JPH0655934A - Folding sun visor for vehicle and method of covering window - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To readily collapse and contrive to adapt for a glass of various sizes by a method wherein a soft seat made of an opaque material is attached to first and second frames structured as a closed uni-loop which can be formed as a plurality of concentric loops by twisting. CONSTITUTION: There is formed a frame 22 by a strip made of a soft spring-like uni-metal or plastics by bending to form a closed loop and connecting by a clip 24, and the frame 22 is attached to a seat 20 at an end part 26 of a hem strip 25 extending along this entire length by sewing on. This opaque seat 20 is made of plastics, etc., which reflect lights, and two shades are normally in parallel spread in a front glass window and used, and when unused, are collapsed for storage. Accordingly, it is possible to readily handle and adopt for a front glass of various sizes.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a foldable awning which can be unfolded and placed on the window of an automobile, and a method of using the awning to cover the window of an automobile.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is sometimes desirable to cover windows to shield the interior of a vehicle from the sun and heat. Some early car awnings have simple accordion-folded paperboard sheets. The shade is generally unrolled and placed on the windshield in front of the car. However, the accordion car shade tends to shrink towards its original folded position due to the wrinkles on the paperboard. Even when fully folded, the accordion shade is small and large to store. US Patents issued to Zheng
No. 4,815,784 discloses an awning that can cover the windows of an automobile. The Zheng awning has a pair of closed loop flexible frames mounted over two opaque sheets of fabric. The frames are separated by a hinge area where the loops can overlap each other. The frame is then twisted and folded to create a number of small concentric loops that can be stored. However, the hinge part of the Zheng awning is unsupported and therefore tends to sag from the window. The sagging material allows light to enter the interior of the car, reducing the effectiveness of the sunshade.

US Pat. No. 5,024,2 issued to Huang
No. 62 discloses a sunshade having a single flexible frame covered by a pair of opaque sheets. The Huang awning has a rectangular shape and is large enough to cover the windshield of a car. Twist and fold the frame, Zheng
Make a loop of multiple concentric circles that is very similar to the device in.
However, due to its size, the Huang awning is difficult to fold the frame, especially for users who cannot reach the edge of the awning with their arms extended. Furthermore, the Huang sunshades are not adjustable in size and manufacturers need to make sunshades of different sizes to cover windshields of different sizes. Therefore, it is desirable to have a sunshade assembly that is easy to fold and can cover windshields with different dimensions.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an awning assembly which covers the windshield of a vehicle and which can be easily folded by the user of the assembly. Another object of the present invention is to provide an awning assembly that can fit various sizes of windshields. A further object of the present invention is to provide a single size sunshade assembly that can cover windshields of various sizes.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is an awning assembly comprising a first foldable shade and a second foldable shade. Shades are generally placed side by side on the windshield of a car to shield the interior of the car from the sun and heat. Each shade has a flexible opaque sheet that can be attached to a flexible frame.
The frame is constructed so that it can be folded and twisted into a number of concentric loops that can be stored in bags for storage.

[0006]

Each of the shades is sufficiently small so that the user can grab and fold the frame, but collectively, the shade is large enough to cover the windshield of the car. Since the first and second shades can be installed in an overlapping manner, the sunshade assembly can cover a windshield that is shorter than the combined length of both shades. By stacking shades, the user can adapt the shade to different sizes of windshields. The separate shades also allow the user to rotate the awnings to cover cars with high windshields. In addition, the awning assembly allows the manufacturer to create a awning assembly that can be used in one size for a variety of vehicle models.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1, which shows an awning assembly 10 of the present invention installed on a windshield 12 of an automobile 14. The awning assembly 10 is primarily used to prevent sunlight and heat from entering the interior of the car. The awning also serves as a cover that hides the interior of the passenger compartment. Although the use of the sunshade assembly 10 in an automobile is described herein, the present invention may be used to cover other windows. For example, the awning assembly 10 can cover the windows of a commercial building or house to shield the interior of the building from the sun and heat. The sunshade assembly 10 is composed of a first shade 16 and a second shade 18, each having a similar structure.

As shown in FIG. 2, each shade has a flexible sheet 20 attached to a flexible frame 22. Frame 22 is generally constructed of a single strip that is bent into a closed loop and joined by clips 24 or other fastener means. In the preferred embodiment, the frame has a rectangular shape so that the shade matches the shape of the vehicle window. However, although a rectangle is explained here, this shape may be any shape. The corners are rounded, which allows for better safety and better shade appearance. Also, the rounded corners prevent the sheet 20 from being damaged. The clip 24 can be folded back against the crimp or strip to ensure that the end of the frame 22 is tightened. The strip is made of a spring-like metal or plastic that can be easily twisted and folded without bending the material. In the preferred embodiment, frame 22 is formed of steel wire that is both flexible and strong.

The seat 20 is attached to the frame 22 by a hem strip 25 extending the length of the frame 22. As shown in FIG. 3, the hem strip 25 is folded back against the frame 22 and is sewn to the seat 20 at the end 26 of the hem strip 25. The sheet 20 and hem strips 25 are generally constructed of a flexible and strong fabric. This material is generally strong enough to hold the frame in the desired shape. Or sheet 20
Is thin plastic, reinforced paper, plasticized metal foil,
Alternatively, it can be composed of the material sold under the trademark TYVEK by EI duPont de Nemour. Sheet
The 20 can also be composed of a plurality of individual sheets laminated together. The sheet 20 can be opaque and light reflective. The sheet 20 can include various colors, patterns or logos to enhance the appearance of the shade. In the exemplary embodiment sheet 20 is constructed of one layer of material, but two or more layers may be used.

If the shade is not used, the shade can be folded and stored. A preferred method of folding the shade is to overlay the first shade 16 on the second shade 18. The user then grasps the opposite ends of the frame with both hands and twists the ends in opposite directions, folding the shades inward until both shades form three overlapping loops. Each shade can generally be folded to about 20% of its original size. In addition, the shade generally remains in the folded state without further suppression. The folded sunshade assembly can then be placed in a bag (not shown) or other storage means. The shade can be fitted with an elastic strap (not shown) that wraps around the folded shade to prevent the frame from expanding.

When installing the sunshade assembly 10, the first
Spread the shade 16 and the second shade 18 and place them side by side on the window. The opaque shade prevents sunlight from entering the passenger compartment. The shade is also
It provides an additional thermal barrier that reduces the flow of heat from the environment into the interior of the car. When covering a windshield with a shade, the shade is generally supported by a dashboard and placed in place by the visor of the car. In the example, the shade is approximately 71 cm (28 inches) long and 61 wide.
It is in centimeters (24 inches). Together, the shades are large enough to cover a typical automobile windshield.

As shown in FIG. 4, shades can be installed in duplicate so that both shades can be fitted to a windshield that is shorter than the combined length. The awning assembly of the present invention allows the user to install the same shade on vehicles having different windshield dimensions. Also according to the invention, the manufacturer can produce a single size shade,
It can be adapted to various car models, and by manufacturing one size of shade, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing and sales costs of the product. By using a separate shade, the user can cover a car with a high windshield by rotating the shade.

As shown in FIG. 5, the shade can also be used to cover the side window 28 of a vehicle. Seat 20 is generally a shaded side window
It has a tag 30 that can be used to attach to 28. Place the tag 30 on top of the glass and raise the window so that the tag is sandwiched between the car glass and the window well. The bottom of the shade can be supported by the door frame. The shade can also be secured to the window by making the shade slightly longer than the height of the side window 28 and exerting the elastic force of the frame 22 against the door and window frame. Although two shades 16 and 18 have been described, two or more shades can be used in the present invention. While the exemplary embodiment has been described in detail in connection with the figures,
The examples are merely illustrative of a wide range of inventions, and the present invention is not limited to the examples and the specific configurations and arrangements described.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an awning assembly of the present invention covering a vehicle window shield.

2 is a top view of one shade of the awning assembly of FIG. 1. FIG.

3 is a cross-sectional view of the shade of FIG. 2 taken along line 2-2.

FIG. 4 shows shades installed in an overlapping manner, FIG.
It is a perspective view similar to FIG.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a shade for covering a side window of an automobile.

[Explanation of symbols]

10: windshield, 16: first shade, 18: second shade, 20: seat, 22: frame.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A first flexible sheet of opaque material attached to a first frame, the first frame configured as a single closed loop that can be twisted into a plurality of concentric loops. And a second sheet of flexible opaque material attached to a second frame, the second frame being a single closed loop that can be twisted into a plurality of concentric loops. An automotive awning assembly capable of covering a vehicle window comprising a second shade constructed. 2. A) comprising a first sheet of flexible opaque material attached to a first frame, said first frame as a single closed loop which can be twisted into a plurality of concentric loops. A first shade constructed and a second sheet of flexible opaque material attached to a second frame, the second frame being twisted into a plurality of concentric loops. A second shade configured as a closed loop, b) arranging the first shade on a window of an automobile to cover at least part of the window, and c) placing the second shade on the window of the automobile. A method of covering a window of a vehicle comprising the steps of placing and covering at least part of the window.