Deployable antiglare screen device for drivers

An improved portable antiglare screen device to be used by the driver of an automobile in combination with an exterior rear view mirror in order to prevent glare to the driver when viewing therethrough. This antiglare screen device detachably mounts onto the upper inboard side of a drivers side door, adjacent a slidable window within the door, and directly opposite the exterior rear view mirror. This antiglare screen device has a base comprising a housing and two integral mounting clips. These mounting clips are wedged down in between the slidable window and elastomeric window seal on the inboard side of the door, adjacent the slidable window, to hold the housing in place after quick installation. A manually operable mechanism, mounted within the housing, provides a collapsible framework device, comprising a duality of elongated support members, to deploy a flexible one-ply mesh. This mesh can be spread within the drivers line-of-sight of his/her exterior rear view mirror, encompassing its perimeter, for viewing the image of trailing vehicles therethrough and attenuating undue glare from the bright headlights of those vehicles. This one-ply mesh can also be retracted by the mechanism back into the housing of the base for storage and can be repeatedly deployed or retracted by the driver with one simple flick of the wrist of one hand.

BACKGROUND 
Field of Invention 
This invention relates generally to glare screens/shields which diminish 
glare reflected from rear view mirrors, and more specifically to glare 
screens/shields which diminish glare from exterior rear view mirrors 
located on the driver's side of automobiles. 
Discussion of Problem that Invention Addresses 
Glare from the head lights of trailing vehicles, reflected from an 
automobile's rear view mirrors, is not only a common annoyance to drivers, 
but also a potential hazard. Safety becomes an important issue when the 
eye is subjected to glare during nighttime driving. In fact, research 
recently completed by Michigan's Ferris State University College of 
Optometry shows that stopping distances may be increased by as much as 100 
feet at 60 m.p.h. when a driver is subjected to headlight glare at night. 
Glare causes an "after image" on the eye's retina, impeding the driver's 
ability to see and react to objects in the vehicle's path. The "after 
image" remains on the retina for several minutes, increasing the driver's 
reaction time, and creating an unsafe driving environment. 
Studies also show that headlight glare at night increases driver fatigue. 
This is an important finding since the increasing traffic on our roadways, 
due to increased population, will naturally increase the incidence of head 
light glare. It is entirely possible that along with fatigue, headlight 
glare may also cause a driver to become irritated and, in isolated cases, 
could even trigger a road-rage incident. Now, while human psychology is 
not within the scope of the present invention, it is within the context of 
its intended function. That function is simply to make night driving a 
safer experience and, perhaps, a little more enjoyable. 
Discussion of Prior Art 
In order to minimize reflected glare, interior rear view mirrors are 
commonly equipped with some mechanism to reduce the glare associated with 
headlights from a trailing vehicle. This usually consists of a toggle 
switch that shifts a prismatic mirror between the two positions of a 
regular reflection and a dimmed reflection to prevent glare. One interior 
rear view mirror which has a nonglare option is described in U.S. Pat. No. 
4,527,860 issued Jul. 9, 1985 to James A. Roof. A mirror such as this 
effectively solves the problem of headlight glare reflected from the 
interior rear view mirror. 
Unfortunately, this type of prismatic mirror, is not effective for use as 
an exterior rear view mirror. The draw back of this design is that a 
prismatic mirror, mounted on the exterior of an automobile, would tend to 
produce ghost images which are visible to the driver in the face of that 
mirror. 
There have been numerous attempts to prevent blinding glare which is 
reflected by exterior rear view mirrors. One example appeared in the USA 
Today newspaper on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 1989. It was an advertisement on 
page 8D that read "You'll never be blinded from the back again!", relating 
to a device called GLAREBUSTERS, which is similar to the present invention 
in that its intended function is to decrease headlight glare of vehicles 
approaching from behind. GLAREBUSTERS night driving shields comprise a two 
unit set, each part of which comprises a tinted plate of DuPont LUCITE and 
a plurality of suction cups to removably attach the plate to a car window. 
This same design is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,103 issued Jul. 24, 
1990 to John B. Rosen. Although this type of shield may serve to reduce 
headlight glare, one problem is that of it not being large enough to block 
the glare if the driver shifts positions relative to the GLAREBUSTERS. The 
main concern however is that this device, once mounted, gives only a 
nonglare, "dimmed" view of the moving vehicles behind. So, if the driver 
of a vehicle from behind is, for the moment, using low-beam headlights, 
and those headlights are properly adjusted, then the image of that 
vehicle's lights may be unnecessarily dark in the exterior rear view 
mirror of the driver of a leading vehicle. This situation could cause a 
miscalculation in distance or, even worse, it could possibly obscure the 
drivers vision to the point of him/her not being aware of an approaching 
vehicle. Simply stated, it is extremely important that any device which is 
used to prevent headlight glare reflected from the rear view mirrors of a 
motor vehicle, should be switchable between a normal reflection and a 
nonglare reflection. In addition, such a device should be easily 
switchable with one quick motion that does not divert a drivers attention 
from the road. 
Another anti-glare shield similar to the present invention is described in 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,251 issued Dec. 24, 1985 to Waldemar Murjahn. This 
patent discloses an antiglare shield for exterior rear view mirrors which 
comprises an antiglare sheet, a stop, and a section which fits in an 
interior section of a vehicle's window shaft. This antiglare shield covers 
a larger area than does the GLAREBUSTERS, and has a part of the shield 
wedged into the window shaft. This design is very similar to U.S. Pat. No. 
4,921,296 issued May 1, 1990 to Carl A. Gruber. Neither of these glare 
shields are integral to the car. More importantly, neither are switchable 
from nonglare to the regular reflected image which is normally seen in the 
exterior rear view mirror. As stated above, this is a definite 
disadvantage of these designs. 
French patent 2,500,795 issued to Jean-Claude Tamagna and U.S. Pat. No. 
4,865,421 issued Sep. 12, 1989 to Chih-Hsiung Lu and Jill Hui-Ju Lu are 
two patents which disclose very similar antiglare shield designs. Both 
designs comprise a plate of antiglare material which is installed and 
stored in a car door's window shaft, on the interior side of the window, 
in such a way that it may be rotated within a driver's line-of-sight of 
his/her exterior rear view mirror. This device is pivoted at a front edge 
and can be rotated into and out of position, when required, as easily as 
one would toggle the interior rear view mirror into and out of its 
nonglare mode. One problem with this device, however, is that it needs a 
large space in the interior of the window shaft to be stored properly. 
This means that car doors would have to be designed and built to 
accommodate this device. Unfortunately, car makers are unlikely to go to 
the extra trouble and expense, which regrettably renders this design 
impractical. 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,089,912 issued Feb. 18, 1992 to Gerald L. Simin describes a 
retractable antiglare shield for an exterior rear view mirror that is 
mounted in a vehicle door and includes a flexible shield which can be 
stored in the door when not in use. This shield is supported on a roller 
mechanism and has its upper end formed with a support member which is 
insertable between the window and the door frame for maintaining the 
shield in the operative raised position. This particular design would have 
to be built into the door by auto makers before becoming available to the 
general public. The roller mechanism would seem to be prone to malfunction 
after initial use, as it resembles an up-side-down window blind commonly 
seen in homes, and would most probably be subject to the same misalignment 
problems. In addition, moving this shield between its operative and its 
retracted positions, aside from being somewhat clumsy, would require too 
much manual manipulation to make it a safe operation while driving. Once 
again, here is a device that can not be switched back and forth easily to 
provide both a regular view and a nonglare view of the image seen in an 
automobile's exterior rear view mirror. 
Additional Background--Related Prior Art 
A related device to that of the present invention is disclosed in U.S. Pat. 
No. 5,252,997 issued Oct. 12, 1993 to Charles R. Christenbery and 
describes a device that relates broadly to vision wear such as eyeglasses 
or sunglasses, which is more particularly a visual aid to be worn during 
nighttime driving. This visual aid has a glare reduction arrangement on 
both lens of the "eyeglasses". Though this type of device may well reduce 
glare to the night-driver, it may also impede the drivers view or cause an 
annoying eye strain that could lead to driver fatigue. 
Another related device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,179,471 issued Jan. 
12, 1993 to Gregory Caskey, Rodney Arendsen, and Niall Lynam. In essence, 
this device is a spectrally selective, glare-reducing mirror for vehicles. 
This is a high-tech answer to nonglare mirrors for both interior and 
exterior rear view mirrors in automobiles. Similar mirror called 
Electrochromic rearview mirrors are associated with the Gentex 
corporation. These automatic nonglare rear view mirrors would seem to be a 
superior way to solve glare problems for drivers. The drawback, however is 
that not only are they expensive, but also available on only a very few 
high-end vehicles. These mirrors can not be purchased and installed as 
after market items in a driver's present vehicle. And although these 
mirrors may become more readily available in a wider variety of new 
automobiles in the future, it will be several years distant. Even then, it 
would take many more years for the older model vehicles, still on the 
road, to be phased-out and replaced by the newer vehicles, equipped with 
this particular technology. This phase-in would happen only gradually. In 
short, advanced as it is, this technology will be a long time coming for 
the average consumer. 
Other vehicles window glare shields and screens are disclosed by U.S. Pat. 
Nos. 1,180,589 Kubat; 1,454,498 Whall et al.; 1,920,185 Carr, Jr.; 
1,953,877 Chase; 2,261,301 Smith; 2,594,813 Seibert; 2,665,166 Roark; 
3,025,098 Andrews; 3,410,602 Schuler; 3,412,506 Masayoshi Shiota; 
3,415,569 Leevo; 3,454,301 Lehmann; 3,518,427 Cotterill; 3,948,554 Barbee; 
4,023,856 DeRees; and 4,130,317 Lai, 2,962,721 Epsy, 3,022,109 Hauskama, 
4,261,649 Richard, 5,022,701 Thompson, II. 
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES 
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the present invention are as 
follows: 
a) to be used by the driver of an automobile, in combination with his/her 
exterior rear view mirror, to prevent (lower the intensity of) reflected 
glare from the bright headlights of a trailing vehicle. 
b) to be a glare screen that can be deployed and then retracted repeatedly 
without distracting the driver. 
c) to be deployed or retracted with one quick and easy movement. 
d) to be purchased as an after-market item totally independent of any 
vehicles it will be used in. 
e) to be inexpensive to manufacture, well suited for easy shipment and 
distribution, and small enough to take up little shelf space in a 
warehouse or retail store. This would result in an expensive and readily 
accessible item for consumers. 
f) to be consumer ready for easy self-installation within seconds, 
eliminating any need for middle men, mechanics, or service specialists. 
g) to be lightweight, portable, and easily stowed when not in use. 
h) to be used primarily at night but can also be used during early and late 
day light hours for attenuating low angle sun light. 
i) to be transferable from one automobile to another. 
j) to be an antiglare screen that can collapse or fold into a small and 
compact space when retracted, and yet be capable of stretching into a 
large enough shape, when deployed, to completely enshroud the driver's 
view of his/her exterior rear view mirror. Further, the antiglare screen 
will cut out bright glare, yet allow enough light through so a driver will 
continue to see the image of headlights from behind and be able to keep 
track of a trailing vehicle's position.

SUMMARY 
In accordance with the present invention, a portable antiglare screen 
device comprises a flexible fabric screen structure that is stored in a 
housing of a base, and can be alternately deployed from or retracted back 
into this housing via a mechanism mounted within the housing. The base can 
be easily installed in the passenger section of a motor vehicle on an 
inboard side of a drivers side door, adjacent a slidable side window, and 
positioned so the flexible fabric structure, when deployed, is within a 
drivers line-of-sight of, and encompasses the perimeter of his/her 
exterior rear view mirror to attenuate reflected headlight glare when 
viewing therethrough. 
DESCRIPTION OF FIGS. 1 TO 17 
FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of the deployable antiglare screen device 18. 
The three main sections are a base 20 which serves as a protective 
external shell and mounting platform for a mechanism 38 with an attaching 
fabric structure 98. 
The base 20 comprises a housing 22 with a nacelle 24R on the nearest or 
right hand side, a nacelle 24L (interior view) on the opposite or left 
hand side, two top-end-covers 26, two mounting clips 28 fastened with four 
rivets 30 to a housing floor 32, a central floor hole 34, and four side 
holes 36 to mount mechanism 38. 
The main parts of mechanism 38 comprises a hand lever (with striated finger 
grips) 40, a master rotation-device 42M with a fixedly attached collar or 
cincture 54 and an appendage or finger 56 (partially hidden in this view), 
a long arm 58 mounted to collar 54, an aft connecting rod 62A with 
attached clevises 60 and 65, and aft spring-attachment 64A, a bell crank 
66, a fore connecting rod 62F with attached clevises 67 and 68, a fore 
spring attachment 64F, a slave rotation-device 42S with a fixedly attached 
collar or cincture 72 and an appendage or finger 70, a short arm 74 
mounted to collar 72, and two extension springs 76 and 78. 
The bell crank 66 is mounted to the housing floor 32 through floor hole 34 
with a bolt 90, a spacing washer 92, a bushing 94, and a nut 96. Master 
rotation-device 42M and slave rotation device 42S fit into side holes 36 
of housing 22. Hand lever 40 is adjoined to Master rotational-device 42M. 
Fabric structure 98 comprises a sheer one-ply elastic mesh 100 made from a 
combination of nylon and spandex, bordered on all four sides by a seam 102 
serving both as reinforcement and as a means to attach a long sleeve 104 
and a short sleeve 106, sewn on opposite ends, each with an open bottom 
end 108 and a closed top end 110, the long sleeve 104 having a 
tie-down-cord 112, and the short sleeve 106 having a tie-down-cord 114. 
Note that if the left side of housing 22, along with integral left nacelle 
24L, was rotated longitudinally 180.degree. (180 degrees) about a 
centrally located vertical axes, it would look identical to the right side 
of the housing 22, with its integral right nacelle 24R. This shows that 
each of the two sides can be formed from the same mold, and then assembled 
around mechanism 38 in a head-to-toe fashion. 
Housing 22 can be made by injection molding of any number of polymers in 
either their native form or as combinations (alloys). The most likey 
choices would be polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC, or ABS. Light-weight 
metals such as aluminum alloy may also be used, although shipping weight 
considerations may make even light-weight metals an undesirable choice to 
manufacturers for this component. 
FIG. 1A is a more detailed look at one of the two identical mounting clips 
28. Each mounting clip 28 has a substantially anticlinal shape with a 
half-arch-shaped exterior flank 28X, having rounded corners 28C, and an 
"L" shaped interior flank 28N on the side opposite, both culminating into 
an apex 28A at the upper end, with the "L" shaped interior flank 28N 
having two holes 28H for mounting onto housing floor 32 with rivets 30, 
both of which are previously shown in FIG. 1. Materials used to make 
mounting clips 28 should have ductile and malleable properties such as 
those found in aluminum or an aluminum alloy which can be hammered or 
pressed into thin sheets and still retain suitable strength and 
durability. A polymer may also be used provided it has suitably ductile 
and malleable qualities as determined by those skilled in the art. 
FIG. 2 shows a more detailed top view of mechanism 38 retracted within the 
housing 22 of base 20, although the two top end-covers 26 (shown in FIG. 
1) have been omitted to allow a clear view of those parts that would 
otherwise be obscured. Examining base 20 shows the housing 22, housing 
floor 32, the integral nacelles 24L and 24R, and the two mounting clips 28 
that are attached by rivets 30 (shown in FIG. 1 but not seen here as they 
are hidden from view beneath mechanism 38). 
Mechanism 38 shows hand lever 40 adjoined to the master rotation-device 42M 
comprising a rear arbor 44 that has two arbor end-stops 46, one at each of 
its two ends to prevent side-to-side movement, and a built-in crank arm 48 
with two integral splines 50 which are spaced to form a flute 52. Collar 
54 and appendage 56 are fixedly attached near the center of rear arbor 44, 
adjacent to its crank arm 48 and at a perpendicular angle to its axis of 
rotation. Long arm 58 is snugged into collar 54 and fixedly attached there 
with solder and/or crimping. Appendage 56 attaches to aft connecting rod 
62A with clevis 60. The aft connecting rod is attached, on its opposite 
end, to the left wing of bell crank 66 with clevis 65. Bolt 90 and nut 96 
are two of the joining elements that rotatably attach bell crank 66 to 
housing 22. Fore connecting rod 62F attaches to the right wing of bell 
crank 66 with clevis 67 and attaches to appendage 70 with clevis 68. 
Appendage 70 is fixedly attached to slave rotation device 42S, which 
comprises a front arbor 80 that has two arbor end stops 82, one at each of 
its two ends which prevent side-to-side movement, and a built-in crank arm 
84 with two splines 86 spaced to form a flute 88. Appendage 70 and collar 
72 are fixedly attached near the center of front arbor 80 adjacent to its 
crank arm 84 and at a perpendicular angle to its axis of rotation. Short 
arm 74 is snugged into collar 72 and fixedly attached there with solder 
and/or crimping. Aft extension spring 76 is hooked around flute 52 on one 
end, and to aft spring attachment 64A on the other. Fore extension spring 
78 is hooked around flute 88 on one end, and to fore spring attachment 64F 
on the other. Both extension springs 76 and 78 are under slight tension 
when mechanism 38 is in this retracted position. 
Mechanism 38 should be made from a suitable metal, such as aluminum alloy 
or cold-rolled steel. Arms 58 and 74 can be made from an aluminum alloy 
similar to that used in the making of bicycle wheel spokes. Parts which 
are fixedly attached to each other can be molded integrally. Master 
rotation device 42M and slave rotation device 42S, although mounted in 
opposite directions to each other, are identical and as such can be formed 
from the same production tooling. Connecting rods 62A and 62F can also be 
made from the same tooling. Using this method will keep initial 
manufacturing expenditures to a minimum. 
CONFIGURATION OF MOVING TS--FIGS. 3 TO 6 
FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are side views that combine to show how mechanism 38 
moves from a retracted or folded-down position, in FIG. 3, to a fully 
deployed position, in FIG. 4. Note that hand level 40 (previously shown in 
FIGS. 1 and 2) has been omitted from FIGS. 3 & 4 in order to allow an 
unobstructed view of those parts and their movements that would otherwise 
be obscured. Also note that radiating out perpendicularly from arbor 44 
are crank arm 48 and appendage 56, approximately quadrantal each other, 
and collar 54 which conforms with the entrance angle of long arm 58. In 
addition, radiating out perpendicularly from arbor 80 are crank arm 84 and 
appendage 70, approximately quadrantal each other, and collar 72 
conforming with the entrance angle of short arm 74. 
Alternating now between FIGS. 3 and 4, shows rear arbor 44, crank arm 48, 
fixedly attached collar 54, and appendage 56 all rotating as one piece 
approximately 90.degree. as indicated by arrow 120 (of FIG. 4). As collar 
54 rotates, attached long arm 58 also rotates 90.degree. up and out from a 
horizontal to a vertical position as shown by arrow 122 (in FIG. 4). Aft 
connecting rod 62A which is connected to appendage 56 by clevis 60 is 
thrust forward, as indicated by arrow 124 and extension spring 76 is 
stretched. At this juncture, refer to lines 5--5 and 6--6, which represent 
FIGS. 5 and 6 respectively. 
FIGS. 5 and 6 are top views that help show more clearly the movement of 
mechanism 38 in proximity to bell crank 66. Using these two figures in 
combination with FIGS. 3 and 4, demonstrates how aft connecting rod 62A 
and fixedly attached clevis 65 pushes the left wing of bell crank 66, 
which rotates approximately one quarter turn, indicated by arrow 126 (in 
FIG. 6), and rotates the opposite side of bell crank 66 approximately one 
quarter turn, as shown by arrow 128 (also in FIG. 6), which pulls clevis 
67 and its fixedly attached fore connecting rod 62F backward, as shown by 
arrow 130 (in FIG. 4). Note that long arm 58 and short arm 74, shown in 
FIG. 3, have been omitted from FIG. 5 in order to clearly show the 
underlying parts they would otherwise partially obscure. 
Continuing now with only FIGS. 3 and 4, when fore connecting rod 62F is 
pulled backward, extension spring 78 is stretched. In addition, fore 
connecting rod 62F, with its fixedly attached clevis 68, pulls on and 
rotates as one piece appendage 70, its fixedly attached collar 72, front 
arbor 80, and crank arm 84, as shown by arrow 132 (in FIG. 4). As collar 
72 rotates approximately 90.degree., so too does short arm 74, from a 
horizontal to a vertical position as shown by arrow 134 (FIG. 4). 
Now, in order to more fully understand the workings of mechanism 38, it is 
necessary to examine more closely the two extension springs 76 and 78, 
their position, and their movement relative to the pivotal axes of 
respective arbors 44 and 80. Both springs are identical in length and 
similar in positioning and movement, so it is necessary only to focus on 
one in order to understand both. Referring first to FIG. 3, observe the 
apparent length and angle of inclination of extension spring 78 and how it 
relates generally in position to the pivotal axis of arbor 80. 
Now in FIG. 3A we can designate extension spring 78 as the hypotenuse of an 
imaginary right triangle T, with an abscissa X, to show horizontal length, 
and an ordinate Y, to show vertical height. So the hypotenuse, which is 
extension spring 78, abscissa X, and ordinate Y are simply the component 
sides of imaginary right triangle T. Now it becomes a simple matter to see 
that when the pivotal axis of arbor 80 is well within the perimeter of 
triangle T, then spring 78, if under slight tension, is in the proper 
position when mechanism 38 is retracted (as shown in FIG. 3). 
FIG. 3A further shows that when extension spring 78 is in its retracted 
position, as shown here, and under slight tension as required, the spring 
will exert a rotational force or torque in the direction of arrow R to 
keep mechanism 38 retracted (as shown in FIG. 3). FIG. 3A also shows an 
imaginary line-of-equilibrium E--E representing the theoretical place 
where extension spring 78, when lying along this line, will exert no 
rotational force on arbor 80. Above line E--E, as pictured, extension 
spring 78 forces arbor 80 to rotate toward retraction, represented by 
arrow R, and will cause mechanism 38 (shown in FIG. 3) to be in its 
retracted position. If spring 78 moves below imaginary line E--E, the 
torque direction will reverse, and cause arbor 80 to rotate in a direction 
to deploy, shown by arrow D which would cause mechanism 38 (shown in FIG. 
4) to be in its deployed position. 
The exercise of FIG. 3A, using imaginary triangle T to illustrate extension 
spring 78 and its placement relative to arbor 80, can also be applied to 
extension spring 76 and arbor 44, shown in FIG. 3, in order to determine 
the proper placement and tension of extension spring 76 when mechanism 38 
is in its retracted position, as seen here. 
It is also important to point out that as mechanism 38 moves from its 
retracted position in FIG. 3 to its fully deployed position in FIG. 4, 
extension springs 76 and 78 stretch. The increased tension in these two 
springs is necessary in the fully deployed position since the fabric 
structure 98 (shown in FIG. 1) must be held taut (as shown in FIG. 7). 
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the synergism of movement between the rotation 
of the crank arms 48 and 84 along with the horizontal thrust of connecting 
rods 62A and 62F, and their respective extension springs 76 and 78, 
provides a simple yet efficient means for alternately maintaining 
mechanism 38 in either its deployed or its retracted positions. 
FABRIC STRUCTURE IN DETAIL--FIGS. 1,7,8, AND 9 
A partial view of the fully deployed fabric structure 98 is shown in FIG. 7 
(side view) stretched taut over long arm 58 and short arm 74, which 
together serve as a fraiming device for fabric structure 98, are hidden 
within long sleeve 104 and short sleeve 106 respectively. The closed top 
end 110 of each sleeve prevents its top end from sliding down any further 
along its respective arm. Tie-down-cords 112 and 114 (shown in FIG. 1) are 
not visible in the partial view of FIG. 7. 
Referring back to FIG. 1 reveals that the function of tie-downcords 112 and 
114 is to keep sleeves 104 and 106, of fabric structure 98, from riding up 
arms 58 and 74 respectively. This is accomplished by tie-down-cord 112 
being fastened, tied, or otherwise attached to arbor 44 at the base of arm 
58 adjacent to collar 54. Tie-down cord 114 is fastened, tied, or 
otherwise attached to arbor 80 at the base of arm 74 adjacent to collar 
72. 
Elastic mesh 100 (shown in FIG. 7 and, more completely in FIG. 1) is a 
sheer one-ply sheet of fabric, bordered on all four sides by seam 102, 
which serves not only to reinforce it, but also to attach sleeves 104 and 
106 onto its rear and front sides respectively. Sleeves 104 and 106 should 
be made from a tightly woven nylon fabric with construction emphisis on 
tear resistance and durability. Mesh 100 should be constructed from a 
combination of both nylon and spandex, giving it the ability to stretch 
well beyond its normally compact size, which can easily fit into a 
suitably small space. Variable ratios of nylon and spandex between 90% to 
10% and 95% to 5% (the larger percentages being of nylon) will be 
sufficient but are by no means absolute specifications. Any nylon stocking 
company can provide access to materials and expertise in the making of 
mesh 100 with the required sheerness and elasticity. 
Furthermore, fabric structure 98 should be black (or at least dark) in 
color, non-reflective, and without shimmer for best results. The only 
useful images of light to the driver are those coming from the opposite 
side of mesh 100. Any light source coming from the side of fabric 
structure 98 facing the driver (control panel lights, map lights, street 
lights, for instance), ideally, should not be reflected. This helps to 
insure that the image a driver will see in his/her exterior rear view 
mirror will not be unnecessarily distorted or blotted out by unwelcome 
reflections from extraneous light sources when using fabric structure 98 
for viewing therethrough. 
In FIG. 7, mesh 100 is stretched taut, and a small circular area 8 is 
delineated and then magnified in FIG. 8 to reveal individual strands 116 
of nylon and spandex fabric. Between these individual strands 116 are 
numerous voids or holes 118 of even distribution. 
FIG. 9 is a sectional view of FIG. 8 in perspective. This allows one to see 
light entering from behind the section, represented by twelve arrows 136, 
and light exiting on the opposite side of the section, represented by five 
arrows 138. This demonstrates that although some of the incoming light is 
allowed to pass evenly through the numerous voids 118, much of that light 
is blocked or diminished by the numerous strands 116 which are woven 
together to make up the mesh 100 (FIG. 7). 
Mesh 100 (FIGS. 1 and 7) should be no less transparent than is necessary to 
attenuate glare from an automobile's headlights. This limiting factor 
forms the basis upon which the transparency of mesh 100 should be decided 
and this, in turn, will be largely determined by the number of holes 118 
(FIGS. 8 and 9) it will have per linear centimeter. 
Refering alternately between FIGS. 7 and 8, it is only relevant what the 
distribution of holes 118 (from FIG. 8) per linear centimeter is while 
mesh 100 (FIG. 7) is stretched sufficiently taut, as it would be in the 
deployed position. This number of holes 118 can not be given as an 
absolute number. Other variables, such as the thickness of strands 116 
(FIG. 8), the over-all dimensions and elasticity of mesh 100, and the 
degree of tension placed upon it while deployed must first be factored in. 
However, for reference, a sufficiently sheer elastic one-ply mesh 100 will 
normally have between 15 and 25 holes 118 per linear centimeter of mesh 
100 when it is stretched sufficiently taut. 
The size of mesh 100, and subsequently the size of the entire antiglare 
screen device 18, should be made large enough, yet no larger than 
necessary, for it to totally encompass, when deployed, the perimeter of an 
automobile's exterior rear view mirror 144 (FIG. 15) within a driver's 
line-of-sight. 
OPERATION--FIGS. 10 TO 17 
FIG. 10 shows the deployable antiglare screen device 18 can be held in one 
hand 170, and with the two mounting clips 28, it can also be installed 
easily and quickly with one hand 170. Hand lever 40 is shown on the 
opposite side to that of mounting clips 28 for its easy access. 
FIG. 11 (in perspective) is a view from the interior of an automobile, from 
a driver's vantage point. The antiglare screen 18 is mounted on an 
inboard-side-of-driver's door 140, positioned adjacent a slidable window 
142, opposite an exterior rear view mirror 144. When properly positioned, 
the retracted antiglare screen device 18 is directly under driver's 
line-of-sight of his/her exterior rear view mirror. A steering wheel 146 
and a windshield 148 are included in this view for positional referencing 
of antiglare screen device 18 when it is properly installed. 
The housing 22 is situated so that handle 40 is in its rear section, on the 
side facing the driver, while the two mounting clips 28 will be facing 
outward, adjacent the slidable window 142 which should be in the rolled-up 
position as pictured. Fabric structure 98 is visible through the open top 
of housing 22, but tucked down inside of it and secure. This is how the 
antiglare screen 18 appears in its retracted position. An 
exterior-side-of-driver's-door 152 is provided as a more complete 
reference for a sectional view indicated by line 12--12 which represents 
FIG. 12. 
FIG. 12 is an orthogonal cross-section view from directly behind the 
antiglare screen device 18, looking forward. The 
exterior-side-of-driver's-door 152 along with its fixedly attached 
elastomeric exterior window seal 154 are included here for reference. The 
housing 22 sits atop the inboard-side-of-door 140 and is held in place by 
simply wedging the two mounting clips 28 between the slidable window 142 
and an elastomeric interior window seal 150, fixedly attached to the 
inboard-side-of-door 140 and adjacent the interior side of slidable window 
142. Notice how the mounting clips 28 extend out beyond the outside edge 
of left nacelle 24L. This is proper placement of the antiglare screen 
device 18 as the housing 22 should be approximately level, and not come 
into direct contact with drivers side window 142. On the opposite side of 
housing 22, right nacelle 24R is visible but well out of the way. Hand 
lever 40 extends outward to allow for an easy and solid grasp, as shown in 
FIG. 13. 
FIG. 13 is a partial perspective view from a drivers vantage point and 
shows antiglare screen 18 in its normally retracted position, with fabric 
structure 98 folded down and hand lever 40 in its horizontal position. To 
deploy, driver should reach up, from underneath, with left hand 160, and 
in an under-handed fashion, grasp hand lever 40 by putting the thumb 156 
on top of the back end of hand lever 40, and the index finger 158 under 
the front end of hand lever 40. Push down with thumb 156 and up with index 
finger 158. 
As shown in FIG. 14, this will rotate the front of hand lever 40 up and 
back as shown by arrow 162. At the same time, the back end of hand lever 
40 will rotate down and forward, indicated by arrow 164. The end result 
will be that the hand lever 40 will have been rotated approximately one 
quarter turn, or 90.degree. of arc, from its horizontal position to its 
vertical position, as shown in FIG. 14. 
FIG. 15 is a perspective view from the vantage point of a driver seated 
within an automobile's interior. Features such as the steering wheel 146 
and windshield 148 help to make this position evident. The antiglare 
screen device 18 is mounted on top of the inboard-side-of-driver's-door 
140. Hand lever 40 in a vertical position means that the fabric structure 
98 is deployed and if the antiglare screen device 18 has been properly 
pre-positioned, the elastic mesh 100 will completely enshroud the view of 
exterior rear-view-mirror 144, as seen by the driver of the vehicle. Keep 
in mind that mesh 100 will not block the view, as some light will still 
pass through, allowing the driver to see a less-bright view of headlights 
reflected from exterior rear view mirror 144. The slidable window 142 
should be rolled up as shown, to provide optimum conditions for using the 
antiglare screen device 18, although cracking the window for ventilation 
shouldn't hamper its operation. Remember that, as seen in FIG. 12, 
mounting clips 28 are in direct contact with the slidable side window 142. 
Rolling this slidable window 142 up and down may move mounting clips 28, 
and thus move the entire antiglare screen device 18 out of its proper 
position. 
When the antiglare screen device 18 is deployed to cut the glare from a 
trailing vehicle's headlights, it is usually needed only for a short time. 
When the offending headlights producing the glare move out of a driver's 
field of vision, he/she may quickly and easily retract elastic mesh 100 to 
allow a normal untreated view of the image reflected into his/her exterior 
rear view mirror 144. 
FIG. 16 (a partial perspective view) shows the antiglare screen device 18 
with fabric structure 98 fully deployed and mesh 100 stretched taut. In 
this fully deployed position, hand lever 40 is oriented vertically. To 
retract the antiglare screen 18, the driver uses his/her left hand 160 to 
grasp the hand lever 40 from underneath. Hooking the index finger 158 
around the bottom of hand lever 40 to move it backwards, while at the same 
time pushing against the top of hand lever 40 with the thumb 156, results 
in hand lever 40 rotating as shown in FIG. 17. 
FIG. 17 shows how the top of hand lever 40 rotates forward and down, as 
shown by arrow 166, and the bottom end moves back and up, as shown by 
arrow 168. This is a one quarter turn, or approximately 90.degree. of arc, 
moving the hand lever 40 from its vertical position, back down to its 
horizontal position. This action brings the antiglare screen device 18 
back to its retracted position, as previously shown in FIG. 11. 
CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE OF INVENTION 
Thus the reader will see that the antiglare screen device of this invention 
can be easily installed on a driver's door within the passenger section of 
an automobile and used by the driver to attenuate glare, reflected in 
his/her exterior rear view mirror, from the bright headlights of a 
trailing vehicle. Further, the driver may choose from moment to moment 
whether to have the antiglare screen device in a deployed position, to 
diminish glare, or whether to retract it to allow the normal untreated 
view from the exterior rear view mirror. 
In addition, engaging the antiglare screen device to deploy or disengaging 
it to retract only takes one quick and simple movement, using one hand. 
This manual operation will not distract the drivers attention from the 
road. The device may also be quickly removed from the door and stowed 
during the day or transferred to another vehicle. 
Furthermore, the antiglare screen device has the additional advantages in 
that 
it permits a manufacturer the ability to produce an inexpensive product 
that can be distributed directly to the public as an after-market item, 
providing wide access to it. 
it permits a quick and easy installation, within seconds by the individual 
purchaser without the aid of a mechanic or service specialist, allowing 
the consumer to put it into immediate use right off the retailers shelf. 
it permits the driver to adapt instantly to the changing light conditions 
of the surrounding traffic from moment to moment. The driver has an option 
to deploy or retract the antiglare screen device at will and can exercise 
that option easily, without distraction, while driving. 
While my above description contains many specificities, these should not be 
construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as an 
exemplification of one preferred embodiment there of. Many other 
variations are possible. For example: 
The corners of the housing can be more rounded and/or fitted with a 
padding, such as a thin rubber layer, to lower the chances of personal 
injury in the event of a car accident. 
The housing can be made from a variety of materials such as metal alloys, 
in addition to polymers. Reinforcing metal eyelets can be used around the 
holes of the housing at the mechanism's contact points, to support the 
stresses of the arbors and the mounting bolt for the bell crank. 
The mechanism may be made of a uniform metal or polymer, allowing for 
components like master rotation device 42M and slave rotation device 42S 
to be molded integrally. On the other hand, the mechanisms individual 
parts can be made in sections (modular) and formed from a variety of 
metals, aluminum alloys, or polymers in order to vary the ductility and 
rigidity of those individual parts before assembly. More likely, a 
combination of these two methods may be employed to achieve a desired 
outcome in product quality and cost effectiveness. 
The antiglare screen device can be varied in shape and/or given a more 
ergonomic design which appeals to the upscale tastes of modern consumer, 
as long as its operation is not hampered. 
Dimensions of the antiglare screen device, in general, can be varied to fit 
particular vehicles and various sizes of exterior rear view mirrors. 
The bellcrank could be mounted sideways, on a horizontal bolt and bushing, 
to rotate on a vertical plain instead of the horizontal plain shown in the 
present embodiment. 
One spring, instead of two, may be adequate providing it has a high enough 
tension rating. Also, varying materials (heavy duty rubber bands, bungy 
cables, etc.) may be substituted for the extension springs. 
The invention can also be designed for a passenger's use, simply by 
switching the mounting clips and the hand lever to opposite sides of the 
housing from that which is shown in the preferred embodiment. In this way 
the present invention could also be used in countries where 
right-hand-drive vehicles are the norm. 
The invention may come equipped with means to allow for a more permanent 
mounting to the drivers door. For instance, hook and loop fastners can be 
applyed to both the base of the antiglare screen device and to the upper 
door end, adjacent the base, for a more secure mounting. 
Although the preferred color is black, the antiglare screen device may come 
in a variety of colors, provided those colors are as non-reflective as 
possible. Deep, dark colors are preferable for the fabric structure, while 
some brighter colors may be applied to the base unit if desired. 
A full top cover for the housing could be provided which is operated 
(opened and closed) by the same lever which deploys and retracts the 
mechanism and its fixedly attached fabric structure. 
The one-ply mesh could be made of varying sheerness to alter its light 
transmitance and additional tie-down-cords may be added along the lower 
end of its length, attaching to the housing, to keep it vertically taut 
when deployed. 
Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined not by the 
embodiment illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal 
equivalents.