Breakaway visor retention check

• US 8,876,186 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Huelke, David
• Primary Examiner(s): BLANKENSHIP, GREGORY A
• Application Number:
  US13/830,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20140265444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 296/187.05, 296/97.1, 296/97.9, 248/230.7
• US Class Current: 296/97.9
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 3/023 Additional support bracket releasably holding the sun visor
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/15 having impact absorbing means, e.g. a frame designed to permanently or temporarily change shape or dimension upon impact with another body bumpers B60R19/02; shock absorbers in general F16F

Abstract

A vehicle visor assembly having a visor which includes a first end pivotally coupled with a header, an intermediate portion, and a second end. A retention check is coupled with the header about a fastener. The retention check includes an outward protruding member for retaining the second end of the visor. A perforation is disposed between the member and the fastener and it is configured to fracture when the member receives an impact force.

Claims

1. A vehicle visor assembly, comprising:

a visor including a first end pivotally coupled with a header, an intermediate portion, and a second end; and

a retention check coupled with the header about a fastener and including an aperture for receiving the fastener, an outward protruding member for retaining the second end of the visor and a perforation between the member and the fastener configured to fracture when the member receives an impact force.

2. The vehicle visor assembly of claim 1, wherein the impact force on the member creates a stress riser proximate the perforation.

3. The vehicle visor assembly of claim 1, wherein the perforation surrounds the aperture, and wherein the impact force on the member creates a stress riser proximate the perforation to fracture the retention check around the fastener.

4. The vehicle visor assembly of claim 1, wherein the header includes a headliner proximate a front window, and wherein the retention check includes a body portion having a top surface coupled with the headliner.

5. The vehicle visor assembly of claim 4, wherein the headliner has a recessed area for receiving the body portion, and wherein the member protrudes from the body portion out of the recessed area to engage the second end of the visor.

6. A visor retention check, comprising:

a body portion for engaging a vehicle header;

a member protruding from the body portion and having a connector for retaining a visor;

an aperture extending through the body portion for receiving a fastener that couples with the vehicle header; and

a weakened portion surrounding the aperture and adapted to fracture when the member receives an impact force.

7. The visor retention check of claim 6, wherein the weakened portion includes a perforation on a bottom surface of the body portion.

8. The visor retention check of claim 6, further comprising:

a cavity extending into the body portion, wherein the aperture is centrally disposed within the cavity.

9. The visor retention check of claim 8, wherein the weakened portion includes a perforation disposed on a base surface of the cavity.

10. The visor retention check of claim 9, wherein the cavity includes a depth define between the base surface and a bottom surface of the body portion, and wherein the depth is less than half a thickness of the body portion.

11. The visor retention check of claim 6, wherein the header includes a headliner having a recessed area for engaging the body portion and retaining an attached piece of the body portion after the impact force on the member fractures the weakened portion.

12. The vehicle visor assembly of claim 11, wherein the fractured perforation forms a detached piece that includes the member, and wherein the attached piece resides entirely above a peripheral surface surrounding the recessed area of the headliner.

13. A retention check for a vehicle visor, comprising:

a body portion having an interior side for engaging a header;

a member protruding from an exterior side of the body portion for engaging the vehicle visor;

an aperture extending between the exterior and interior sides for receiving a fastener that couples with the header; and

a perforation surrounding the aperture for creating a stress riser.

14. The retention check of claim 13, wherein the perforation includes a series of slots on the exterior side.

15. The retention check of claim 13, wherein an impact force on the member creates the stress riser proximate the perforation to fracture the body portion around the aperture.

16. The retention check of claim 13, further comprising:

a cylindrical cavity extending into the body portion coaxial with the aperture, wherein the perforation is disposed within the cavity.

17. The retention check of claim 16, wherein the perforation includes a series of slots along a periphery of a base surface of the cylindrical cavity.

18. The retention check of claim 13, wherein an impact force on the member having a magnitude greater than a threshold level causes the body portion to fracture along the perforation to define an attached piece that includes the aperture and a detached piece that includes the member.

19. The retention check of claim 18, wherein the attached portion is sized to resides entirely above a peripheral surface surrounding a recessed area on the header.