Patent Publication Number: US-2021178865-A1

Title: Sun visor and method of manufacturing a sun visor

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to sun visors for vehicles, such as cars and trucks. 
     STATE OF THE ART 
     It is known in the art to manufacture sun visors by assembling two sun visor body components or pads, such as foam pads, onto a central core, that is, by assembling each of foam pads onto a respective one of the major surfaces of the core. The core is typically of a plastic material, such as polypropylene (PP) or polyamide (PA), often including mineral fibers for enhanced stiffness. The foam pads, which define the outer shape of the sunvisor, are typically of a light-weight material with a softer touch, frequently expanded polypropylene (EPP).  FIG. 1  schematically illustrates a prior art sunvisor  1000 , including a plastic core  1001  and two EPP pads  1002 , only one of which is shown in  FIG. 1 . The other EPP pad will cover the major surface of the core  1001  that is visible in  FIG. 1 . Thus, the core will be sandwiched between the foam pads. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the foam pads extend beyond the perimeter  1001   a  of the core so that the core will be substantially completely enclosed by the foam pads  1002 . Thus, the foam pads define the external shape of the sun visor. 
     The sun visor body made up of the core and the foam pads is generally covered by a cover. For flexibility, for example, to allow the visible and touchable surface of the sun visor to feature a certain visual appearance and/or tactile feel, it is desirable that a given type of sun visor body can be provided with a cover of a material to be chosen by the manufacturer, vehicle designer, customer, etc. For example, many vehicle manufacturers wish to allow their customers to choose aspects such as the material and appearance of the interior of the vehicle, including the sun visors. 
     Thus, it is desirable that a given sun visor body (comprising core and foam pads) be capable of being provided with a cover of for example PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride), a woven or non-woven fabric, etc., depending on the choice of the manufacturer, designer, purchaser, etc. Traditionally, depending on the kind of cover, specific tools and processes are used to apply the cover onto the EPP pads. For example, in the case of a cover made up of some kind of woven or non-woven fabric, such as a textile cover, the cover can be glued onto the foam pads before they are assembled onto the core. Thus, basically, depending on the specific material chosen for the cover, a specific method of applying it to the sun visor body is required. 
     It is also known in the art to manufacture sun visors by assembly two plastic twin-shells to constitute the structure and external shape of the sun visor. One alternative manner of applying a cover to this kind of sun visor body is by providing a cover shaped as a bag-like or sock-like structure, featuring an opening into which the sun visor body can be inserted with snug fit. Thus, the cover can be applied to the sun visor body in a manner similar to the one in which a sock is applied to a foot of its wearer. Once the sun visor body has been inserted in the cover, the opening of the cover is slipped between the plastic shells to hold the cover in place. One advantage of this solution is that the dressing of the core with the cover is very simple and independent of the cover material because the conformation of the sock (for example by sewing a fabric or by welding a PVC) is done in a step previous to the dressing step. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     It may be desirable to use a sock-like cover in sun visors constituted by a plastic core and two pads, such as foam pads, (for example of expanded polypropylene) but the strength and rigidity of EPP pads is not sufficient to generate an efficient retention on the cover. 
     A first aspect of the invention relates to a sun visor core comprising two major surfaces and a perimeter wherein in correspondence with one portion of the perimeter the core comprises a retention member for retaining a portion of a flexible cover, the retention member comprising an aperture for receiving the portion of the flexible cover. The retention member further comprises, in said aperture, a plurality of projections adapted for engaging the flexible cover. The term “core” here refers to the kind of sun visor core that features two major surfaces configured or adapted for receiving respective pads so that the core and the pads together form a sun visor body. 
     This arrangement is compatible with a wide range of possible cover materials, for example, woven and non-woven fabrics, PVC, etc., thereby providing flexibility at a low cost, something that is very advantageous in the very competitive field of vehicle components. The same sun visor core may be compatible with a wide range of cover materials, and by using a core as per the invention covers of different materials can be applied to the sun visor body using the same or similar tools and processes. 
     In some embodiments the core is substantially made of a plastic material such as PP or PA, optionally including reinforcing components such as mineral fibers, etc. The perimeter of the core comprises the external sides or edges of the core, that is, the outline of the core when viewed perpendicularly to one of its two principal or major surfaces. The major surfaces are each adapted for receiving a respective one of two components that substantially determine the outer shape of the sun visor and which are referred to as “pads” herein. In some embodiments, the pads are substantially made up of EPP. 
     In some embodiments, the retention member is an integral part of the core, that is, for example, the core including the retention member can be an integrally molded component. In other embodiments, the retention member can be a separate component, for example, a component made in a material different from the one of the rest of the core. 
     The projections or teeth that are adapted for engaging the flexible cover can have any suitable configuration. The projections preferably feature a bevel so that their height increases in the direction inwards from the aperture, so as to facilitate insertion of the end portion of the cover, and in some embodiments the bevel is followed by a surface that is parallel with the plane of the surface of the retention member from which the projections extend. In some embodiments, the teeth are offset or recessed from the perimetric edge of the retention member. 
     In some embodiments the aperture is situated between two edges of the retention member extending along a portion of the perimeter of the core. This position and implementation of the aperture has been found to be practical and easy to implement, both in the case of a retention member integrally formed, such as integrally molded, with the rest of the core or part of it, and in the case of a separately manufactured retention member that is added to the rest of the core. 
     In some embodiments the aperture is defined between two opposing internal surfaces of the retention member and the projections extend from said surfaces forming at least a first row of projections extending from a first one of said surfaces, and a second row of projections extending from a second one of said surfaces. The use of two rows of surfaces has been considered preferable for secure retention of the end of the cover. 
     In some embodiments the first row of projections and the second row of projections are staggered or offset in relation to each other, so that at least some of the projections of the first row of projections are placed between two projections of the second row of projections, and vice-versa. This has been found to be beneficial for easy insertion of the end of the cover into the aperture, and/or for reliable retention thereof in the aperture. 
     In some embodiments at least some of the projections of the first row of projections are spaced a distance (b) in the range of 5-15 mm from the adjacent projections in the second row of projections in the direction along the rows of projections, and in each of the rows of projections, the distance (a) between at least two adjacent projections is in the range of 15-30 mm, these distances corresponding to the spacings between the centerpoints of the respective projections. 
     In some embodiments the aperture has a height (f) in the range of 1.5-3 mm. 
     In some embodiments at least some of the projections have a height (c) in the range of 1-2 mm. 
     In some embodiments at least some of the projections have a length (d) in the direction into the aperture in the range of 3-10 mm. In some embodiments at least some of the projections have a width (e) in the direction along the aperture in the range of 0.5-2 mm. The dimensions defined above have been found to be appropriate for adequate performance, considering the typical dimensions of sun visors and the thickness and materials of sun visor covers. 
     Another aspect of the invention is a sun visor body comprising a core as described previously and two pads, such as foam pads, one of the pads being applied to a first one of the two major surfaces of the core and another one of the pads being applied to a second one of the two major surfaces of the core. In some embodiments of the inventions, the pads are substantially made of EPP, as known in the art. The pads can basically be conventional sunvisor pads as known in the art, although somewhat adapted to accommodate the retention member. 
     In some embodiments the pads have a perimeter and the retention member lies flush with the perimeter of the pads. This arrangement can facilitate the insertion of the end of the cover into the aperture of the retention member, without or with a minimized risk of damaging the often relatively soft pads. On the other hand, it reduces the risk that the user will feel the retention member rather than the relatively soft pads under the cover, when touching the sun visor. 
     In some embodiments the pads have a perimeter and the retention member is recessed from the perimeter of the pads by a distance (g) in the range of 0.1-5 mm, preferably 0.1-1 mm, more preferably 0.1-0.5 mm, even more preferably 0.1-0.3 mm. It has been found that it can sometimes be preferred to have the retention member recessed or offset with regard to the perimeter of the pads by a certain distance, so as to allow for an appropriate stretch and fit of the material of the cover where it is introduced between the pads, into the aperture of the retention member. An advantage with a slight recess is that it also reduces the risk of marks on, for example, a thin PVC cover, taking into account that the retention member may be of a harder material than the pads. 
     Another aspect of the invention relates to a sun visor for an automotive vehicle, such as a car or truck, comprising a sun visor body as described previously and a cover, covering the pads. 
     In some embodiments an end of the cover is retained in the aperture of the retention member. The cover can be of any suitable material, such as PVC, woven or non-woven fabric, etc. The cover can be bag-shaped, that is, in the form of a bag or sock, that is, defining an inner space accessible through an opening in a side of the cover, such as an opening in one of the shorter sides of the fabric, at what can be regarded an open end of the cover. The sun visor body has typically been inserted into the cover through the opening, and thereafter the open end of the cover has been inserted into the aperture of the retaining member, thereby establishing the retention of the cover. 
     In some embodiments, the cover has been obtained by joining two parts of the selected material according to their perimeter, by sewing, high frequency welding, laser welding, or in any other suitable manner, just leaving an opening through which the sun visor core can be inserted. 
     A further aspect of the invention is a method of manufacturing a sun visor for an automotive vehicle, comprising:
         providing a sun visor body as described previously,   providing a cover defining an interior space accessible through an opening in an end of the cover;   inserting the sun visor body into the cover through the open end thereof;   inserting the open end of the cover into the aperture of the retention member.       

     What has been explained above applies, mutatis mutandis. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       To complete the description and in order to provide for a better understanding of the invention, a set of drawings is provided. Said drawings form an integral part of the description and illustrate some embodiments of the invention, which should not be interpreted as restricting the scope of the invention, but just as examples of how the invention can be carried out. The drawings comprise the following figures: 
         FIG. 1  is a top view of a partially assembled sun visor body according to the state of the art. 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of a partially assembled sun visor body according to one possible embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of part of the sun visor body of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic perspective view of a detail of a retention member in an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic front view of the retention member of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic cross sectional view of a detail of the retention member of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic perspective view of a detail of the retention member of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIGS. 8A and 8B  are schematic cross-sectional views of a detail of a sun visor according to two alternative embodiments of the invention. 
         FIGS. 9A-9D  schematically illustrate how a cover can be applied over the sun visor body in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF A WAY OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
       FIGS. 2 and 3  schematically illustrate one possible embodiment of the invention, namely, a partially assembled sun visor  1  comprising a mainly plastic core  10  with two major surfaces  11  (one of which is shown in  FIG. 2 ) and a perimeter  12  determining the outline of the core  10 . The other major surface is in contact with a pad  20 . The sun visor has a generally rectangular configuration, and in correspondence with one of its shorter sides the core  10  comprises a retention member  13 . The retention member features a gap or aperture  130  in correspondence with the perimeter, and this aperture is adapted for receiving and retaining a portion of a cover, as will be explained below. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the gap or aperture  13  is formed between two edges  132  of the retention member  13  which extend along and define the corresponding portion of the perimeter  12  of the core. 
     The aperture is defined between two opposing internal surfaces  13   a ,  13   b  of the retention member, and from these surfaces a plurality of projections or teeth  130   a ,  130   b  extend for the purpose of retaining an open end portion of a cover. As schematically illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , in one embodiment of the invention the teeth are distributed between the opposing surfaces of the gap or aperture  130 , so that one row of teeth  130   a  is arranged on one of the surfaces, and another row of teeth  130   b  is arranged on the opposite surface, in an offset or staggered manner so that the teeth  130   a  in the first row, such as in an upper row, are placed between the teeth in the second row, such as in the lower row, in the direction of the gap according to the circumference of the core. Preferably, the two rows are offset in relation to each other so that the teeth of one row are spaced from the teeth of the other row by a distance corresponding to approximately 50% of the distance between the centers of two consecutive teeth in any of the rows. This is schematically illustrated in  FIG. 5 , showing how the distance b between the centers of two consecutive teeth  130   a  and  130   b  along the gap  130  (in the direction of the perimeter of the core) is about 50% of the distance between the centers of two consecutive teeth  130   a  in the upper row. In a typical implementation of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , a is in the range of 10-30 mm and b is in the range of 5-15 mm. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, and as schematically illustrated in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the gap has a height f (for example, in the range of 1.5-3 mm), and the teeth have: a height c (for example, in the range of 1-2 mm), a length d (for example, in the range of 3-10 mm) in the direction perpendicular to the perimeter of the core (that is, in the direction into the gap), and a width e (for example, in the range of 0.5-2 mm). Values of c, d, e and f within these ranges are considered to be especially appropriate in the context of vehicle sun visors. 
     Whereas  FIG. 3  schematically illustrates how the retention member can extend beyond the pads, it may be preferred that the retention member rather be recessed in relation to the pads, as schematically illustrated in  FIG. 8A .  FIG. 8A  shows a cross section of a sun visor in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, including a core with a retention member  13  and two EPP pads  20 . A cover  30  has been applied over the body comprising pads  20  and core (including the retention member  13 ), and the open end  31  of the sock-like cover  30  has been inserted into the gap of the retention member, as schematically illustrated in  FIG. 8A . Differently from the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , here the retention member is slightly recessed in relation to the perimeter  21  of the pads, by a distance g in, for example, the range of 0.1-5 mm. This can help to ensure that a person contacting the sun visor will always feel the pads under the cover, rather than feeling the possibly harder retention member. At the same time it is achieved that the retention member will not leave visible marks on, for example, an external surface of a PVC cover. In some embodiments, it is preferred that the distance (offset) g be small, such as in the range of 0.1-1 mm, or 0.1-0.5 mm, such as 0.1-0.3 mm. 
       FIG. 8B  shows an alternative embodiment in which the retention member  13  lies flush with the perimeter  21  of the pads  20 . That is, here the offset g is approximately cero. 
       FIGS. 9A-9C  schematically illustrate how a sun visor body including a core covered by two EPP pads  20  (one of which can be observed in  FIGS. 9A and 9B ) is inserted into a cover  30  with a bag-like or sock-like configuration, featuring an open end  31 . The cover fits snuggly onto the sun visor body, and once the sun visor body has been inserted, the open end  31  is turned over inwards and inserted into the retention member  13 , see  FIG. 9D  and  FIGS. 8A and 8B . Depending on the material, additional measures can be taken to secure the cover, for example, by high frequency or laser welding at the perimeter. In some embodiments, the end of the cover is not inserted into the aperture but closed by welding or similar. This can, for example, by practical in the case of PVC covers. 
     The illustrated embodiments are suitable for the manufacture of sun visors with a large variety of covers, including covers of woven and non-woven fabrics, PVC, etc. 
     In this text, the term “comprises” and its derivations (such as “comprising”, etc.) should not be understood in an excluding sense, that is, these terms should not be interpreted as excluding the possibility that what is described and defined may include further elements, steps, etc. 
     Unless otherwise specified, any indicated ranges include the recited end points. 
     The invention is obviously not limited to the specific embodiment(s) described herein, but also encompasses any variations that may be considered by any person skilled in the art (for example, as regards the choice of materials, dimensions, components, configuration, etc.), within the general scope of the invention as defined in the claims.