 3 , may types of information can be printed on visor extender  401  as well as other embodiments of the claimed subject matter, including, but not limited to, sports schedules, logos, advertisements and warning information. It should be noted that information  409  is information other than product information typically found upon manufactured items, such as the sun visor extender&#39;s trade name, patent number or place of manufacture. In other words, information  409  communicates information unrelated to sun visor extender  401  itself.  
         [0036]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate another clip-on sun visor extender  501 , which in this Figure is installed on sun visor  201  ( FIGS. 2-4 ).  FIGS. 5A and 5B  show visor  201  and clip-on extender  501  from a front position  500  and a back position  550 , respectively. Sun visor  201 , pivot point  203  and edges  213 ,  215  and  229  are the same as described above in conjunction with  FIGS. 2-4 . In back position  550 , edge  229  of visor  201  is partially obscured, as indicated by dotted lines, and partially visible, as indicated by a solid line.  
         [0037]     In back position  550 , two lips  503  and  505  of clip-on extender  501  are visible. Lip  503  folds over edge  215  of visor  201  and lip  505  folds over an edge  515  of visor  201 . Lips  503  and  505  serve to hold extender  501  to visor  201 . Although in  FIG. 5B  lips  503  and  505  are illustrated extending the entire length of clip-on extender  501 , either one or both of lips  503  and  505  may extend only a portion of the length of clip-on extender  501 . In this example, clip-on extender  501  extends the effective length of visor  201  by clip-on extender&#39;s  501  length  507 , minus whatever length of lips  503  and  505  are necessary to affix clip-on extender  501  to visor  201 . Like visor extenders  200  ( FIG. 2 ),  305  ( FIG. 3 ), and  401  ( FIG. 4 ), visor extender  501  can be positioned in a variety of positions, including a stored position (not shown) and an extended position, as illustrated in both  FIGS. 5A and 5B .  
         [0038]      FIGS. 6A and 6B  illustrate another clip-on visor extender  601  which affixes to visor  201  by means of compression. Visor extender  601  includes edges  603  and  607  that are approximately parallel to edges  215  and  231  of visor  201 , which, in this illustration, are shown to be non-parallel. An end  605  of visor extender  601  is shown head-on in  FIG. 6B .  
         [0039]      FIG. 6B  illustrates the head-on view of visor extender  601 , including edges  603  and  607 . Also illustrated is an edge of a front surface  611 , which is the majority of sun visor extender  601  seen in  FIG. 6A , and an edge of a back surface  613 , which is obscured in  FIG. 6A  by the position of visor extender  601 . In this illustration, front surface  611  and back surface  613  are concave so that together visor  201  is pinched between surfaces  611  and  613 , thus affixing visor extender  601  in selected positions along visor  201 . In an alternative embodiment, only one of surfaces  611  and  613  is concave. In these two embodiments, visor extender  601  is constructed of material sufficiently rigid to maintain the concave nature of relevant surfaces  611  and/or  613 .  
         [0040]     While various embodiments of the application have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scope of this invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents.