DISPOSITIF D'OMBRAGE DE TABLEAU DE BORD

DASHBOARD SHADER

Abrégé anglais

A system designed to provide shade for the driver and the front passenger in
an
automobile. Shades can be flipped up and either pulled out or power driven out
to provide shade.
Any suitable shapes and materials may be employed for the shades. In an
alternative
embodiment a shade is inflated and clipped on.

Revendications

CLAIMS
What is claimed is:
1. An apparatus configured to give shade to a vehicle occupant, comprising:
a shade member configured to be movable from a first position within a
dashboard to a
second position over a steering wheel.
2. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:
a motor configured to drive said shade member from said first position into
said second
position and from said second position into said first position.
3. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:
a toothed driven member configured to drive said shade member; and
a toothed drive member cooperating with said toothed driven member;
said motor configured to drive said toothed drive member.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
said shade member is configured to pivot relative to said occupant.
5. An apparatus configured to give shade to a vehicle occupant, comprising:
a shade member configured to be driven towards said vehicle occupant,
8

said shade member configured to be retracted into a dashboard in a first
position and to
extend out of said dashboard in a second position
6. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:
a motor configured to drive said shade member out of said dashboard and to
retract said
shade member into said dashboard.
7. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:
a toothed driven member configured to drive said shade member; and
a toothed drive member cooperating with said toothed driven member;
said motor configured to drive said toothed drive member.
8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:
said shade member is configured to pivot relative to said occupant.
9. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:
said at least one shade member is arcuate in shape,
whereby said shade member may pass over a steering wheel.
10. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:
said shade member is configured to pass over a steering wheel.
9

11. An apparatus configured to give shade to a vehicle occupant, comprising:
a shade member configured to be resiliently attached to a dashboard.
12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein:
said shade member is inflatable.
13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein:
said shade member is telescopic in a direction towards said vehicle occupant.

Description

CA 02543671 2006-04-20
DASHBOARD SHADER
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a continuation-in-part of application serial
number 10/948,340,
filed on September 24', 2004, herein incorporated by reference in its
entirety, and from which
priority is claimed as to the subject matter disclosed therein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates to shades. More particularly, the invention
relates to a dashboard
shade that may be implemented as a flip up, manually pulled out or
mechanically driven out
shade, on or in an automobile dashboard.
Discussion of the Background
[0003] There are many types of shades on the market: window shades, door
shades, hats, caps to
car overhead shades which are designed to cover from sunlight.
1

CA 02543671 2006-04-20
SUMMARY
[0004] The sunshade of the present invention provides shade for the driver and
for the front
passenger when needed.
[0005] An advantage of the present invention is that the shade stays flat and
can be pushed in or
driven in so that the front end of the shade sits flat to the dashboard
surface, hence the design of
the dashboard looks the same way it was designed to look without the shade.
[0006] An additional advantage of the present invention is that when the
shader is ffipped up or
slid out for shade, it will have less angle to its vertical than a normal
dashboard angle to its
vertical which helps the head sunlight heat to throw (reflect) back out rather
than reflecting in
towards the driver.
[0007] Another advantage of the present invention is that it helps the air
conditioner to work
more efficiently on hot days.
[0008] Another advantage of the present invention is that it prevents the
driver's and front
passenger's hands from becoming sunburned.
[0009] And, this shader can be modified and slid up from inside of the front
doors for shade.
2

CA 02543671 2006-04-20
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is a left view that shows the dashboard and the shader slot on
the dashboard.
[0011] FIG. 2 is a left view that shows the pull out shader not pulled out.
[0012] FIG. 3 is a left view of the pull out shader been pulled out to its
maximum extent, covering the
steering wheel to give shade for the driver's hands.
[0013] FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the power driven shader relative to the
steering wheel, with other
parts omitted for clarity.
[0014] FIG. 5. is a left view of the power driven shader when not extended.
[0015] FIG. 6. is a left view of the power driven shader when fully extended.
[0016] FIG. 7. is an isometric view of the power driven shader.
[0017] FIG. 8. is a left view of the clip on shader.
[0018] FIG. 9. is a left view of clip on shader clipped onto the dashboard for
shade.
3

CA 02543671 2006-04-20
[0019] FIG. 10. is a left view of the telescopic type clip on shader when not
extended.
[0020] FIG. 11. is a left view of the telescopic type clip on shader when
fully extended.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] A more complete understanding of the present invention may be derived
from the
detailed description and claims when considered in connection with the several
views where like
reference numerals represent similar items throughout the figures.
[0022] Throughout the several views, 1 is the vehicle dashboard; 6 is a driven
member that may
comprise a gear shaft or rack; 8 represents drive members that may be gear
wheels or pinions;
and 7 is an electric motor.
[0023] Each shader is pivotally attached to a driven member 6 and is mounted
either on or in the
dashboard 1. In operation, the shader is either pulled or driven out and may
also be flipped up. In
a power driven embodiment, motor 7 drives gear shaft or rack 6 via gear wheels
or pinions 8.
Any suitable shapes and materials may be employed for the shades.
[0024] FIG. 1 shows a shader slot 2 on the dashboard 1 that enables a shader
to travel in and out at the
dashboard surface. The slot 2 can be provided anywhere on the dashboard 1,
depending on the dashboard
4

CA 02543671 2006-04-20
design.
[0025] FIG. 2 shows a left view of a first embodiment of the invention
comprising a pull out shader 3
shown when not pulled out. In this position the pull out shader crown 4 stays
flat to the surface of the
dashboard 1.
[0026] FIG. 3 shows a left view of the pull out shader 3, in which it has been
pulled out to its maximum
extent, to extend over the steering wheel 13 to give shade for the driver's
hands. The pull out shader 3
repels the heat more efficiently than the dashboard 1 because of its lesser
angle to the vertical than the
dashboard.
[0027] According to another embodiment of the invention a power driven shader
5 may be
driven out towards the driver by a motor 7. FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the
power driven shader 5,
showing the power driven shader 5 in relation to the steering wheel, other
parts of the apparatus being
omitted for clarity. The. motor 7 drives the drive gear 8, that drives the
power driven shader screw 6 up
and down which makes the power driven shader 5 travel in and out of the
dashboard. When the driver
wants shade the drive gear 8 will drive the screw 6 out, driving the shader 5
out to its maximum extent to
give shade.
[0028] FIG. 5 is a left view of the power driven shader 5, where the crown 9
stays flat to the dashboard
1, FIG. 6 is a left view of the power driven shader 5, where the power driven
shader 5 is driven out for
shade, and FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the power driven shader 5.
5

CA 02543671 2006-04-20
[0029] FIG. 8 is a left view of yet another embodiment of the invention
comprising a clip on
shader 10. The clip on shader 10 is shown in FIG. 8 in relation to the
steering wheel, with other
parts of the apparatus omitted for clarity. The clip on shader 10 is clipped
onto the dashboard 1
for shade by means of clips 11. Clip on shader 10 may be inflatable for ease
of stowing. FIG. 9
shows a view of the clip on shader 10 clipped onto the dashboard 1 for shade.
[0030] FIG. 10 is a left view of a telescopic type clip on shader 12 according
a still further embodiment
of the invention. The telescopic type clip on shader 12 is not extended for
shade in FIG. 10. FIG. 11 is a
left view of the telescopic type clip on shader 12 of FIG. 10 fully extended
for shade.
[0031] As will readily be appreciated by those skilled in the art, numerous
modifications and
variations of the above embodiments of the present invention are possible
without departing
from the scope of the invention.
20
6

Dessin représentatif