Abstract:
The present invention relates to an attachment device ( 100 ) for the sun visor of a motor vehicle having a receiving housing ( 106 ) mounted on the motor vehicle and a sun visor foot ( 108 ) connectable with the sun visor, wherein the receiving housing ( 106 ) and the sun visor foot ( 108 ) each comprise contacts for producing an electrical connection. The electrical contact of the receiving housing ( 106 ) has a first contact point ( 158 ) and the electrical contact of the sun visor foot ( 108 ) has a second contact point ( 144 ) whereby the first contact point ( 158 ) and the second contact point ( 144 ) are in electrical contact with when the sun visor foot ( 108 ) is mounted in the receiving housing ( 106 ).

Description:
This application is a National Stage Application filed under 35 U.S.C.§ 371 of PCT/EP02/05168, filed on May 10, 2002, which claims priority of EP Application No. EP01113073.9, filed May 29, 2001. 
   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates to an attachment device for mechanically and electrically connecting a sun visor to a motor vehicle. More particularly, to an attachment device having a receiving housing mounted on the motor vehicle and a sun visor foot connectable with the sun visor, wherein the receiving housing and the sun visor foot each comprise contacts for producing an electrical connection. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   As part of a progressive increase in the number of electronic components in a motor vehicle, sun visors are more frequently being manufactured with electronic components. Not only are the sun visors being used as a support for additional operating and display elements (e.g., video displays), but the functioning of the sun visor itself is also being controlled by electronic components. For example, the position of the sun visor may be set by sensors, actuators and control electronics in response to a measured glare. 
   Because of these developments, when the sun visor is attached to the motor vehicle during manufacture, electrical contact between connections provided on the motor vehicle and connections extending out of the sun visor need to be provided in addition to mechanical coupling and fixing. Common attachment devices provided for the electrical connection of the motor vehicle to the sun visor have a loosely suspended plug-in connector for producing an electrical coupling in addition to mechanical attachment of the sun visor. Moreover, an arrangement for attaching a vehicle sun visor to a bodywork component is known from European patent EP 0 808 251 B1, wherein electrical contact is produced between electrical connectors arranged on a mounting clip and associated electrical connectors on a plastic insert. 
   A disadvantage of these attachment devices is that producing the electrical contact requires an additional, often relatively time-consuming, mounting step and additional components. 
   It is therefore desirable to provide an attachment device for a sun visor of a motor vehicle wherein electrical contact is effectuated in the same working step as the mechanical coupling so that the sun visor is attached in a particularly simple, economic manner with as few mounting steps as possible. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   This object is achieved by an attachment device for the sun visor of a motor vehicle having a receiving housing mounted on the motor vehicle and a sun visor foot connectable with the sun visor, wherein the receiving housing and the sun visor foot each comprise contacts for producing an electrical connection. The electrical contact of the receiving housing has a first contact point and the electrical contact of the sun visor foot has a second contact point whereby the first contact point and the second contact point are in electrical contact with when the sun visor foot is mounted in the receiving housing. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the attached drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a sectional view of an attachment device of five-pole construction during the mounting process; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the attachment device of five-pole construction during the mounting process; 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of the attachment device of five-pole construction during the mounting process; 
       FIG. 4  is a side view of the attachment device of five-pole construction in a mounted state; 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the attachment device of five-pole construction prior to mounting; 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a first side of the attachment device of five-pole construction in the mounted state; 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a second side of the attachment device of five-pole construction in the mounted state; 
       FIG. 8  is a side view of a first side of the mounted attachment device of five-pole construction; 
       FIG. 9  is a sectional view along Line A—A of  FIG. 11 ; 
       FIG. 10  is a side view of a second side of the mounted attachment device of five-pole construction; 
       FIG. 11  is a plan view of the attachment device of five-pole construction in the mounted state; 
       FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a third side of the mounted attachment device of five-pole construction; 
       FIG. 13  is a side view of a sheet metal cutout on a motor vehicle for a receiving housing; 
       FIG. 14  is a plan view of the sheet metal cutout of  FIG. 13 ; 
       FIG. 15  is a sectional view along line B—B of  FIG. 14 ; 
       FIG. 16  is a sectional view along line C—C of  FIG. 21 ; 
       FIG. 17  is a plan view of the receiving housing of five-pole construction; 
       FIG. 18  is a side view of a first side of the receiving housing of five-pole construction; 
       FIG. 19  is a side view of a second side of the receiving housing of five-pole construction; 
       FIG. 20  is a side view of a third side of the receiving housing of five-pole construction; 
       FIG. 21  is a plan view of an underside of the receiving housing; 
       FIG. 22  is a perspective view of a bottom of the receiving housing of five-pole construction; 
       FIG. 23  is a perspective view of the receiving housing of five-pole construction; 
       FIG. 24  is a perspective view of the receiving housing of five-pole construction showing a stamped grid in a detached state; 
       FIG. 25  is a perspective view of a six-pole contact housing; 
       FIG. 26  is a perspective view of the six-pole contact housing; 
       FIG. 27  is a perspective view of the contact housing of six-pole construction during mounting of a compression spring contact; 
       FIG. 28  is a side view of the contact housing of six-pole construction; 
       FIG. 29  is a sectional view along line D—D of  FIG. 32 ; 
       FIG. 30  is a side view of the contact housing of six-pole construction; 
       FIG. 31  is a sectional view along line E—E of  FIG. 32 ; 
       FIG. 32  is a plan view of the contact housing of six-pole construction; 
       FIG. 33  is a sectional view along line F—F of  FIG. 32 ; 
       FIG. 34  is a plan view of a compression spring contact; 
       FIG. 35  is a side view of the compression spring contact; 
       FIG. 36  is a perspective view of the compression spring contact; 
       FIG. 37  is a plan view of a stamping strip layout for the compression spring contact; 
       FIG. 38  is a side view of the stamped grid; 
       FIG. 39  is a plan view of the stamped grid; 
       FIG. 40  is a side view of the stamped grid; 
       FIG. 41  is a side view of the stamped grid; 
       FIG. 42  is a perspective view of the stamped grid of five-pole construction; 
       FIG. 43  is a side view of the stamping strip layout for the stamped grid; 
       FIG. 44  is a plan view of the layout of the stamped grid. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Preferred configurations of the invention are described in more detail below. Similar or matching details of the attachment device according to the invention are provided with the same reference numerals in the Figures.  FIGS. 1 to 5  show an attachment device  100  for a motor vehicle sun visor. The attachment device  100  comprises a metal sheet  104 , a receiving housing  106  and a sun visor foot  108 . 
   The metal sheet  104  will now be described in greater detail. Shown in  FIGS. 13 to 15 , the metal sheet  104  has a cut-out provided for the receiving housing  106 . An edge of the cut-out in the metal sheet  104  has a rounded bent-up portion  134  to simplify installation of the receiving housing  106 . Essentially parallel to the cut-out, the metal sheet is formed to have a receptacle  128 . Adjacent the rounded bent-up portion  134  is a bore  122 . Although the metal sheet  104  illustrated is manufactured from a metallic material, another material such as plastic can be used to obtain substantially similar results. 
   The receiving housing  106  will now be described in greater detail. As shown in  FIGS. 21 to 22 , the receiving housing  106  has a projection having a bore  122 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 12 , a limit stop  130  can be provided on the receiving housing  106  adjacent a bearing surface  118  to prevent the hook  116  from being pushed too far through the receiving housing  106  when the hook  116  is engaged in the receiving housing  106 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
   Shown in  FIGS. 16 to 23  and  38  to  44 , the stamped grid  110  is embedded by injection moulding and has individual conductive tracks  111  connected into a network by webs  113 . The webs  113  are necessary for embedding a plurality of parallel conductive tracks in the receiving housing  106  by injection moulding in one working step. The conductive tracks  111  have a contact zone  158  at a first end that is provided for connection with compression spring contacts  112 . At a second end, the conductive tracks  111  comprise a connection zone  160 , forming connections  124  for electrical connection with the motor vehicle. The conductive tracks  111  remain connected by the webs  113  until encapsulated by injection moulding in the receiving housing  106 . After embedding by injection moulding, the webs  113  are separated to ensure electrical isolation of the conductive tracks from one another. The webs  113  may be removed after the injection process through openings in the plastics of the receiving housing  106 . 
   The contact zones  158  of the conductive tracks  111  are preferably gold-plated to ensure particularly good electrical crossover to the compression spring contact  112 . The connection zone  160  is tinned, as is conventional for the contact pins of a plug-in connector. The area  164  is preferably completely tinned. 
   In  FIG. 24  the stamped grid  110  is shown in the detached position next to the receiving housing  106 . The connections  124  extend outwards at the side face of the receiving housing  106  and form plug-in connector  126  for electrical connection with the motor vehicle. In the embodiment shown, the plug-in connector has five poles. Although five poles are illustrated, the plug-in connector may have any number of poles suitable for a given purpose. 
   Shown in  FIG. 1 , the sun visor foot  108  will now be described in greater detail. The sun visor foot  108  has a hook  116 , a contact housing  114 , and compression spring contacts  112 . Shown in  FIGS. 25 to 27 , the contact housing  114  has snap-in lugs  138  and a guide profile  136 . The snap in lugs  138  are provided on a side face to hold the contact housing  114  securely in the sun visor foot  108  by interacting with corresponding snap-in openings  140  on an outer surface of the sun visor foot  108 , shown in  FIG. 3 . The guide profile  136  projects from a side of the contact housing  114  and is guided and held in a corresponding guide channel on the receiving housing  106 . The contact housing  114  is preferably made of injected moulded plastic, but other materials may be used to obtain substantially similar results. 
   The compression spring contact  112  is shown in various views in  FIGS. 34 to 36 . The compression spring contact  112  has a resilient zone  148  cut in a zigzag pattern next to a contact zone  144  and a connection zone  146 . By applying mechanical pressure, which acts on the compression spring contact  112  in the direction  150 , the latter may be resiliently deformed. The resilience is further increased by radii  152 , which are provided at the respective turning points of the zigzagging resilient zone  148 . 
   A portion of the stamping strip from which the compression spring contacts  112  are made is shown in  FIG. 37 . Webs  154  and  156  are removed and singulated after stamping and bending of the compression spring contacts  112 . The connection zone  146  of the compression spring contact  112  is preferably coppered to a layer thickness of 3 to 5 μm. A cobalt-gold layer at least 1.2 μm thick may be applied in the contact zone  144  to achieve better contact with the conductive tracks  111  of the connection housing. 
   The contact housing  114 , holds and insulates the compression spring contacts  112  in a six pole embodiment. Although a six pole embodiment is illustrated, an embodiment with any number of poles is possible.  FIGS. 28 to 33  show different views and sectional images of the contact housing  114  in a six-pole embodiment. The contact housing  114  may also already be equipped with compression spring contacts  112  in the delivery state. 
   The mounting procedure of the sun visor foot  108  to the receiving housing  106  will now be described in greater detail. Shown in  FIGS. 1 to 4 , the receiving housing  106  is received in the cut-out of the metal sheet  104  attached to an inner roof lining  102  of the motor vehicle. The sun visor foot  108  is mounted by introducing the hook  116  into the receiving housing  106  by a tilting movement in the direction represented by arrow  120 . The hook  116  is positioned on the bearing surface  118 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the sun visor foot  108  may be inserted into the receiving housing  106  such that only a very small amount of space is taken up by the sun visor foot  108  in the passenger compartment. 
   In swivelling the sun visor foot  108  into the receiving housing  106 , the compression spring contacts  112  are received into the corresponding receptacles  142  in the contact housing  114 . In the mounted state, the ends of the contact zones  144  of the compression spring contacts  112  project out of the contact housing  114  and are pressed against the conductive tracks  111  of the stamped grid  110  and fixed by axial pressure. Connecting cables (not shown) extend out of the sun visor and may be connected to the connection zone  146  of the compression spring contacts  112 . During this process, the electrical contact between the stamped grid  110  and the compression spring contacts  112  is closed in a self-adjusting manner. The sun visor foot  108  is mechanically fixed to the releasing housing  106  via a screw (not shown) that extends through the bores  122  provided in the metal sheet  104  and the releasing housing  106 . As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the plug-in connector  126  with the conductive track connections  124  is embedded in the receptacle  128  in the metal sheet  104 , such that cables may be connected which run between the inner roof lining  102  and the metal sheet  104 . 
   In the attachment device  100 , the receiving housing  106  mechanically fixes and electrically contacts the sun visor foot  108 . In the mounted state, compression spring contacts  112  of the sun visor foot  108  contact free contact surfaces on a stamped grid  110 . The stamped grid  110  is embedded in the receiving housing  106  by injection moulding. An arm of the sun visor (not shown) is mechanically fixed in a receptacle  109  having electrical connections (not shown) extending therefrom. Thus, an attachment device for a sun visor of a motor vehicle is provided wherein electrical contact is effectuated in the same working step as the mechanical coupling so that the sun visor is attached in a particularly simple and economical manner with as few mounting steps as possible. 
   The foregoing illustrates some of the possibilities for practicing the invention. Many other embodiments are possible within the scope and spirit of the invention. It is, therefore, intended that the foregoing description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and that the scope of the invention is given by the appended claims together with their full range of equivalents.