Anti-glare device

• US 4,986,592 A
• Filed: 02/12/1990
• Issued: 01/22/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Becker Group Europe GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Gebr. Happich GmbH
• Inventors: Welter, Patrick, Viertel, Lothar, Kaiser, Klaus P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Song, Robert R.
• Application Number:
  US07/478,656
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• Field of Search: 296/97.8, 160/136, 160/370.2, 160/176.1
• US Class Current: 296/97.8
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/2088 Lamellar or like blinds

Abstract

An anti-glare device for motor vehicles including two profiled strips extending parallel and each having a respective pin receiving generally dovetail shaped groove extending along its length. A plurality of slats extend between the profiled strips. Each slat includes a respective pin at each opposite end for reception in the profiled strip grooves and the pins being pivotable in the grooves for pivoting all of the slats to respective use and non-use positions. The pins at the end of the slats are shaped to the grooves in the profiled strips, with one pin being on one surface of the slat and the other pin being on the opposite surface of the slat and the grooves being correspondingly oriented. A spacer is positioned in the groove between adjacent pins and the pins are detented on the spacers particularly into the non-use position. A blocking element at the end of the first and last slats keeps them in the grooves.

Claims

1. An anti-glare device for use in motor vehicles, or the like, comprising:

first and second profiled strips extending generally parallel to each other, the first strip being fastenable to an interior portion of the vehicle;

each profiled strip having a respective groove therein extending along the profiled strip, with the first groove of the first strip facing in one direction and the second groove of the second strip facing in the opposite direction and generally toward the first groove;

a plurality of slats arranged so that each slat at least partially overlaps the neighboring slat, each slat having opposite longitudinal ends which extend between the first and the second profiled strips, each slat having one side of the slat and an opposite side of the slat;

pivot connection means at each longitudinal end of the slat and at the respective profiled strip at each slat end for enabling the slats to pivot with respect to the profiled strips as the second profiled strip is moved apart or toward the first strip;

the pivot connection means of each slat comprises a support pin at each longitudinal end of the slat including a first support pin on the one side of the slat and a second support pin on the opposite side of the slat, the first support pin being disposed in the first groove of the first strip and the second support pin being disposed in the second groove of the second strip with the grooves and pins being so oriented as to enable the pins to be installed in the grooves, and the slats are pivotable about the pins in the respective grooves'"'"', and the pins of neighboring slats are so spaced apart along the respective grooves that the slats partially overlap as they are pivoted and in the use position.

2. The anti-glare device of claim 1, further comprising a respective spacer disposed in each of the grooves between adjacent support pins of neighboring slats and the spacers and the pins being guidable to set positions along the grooves.

3. The anti-glare device of claim 2, further comprising means at the ends of the grooves for blocking the support pins at each end of the grooves against axial displacement.

4. The anti-glare device of claim 2, wherein each of the grooves is of approximately dovetail shape and the pins and spacers are cooperatingly shaped to the shape of the respective grooves for being received and held in the grooves.

5. The anti-glare device of claim 4, wherein each of the slats is in the form of a plastic injection molding having the respective support pins developed integrally thereon;

each pin having a cylindrical neck piece and a larger cylindrical head piece outward from the slat from the neck piece and shaped for being received and held in the respective approximately dovetail shaped groove.

6. The anti-glare device of claim 1, wherein each of the profiled strips is in the form of a respective rail of generally U-shaped cross-sectional profile and each U having an open side which faces toward and is opposite the open side of the other U.

7. The anti-glare device of claim 6, wherein the groove in the profiled strip has a respective depth, each of the slats has a respective width and the depth of the groove is at least equal to half the width of the slats.

8. The anti-glare device of claim 1, wherein each of the slats is in the form of a plastic injection molding having the respective support pins developed integrally thereon.

9. The anti-glare device of claim 1, wherein each slat is generally in the shape of a parallelogram having short edges which are at the respective profiled strips and longitudinal edges extending between the profiled strips.

10. The anti-glare device of claim 9, wherein the slats may be articulated between a non-use and a use position with respect to the profiled strips, and that in the position of non-use, the longitudinal edges of the slats are oriented generally parallel to the profiled strips and in the swung out position of use, the end edges extend generally parallel to the profiled strips.

11. The anti-glare device of claim 10, wherein the parallelogram shaped slats are so oriented and their respective longitudinal edges and end edges are so angled with respect to each other that the completely swung out position includes a path of swing of about 120°

until the end edges of the slats extend parallel to the profiled strips.

12. The anti-glare device of claim 10, wherein the slats have a thickness dimension that decreases from their longitudinal center to their longitudinal edges.

13. The anti-glare device of claim 1, wherein the slats have a thickness dimension that decreases from their longitudinal center to their longitudinal edges.

14. The anti-glare device of claim 13, wherein the thickness of the slats comprises about 2 mm in the longitudinal center and about 1 mm at the longitudinal edges.

15. The anti-glare device of claim 1, wherein toward the longitudinal ends of the slats, the slats have free end regions, and the slats have a respective side at the free end region which is opposite the side on which the respective support pin at that end region is formed, an inclined flat being defined on that opposite side of the slat away from the support pin and at the respective end region at which the respective support pin is defined.

16. The anti-glare device of claim 1, further comprising each of the slats being stabilized by embedded fillers.

17. The anti-glare device of claim 2, wherein each of the spacers has a generally rectangular contour adapted for fitting in the respective groove and the spacer being fitted in the groove;

each spacer having respective opposite ends and having a respective recess defined in each opposite end which is adapted to the shape of the respective support pin located at that end of the spacer;

over at least a part of its length, each spacer having a cross-sectional profile adapted to the cross-section of the opening of the groove in the profiled strip for holding the space in the groove.

18. The anti-glare device of claim 17, wherein each of the spacers is in the form of a plastic injection molding.

19. The anti-glare device of claim 17, further comprising detent means provided between at least one of the support pins and the respective end of the spacer adjacent that support pin for detent holding the respective support pin and thereby the respective slat and the connected profiled strip against unintended swinging from at least the position of non-use until the detent means is overcome.

20. The anti-glare device of claim 19, wherein the detent means comprises a notch on the circumference of the support pin and comprises a projection engageable in the notch and located in the respective end of the spacer and projecting toward the notch, wherein the end of the spacer further has a generally circular shaped segment in which the pin is received and in which the projection is defined.

21. The anti-glare device of claim 20, further comprising means for providing a springiness to the projection on the spacer and comprising an opening defined in the spacer behind the projection for permitting elastic springing back of the projection toward the notch and permitting the projection to elastically move out of the notch in the support pin, all as the support pin is rotated with respect to the recess.

22. The anti-glare device of claim 1, wherein the profiled strips are comprised of extruded material.

23. The anti-glare device of claim 1, wherein the profiled strips are plastic injection moldings.

24. The anti-glare device of claim 23, further comprising a handle which is of one piece with the second profiled strip, the handle being engageable for moving the second profiled strip to thereby pivot the slats.

25. The anti-glare device of claim 1, including means fastening the anti-glare device to a car body above a car window.

26. The anti-glare device of claim 1, further comprising means fastening the anti-glare device to the window frame of a car door.

27. The anti-glare device of claim 21, further comprising a handle connected with the second strip and the handle being engageable for moving the second strip to thereby pivot the slats.