Extension unit for sun visor

#This invention relates to sun visors for motor vehicles; and more particularly relates to a novel and improved sun visor extension unit which is adapted for releasable attachment to and extension of the sun visor of a motor vehicle.

#Sun visors are disposed for extension across the windshield area of a motor vehicle in order to shield the occupant or occupants of a vehicle from the glare of the sun. It is also known to tint windshields in order to attenuate the glare to some extent. In many cases, however, the standard sun visor that is employed as a part of original equipment furnished with a motor vehicle does not afford sufficient protection, or in other words does not block out the sun's rays to the desired degree. Numerous approaches have been taken in the past to alleviate this problem. For example, at certain times of the day when the sun is at a particular level or attitude with respect to the windshield, it is virtually impossible to completely eliminate the sun's rays or reduce glare to the extent necessary to avoid reduced visibility. U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,275 to R. M. Lutz discloses the use of auxiliary panels which can be extended parallel to the plane of the visor both in a vertical direction and towards the center of the visor. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,596,893 to W. P. Solmes and 2,385,557 to G. C. Ward employ sliding panels on a sun visor intended to be furnished as a part of the original equipment on a vehicle. Other representative patents are U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,101,901 to J. H. Fletcher; 2,526,889 to C. L. McComb; 2,685,336 to P. J. Menighan; 3,853,370 to N. S. Barnhart; 4,058,340 to D. Pinkas; 4,169,552 to A. L. Lichtenstein et al; 4,195,876 to H. Timperio; 4,526,415 to G. W. Jardine and 4,570,991 to L. A. Lystad.

#A desirable feature of the present invention is to provide a sun visor extension which is primarily designed to be retrofit to existing sun visors and be capable of being releasably but securely attached thereto and is so constructed and arranged as to be capable of completely blocking out the sun's rays in the space between sun visors on the driver's and passenger's sides as well as to substantially attenuate or reduce the sun's glare in that area beneath the sun visor.

#FIG. 1 is a front view in elevation illustrating the preferred form of sun visor extension of the present invention in assembled relation to a conventional sun visor of a motor vehicle;

#FIG. 2 is an enlarged view and in more detail of the preferred form of sun visor extension unit shown in FIG. 1 and illusrating the extended positions of the extension panel in dotted form;

#FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken about lines 3--3 of FIG. 2;

#Referring in more detail to the drawings, there is shown by way of illustrative example in FIG. 1 a conventional or standard form of sun visor V positioned within the interior of a motor vehicle for extension along the upper portion of a windshield W. Typically, the sun visor V is disposed for extension both along the driver and passenger sides of the windshield, the visor V as illustrated being shown on the driver's side only. In a well-known manner, the visor is of flat, generally rectangular configuration having opposed inner and outer surfaces, the inner surface which faces away from the windshield being generally represented at 10 and is suspended along its upper edge 12 from an elongated rod 14. The rod 14 includes a right angle extension 15 which is pivotally secured to the vehicle roof above the windshield header 16 to permit movement of the visor V from a position as shown partially covering the upper portion of the windshield W to a position partially covering the side window, not shown, along the passenger side of the car. The rod 14 also typically includes a free end 18 which can be releasably secured to a retainer bracket 20 adjacent to the central portion of the windshield. The visor V is independently pivotal about the rod 14 so that it can be swung between a raised position along the interior of the roof of the vehicle and a lowered position as shown across the upper portion of the windshield.

#As further noted from FIG. 1, even when the standard visor is disposed in its lowered position across the upper portion of the windshield, there are substantial gaps or spaces at opposite ends of the visor V which are not blocked by the visor and through which the sun's rays are permitted to pass. The same is true of the area below the visor and make it impossible to completely block or limit the passage of the sun's rays or to reduce the glare of the sun or light to the extent necessary to avoid reduced visibility on the part of the driver. This is especially true at certain times of the day when the sun is relatively low on the horizon and can create the most critical problems of reduced visibility.

#The present invention is directed to an accessory in the form of a novel and approved visor extension unit as represented at 24 which is broadly comprised of an elongated support frame 26, the support frame being of generally rectangular configuration and having opposed, flat surfaces 27 and 28, and connecting means 29 on one of the flat surfaces 27 serve to releasably attach the entire unit 24 to the inner surface 10 of the sun visor. A first lateral visor extension panel 32 is of flat, generally rectangular configuration and disposed within a horizontal guide passage 34 in the support frame 26 parallel to and between the opposed surfaces 27 and 28 for lateral sliding movement or extension away from the unit selectively through opposite ends of the guide passage 34, for example, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. The lateral extension panel 32 preferably is a solid, substantially rigid member and has grasping means in the form of tabs 35 at opposite ends which can be manually engaged for movement of the extension member 32 in either direction away from the extension unit. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, it can be extended a substantial distance away from one end of the visor extension unit so as to effectively double the area blocked or covered by the sun visor V.