Patent Publication Number: US-6216711-B1

Title: Hand held sun shield

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Non Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention pertains to hand held devices for protecting a user from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation from the sun. 
     A significant medical problem in the United States and in the world, is the increase of the incidents of skin cancer. The ozone layer surrounding the earth is suppose to block out harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. However, it is common knowledge that the ozone layer is becoming thinner each year and in point of fact, there are certain locations around the globe were the ozone layer has completely disappeared. The occurrence of melanoma type cancers had a significant increase having doubled in the past 20 years. 
     During the course of a year, and especially during the warm summer months, individuals that tend to participate in a number of outdoor activities, which range from athletic type endeavors in which the person participates, participation as a spectator in outdoor events such as baseball games and tennis matches and merely resting in the warm sun, such as on a beach or at a lake. 
     According to the American Cancer Society and others, people engaging in outdoor activities during the summer months and, for that matter the entire year, are encouraged to cover as much as the unprotected portion of the exposed skin from direct contact with sunlight. One method of accomplishing this is to wear head covering and neck covering, the most vulnerable or exposed portion of the human anatomy, especially during participation of a spectator sport, are the head, face, and back of the neck, assuming normal attire is worn. 
     It is not always possible to have a hat, which covers the exposed portions of the anatomy that are most vulnerable. Therefore, people have resorted to using a hand held sun shade or sun shield devices to accomplish this task. One such device is a combined fan and sun shade shown in U.S. Pat. No. 946,078 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,611. 
     A number of fan like devices could be used for this same purposes. Illustrative of such fans are U.S. Pat. Nos. 689,648; 2,122,901; and 2,417,194; Re 22,796 as well as Design Patents 202,603; 247,580; 266,385; and 347,726. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A light weight sun shield can be achieved by combining a frame, which is adapted to hold a material which is adapted to reflect or filter out ultraviolet radiation in combination with a handle that can be positioned at an angular relationship either perpendicular to or parallel with the frame. The handle is adapted for positioning at any desired angular relationship to the frame so that the sun shield can be hand held or other wise positioned relative to the body of a user to screen harmful radiation from exposed portions of the users anatomy. Thus, in one aspect, the present invention is a hand held sun shield for protecting a user from the harmful effects of sunlight comprising in combination; a shade portion consisting of a frame having a generally rectangular shape and defining a central open portion, the open portion closed by a material adapted to reflect ultraviolet radiation from sunlight, means on the shade portion to position handle at one of perpendicular, parallel, or both perpendicular and parallel to the central open portion of the frame the means further adapted to permit a user to position the handle at an angular relationship to the frame when parallel to or perpendicular to the frame, and a removable handle for attachment to the means on the shade portion of the sun shield. 
     In another aspect the sun shield according to the present invention utilizes threaded studs and balls or threaded apertures and a threaded portion of the handle to attach the handle to the sun shade. 
     In another aspect, the present invention permits attachment means of the handle to the sun shade to be positioned around the periphery of the frame portion at different locations to effect optimum positioning of the frame for protection of the user. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a device according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged partially fragmentary cross sectional view showing one means for attaching the handle to the frame. 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view illustrating dual attachment means for the handle to the frame of a sun shield according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view similar to FIG. 3 showing the handle positioned parallel to the frame. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing angular positioning of the handle relative to the frame were the handle is disposed perpendicular to the frame. 
     FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing variable positioning of the handle were the handle is fastened parallel to the frame. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a sun shield device according to the present invention is shown generally as  10 . Sun shield device  10  includes a frame portion  12  and a handle  14 . The frame  12  has a generally rectangular shape with a pair of long sides  14 ,  16 , and pair of shorter sides  18 ,  20 . While the generally rectangular shape is preferred with the long sides  14 ,  16  being curved, other shapes are within the scope of the present invention. For example, the frame can be completely circular or square or a perfect rectangle with straight sides. Frame  12  is adapted to hold a material  20 , which will reflect or filter ultraviolet rays emitted by sunlight. The material  20  can be a light weight canvas of a light color or a mesh that is adapted for the purpose of filtering out or reflecting ultraviolet radiation. As shown in FIG. 2, the material  20  can be held by the frame  12 . Alternatively, the material  20  can be fitted over the frame  12  in the form of a cover. In either case, the material  20  should be stretched by the frame to resemble the head of an acoustic drum. Frame  12  includes a stud  22  which contains threads  24  adapted to receive a nut or wing nut  26 . As shown in FIG. 2, the stud  22  can be fastened to the frame  12  by any known means, the means being dictated by the materials of construction. For example, if the frame  12  is plastic, the stud can be fastened to a suitable aperture in the frame by heat staking, adhesives or the like. 
     The sun shield  10  includes a handle  14  having an aperture  26  on one end. The aperture  26  is of a size to easily slip over the stud  22  so that the handle can be positioned at a right angle to the frame  10 . 
     Referring to FIG. 3, the frame  22  can be fitted with a second stud  28  having a threaded surface similar to stud  22  with stud  28  being positioned on the frame  12  perpendicular to the stud  22 . The handle  14  is shown in the exploded position for attachment to the stud  22  in FIG.  3 . FIG. 4 shows the handle  14  positioned on stud  28  and held thereto by nut  26  so that the handle  14  is parallel to the frame  12 . In this position the handle can be rotated so that it is parallel with the long side of the shade for easy storage. 
     With the handle positioned on either stud  22  or  28  the handle  14  can be locked in various angular positions so that the user can tilt or position the shade to achieve the maximum coverage of the material portion  20  against the user&#39;s exposed skin. The handle  14  can be positioned over the shoulder of the user, held by the clothing of the user or clamped to a convenient railing or the like. The sun shield  10  can be used to protect infants in strollers by fixing the sun shield to a portion of the stroller that is adapted to hold the handle  14  of the sun shield  10 . 
     Alternatively, the handle  14  could be fitted with a stud in aperture  26  with the stud projecting outwardly of the handle and having a threaded portion. Studs  22  and  28  on the frame  12  would be replaced by suitable apertures containing internal threads complementary to the thread on the projecting stud on handle  14 . In this embodiment the handle could be positioned either perpendicular to or parallel to the frame and the handle could be removed for carrying in a position disposed over the frame. 
     In either embodiment the handle portion could be equal to, shorter than, and/or longer than the long side of the frame  12 . 
     In one embodiment the frame could be constructed from well known plastic materials with a rectangular shape 15 inches by 12 inches. The handle  14  could be 15 inches long. The handle and the nut  26  would also be made of structural plastic materials and the fabric or shade portion  20  could be made from a tightly fitted light color canvas that would reflect or filter out the ultraviolet radiation. 
     Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown a sun shield  10  with only the stud  22  for purposes of illustration of the handle of the variable positioning of the handle  14 . As shown in FIG. 5, the handle  14  can be moved from a position at right angles to the frame  12  to any angular position from 0°-90° relative to the frame so that the sun shield can be positioned at an infinite number of angles. 
     FIG. 6 shows the sun shield  10  with a stud  30  positioned perpendicular to the frame at a corner of the frame. The stud  30  permits the handle  14  to be rotated at any angular relationship to a line generally perpendicular to the side  20  of the frame  12 . In this matter, the handle  14  can be positioned at various angular relationships for maximizing the sun shielding ability. For storage or transport, the handle  14  can be moved to the position shown generally as  32  which would position the handle across the frame making it possible for the user to put the sun shield inside of a carrying bag, tote or the like. 
     The embodiment shown in FIG. 6 can include a stud perpendicular to the stud  30  on the corner of the frame so that the handle can be positioned either perpendicular or parallel to the frame  12 . 
     The sun shade device according to the present invention can be used to not only shade the user from the sun, but to protect the user from the harmful effects of the suns rays. It is generally accepted that the largest cause of skin cancer is overexposure to sunlight which can cause the appearance of melanoma which is the most serious of the skin cancers. Melanomas can begin as a mole or other dark spot in the skin. It appears that the ultraviolet rays of the sun trigger a reaction that causes the melanoma to appear. The most effective way to prevent melanoma is to avoid exposure to sunlight. The device of the present invention enables the user to participate in activity normally conducted in the outdoors where the user is exposed to sunlight and enables the user to block out the harmful effects of the suns rays without diminishing the users enjoyment of outdoor activity. 
     Having thus described my invention was desired to be secured by letters patent of the United States as set forth in the appended claims.