WO1997022270A1

WO1997022270A1 - A collapsible sun visor

Info

Publication number: WO1997022270A1
Application number: PCT/AU1996/000822
Authority: WO
Inventors: Iulian Danut Turlea; Nicholas John Leywood
Original assignee: Specialised Packaging Services Pty. Ltd.
Priority date: 1995-12-20
Filing date: 1996-12-20
Publication date: 1997-06-26
Also published as: AUPN724395A0

Abstract

To assemble the visor (1), the first portion (2) is folded from the planar rest position along the foldlines (17) marking the boundary of the first portion with the upper section (16) of the second portion (4), so that the first portion is substantially perpendicular to the second portion. The lower section (12) of the second portion (4) is then folded along the curved foldline marking the boundary between the upper section (16) and the lower section (12). The lower section (12) of the second portion (4) is then pushed inwards towards the first portion (2) such that the upper face of the upper portion (16) of the second section (4) is parallel to and abuts the outer face of the first portion (2). This provides for improved rigidity of the visor against the forehead. The lower section (12) of the second portion (4), as it is folded downwards along the curved foldline marking the boundary between the upper section (16) and the lower section (12) forms a shade for the eyes. The first portion (2) is then bent to fit the forehead and retained on head by means of, for example, an elastic string retained through the holes (6) adjacent the free ends of the first portion (2).

Description

A COLLAPSIBLE SUN VISOR

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a visor for shading a person's eyes from sunlight, in particular, a visor for wearing on the head.

5 Prior Art

Conventional sun visors which are worn on the head comprise two sections, a first section which is designed to abut the forehead of the wearer and a second section which is attached to and protrudes at an angle from the first section acting as a shade for the eyes. It is common practice to manufacture the two sections of such ι o conventional sun visors as separate pieces which are subsequently attached to one another during the manufacturing process. The means of attachment is dependent upon the mateπal from which the two sections are made, for example if the two sections have a cloth outer covering, the two sections may be sewn together, whereas an adhesive may be used to join the two sections of a conventional visor made from a plastics

15 material

The manufacturing process of conventional two-part sun visors is time consuming and economically inefficient when one considers the large quantity of such sun visors made and the cost for which they are sold.

There have been some attempts to overcome this problem by manufacturing

20 sun visors from a plastics material, the visors being moulded to the appropriate shape to produce a sun visor having integral first and second portions However, such visors must necessarily be made from a fairly rigid material to retain the visor in position on the wearers head, which may cause some discomfort to the wearer Also, the space required for storage or packaging of such unitary visors is substantial due to the rigid

25 shape of the moulded visors.

Object of the Invention

It is an object of the invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantages.

Disclosure of the Invention

30 There is firstly disclosed herein a visor being configured in use to include a generally upwardly extending headband portion, and a shade portion, the shade portion extending downwardly from said band portion at an acute angle to the band portion, and wherein said visor is foldable from a generally planar configuration to the use configuration In the above visor, it is preferable that the shade portion being generally arcuate in transverse cross-section so as to provide a peak with downwardly extending sides.

There is further disclosed herein a visor for wearing on the head comprising: 5 a first portion having an outer face and an inner face, said inner face being suitable for abutting the forehead of the wearer in use; a second portion integral with said first portion, said second portion having an upper section and a lower section, said second portion being movable with respect to said first portion from an unassembled position to an in-use position so that in said m- 10 use position said upper section of said second portion abuts said outer face of said first portion, said lower section of said second portion being angled with respect to said upper section and said first portion in said use position to shade the eyes of the wearer.

Preferably, said first portion and said second portion are substantially planar in said unassembled position. i s Preferably, said visor further comprises an aperture between said first portion and said upper section of said second portion.

Preferably, said aperture is substantially convex in shape.

Preferably, said upper section of said second portion is movable with respect to said lower section of said second portion about an arcuate foldhne. 20 Preferably, said visor is formed of stiffened paper or cardboard

Preferably, said visor is formed of a plastics material.

Preferably, said lower section is substantially crescent shaped.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Preferred forms of the present invention will now be described by way of 25 example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view from above and one side of a visor embodying the present invention in its assembled state;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the visor of Figure 1 in its unassembled state; Figure 3 is a perspective view from one side of the visor of Figure 1 ; 30 Figure 4 is a section through the visor of Figure 1 ; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view from above and one side of a visor embodying the present invention in its assembled state.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments

Figure 1 shows a visor 1 embodying the invention in an in-use position,

35 comprising a first portion 2 and a second portion 4. The inner face 3 of the first portion 2 is designed to abut the forehead of the wearer and the second portion 4 is shaped to protrude at an angle to the first portion in the in-use position to shade the wearer's eyes from sunlight. The visor may be held in position on the wearer's head by means of, for example, an elastic thread (not shown) which may be threaded through the holes 6 adjacent the free ends 8 of the first portion 2 and secured.

Figure 2 shows the visor 1 embodying the invention in its unassembled state in which the visor is substantially planar. The first portion 2 comprises a band, the upper edge 1 1 of which is arcuate from one free end 8 of the first portion to the other free end. The arcuate shape improves comfort for the wearer and the aesthetic appearance of the visor when worn.

The second portion 4 is integral with the first portion 2 and comprises a crescent shaped lower section 12, the tips of which contact the lower surface 14 of the first portion 2 at a location short of the free ends 8 of the first portion The second portion 4 further comprises an upper section 16 intermediate the first portion 2 and the lower section 12 of the second portion, the edges 18 of the upper section forming the boundaries between the first portion 2 and the second portion 4. The boundaries 18 are marked to form a foldhne to permit the folding of one portion relative to the other.

A convex shaped aperture 10 is located centrally in between the first portion 2 and the upper section 16 of the second shade portion, the central longitudinal axis of the aperture extending along the edges 17 of the other section of the second portion, forming the boundary between the first and second portions. To assemble the visor 1 embodying the invention, the first portion 2 is folded from the planar rest position along the foldhnes 17 marking the boundary of the first portion with the upper section 16 of the second portion 4, so that the first portion is substantially perpendicular to the second portion The lower section 12 of the second portion 4 is then folded along the curved foldhne marking the boundary between the upper section 16 and the lower section 12. The lower section 12 of the second portion 4 is then pushed inwards towards the first portion 2 such that the upper face of the upper portion 16 of the second section 4 is parallel to and abuts the outer face of the first portion 2. This provides for improved rigidity of the visor against the forehead. The lower section 12 of the second portion 4, as it is folded downwards along the curved foldhne marking the boundary between the upper section 16 and the lower section 12 forms a shade for the eyes. The first portion 2 is then bent to fit the forehead and retained on head by means of, for example, an elastic spring retained through the holes 6 adjacent the free ends of the first portion 2.

The applicants have appreciated that it is possible to calculate the various dimensions of the visor which are most suitable for a particular head size. The dimensions of the visor are shown in Figures 3 to 5 wherein the Distance is representative of the diameter of a cyhnder defined in part by the forehead of the wearer, and the angle alpha is the acute angle between the plane formed by the surface of the lower section 12 of the second portion 4, when angled with respect to the first portion 2 in the assembled position, and the vertical plane passing through the point of contact of the second section with the first section, namely along the midpoint of the surface of the upper section 16 of the second portion 2.

The applicants have found that the length of the second portion required to give 5 sufficient shade to a wearer's eyes is determined by the following formula: shade = (D/2) * TAN (alpha/2) /cos (alpha)

Furthermore, the applicants have found that the minimum distance between the lateral plane through the lowest point of the upper section 16, when in the assembled position, and the intersection of the plane perpendicular to that lateral plane with the lo plane along the surface of the lower section 12 of the second portion when angled with respect to the first portion in the assembled position is denoted by the formula: height = (D/2) * TAN (alpha/2) It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made, for example, the visor 1 may be made from stiffened paper or cardboard, or indeed a plastics i s material. Also, the aperture 10 between the first portion 2 and second portion 4 may be diamond shaped as opposed to purely convex.

Thus, the visor illustrated provides a simple and economic product which is easily manufactured in a planar sheet and assembled by the wearer themselves, which does not therefore require a large amount of storage space and is quick and simple to 20 assemble.

Claims

The claims defining the invention are as follows:

1. A visor being configured in use to include a generally upwardly extending head band portion, and a shade portion, the shade portion extending downwardly from said band portion at an acute angle to the band portion, and wherein said visor is foidable from a generally plainer configuration to the use configuration.

2. A visor according to claim 1 wherein shade portion is generally arcuate in transverse cross-section so as to provide a peak with downwardly extending sides.

3. A visor for wearing on the head comprising: a first portion having an outer face and an inner face, said inner face being suitable for abutting the forehead of the wearer in use; a second portion integral with said first portion, said second portion having an upper section and a lower section, said second portion being movable with respect to said first portion from an unassembled position to an in-use position so that in said in- use position said upper section of said second portion abuts said outer face of said first portion, said lower section of said second portion being angled with respect to said upper section and said first portion in said use position to shade the eyes of the wearer.

4. A visor according to claim 3 wherein said first portion and said second portion are substantially planar in said unassembled position.

5. A visor according to any one of claims 3 or 4 further comprising an aperture between said first portion and said upper section of said second portion.

6. A visor according to claim 5 wherein said aperture is substantially convex in shape.

7. A visor according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein said upper section of said second portion is movable with respect to said lower section of said second portion about an arcuate fold line.

8. A visor according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said visor is formed of stiffened paper or cardboard.

9. A visor according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said visor is formed of a plastics material.

10. A visor according to any one of claims 3 to 8 where said lower section is substantially crescent shaped.

11. A visor according to any one of claims 3 to 9 wherein said second portion is angled at an acute angle with respect to said upper section and said first portion in said use position.

12. A visor substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.