Light shield for vehicles having transparent members

Abstract

A light-blocking device similar to a so-called sun visor, which is adapted for use in vehicles having transparent members such as glass windshields or windows. The device includes a shield in the form of a relatively stiff and generally flat sheet having sufficient opacity to at least serve as a light-filtering medium. A preferred material for the shield is a sheet of polarized plastic having a thickness of 0.030 inch or less, and a minimum area of about 70 square centimeters. A first magnet is affixed to one side of the shield in such a way that the shield may lay generally flush against the inside surface of the transparent member. A second magnet is adapted to be placed on the outside of the vehicle's transparent member in a position so that it is juxtaposed with the interior magnet. The first and second magnets respectively have magnetic orientations such that their confronting faces have opposite polarities, with the result that the two magnets are attracted to each other and the shield is held adjacent the transparent member by the interacting magnetic fields of the two magnets. Each of the magnets preferably has a minimum magnetic strength of about 800 gauss, so that wind loads on the outer magnet will not cause it to be blown off when the vehicle travels at reasonable speeds. In the daytime, the shield is continually re-positioned from time to time in order to remain on a line which extends generally between the sun and the driver's eyes, and the position of the shield is changed by manually adjusting only the interior magnet; the position of the outside magnet is automatically changed by virtue of the magnetic attraction between two magnets. At night time, the shield is positioned on a side window and selectively moved to and from a position where it blocks light reflected from an external rearview mirror (when a second vehicle approaches the first vehicle from the rear).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.