Plasta Fiber Industries, Inc.

Lear Donnelly Overhead Systems, L.l.c.

Automotive Industries Manufacturing, Inc.

Douglas C Miller

Douglas A Fischer

Mark R Litke

Dean T Miller

Robert W Donaldson

Michael S Serbay

Brian J Rogalske

Peter A Franchino

A sun visor is disclosed having a body with an aperture through which an extender blade selectively slides between fully retracted and fully extended positions. The visor body is a clamshell type having first and second shell halves. A guide rib is located on one shell half to align and guide the extender blade as it moves into and out of the visor body. The aperture is formed by a recessed portion in at least one of the shell halves. Fabric covers the visor body and also extends into the aperture and covers at least part of the guide rib.

Visor with extender blade and guide therefor

A console and method of installing a console for a motor vehicle or the like including a passenger cabin. The console includes an accessory module for use by occupants of the vehicle and has a housing with fasteners adapted to mount the console within the vehicle cabin. A chamber having an open side is formed in the console and receives an accessory module. At least a portion of the housing comprises an expanded polymeric material, preferably expended polypropylene, to provide a soft surface within the vehicle cabin. A decorative skin covers a surface of the housing that confronts the vehicle cabin in another embodiment

Vehicle soft console with interchangeable accessory bins and in-molded skin and fastener

A sun visor assembly includes first and second core halves foldable along a common edge to form an outboard cavity. One of the first and second core halves includes a retaining assembly. A cover material is configured for covering the first and second core halves, and includes at least one slit formed therethrough. A support pin assembly includes at least one snap foot insertable through the slit for engagement with the retaining assembly to secure the support pin assembly within the outboard cavity and to secure the cover material to the first and second core halves. A method for forming a sun visor assembly is also provided.

Vehicle visor having snap-in support pin

A visor with an illuminated vanity assembly comprising a base with a closable cover. A dimmer switch is provided on the base for controlling the light output of the illuminated vanity assembly. The dimmer switch comprises a slidable switch electrically coupling a light source contact and a resistor whereby the sliding of the switch relative to the resistor changes the resistance in the circuit to control the light output from the light source.

Visor with illuminated vanity assembly

A spring clip, an arm assembly including a pivot rod, and a clip housing are provided for a vehicle visor for providing holding torque when the vehicle visor is in its storage position against a headliner of the vehicle. The spring clip includes a bowed leaf-spring member having a crown portion which imposes a force against a flat formed on one side of the pivot rod. An equal opposing force is applied to a pair of spaced flats formed on the opposite side of the pivot rod by tab portions which extend from first and second legs which, in turn, extend from opposite sides of the leaf-spring member. In two embodiments, the pivot rod extends through D-shaped holes formed when the tab portions are bent inwardly from their respective legs to allow the pivot rod to pass through the body of the clip. The tab portions are preferably bent from their legs at approximately 90.degree. to form surfaces which bear against the spaced flats of the pivot rod opposite the crown portion of the leaf-spring member. In some embodiments, the spring clip also incorporates one or more protrusions and/or recesses to positively engage the clip housing. In one embodiment, the clip housing includes a mounting portion for mounting the clip housing to the roof of the vehicle.

Apparatus for releasably holding a vehicle visor in a raised storage

A mechanism for attaching an outer covering to a molded shell-type vehicle sun visor having a pair of shell halves and an aperture in one shell half. The mechanism includes a stackes attached to or integral with an inner surface of the shell half and a bezel which cooperates with the stakes to sandwich the free edge portions of the covering along an inner surface of a shell half around the aperture to prevent the covering from working loose.

Apparatus for securing fabric to a visor

A visor extender for use in combination with a vehicle visor which has a visor defining an internal cavity for housing a sheath which defines a channel and an opening. A blade which has a first end and a second end is movable along the channel between a retracted position substantially within the cavity and an extended position outside of the cavity. A grip means is located adjacent the first end of the blade for selectively moving the blade between the retracted position and the extended position. A limiting means is provided which cooperates with an opening in the sheath to limit movement of the blade in the extended position. A guide means is provided on the blade adjacent the second end for guiding movement of the blade on the sheath as the blade moves in the channel between the retracted position and the extended position.

Expandable visor

A mounting system in combination with a sun visor which is movable between a detented retracted position and an extended position. A pivot shaft with a generally circular cross-section cooperates with the sun visor. The pivot shaft has a flat surface along one side of the shaft which provides a detent position for the sun visor when in the retracted position. An annular groove is provided which is oriented in a plane generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. A first clip is provided which cooperates with the shaft and sun visor. The first clip has a first leg and a second leg, such that either the first leg or the second leg has a protrusion which cooperates with the annular groove to prevent either the first leg or the second leg from locating the flat surface while allowing the other leg to locate the flat surface to obtain the detent position when the sun visor is in the retracted position. A second clip cooperates with the first clip to securely fasten the first clip about the pivot shaft. A fasting means is provided for fastening the first clip to the second clip about the pivot shaft.

Visor mounting system

An electrical circuit assembly mechanism for an illuminated vehicle visor having a mirror and a slidable panel for covering and uncovering the mirror. Movement of the slidable panel from the covered position to the uncovered position closes the circuit. Movement of the slidable panel from the uncovered position to the covered position opens the circuit. An electrically conductive member cooperates with the slidable panel and an electrically conductive support member to activate and deactivate the illumination of the mirror on the visor. Movement of the slidable panel results in corresponding movement of the conductive member, which, in turn, results in contact being made or broken between the support member and a ground bar, depending on the position of the slidable panel relative to the mirror.

Circuit assembly for illuminated visor

A mechanism and method for attaching a sunvisor to a pivot shaft by providing a generally U-shaped clip having first and second arms within a cooperating clip housing integrally formed within the rear panel of the sunvisor. A conduit is formed by the spring clip enabling the sliding of the pivot shaft into both the clip housing and the spring clip. The clip housing is designed to cooperate with the pivot shaft to pre-stress one arm of the spring clip, thereby eliminating excess play between the spring clip and the sunvisor when the visor is pivoted. The attachment mechanism is designed such that a snap-shut hook is properly received within a receiving hook, thereby effectively securing the sunvisor to the pivot shaft.

Sunvisor spring clip and attachment mechanism

Mechanism and method for attaching an outer covering to a plastic shell are provided wherein an attachment mechanism is attached or integral with an inner surface of a shell half. The attachment mechanism secures the covering to prevent the covering from working loose prior to and during closure of the upper and lower shell halves. The mechanism is designed to maintain adequate tension on the cover fabric, yet allow fabric to be pulled out as required by a peripheral fabric retention system. The mechanism further includes one or more members which flex to allow an elongated implement and fabric to enter, but which grabs and retains the fabric when the elongated implement is withdrawn prior to and upon closing of the upper and lower shell halves.

Sunvisor including a method and attachment mechanism for securing a

A sunvisor for an automotive vehicle has a shell or frame with two separate halves foldable along a common edge. The shell halves have juxtaposed notches along the common edge and clamping flanges or ribs on one surface thereof adjacent the notches. A visor body is formed by folding the shell halves along the common edge. After folding, the visor body has an inner cavity. A retainer or support pin is integrally formed with a fabric tucking flange. Before closing the shell halves, the support pin is placed and held so as to force the cover fabric into its final position. Upon closure of the shell halves, the clamping flanges cooperate to retain the support pin and cover fabric. The support pin cooperates with a sunvisor support latch to support the sunvisor with the vehicle.

Vehicle sunvisor including mechanism for securing covering on sunvisor

A mechanism for attaching an outer fabric covering to a plastic shell is provided wherein inner and outer walls integrally formed on the inner periphery of a lower shell half define a channel and a locking wall integrally formed on the inner periphery of an upper shell half locks the covering in the channel when the shell is closed. The attachment mechanism secures the covering to prevent the covering from working loose during normal operation of the sunvisor. The mechanism further includes a peripheral lip integrally formed with the locking wall. The covering is secured between the peripheral lip and a free end portion of the outer wall. The lip has a curved outer surface for receiving one free edge portion of the covering thereon. The outer wall also has a curved outer surface for receiving another free edge portion of the covering thereon. The curved outer surfaces of the outer wall and the lip at least partially define a curved outer surface of the shell when closed.

Sunvisor with covering attachment mechanism

A visor bracket for use in a visor assembly includes at least one upwardly extending projection and the outer curved peripheral surface of a central boss which cooperate to prevent misalignment of the boss with a D-shaped opening formed in an inner sheet of the roof of a vehicle during installation of the visor assembly to the vehicle. Preferably, the outer curved peripheral surface is defined by the outer curved surface of a plurality of guide ribs which radially project from and extend around the periphery of the boss. The mounting bracket includes a mounting flange integrally formed with the boss and extending radially therefrom. The mounting flange includes a plurality of spaced mounting holes formed therethrough for alignment with attachment holes formed in the inner sheet of the roof of the vehicle. Preferably, two such projections are adapted to fit within the D-shaped opening at opposite ends of a straight line portion thereof. The guide ribs are formed on the boss opposite the projections and are aligned to fit within a curved portion of the D-shaped opening. Also, preferably the projections extend upwardly from ribs formed on the one side of the boss. Also, the top surface of the guide ribs is chamfered to facilitate insertion of the boss into the D-shaped opening.

Growing community of inventors

Hersey, MI, United States of America

Douglas C Miller