Abstract: A sun visor with a plate member disposed within the visor's shell. A vanity mirror is disposed within an opening in the shell and attaches to the plate member via heat stake technology. The plate member doubles as a conventional “core member,” thereby obviating the latter. The plate member is slanted relative to the shell and creates a cavity into which the vanity mirror fits. The vanity mirror is thereby attractively recessed within the opening. No adhesives or fasteners are used to secure the upholstery cover to the visor shell around the opening. Instead, the upholstery cover partially covers the opening and is stretched and securely held in place between the back of the vanity mirror and the plate member.

Abstract: A retainer clip assembly for securing a sun visor interiorly in an automobile. The retainer clip assembly includes a movable lever attached thereto which secures the retainer clip assembly to a vehicle ceiling panel. The lever includes a release member which is accessible from the exterior of the retainer clip, so that the lever may be disengaged and the retainer clip removed. A transportation clip is disclosed for use with the retainer clip assembly. The transportation clip connects the retainer clip to a headliner module during transportation to the final point of assembly. At the final point of assembly, the retainer clip can be pushed into its installed position and the transportation clip is concealed within the retainer clip and need not be removed.

Abstract: A sun visor assembly which utilizes a plurality of modular visor core components and an outer covering. The visor core components each include an alignment element which cooperates with an alignment element on the outer covering thereby maintaining the visor core components in the proper location. The modularity of the visor core components allows for their use with any one of a plurality of differently configured outer coverings and in a plurality of different visor core component combinations. The modular components include a hinge block for rotatably engaging a visor support rod, a pin section having an exposed support member for supporting a free end of the visor blade and track components for slidingly engaging other components such as a sun visor extension panel.

Abstract: A sunvisor assembly comprising a mounting assembly and a vehicle visor blade pivotally mounted on a support rod. The mounting assembly attaches the sunvisor assembly to a headliner prior to the installation of the headliner in a vehicle. The mounting assembly also attaches the sunvisor assembly to a roof panel in the vehicle when the headliner and sunvisor assembly are installed in the vehicle. The mounting assembly includes an elbow attachable to the support rod, a mounting bracket, an inner bracket and a camming member. A distal section of the elbow defines an axis about which the visor blade is rotatable and is insertable through a central opening in the mounting bracket. The mounting bracket also includes a laterally extending shroud disposed radially outwardly of the central opening. The inner bracket is attached to the distal section of the elbow and includes retaining members which extend radially outwardly from the inner bracket.

Abstract: A sun visor assembly which is formed from an expanded polypropylene (EPP) shell having an upholstery cover fused to the exterior surface thereof. The polymer shell is further comprised of two shell halves which are joined together with a molded polymer band. The upholstery cover is fused to the exterior surface of the shell in the area of the polymer band so that the polymer band and the upholstery cover combine to form a hinge about which the shell halves are foldable together to form the completed sun visor. The shell halves are secured together by corresponding protrusions and slots formed in the two shell halves, respectively. The protrusions are fused into the slots. A vanity mirror assembly can be thermally fused to one of the shell halves or, alternatively, can be used to secure the two shell halves together.

Abstract: A sun visor assembly for a vehicle having a yieldable edge. The visor assembly has a rotatable visor body which may be positioned against the headliner in the roof of the vehicle or against the windshield or side window of the vehicle. The visor body includes a relatively rigid inner foundation member and a more flexible outer covering. The outer covering projects beyond the borders of the foundation member to form the edges of the visor body. The edges formed by the projecting outer covering are yieldable upon impact and may thereby cushion the force exerted by the visor body against a body impacting the yieldable edge of the visor body. The outer longitudinal edge of the visor body has a width of at least approximately 0.75 inches and the visor body may also include yieldable transverse edges.

Abstract: A sunshade mounting bracket assembly for mounting a sunshade to a vehicle without the use of tools or fasteners. The bracket assembly includes an outer bracket, an inner bracket, and an elbow to which the sunshade is attached. The outer bracket is mountable to an apertured panel such as the sheet metal interior roof of the vehicle. The inner bracket includes resilient locking prongs which define an interior cavity into which the elbow is inserted. The resilient locking prongs are structured to be insertable into an opening in the outer bracket. After their insertion into the outer bracket, the prongs engage the outer bracket when the inner bracket is axially rotated relative to the outer bracket from a first rotational orientation to a second rotational orientation for use. During their engagement with the outer bracket, the prongs are compressed radially inward and drawn axially into the outer bracket.

Abstract: A sun visor assembly which utilizes a plurality of modular visor core components and an outer covering. The visor core components each include an alignment element which cooperates with an alignment element on the outer covering thereby maintaining the visor core components in the proper location. The modularity of the visor core components allows for their use with any one of a plurality of differently configured outer coverings and in a plurality of different visor core component combinations. The modular components include a hinge block for rotatably engaging a visor support rod, a pin section having an exposed support member for supporting a free end of the visor blade and track components for slidingly engaging other components such as a sun visor extension panel.

Abstract: The present invention involves a mounting assembly for use in a vehicle with a pre-existing primary sunshade assembly. The mounting assembly may provide support for an amenity such as a secondary sunshade. A secondary sunshade may be mounted in a position parallel to the windshield of the vehicle and, when the primary sunshade is positioned alongside a side window of the vehicle, the secondary sunshade can be tilted downward to shade the windshield. The mounting assembly includes a mounting block having an aperture into which a structural projection of the primary sunshade assembly is inserted and a set of pre-drilled holes forming a screw hole pattern which is alignable with the screw hole pattern of the primary sunshade mounting assembly.

Abstract: A sunshade mounting bracket assembly for mounting a sunshade to a vehicle without the use of tools or fasteners. The bracket assembly includes an outer bracket, an inner bracket, and an elbow to which the sunshade is attached. The outer bracket is mountable to an apertured panel such as the sheet metal interior roof of the vehicle. The inner bracket includes resilient locking prongs which define an interior hollow into which the elbow is inserted. The resilient locking prongs are structured to be insertable into an opening in the outer bracket. After their insertion into the outer bracket, the prongs engage the outer bracket when the inner bracket is axially rotated relative to the outer bracket from a first rotational orientation to a second rotational orientation for use. During their engagement with the outer bracket, the prongs are compressed radially inward to compress the elbow maintained within the hollow, which results in rotation of the elbow relative to the inner bracket being frictionally resisted.

Abstract: A sunshade mounting bracket assembly for mounting a sunshade to a vehicle without the use of tools or fasteners. The bracket assembly includes an outer bracket, an inner bracket, and an elbow to which the sunshade is attached. The outer bracket is mountable to an apertured panel such as the sheet metal interior roof of the vehicle. The inner bracket includes resilient locking prongs which define an interior hollow into which the elbow is inserted. The resilient locking prongs are structured to be insertable into an opening in the outer bracket. After their insertion into the outer bracket, the prongs engage the outer bracket when the inner bracket is axially rotated relative to the outer bracket from a first rotational orientation to a second rotational orientation for use. During their engagement with the outer bracket, the prongs are compressed radially inward to compress the elbow maintained within the hollow, which results in rotation of the elbow relative to the inner bracket being frictionally resisted.

Abstract: A vehicular sun visor having a single molded plastic core member. A first face of the core member includes an integrally molded channel member for receiving an extender blade therein. The opposite face of the core member includes a series of integrally molded channels and grooves for the reception of a series of wires and lamps comprising the lighting circuitry. An upholstery cover member is folded over the core member and secured along a seam. The cover member is adhered to a rigid foundation and includes a pair of access openings therein through which a mirror and lens assembly is removably attached to the core member. The cover member defines the shape of the sun visor.

Abstract: A mounting bracket assembly for a vehicle sunshade includes a hook end and an axially opposite fastener end, wherein the hook end is insertable into a first aperture in the vehicle roof, after which the assembly is rotated so that the fastener end is received within a second aperture in the roof and is attached thereto by a single fastener.

Abstract: A sunshade assembly, and method of manufacturing same, including an inner core board, a self-contained extender assembly mounted to the core board, and an outer covering. The extender assembly includes a plastic channel member attached to the core board by heat staking, and an extender blade slidingly received within the channel member between a retracted position and an extended position. The handle end of the extender blade extends through an access opening in the outer covering and includes a handle portion that, in the retracted position of the extender blade, wraps around and frictionally engages the peripheral edge of the outer covering, thereby making the handle visible and easily grasped from both sides of the sunshade assembly. The channel member includes upper and lower tracks between which the blade is slidingly retained. The tracks include fingers that are resiliently biased against the blade to provide friction.