GB2351956A

GB2351956A - Anti-dazzle visor extension

Info

Publication number: GB2351956A
Application number: GB9916653A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Arthur Frederic Tunnicliff
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-07-15
Filing date: 1999-07-15
Publication date: 2001-01-17
Also published as: GB9916653D0

Abstract

An anti-dazzle visor extension comprises a sheet 1 of a transparent or semi-transparent glare reducing material attached by means of a retainer 21 and hinge 13 to a clip 11 that fits onto the lower edge of a vehicle sun visor. Two such clips are used to secure the extension to the sun visor.

Description

1 2351956 Anti-Dazzle Screen The present invention relates to anti-dazzle

screens for motor vehicles.

Motor vehicles such as cars often have sun visors which can be used by vehicle occupants, and particularly drivers, when they are being dazzled by bright sun light.

Typically such visors are hinged at one edge to the roof of the vehicle so that when not in use they can be folded away and stored against the roof. When the driver is being dazzled, he can pull the visor down to shade his eyes from the bright light.

However, because the driver's view ahead must not be dangerously obscured, such visors are usually dimensioned so that at maximum extension they only obscure a top portion of the windscreen or window from the driver. But this leaves a problem when dazzle is caused by light which arrives at the driver from a low angle, such as light from the sun when it is low in the sky, reflection off a road surface, or light from the headlights of oncoming traffic.

Consequently the present invention provides an anti-dazzle screen for a motor vehicle, the screen being of transparent or semi-transparent glarereducing material and having releasable securing means for 2 releasably securing the screen to a sun visor of the vehicle, whereby in use the screen protects an occupant of the vehicle from being dazzled by light not blocked by the visor.

Because the screen is transparent or semi transparent, it does not obscure the vision of the driver or vehicle occupant. Nonetheless by reducing glare it lower the risk of the driver or other occupant from being dazzled by low-angle light. In this way driver comfort and, possibly more importantly, driver safety can be improved.

When the screen is not needed the releasable securing means allow it to be simply dismounted from the visor. Therefore one screen can be used in a number of different vehicles, i.e. it may not be necessary for a driver to have different screens for the different vehicles that he drives.

Preferably the releasable securing means includes a hinge at an edge of the screen about which hinge the screen is pivotable from a stowed position in which the screen lies face- to-face with the visor to an extended position in which the screen extends away from an edge of the visor.

Thus the screen can be moved easily and 3 conveniently between these two positions. In particular when the screen is secured to the free edge of the visor (the one which is lowermost in use), the stowed position of the screen can coincide with the folded away position of the visor and the extended position of the screen can coincide with the pulled down position of the visor. Then by arranging the screen in its stowed position to be face-to-face with the lower face of the folded up visor, the visor and the screen can be pulled down and extended simultaneously simply by pulling on the screen. However, in order that the screen does not move accidentally out of its stowed position under its own weight, more preferably the hinge includes friction means so that the screen is retainable in the stowed position.

Preferably the releasable securing means includes at least one clip (e.g. a spring clip) for releasably clipping the screen to an edge of the visor. This provides a convenient and secure method of mounting the screen to the visor, and can allow the screen to be mounted to a wide range of different visors which may vary in e.g. thickness, material, surface finish etc.

More preferably the releasable securing means includes at an edge of the screen two spaced apart clips with respective hinges. By connecting the screen to the 4 visor at two spaced locations, sturdiness of the attachment of the screen to the visor is improved without significantly compromising the ease with which the screen can be detached and mounted to another visor.

The present invention will now be described in relation to a specific embodiment and with reference to the following figures in which:

Figs. la and b show respectively front and side views of an anti-dazzle screen; Figs. 2a and b show schematically then screen clipped to a vehicle sun visor in stowed and extended positions respectively; Figs. 3a to d show respectively side, front, rear and perspective views of a clip; and Figs. 4a to c show respectively front, rear and side views of a retainer.

Figs. la and b show respectively front and side views of anti-dazzle screen 1 which is a substantially rectangular sheet of transparent or semi-transparent material such as darkened or coloured glass or plastic. Additionally or alternatively the sheet may be a polarising filter.

Two clips 11 formed of pressed and shaped spring steel are attached at spaced apart locations to an edge of screen 1 by respective retainers 21 which are also formed of pressed and shaped steel. Of course other materials, such as plastics, may be used for the clips and retainers.

Clips 11 are joined to retainers 21 by respective hinges 15 (not shown in Figs. la and b) centred at the positions marked "X" on ears 13 of the clips. The clips are offset from the plane of screen 1 so that when a sun visor 2 (Fig. 2) is inserted into the clips, the screen is also offset from the visor. In this way it is possible for the screen in its stowed position to lie face-to-face with the visor.

This is shown in Fig. 2a which is a schematic view of a portion of a car. Sun visor 2 is folded up in a corresponding recess 4 of the roof 3 of the car. Screen 1 lies face-to face with the lower side of the visor so that the normal folded up position of visor 2 in the recess is not disturbed and screen 1 can be easily reached by the driver 5.

To use the screen and visor, the driver 5 simply pulls on screen 1 which then pivots on hinges 15 to form essentially an extension to visor 2. By pulling on screen 1 the driver also and simultaneously pulls down visor 2 which pivots about a hinged connection 6 to roof 6 3. Thus only one movement is needed to bring both the visor and the screen into use.

The fully extended visor and screen are shown schematically in Fig. 2b. With respect to the line of vision of the driver, screen 1 covers a different (lower) portion of windscreen 7 than visor 2. Therefore, the screen is able to reduce glare from low angle light but, being transparent, does not significantly impede the vision of the driver. To put the screen and visor away the driver simply reverses the previous movement.

To stop the screen from pivoting about hinges 15 under its own weight in the stowed position, the hinges are supplied with friction washers.

Figs. 3a to d show respectively side, front, rear and perspective views of a clip 11, and Figs. 4a to c show respectively front, rear and side views of retainer 21.

Clip 11 is formed in a U-shape for receiving a free edge of a sun visor the edge lowermost in use - in the interior of the "U". The mouth of the clip has turned out lips 17 which prevent the clip from snagging when the screen is attached to or removed from a visor.

Retainer 21 is also formed in a U-shape for receiving an edge of screen 1. In this case, however, 7 the retainer is permanently fixed to the screen by e.g. a screw or adhesive. The base of the "U" and the edge of the screen form a channel which is coaxial with positions "X" on ears 13 and which receives hinge 15. 5 S

Claims

1) Clip on see-through anti-dazzle screen with two self adjusted hinged clips to secure the device to any existing visor, from which it can be quickly used or parked when not required.

2) The two hinged clips in claim 1. are securely positioned on to the anti-dazzle screen allowing the device to be used on any existing visor. The hinged clips can be plastic or metal.

3 3) The see- through anti-dazzle screen in claim 1. is supported from the hinge clip which can be manufactured in plastic or laminated glass.

4) The anti-dazzle screen can be used in any suitable position or parked out of view if not required for use.