Visor with telescoping extender blade

A sun visor assembly having a body to which first and second panels are mounted for movement between stored and use positions. In their stored position, the panels are generally coincident with the visor body. While in their use positions, the panels extend from one end of the visor body. The side edges of the one panel are returnly bent to define a channel in which a second panel is received, telescopicly with respect to the first panel. In one position, the second panel generally coincides with the first panel and in another position the second panel forms an extension beyond the end of the first panel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to sun visor assemblies which are used in motor 
vehicles. More particularly, the present invention relates to sun visor 
assemblies having an extendible panel mounted to the main body of the 
visor. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Sun visor assemblies of numerous designs are well known in the art. 
Typically, the sun visor assembly (hereinafter visor) is mounted to a 
pivot arm which is in turn attached to the interior roof of the motor 
vehicle in the A-pillar area. The visor is capable of being rotated about 
the pivot arm between a "stored position" adjacent to the roof of the 
vehicle and a "use position" where the visor extends downward. In this 
downward position the visor visually blocks or screens a portion of the 
vehicle's windshield. The pivot arm itself is often pivotable to move the 
visor from a position adjacent the front windshield to one adjacent the 
side window, where the visor can be used to screen light coming in that 
window. 
In many vehicles, the width of the side window or the half width of the 
front windshield is too great for complete screening by the visor. In an 
attempt to screen the remaining width of the window, extender blades have 
been incorporated into visors. An extender blade is an auxiliary visor 
blade which can be slid out of one end or the bottom edge of the visor to 
increase the effective length of the visor. Even with the extra length 
provided by the extender blade, it is often not enough to completely 
screen the window or windshield as desired. 
That situation also arises when a vanity mirror is incorporated into the 
visor because the vanity occupies part of the visor body which could have 
otherwise been occupied by the extender blade. In this manner the vanity 
limits the permissible length of the extender blade. 
In view of the foregoing limitations and shortcomings, as well as other 
disadvantages not specifically mentioned above, there still exists a need 
in the art for an improved visor having an extender blade. 
It is therefore a primary object of this invention to fulfill that need by 
providing an improved visor with an extender blade having an additional 
extended length but without requiring a greater storage length within the 
visor body. One feature of the present invention is that the blade 
includes a primary and secondary blade, with the secondary blade 
telescoping over the primary blade. 
It is also an object of this invention to provide an extender blade which 
does not significantly increase the thickness of the visor body and can be 
produced and assembled in a cost effective manner. 
A further object of this invention is to provide an extender blade that can 
be incorporated into a visor having a vanity assembly without compromising 
the effective length of the extender blade. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Briefly described, these and other objects are accomplished according to 
the present invention by providing a visor having an extender blade 
assembly with first and second blades or panels that are telescopingly 
mounted to one another. Generally, the visor is adapted to be used with 
either the vehicle's front windshield or a side window and includes a body 
having portions that define a pair of opposing side and ends. Moveably 
mounted to the body of the visor are the pair of panels. The panels are 
movable between a retracted position, where they are located substantially 
within the perimeter of the visor body, and an extended position, where 
they extend beyond one end of the visor body to increase the effective 
length of the visor body. Additionally, the panels are moveable relative 
to one another. This latter movement is in a telescopic fashion and allows 
one of the panels to extend beyond the other to further increase the 
effective length of the visor without increasing their length in the 
stored condition. 
The first or primary panel has a pair of opposing longitudinal sides, each 
of which terminates in a returnly bent portion. The returnly bent portions 
form channels which extend at least partially over of the length of this 
panel. The channels themselves are open in a direction toward one another 
and the side edges of the second panel are received in the channels of the 
first panel. The mounting of the second panel to the first permits the 
second panel to slide within the channels, longitudinally with respect to 
the first panel, between a retracted position where it generally coincides 
with the first panel and an extended position where the second panel 
extends beyond the distal end of the extended first panel. Accordingly, 
the second panel telescopes with respect to the first panel. 
The panels are also shaped such that they allow a vanity to be incorporated 
into the visor without significantly decreasing the extendable length of 
the panels or increasing the thickness of the visor. This is achieved by 
providing a recess or cut out area in one end of the primary visor. With 
the cut out area, the primary visor and the vanity do not substantially 
overlap one another when the primary visor is in the stored position. 
Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention will become 
apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention 
relates from the subsequent description of the preferred embodiment and 
the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now in detail to the drawings, a visor assembly embodying the 
principles of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1 and generally 
designated at 10. The visor 10 includes a body 12 which is formed of rigid 
foam, a plastic substrate or another well known construction. The body 12 
includes portions which define opposing longitudinal sides 14 and lateral 
ends 16 (of which only one is illustrated in the figure). Along one 
longitudinal side 14 of the visor body 12, the assembly 10 is provided 
with a support pin 18. The support pin 18 engages a support clip (not 
shown) and secures the assembly 10 at that end of the visor 10 to the 
interior roof of a motor vehicle. The visor 10 itself is carried on a 
pivot rod (not shown) mounted to the interior roof of the vehicle for 
rotation between use positions with the front windshield and side window. 
In use, the visor 10 is rotatable about a major axis of the pivot rod, 
which extends through the support pin 18. This rotation of the visor 10 is 
between a stored position where the body 12 is adjacent to the roof of the 
vehicle and a use position where the body 12 extends downward from the 
roof to screen an upper portion of the vehicle's windshield. If the pivot 
rod and visor 10 are pivoted for use with the vehicle's side window (not 
shown), the visor 10 is still rotatable so that the body 12 extends 
downward to screen sunlight entering through the upper portion of the side 
window. 
Often, the length of the visor 10 is insufficient to screen the entire 
width of the side window or a full half of the front windshield. The 
present invention overcomes this limitation by incorporating an extender 
blade assembly having a pair of extender panels, a primary panel 20 and a 
secondary panel 22, into the visor assembly 10. The panels 20 and 22 
cooperate to effectively lengthen the visor while the second panel acts to 
effectively lengthen the first panel. The first and second extender blades 
are located within a recess 24 defined within the perimeter of the visor 
body 12. This recess 24 is formed in the visor body 12 so as to correspond 
with one end of the body 12 and form an end opening 25 of the recess 24. 
A cover plate 26 is attached to the visor body 12 over the recess 24 and is 
used to retain the panels 20 and 22 in place. The cover plate 26 is formed 
with a series of locking tabs 28, which are correspondingly shaped so as 
to be received and retained in slots defined in the visor body 12. In 
attaching the cover plate 26, the plate 26 overlies the panels 20 and 22 
such that the panels 20 and 22 are located in a cavity defined between the 
cover plate 26 and the visor body 12. In addition to the locking tabs 28, 
the cover plate 26 may be formed with a series of stops 30, whose purpose 
is more fully described below. Alteratively, some of the tabs 28 may 
operate as stops. 
Within this cavity, panels 20 and 22 are received in a manner that allows 
for longitudinal movement of the panels 20 and 22 relative to the visor 
body 12. This movement is between a stored position and a use position. In 
the stored position, the panels 20 and 22 are substantially contained 
within the cavity that is defined between the cover plate 26 and visor 
body 12. In their use position, the panels 20 and 22 are at least 
partially extended out through opening 25 in the lateral end 16 of the 
visor 10. 
The inboard or proximal end of the primary panel 20 is generally horseshoe 
shaped. More specifically, this shape is defined by a pair of legs 32 that 
extend longitudinally from the inboard end of the panel 20 and which 
terminate in a pair of inwardly turned ears 34. A closed portion 36 
extends between the two legs 32 and completes the horseshoe shape. Defined 
immediately adjacent to each ear 34 and extending longitudinally with each 
legs 32 is a slot 38. By providing the slots 38 in this region, the ears 
34 are allowed to outwardly deflect as a result of initial engagement with 
the stops 30 mentioned above. A ramped lead surface 40 is provided on the 
ears 34 for this purpose. Engagement of the ears 34 with the stops 30 
occurs during assembly of the visor 10 with the primary panel 20 being 
inserted into the cavity between the cover plate 26 and visor body 12. The 
ramped surface 40 of the ears 34 engage the stops 30, deflect outward and 
snap over the stops 30 into a retained position. Removal of the primary 
panel 20 from the visor 10 is prevented as a result of an interference 
engagement between the stops 30 and a trailing shoulder 42 formed on the 
ears 44. The stops 30 also limit the extent to which the panels 20 and 22 
can be inserted into the visor body 12. Movement is limited by the closed 
portion 36 engaging the stops 30 when the panel 20 is being moved into its 
stored position. 
This horseshoe shape of the inboard end of the primary panel 20 also 
readily allows for a vanity 45 to be incorporated into the visor 10. By 
providing the open area in this end of the panel 20, the panel 20 need not 
extend between the vanity 45 and the visor 10 when the panels 20 and 22 
are retracted. A reduced thickness in the overall visor 10 is therefore 
possible. 
The opposing or outboard end of the primary panel 20 is a solid panel 
portion so that this portion can obstruct viewing therethrough when 
extended from the visor 10. It should be noted that the position of the 
closed portion 36 of the panel's proximal end, relative to the trailing 
shoulders 42, the length of the legs 32 and the position of the stop 30, 
permits only the solid panel portion of the primary panel 20 to extend 
from the visor body 12 when the panel 20 is in its extended position. This 
is generally seen in FIG. 1 where the solid panel portion is designated at 
44. 
The lateral sides of the primary panel 20 are formed with returnly bent 
portions 46 that are also readily seen in FIG. 1. While the returnly bent 
portions 46 are shown as extending only over a partial length of the 
primary panel 20, they could extend over the entire length of the primary 
panel 20 if desired or needed in a particular application. The returnly 
bent portions 46 are oriented such that they each define a channel 48 
which faces the channel 48 defined by the opposing returnly bent portion 
46. The returnly bent portions 46 also terminate in an edge 47 directed at 
the opposing edge 47 of the other returnly bent portion 46. Accordingly, 
the area between the two edges 47 is open. This decreases the required 
thickness of the visor 10, decreases the material required for 
construction and decreases the overall weight of the visor 10. 
The secondary panel 22 is supported and carried by the primary panel 20. 
More specifically, the longitudinal sides 49 of the secondary panel 22 are 
received and retained within the channels 48 of the primary panel 20. This 
carrying of the secondary panel 22 by the primary panel 20 is such that it 
allows for relative movement between the secondary panel 22 and the 
primary panel 20 in the form of a telescoping movement. More specifically 
and as seen in FIG. 2, the secondary panel 22 can move from a retracted or 
stored position, where the secondary panel 22 substantially overlaps and 
coincides with the primary panel 20, to a use position where the secondary 
panel 22 extends longitudinally beyond the primary panel 20. The use 
position of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 and shown in 
phantom in FIG. 2. The stored position of the panels 20 and 22 is seen in 
FIG. 2. Other positions of the panels 20 and 22 can also include: a) the 
primary panel 20 being extended relative the visor body 12 with the 
secondary panel 22 in a stored position relative the primary panel 20; and 
b) the primary panel 20 being stored relative to the visor body 12 and the 
secondary panel 22 extended relative to both the primary panel 20 and the 
visor body 12. 
To prevent the secondary panel 22 from extending beyond and disengaging the 
primary panel 21, stops 54 are formed in the channels 48 adjacent to the 
outboard end of the primary panel 20. The stops 54 interferingly engage 
outwardly directed tabs 56 formed on the longitudinal sides of the 
secondary panel 22, located adjacent to the inboard end 58 of the 
secondary panel 22. 
To facilitate the ease with which the panels 20 and 22 are moved relative 
to the visor body 12 and to also facilitate movement of the secondary 
panel 22 relative to the primary panel 20, the secondary panel 22 is 
provided with a finger grip area 60. The grip area 60 is a depression 
formed in the outboard end 62 of the secondary panel 22 that enables it to 
be more easily grasped and moved. 
While the above description constitutes the preferred embodiment of the 
present invention, it will be appreciated that the invention is 
susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from 
the proper scope and fair meaning of the accompanying claims.