Abstract:
A variable shade sun screen having first and second relatively movable sheets with alignable or offsetable matrices of translucent and opaque portions to selectively vary the opacity of the sun screen. The invention can be used in a sun visor, a sunroof, or adjacent any vehicle surface.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/232,023, filed Sep. 12, 2000. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a variable sun screen for a vehicle in which first and second relatively movable sheet members are provided with selectively alignable opaque and transparent matrices for adjusting the level of opacity of the sun screen. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Vehicle sun screening members, such as sun visors, are required to “block the sun” to improve visibility for the driver, but it may be advantageous at times to have a certain percentage visibility through the visor. For example, it may be desirable to see an overhead traffic signal when the sun is directly ahead and low in the sky. At other times, the visor may need to be totally opaque. 
     It may also be desirable to selectively vary the percentage of visibility through a sunroof or overhead vehicle window. This may be necessary to reduce glare inside the vehicle, or to reduce heat build-up inside the vehicle which results from unobstructed sunlight through a window or sunroof. 
     DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a variable shade sun screen having first and second relatively movable sheets with alignable or offsetable matrices of translucent and opaque portions to selectively vary the opacity of the sun screen. This invention can be used in a sun visor, a sunroof, or adjacent any vehicle window surface. 
     In one embodiment, the invention allows for adjustment of a matrix of matching shapes, opaque in nature, printed or otherwise applied to two clear sheets of material, one sheet being stationary within a sun visor body, the second being adjustable laterally by means of an adjuster on the periphery of the visor. 
     In another embodiment, a movable clear film is imprinted with a dot pattern, and two transparent fixed blades are bonded to an opaque bottom edge extrusion. A hole pattern is printed on an inside surface of one of the blades. The dot pattern and hole pattern may be selectively aligned or misaligned to adjust opacity of the assembly. Various embodiments for implementing this structure are contemplated and described herein. 
     In a further embodiment of the invention, a movable inner panel is applied against an outer glass panel on the roof of a vehicle. The inner movable panel includes a matrix of matching opaque shapes for adjustment with respect to a corresponding matrix of translucent portions on the outer glass panel. The matrix of translucent portions may be formed by silk-screening on an inside surface of the outer glass panel. 
     Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus for variably adjusting the opacity of a vehicle window sun screen. 
     The above objects and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best modes for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a sun visor in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 shows a partially cut-away perspective view of a stationary shade member corresponding with FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 shows a partially cut-away perspective view of a movable shade corresponding with the embodiment of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 shows a plan view of a sun visor in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 5 shows a vertical cross-sectional view taken through the sun visor of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a movable shade corresponding with the embodiment of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 7 shows an exploded perspective view of transparent fixed blades and a bottom edge extrusion corresponding with the embodiment of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a clamshell sun visor housing in accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 9 shows an exploded perspective view of a sun visor assembly in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 10 shows an exploded perspective view of a sun visor assembly in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 11 shows a partial exploded view of a fifth embodiment in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 12 shows a cut-away vertical cross-sectional view of a sun screen on a roof glass panel of a vehicle in accordance with a six embodiment of the invention; and 
     FIG. 13 shows a schematic plan view of an adjustment mechanism for the sun screen of FIG.  12 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a first embodiment of a variable shade sun visor  10  is shown in accordance with the present invention. The variable shade sun visor  10  includes a support arm  12  which supports a visor body  14 . The visor body  14  encloses a stationary shade  16  having a support rod  18  which is slidably received within a sleeve  20  which supports the movable shade  22 . 
     An adjuster  27  cooperates with threads  26  on the sleeve  20  for selectively moving the movable shade  22  fore and aft along the visor body  14  with respect to the stationary shade  16  to selectively adjust the position of the dot matrix  26  with respect to the corresponding hole matrix  28  on the stationary shade  16 . 
     When the dot matrix  26  is aligned with the hole matrix  28 , the sun visor  14  is 100% opaque, and when the dot matrix  28  is adjusted to a position out of alignment with the hole matrix  28 , approximately 80% opacity is achieved. The dot matrix  26  and hole matrix  28  may be silk-screened onto the stationary shade  16  and movable shade  22 , which are both translucent sheets. 
     Of course, a variety of configurations are contemplated under the present invention for the arrangement and shape of the dot matrix and hole matrix. Also, the hole matrix  28  may be actual holes through the stationary shade  16 , or may be an opaque pattern  29  which is silk-screened onto a translucent sheet forming the stationary shade  16 . The opaque pattern  29  would be absent in the dots or translucent portions to form the hole matrix  28 . Furthermore, the dot matrix  26  and hole matrix  28  may alternatively be on the stationary or movable component. 
     Additionally, the shape of the dots in the dot matrix  26  and the holes in the hole matrix  28  need not be round. They may be diamond-shaped, square, etc. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 4-8, a second embodiment of a variable shade sun visor  40  is shown. As shown, the variable shade sun visor includes a visor body  42  which houses a variable opacity sun screen  44 . As shown, the variable opacity sun screen  44  comprises a clear film  46  imprinted with a dot matrix  48  and supported by a molded rod  50 . The molded rod  50  is slidably supported within the sleeve  52 , which is an extruded component which supports two transparent fixed blades  54 ,  56 , one of which has a hole pattern imprinted on an inside surface thereof. The sleeve  52  is preferably opaque. The visor body  42  is hinged at the lower edge to form a clamshell-type configuration. 
     In order to adjust the opacity of the sun screen  44 , the clear film  46  is selectively moved longitudinally along the visor body  42  to adjust the dot matrix  48  with respect to a corresponding hole matrix formed on one of the translucent fixed blades  54 ,  56 . 
     FIG. 9 shows an exploded perspective view of a variable shade sun visor  60  in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention, which is a slight variation of that shown in FIGS. 4-8. As shown, the variable shade sun visor  60  includes a non-structural foam body  62 , and the fixed blades  64 ,  66  are molded together as a single component and attached by the detent spring  68  to the arm  70  and bracket  72  for attachment to the vehicle roof. The prior art D-ring is replaced by the rod  74  which is selectively attachable to the vehicle overhead check (not shown). 
     The movable shade  76  is provided with a dot matrix  78 , and a threaded adjuster  80  is provided for selectively adjusting the longitudinal position of the movable shade  76  with respect to the fixed blades  64 ,  66 , one of which will have a hole matrix imprinted thereon. The rod  82  of the movable shade  76  is slidably disposed within the sleeve  84 , which is integral with the fixed blades  64 ,  66 . The fixed blades  64 ,  66  are preferably a thermally formed matte-finished acrylic or other transparent material. 
     The fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 10 differs from the embodiment of FIG. 9 in that the variable shade sun visor  90  includes a structural visor body  92  having a D-ring  94  such that the D-ring and visor body  92  support the load of the sun visor. The visor body  92  is a clamshell member pivoted at the top edge  93 . The fixed blades  96 ,  98  are molded separately and glued together at a bottom edge  100 . The movable blade  102  includes the dot matrix pattern  104  for selective adjustment with respect to a hole pattern on one of the fixed blades  96 ,  98 . A threader adjuster  106  is provided for selectively adjusting the movable blade  102  with respect to the fixed blades  96 ,  98 . Also, the standard detent spring  108  and arm  110  with bracket  112  are also provided. 
     Referring now to FIG. 11, a fifth embodiment of the invention is shown. A frame is comprised of an upper member  201 , a lower member  202 , an inboard endcap  208 , and an outboard endcap  209 . The upper and lower members are preferably extruded out of metal or plastic. Other processes, such as injection molding, may also be used to manufacture the parts. The endcaps are preferably injection molded. At least the upper member  201  and the lower member  202  comprise two slots therein  220  and  221  for receiving the fixed blade  203  and the adjustable blade  204  respectively. The fixed blade  203  is fixed to the upper and lower members  201 ,  202  with, for example, an adhesive. The blades are adjustable by means of a screw adjuster assembly  225  which comprises an adjuster rod  206  having a thread  230 , a bushing  215 , and an adjuster wheel  207 . The thread  230  fits inside protrusion  231  of the movable blade  204 . To prevent movement of the screw adjuster assembly  225 , the screw adjuster assembly abuts endcap  208  and upper member  201 . When the adjuster wheel  207  is turned, the movable blade  204  moves fore and aft in groove  221 . One or more blade rollers  205  may be attached to the movable blade  204  to reduce friction. 
     Alternative to the rollers, a plurality of slots  245  in one blade can be engaged by a matching number of pins  240  protruding from the other blade to align one matrix to the other and prevent excessive friction within the frame components. 
     As discussed above, the fixed blade  203  and the movable blade  204  comprise dot and hole matrices. 
     Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, a sixth embodiment of the invention is shown, wherein an inner movable panel  150  cooperates with an outer glass panel  152  on a vehicle roof  154  to form a sun screen assembly  156 . Preferably, the inner movable panel  150  is provided with a dot matrix thereon, and a hole matrix is silk-screened or otherwise applied to an inside surface  158  of the outer glass panel  152  to provide selective adjustability of the dot matrix with respect to the hole matrix when the movable panel  150  is slid along the outer glass panel  152 . 
     FIG. 12 shows an adjustment lever  160  which provides a long moment arm between a pivot point  162  and an adjustment point  164  to provide minor adjustment of an attachment point  166  which is fixed to the movable shade  150  for selectively moving the movable shade  150  when the adjustment point  164  is actuated by a vehicle occupant to adjust the relationship of the dot matrix and hole matrix for adjusting opacity of the sun screen assembly  156 . 
     While various embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail, those familiar with the art to which this invention relates will recognize various alternative designs and embodiments for practicing the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described herein.