Abstract:
A sun shade for use with and mounting to a side or rear automobile window includes a material comfigured to inhibit sunlight from passing through the material while allowing sufficient light to pass through the material such that a person can see through the material, and a temperature indicator coupled to the material and configured to provide a visible indication of temperature, where the sun shade is configured to attach to the side or rear automobile window.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED ACTIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/400,555 filed Aug. 2, 2002 and entitled “Sun Shade Device.” 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to sun shades and more particularly to sun shades for automobiles. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     When direct sun light enters an automobile it produces some often undesirable effects. Some often undesirable effects include heating the interior of the automobile, heating surfaces of the automobile, and making it difficult for passengers in the automobile to see or to comfortably see, and fading colors of items in the automobile (e.g., leather or cloth covering seats of the car). For example, cars in direct sunlight may reach inside temperatures of greater than 100° F. and more that are undesirable and even dangerous for persons, especially children, animals, and other temperature-sensitive items (e.g., batteries, low melting-point items). The components of the car&#39;s interior may retain the heat and create a potentially dangerous situation and/or an uncomfortable environment. Thus, it is often useful to block a window to obstruct the rays from entering the automobile acting as a barrier to limit/reduce the heat generated by the direct sunlight. It is also often desirable to reduce direct rays of sun passing through a window onto passengers themselves or areas that may come in contact with the passengers. 
     There are shades for blocking direct sun rays from entering automobiles that exist in the market today. For example, there are shades that may be collapsed for storage and expanded for use. These shades may be, e.g., cardboard that folds or a plastic containing wires or rods that bias the shade toward an expanded condition. Other shades provide a retractable blind that can be rolled up for storage and extended/unrolled for use. Still other shades comprise a sheet of tinted yet transparent material of a square or rectangular shape. Shades for side or rear windows of a car typically are shaped as rectangles or ovals and are made from vinyl or textile materials. Current shades typically cover a portion of a window and can be positioned to try to inhibit rays from reached a particular spot inside the automobile, e.g., a child&#39;s face. For example, many shades can be affixed to a side or rear window using suction cups that include metal components. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In general, in an aspect, the invention provides a sun shade including a shade material configured to inhibit light from passing through the material, the material having a trapezoidal shape when in an open state and being configured to expand from the open state to an expanded state, and an attaching mechanism configured to repeatably and releasably attach the shade to a window. 
     Implementations of the invention may include one or more of the following features. The shade material is configured to be stretched bi-directionally. The shade material is configured to be stretched bi-directionally at least about 10% in any direction. The shade material is configured to be stretched bi-directionally at least about 30% in any direction. The attaching mechanism comprises a plurality of components disposed adjacent respective corners of the shade material. The attaching mechanism comprises a plurality of suction cups. The material is configured to accommodate a first arrangement of fastening devices disposed in a trapezoidal configuration with the material in the open state and to accommodate a second arrangement of fastening devices disposed in a rectangular configuration with the material in the open state. 
     Implementations of the invention may also include one or more of the following features. The attaching mechanism comprises a hook-shaped clip coupled to the material and extending beyond a perimeter of the material, the clip being configured to snugly receive an edge of an automobile window. The attaching mechanism comprises at least one tacky member configured to stick to the window. The at least on tacky member comprises a plurality of tacky members disposed adjacent an edge of the material and displaced from each other. The shade may further comprise a temperature indicator. The temperature indicator comprises a thermochromatic ink. The shade is substantially free of metal components. The attaching mechanism is configured to attach the material to the window in a trapezoidal or a rectangular configuration with the material being taut between at least portions of the attaching mechanism used to attach the material to the window in the respective configuration. 
     In general, in another aspect, the invention provides a sun shade for use with an automobile window, the shade including a material configured to inhibit sunlight from passing through the material, and a temperature indicator coupled to the material and configured to provide a visible indication of temperature. 
     Implementations of the invention may include one or more of the following features. The material is configured to be bi-axially expandable and has a trapezoidal shape. The shade further includes a coupling apparatus coupled to the material and configured to be repeatedly attached to and detached from a window. The shade is free of metal disposed for direct contact by a person. The coupling apparatus is configured to attach the material to the window at at least four first positions in a rectangular arrangement with the material stretched taut between the at least four first positions and to attach the material to the window at at least four second positions in a trapezoidal arrangement with the material stretched taut between the at least four second positions. 
     Various aspects of the invention may provide one or more of the following advantages. A sun shade can be easily fitted to a variety of sizes and shapes of windows (e.g., both front and rear side windows of automobiles) to inhibit rays of sun from entering an automobile (i.e., not all rays incident upon the shade will pass through the shade). A sun shade can be adjusted to cover substantially all, and possibly all, of a window to inhibit light from passing through the window and into an automobile. Heat produced due to sunlight can be reduced, e.g., within an interior of an automobile including surfaces of items in the automobile. Greater portions of a window can be screened than with previous sun shades. Indications of temperature, e.g., inside an automobile, may be provided on a sun shade. Sun rays may be inhibited, including ultraviolet (UV) rays, from passing through a sun shade. A sun shade may be provided that is easy and compact to store. A sun shade for use on automobile windows for seats where children will ride may be provided with child-safe materials. A single sun shade may be adapted and fit to different windows, including windows on opposite sides of an automobile. A sun shade can be reused and adapted for a variety of shapes of windows. 
    
    
     These and other advantages of the invention, along with the invention itself, will be more fully understood after a review of the following figures, detailed description, and claims. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
     FIG. 1 is a top view of a sun shade using four fastening devices for attachment to a window. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of a portion of the shade, including a fastening device of the shade, shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a top view of the shade shown in FIG. 1 affixed to an automobile window in a relaxed state. 
     FIG. 4 is a top view of the shade shown in FIG. 1 affixed to an automobile window in a fitted, stretched state. 
     FIGS. 5-8 are portions of top views of shades showing exemplary mechanisms/configurations for attaching shades to windows. 
     FIG. 9 is a top view of a sun shade showing exemplary temperature indicating mechanisms. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     At least some embodiments of the invention provide techniques for inhibiting sunlight. For example, sun shades are provided that can reduce sunlight from reaching selected regions, e.g., interiors of automobiles, through windows. Embodiments of the invention use a bi-axially stretchable/expandable yet resilient material that can be stretched beyond its normal resting shape to cover more of a window, e.g., to substantially conform to a shape of a window that the shade is to cover, and can be attached, e.g., to the window. Such embodiments will retake their original shapes when removed, e.g., from the window and can be repeatedly stretched, preferably without substantially affecting the shades&#39; normal resting shapes. 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a sun shade  10  comprises an expandable, resilient material  12  and fastening devices  14 , here four suction cups, for fastening the shade  10  to a window. The material  12  is expandable/stretchable, and preferably bi-axially expandable from its fully open, unbiased shape, and to return to substantially its unbiased shaped after being expanded. There may be some permanent expansion of the material  12  after being stretched/expanded. The material  12  is also capable of inhibiting, but preferably not completely blocking, at least visible light from passing through the material  12 . Thus, preferably persons may look through the material  12  while the material  12  provides some sunlight-inhibiting properties, e.g., visible light inhibiting and/or ultraviolet light inhibiting properties. 
     The material  12  can be any of a variety of materials that can expand beyond its normal, resting position, in which the shade is not biased to span a larger area, and can inhibit sunlight. For example, the material  12  may be a nylon and rubber mesh that provides a bi-axially expandable material with resiliency to return the shade  10  to its original, or substantially to its original, shape when not forced to a larger shape. Preferably, if the material  12  is a mesh it is configured to stretch to accommodate different window sizes while still providing adequate shading. Also preferably, the material  12  can expand or be bi-axially stretched in any direction at least about 105% of its resting measurement along that direction. Even more preferably, the material  12  can be stretched at least about 110% of its resting length or measurement in any direction. Even more preferably, the material  12  can be stretched up to at least about 140% of its resting length in any direction, or more if desired. There is no theoretical maximum percentage of resting length that the material  12  should not be configured to be stretched to, as long as the shade  10  can still provide adequate shading characteristics, will still be able to be attached to a window, and will return to substantially its resting length after being stretched. 
     The material  12  has a shape configured to help fit the shade  10  to windows, e.g., automobile side windows. As shown, in a fully open resting state (non-biased/stretched) the shade  10  has a trapezoidal shape (with curved corners), although other shapes (e.g. square) and configurations of corners (e.g., sharp) are acceptable. This shape is configured to help the shade  10  fit automobile windows, e.g., automobile side windows, or combinations of side windows, that have trapezoidal or nearly trapezoidal shapes. The shade  10  is preferably sized to be smaller than typical windows to which the shade will be fit to allow the shade to be stretched to custom fit the window. For example, the shade  10  may be about 16-20 inches wide along its top, about 20-24 inches wide along its bottom, and about 12-14 inches high. The shade  10  may, however, accommodate windows that are smaller than the shade  10 , in any or all dimensions (e.g., length, width) of the shade  10 . Preferably, the shade  10  is free of metal, or at least significant amounts of metal or metal that is disposed such that it could be touched, as such metal components can heat up and be hazardous touch (e.g., to an infant, pet, or adult). 
     The fastening devices  14  are positioned near a periphery of the shade  10  and preferably in selected positions to help retain the shade  10  in a desired expanded shape. As shown, the devices  14  are disposed in a trapezoidal layout near the four corners of the trapezoid formed by the material  12  in its unexpanded shape. As shown in FIG. 2, the fastening devices are preferably, though not required to be, made of a single piece of deformable plastic with a cup portion  16  having a resting diameter  18 , a neck portion  20  of a diameter  22 , and a top portion  24  of a diameter  26 . As shown, the diameters  18  and  26  of the cup  16  and the top  24  are larger than the diameter  22  of the narrowed neck  20 . The material  12  is provided with holes  28 , preferably reinforced such as with stitching, (with diameters  30  of about the diameter  22  of the neck  20 , but that can be expanded to allow the devices  14 , e.g., the tops  24 , to be inserted through the holes  28 . Alternatively, grommets may be attached, e.g., welded, to the material  12  about the holes  28 , or other mechanical structures may be attached to the material  12  to reinforce the holes  28 . Thus, to assemble the shade  10 , the tops  24  of the devices  14  are inserted though the holes  28  until the necks  20  receive the material  12 . The fastening devices  14  can be removed and reversed to allow the shade  10  to accommodate a window on an opposite side of a car. Further, the material  12 , in addition to or in place of the fastening devices  14 , may be configured to attach to a window, e.g., if the material  12  is a tacky material such as a tacky vinyl. 
     In operation, referring to FIGS. 3-4, with further reference to FIGS. 1-2, a process for fitting the shade  10  to an automobile window (for exemplary purposes only) is shown. As shown in FIG. 3, the shade  10  is placed against a window  40 . Preferably, one corner, here the upper right corner is placed adjacent the corresponding corner of the window  40  and the fastening device  14   1 , is affixed to the window  40 . As shown in FIG. 3, the shade  10  does not fully occupy the window  40 . Thus, the other fastening devices  14   2 - 14   4  are moved toward their respective corners of the window  40  as indicated by arrows  42 ,  44 ,  46  to stretch/expand the shade  10  to an expanded state. The devices  14   2 - 14   4  may be moved by grasping and moving (e.g., pulling) on the devices  14  themselves or by grasping and stretching the material  12 . Multiple expanded states of the shade  10  are possible by stretching the shade  10  different amounts and/or in different directions. With the shade  10  in an expanded state fit to the window  40  as shown in FIG. 4, the fastening devices  14   2 - 14   4  can be fastened to (pressed against) the window  40 . If the fastening devices  14  are removable from the material  12 , then the devices  14  can be removed, reversed, and reinserted through the material  12 , and the shade  10  attached to a mirror-image window, e.g., on an opposite side of the automobile. 
     Other embodiments are within the scope and spirit of the appended claims. 
     Referring to FIGS. 5-7, various techniques may be provided for attaching sun shades to windows. These figures provide examples, although not an exhaustive list, of possibilities for techniques for attaching sun shades to windows. 
     As shown in FIG. 5, a shade  50  includes a laminate  52  disposed near a top of the shade  50  and attached, e.g., bonded, to shade material  54 . The laminated  52  is configured to repeatably and releasably attach to a window and is preferably configured to stretch with the material  54 . A similar laminate may be provided near the bottom of the shade  50  to attach the bottom of the shade  50  to the window. Alternatively, other attachment mechanisms, such as suction cups, or adhesive strips shown in FIG. 6, may be used at the bottom of the shade  50 . 
     Referring to FIG. 6, a shade  60  includes a set of mechanisms  62  for repeatably and releasably attaching to a window. The mechanisms  62  may be adhesive strips or other acceptable materials for providing the desired capabilities. The mechanisms  62  are separated from each other by gaps  66  to help allow the shade  60  to be stretched to accommodate different desired sizes of the shade  60  and to attach to a window. A set of adhesive strips may be provided near the bottom of the shade  60  to attach the bottom of the shade  60  to the window. Alternatively, other attachment mechanisms, such as suction cups, or a laminate strip similar to that shown in FIG. 5, may be used at the bottom of the shade  60 . 
     Referring to FIG. 7, a shade  70  includes clips  72  (here, two hook-shaped clips  72 ) connected to a stretchable shade material  74  near a top  76  of the material. The clips  72  may be, e.g., welded or bonded to the material  74 . The clips  72  are configured to fit over a top of a window, e.g., an automobile window without interfering with closing of the automobile window. For example, the clips  72  may be configured to friction fit to a window, e.g., by having receptacles  78  with widths slightly less (e.g., 0.005 inches) than the width of a window to which the shade  70  will be attached. The clips  72  may be, e.g., rubber, vinyl, polyethelyne, other plastics, metals, etc. A variety of mechanisms may be used near a bottom of the shade  70 , e.g., a laminate as shown in FIG. 5, a set of adhesive strips as shown in FIG. 6, or suction cups as shown in FIG.  1 . Combinations of these are also possible. 
     Still other configurations of other attaching mechanisms, or the attaching mechanisms shown and discussed are possible. For example, referring to FIG. 8, a shade  102  is configured similarly to the shade  10  shown in FIG. 1 except that another hole  100  (e.g., reinforced) is provided for removing one of the fastening devices  14 , e.g., the device  14   3 , and inserting the device  14   3  through the hole  100 . As shown, the hole  100  is disposed such that the hole  100  and the fastening devices  14   1 ,  14   2 ,  14   4  provide four corners of a rectangle with the shade  10  in a relaxed (non-stretched, non-biased) state. This configuration may be helpful to fit the shade  10  to a rectangularly shaped (non-trapezoidal) window. Alternatively, another (here fifth) fastening device  14  may be provided in the hole  100 , which may or may not be used as desired when fitting the shade  10  to a trapezoidal window. 
     Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the shade  102  may have a perforation  104 . A user may tear the shade  102  along the perforation  104  to change the resting shape of the shade  102  from trapezoidal to rectangular, e.g., if the shade  102  will be primarily used for rectangular windows. 
     Referring to FIG. 9, a sun shade  80  includes temperature indicators  82 ,  84 ,  86 . As shown, the temperature indicators  82 ,  84 ,  86 ,  88  can be disposed at various locations relative to a material  90 , including on a fastening device  92  (for the indicator  84 , and with only one fastening device shown). The indicators  82 ,  84 ,  86 ,  88  can be configured in a variety of ways, e.g., using thermochromatic ink configured to changed colors and/or opacity in response to temperature change. For example, the ink may turn from opaque to clear, or from one color to another (e.g., from blue to white), or vice versa in response to increases in temperature above one or more thresholds, or likewise in response to decreases in temperature below one or more thresholds. The indicators  82 ,  84 ,  86 ,  88  may also be configured as liquid crystal polymers or thermocouples or thermistors and electronic displays. Thermochromatic ink indicators may be disposed on the material  12  and/or the fastening devices  14 . 
     The indicators  82 ,  84 ,  86 ,  88  may have a variety of appearances for providing visible indications of temperature. For example, possible appearances include incremental numbers like the indicator  82 , a single color such as the indicator  84  (configured to change e.g., from white to red when the temperature exceeds a threshold), a bar graph such as the indicator  86  (that may provide incremental or continuous temperature indicia), a thermometer bulb such as the indicator  88 , or others. Thus, for example, using a thermochromatic ink and a thermometer bulb appearance, more red may appear on the depicted thermometer bulb or on the indicator  86  as the temperature rises, e.g., continuously or in increments. For the indicator  82 , the various temperatures may change color (e.g., from white to red) as each of the temperatures is reached. Although four indicators  82 ,  84 ,  86 ,  88  are shown, typically only one indicator will appear on any given shade, although multiple indicators are acceptable. Still other appearances may be used, such as graphical images showing temperatures unsafe for children and/or pets, or changing from a happy face to a sad or sweating face when the temperature exceeds a threshold or acceptable limit. 
     Still other embodiments are within the scope and spirit of the appended claims. For example, the material  12  can be made of Spandex®, Lycra®, woven or knit nylon or nylon blends, including nylon and rubber blends, (such as used for women&#39;s hosiery), vinyl acetate with a softening plasticizer, other plastics, etc. The material may be expandable in a single direction, but is preferably stretchable in any direction in the plane of the material  12 . The suction cups  14  may be made in a variety of ways. For example, pieces may be placed on opposite sides of the material  12  and welded together (e.g., with a sonic weld or a heat weld), and may be connected with adhesive or bonded together. Many other techniques for connecting two such pieces are commonly available. Further, other quantities than shown of fastening devices (e.g.,  6 ,  8 , etc.) may be used.