Abstract:
The sunglasses configuration car visor is formed of a closed, completely surrounding frame having a translucent lens or panel removably installed therein. The device may be provided as a pair of mirror image units for removable attachment to the conventional opaque left/right sun visors in a motor vehicle. When deployed, such a pair of translucent, shaded lenses or panels has the appearance of a pair of sunglasses disposed immediately inside the vehicle windshield. The frames have visor attachment clips extending therefrom, with the clips pivotally attached to the frame of the device. This allows the visors to be deployed or retracted independently of the permanently installed opaque visor in the vehicle. The interchangeability of various lenses or panels allows the user to switch to lenses of different gradients depending upon conditions, and/or to display a scene, message, etc. on a partially silvered lens or panel.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates generally to car visors and attachments to car visors. More specifically, the sunglasses configuration car visor is a sun shade that is configured to have the appearance of sunglasses and that attaches to a conventional vehicle sun visor and is used in lieu thereof.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Both sun glare in daylight and headlight glare at night can be extremely hazardous to motorists. All automobiles are equipped with sun visors, but these original equipment components are universally formed of opaque materials. While they may be pivoted upwardly out of the driver&#39;s line of sight, they do nothing to reduce glare when in their retracted state. When lowered, conventional opaque visors not only block the glare, but also the driver&#39;s or passenger&#39;s field of view. While existing opaque sun visors can be of assistance in reducing glare, their “all or nothing” operation is less than optimal.  
         [0005]     Various attempts have been made to improve car visors. Examples of such attempts include Japanese Patent No. 3-239,629, published on Oct. 25, 1992, describing (according to the drawings and English abstract) a permanently installed, opaque panel (the abstract calls this panel a “blind”), which extends from a slot or receptacle within a specially configured opaque sun visor. A similar mechanism is described (again, according to the drawings and English abstract) in German Patent No. 4,023,377, published on Jan. 30, 1992, having a flexible panel extending from a hollow receptacle within a specially configured opaque visor. The panel is frictionally held in position by being flexibly gripped between adjacent rollers. Still another example is found in German Patent No. 4,323,502, published on Jan. 19, 1995. The &#39;502 German Patent describes (according to the drawings and English abstract) various embodiments of a visor extension contained within a hollow receptacle within a specially constructed sun visor. The device may comprise a series of interlinked panels, a roller blind (apparently opaque), or an accordion folded device.  
         [0006]     None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a sunglasses configuration car visor solving the aforementioned problems is desired.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The sunglasses configuration car visor comprises various embodiments of a completely encircling frame having various compatibly shaped translucent panels or lenses, which may be interchangeably installed within the frame. The device may be provided in a pair of mirror image units for removable placement upon the existing opaque visors in a motor vehicle. When deployed, such mirror image units take on the appearance of a large pair of sunglasses disposed immediately inside the windshield of the vehicle. The function of the present visor is somewhat akin to that of sunglasses as well, i.e., to reduce glare without obstructing the view. Clips are provided to allow removable attachment to the existing opaque sun visors in the vehicle. A hinge or pivot mechanism between the clips and the frame allows each frame and its lens or panel to be pivoted out of view or into the visual path without requiring the lowering of the conventional visor. The device may be operated independently of the existing sun visor, depending upon how it is attached to the existing visor.  
         [0008]     The device is configured to allow the lenses or translucent panels to be removed and replaced within their respective frames. This allows the user to exchange the lenses or panels as desired for different conditions, e.g., a darker gradient for driving in snow country on a clear day, an amber tint for fog and haze, different polarities, etc. The translucent panels may also be partially coated with a pattern or design visible upon the outwardly facing surface.  
         [0009]     These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  is an environmental, perspective view of a sunglasses configuration car visor pair according to the present invention, deployed from the conventional opaque sun visors in an automobile.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a front elevation view of a first embodiment of a single panel of the present sunglasses configuration visor, showing various details thereof.  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is an environmental perspective view of a first embodiment visor panel, showing its installation and deployment on a conventional opaque vehicle sun visor.  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment sunglasses configuration sun visor panel, showing the hinge mechanism and other features.  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is an exploded rear perspective view of another embodiment of the sunglasses configuration sun visor, showing the interchangeable lens panel system.  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  is a side elevation view in section of the assembled embodiment of  FIG. 5 , showing the retention of the lens panel within the frame and other features. 
     
    
       [0016]     Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0017]     The sunglasses configuration car visor comprises removable attachment to the primary sun visor in a motor vehicle. The device may be used in pairs, with each side being a mirror image of the other in order to resemble a pair of sunglasses disposed within the windshield of the automobile when deployed.  
         [0018]      FIGS. 1 through 3  illustrate the general configuration and operation of a first embodiment of the sunglasses configuration car visor, designated by the reference numeral  10   a  (for the left side, as viewed from within the vehicle) and  10   b  (for the right side). Visors  10   a  and  10   b  each include a continuous, closed frame  12   a ,  12   b  having a continuous, forwardly disposed peripheral lens panel retaining flange  14   a  ( FIG. 2 ) and  14   b  ( FIG. 3 ) therearound. The opposite rearward portions of the frames each include a plurality of panel retaining clips  16  disposed therearound, with the forward panel retaining flanges  14   a ,  14   b  and their respective clips  16  defining a lens panel retaining channel  18  ( FIG. 3 ) therebetween. Alternatively, the clips  16  could be formed as a continuous flange to form a continuous channel, if the lens panel(s) and frame are formed of materials having sufficient flexibility.  
         [0019]     Each visor  10   a  and  10   b  may include at least one translucent or transparent lens panel, respectively  20   a  and  20   b , removably installed therein. The lens panels  20   a  and  20   b  are shaped or configured to be closely congruent with the channels  18  of their respective frames  12   a  and  12   b . It will be seen that while a limited number of different frame and lens panel configurations are illustrated in the drawings, there is no practicable limit to the different frame and lens shapes and configurations which may be used to form the present supplementary visors. The frames and lenses may be inwardly tapered, as shown in  FIGS. 1 through 3 , or circular, oval, generally squared with rounded or squared corners, and/or may include additional elements, as desired.  
         [0020]     The lens panels  20   a  and  20   b  do not include any refractive correction, but are formed as optically flat units in order to avoid visual distortion when the devices are deployed. However, they may include various different optical properties, such as different color tints, different densities or gradients, different degrees of polarization, etc. For example, a user of the visors  10   a  and  10   b  may be traveling from late afternoon into darkness, and may stop to exchange a relatively dark gradient lens for use in bright sunlight for a clear, polarized lens to reduce headlight glare. The lens panels  20   a  and  20   b  are quickly and easily interchanged in their frames  12   a  and  12   b  merely by flexing the flexible plastic lens material and/or frame or clip material as required to release the lens panels from their respective frames, and snapping a different pair of lens panels in place in the frames.  
         [0021]     The visors  10   a  and  10   b  are removably attached to the respective left and right side visors VL and VR by a clip structure. The attachment clip mechanism is essentially the same for each visor  10   a  and  10   b , and comprises a pair of opposed hinge leaves  22  extending from the attachment edge of each frame  12   a  and  12   b . A lateral hinge pin or pintle  24  extends between the two leaves  22  of each attachment assembly, with a pair of visor clips  26  extending from the pivot rod  24 . The visor clips  26  each comprise a pair of generally parallel members that pass to each side of the conventional, permanently installed visor in the vehicle to sandwich the visor therebetween and secure the supplemental visor  10   a  or  10   b  to the original equipment visor VL or VR of the vehicle. The attachment mechanisms are preferably secured over the hinged attachment side or edge of the original visors, allowing the original visors VL and VR and the visors  10   a  and  10   b  to operate essentially independently of one another as desired, with the original visors VL and VR and visors  10   a  and  10   b  thus having substantially the same hinge line. Thus, the original visor VL or VR may be lowered with the visor  10   a  or  10   b  adjacent thereto, or the visor  10   a  or  10   b  may be lowered with the original visor VL or VR remaining retracted, or both visors may be placed in their uppermost, retracted positions as desired.  
         [0022]      FIG. 4  illustrates another embodiment of the sunglasses configuration car visor, designated as visor  110 . The visor  110  includes a closed, continuous frame  112  including a forward lens retaining flange and a series of clips defining a channel between the flange and clips. The flange, clips and channel are not shown in  FIG. 4 , but are substantially similar to the configuration shown in  FIG. 3  for the embodiment  10 . The frame may take on any practicable configuration as desired, as noted further above. The frame  110  of  FIG. 4  will be seen to have a configuration resembling a series of bones assembled to form a closed frame, with a series of rib-like bone segments extending inwardly from each lateral member. These relatively shorter segments may serve as the front retaining members for the lens panel  120 , if so desired. The lens panel  120  is closely congruent with the retaining channel (not shown in  FIG. 4 ) of the frame  112  and may have any desired optical properties, e.g. different tints or gradients, polarization, etc., as desired.  
         [0023]     The visor attachment mechanism of the embodiment  110  differs from that of the embodiment  10 . However, the two different attachment mechanisms may be used interchangeably with either embodiment, as desired. The attachment mechanism of the embodiment  110  of  FIG. 4  includes a frame attachment component  122  generally comprising an elongate member having opposed upturned pivots  124   a  extending therefrom. A visor clip  126  comprises a pair of spaced apart leaves which sandwich the existing automobile sun visor therebetween to secure the visor  110  removably thereto. The visor clip  126  includes a pair of opposed pivots  124   b , which grip the pivots  124   a  of the frame attachment component  122  frictionally therebetween to retain the supplemental visor assembly  110  in a raised, lowered, or intermediate position relative to the original equipment visor.  
         [0024]      FIGS. 5 and 6  illustrate yet another embodiment of the sunglasses configuration car visor, designated as visor  210 . The visor  210  has a generally rectangular frame  212  including a forward lens retaining flange  214  and a series of rearwardly disposed lens retaining clips  216  defining a series of short lens retaining channels  218  therebetween. As in the other embodiments, the clips could be formed as a continuous flange to define a continuous peripheral channel with sufficient lens and frame flexibility.  
         [0025]     The translucent lens panel  220  differs from the panels  20  and  120  of the other embodiments discussed further above. The panel  220  includes a “half silvered” front surface defining a pattern  220   a  (e.g., U.S. flag) thereon. It will be understood that the term “half silvered” refers to a conventional technique of applying a relatively light reflective coating to a transparent or translucent surface, causing the surface to be substantially reflective when viewed from a relatively lighter side while being translucent when viewed from a relatively darker side. Various techniques are known for providing such properties, and most such techniques permit the translucent coating to include some form of pattern, decorative design motif, or other visible element(s) thereon. The “half silvered” translucent lens panel  220  of  FIG. 5  (shown in broken lines in the frame  212  of  FIG. 6 ) may include one or more elements, e.g., the U.S. flag  220   a  illustrated, or other flags or national symbols, landscapes, personalities, occupational or club membership logos, sports team names or logos, geometric or non-geometric figures, etc., as desired.  
         [0026]     The visor  210  may be removably attached to the conventional or original equipment visor of a motor vehicle by means of a hinge or pivot clip assembly much like that of the embodiment of  FIG. 4 , comprising a frame attachment bracket or component  222  having a pair of opposed pivots  224   a  and a visor attachment clip  226  having a pair of pivots  224   b  which frictionally grip the frame bracket clips  224   a  therebetween. The clips  224   a  and  224   b , as well as the clips  124   a  and  124   b , could be configured oppositely to the above description, if so desired, i.e., the components  124   b  or  224   b  could be gripped between their counterparts  224   a  or  224   b . Alternatively, the clip arrangement illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 3  could be applied to the embodiment  210  of  FIGS. 5 and 6 , or any other embodiment of the sunglasses configuration car visor.  
         [0027]     In conclusion, the sunglasses configuration car visor provides a means of reducing solar glare, headlight glare from oncoming cars at night, and/or any other unwanted light, without blocking the view of the driver or passenger. The visor may be provided in mirror image pairs and removably clipped to the existing opaque visors in a motor vehicle in order to provide the appearance of a pair of sunglasses disposed within the windshield of the motor vehicle when both are lowered together. The visor may take on virtually any practicable form desired, just as in the case of conventional sunglasses worn upon the face of a user. Decorative motifs, advertising, sports and occupational names and logos, designs indicating certain interests or personality traits, etc., may be used in the frame configurations as desired. Alternatively, the frames may be formed to have a relatively unobtrusive configuration and covered or otherwise provided with material closely matching the existing visor and/or other interior materials of the vehicle, e.g., cloth, vinyl, leather, etc, as desired. The lens panels may also be treated in much the same manner by means of applying a translucent pattern or design to one surface thereof.  
         [0028]     It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.