Sun visor assembly having a slide panel

A sun visor assembly includes a visor body having a surface indentation, a slide panel and a guide feature. The guide feature connects the slide panel to the visor body and allows the slide panel to be displaced between a stowed position nested within the surface indentation and a deployed position projecting from the visor body to provide an expanded surface area for shielding the eyes of the driver from direct sunlight and/or glare.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This document relates generally to the motor vehicle equipment field and, more particularly, to a new and improved sun visor assembly having a slide panel that may be displaced to a deployed position to provide for additional side coverage to block sun rays that might otherwise adversely affect a driver's vision when driving a motor vehicle.

BACKGROUND

It is known in the art to equip a motor vehicle with one or more sun visors that may be deployed to shield the eyes of the driver and front seat passenger from direct or glaring light. More particularly, direct sunlight can be particularly annoying when the sun is lower in the sky, such as in the morning when the sun is rising, in the evening when the sun is setting or during winter months when the sun stays closer to the horizon.

Package considerations limit the range of motion and surface area of a sun visor. In order to provide enhanced shielding, current sun visor designs are able to provide additional side coverage to the driver and passenger through several means: slide on rod visors that move all the components through each of the required zones, dual blade designs that add weight and cost, big sun visor blades that increase coverage or blade inserts that take extra volume inside the component and decrease the craftsmanship of the part.

This document relates to a new and improved sun visor assembly incorporating a slide panel that may be deployed to provide extra surface area outboard of the main visor body for shielding the eyes of a driver or passenger of the motor vehicle. Advantageously, the new and improved sun visor assembly is characterized by a minimal visor body volume, avoiding the typical chunky look of a visor assembly incorporating an extension blade or slide panel. Thus the sun visor assembly provides a sleek, trim look while still incorporating a slide panel that may be deployed for extra surface to shield the sun from the eyes of a motor vehicle operator or front seat passenger.

SUMMARY

In accordance with the purposes and benefits described herein, a new and improved sun visor assembly is provided. That sun visor assembly comprises a visor body having a surface indentation, a slide panel and a guide feature. The guide feature connects the slide panel to the visor body while also allowing the slide panel to be displaced between a stowed position within the surface indentation and a deployed position projecting outboard from the visor body.

The sun visor assembly may further include a releasable locking feature configured to secure the slide panel in the stowed position. That releasable locking feature may include a spring-loaded detent carried on the visor body and a push-button actuator carried on the slide panel. That push-button actuator may be captured in a receiver on the slide panel.

The slide panel may include a first face oriented toward the visor body and a second face opposite the first face and oriented away from the visor body. The guide feature may include a channel formed in the first face. Further, the guide feature may also include a guide track carried on the visor body and received in the channel. The channel and the guide track may have at least one beveled interface.

The sun visor assembly may also include a second spring-loaded detent in the guide track. The sun visor assembly may further include a catcher carried on the first face. The catcher may engage the second spring-loaded detent when the slide panel is in the stowed position. Further the sun visor assembly may include a stop carried on the first face. The stop may engage the second spring-loaded detent when the slide panel is in the deployed position.

Still further, the surface indentation of the sun visor assembly may have a depth D1and the slide panel may have a thickness T1wherein D1=T1so that the slide panel fits flush in the visor body when in the stowed position.

The surface indentation may have a shoulder and the slide panel may have a first edge wherein the shoulder and the first edge are complimentary in shape. Further, the surface indentation and the slide panel may correspond in shape. Thus, the slide panel may be fully confined within the outer perimeter of the surface indentation on the visor body when in the stowed position.

In accordance with an additional aspect, a sun visor body is provided. The sun visor comprises a visor body having a surface indentation and a slide panel carried on the visor body. The slide panel is displaceable between a stowed position in the surface indentation and a deployed position projecting from and outboard the visor body. Further the surface indentation and the slide panel may correspond in shape so that the slide panel is fully integrated with the visor body when the slide panel is in the stowed position for a trim, sleek appearance.

In the following description, there are shown and described several preferred embodiments of the sun visor assembly and the sun visor. As it should be realized, the sun visor assembly and the sun visor are capable of other, different embodiments and their several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the sun visor assembly and sun visor as set forth and described in the following claims. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.

Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the sun visor assembly and sun visor, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference is now made toFIGS. 1-8illustrating the new and improved sun visor assembly10. The sun visor assembly10includes a sun visor12comprising a visor body14and an integrated slide panel16. A guide feature, generally designated by reference numeral18, connects the slide panel16to the visor body14and allows the slide panel to be displaced between a stowed position nesting in the surface indentation17of the visor body14as illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 3and a deployed position projecting from or outboard the visor body as illustrated inFIG. 2. When deployed, the slide panel16extends the shielding surface of the sun visor12to better shield the eyes of the motor vehicle operator or front seat passenger under certain conditions such as when the sun is low in the sky.

As illustrated inFIG. 4, the slide panel16includes a first face20oriented toward and juxtaposed to the visor body14and a second face22opposite the first face oriented away from the visor body.

In the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 4, the guide feature18includes a channel24formed in the first face20and a cooperating guide track26carried on the visor body14and received in the channel. In the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 4, the guide track26includes at least one beveled interface28to insure that the guide track26is captured in the channel24and the slide panel16is maintained on the visor body14.

The sun visor assembly10also includes a releasable locking feature, generally designated by reference numeral30, that is configured to secure the slide panel16in the stowed position. As best illustrated inFIG. 4, the releasable locking feature30includes a spring-loaded detent32carried on the visor body14and biased toward the slide panel16and a push-button actuator34carried on the slide panel16. More particularly, the push-button actuator34is captured in a receiver36formed in the slide panel16. When the slide panel16is in the stowed position illustrated inFIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5, the spring-loaded detent32is engaged in an aperture38provided in the slide panel16at the bottom or closed end of the receiver36. In addition, a catcher40carried on the first face20of the slide panel16engages a second spring-loaded detent42carried on the visor body14. Note particularly spring44biasing the detent42into the catcher40inFIG. 5.

As noted above, when the slide panel16is in the stowed position, it fully nests in and is fully contained within the outer perimeter of the surface indentation17in the visor body14. Toward this end, the surface indentation17and the slide panel16substantially correspond in shape. Thus, the surface indentation17has a shoulder46and the slide panel16has a first edge48that are complementary in shape. In addition, as illustrated inFIG. 4, the surface indentation17has a depth D1and the slide panel16has a thickness T1wherein D1=T1so that the slide panel fits flush in the visor body when in the stowed position.

One may displace the slide panel16from the stowed position illustrated inFIGS. 1, 3 and 4to the deployed position illustrated inFIGS. 2 and 8by (a) depressing the push-button actuator34(note action arrow A inFIG. 4) to displace the spring-loaded detent32out of the locking aperture38and then (b) sliding the slide panel16in the direction of action arrow B (seeFIG. 6) with respect to the visor body14. As this is done, the spring-loaded detent42slides up the wall of the catcher40and is depressed into the receiver50in the visor body14against the force of the biasing spring44.

Once the slide panel16is in the fully deployed position, a stop52carried on the first face20of the slide panel16engages the second spring-loaded detent42. This is best illustrated inFIG. 8which is a cross section taken along line8-8ofFIG. 2. This prevents one from inadvertently sliding the slide panel16off of the guide track26on the visor body14.

When one wishes to return the slide panel16to the stowed position from the deployed position, one pushes the slide panel in the direction of action arrow C (noteFIG. 6) until the slide panel is once again fully nested in the surface indentation17in the visor body14with the detent32received in the locking aperture38and the detent42received in the catcher40.

The foregoing has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. For example, as illustrated inFIG. 8, the beveled interface28of the guide track26may be replaced by a tongue in groove interface54. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled.