Abstract:
An automotive visor includes a core member and an integrally molded cover layer. The core member may be formed as a single component, or may comprise two sections that are joined together in confronting relationship. The cover layer can be molded to completely encapsulate the core member, or it may be applied to selected areas of the core member. The cover layer is formed from a material having a hardness that is relatively lower than that of the core member, to provide an aesthetically pleasing feel to the finished visor.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates generally to visors for automobiles, and more particularly to an integrally molded visor.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Visors have been provided in automobiles to shield occupants&#39; from glaring sunlight which enters the vehicle interior through the windshield or through the side windows. Conventional automotive visors are moveable from a stowed position adjacent the roof or headliner of the automobile, to a downwardly extending position adjacent the windshield to help block the sunlight, as may be desired. Conventional visors are also pivotable from the position adjacent the windshield to a position adjacent a side window, as known in the art.  
         [0003]     Conventional methods of manufacturing automotive visors involve forming a core member, generally from plastic or cardboard, and subsequently stretching and wrapping a cover material, such as fabric or leather, over the core member. After the cover material is applied to the core member, it is staked, glued, or otherwise secured to the core member. These conventional methods require multiple components and manufacturing steps which increase the overall cost of producing the visors. In addition, these conventional methods are prone to cause variation in the quality of the finished product. A need therefore exists for an improved automotive visor that overcomes these and other drawbacks of the prior art.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The present invention provides an automotive visor and method of manufacture that greatly reduces the time and effort to produce the visor, while at the same time facilitating uniform quality of the produced visors. In one embodiment, the automotive visor includes a core member having an outer surface. A cover layer is integrally molded over the outer surface of the core member, and may either completely encapsulate the core member, or may be applied only to selected areas of the outer surface. In one embodiment, the core member is formed from polymeric material and the cover layer has a hardness that is relatively lower than that of the core member to provide a soft feel that is aesthetically pleasing. In another embodiment, the cover layer may be textured to simulate fabric or leather cover material.  
         [0005]     The core member may be formed by various molding methods and may comprise a single unitary piece, or multiple sections that are joined together to form the structural core of the visor. In one particular embodiment, the core member includes first and second sections that are hingedly coupled together and folded toward one another in a confronting arrangement.  
         [0006]     In another embodiment, a method of forming an automotive visor includes forming a visor core from polymeric material having a first hardness, integrally molding a cover layer on the outer surface of the core, with the cover layer formed from polymeric material having a hardness relatively lower than the first hardness, and coupling a support arm to the visor core for mounting the visor to an automobile.  
         [0007]     The features and objectives of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following Detailed Description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with a general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the invention.  
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an automobile having an exemplary visor, according to the present invention;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of a first exemplary automotive visor according to the invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2B  is a perspective view of a second exemplary automotive visor according to the invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of a third exemplary visor according to the invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is another cross-sectional view of a fourth exemplary visor according to the invention;  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is an exploded cross-sectional view of a fifth exemplary visor according to the invention; and  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of a sixth exemplary visor according to the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0016]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an automobile  10  includes sun visors  12  according to the present invention. The sun visors  12  are provided with mirrors  14  and are moveably secured to an upper portion of the vehicle body  16 , adjacent the windshield  18 . The visors are moveable from a stowed position (depicted in  FIG. 1 ) to a downwardly extending position adjacent windshield  18  by pivoting the visors  12  about a mounting arm  20 , as known in the art. Mounting arm  20  also facilitates positioning the visors  12  away from the windshield  18  toward a position adjacent the side windows of the automobile  10 , as known in the art.  
         [0017]     Referring now to  FIG. 2A , the visor  12  is shown in greater detail. In the embodiment, shown, the visor further includes a pin or D-ring  22  provided along an edge of the visor  12  to facilitate securing and pivoting the visor  12  from the stowed position to a use position, as known in the art. The visor  12  comprises a core member  24  formed from polymeric material and molded as a generally flat panel to form the structural frame of the visor  12 . Alternatively, the core member  24  may be formed from paperboard, foam or other materials.  
         [0018]     A cover layer  26  is integrally molded onto the outer surface of the core member  24 . When the core member  24  is formed from polymeric material, the material for the cover layer  26  may be selected such that it has a hardness that is relatively lower than the hardness of the core member  24 . The lower hardness of the cover layer  26  provides a soft feel to the visor which may be desired to improve the aesthetics of the visor  12 . The molded core member  24  may be formed from thermoplastic olefin, (TPO) acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), styrene maleic anhydride (SMA), polycarbonate/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene alloy (PCABS) or other materials suitable for molding the structural core member  24 . The cover layer  26  may comprise vinyl, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or other materials for molding the cover layer  26  integrally with the core member  24 .  
         [0019]     Advantageously, the visor  12  may be formed in a two-shot molding process wherein the core member  24  is formed during a first shot of the molding process, and the cover layer  26  is integrally formed over the core member  24  during the second shot of the molding process. After the cover layer  26  has been molded onto the core member  24 , the mounting arm  20  and pin  22  may be coupled to the core member  24  to complete the visor  12 . Alternatively, one or more of the mounting arm  20  and pin  22  may be integrally molded with the core member  24 .  
         [0020]     While  FIG. 2A  depicts an exemplary visor  12  wherein the cover layer  26  substantially encapsulates the core member  24 , the cover layer  26  may alternatively be molded onto the outer surface of the core member  24  in selected areas, as depicted by visor  12   a  shown in  FIG. 2B . In this embodiment, the cover layer  26  is formed onto the core member  24  as a series of stripes or bands. It will be recognized, however, that the cover layer  26  may be formed on the core member  24  in a variety of other patterns or arrangements, as may be desired.  
         [0021]     The core member  24  may be molded according to various methods known in the art. For example, the core member  24  may be formed by injection or compression molding to create a single unitary piece, as depicted in  FIG. 3 . In this embodiment, mirror  14  is integrally molded with the core member  24 . It will be recognized, however, that other accessories, such as a remote control for opening a garage door or a slidable supplemental visor shade, for example, may be integrally molded into the visor. The cover layer  26  is subsequently molded over the core member  24 , as described above.  
         [0022]      FIG. 4  depicts another visor  12  according to the invention wherein the core member  24  is substantially hollow and is formed, for example, by blow molding. Again, the cover layer  26  is molded onto the outer surface of the core member  24 , as described above. In this embodiment, however, mirror  14  is integrally molded with and affixed to visor  12  by the cover layer  26 , instead of being molded with the core member  24 , as described above with respect to  FIG. 3 . Molding the mirror  14  with cover layer  14  in this manner also facilitates securing the mirror  14  to core member  24  when the core member  24  is formed from paperboard or other non-moldable materials.  
         [0023]      FIG. 5  depicts an exemplary visor  12  wherein the core member  24  comprises first and second sections  24   a ,  24   b  that are joined together in a confronting arrangement. The first and second sections  24   a ,  24   b  may be joined by mechanical interlock such as clips or stakes, by heat sealing the sections, by radio frequency welding, adhesive bonding, or by other methods. When the core member  24  is formed from two sections, the cover layer  26  may be applied to each individual section prior to joining the sections to form the core member, or the sections  24   a ,  24   b  may be joined together and the cover layer  26  subsequently applied to the resulting core member  24 .  
         [0024]      FIG. 6  depicts another exemplary embodiment of a visor according to the invention. In this embodiment, the core member  24  comprises first and second sections  24   a ,  24   b  that are hingedly coupled together, such as by a living hinge  30 , for example. The core member  24  is formed by folding the first and second sections  24   a ,  24   b  about the living hinge  30  and securing them together, as described above. The cover layer  26  may be molded onto and outer surface of the core member  24  prior to folding the first and second sections  24   a ,  24   b  about the hinge  30 , or it may be applied after the first and second sections have been folded and secured.  
         [0025]     While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of one or more embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been described in considerable detail, they are not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and methods and illustrative examples shown and described. As one example, although polymeric materials are disclosed for use in forming the inventive visor, it will be appreciated that other materials may be used instead or in addition to polymeric materials. Other departures may be made from such details without departing from the scope or spirit of Applicants&#39; general inventive concept.