Abstract:
An adjustment device for positioning a body portion of a sun visor includes a substantially flat base portion having opposite sides and a plurality of arcuate spring members extending in alternating fashion from each of the opposite sides to the other of the opposite sides and a gap exists between a free end of the arcuate spring fingers and the base portion, so that the arcuate spring members fit over the spindle member and are configured to flex as the arcuate spring members rotate about the spindle member.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   The present invention claims priority as a national stage application of International Patent Application Serial No. PCT/EP2004/01203 filed on Feb. 10, 2004, and German Patent Application Serial No. 10306733.7 filed on Feb. 17, 2003, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
   FIELD  
   The present invention relates to a device for adjusting the position of a sun visor for a vehicle. The present invention relates more particularly to a device for arresting the position of a body of the sun visor about a spindle of the sun visor at desired locations. 
   BACKGROUND  
   Such sun visors are installed in modern motor vehicles and are therefore generally known. In this connection, the sun visor body is mounted rotatably around a spindle. In order that the body can be arrested in different angular positions around the spindle, a spring, which is connected to the sun visor body and is thus likewise rotatable around the spindle, serves to exert a force on the lateral surface of the spindle, which leads to resistance to further rotation. In a particularly advantageous angular position of the body, especially good arresting of the body is provided by in particular a flat portion on the spindle which otherwise has a cylindrical or cylinder-shaped lateral surface. 
   Such a sun visor is known from German laid-open specification DE 198 35 963 A1, for example. A clamping spring, which grips over the spindle with two legs, is arranged non-rotationally in the sun visor body and serves to hold the sun visor body in its angular position, and in the position of non-use of the sun visor body, lies with one leg on the flat portion and bears with its other leg against the lateral surface of the spindle. In this case, it is disadvantageous that at least parts of the clamping spring—in particular its outermost end—are in the region of the spindle arranged relatively far away from this spindle or from the lateral surface of the spindle in some positions of the body. This is disadvantageous inasmuch as the mechanical parts for arresting the sun visor body are in general embedded in a plastic matrix or a plastic covering and are consequently invisible from outside. In order to increase the durability of the plastic covering—also described for short as covering below—it is necessary to provide it with an adequate minimum thickness of material. This is difficult in the region of the spindle and in particular on that part of the body (“at the upper end of the sun visor”) lying opposite the main part of the body because a greater material thickness of the covering also requires a greater spacing of the spindle from the vehicle interior facing, for example. Parts projecting a long way from the spindle which are necessary for arresting the sun visor consequently lead to an increased space requirement, increased weight and thus higher costs for such a component. 
   Accordingly, it would be desirable to produce a device for arresting a rotatable visor body in which—in particular in the region of the visor spindle which determines the spacing from the vehicle interior facing—regions projecting a long way from the spindle of the components provided for mechanical arresting are avoided. 
   SUMMARY 
   According to one embodiment, a device is provided for arresting a body which is rotatable around a spindle having a lateral surface. The body is settable in a first angular position and in a second angular position relative to the spindle and is arrestable more strongly in the first angular position by at least one first part surface of the lateral surface than in the second angular position. The device and the body are mechanically non-rotationally interconnected and the device comprises at least one spring element, where the device surrounds the lateral surface essentially completely except for a gap by its spring element. The device preferably bears, outside the region of the gap, essentially completely against the two part surfaces of the lateral surface at least in one of the angular positions relative to the spindle, so that in the region of the spindle no parts projecting a long way are necessary for arresting the body at the “upper end” of the body. In a preferred embodiment, the device comprises a base element interacting with the first part surface of the lateral surface to bring about especially good arresting of the body in the first angular position. This has the advantage that the position of non-use of the sunshade is occupied and held especially stably. Furthermore, this has the advantage that the base element is flat at the bottom, so that, below the base element and thus in immediate proximity to the spindle, space is therefore available, for example for accommodating a cosmetic mirror or rear-view mirror, which would not be available in the “clamping” or arresting region of the spindle in the case of a device projecting a long way into the body. 
   According to a preferred embodiment, the spring element, starting from the base element, surrounds the lateral surface of the spindle to a great extent in a first bending direction around it and that furthermore a further spring element, starting from the other side of the base element, surrounds the lateral surface of the spindle to a great extent in a second bending direction around it, the first and second bending directions being opposite. The device may also be displaceable relative to the body in the axial direction in relation to the spindle, to provide a sun visor which is not only rotatable but also displaceable along the spindle. This is possible in an especially cost-effective way with the device. 
   The present invention also relates to a body, in particular a sun visor body for use in a vehicle, which comprises a device according another embodiment. Such a body typically comprises a wire frame and is provided with a covering—also described as foamed covering below—which is made of EPP—expanded polypropylene—for example. In this connection, the wire frame is connected to the device and placed into a mold for production of the covering. The covering material is introduced into the mold, and the covering is provided with the intended shape by the action of pressure and temperature. Accordingly, it is desirable that the covering has an adequate minimum thickness in all places but in particular in especially stressed places such as for example in the region of the spindle. 
   The present invention also relates to an arrangement for arresting a body, the arrangement comprising a device and the body together with the spindle, the first part surface of the lateral surface of the spindle being non-round or flattened. The second part surface is advantageously essentially cylindrical. This has the advantage that the spindle can be produced especially simply and cost-effectively. 
   The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to illustrative embodiments shown in the drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows a side view of a device with a spindle introduced into it according to an exemplary embodiment. 
       FIG. 2  shows a side view of a spindle with a first section line and a second section line according to an exemplary embodiment. 
       FIG. 3  shows a sectional illustration of the device with the spindle according to an exemplary embodiment. 
       FIG. 4  shows a sectional illustration of the spindle along the first section line in  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 5  shows a sectional illustration of the spindle along the second section line in  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 6  shows a perspective illustration of the device according to an exemplary embodiment. 
       FIG. 7  shows a diagrammatic illustration of the body according to an exemplary embodiment. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1  illustrates a device  10  according to an exemplary embodiment with a spindle  8  introduced into it in side view. The device  10  comprises a base element  1 , which is provided essentially in the form of an elongate flat component, in particular a metal plate, and has at its ends bent-off portions, which are designated by reference numbers  2  and  3 . In  FIG. 1 , a total of six spring elements  4  are arranged, starting from the base element  1  of the device  10 . The spring elements  4  surround the spindle  8 , starting from the base element  1 . In this connection, the spring elements  4  are, along the spindle  8 , that is from left to right in  FIG. 1 , connected to the base element  1  alternately on different sides of the base element  1  relative to the axial extension of the base element  1 . According to the illustrated embodiment, the base element  1 , its two angled portions  2 ,  3  and the spring elements  4  are in particular provided in one piece and together form the device  10 . This is shown in a perspective illustration in  FIG. 6 . For the sake of simplicity, only one of the spring elements  4  is provided with the reference number  4  in  FIG. 6 , and another, for better differentiation, with the reference number  41 . In a direction, which is indicated in  FIG. 6  by an arrow provided with the reference number  9  and corresponds to the axial extension of the base element  1 , first the spring element designated by the reference number  4  is, starting—seen in the direction  9 —from the right side of the base element  1 , bent according to a special curve over the base element  1  toward its left side in a counterclockwise bending direction, and then the further spring element designated by the reference number  41  is, starting from the left side of the base element  1 , bent according to a special curve over the base element  1  toward its right side in a clockwise bending direction. In this connection, however, the bending of the spring elements  4 ,  41  is not so complete that the spring elements  4 ,  41  touch the base element  1  again on the side in each case opposite their starting sides, but a gap  12  is provided between the base element  1  and the spring elements  4 ,  41 . By virtue of this, the ends of the spring elements  4 ,  41  in  FIG. 6  are free and thus capable of exerting a restoring force if they are deflected out of their rest position. In the rest position of the spring elements  4 ,  41 , the gap  12  corresponds to an opening of approximately 20°, for example. According to the invention, the gap is present because the spring elements  4 ,  41 , which during their production are typically plastically deformed starting from sheet metal blanks, elastically recover a little after the bending operation for their production. 
     FIG. 2  illustrates the spindle  8  in side view with a first section line I—I and a second section line II—II. In the region of the first section line, the spindle  8  has in particular a circular cross section as is shown in  FIG. 4 , which represents a sectional illustration of the spindle  8  along the first section line I—I. In  FIG. 4 , the lateral surface of the spindle  8  is designated by the reference number  80  in the region of the first section line I—I. In  FIG. 2 , the spindle  8  has a recess  5 , which is provided in the form of a surface or a flattened or non-round region of the spindle  8 ; in the region of the second section line. In the region of the second section line II—II, that is in the region of the recess  5 , the recess  5  divides the lateral surface of the spindle  8  into a first part surface  50  of the lateral surface and a second part surface  70  of the lateral surface. For better clarification of the flattened or non-round region of the spindle  8 ,  FIG. 5  represents a sectional illustration of the spindle  8  along the second section line II—II with its first portion  50  of the lateral surface and its second portion  70  of the lateral surface of the spindle  8 . 
     FIG. 3  shows a sectional illustration of the device  10  in the region of a spring element  4  and also the spindle  8  indicated by a dashed line, according to an exemplary embodiment. The device  10  again comprises the portions  2 ,  3  angled away from the base element  1  and also the spring elements  4 .  FIG. 3  shows two of the spring elements  4  projected one on top of another. Each spring element is, starting from one side of the base element  1 , bent over the base element  1  in each case in its bending direction—clockwise or counterclockwise—according to a special curve, the gap  12  described in connection with  FIG. 6  between the free end of a spring element  4  and the side opposite its starting side on the base element  1  not being illustrated in  FIG. 3 , however, for the sake of clarity. The special curve of the bending or curvature of the spring elements  4  is provided in such a way that the “clear” distance designated by the reference number  42  between the base element  1  and the “highest” point—that is opposite the base element  1 —designated by the reference A of a spring element  4  is smaller than the diameter  7  of the spindle  8 . This gives rise, when the spindle  8  is located between the base element  1  and the spring elements  4 —that is has been introduced into the device  10 —to deflection of the spring elements  4  and consequently to a restoring force, not illustrated in  FIG. 3 , of the spring elements  4 , which presses the spindle  8  against the base element  1 . The spindle  8  is introduced into the device  10  by means of, for example, a cone (not illustrated in the figures) located at the front end of the spindle  8 , which causes the spring elements  4  to expand accordingly for introduction of the spindle  8 .  FIG. 3  also shows the first and second part surfaces  50 ,  70 . The special curve of the bending of the spring elements  4  is selected in such a way that the spindle  8  introduced into the device  10  can be rotated into any angular position relative to the device  10  without locking. In particular a position of the first part surface  50  in contact with the base element  1  is therefore possible. This angular position is also designated below as the first angular position. In this case, the device  10  bears—at least outside the region of the gap  12 —essentially completely with its base element  1  and at least one of the spring elements  4  against the two part surfaces  50 ,  70  of the lateral surface. The spring elements  4  are in this case deflected to a lesser extent because the entire diameter  7  of the spindle  8  does not have to be accommodated in the region of the distance  42 —that is between the base element  1  and the highest point A of a spring element  4 —but only the diameter  7  minus the recess, known from  FIG. 2  and designated there by the reference number  5 , of the spindle  8 . Owing to the smaller spring deflection of the spring elements  4  in the first angular position, any change in this position leads to greater deflection of the spring elements  4 , so that a greater force has to be applied for such a change than for a change in the angular position starting from another angular position. For any angular position—that is in particular those in which the base element  1  is in contact with the second part surface  70  of the lateral surface—it is the case, however, that the device  10  according to the illustrated embodiment surrounds the spindle  8  and thus the portions  50 ,  70  of the lateral surface essentially completely, except for the gap  12 , with its spring elements  4 . Such other angular position is also designated generally below as a second angular position. An “up-and-down movement” of the spring elements  4  takes place between the first and second angular positions. In this connection, the size of the gap  12  of course changes. 
   The number of spring elements  4  may be varied. Surrounding the spindle  8  from both sides of the base element  1  increases the stability of the spindle  8  in the device  10 , but a single spring element  4  is also possible according to the invention. Furthermore, provision is made to provide the special curve of the bending of a spring element  4  for the purpose of interacting with the first part surface  50  to provide particularly good arresting of the body in angular positions other than the first angular position. This is achieved by a flattened portion (not illustrated) of the special curve of a spring element  4 , for example. 
     FIG. 7  shows a diagrammatic illustration of the body  20  and the arrangement  40  according to an exemplary embodiment. The body  20  comprises a wire frame  30 , which is connected to the device  10 . According to the invention, this connection is provided in particular via the angled or bent regions  2 ,  3  of the device  10 , so that the device  10  and the body  20  are mechanically non-rotationally interconnected. The wire frame  30  and the device  10  are together surrounded with a plastic covering or foam-covered. The plastic covering is not illustrated specifically with a reference number in  FIG. 7 , but the body  20  essentially comprises, in particular with regard to its external dimensions, the plastic covering. In addition to the body, the arrangement  40  also comprises the mounted spindle  8 , which is likewise indicated in  FIG. 7 . The spring elements  4  are also indicated in  FIG. 7 .