Sun visor for automotive vehicles

• US 4,591,956 A
• Filed: 10/15/1984
• Issued: 05/27/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gebr. Happich GmbH
• Original Assignee: Gebr. Happich GmbH
• Inventors: Majchrzak, Roland
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, Carl Stuart
• Application Number:
  US06/660,935
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 362/66, 362/74, 362/135, 362/141, 362/142, 362/144, 362/269, 362/287, 296/97
• US Class Current: 362/144
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 3/0282 specially adapted for a courtesy mirror

Abstract

A sun visor for an automotive vehicle having a swivel bearing at one upper longitudinal edge region. The swivel bearing includes a non-metallic, plastic bearing part having a bearing borehole for the metallic sun-visor shaft and a parallel plug opening for an electric contact element. The electric contact element in the plug opening is connected to one of the wires from the light source which illuminates the mirror on the sun-visor body. A passage channel between the bearing borehole and the plug opening has a contact projection on the contact element biased through it to project into the bearing borehole and contact the shaft therein. The shaft has a recess extending partially around it at a region along it such that the contact projection will or will not make electric contact with the visor shaft depending upon the swivel position of the visor body. Shaped away from the bearing part on the upper longitudinal region of the visor body is an outer-support shaft which electrically connects with a housing part fastenable to the vehicle body. An electric wire to the light source connects to the outer-support shaft.

Claims

1. A sun visor for an automotive vehicle, comprising:

a visor body having opposite surfaces and having an upper longitudinal edge;

a source of light supported at one of the visor body surfaces;

an electric current lead wire connectable with the electrical system of the vehicle and connected with the light source;

a ground wire also connected with the light source;

a swivel bearing at the upper longitudinal edge of the body toward one side thereof;

the swivel bearing comprising a bearing part of nonmetallic material;

a borehole in the bearing part for receiving a visor support shaft;

a plug opening in the bearing part for receiving a contact element;

a passage channel inside the bearing part extending between the borehole and the plug opening;

an electrically conductive sun visor support shaft supported in the bearing borehole such that the visor body can swivel around the support shaft;

one of the electric wires from the electric system of the vehicle being connected to the support shaft;

a contact element in the plug opening;

a spring-loaded contact projection on the contact element, and the projection protruding slightly into the bearing borehole through the passage channel, whereby the contact projection is protected inside the bearing part as it projects into the bearing borehole;

the support shaft including a recess defined in it where the support shaft passes over the passage opening;

the recess being deep enough that the contact projection does not contact the support shaft when the recess is over the contact projection.

2. The sun visor of claim 1, wherein the recess is of circular segment shape and also extends over only a partial axially extending region of the shaft.

3. The sun visor of claim 2, wherein the support shaft is a solid metal rod.

4. The sun visor of claim 1, further comprising an outer-support shaft also on the upper longitudinal edge of the visor body and spaced from the bearing part;

an outer-support housing fastenable to the vehicle body and adapted for receiving the outer support shaft;

the support housing including a contact element for an electric wire of the vehicle electrical system;

the contact element being disposed for contacting the outer-support shaft;

the current lead wire for the light source being electrically connected with the outer support shaft.

5. The sun visor of claim 1, wherein the plug opening has a wider cross-section region in which the contact element is positioned and has a smaller cross-section channel through which one of the wires from the light source passes to the contact element, and the smaller cross-section channel being sized for keeping the contact element in the wider cross-section region of the plug opening.

6. The sun visor of claim 5, wherein the plug opening extends parallel to the bearing bore hole, with the plug opening being open at one side of the bearing part for the wider cross-section region thereof and being open at the opposite side of the bearing part for the smaller cross-section channel.

7. The sun visor of claim 1, wherein the passage channel is defined by a second borehole which extends from the outside of the bearing part, through the bearing borehole, and through the bearing part, into the plug opening.

8. The sun visor of claim 1, wherein the sun-visor body has a central plane generally in which the plug opening and the bearing borehole are located, one below the other.

9. The sun visor of claim 1, further comprising a wire stiffening frame in the visor body;

the bearing part including the bearing borehole, plug opening, and passage channel, being a directly injection molded part on the wire stiffening frame.

10. The sun visor of claim 1, wherein the plug opening has a non-circular cross-section opening for the contact element.

11. The sun visor of claim 1, wherein the contact element includes a spring arm which urges the contact projection into the bearing borehole and includes an arm of the contact element carrying the contact projection, the latter contact element arm resting against the wall in the bearing part defines the plug opening for supporting the contact projection in the passage channel.

12. The sun visor of claim 11, wherein the contact element is approximately U-shaped, with one of the arms thereof being the arm which carries the contact projection and the other arm thereof being the spring arm;

the contact projection on the one arm being bent away from the other arm.

13. The sun visor of claim 12, wherein the contact element comprises a length of electrically conductive resilient wire which is bent into shape with the two arms and a contact projection.

14. The sun visor of claim 11, wherein the contact element comprises a length of electrically conductive resilient wire which is bent into shape with the two arms and a contact projection.