Visor assembly

• US 4,227,241 A
• Filed: 10/23/1978
• Issued: 10/07/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Prince (Wellman Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Prince (Wellman Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Marcus, Konrad H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Donald P.
• Application Number:
  US05/953,590
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 362/61, 362/66, 362/135, 362/137, 362/140, 362/142, 362/143, 362/144, 296/97 R, 296/97 B, 296/97 H, 224/29 A, 350/277
• US Class Current: 362/492
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 3/0282 specially adapted for a courtesy mirror

Abstract

A visor assembly incorporating a padded visor provided with a build-in lighted vanity mirror. The visor assembly also includes a padded cover which when opened uncovers the mirror and also actuates a lighting system. The lighting system then illuminates an object such as an observer of a map with a light intensity that can manually be varied.

Claims

1. A visor assembly for a vehicle or the like comprising a visor having two substantially opposing elongated top and bottom edges extending along the length thereof with means for supporting the same for rotation about an axis extending along the top edge for movement from an upper storage position against the vehicle ceiling, to a generally downward vertical position, and to a position beyond the vertical;

said visor having a front side facing inwardly of the vehicle when the visor is in storage position and a back side on the opposite side of said visor from the front side;

a vanity mirror supported by the visor at the back side;

lighting means carried by the visor at the back side immediately adjacent said mirror;

a vanity mirror cover having a size and shape approximating the combined size and shape of said mirror and lighting means for covering the same;

hinge means supporting said cover on the visor for pivotal movement about an axis substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said visor and located between said mirror and lighting means and said top edge, the extent of said pivotal movement from a closed position uncovering the mirror being such as to cause said cover when in open position and when said visor is in vertical position to extend generally horizontally permitting said lighting means to direct light toward and illuminate the face of a person sitting in said vehicle opposite said visor whereby said person can view himself in said mirror;

said visor, when located in the position beyond the vertical with said cover open, permitting light to shine downwardly from said lighting means to light a map or other such reading material, said cover slanting downwardly from the horizontal when said visor is in said position beyond the vertical to restrict the direct shining of light in areas above the cover;

over center spring means operatively associated with said hinge means for releasably and selectively holding the cover in said closed or in said open position.

2. The visor assembly of claim 1 which includes a selector switch means actuated by the vanity mirror cover when moved to the open position for rendering the lighting means operative when the cover is open and actuated by the closing movement of said cover to render the lighting means inoperative when the cover is closed.

3. The visor assembly of claim 1 in which the lighting means further includes a pair of lenses, each lens being arranged opposite and respective one of the pair of lamps and supported by the frame so as to direct the illumination towards the area in front of the vanity mirror so as to minimize stray illumination towards areas located outwardly of the sides of the lenses away from the mirror.

4. The visor assembly of claim 1 in which the rotational movement of the visor about the said axis extending along the top edge is to a position at least 45°

beyond the vertical.

5. A visor assembly for a vehicle or the like comprising a visor pivotally movable along a longitudinal edge thereof from an upward storage position to a vertical downwardly extending sun shade position and to a position beyond the vertical;

a vanity mirror supported by the visor on the side face which faces the occupant when the visor is in the sun shade position;

a vanity mirror cover arranged on the visor for adjustable movement about an axis located above the mirror when the visor is in said sun shade position, said adjustable movement being between a closed position covering the mirror to an open position uncovering the mirror in which open position when said visor is in said sun shade position said cover extends generally horizontally so as to permit an occupant to view himself in the mirror;

lighting means carried by the visor immediately adjacent said mirror on each side thereof and operative to illuminate the area in front of the mirror;

said cover covering said lighting means when the cover is closed and providing a shade for restricting the area in which light from said lighting means can shine when the cover is open whereby when said visor is pivoted downwardly beyond the vertical position the cover restricts the direct shining of light into areas of the upper quadrant above the mirror and lighting means.

6. The assembly of claim 5 which includes selector switch means actuated by the vanity mirror cover when moved to the open position for rendering the lighting means operative when the cover is open and actuated by the closing movement of said cover to render the lighting means inoperative when the cover is closed.

7. The visor assembly of claim 5 in which the lighting means further includes a pair of lenses, each lens being arranged opposite a respective one of the pair of lamps and supported by the frame so as to direct the illumination towards the area in front of the vanity mirror so as to minimize stray illumination towards areas located outwardly of the sides of the lenses away from the mirror.

8. A visor assembly for a vehicle or the like comprising a visor having two substantially opposing elongated top and bottom edges extending along the length thereof with means for supporting the same for rotation about an axis extending along the top edge for movement from an upper storage position, to a generally downward vertical position;

said visor having a front side facing inwardly of the vehicle when the visor is in storage position and a back side on the opposite side of said visor from the front side;

a vanity mirror supported by the visor at the back side;

lighting means carried by the visor at the back side immediately adjacent said mirror;

a vanity mirror cover having a size and shape approximating the combined size and shape of said mirror and lighting means for covering the same;

hinge means supporting said cover on the visor for pivotal movement about an axis substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said visor and located between said mirror and lighting means and said top edge, the extent of said pivotal movement from a closed position uncovering the mirror being such as to cause said cover when in open position and when said visor is in vertical position to extend generally horizontally permitting said lighting means to direct light toward and illuminate the face of a person sitting in said vehicle opposite said visor whereby said person can view himself in said mirror;

over center spring means operatively associated with said hinge means for biasing said cover to either said closed or said open position and for holding said cover in either of said positions; and

a selector switch means actuated by the vanity mirror cover when moved to the open position for rendering the lighting means operative when the cover is open and actuated by the closing movement of said cover to render the lighting means inoperative when the cover is closed.

9. The visor assembly of claim 8 in which the lighting means further includes a pair of lenses, each lens being arranged opposite a respective one of the pair of lamps and supported by the frame so as to direct the illumination towards the area in front of the vanity mirror so as to minimize stray illumination towards areas located outwardly of the sides of the lenses away from the mirror.

10. The visor assembly of claim 8 in which the rotational movement of the visor about the said axis extending along the top edge is to a position at least 45°

beyond the vertical.

11. A visor assembly for a vehicle or the like comprising a visor pivotally movable along a longitudinal edge thereof from an upward storage position to a vertical downwardly extending sun shade position;

a vanity mirror supported by the visor on the side face which faces the occupant when the visor is in the sun shade position;

a vanity mirror cover arranged on the visor for adjustable movement about an axis located above the mirror when the visor is in said sun shade position, said adjustable movement being between a closed position covering the mirror to an open position uncovering the mirror in which open position when said visor is in said sun shade position said cover extends generally horizontally so as to permit an occupant to view himself in the mirror;

lighting means carried by the visor immediately adjacent said mirror on each side thereof and operative to illuminate the area in front of the mirror;

said cover also covering said lighting means when the cover is closed; and

selector switch means actuated by the vanity mirror cover when moved to the open position for rendering the lighting means operative when the cover is open and actuated by the closing movement of said cover to render the lighting means inoperative when the cover is closed.

12. The visor assembly of claim 11 in which the lighting means further includes a pair of lenses, each lens being arranged opposite a respective one of the pair of lamps and supported by the frame so as to direct the illumination towards the area in front of the vanity mirror so as to minimize stray illumination towards areas located outwardly of the sides of the lenses away from the mirror.

13. The visor assembly of claim 11 in which there is provided over center spring means operatively associated with said hinge means for biasing said cover to either said closed or said open position and for holding said cover in either of said positions.