Acoustically transparent visor

• US 6,959,956 B1
• Filed: 06/02/2004
• Issued: 11/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Automotive Components Group North America (Lear Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Prince, David J., Fero, Mark W.
• Primary Examiner(s): MORROW, JASON S
• Application Number:
  US10/858,903
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 296/97.1, 296/97.5, 296/214
• US Class Current: 296/97.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 3/0278 structure of the body B60J3/0208, B60J3/0213 take precedence

Abstract

A sun visor for use with a motor vehicle includes a visor body having sufficient acoustic transmissibility such that the visor body is sufficiently sound transparent. The visor body further being sufficiently opaque so as to inhibit passage of light through the visor body.

Claims

1. A sun visor for use with a motor vehicle, the sun visor comprising:

a visor body having sufficient acoustic transmissibility such that the visor body is configured to allow passage of sound at frequencies up to 800 Hz with less than 5 dB of transmission loss, the visor body further being sufficiently opaque so as to inhibit passage of light through the visor body.

2. The sun visor of claim 1 wherein the visor body includes a visor substrate having multiple holes extending therethrough, and a cover material that substantially covers the holes.

3. The sun visor of claim 2 wherein spacing of the holes is tuned to a target sound frequency range.

4. The sun visor of claim 2 wherein adjacent holes are spaced less than 10 millimeters apart, measured hole center to hole center.

5. The sun visor of claim 2 wherein the visor substrate includes a clamshell structure having first and second portions folded together, and wherein the multiple holes include multiple first holes formed in the first portion, and multiple second holes formed in the second portion.

6. The sun visor of claim 1 wherein the visor body includes first and second opposing portions and an acoustically transmissive insert disposed between the opposing portions.

7. The sun visor of claim 1 wherein the visor body includes a porous substrate.

8. The sun visor of claim 1 wherein the visor body includes a support structure and a flexible membrane attached to the support structure.

9. The sun visor of claim 8 wherein the flexible membrane is air impermeable.

10. The sun visor of claim 1 wherein the visor body includes first and second opposing portions, the first portion having a first area configured to provide acoustic transmissibility, and the second portion having a second area configured to provide acoustic transmissibility, the first and second areas differing in extent.

11. The sun visor of claim 1 further comprising an acoustic transducer disposed proximate the visor body.

12. A headliner arrangement for use with a motor vehicle, the headliner arrangement comprising:

a headliner assembly including a headliner body and an acoustic element attached to the headliner body; and

a sun visor disposable on the headliner body proximate the acoustic element, the sun visor comprising a visor body having acoustic transmissibility and being sufficiently opaque so as to inhibit passage of light through the visor body.

13. The headliner arrangement of claim 12 wherein the visor body includes a substrate and an air permeable cover material covering at least a portion of the substrate, the substrate having multiple holes extending therethrough.

14. The headliner arrangement of claim 12 wherein the visor body includes first and second opposing portions and an acoustically transmissive insert disposed between the opposing portions.

15. The headliner arrangement of claim 12 wherein the visor body is moveable between a stowed position and a deployed position, and the visor body at least partially covers the acoustic element when the visor body is in the stowed position.

16. The headliner arrangement of claim 15 wherein the acoustic element comprises an electromagnetic transducer.

17. The headliner arrangement of claim 15 wherein the acoustic element comprises a speaker.

18. The headliner arrangement of claim 12 wherein the visor body is configured to allow passage of sound at frequencies up to 800 Hz with less than 5 dB of transmission loss.

19. The headliner arrangement of claim 12 wherein the visor body is configured to allow passage of sound at frequencies up to 1400 Hz with less than 3 dB of transmission loss.

20. The headliner arrangement of claim 15 wherein the acoustic element comprises a microphone.

21. A sun visor for use with a motor vehicle, the sun visor comprising:

a visor body having acoustic transmissibility and being sufficiently opaque so as to inhibit passage of light through the visor body, wherein the visor body includes a visor substrate having multiple holes extending therethrough, and a cover material that substantially covers the holes, and wherein spacing of the holes is tuned to a target sound frequency range.

22. A sun visor for use with a motor vehicle, the sun visor comprising:

a visor body having acoustic transmissibility and being sufficiently opaque so as to inhibit passage of light through the visor body, wherein the visor body includes a visor substrate having multiple holes extending therethrough, and a cover material that substantially covers the holes, and wherein adjacent holes are spaced less than 10 millimeters apart, measured hole center to hole center.

23. A sun visor for use with a motor vehicle, the sun visor comprising:

a visor body having acoustic transmissibility and being sufficiently opaque so as to inhibit passage of light through the visor body, the visor body including a visor substrate having multiple holes extending therethrough, and a cover material that substantially covers the holes, wherein the visor substrate includes a clamshell structure having first and second portions folded together, and wherein the multiple holes include multiple first holes formed in the first portion, and multiple second holes formed in the second portion.