GB2400832A - Transparent tinted sun visor - Google Patents

Abstract

A transparent tinted sun visor may be attached to the interior of a motor vehicle instead of a conventional opaque visor. The sun visor may include hinges which allow elevating and lateral movements. The visor may be bronze tinted, made from polycarbonate sheet, and may be surrounded by a protective rubber or cushioned beading. A cosmetic mirrored surface can be fitted as a laminated item to a surface of the sun visor.

Description

TRANSPARENT TINTED VISOR, I-TINGED (F,l,EVATING AND LA'rER9L MOVEMENTS)

FOR MOTOR VF,HICLES As a necessary aspect of the design of a product, safety forms a very relevant factor that might cause the acceptance of a product for universal use i.e. that it meets the criteria of health and safety legislation that has set a standard for products used in completed motor vehicles.

Depending up the lamina used in the production of windscreens, variations in the quality of visibility are attributed to the geometry and angle at which the screen is fitted to the motor vehicle. Conditions of weather; bright direct sunlight, the glare of headlights from oncoming vehicles create problems of visibility for the driver.

As a sub section and complement to the above observations I have tried to develop a product that is an improvement of existing designs in that it provides approximately 10x5 inches (250mxl30mm) minimum of increased space that is transparent, that enables the driver of any motor vehicle to view the road in front of the vehicle in conditions of bright direct sunlight and when confronted by the glare of headlights *om oncoming vehicles. The overall objective is making a product according to the included specifications is to provide drivers with a part that is an efficient use of a component to enhance visibility of the road and thereby raise the safety standard of drivers.

Existing designs of some visors are limited to solid, non-transparent lamina that may be hinged, to be lowered or raised in front of the eyes of the driver or passenger. Tile basic feature of all sun visors supplied on manufactured motor cares, home produced (UK) or imported during the last 3() year is that they are non-transparent and are used to stop sunlight or glare from occluding the vision of the driver, invariably their use causes the driver some difficulty in that they also partially occlude the field of vision because they are solid impenetrable surfaces. Their acceptance for safety criteria is that many are padded. A pre- requisite of road safety and the partial answer to the question of how to increase road safety, Is invariably the potential of the vision of the driver. flow can he or she use the sense of vision to its maximum if they have a solid impenetrable surface, hinged partly in front of their eyes? The answer to increased road safety is therefore directly in front of the eyes of the driver.

The alternative to existing designs would be to manufacture sun visors from tinted (bronze) polycarbonate sheet, that does not break or splinter on impact and has sufficient colour density in the tint to be an effective shield from bright direct sunlight or the glare of oncoming headlights. This improved version of a sun visor would enable the driver to see the road in -front of the vehicle in those conditions with more clarity because of the transparency of the lamina used in its construction. I have tried to avoid the use of metals in the finished construction of the sun visor. The only metal objects that have been used are the stainless steel rod that fonns part of the hinge assembly figure 1 and the stainless screws that attach both hinge assemblies figure I and figure 4 to the surface of the transparent visor, figure 3.

These steel objects could be replaced by plastic parts after a production method has been evolved. The use of stainless steel has been limited to prototypes and first examples of the product. .,

The hinge (Figure 1) is made from machined black acetyl, an alternative could be machined transparent or coloured polycarbonate bar. Once a production method has been developed - the hinge components could be made from plastic injection moulded parts. The elevating hinge (Figure 4) has been made from an existing factory component supplied with nontransparent visors. It has been adapted to fit the transparent polycarbonate surface of the sun visor and is held in place by two or more 3 or 4 mm countersunk headed screws. This part (Figure 4) could be made for use with transparent po]ycarbonate sheet if the product is accepted by existing manufacturers. A]ternative]y plastic injection moulded parts could be made to fit the transparent visor.

The transparent visor, Figure 3, is made from bronze tinted po]ycarbonate sheet 3, 4, 5 or 6 mm thick. Sheet 3 or 4 mm thick is adequate for motorcars. Sheet 5 or 6 mm thick could be used for larger vehicles such as vans, lorries (trucks), coaches and public service vehicles (buses). Also trains etc. where the surface area of the visor is larger. Sizes vary from a minimum of 250 mm long (l 0 inches) by 145 mm (5 inches) wide. The transparent tinted po]ycarbonate sun visor is also given a rubberised or padded surround (Figure 2) in order to protect users from exposed bare edges during conditions of impact or collision. Mirror reflective polycarbonate strip 3-4 inches (80mm-l()()mm) wide could be fitted to the top of the visor, inward facing, for cosmetic purposes on both passenger and driver sides of the vehicle.

This is as a specified option.

SIJIWlS()lIS In Theory, the idea of using transparent, tinted sun-visors, in order to increase the area of clear vision, in front the eyes of the driver, thereby enhancing visibhty and awareness of the road In front of the vehicle, Is really a matter for raising driver safety standards.

In applying the product to working stuahons, it was found to have various design faults that were not apparent at the theoretical point of development.

Observations were: When two separate transparent surfaces are aligned with some space between each other (3-5 inches), the problem of reflectiveness is made apparent.This problem arises because of two factors that are inherent in the basic form and structure of transparent surfaces; Reflectiveness and transparency of surfaces are necessary corresponding characterishcs that emanate from the basic molecular structure of glass and all transparent surfaces. If they are mineral crystaline or polymer in their origins, it is almost Impossible to envisage a surface that is perfectly transparent without its two outer surfaces being reflective. If each surface were given a malt, now polished surface finish, clarity for perfect through vision and transparency would be lost.

The dangerous aspect of reflectiveness occurs when the sun-visor, fitted to the interior of the vehicle, at an angle in comparative relationship to the windscreen, (windshield) Is subjected to the rays of bright direct sunlight, or the glare from this headlights of oncoming vehicles. In this situation, a mirror image is produced on the first surface that is directly in front of the eyes of the driver, thereby creating partial occlusion of the visibleness of the road in front of the vehicle, and at the same time, creating a distraction to the action in vision, of focus of the driver's eye. At some angles of use, clear through vision is unobstructed by reflections.

Another factor that affects the efficiency of the product is the angle that the external windscreen (windshield) forms when fitted to the vehicle. On vehicles where the windscreen is more perpendicular or closer to the angle of 90 degrees vertical, reflectiveness is not as severe an obstruction, as when the angle of the windscreen is more acute.

The angle of the sun and the position of the vehicle in relationship to it, further compounds the problem causing parallax reflections on the visor. The actual structure and horns of the external windscreen also affects the incidence of reflections.

Because of the preceding observations, efficient use of the product in some situations is more dangerous than if the hinged scan visor were not transparent. Further research is needed into surface structures that create reflectiveecss, and a basic principle 170f the 1 nature of transparency is encountered when trying to find a way around the problem, transparency also involves reflectiveness.

Claims (1)

1. Transparent bronze, tinted sun visor, for motor vehicles, P.S V S and trains 2) Hinged and elevating with lateral movement, facilitated by the adaption of existing factory made components (lateral hinge, found and supplied on existing manufacturer supplied vehicles.) 3) A tinted sun-visor, transparent, to replace existing non-transparent visors, fitted to the interior of the motor vehicle in the same places as non-transparent visors, in front of the driver and passenger.

   4) Transparent bronze tinted sun visor made from 3, 4, or 5 mm thick polycarbonate sheet, (already coloured.) andsurroundedbyaprotectiverubberorcushionedbeading, in order to satisfy health and safety criteria (non splintering laminia in impact situations ie a collision Non abrading or cutting as any projecting edges or surfaces are surrounded by flexible and absorbative rubber beading.

   5) Because the sun visor is transparent, space for driver vision is increased in size, enabling the driver to see more of the road in front of the vehicle in conditions of bright and direct sunlight 6) Cosmetic mirrored surfaces can be fitted as an extra laminated item to the inner facing surface.