GB2086468A

GB2086468A - Snap spring device, especially for sun visors in motor vehicles

Info

Publication number: GB2086468A
Application number: GB8130993A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Autopart Sweden AB
Current assignee: Autopart Sweden AB
Priority date: 1980-10-29
Filing date: 1981-10-14
Publication date: 1982-05-12
Also published as: DE3141822A1; DE3141822C2; IT8124635A0; FR2492915A1; IT1139654B; FR2492915B1; SE437492B; GB2086468B; SE8007607L

Abstract

A snap spring device, especially for fixing a sun visor in a motor vehicle in the folded-up position, consisting of a shaft (5) and a spring member (1) gripping around the shaft with a plurality of adjacently disposed spring arms (2, 3). Every other arm (2) is disposed on one side of the shaft and every other arm (3) on the opposite side. The shaft has a number of grooves (6) in which one set of arms (2) can snap in, and circular portions beside the grooves for the other set (3), so that only one snap position per rotation is obtained upon relative rotation between the shaft and the spring member. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Snap spring device, especially for sun visors in motor vehicles The present invention relates to a snap spring device, especially for fixing a sun visor in a motor vehicle in the folded-up position, comprising a shaft which over a certain portion at least, has a noncircular cross section, and a spring member which grips around the shaft within said portion and applies a radially inwardly directed clamping force.

In a known snap spring device ofthe type described above, the spring member consists of a folded piece of spring metal, which grips with clamping force around the shaft over a shaft portion with a transverse groove which forms a flat shaft surface.

The spring thus presses against diametrically opposite sides of the shaft. When such a spring is rotated on the shaft, two pronounced snap positions are obtained per rotation; a first position when one arm of the spring snaps into the groove on the shaft, and another position when its diametrically opposite arm snaps into the groove after rotating an additional half rotation.

This type of snap spring device is used in sun visors in auotmobiles to fix the sun visor, in one of the snap positions, in the folded-up position against the ceiling of the automobile. This makes it possible to have less friction in the mounting of the visor, making it easierto fold down and adjust than sun visors which only have friction in the bearing to hold the visor in the folded-up position. in this case the friction must be relatively great to assure that the sun visor will not fold down due to vibrations and jarring when driving on an uneven road, for example. A substantial disadvantage with the known arrangement, however, is the presence of the second snap position, which means that after the sun visor has been folded down past a certain angle, it will snap forward against the windshield.

The purpose of the present invention is to achieve a snap spring device of the type described by way of introduction, which provides only one snap position per rotation and which is therefore especially suitable to incorporate in a sun visor to eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantage.

This is achieved according to the invention by the spring member having at least two adjacently disposed arms gripping the shaft between them, at least one of the arms being resilient and pressing against the shaft within said portion and at least one of the arms being in contact with the shaft beside said portion.

The invention will be described in more detail with reference to an example shown in the accompanying drawing, of which Fig. 1 shows a plane view of a spring member, Fig. 2 shows a plane view of an associated shaft, Fig. 3 shows a side view of the shaft with a spring member in place, Fig. 4 shows a section along the line IV-IV in Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 shows a plane view of a sun visor.

Fig. 1 shows a spring member 1 in the form of a plate of spring steel, which is slotted so as to form spring arms 2 and 3. The arms 2 lie in the plane of the plate, while the arms 3 are bent out and terminate in an arcuate curve portion 4.

Figs. 3 and 4 show the spring member 1 mounted on a shaft end 5 which has three transverse grooves 6 and a peripheral groove 7. In the position shown, three ofthe arms 2 lie in individual grooves 6, while the fourth arm 2 lies in the groove 7 to axially fix the spring member 1 on the shaft 5. The curved portions 4 of the arms 3 grip around the circular portions 8 of the shaft 5 beside the grooves 7, which consequently yields only snap position per rotation, i.e. when the arms 2 snap into the groove 6.

Fig. 5 shows a sun visor 9 which is rotatably mounted on a shaft 5 of the above-mentioned type, said shaft being rotatably mounted at its outer end in a mounting 10 which is designed to be screwed onto the ceiling of the vehicle. A spring member 1 is mounted on the grooved portion of the shaft 5 extending into the sun visor 9, and is also fixed to the sun visor.

1. Snap spring device, especiallyforfixing a sun visor in a motor vehicle in the folded-up position, comprising a shaft which over a certain portion at least, has a non-circular cross section, and a spring member which grips around the shaft within said portion and applies a radially inwardly directed force, characterized in that the spring member has at least two adiacently disposed arms gripping the shaft between them, at least one of the arms being resilient and pressing against the shaft within said portion and at least one of the arms being in contact with the shaft beside said portion.

2. Snap spring device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the spring member is made of a plate of resilient material, which is slotted so as to form a plurality of parallel spring arms, every other one of which is bent out from the plane of the plate and terminated in a portion arcuately curved towards the plane of the plate, the shaft having transverse grooves with flat bottoms in the portions beside the curved spring arms, in which grooves the other spring arms can snap in upon rotation of the plate relative to the shaft.

3. Snap spring device according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the shaft has a peripheral groove which holds one of the arms for axial fixing of the spring member on the shaft.

4. Snap spring device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Snap spring device, especially for sun visors in motor vehicles The present invention relates to a snap spring device, especially for fixing a sun visor in a motor vehicle in the folded-up position, comprising a shaft which over a certain portion at least, has a noncircular cross section, and a spring member which grips around the shaft within said portion and applies a radially inwardly directed clamping force. In a known snap spring device ofthe type described above, the spring member consists of a folded piece of spring metal, which grips with clamping force around the shaft over a shaft portion with a transverse groove which forms a flat shaft surface. The spring thus presses against diametrically opposite sides of the shaft. When such a spring is rotated on the shaft, two pronounced snap positions are obtained per rotation; a first position when one arm of the spring snaps into the groove on the shaft, and another position when its diametrically opposite arm snaps into the groove after rotating an additional half rotation. This type of snap spring device is used in sun visors in auotmobiles to fix the sun visor, in one of the snap positions, in the folded-up position against the ceiling of the automobile. This makes it possible to have less friction in the mounting of the visor, making it easierto fold down and adjust than sun visors which only have friction in the bearing to hold the visor in the folded-up position. in this case the friction must be relatively great to assure that the sun visor will not fold down due to vibrations and jarring when driving on an uneven road, for example. A substantial disadvantage with the known arrangement, however, is the presence of the second snap position, which means that after the sun visor has been folded down past a certain angle, it will snap forward against the windshield. The purpose of the present invention is to achieve a snap spring device of the type described by way of introduction, which provides only one snap position per rotation and which is therefore especially suitable to incorporate in a sun visor to eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantage. This is achieved according to the invention by the spring member having at least two adjacently disposed arms gripping the shaft between them, at least one of the arms being resilient and pressing against the shaft within said portion and at least one of the arms being in contact with the shaft beside said portion. The invention will be described in more detail with reference to an example shown in the accompanying drawing, of which Fig. 1 shows a plane view of a spring member, Fig. 2 shows a plane view of an associated shaft, Fig. 3 shows a side view of the shaft with a spring member in place, Fig. 4 shows a section along the line IV-IV in Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 shows a plane view of a sun visor. Fig. 1 shows a spring member 1 in the form of a plate of spring steel, which is slotted so as to form spring arms 2 and 3. The arms 2 lie in the plane of the plate, while the arms 3 are bent out and terminate in an arcuate curve portion 4. Figs. 3 and 4 show the spring member 1 mounted on a shaft end 5 which has three transverse grooves 6 and a peripheral groove 7. In the position shown, three ofthe arms 2 lie in individual grooves 6, while the fourth arm 2 lies in the groove 7 to axially fix the spring member 1 on the shaft 5. The curved portions 4 of the arms 3 grip around the circular portions 8 of the shaft 5 beside the grooves 7, which consequently yields only snap position per rotation, i.e. when the arms 2 snap into the groove 6. Fig. 5 shows a sun visor 9 which is rotatably mounted on a shaft 5 of the above-mentioned type, said shaft being rotatably mounted at its outer end in a mounting 10 which is designed to be screwed onto the ceiling of the vehicle. A spring member 1 is mounted on the grooved portion of the shaft 5 extending into the sun visor 9, and is also fixed to the sun visor. CLAIMS