Abstract:
A visor extension for an automobile has a clamp with an elongate slot which allows for frictional engagement with the top edge of the existing visor. The clamp is spring loaded to provide sufficient pressure on the visor extension to firmly secure it in position while allowing for adjusting the horizontal position of the extension relative to the existing visor. The extension has an opaque overlapping portion and a tinted extending portion. The opaque portion extends over the existing visor and the tinted portion extends outwardly and downwardly from the opaque portion. The tinted extending portion is shaped to provide coverage especially for the side window to shield the driver from excessive radiation coming through the side window of the vehicle.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to safety devices for automobiles. More particularly, it relates to an improved visor attachment. 
     STATEMENT OF THE PRIOR ART 
     Various types of visor attachments have been devised for shielding drivers from excessive sunlight. Most of these devices suffer from drawbacks which limit their effectiveness. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,822 issued to Da Costa discloses a visor extension which has a sophisticated clamping arrangement for attachment to the existing visor. By contrast, the present invention has a relatively simple clamping arrangement and two piece construction. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,122 issued to Feng discloses another visor extension apparatus. Feng is another fairly complex apparatus which includes a plurality of interchangeable screens which are attachable to the visor extension apparatus. By contrast, the present invention contemplates a visor extension apparatus which is of two piece construction and has a shape optimized for effective shading when used for both the front and side windows of the automobiles. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,938 issued to Tschan also discloses a complex arrangement including hingedly attached extensions. The present invention contemplates a visor extension assembly having a single sliding extension which is maintained in position by a combination clamp and slide. 
     None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a visor extension for an automobile having two piece construction. In a preferred embodiment, the visor extension has a clamp with an elongate slot which allows for frictional engagement with the top edge of the existing visor. The clamp is spring loaded to provide sufficient pressure on the visor extension to firmly secure it in position while allowing for adjusting the position of the extension. The extension has an opaque overlapping portion and a tinted extending portion. The opaque portion extends over the existing visor and the tinted portion extends outwardly and downwardly from the opaque portion. The tinted extending portion is shaped to provide coverage especially for the side window to shield the driver from excessive radiation coming through the side window of the vehicle. 
     Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a new and improved safety attachment for automobile visors. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a new and improved safety attachment for automobile visors designed to provide protection from glare for both the front and side windows. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a new and improved safety attachment for automobile visors which has both an opaque portion and a tinted portion. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a new and improved safety attachment for automobile visors having a spring loaded clamping assembly which allows for easy removal and attachment as well as horizontal positioning. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide new and improved safety attachment for automobile visors having an outward and downward extending portion for providing protection from glare and radiation entering the side window of the vehicle. 
     Finally, it is a general object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes. 
     These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Various other objects, features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will become more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a safety attachment for automobile visors. 
     FIG.  2 . shows a side view of the embodiment shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG.  3 . shows a side view of an automobile with a standard visor. 
     FIG.  4 . shows plan view of the safety attachment shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG.  5 . shows a plan view of a second embodiment of a safety attachment for automobile visors. 
     FIG.  6 . shows a side view of a modification of the safety attachments which may be incorporated into the first, and second embodiments. 
     FIG. 7. a plan view, partly in section, of a third embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1-4, a visor safety attachment formed in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, generally indicated by the numeral  10 , is shown. The attachment  10  includes a clamping means  12  and an extension panel  14  and is adapted for releasable attachment to an existing, standard sized, visor  16 . The visor  16  is attached to a rod  18  which is pivotally attached to and extended from the interior surface of the roof  20  of the automobile  22 . The rod  18  allows for an approximately  90  degree swing of the visor  16  from a position allowing coverage of the windshield  24  of the automobile to a position covering the driver&#39;s (or passenger&#39;s, not shown) side window  26 . As can be seen in FIG. 3, when in position to block glare from the driver&#39;s side window  26 , the standard visor  16  only covers a small portion of the window  26  and is wholly inadequate to prevent glare and UV radiation from reaching the face and arms of the driver  28  (or passenger). The present invention overcomes this shortcoming by providing a lightweight, inexpensive, visor attachment which fully protects the driver or passenger from glare and UV rays coming through the side window. One embodiment of the invention may also be used to protect the driver from glare and radiation coming through the windshield  24  during periods when there are extremely low sun angles such as sunrise and sunset as will be explained in more detail later. 
     The clamping means  12  has a centrally disposed elongate channel  32  sized to allow for frictional engagement with the top edge  15  of the visor  16 . The clamping means  12  is preferably formed from plastic or other rigid, lightweight material. The extension panel  14  is preferably secured to the clamping means by means of a pair of screws  34  or other releasable fastening means. The screws  34  are preferably screwed from the interior of the channel  32  into and through apertures  38  formed in the extension and secured by a nut  40  which is mounted flush against the exterior surface of the clamping means  12 . Apertures  38  are preferably made sufficient deep to prevent snagging of the screw heads as the attachment  10  is horizontally slid into the desired position as will be described in more detail later. 
     The extension panel  14  is constructed of two different materials. A first material is used for the overlapping portion  44  of the extension  14 . Cardboard covered with cloth or other inexpensive material, such as plastic, may be used for this purpose. The shading or extending portion  46  is preferably made from a dark cloth material or plastic tinted material. If a cloth material is used it is preferably translucent in moderate sunlight so as to afford the driver some visibility therethrough. The edge  50  of the cardboard used for the overlapping portion  44  may be reinforced by a metal wire  52  which also serves to define the outer edge of the extending portion  46 . Reinforcement of the edge  50  of the cardboard may be accomplished by providing a channel or slot in the cardboard and inserting the wire  52  therethrough, or otherwise securing the cardboard around the wire as would be apparent to one skilled in the art. It can be appreciated that the wire will keep the cloth material of the extending portion  46  in position. The extending portion  46  extends outwardly and downwardly from the overlapping portion  44  and thus extends outwardly and downwardly from the visor  16 . The transition from the overlapping portion  44  to the extending portion  46  is indicated by broken line  49 . Coverage of the unprotected area shown in FIG. 3 is provided by the extending portion  46 . Sliding the extending portion  46  allows the driver  28  or passenger to adjustably position the attachment  10  as desired. If a plastic tinted material is used for the extending portion  46  it may be secured to the overlapping portion  44  by an adhesive. In the preferred embodiment, the distance from the bottom edge of the extending portion  46  to the top edge of the attachment  10  is about 9 inches, and the width of the top edge of the attachment is 18 inches. The width of the bottom edge of the extending portion is about 9 inches. 
     Referring now to FIG. 5, an alternative embodiment of the attachment  100  is shown. This embodiment may be used for automobiles with large passenger/driver side windows. A pair of clamps  102  are mounted at one end of the upper edge  104  of the overlapping portion  106  of the device. This arrangement allows the attachment  100  to be slid farther along the edge  104  to provide coverage for the larger window  26 . The materials may be the same as the first embodiment. The attachment may be folded along broken line  108  by providing score lines or a weakened or relatively thin area (not shown) on wire reinforcement  52 . If plastic is used for the extending portion  112 , then score lines or other mechanism as may be apparent to a skilled artisan may be used to facilitate folding of the extending portion  112 . It should be noted that the invention contemplates a very inexpensive attachment  10 ,  100  which may be sold, e.g., via vending machines, and is not designed for extended use over a long period of time. The dimensions of the extending portion  112  may be slightly larger than those described in connection with the first embodiment. 
     Referring now to FIG. 6 a side or edge view of the attachment  10 ,  100  is shown. This view illustrates the attachment  10 ,  100  in a partially folded position, as may be attained by providing score lines in the appropriate positions as has been previously described. In this position the attachment  10 ,  100  can effectively block reflected glare from ground level objects or glare from headlights. It can be readily appreciated that moving the extended portion  46 ,  112  closer to the driver  28  at an angle as shown can allow for more effective coverage of the lower portion of the side window  26 . 
     Fig.  7 . shows a third embodiment of the attachment  200 . The attachment  200  has the same basic components but, in addition to the overlapping portion  202  and extending portion  204 , an additional shading area  206  is added to provide additional shading. Thus the attachment may be used effectively for both the windshield  24  and side window  26 . 
     In operation, the attachment  10 ,  100 ,  200  is slid over the visor  16  with the clamping means  12  engaged with the top edge  15 ,  104  of the visor  16 . The clamping means  12 , which is sized for snug engagement with the visor top edge  15 ,  104 , has a smooth interior surface to allow sliding of the attachment  10 ,  100 ,  200  across the top edge  15 ,  104 . The driver  28  may then flip the visor  16  up and out of the way. When needed to prevent excessive glare at the side window  26 , which may also be a passenger front side window, the driver  28  or passenger may pivot the visor  16  to the side window  26  and horizontally adjust the attachment  10 ,  100 ,  200  as needed. 
     From the foregoing description, one skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention and, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, can make various changes and modifications of the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions. 
     It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiment described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims: