Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/578,328 entitled V ISOR  W ITH  M OVABLE  P IVOT , filed on Dec. 21, 2011, by Konrad H. Marcus, et al., the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to vehicle visors and particularly to a visor assembly having a unique movable pivot mounting structure for attaching the visor to a vehicle. 
     Typically visors are mounted to a vehicle with a pivot hinge arrangement coupled to the vehicle roof near or at the A-pillar of the vehicle. When used, such visors are pivoted downwardly in a direction toward the windshield passing momentarily through the forward line of sight of the occupant as it is moved to a sun-blocking position. Also, conventional visor mounts frequently employ an auxiliary releasing clip at an end opposite the pivot connection to allow the visor to be released from the front windshield position and pivoted to a side window position. When so manipulating a visor, it sometimes becomes necessary for the occupant to duck his/her head to allow the visor to pass through the head area of the vehicle interior. 
     With such conventional mounting systems for vehicle visors, at least two safety issues are presented. First, the operator is momentarily distracted while manipulating the visor for use either in the front windshield position, since it passes through the line of sight, and again when it is pivoted to a side window position. Secondly, when pivoted downwardly, the visor may in some adjusted positions present an edge which projects toward the user&#39;s head. In the event of an accident, this could cause serious injury despite requirements that the edges of the visor are curved. 
     Newer vehicle designs have become more aerodynamic, partly to conserve fuel, and, in such designs, conventional visor mounting systems place the visors further rearwardly even closer to the occupant&#39;s head, which makes it more difficult to manipulate the visor without distracting, particularly, the vehicle operator. Some visor systems include an auxiliary visor which can be moved independently of the main windshield visor to a side window position. Movement of such auxiliary visors likewise is through the driver&#39;s head zone and can cause a significant distraction while operating a motor vehicle. 
     There exists a need, therefore, for a visor system which can be mounted to a vehicle in a manner which provides excellent sun-blocking properties, is easy to maneuver, eliminates some of the safety issues, and still provides features to which consumers have become accustomed, such as illuminated vanity mirrors, extendable sun-blocking or filtering panels, side window protection, and the like. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one embodiment of the invention, a visor is provided which pivots downwardly away from the windshield and includes a movable pivot axis that moves the visor toward the vehicle windshield and away from the operator as the operator lowers the visor. This moves the visor to a comfortable and functional position for the operator. In one embodiment, the visor also includes an extendable and retractable sun-blocking or screening glare shield. The glare shield is pivotally adjusted with respect to the primary visor and can be deployed when the primary visor is in a raised stored position or a lowered use position to provide a selectable amount of sun-blocking protection. 
     In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the visor includes an illuminated vanity mirror having lights to serve as a map lamp, courtesy lamp, and/or facial illuminating light source. In yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the visor includes a covered mirror and the inside of the cover includes a magnifying mirror for assisting the user in detailed facial makeup. 
     Thus, with the visor system of the present invention, a unique mounting arrangement is provided in which the visors are mounted rearwardly of the windshield and pivoted downwardly away from the windshield while the pivot point moves forwardly. 
     These and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description thereof together with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a vehicle including two visor assemblies embodying the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of the driver&#39;s side visor, shown in  FIG. 1 , showing the movable pivot mounting; 
         FIG. 3  is a side elevational view of the visor shown in  FIG. 2 , shown partially deployed; 
         FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of the visor shown in  FIG. 2 , shown with the visor further deployed; and 
         FIG. 5  is a side elevational view of the visor shown in  FIG. 2 , shown with the visor fully lowered and moved forwardly toward the windshield. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a vehicle  10 , such as an automobile, having a headliner  12 , windshield  14 , side window  16 , and rearview mirror assembly  18 . A pair of visor assemblies include a driver&#39;s side visor  20  and a passenger side visor  30 , both of which embody the present invention. The visors  20  and  30  are mounted in recessed pockets  22  and  32  of the headliner  12  to be nestably received therein when in a stored position, as shown in  FIG. 1 . The visors pivot downwardly and away from the windshield. 
     Visors  20  and  30  are substantially identical with mirror image mounting brackets. The visors themselves are disclosed in greater detail in WO 2011/133791, published Oct. 27, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference with respect to the visors themselves. The unique mounting of the visors to the roof  12  of the vehicle is described in conjunction with  FIGS. 2-5  of this application. The visors  20 ,  30  may include a rotatable glare shield  110  which can be mounted to the visors as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/530,226, filed on Jun. 22, 2012, and entitled R OTATABLE  G LARE  S HIELD FOR A  V ISOR , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The mounting of visors  20 ,  30  include a movable pivot feature, which moves the visors linearly toward the windshield as they are pivoted downwardly to a use position and is described in connection with  FIGS. 2-5 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2-5 , there is shown a visor assembly  50  (corresponding to visors  20  or  30 ) in which a visor body  40  is shown in phantom form for clarity in viewing the actuating mechanism. The visor blade  40  includes a cam leg  46  and is pivotally mounted at pivot point  42  to a slide  44 . As the visor is lowered as indicated by arrow A in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the slide moves forwardly toward the windshield  50  in the direction indicated by arrow B in  FIGS. 2-4 . For such purpose, the visor  40  includes an actuator extending between the visor and the vehicle. The actuator comprises a cam  46  which urges a flexible band  60  having one end  62  coupled to the end of cam  46 . The opposite end  64  of band  60  is secured to a fixed roof element  70 . As visor  40  is rotated downwardly in the direction indicated by arrow A, the end  62  of band  60  moves forwardly, as does the curved section  63 , forcing the slide  44  and pivot point  42  forwardly as illustrated initially in  FIG. 3  and shown in a midway position in  FIG. 4  and finally in the visor completely lowered position in  FIG. 5 . The slide  44  is mounted to a fixed roof structure  70 ,  72  above the headliner by a slide track  80 , such as a roller slide mechanism commonly employed in drawer slide mechanisms. This structure is mounted below and slides with respect to the vehicle roof  74 . 
     The flexible band  60  in slide mechanism  80  may be replaced by a rack and pinion drive in which rotation of the visor about pivot point rotates a gear mounted to the pivot axle of the visor, which, through another gear, would engage a fixed rack in the vehicle roof above the headliner, causing the visor pivot point to move forwardly as the visor is lowered to a use position. The headliner pocket in which the visor is mounted, as seen in  FIG. 1 , is modified to incorporate slots for allowing the pivot axle at two spaced locations to be allowed to move from the stowed position to the forward use position shown in  FIG. 5 , which is approximately 2 ½ to 3 inches toward windshield  14 . This moves the visor  40  more forwardly toward the windshield and away from the user&#39;s face, which is important, particularly in cars with extremely slanted windshields where the headliner junction with the windshield is close to the user&#39;s face. 
     It will become apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications to the preferred embodiment of the invention as described herein can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Technology Category: 7