Reinforcement element for sun shades, buckle resistant sun shades, sun shades for vehicles, and method of making same

A sunshade for a vehicle comprising:

• a shade body defining a perimeter and having first and second major surfaces, the shade body being configured for detachable positioning inside a window of the vehicle such that, when installed, the shade body defines an upper edge, a lower edge, a vertical direction, and a horizontal direction, the shade body comprising a filler material and at least one outer lining;
• the shade body defining a plurality of sub panels, each of the plurality of sub panels being connected to another of the sub panels by a fold section that forms a flexible joint such that the shade body includes a plurality of flexible joints, the sunshade includes a plurality of seams therein, at least some of the plurality of seams defining a portion of a sub-panel perimeter by pulling the first and second major surfaces closer together therealong;
• wherein the shade body is foldable and unfoldable between a first, extended, in use configuration and a second, compact, storage configuration;
• the shade body further comprising a reinforcement member located in a pocket provided on the shade body to provide stiffness to the sunshade such that when the sunshade is in the first, extended, in use, configuration and installed generally adjacent to an inner surface of the window of the vehicle the sunshade is resistant to buckling inwardly away from the inner surface of window;
• wherein when viewing the first major surface while the sunshade is in the first, extended, in-use configuration the reinforcement member is oriented to be concave to the viewer;
• and
• wherein at least one of the plurality of flexible joints comprises:
• one of the plurality of seams forming one of two parallel edges of an elongated chamber which extends in the vertical direction between the lower edge and the upper edge, the chamber having the filler material therein;
• the other of the two parallel edges of the elongated chamber formed by an inward indentation in the first major surface which extends linearly in the vertical direction and is spaced from the one of the plurality of seams that forms the one of the two parallel edges to form opposing lateral sides of the flexible joint;
• and
• wherein the one of the plurality of seams that forms the one of the two parallel edges also extends through a lateral side of the pocket in a vertical direction such that the seam both secures the lateral side of the pocket and brings the first and second major surfaces of the shade body closer together to form one of the lateral sides of the flexible joint that includes the filler material therein.

A sunshade for a vehicle comprising:

• a shade body defining a perimeter and having first and second major surfaces, the shade body being configured for detachable positioning inside a window of the vehicle such that, when installed, the shade body defines an upper edge, a lower edge, a vertical direction, and a horizontal direction, the shade body comprising a filler material;
• the shade body defining a plurality of sub panels, each of the plurality of sub panels being connected to another of the sub panels by a fold section that forms a flexible joint such that the shade body includes a plurality of flexible joints, the sunshade includes a plurality of seams therein, at least some of the plurality of seams defining a portion of a sub-panel perimeter by pulling the first and second major surfaces closer together therealong;
• wherein the shade body is foldable and unfoldable between a first, extended, in use configuration and a second, compact, storage configuration;
• the shade body further comprising a reinforcement member extending vertically and located in a pocket provided on the shade body to provide stiffness to the sunshade such that when the sunshade is in the first, extended, in use, configuration and installed generally adjacent to an inner surface of the window of the vehicle the sunshade is resistant to buckling inwardly away from the inner surface of window;
• wherein the reinforcement member has a horizontal cross section that is arcuate;
• and
• wherein at least one of the plurality of flexible joints comprises:
• one of the plurality of seams forming one of two parallel edges of an elongated chamber which extends in the vertical direction between the lower edge and the upper edge, the chamber having the filler material therein;
• the other of the two parallel edges of the elongated chamber formed by an inward indentation in the first major surface which extends linearly in the vertical direction and is spaced from the one of the plurality of seams that forms the one of the two parallel edges to form opposing lateral sides of the flexible joint;
• and
• wherein the one of the plurality of seams that forms the one of the two parallel edges also extends through a lateral side of the pocket in a vertical direction such that the seam both secures the lateral side of the pocket and brings the first and second major surfaces of the shade body closer together to form one of the lateral sides of the flexible joint that includes the filler material therein.