Vehicle low sun visor

An apparatus is connected to or is part of a standard sun visor to solve the problem of a person driving along the road facing the sun when it is close to the horizon. To block out the sun disc the driver is able to easily adjust the protection as the road turns and the car changes direction by flipping down an adjacent panel and flipping up the one no longer useful to block out the sun. The apparatus includes an elongate member, a clamp attaching the elongate member along the lower edge of the visor panel, three to six individual opaque panel members, each hingeably attached and juxtaposed side by side to swing up or down, each sized to block off the sun disc to the horizon.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention involves a sun visor for a motor vehicle and, more 
particularly, an apparatus directed to the problem of shielding the driver 
of a motor vehicle from the glare of the sun when it is close to the 
horizon. Also, more particularly, the invention is directed to an 
apparatus that supplements the standard sun visor in motor vehicles. 
When driving early or late in the day directly at the sun, the driver may 
be blinded causing a highly hazardous condition. The standard sun visor is 
of little help in that if it is positioned to completely blot out the sun, 
the driver cannot see the road. A variety of supplementary sun visor 
devices have been provided, but none give a satisfactory solution for the 
problem. 
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,445,135 to Masi, a supplementary perforated visor is 
clipped on to the bottom of the standard sun visor and may be rotated 
downwardly to partially shield the sun. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,732 to 
Vistitsky, a supplementary sun visor is provided utilizing an opaque panel 
and a semitransparent tinted panel that again partially reduces the sun's 
glare or almost completely hides the roadway. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,979 
to Harvey, an auxiliary sun visor is provided where a panel extending 
downwardly from the bottom edge of the sun visor may be slid horizontally 
from side to side to block the sun. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,473 to 
Hildebrand, a sun-shade auxiliary device is provided wherein an entire 
bank of vertically hinged panels may be slid from side to side 
horizontally and the entire bank of panels may be hinged on a horizontal 
axis only as an integral unit. A rollable sun visor with moveable sections 
is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,855,241 to Walter. In U.S. Pat. No. 
5,356,192 to Schierau, a semitransparent panel is attached to and extends 
down from the standard vehicle visor. Likewise, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,159,421 
to Samuelson, a tinted transparent panel is hingeably connected to the 
standard sun visor. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,822 to Da Costa, a hingeably 
attached extension for motor vehicles visor is described. A hinged 
transparent tinted panel is attached to the standard sun visor in the 
diagrams of Italian Patent Number 366,577. 
These devices either do not satisfactorily attend to the problem or they 
fail to attain the objects described herein below. 
SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
As a person is driving along the road facing the sun when it is close to 
the horizon, the need is to block out the sun disc as completely as 
possible. The driver must then be in a position to easily adjust the 
protection as the road turns and the car changes direction. In most cases, 
once the device is adjusted to block the sun, going down or going up an 
incline will have little effect on the performance of the devices of the 
present invention. The length of the panels and the positioning of these 
devices a suitable distance from the driver's face will bring the chosen 
panel down to and below the horizon. To adjust for slight changes in 
direction, as the sun disc begins to be visible on one side of the panel, 
it is easy to flip down an adjacent panel and flip up the one no longer 
useful without looking at them to block out the sun. Although devices of 
the present invention will perform satisfactorily with only three separate 
panels, it is preferred that there be at least four panels, and most 
preferably at least five panels. As the number of panels of the preferred 
width is decreased the extent of coverage of the horizon is limited. As 
the number of panels is decreased together with widening of the width of 
the panels, such as two panels six inches wide, the risk of inadvertently 
blocking a car or pedestrian is increased. As the number of panels of the 
preferred width is increased the device becomes too long and the extra 
panels are not used, As the number of panels is increased together with 
narrowing of the width of the panels, such as ten panels two inches wide, 
the difficulty of blocking the sun disc is increased, 
It is an Object of the present invention to provide an auxiliary sun visor 
which may be attached or incorporated directly into the standard sun 
visor. 
It is a further object of the protection sought to provide a device which 
allows the driver to selectively choose a small section to block the sun 
disc while allowing an unobstructed view of essentially the entire 
roadway. 
It is a particular object of the protection sought to provide an unfiltered 
and unrestricted view of the roadway while blocking out the sun disc. 
It is a further object of the protection sought to provide a series of 
hinged panels which may be selectively pulled down to block the sun while 
easily allowing the pushing up of the prior blocking panel and pulling 
down of an adjacent panel as the motor vehicle changes direction and 
unblocks the sun. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a simple and 
inexpensive device that may be molded out of plastic and assembled with 
minimal expense to provide the safety device. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device that 
may be of a chosen length extending across a sufficient expanse of the 
windshield. 
An aspect of the invention is an apparatus connected to a sun visor that is 
attached proximate a front windshield of a motor vehicle. The function of 
the apparatus is to shield the sun disc close to the horizon from the eyes 
of a driver. The sun visor includes a visor panel that includes a lower 
edge along a horizontal length up to about one-half of a width of the 
front windshield, and a visor attachment means hingeably attaching the 
visor panel to the motor vehicle inside the front windshield and allowing 
the visor panel to move to a position wherein the visor panel is 
proximately vertical with the lower edge positioned downwardly. The 
apparatus includes an elongate member of a length up to about one-half a 
width of the windshield and apparatus attachment means attaching the 
elongate member along the length of the lower edge of the visor panel. The 
apparatus further includes at least three individual panel members, each 
panel member including a face that includes an upper edge and a lower 
edge, a length from the upper edge to the lower edge sufficient to block 
off sight all the way to the horizon when the panel member is in the 
vertical position, side edges, and a width from side edge to side edge 
sufficient to block off sight of the entire sun disc. The apparatus 
further includes panel member attachment means to hingeably attach the 
upper edge of each panel member to the elongate member aligned with the 
side edges juxtaposed side edge to side edge, and allow each panel member 
to individually rotate from a position proximately abutting the face of 
the panel member against a surface of the panel of the sun visor, to a 
downwardly vertical position wherein the panel member extends downwardly 
from the elongate member with the lower edge of the panel member at a 
lowest height. 
It is preferred that each panel member be sufficiently translucent to 
prevent essentially all sunlight from passing through the panel to the 
eyes of the driver and more preferably opaque. It is further preferred 
that the width of each panel member be about three to about five inches, 
and more preferably about four inches. It is also preferred that the 
length of the elongate member is about twelve to about twenty-five inches, 
and more preferably about eighteen to about twenty-two inches. It is 
further preferred that the panel member attachment means include a pair of 
adjacent flanges extending outwardly from the elongate member and defining 
a horizontal bore of a diameter between them, a horizontal opening to a 
length of the horizontal bore of a width less than the diameter of the 
horizontal bore, a notch cut out of both opposite upper corners of each 
panel member, the notch bounded by a vertical edge and median horizontal 
edge, and a round pin member extending cantilevered from the vertical edge 
of the notch and parallel to the median horizontal edge. In this preferred 
embodiment a diameter of the round pin member is sufficient to snap fit 
through the horizontal opening and be the same or slightly larger than the 
diameter of the horizontal bore. It is also preferred that the apparatus 
attachment means include at least one length of a "U" shaped member 
attached to the elongate member of a size, shape, and elasticity to engage 
and securely hold the apparatus along the length of the lower edge of the 
visor panel. It is further preferred that the apparatus attachment means 
include an integral attachment into the visor panel and the panel member 
attachment means include at least one flange extending upwardly from the 
upper edge of each panel member, the flange having opposite vertical 
edges, a horizontal bore through the flange opening through both vertical 
edges, and a round rod member attached horizontally along the lower edge 
of the visor panel, wherein all the panel members are attached by 
threading the flanges onto the round rod member. It is also preferred that 
the panel member attachment means further include a detent means that 
imparts added resistance to start rotation of each panel member from the 
position proximately abutting the face of the panel member against a 
surface of the panel of the sun visor. It is further preferred that a 
detent means imparts added resistance to start rotation of each panel 
member from the downwardly vertical position. 
Another aspect of the invention is an apparatus connected to a sun visor as 
above and attached as above, wherein the apparatus includes an elongate 
member of a length of about eighteen to about twenty-two inches and 
apparatus attachment means attaching the elongate member along the length 
of the lower edge of the Visor panel. The apparatus further includes at 
least three individual opaque panel members. Each panel member includes a 
face that includes an upper edge and a lower edge, a length from the upper 
edge to the lower edge sufficient to block off sight all the way to the 
horizon when the panel member is in a downwardly vertical position, side 
edges, and a width from side edge to side edge of about three to about 
five inches. The apparatus further includes panel member attachment means 
to hingeably attach the upper edge of each panel member to the elongate 
member aligned with the side edges juxtaposed side edge to side edge, and 
allow each panel member to individually rotate from a position proximately 
abutting the face of the panel member against a surface of the panel of 
the sun visor, to the downwardly vertical position wherein the panel 
member extends downwardly from the elongate member with the lower edge of 
the panel member at a lowest height. The panel member attachment means 
includes a pair of adjacent flanges extending outwardly from the elongate 
member and defining a horizontal bore of a diameter between them, a 
horizontal opening to a length of the horizontal bore of a width less than 
the diameter of the horizontal bore, a notch cut out of both opposite 
upper corners of each panel member, the notch bounded by a vertical edge 
and median horizontal edge, and a round pin member extending cantilevered 
from the vertical edge of the notch and parallel to the median horizontal 
edge, wherein a diameter of the round pin member is sufficient to snap fit 
through the horizontal opening and be the same or slightly larger than the 
diameter of the horizontal bore.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, apparatus 10 clips onto and securely 
attaches on the bottom edge of standard sun visor 12 which is hingeably 
connected through connections 14 to the inside upper frame of the front 
windshield of a motor vehicle. The length of device 10 may vary 
considerably and in this embodiment is about twenty inches long. This 
length allows the apparatus to cover essentially up to one-half the width 
of the entire windshield and can extend a distance somewhat wider than 
standard sun visors. In some embodiments, particularly where the elongate 
member is extruded, the device may be supplied with five or six panels, 
and the purchaser may chose to cut off a length equivalent to a panel or 
equivalent to two or three panels for smaller cars. Apparatus 10 includes 
elongate member 16 onto which apparatus attachment device 18 is integrally 
connected as further illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4, and 6. Panels 20 are 
individually and separately connected to member 16 through hinge 
connecting devices 32. Each of panel members 20 is capable of selectively 
rotating as shown in FIG. 1 from position 20 to position 20' and all 
angles in between. When the panel members are in position 20', they are 
not in use, but may be easily flipped downwardly to position the chosen 
panel member to block the sun disc on the horizon. Each panel member 20 
has upper edge 22 which when attached to visor 12 is proximate the lower 
edge of the visor. Each panel member 20 also has lower edge 24 and the 
length of each panel member from upper edge 22 to lower edge 24 is 
sufficient to reach the horizon and completely block out the sun in that 
sector. In this embodiment, this length is about three inches. Each panel 
member also has left edge 26 and right edge 28, and the width between 
these edges is a little less than four inches. Each panel member is about 
1/8 inch thick and is molded of a rigid or semi-rigid polymeric plastic 
such as polypropylene, high-density polyethylene, ABS, polycarbonate, 
polymethyl methacrylate, polystyrene, and various engineering plastics, 
such as DELRIN.RTM., nylon, and like polymers. Higher heat distortion 
plastics are preferred and UV light stabilized polymers are also 
preferred. Each panel member 20 is injection molded of a pigmented molding 
composition that yields an opaque product. Each panel member 20 has 
integral molded pins 40 extending along upper edge 22 toward the left and 
right edges above openings 42. Each round pin 40 is about 1/8 inch in 
diameter and about 1/4 inch long. The edge corners of flat edge surface 22 
of the upper edge of panel 20 between each pin causes each panel to detent 
in either a vertical upward or a vertically downward position against the 
surface of elongate member 16. As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 6, "C" shaped 
channel 34 is integrally molded to elongate member 16 with upper opening 
36 sufficient to allow the lower edge of visor panel 12 to be gripped 
inside channel member 34. Female hinge sockets 38 are also integrally 
molded into the combination of elongate member 16 and gripping channel 34. 
Actually, this combination is preferably extruded after which the material 
between hinge sockets 38 is machined off leaving the individual 
dual-sockets which are about 1/2 inch in length. The length of the unit 
can be chosen by cutting through the middle of a hinge socket combination. 
This cut can be made by the manufacturer or the purchaser or both. Pins 40 
snap fit into the jaws of female hinge socket 38 and are free to rotate in 
a vertical arc. It is preferred that the space between panel members 20 be 
as small as possible. Space 30 between the vertical edges of interior 
panel members 20" is about 1/16 of an inch. Closer tolerances allow the 
space between the panel members to be less, but this distance is 
satisfactory. As aligned, there are five panel members in apparatus 10 
each aligned side by side with edges 28 and 26 of adjacent panels in 
virtual abutment. Outside panel members 20 and 20'" have their outside 
edges exposed. 
While the apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6 is intended for use in 
previously constructed motor vehicles and to be attached on essentially 
any sun visor, apparatuses 44 and 54 illustrated in FIGS. 7 through 9 are 
incorporated directly into and are permanently attached to sun visors 46 
and 60 which are hingeably attached to the motor vehicle by standard 
mechanisms 14'. In apparatus 44, panel members 50 are essentially 
identical to that of panel members 20 and are connected through hinge 
connecting devices 32' to elongate member 48 which is attached to visor 46 
through stitches 52. Apparatus 44 ,as well as other embodiments of the 
present invention may be attached to the visor using a variety of methods, 
including adhesive, mechanical fasteners, and the like. For apparatus 54, 
metal rod 58 is incorporated directly into the construction of visor 60 as 
the lower edge. Small sections of rod 58 are left exposed by the standard 
fabric covering over visor 60. Panels 56, covered with the same fabric, 
have female hinge extensions that are threaded onto rod 58 at the exposed 
sections, allowing each panel 56 to hinge vertically upward as shown in 
FIG. 9 and vertically downwardly in the sun blocking position as shown in 
FIG. 8. Although the panels in the drawings are shown all pulled to the 
downward vertical position, it is understood that in use, typically only 
one of the panels would be in the downward position and the balance of 
panels in the upward position. 
While this invention has been described with reference to specific 
embodiments disclosed herein, it is not confined to the details set forth 
and the patent is intended to include modifications and changes which may 
come within and extend from the following claims.