Visor

Abstract: A visor assembly for a vehicle including a pivoted cover (70) for a vanity mirror (44) which includes camming surfaces (102,104) on the pivot socket (90) for urging the cover between open and closed positions. The visor is selectively illuminated by the operation of a cover controlled switch (125), the mirror and cover assembly being snap fitted within the visor.

Description: The present invention pertains to a visor for a vehicle and particularly to a visor having a vanity mirror. Illuminated vanity mirror visors have become a popular accessory on many vehicles and standard equipment on several vehicle models. Such visors provide the normal sun blocking functions and in addition provide a vanity mirror which can be illuminated for use under low ambient light conditions. The mirror in such visor is selectively covered by a protective cover to conceal the mirror when not in use. This visor construction is disclosed in US-A-4,227,241. In such visor construction, the cover is spring biased to selective open and closed positions so that the cover will remain closed under the force of the spring or remain in a snapped-open position. A coil spring coupled to the visor mirror frame and to an arm on the cover pivot is employed to provide this desirable cover control. Other visor controls have also been proposed such as a spring coupled between the visor frame and directly to the cover as, for example, disclosed in US-A-4,491,899. Also, a visor cover pivot rod and mirror frame socket have included camming means for controlling the visor cover. Such structure is disclosed, for example, in US-A-4,213,169. Other covered vanity mirror visors have employed L-shaped leaf springs extending between a separate housing for a mirror frame and a cover mounted to the housing to cooperate with tabs on the cover for urging and holding the cover between the closed and open positions. Some of the covered vanity mirror visors also include lights for the mirror to faciliate its use in low ambient light conditions. It is desirable for safety and convenience to actuate the lights by the actuation of the cover, and a variety of switch arrangements have been proposed such as those set forth in US-A-4,000,404, and US-A-4,075,468. In addition, push-button switches mounted to the mirror frame and actuated upon opening and closing of the cover have been provided as have knife switches with one element of the knife switch mounted to the cover and the remaining element of the knife switch mounted to the mirror housing. In a first aspect, the invention relates to a spring-loaded hinge assembly of the type disclosed e.g. in US-A-4,000,404 and is characterised by the characterising features of Claim 1. Optional features are set out in Claims 2 to 6, 11 and 12. The invention also extends to a visor including such an assembly, characterised by the features set out in the characterising portion of Claim 7, preferable features of the visor being set out in Claims 8 to 10 and claim 13. The invention may be carried into practice in a number of ways and one specific embodiment will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front elevational view partly broken away and partly in phantom form of a visor embodying the present invention; Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the visor of Figure 1 shown with the mirror cover moved to an open position and with the mirror partly broken away and one lens removed to show the positioning of the electrical circuit elements associated with the illuminated vanity mirror visor; Figure 3 is a partly exploded view of the illuminated vanity mirror assembly which is incorporated in the visor shown in Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the circled area shown in Figure 3 and shown with a portion of the mirror frame showing the relationship of the cover operational elements; Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along section lines V-V of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a right side elevational view of the structure shown in Figure 5; and Figure 7 is a fragmentary enlarged cross-sectional view taken along section lines VII-VII of Figure 1. Referring initially to Figure 1, there is shown a visor 10 mounted to the roof 12 of a vehicle such as an automobile by a conventional elbow bracket pivot assembly 14 which includes a horizontal axle 16 extending within the body of the visor near the upper edge 11 thereof. The visor 10 pivots on the axle 16 by means of a torque device 18 which can be of the type described in US-A-4,500,131. This permits the visor 10 to be moved from a raised stored position against the vehicle headliner (inner roof) when not in use, or a lowered use position as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. The left edge of the visor remote from the pivot connection 14 includes a stub axle 19 which fits within a suitable clip mounted to the vehicle for supporting the opposite end of the visor. The visor 10 includes a body made of a polymeric core 20, typically moulded in two halves hinged together, and which includes a generally rectangular recess 22 centrally located in one side thereof for receiving an illuminated vanity mirror assembly 30. The visor core 20 is covered by a suitable upholstery material 24 to conform the visor's appearance to that of the interior of the vehicle in which it is installed. The recess 22 of the visor core 20 includes a floor 23 (Figure 2) onto which the circuit elements of the assembly 30 can be installed, as described below. The construction of the illuminated vanity mirror assembly 30 can best be understood by reference to Figure 3, now described. The assembly 30 includes a generally rectangular mirror frame assembly 40 defined by a rectangular flange 45 having a central generally rectangular opening 42 for receiving and holding a rectangular mirror 44 which is inserted from the rear and held in place along the edges of the opening 42 by heat-deformed tabs. Adjacent and spaced on each side of the aperture 42 are lens-receiving apertures 41 and 43 for receiving left and right side Fresnel lenses 51 and 53 respectively, which snap fit within the apertures 41 and 43 and which are keyed thereto by means of keying tabs and slots at their edges. The lenses 51 and 53 are designed to direct illumination from lamps 61 and 63 positioned behind the lenses within the apertures 41 and 43 outwardly and centrally toward the face of the user of the mirror 44. The mirror frame 40 includes downwardly-depending peripheral walls 46 with the front wall, as seen in Figure 3, including spaced locking tabs 47 which cooperate with slots 25 (Figure 7) formed in the edge wall 24 of the recess 22 for snap fitting the mirror frame 40 into the visor body recess attaching the frame to the moulded core 20. The polymeric moulded mirror frame 40 also integrally includes a pair of pivot axles 48 and 49 spaced along the top edge 50 of the frame generally in alignment with the lens apertures 41 and 43. The axles 48 and 49 are circular and are integrally formed by an injection moulding of suitable material such as polyvinyl chloride or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and which includes the forming of adjacent rectangular clearance apertures 48′ and 49′ allowing socket means associated with a mirror cover 70, and shown in detail in Figure 4, to partially circumscribe each of the axles 48 and 49 and extend through the adjacent apertures 48′ and 49′. The upper edge 50 of the mirror frame 40 includes an upwardly opening U-shaped structure including the wall 46, an integral floor 54 and an upwardly-extending vertical end wall 52 to provide a pocket for receiving the upper edge of the cover 70 and stiffening of the frame member along the top edge adjacent the pivot axles 48 and 49. The floor means further includes cross members 55 and 56 extending below and across each of the apertures 41 and 43 respectively. Each cross member is supported at its outer end by the downwardly extending peripheral side wall 46 and at its inner, opposite end by a downwardly projecting inner wall 57 adjacent one of the apertures 41 and 43. The cross members 55 and 56 each include an upwardly projecting indexing tab 58 and 59 for positioning and holding one end of a T-shaped leaf spring 80 mounted to the frame 40. As seen in Figures 3 and 4, the assembly includes a pair of the T-shaped springs 80 with each spring including a central leg 82 having an aperture 84 near its end which extends over the indexing projection 58 or 59. The leg 82 integrally extends from a top member 86 of each of the springs 80 which is curved in a convex fashion as viewed in Figure 3 with upwardly-turned ends 87 and 88 which rest against the floor 54 of the U-shaped upper portion of the frame 40. The leg 82 extends through an access opening 26 in the upper peripheral wall 46 as best seen in the left side of Figure 3, such that the indexing tabs 58 or 59 captively holds each of the springs 80 in position with respect to the frame 40. In their installed position, the intersection of the legs 82 and 86 is approximately aligned underneath the pivot axles 48 and 49 to engage the integral cam and socket means on the cover 70 as described below in connection with Figure 4. In Figure 4, the upper surface area of the frame 40 surrounding aperture 49′ is not illustrated nor is the pivot axle 49 for the sake of clarity in showing the camming means and pivot socket associated with the cover 70 in relation to the spring 80. The cover 70 includes along its inner top edge a pair of spaced open semicylindrical resilient pivot sockets 90 which are aligned to fit over the pivot axles 48 and 49. The right side socket 90 is illustrated in Figure 4 and includes a pair of arms 92 and 94 with arm 92 integrally formed and attached to the inner surface of the polymeric cover 70 near the top edge 72 thereof. The arms 94 and 92 are joined by curved section 93 defining a semicircular socket with the arm 94 sufficiently resilient so that the open sockets so formed can be snap-fitted over the axles 48 and 49 thereby attaching the cover to the mirror frame 40. Integrally formed and extending on the outer surface of each of the generally C-shaped sockets so formed is a vertically extending flange 100 with outer edge surfaces defining camming means having a first camming surface 102 which engages the leg 82 of the spring 80 as shown in Figure 4 when the cover is in the open position for holding the cover in the open position by the effective force provided by the flattened, otherwise convexly curved spring 80 exerting a force upwardly against the surface 102 which is slightly offset from the axis R of rotation of the cover with respect to the mirror frame for holding the cover in an open position. The camming means includes a second camming surface 104 extending at an angle of approximately 110° from the surface 102 and joined thereto by a rounded corner 105 permitting the cover to easily move from the open to the closed position. When the cover is manually rotated to the closed position, the surface 104 now engages the leg 82 of the spring 80 tending to urge the cover toward the closed position by a force now extending on the upper portion of axis R of rotation of the cover. Thus, the spring means 80 and the integral socket and cam 90 provided for each of the pivot axles 48 and 49 exert a force which tends to snap open the cover when moved toward the open position and snap and hold closed the cover when moved toward the closed position. The electrical system for actuating the lamps 61 and 63 is best seen with reference to Figures 2 and 3. The positive supply conductor 110 extends through a central opening in the hollow pivot rod assembly 14 and 16 and terminates in a connector 112 coupled to a suitable supply conductor (not shown) from the vehicle's electrical system. The conductor 110 extends into the hollow core 20 of the visor 10 and is held to the floor 23 of the visor core by suitable resilient sockets 114. The conductor 110 extends to a first movable contact 120 of a cover-actuated switch 125 which comprises a combination of the movable contact 120 and a fixed contact 130. The movable contact 120, as best seen in Figure 3, is generally U-shaped having one leg 123 including a tab 121 for receiving a snap-on terminal at the end of the conductor 110 for coupling the conductor 110 to the contact. A centre leg 122 of the generally U-shaped contact 120 is held between two fingers 130 and 132 (Figures 5 and 6) extending downwardly from the top edge 72 of the cover 70 for controlling the movable contact and specifically a rounded contact end 124 thereof in relation to a contact portion 134 of the fixed contact 130. The contact 130 is heat staked to the floor 23 of the core 20 as seen in Figure 2 with a conductor 132 extending therefrom to one side of each of a pair of bulb sockets 161 and 163. The remaining common terminal of the sockets 161 and 163 are coupled by a conductor 140 to a ground contact 142 which as seen in Figure 2, is mounted to engage and contact the end of the metallic pivot rod 16 which is coupled to the vehicle ground through the metallic pivot assembly 14. The movable switch contact 120 is held in position against the floor 23 of core 20 by a first integrally moulded polymeric lug 126 and a second lug 128 at the bend of the U-shaped bendable contact between the leg 122 and the left downwardly depending leg 123 as best seen in Figure 2. The lug or tab 126 extends over the top of the contact 120 to hold it against the floor 23 but with sufficient clearance to move freely in a direction toward and away from the fixed contact 130. With the cover 70 in an open position as illustrated in Figure 2, the cam member 130 associated with the cover 72 as shown in Figure 5, moves in a clockwise direction as shown in Figure 5 by the arrow A to urge against the upper and outer surface of the leg 122 of the switch 120, pushing it downwardly toward the fixed contact 130 thus making electrical contact as illustrated in Figure 2. The electrical current supplied by the conductor 110 is thereby applied to the conductor 132 and to the sockets 161 and 163 which are grounded by the conductor 140. This illuminates the bulbs 61 and 63 fitted within the sockets. As the cover is closed, however, the finger 130 disengages the contact 122 and the finger 132 engages the lower inside surface of the contact arm 122 as seen in Figure 5, as the cover is moved in a now counterclockwise direction opposite arrow A in the figure thereby lifting the contact end 124 away from the contact 134 of the fixed contact 130 of the switch 125. This then opens the electrical circuit to the lamps 61 and 63 thereby extinguishing them. By cradling the movable contact section 122 between the two spaced fingers 130 and 132 therefore, the cover 70 provides positive control both for the closing and opening of the electrical switch 125 which assures reliable operation of the switch, the contacts of which are each made from a bendable conductive material such as a brass alloy. During manufacture the electrical wiring, including the contacts 120 and 130 and the sockets 161 and 163 with bulbs, are inserted onto the receiving receptacles in the integrally formed core floor 23. Next, the cover and mirror package is assembled by first inserting the mirror within the aperture 42 and the springs 80 within their respective apertures and in alignment over the pins 58 and 59 followed by the lenses 51 and 53. The cover 70 is then snap-fitted over the pivot arms 48 and 49 and moved to a closed position. The package, including the frame 40 and the cover 70, is then pushed within the recess 22 of the visor with the camming fingers 130 and 132 automatically aligned on opposite sides of the leg 122 of the switch contact 125. The unit is then depressed inwardly into the visor until the locking tabs 47 on the side walls of the downwardly depending flanges snap into correspondingly shaped apertures 25 in the side wall 24 of the recess 22 as seen in Figure 7, thereby holding the illuminated vanity mirror package in position and completing the assembly. It will become apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications to the preferred embodiment of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit or scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

Claims: A spring-loaded hinge assembly (80, 90, 48, 49) for interconnecting an accessory cover (70) with an accessory housing structure (40) for a vehicle such that the cover (70) is spring-biased to selective open and closed positions with respect to the accessory housing structure (40), said hinge assembly comprising: pivot means (48,49) pivotally interconnecting the cover with the housing structure for rotational movement of the cover relative to the housing structure about a longitudinally-extending axis, and resilient biasing means, member (100) protruding in a generally lateral direction from one of the cover and the housing structure; the resilient biasing means (80) being disposed on the other of the housing structure and the cover for rotational movement therewith, characterised in that the member (100) is a cam member (100), said resilient biasing means being slidably and resiliently deflectably engageable by said cam for exerting a resilient biasing force on said cam in a generally lateral direction generally toward said axis; and support means (54) interconnected with the other of the cover and the housing structure for supporting said resilient biasing means in a direction generally opposite the direction of said engagement of said resilient biasing means by said cam, said support means including seat portions for slidably supporting said resilient biasing means (80) at least at one of two spaced-apart locations thereon. An assembly as claimed in Claim 1 in which the housing structure or the cover includes means (58,59) for holding the biasing means (80) in position. An assembly as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3 in which the biasing means (80) is a leaf spring. An assembly as claimed in Claim 3 in which the leaf spring is generally T-shaped with a central leg (82) coupled to a cross member (86). An assembly as claimed in Claim 4 in which the central leg (82) includes an aperture (84) near an end remote from the cross member (86), and in which the holding means comprises a projection extending into the aperture. An assembly as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5 in which the pivot means comprises socket means (90) on the cover (70) and a pair of spaced pivot axles (48,49) on the housing structure, each of the socket means (90) include camming surfaces (102,104) and the biasing means (80) comprises a pair of T-shaped leaf springs for engaging the respective camming surfaces (102,104) of the socket means. A vehicle visor including an assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised by: a generally planar visor body (10) having a recess (22) formed in one side to secure a vanity mirror assembly (30), the body (10) including at least one wall (24) extending adjacent a side of the recess (22), the wall (24) including at least one notch (25) formed therein; and a visor assembly including a mirror frame (40) defining the accessory housing structure of the assembly as claimed in any preceding claim and a mirror (44) mounted therein, the frame (40) including a frame wall (46) extending generally parallel to the wall of the recess and including an outwardly-projecting tab (47) positioned for extending into the notch (25), and the frame wall being made of a resilient material thereby permitting the assembly to be snap-fitted into the recess (22) with the tab (47) locking the assembly to the visor body. A visor as claimed in Claim 7 in which the frame wall includes a pair of spaced tabs (47) and the wall includes a pair of spaced notches (25) aligned with the tabs. A visor as claimed in Claim 7 or Claim 8 in which the visor assembly includes means (61,63,51,53) for selectively illuminating the area in front of the mirror for use of the mirror in low ambient light. A visor as claimed in any one of Claims 7 to 9 in which the visor assembly further includes a cover (70) for selectively covering the mirror. An assembly as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 6 in which the cover (70) includes a pair of spaced fingers (130,132) extending therefrom and movable with the movement of the cover and which comprises illumination means including lamp means (61,63) and switch means (120,134) for selectively coupling the lamp means to a supply of electrical power, the switch means including a movable element (120) extending between the fingers of the cover to alternately pushed in opposite directions to open and close the switch means when the cover (70) is closed and opened respectively. An assembly as claimed in Claim 11 in which the movable element (120) of the switch means comprises a switch arm made of a bendable material. A vehicle visor including an assembly as claimed in Claim 11 or Claim 12 in which the illumination means includes lamp means (61,63) on opposite sides of the mirror (44).

Inventors: SPYKERMAN SCOTT ALAN, VANDENBERGE THOMAS CHARLES, SPYKERMAN, SCOTT ALAN, VANDENBERGE,THOMAS CHARLES
Applicants: PRINCE CORP, PRINCE CORPORATION
Application year: 1987
Main classification: B60J3
IPC codes: B60J3