Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02212614 2005-03-21
SUNSCREEN WITH AD3USTABLE AND MOVABLE SUN BLOCK
BACKGROUND
This invention relates to sunscreen apparatus for a car.
It is standard for cars to be equipped with a sunscreen. However, when a
driver's side
sunscreen is rotated down, the sunscreen can block 60% to 80% of the driver's
vision. This
can totally block highway and street signs and traffic lights to a
considerable distance in front
of the car. Indeed, a sunscreen can block out such signs and lights to a
distance of about 150'
up to 250 yards or more for a level or inclining road. The sunscreen will also
block out signs
and traffic lights on a declining road, though to a lesser distance. Depending
upon the angle
of decline, such signs and lights could be blocked to a distance of 100' up to
100 yards.
Overhanging signs can be blocked to even greater distances.
When the sun moves to a position below the bottom edge of the sunscreen but
above
the horizon, a strong glare may be created on the windshield. This, compounded
with the loss
of visibility created by the sunscreen itself results in a very stressful
driving condition.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
This invention seeks to provide an apparatus which can block out the sun for a
driver
regardless of the elevation of the sun. This invention further seeks to
provide apparatus that
will block out the sun for a driver with reduced blocking of road signs and
traffic lights.
According to the present invention, there is provided a sunscreen apparatus
for a car,
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comprising: a mounting rod for mounting proximate a windshield of a car; and a
sun blocking
element mounted to said rod for rotation about a longitudinal axis of said rod
and for sliding
movement along said rod, said sun blocking member comprising a basal member
mounted to
said rod and an extension member hinged to said basal member, said extension
member having
an inoperative position folded against said basal member and a deployed
position whereat a
vertical extent of said sun blocking element is increased.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
sunscreen
apparatus for a car, comprising: a mounting rod for mounting proximate a
windshield of a car;
and a sun blocking element mounted to said rod for rotation about a
longitudinal axis of said
rod and for sliding movement along said rod, wherein said mounting rod is one
arm of a
bifurcated rod, a second arm of said bifurcated rod carrying a sunscreen.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a sunscreen
apparatus
for a car, comprising: a mounting rod for mounting proximate a windshield of a
car; and a sun
blocking element mounted to said rod for rotation about a longitudinal axis of
said rod and for
sliding movement along said rod, wherein said mounting rod has ends adapted
for fixed
mounting on a further rod, said further rod carrying a sunscreen.
According to a yet further aspect of the invention, there is provided a
sunscreen
apparatus for a car, comprising: a mounting rod for mounting proximate a
windshield of a car;
and a sun blocking element mounted to said rod for rotation about a
longitudinal axis of said
rod and for sliding movement along said rod, wherein said mounting rod
undulates along its
length.
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Other features and advantages will become apparent from the following
description in
conjunction with the drawings.
DRAWINGS
In the figures which illustrate example embodiments of this invention,
Figure 1 is a schematic view showing a portion of a car equipped with a
standard sunscreen,
Figure 2 is a front view of a sunscreen apparatus made in accordance with this
invention shown
in an inoperative position,
Figure 3 is a bottom view of the apparatus of figure 2,
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view in the plane of the circle labelled 4 in
figure 2,
Figure 5 is a front view of the sunscreen apparatus of figure 2 shown in an
operative position,
Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view in the plane of the circle labelled 6 in
figure 5,
Figure 7 is a front view of the sunscreen apparatus shown in another operative
position,
Figures 8 and 9 are schematic views showing a portion of a car equipped with
sunscreen
apparatus made in accordance with this invention, the sunscreen apparatus
being in different
operative positions,
Figure 10 is a perspective view of a sunscreen retrofit with a bar for a sun
block made in
accordance with this invention, and
Figure 11 is a perspective detail of the area labelled 11 in figure 10. -------
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Figure 1 illustrates a view through the windshield 12 of a car equipped with a
known
sunscreen 14 mounted on a rod 15 showing the sun 16 in a variety of possible
positions
above and at the horizon 18. As will be apparent, the sunscreen 14, when
rotated down as
shown in figure l, will block out a significant portion of the driver's field
of view through
the windshield. In consequence, elevated obj ects, such as road signs and
traffic lights, may
not be visible to the driver. The reduced field of view is exacerbated when
the sun moves to
a position below the sunscreen 14 due to the attendant glare.
Figures 2 and 3 illustrate a sunscreen apparatus 20 in accordance with this
invention
in an inoperative position. Apparatus 20 comprises a rod 22 which bifurcates
into arm ~'.4,
which supports a sunscreen 26 having a typical shape, and arm 28, which
supports sun
block 30. As with standard rods which support sunscreens, rod 22 is rotatable
about its own
axis. With reference to figure 4 along with figure 2, it is seen that arm 28
has a series of
triangular-shaped notches 32 along its top edge. Further, the lumen 34 of sun
block 30 has a
series of triangular teeth 36.
With reference to figure 5, sun block 30 has an outboard (vertical) extension
30e
hinged to a base 30b at hinge 38. The sunscreen 26 and sun block 30 are made
of an opaque
material which will block the sun's rays.
The sun block 30, when in its inoperative position shown in figure 2 may be
slid to
any desired position along arm 28. Thereafter, the block may be rotated to an
operative,
downwardly depending, position on arm 28 and, optionally, extension 30e may
opened
downwardly, as illustrated in figure 5. When block 30 is rotated downwardly,
its teeth :36
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rotate into corresponding notches 32 in arm 28, as shown in figure 6. This
locks the block
30 in its current transverse position along rod 28.
The variety of operational positions for sunscreen apparatus 20 will become
more
apparent by reference to figures 7 to 9. Starting from the inoperative
position of figure 2,
the entire rod 22 may be rotated about its axis to the position shown in
figure 7 whereat
sunscreen 26 is now downwardly depending on its arm 24. In this position,
block 30 is
hidden behind the sunscreen 26. Again from the inoperative position of figure
2, block 30
may be folded downwardly, as shown in figure 8, but leaving the extension 30e
hinged
upwardly against base 30b if, as shown in figure 8, this is sufficient to
block out the sm.
The block 30 could be returned to its upwardly directed inoperative position
and then slid
along arm 28 and rotated down again, with extension 30e folded out, as shown
in figure 9,
where this was needed to block out the sun, such as where the sun had moved
close to the
horizon 18.
Because the sun block 30 can translate along its supporting rod, the block can
be
made quite narrow and still be used to block out the sun from the driver's
eyes. Further,
since the block has both a shorter and a longer configuration, it can be used
to block out the
sun until it sets below the horizon. Use of sun block 30 increases the
driver's field of view
as compared with use of a standard sunscreen and, in particular, may allow
sighting of
traffic signs and lights that would be obscured by a standard sunscreen.
Indeed, it is
believed that the sun block 30 can reduce the portion of the windshield
covered by over
80% as compared with a standard sunscreen.
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In another embodiment, a sun block 30 (figure 5) may be added to an existing
sunscreen apparatus of a car. Turning to figure 10, a C-shaped rod 128 may be
attached at
either end to a rod 15 supporting a standard sunscreen 16. Referencing figure
11, the rod
128 may be attached by snapping a resilient partial loop 140 at either end of
rod 128 around
rod 15 and securing the metal loops in place with screws 142. As with rod 28
(of figures 2
and 4), the rod 128 may have a series of notches 132 which interact with teeth
in the lumen
of the sun block in order to lock the block against translating on the rod
whenever the block
is deployed downwardly.
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