Abstract:
A sun visor assembly having a core member comprising an integral visor clip assembly. The sun visor is formed from either a substantially flat foundation that is folded unto itself, thereby forming two foundation halves, or from a pair of discreet foundation halves. The edge of the foundation, whether it comprises a single member folded unto itself or a pair of discreet halves, is shaped to correspond to the visor clip assembly, such that the foundation does not have to be cut-out to accommodate the visor clip assembly. This obviates the need to stretch and pull the upholstery cover through cutout portions in the foundation, thereby leading to a more efficient and less complex assembly of the sun visor.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/761,445, entitled SUN VISOR ASSEMBLY WITH NON-EXPANDING ADHESIVE, filed on Jan. 17, 2001, now abandoned which is continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/515,315, entitled SUN VISOR ASSEMBLY HAVING A ROUNDED EDGE, filed on Feb. 29, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,467. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to sun visors for vehicles, and, in particular, to a sun visor having a rounded edge along at least a portion of the periphery thereof. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Over the past several decades, automobile designs have become safer in many respects, one of which relates to the interior compartment the driver and passengers occupy. Specifically, the design of dash boards, steering wheels, handles, control knobs and other interior components has become smoother and softer. Generally speaking, hard, protruding surfaces have been replaced with softer, rounded surfaces wherever possible. One interior component which has undergone such improvements is the sun visor. 
     One sun visor design is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,118 (Crotty, III), owned by the assignee of the present invention and hereby incorporated by reference. The design disclosed in the &#39;118 patent involves an outer cover assembly, which folds unto itself and sandwiches a core member therebetween. The exterior cover assembly is made of a cloth or vinyl upholstery covering, which is adhesively bonded to a semi-rigid foundation, typically formed of kraft paper. The upholstery cover is made larger than the foundation and thereby folds around the edges of the foundation. Thus, when the sun visor is folded in half, the outer edges of the cover assembly are sandwiched together and define the profile of the sun visor. The core member is disposed between the foundation halves and connects to a rod, which in turn connects to the interior headliner of the vehicle. 
     A disadvantage associated with such known sun visor designs is that, because portions must be cut out of the foundation to accommodate the visor clip support and visor clip pin, the upholstery cover must be stretched and pulled through these cut out portions during manufacture of the sun visor. 
     Another known sun visor design involves a cardboard butterfly inner support which is covered with a decorative material. The butterfly is folded to form opposing edges, and a foam urethane adhesive is used to both bind the sides of the butterfly together and to secure the decorative material in place. The foam adhesive contacts the edge of the decorative material contained within the folded butterfly and fixes it in place. As the foam adhesive cures, it expands to form a rigid foam member which forms a stiffening member for the visor. 
     There are several problems associated with the use of foam adhesives in the assembly of sun visors. For instance, foam adhesives expand during the application process, thus causing the foam adhesive to seep outside the edges of the sun visor when the butterfly is folded to form opposing sides. This results in not only a messy application, but also results in the foam adhesive coming into contact with, and possibly staining or discoloring the decorative material, which covers the exterior surface of the sun visor assembly. 
     The rigidity exhibited by foam adhesives also creates a disadvantage when used in the assembly of sun visors. When force is exerted upon a sun visor assembled with a foam adhesive stiffening member, the foam adhesive stiffening member and/or the surface upon which it is applied are likely to crack and break rather than bend. 
     A further problem associated with the use of foam adhesives is that they typically require mixing by an impingement mixer. An impingement mixer is extremely costly and requires a great deal of maintenance, therefore resulting in a higher cost of production for sun visors assembled using foam adhesives. 
     It is desirable to improve upon the above-referenced designs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a sun visor having a rounded member that partially defines the outer periphery of the sun visor. The rounded member avoids the undesirable bifurcated shape of the edge formed when two cover halves of a foldable foundation are sandwiched together, as occurs in prior art sun visors. A non-expanding adhesive is applied around the interior periphery of the foundation, intermediate the foundation halves, and bonds the halves together. The non-expanding adhesive provides a sun visor assembly which is flexible enough to bend under the application of pressure, yet rigid enough to perform its desired function. Additionally, the non-expanding adhesive utilized in the present invention is viscous, making it convenient and non-messy to use when assembling the sun visor. 
     The basic design of a sun visor as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,118 has certain advantages in terms of production costs, functionality and reliability. Moreover, the design disclosed in the &#39;118 patent has gained a solid reputation throughout the automotive industry. However, international authorities have recently promulgated regulations which impose design constraints on sun visors. One particular restriction requires the contactable edges of non-rigid parts to have a radius of not less than 3.2 mm. Such a requirement poses a design problem with the type of sun visor disclosed in the &#39;118 patent, which problem is addressed by the present invention. 
     In one form thereof, the present invention provides a sun visor assembly comprising a substantially flat foundation folded unto itself thereby forming two foundation halves. The halves have corresponding shapes that define an edge of the sun visor. An upholstery cover covers the foundation and forms an exterior surface of the sun visor. A bead member is attached to the foundation and is positioned proximate the edge, the bead member comprising a rounded member whose surface comprises a substantially semicircular cross section. The surface faces away from the sun visor, whereby the edge comprises a radius. 
     In another form thereof, the bead member further comprises a stem member extending from the rounded member, the stem member having a substantially flat surface disposed adjacent one of the halves and connected thereto. The stem member comprises a stake extending therefrom, the stake extending through the one half and heat fused thereto, whereby the stake secures the bead member to the foundation. 
     In another form, the stem member comprises a pair of stem members, a first one of the pair abutting the first half and a second one of the pair abutting the second half More preferably, the first and said second ones of the pair of stem members abut outside surfaces of the foundation halves. 
     In another form thereof, the present invention provides a sun visor assembly comprising a substantially flat foundation folded unto itself thereby forming two foundation halves. The halves have corresponding shapes that define an edge of the sun visor. An upholstery cover extends over the foundation and forms an exterior surface of the sun visor. A non-expanding adhesive is applied around the interior periphery of the foundation, intermediate the foundation halves. The adhesive bonds the foundation halves together. 
     In another form thereof, the present invention provides a sun visor assembly comprising a substantially flat foundation that includes a pair of discreet foundation halves. A core member is disposed between the foundation halves and includes a bead member positioned proximate the edge of the core member. 
     In another form thereof, the present invention provides a sun visor assembly comprising a substantially flat foundation member defining a first side of the sun visor assembly. A core member defines a second side of the sun visor assembly and includes an integral clip assembly for attaching the sun visor assembly to the roof of a vehicle. The second side of the sun visor assembly is opposite the first side of the sun visor assembly and the core member is attached to the foundation member. 
     In yet another form thereof, the present invention provides a sun visor assembly comprising a substantially flat foundation folded unto itself, thereby forming two foundation halves. The halves have substantially corresponding shapes that define an edge of the sun visor. A core member is disposed between the foundation halves and includes an integral clip assembly for attaching the sun visor assembly to the roof of a vehicle. 
     An advantage of the present invention is that it provides a sun visor having a rounded periphery which is safer for the occupant of the vehicle. 
     Another advantage of the present invention is that its design is compatible with prior art sun visor designs and manufacturing processes. Thus, the sun visor provided by the present invention is cost effective to produce. 
     Another advantage of the present invention is that the use of the non-expanding adhesive allows for the neat and convenient production of the sun visor assembly. Because the adhesive of the present invention is non-expanding and viscous, it does not flow out of the sun visor assembly when the sun visor assembly is clamped together. While the adhesive does elongate and come into contact with the edge of the upholstery which is folded around the periphery of the foundation, it does not increase in volume in the manner that foam adhesives do. 
     Another advantage offered by the use of the non-expanding adhesive is that the adhesive is very tolerant of temperature fluctuations, allowing the visor assembly process to be carried out over a wide range of temperature and humidity conditions. Additionally, the inventors have found that the non-expanding adhesive sticks better to kraft paper and to upholstery than does the foaming adhesive. 
     Still another advantage of the present invention is that the use of the non-expanding adhesive allows for a sun visor assembly having a relatively high degree of flexibility, thus allowing the sun visor assembly to bend rather than break upon the application of pressure. The non-expanding adhesive exhibits a modulus stretch of at least 30%, making it an ideal adhesive for application to a sun visor assembly. 
     Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the use of non-expanding adhesive does not require the use of expensive mixing equipment, as does the foam adhesive used previously. 
     A further advantage of the non-expanding adhesive of the present invention is that it is non-wicking, meaning that should it come into contact with one side of the upholstery, it will not stain or discolor the reverse side of the upholstery. 
     An advantage of a core member that defines an integral visor clip and visor support pin is the simplification of the manufacturing process of the sun visor assembly. Specifically, with such a construction, there is no need to cut an opening in the foundation for the visor clip or the visor support pin, and therefore no need to stretch and pull the edge portion of the upholstery cover through the cut out portions therein. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The advantages and objects of this invention and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art sun visor; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view partially broken away of a sun visor in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 a  is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the portion indicated in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along lines  3 — 3  of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the portion of the sun visor indicated in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a plan view of the core member of one disclosed embodiment; 
     FIG. 6 is a plan view of a core member of a second disclosed embodiment; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second embodiment incorporating the present invention shown with parts of the cover assembly broken away; 
     FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the sun visor of FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the sun visor of FIGS. 7 and 8; 
     FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a third embodiment incorporating the present invention; 
     FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the visor of FIG. 10, shown with only part of the cover folded over the edge of the foundation layer to illustrate the heat stake technology, and is shown with only some of the stakes being “fused” to the foundation; 
     FIGS. 12 a  and  12   b  are fragmentary sectional views illustrating a heat stake embodied by the present invention, before and after fusion, respectively; 
     FIG. 13 is a sectional view of the visor shown in FIGS. 11 and 12; 
     FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the visor shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 and is shown partly in section to illustrate the bead member sections embodying the present invention; 
     FIG. 15 is a sectional view of a fourth embodiment of the present invention, wherein the foundation layer includes an integrally formed radius edge; 
     FIG. 15 a  is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating an alternate mating engagement between the peripheral portions which define the rounded edge of the sun visor; 
     FIG. 16 is a plan view of a bottom die used to form the radius edge on the foundation of the sun visor assembly shown in FIG. 15; 
     FIG. 17 is a plan view of a top die used to form the radius edge on the foundation of the sun visor assembly shown in FIG. 15; 
     FIG. 18 is a cross sectional view exploded away which depicts the formation of the radius in the foundation of the sun visor assembly using the dies shown in FIGS. 16 and 17; 
     FIG. 19 is a perspective view depicting the application of the non-expanding adhesive to a portion of the foundation of a sun visor assembly; 
     FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a sun visor assembly with a portion of the jig and one side of the visor assembly broken away to illustrate the adhesive coming into contact with both the foundation and the upholstery; 
     FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a sun visor assembly including two separate foundation halves which may be attached in the same manner as illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20; 
     FIG. 22 is an exploded perspective view of a sun visor having two distinct foundation halves; 
     FIG. 23 is a cross sectional view taken along lines  23 — 23  of FIG. 22; 
     FIG. 24 is a cross sectional view taken along lines  24 — 24  of FIG. 22; 
     FIG. 25 is an exploded perspective view of a sun visor having a core defining an integral visor clip support and visor clip pin; 
     FIG. 26 is a cross sectional view taken along lines  26 — 26  of FIG. 25; 
     FIG. 27 is a cross sectional view taken along lines  27 — 27  of FIG. 25; 
     FIG. 28 is an exploded perspective view of a sun visor including a core member and a single foundation half; 
     FIG. 29 is a cross sectional view taken along lines  29 — 29  of FIG. 28; 
     FIG. 30 is a cross sectional view taken along lines  30 — 30  of FIG. 28; and 
     FIG. 31 is a rear perspective view of the sun visor of FIGS. 28-30. 
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the drawings represent embodiments of the invention, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated or omitted in order to better illustrate and explain the present invention 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to FIG. 1, prior art sun visor  10  includes outer shell assembly  12 . The shell is typically formed of a rigid or semi-rigid foundation (not shown) having an upholstery material adhesively bonded thereto. The cover assembly folds unto itself and a core member which attaches to rod  14  is disposed therebetween. Edge  16 , which partially defines the periphery of the sun visor, is somewhat undesirable because it is not round. Instead, edge  16  is formed of two corresponding edges of outer assembly  12  which are sewn or adhesively bonded together. A design similar to that shown in FIG. 1 is disclosed and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,118, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     FIG. 2 depicts an embodiment in accordance with the present invention. Sun visor assembly  20  includes an outer shell assembly  22  which is made up of upholstery cover  24  overlaying and adhesively bonded to foundation  26  as can be better seen in FIGS. 2 a  and  3 . Foundation  26  is substantially flat and is folded unto itself thereby forming two foundation halves  30 . Halves  30  have corresponding shapes that define the edge  29  of sun visor assembly  20 . 
     Upholstery cover  24  is larger than foundation  26  so that upholstery  24  can be folded around the edges of foundation  26 , whereby foundation  26  is totally covered by upholstery  24 . Cover assembly  22  can be folded unto itself into two halves  30 . Core member  28  is disposed between two halves  30 , and is substantially covered by cover assembly  22 . Core member  28  further includes a bead member  31  integrally formed at the periphery of core member  28 . Bead member  31  includes a stem member  32 , which is shown in FIG. 2 as a substantially flat rectangular portion of core member  28  formed about the outer periphery thereof. As shown in FIGS. 2 a  and  3 , core member  28  is sandwiched between halves  30  of outer shell  22 . 
     Advantageously, bead member  31  includes rounded member  34  integrally formed therewith. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 3, stem member  32  terminates substantially in the middle of flat portion  36  of rounded member  34 . Corresponding edges  46  (FIG. 4) of cover assembly  22  are positioned adjacent flat portion  36 . More particularly, flat portion  36  abuts upholstery material  24  of cover assembly  22  whereas the surface of rounded member  34  faces away from sun visor assembly  20 . As shown in FIG. 2, rounded member  34  partially defines the outer edge of sun visor assembly  20 , thereby forming a smooth periphery. By contrast, in a prior art sunvisor such as that shown in FIG. 1, the edges of the cover assembly are joined together to form a somewhat flat, bifurcated edge  16  as shown in FIG.  1 . Advantageously, externally disposed rounded member  34  eliminates prior art edge  16 . It can thus be appreciated that rounded member  34  forms a smoother peripheral surface than the prior art sun visor shown in FIG.  1 . 
     The manner of making sun visor assembly  20  is known in the art and therefore need not be described in detail herein. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,118, owned by the assignee of the present application and hereby incorporated by reference, discloses a sun visor having a foldable outer cover assembly and a core member covered by the cover assembly. 
     Rounded member  34  can be used with various sun visor/core member configurations. For example, FIG. 5 illustrates core member  28  having reinforcing ribs  38 , stem member  32  and rounded member  34 . Hinge block  40  is attached to core member  28  and receives rod  14  which is adapted to attach to a vehicle headliner (not shown). In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, hinge block  40  can rotate about rod  14  but cannot slide relative thereto. A hinge block  40  like that shown in FIG. 5 is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,985, which is owned by the assignee of the present invention and is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     FIG. 6 illustrates an alternate embodiment of hinge block  40  also similar to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,985. Core member  28  includes cylindrical rail  42  which slides within projecting arms  44  of hinge block  40 . Thus, core member  28  can slide relative to hinge block  40  and rod  14 , as shown in FIG.  6 . 
     Outer assembly  22  can be made from any number of upholstery and foundation materials. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,005, which is owned by the assignee of the present invention and is hereby incorporated by reference, discloses a foundation material of expanded polypropylene (EPP) to which the cover material is bonded. Core member  28 , such as that shown in either FIGS. 5 or  6 , including rounded member  34  would perform suitably well with the EPP foundation disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,005. 
     Turning now to FIGS. 7-9, sun visor assembly  100  represents a second embodiment incorporating the present invention. Visor assembly  100  includes a substantially flat foundation  102  folded unto itself thereby forming two foundation halves  104  and  106  (FIG.  9 ). Halves  104  and  106  have corresponding shapes that define edge  108  of said visor assembly  100 . Foundation layer  102  is typically formed of kraft paper, as is well-known in the art. An upholstery cover  110  covers foundation layer  102  and forms an exterior surface of visor assembly  100 . 
     A bead member  112  is attached to foundation  102  and is positioned proximate edge  108 . Referring to FIG. 9, it can be appreciated that bead member  112  is actually formed of two substantially identical integrally formed bead member sections  114  and  116 . Section  114  includes a stem  118  abutting foundation half  104  and section  116  includes a stem  120  abutting half  106 . With further reference to FIG. 9, each of the sections  114  and  116  includes a square groove  122  which receives an edge of foundation  102  by means of a friction fit, which secures bead member sections  114  and  116  to the foundation. 
     As can be further appreciated from FIG. 9, bead member sections  114  and  116  are formed with substantially symmetrical bulbous portions  124  and  126 , respectively. Bulbous portions  124  and  126  are aligned with and pressed against one another and together define a rounded member  128 . That is, instead of a unitary rounded member  34  as described with reference to FIGS. 1-6, rounded member  128  is formed from the two separate bulbous portions  124  and  126 . Cover  110  envelops bulbous portions  124  and  126  and bulbous portions  124  and  126  sandwich cover  110  therebetween. As can be appreciated with reference to FIG. 9, the surface of rounded member  128  is of substantially semicircular cross section which faces away from the sun visor, such that the edge of the sun visor forms a radius. It is to be understood, for purposes of this specification, that the term “semicircular” is to be construed broadly to include a surface substantially resembling an arc. For example, rounded member  128  is formed from two discrete bulbous portions  114  and  116 , and cover  110  is disposed between bulbous portions  114  and  116 . Yet bulbous portions  114  and  116  combine to form a surface having a semicircular cross section as that term is defined in this specification. 
     Adhesive applied around the inside periphery of the cover or other means known in the art can be employed to adhere the cover to the remainder of the visor assembly. It is also contemplated that the cover may be sonic or vibratory welded to the visor assembly. The same or additional adhesive can be employed to adhere the two halves of the “clam-shell” visor together, thereby maintaining the sun visor in the assembled configuration shown in FIG.  9 . 
     In the design shown in FIG. 9, the assembly is performed as is conventionally known, except that it includes the additional step of securing the bead member sections  114  and  116  to foundation halves  104  and  106 , respectively, before cover  110  is attached to foundation  102 . 
     Turning now to FIGS. 10-14, sun visor assembly  200  represents a third embodiment incorporating the present invention. Visor assembly  200  includes a substantially flat foundation  202  folded unto itself thereby forming two foundation halves  204  and  206  (shown unfolded in FIGS.  10  and  11 ). Halves  204  and  206  have corresponding shapes that, when folded together, define edge  208  (FIG. 14) of visor assembly  200 . Foundation layer  202  is typically formed of kraft paper, as is well-known in the art. However, the foundation material may also consist of “Superwood®,” (a registered trademark of Georgia-Pacific Corporation) which is a type of hardboard available from Georgia-Pacific Corporation of Duluth, Minn. and Superior, Wis. Alternative foundation materials such as other types of hardboard, kraft paper, and plastic may also be used. 
     An upholstery cover  210  covers foundation layer  202  and forms an exterior surface of visor assembly  200 . Cutouts  211  and  213  are formed in foundation  202  to accommodate a vanity mirror and a clip assembly, respectively, as is known in the art. 
     Again referring to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 10-14, it can be appreciated that two substantially identical integrally formed bead member sections  214  and  216  are pressed together to form a bead member  212  (FIGS. 13 and 14) that partially defines the edge  208  of sun visor  200 . With further reference to FIGS. 13 and 14, section  214  includes a stem  218  abutting the outside of foundation half  204  and section  216  includes a stem  220  abutting half  206 . By contrast, stems  118  and  120  of the second embodiment, described hereinabove with reference to FIGS. 7-9, abut the inside of foundation halves  104  and  106 , respectively. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, both of bead member sections  214  and  216  include a cutout  215  so that the rounded flap portion of the visor can be bent along crease lines  217  (FIG.  11 ). 
     With further reference to FIGS. 10-14, and particularly FIGS. 12 a  and  12   b , stems  218  and  220  of bead member sections  214  and  216 , respectively, include a plurality of stakes  222  extending therefrom. Stakes  220  fit through corresponding apertures  223  (FIG. 10) formed in foundation layer  202 . FIG. 12 a  illustrates a stake  222  prior to fusion whereas FIG. 12 b  illustrates a stake  222  after heat has been applied thereto. FIG. 11 depicts some of the stakes being heat fused and others prior to heat fusion. As the plastic material, which is preferably polypropylene or ABS plastic, melts during heat staking, it flows downward by the force of gravity toward the foundation  202  and forms a cap  225  that locks stem  220  against foundation  202  and thereby secures the bead member sections  214  and  216  to foundation  202 . As can be appreciated with reference to FIG. 14, stakes  222  on opposite stems point toward one another, toward the middle of the sun visor assembly. 
     The production process of sun visor  200  is substantially the same as is known in the art, except that it includes the additional step of securing bead member sections  214  and  216  to foundation  202  using heat stake technology before securing cover  210  to the foundation. 
     As can be further appreciated from FIGS. 13 and 14, bead member sections  214  and  216  are formed with substantially symmetrical bulbous portions  224  and  226 , respectively. Bulbous portions  224  and  226  are aligned with one another and together define a rounded member  228 . Cover  210  envelops bulbous portions  224  and  226  and bulbous portions  224  and  226  sandwich cover  210  therebetween. As can be appreciated with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14, the surface of rounded member  228  is of substantially semicircular cross section and faces away from the sun visor, such that the edge of the sun visor forms a radius. It is preferable that the radius formed by the cross sectional surface of rounded member  228  be at least 3.2 mm, more preferably at least 3.5 mm. 
     Adhesive applied around the inside periphery of the cover or other means known in the art can be employed to adhere the two halves of the “clam-shell” visor together, thereby maintaining the sun visor in the assembled configuration shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. 
     Turning now to FIGS. 15-18, sun visor assembly  300  includes a substantially flat foundation  302  preferably formed from kraft paper and which is folded unto itself, thereby forming foundation halves  304  and  306 . As in the embodiments disclosed above, sun visor  300  includes an upholstery cover  308  which covers foundation  302  and forms an exterior surface of sun visor  300 . 
     As shown in FIG. 15, half  304  and half  306  each include an integrally formed rounded periphery portion, shown as periphery portions  310  and  312 , respectively. Portions  310  and  312  “mate” with one another to form a rounded member, or edge  314 , whose cross-section is semicircular, as that term is defined hereinabove. The term “mate,” as used herein, is to be construed broadly to include variations in the way in which periphery portions  310  and  312  may align with one another in an assembled sun visor. 
     For example, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 15, peripheral portions  310  and  312  have ends  316  and  318 , respectively, which face and abut one another and sandwich cover  308  therebetween. However, the peripheral portions may “curl up” to a greater extent than shown in FIG. 15, resulting in a configuration like that shown in FIG. 15 a . Alternatively, the peripheral portions may overlap (not shown). One skilled in the art would readily recognize other variations in the way in which the separate peripheral portions of visor  300  matingly engage one another, all of which are within the scope of this disclosure. 
     Visor  300  can be assembled by first die-cutting foundation  302  to the general shape of the sun visor as is known in the art, except that the foundation is formed a bit larger than is conventional to allow for the rounded peripheral portions. As a second step, the foundation is placed between upper and lower dies, like lower die  320  shown in FIG.  16  and upper die  322  shown in FIG.  17 . 
     While lower die  320  (FIG. 16) is substantially flat, upper die  322  includes a radius portion  324  disposed about its outer periphery as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, which radius forms the rounded periphery of the foundation layer when the dies are pressed together. As shown in FIG. 18, die  322  includes a recess  326  in its center so that lower die  320  (which is smaller than upper die  322 ) is received within recess  326  of upper die  322 , thereby sandwiching foundation  302  therebetween, forming peripheral portions  310  and  312  of foundation  302 . One of ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize other methods and variations of the method described herein for forming the rounded peripheral edge on foundation  302 . 
     After the rounded peripheral portion is formed, upholstery cover  308  is folded around the entire periphery of foundation  302  and glued to foundation  302  using a primary “hot melt” glue, such as “M2178W Polyester Hot Glue” available from the Findlay company. Next, the necessary holes for the vanity mirror, retention clip, etc. are punched. The upholstery cover is “after cut” to conform to the holes and glued to the foundation as is known in the art. Next, the accessories, such as the vanity mirror and retention clip, are snapped into the respective holes formed therefor. The interior components of the sun visor, such as the rail and core member are then placed between the two halves, and the foundation is sealed together. This final seal is accomplished by applying a secondary non-expanding adhesive around the interior edge of the foundation and holding the two halves together until the glue has cured. 
     One such secondary non-expanding adhesive suitable for practicing the present invention is a two-component adhesive comprised of a 1:1 ratio of “Plio Grip® 7400 Urethane Resin” and “Plio Grip® 7401 Catalyst” (C 6182-146), a two part iso-cyanate polyol urethane adhesive available from Ashland Chemical Corporation, Columbus, Ohio. (“Plio Grip®” is a registered trademark of Ashland Chemical Corporation.) It will be appreciated that various ratios may be utilized in response to composition changes in the non-expanding adhesive. 
     Alternatively, another suitable non-expanding adhesive is “Evans 07505,” a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA), available from Evans Adhesive Corporation, Columbus, Ohio. Advantageously, pressure sensitive adhesives do not require that the foundation halves be clamped together within a particular period of time. Rather, pressure sensitive adhesives retain their adhesive characteristics until it is desirable to adhere the foundation halves together. 
     The resin and catalyst components of the iso-cyanate polyol urethane adhesive are static mixed and applied via robotic arm  332  to the portion of the periphery of foundation  302  which is adjacent to the folded end of foundation  302 . The secondary adhesive  334  is applied to the kraft paper foundation  302 , and when the two halves of foundation  302  are pressed together, the adhesive may come into contact not only with the kraft paper foundation  302 , but also with the upholstery cover  308 , which is folded around the peripheral edge of foundation  302 , as shown in FIG.  20 . 
     Alternatively, sun visor assembly  20  may comprise a foundation  402  having two separate halves, as shown in FIGS. 21,  22 , and  24 . In this instance, the two separate halves of foundation  402  may be adhered together in the same manner as described above. 
     As shown in FIG. 19, the sun visor assembly is placed in an open position in jig  330 , which is associated with an automated assembly  336 . Automated assembly  336  is comprised, in part, of a plurality of jigs  330  which are moved along conveyor belt  337 . The resin and adhesive components of the non-expanding adhesive are static mixed in a static mixer connected to robotic arm  332 . Advantageously, unlike foam adhesives, the catalyst and resin components may be mixed by a static mixer at room temperature, without altering the pressure or other environmental conditions. Jig  330  is presented to robotic arm  332 , which applies the non-expanding adhesive  334  along the interior periphery of foundation  302 . Robotic arm  332  begins applying the adhesive at point A and continues in the direction of Arrow A  338 , until robotic arm  332  reaches point B. 
     Once the adhesive as been applied as described, robotic arm  332  retracts and jig  330  is closed and moves down conveyor belt  337 . The non-expanding adhesive has an initial cure time of at least two minutes, during which time visor assembly  20  must remain in the closed jig  332 . After this initial cure time, visor assembly  20  may be removed from jig  332 , but must remain unused for at least 24 hours, during which time the adhesive will undergo a complete curing process. The shortened initial cure time is advantageous because the automated assembly  336  may be made shorter by the fact that visor assembly  20  may be removed from jig  332  after only two minutes. Although it is contemplated that this initial cure time could be further shortened, minimal time must be allowed for the completion of any steps which must be performed prior to adhesion. 
     Turning now to FIG. 22, a sun visor assembly  400  is provided that represents another alternate embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 22, sun visor assembly  400  includes a pair of substantially flat, discreet foundation halves  402   a ,  402   b  and a core member  428  disposed between foundation halves  402   a ,  402   b . Core member  428  preferably includes a plurality of reinforcing ribs  438  and a bead member  431  that is disposed around substantially the entire periphery of core member  428 , as illustrated in FIG.  22 . Bead member  431  comprises a rounded member having a surface that is substantially semicircular in cross section and faces away from sun visor assembly  400 . 
     As illustrated in FIG. 24, bead member  431  includes a hollowed out, elongated cylindrical cavity  441  adapted to receive a support rod  442 . As illustrated in FIGS. 22 and 23, bead member  431  further includes a clip assembly  450  having a visor support clip  451  that is integrally formed with bead member  431  and a visor support pin  452 . The edge of foundation halves  402   a ,  402   b  is advantageously shaped such that no cut-out portion is need to accommodate clip assembly  450 . 
     Foundation halves  402   a ,  402   b  are preferably formed of a substantially rigid material, such as hardboard or plastic, but may also be formed of semi-rigid materials such as kraft paper and the like. An upholstery cover  424  covers foundation halves  402   a ,  402   b  and forms an exterior surface of visor assembly  400 . Foundation halves  402   a ,  402   b  are preferably adhered to either side of core member  428  using an non-expanding adhesive disposed about the interior periphery of foundation halves  402   a ,  402   b  intermediate foundation halves  402   a ,  402   b  and core member  428 . Once assembled, foundation halves  402   a ,  402   b , including upholstery cover  424 , are substantially flush with bead member  431  to form a substantially uniform surface. 
     Referring to FIG. 25, a sun visor assembly  500  is provided that represents another alternate embodiment of the present invention. Visor  500  is substantially similar to sun visor assembly  400  with at least one exception, namely, sun visor assembly  500  includes a substantially flat foundation  502  which is folded unto itself to form two foundation halves  503   a ,  503   b . Foundation halves  503   a ,  503   b  include an upholstery cover  524  and are adhered to either side of a core member  528 . A bead member  531  extends around a substantial portion of the periphery of core member  528 , but is discontinued along a frame member  540  to accommodate foundation  502 . Frame member  540  includes a hollowed out, elongated cylindrical cavity  541  adapted for holding a support rod  542 . An edge of foundation halves  503   a ,  503   b  is shaped such that no cut-out portions are needed to accommodate clip assembly  550 . 
     Referring to FIG. 28, a sun visor assembly  600  is provided that represents another alternate embodiment of the present invention. Visor assembly  600  includes a substantially flat foundation member  602  that defines one side of sun visor assembly  600  and a core member  628  that defines the other side of sun visor assembly  600 . Core member  628  is preferably manufactured of either a smooth or a textured plastic, or other similar material. FIG. 31 is an illustration of the backside of core member  628  opposite foundation member  602 . 
     As illustrated in FIGS. 28-30, core member  628  preferably includes a plurality of reinforcing ribs  638  and a bead member  631  that is disposed around substantially the entire periphery of core member  628 . Bead member may be integrally formed with core member  628  or separately formed and secured to core member  628 . Core member  628  further includes a clip assembly  650  having a visor support clip  651  that is integrally formed with bead member  631  and visor support pin  652 . Foundation member  602  is covered by an upholstery cover  624  and is shaped such that no cut-out portion is needed to accommodate clip assembly  650 . 
     It can now be appreciated that the design disclosed hereinabove advantageously incorporates the visor clip assembly into the bead member allowing the bead member to be disposed around substantially the entire periphery of the core member, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process. Additionally, there is no need to cut an opening in the foundation for the visor clip assembly, and therefore no need to stretch and pull the upholstery cover through the cut-out portion therein. 
     It will be appreciated that the foregoing is presented by way of illustration only, and not by way of any limitation, and that various alternatives and modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinbelow.