Visor for continuously extended windshield

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10011157-B2
Application number	US-201514803747-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2015
Priority date	Jul 20, 2015
Publication date	Jul 3, 2018
Grant date	Jul 3, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle includes: a front windshield that continuously extends along an A-pillar so as to form a partial roof of the vehicle above a driver area; a visor having a proximate end hinged to the A-pillar so as to assume a stowed position along the A-pillar; and on the front windshield, an attachment configured to selectively engage a distal end of the visor in a deployed position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a front windshield that continuously extends along an A-pillar so as to form a partial roof of the vehicle above a driver area;
a visor having a proximate end hinged to the A-pillar so as to assume a stowed position along the A-pillar and a distal end having a housing with a first magnet mounted therein in a reciprocating arrangement; and
on the front windshield, an attachment configured to engage the distal end of the visor in a deployed position,
wherein in a retracted position the first magnet is inside the housing and, in an extended position, the first magnet at least partially extends through an opening in the housing to cause the distal end to engage the attachment.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the attachment includes a second magnet.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a second magnet on the attachment, the second magnet being fixed and positioned behind a cover on the attachment.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the reciprocating arrangement comprises a spring that is positioned so as to withdraw a plunger away from the opening toward the retracted position, the plunger having a cap that holds the first magnet towards the opening.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first magnet has an engagement surface that is substantially flush with the opening when in the retracted position.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a second magnet on the A-pillar, the second magnet positioned so as to engage the first magnet when the visor is in the stowed position.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the visor comprises a primary blade that is narrower than the A-pillar, thereby accommodating the stowed position, the visor further comprising a secondary blade that is hinged to the primary blade for selectively making the visor wider.

8. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a trim element on the A-pillar has a hollow portion for accommodating the visor in the stowed position.

9. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the visor is a driver side visor, the vehicle further comprising a passenger side visor that is a mirror image of the driver side visor.

10. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the attachment comprises a base on which a rear view mirror is also mounted.

11. The vehicle of claim 1 , configured to compensate for a stack-up of cross-vehicle tolerance relating to at least the A-pillar, a visor hinge, a visor blade and the attachment.

12. A vehicle comprising:
a front windshield that continuously extends along an A-pillar so as to form a partial roof of the vehicle above a driver area;
a visor having:
a proximate end hinged to the A-pillar so as to assume a stowed position along the A-pillar;
a primary blade that is narrower than the A-pillar, thereby accommodating the stowed position;
a secondary blade that is hinged to the primary blade for selectively making the visor wider;
a mirror that is mounted on the primary blade so as to be covered by the secondary blade when the visor is folded; and
a cloth attached at a hinge portion of the primary and secondary blades, the cloth configured to selectively cover and reveal the mirror; and

on the front windshield, an attachment configured to engage a distal end of the visor in a deployed position.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 , further comprising a magnet on at least one of the cloth and the primary blade, the magnet configured for holding the cloth onto the primary blade.

14. The vehicle of claim 13 , further comprising:
one or more LEDs positioned behind the mirror on the primary blade;
a light guide positioned to guide light from the LEDs to a surface of the primary blade; and
a switch controlled by the magnet, the switch configured so that the LEDs are turned off when the cloth covers the mirror, and turned on when the cloth does not cover the mirror.

15. A visor comprising:
a blade;
a hinge at a proximal end of the blade; and
a magnet assembly at a distal end of the blade, comprising:
a magnet mounted in a reciprocating arrangement that includes at least a retracted position where the magnet is inside a housing of the blade, and an extended position where the magnet at least partially extends through an opening in the housing;
a plunger having a cap that holds the magnet towards the opening; and
a spring that is positioned so as to withdraw the plunger away from the opening toward the retracted position.

16. The visor of claim 15 , wherein the magnet has an engagement surface that is substantially flush with the opening when in the retracted position.

17. A visor comprising:
a proximate end hinged to an A-pillar so as to assume a stowed position along the A-pillar;
a primary blade that is narrower than the A-pillar, thereby accommodating the stowed position;
a secondary blade that is hinged to the primary blade for selectively making the visor wider;
a mirror that is mounted on the primary blade so as to be covered by the secondary blade when the visor is folded; and
a cloth attached at a hinge portion of the primary and secondary blades, the cloth configured to selectively cover and reveal the mirror.

18. The visor of claim 17 , further comprising a magnet on at least one of the cloth and the primary blade, the magnet configured for holding the cloth onto the primary blade.

19. The visor of claim 18 , further comprising:
one or more LEDs positioned behind the mirror on the primary blade;
a light guide positioned to guide light from the LEDs to a surface of the primary blade; and
a switch controlled by the magnet, the switch configured so that the LEDs are turned off when the cloth covers the mirror, and turned on when the cloth does not cover the mirror.

20. The visor of claim 17 , wherein a trim element on the A-pillar has a hollow portion for accommodating the visor in the stowed position.

Assignees

• Tesla Motors Inc
• Tesla Inc

Inventors

• Szentkiralyi Miklos
• COCHRANE Craig
• Fialho Jorge
• Allen Derek
• Vartola Joonas
• Von Holzhausen Franz

Classifications

• B60Q3/82

  Switches specially adapted for vehicle interior lighting, e.g. switching by tilting the lens · CPC title

• B60J3/0282 Primary

  specially adapted for a courtesy mirror · CPC title

• B60Q3/252

  Sun visors · CPC title

• B60J3/023

  Additional support bracket releasably holding the sun visor · CPC title

• B60J3/0208

  combined with auxiliary visor · CPC title