Patents Assigned to Prince Corporation
  • Adjustable visor
    Patent number: 4925233
    Abstract: A visor includes a visor control for coupling the visor panel to the visor pivot rod for slidable movement along the pivot rod and for snap-up storage of the visor on the pivot rod against the vehicle headliner. In the preferred embodiment, the visor control includes a torque control fixed to the visor pivot rod and a guide for slidably coupling the visor pivot rod and torque control to the visor panel. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the guide is a pair of stationary guide blocks with guide rods extending on opposite sides of the pivot rod and through which the visor torque control slidably mounts to provide stability of the visor pivot rod and control as the visor panel moves with respect to the pivot rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1990
    Assignee: Prince Corporation
    Inventor: Russell L. Clark
  • Vanity mirror package
    Patent number: 4922391
    Abstract: A vanity mirror package for a visor includes a sliding cover having a handle which includes a light for providing illumination for use of the mirror in low ambient light conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1990
    Assignee: Prince Corporation
    Inventor: Steven P. Dykstra
  • Overhead console with breakaway mount
    Patent number: 4909470
    Abstract: A console assembly for a vehicular rearview mirror having breakway capabilities includes a base adapted for attachment to an interior portion of a vehicle, a panel structure mounting the rearview mirror and an overcenter spring for securely, but releasably, holding the panel structure to the base. The base, panel structure and spring are constructed to cooperatively interact such that an impacting force acting on the mirror and having a magnitude above a predetermined level will cause said overcenter spring to release the panel structure from the base and thereby permit the rearview mirror to break away.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 20, 1990
    Assignee: Prince Corporation
    Inventor: Russell L. Clark
  • Illuminated visor mounting bracket
    Patent number: 4910648
    Abstract: A visor mounting bracket includes a lamp housing integrally formed with the visor mounting bracket and a lens covering a lamp socket and lamp mounted therein with an electrical supply line extending through the bracket for connection to the vehicle's electrical power supply system. Such construction provides a unique dual functioning structure which provides desirable interior lighting for a vehicle at a unique location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 20, 1990
    Assignee: Prince Corporation
    Inventors: Kim L. Van Order, Kenneth D. Kreuze
  • Upholstery system
    Patent number: 4890883
    Abstract: An upholstery system for a vehicle accessory includes a substrate with a U-shaped channel adjacent an edge and including alternately staggered apertures and slots in its floor. A trim member with alternately staggered pins and locking tabs compressibly holds an edge of upholstery material in the channel with the pins extending through the material and into the apertures and the tabs lockably holding the trim member by fitting into the slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1990
    Assignee: Prince Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas L. Boerema, Alan L. Kindig, Jeffrey D. Gras
  • Armrest torque control
    Patent number: 4882807
    Abstract: A torque control for providing a desired frictional resistance to a pivotally mounted vehicle accessory, such as an armrest or headrest, which includes a resilient member having an irregular arcuate slot. A resistance element extends in the slot to move along the length thereof as the pivoted component pivots about the pivot axis. The shape of the slot provides a desired predetermined frictional resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1989
    Assignee: Prince Corporation
    Inventors: Dale J. Frye, Alan L. Kindig, Kenneth M. Lindberg, Robert J. Stander
  • Brake actuator
    Patent number: 4881424
    Abstract: A vehicular parking brake is incorporated within and operates in conjunction with a centrally mounted armrest. The parking brake is actuated by swinging the armrest upwardly. The locking components are fashioned such that the armrest may be returned to its rest position without effecting the release of the parking brake which is accomplished by pressing an easily reached release lever mounted to the armrest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1989
    Assignee: Prince Corporation
    Inventors: Russell L. Clark, Roger Bomgaars
  • Light control circuit for vanity mirror assembly
    Patent number: 4879637
    Abstract: A dimming control circuit for use in an illuminated vanity mirror includes a surface formed variable resistor on a circuit board and wiper contacts engaging the resistor. One of the resistor or wiper contacts is movably mounted to a mirror frame with the other of the resistor or wiper contacts being stationary such that the resistance can be varied to control the light intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 7, 1989
    Assignee: Prince Corporation
    Inventors: Russell L. Clark, Kim L. Van Order, Michael J. Suman, Todd A. Zandbergen
  • Vehicle armrest
    Patent number: 4867500
    Abstract: A vehicle accessory includes a body form comprising a core having two halves joined along a common edge and which are folded and snap-fitted together. The core is covered by an upholstery material captively held by a channel in the core which includes inner and outer walls having a floor with an opening for receiving tabs of the upholstery material. One of the walls is slotted at intervals, in the preferred embodiment, to define a resilient section which compressibly grips the tab of the upholstery material once inserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1989
    Assignee: Prince Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas J. Oosterbaan, Jon G. Einberger
  • Snap-in mirror package
    Patent number: 4866579
    Abstract: A vanity mirror package for a visor includes snap-fastening connectors extending from the mirror frame toward a recess formed in the visor body. The visor body includes a floor with connectors which cooperate with the snap-fastening connectors of the mirror frame such that the vanity mirror package is self-aligning during assembly and can be inserted and removed by flexing one of the connectors without contacting the visor upholstered material or deforming the mirror frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 12, 1989
    Assignee: Prince Corporation
    Inventors: Roger G. Miller, Robert J. Clark
  • Visor
    Patent number: 4858982
    Abstract: A multiplex visor includes a plurality of nested panels which can be moved with respect to one another to provide sun blocking and other functions of a multiple visor installation using a single visor. In one embodiment, a duplex visor is longitudinally split on a center curvilinear plane extending between the front and rear of the visor to provide a single visor having independently movable halves or panels for providing front and side window sun blocking protection. In another embodiment of the invention, a triplex visor includes three separately movable nested panels with a first panel being pivoted from a nested position within a second panel and including a vanity mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1989
    Assignee: Prince Corporation
    Inventors: Ronald A. Dykstra, William J. Fluharty
  • Storage compartment
    Patent number: 4854632
    Abstract: A storage compartment for recessed mounting into the top of the instrument panel of a vehicle includes a flexible cover for movement between a position closing a storage container and an open position in which the cover extends around the storage container. The flexible cover is a tambour-type cover with an endless loop connection and which is guidably supported by the storage container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1989
    Assignee: Prince Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth D. Kreuze, Eric D. Rennie
  • Vehicle vanity with light control
    Patent number: 4847737
    Abstract: A light intensity control includes a current control device which delays the application of the maximum level of current to one or more lamps of an illuminated vanity mirror. In the preferred embodiment, the current responsive control device comprises a negative temperature coefficient thermistor coupled in series with the lamps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1989
    Assignee: Prince Corporation
    Inventors: Kim L. Van Order, Steven P. Dykstra, Ted A. Dekker
  • Visor control
    Patent number: 4828313
    Abstract: A visor control comprises a U-shaped spring clamp with inwardly converging sides terminating in inwardly projecting rounded tips which circumscribe a portion of the visor rod in all positions of adjustment. The sides of the clamp include alternately staggered slots which cooperate with alternately staggered lobes and flats disposed along the longitudinal axis of the visor pivot rod for selectively camming the visor into a snap-up raised stored position and spreading the sides to frictionally hold the visor rod therebetween when the visor is lowered to a use position. A tang extends from a portion of at least one of the sides of the U-shaped clamp and extends into a recess in the body of the visor to hold the clamp against rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1989
    Assignee: Prince Corporation
    Inventors: Michael L. Lanser, Thomas C. VandenBerge
  • Voice actuated control system for use in a vehicle
    Patent number: 4827520
    Abstract: A voice actuated control system for controlling vehicle accessories includes a voice processing circuit and memory for storing data representing command words employed to perform control functions for vehicle accessories and for detecting spoken command words and providing data corresponding thereto. A microprocessor compares the data to determine if a word match has occurred and provides a selected control output signal in such event. The microprocessor is coupled by an interface circuit to a plurality of devices to be controlled including for example, a cellular telephone, a radio receiver and the like. Also, in a preferred embodiment a display and control panel is provided to selectively provide visual prompts to the operator and a manual control. The microprocessor is programmed to provide a variety of tests on stored data and spoken word to improve the reliability of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1989
    Assignee: Prince Corporation
    Inventor: Mark L. Zeinstra
  • Pivoted rotatable illuminated rear seat vanity mirror
    Patent number: 4824159
    Abstract: A vanity mirror can be extended from the vehicle headliner and upon extension, can be pivoted about a generally vertical axis such that a single vanity mirror can be used by any of the rear seat passengers. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the vehicle roof includes a recess for receiving an illuminated vanity mirror assembly which is pivotally mounted at one edge to the recess for movement between a stored position substantially flush with a vehicle roofline to a lowered use position substantially orthogonal to the vehicle roof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1989
    Assignee: Prince Corporation
    Inventors: William J. Fluharty, Ronald A. Dykstra, Mark W. Hawks
  • Visor control
    Patent number: 4824160
    Abstract: A visor control includes a pair of parallel spaced arms, each pivotally coupled at one end to a mounting structure secured to a vehicle headliner and having opposite ends pivotally secured to a sun shield such that the shield can be translated by rotation of the parallel arms between a raised stored position and a lowered use position. A spring extends between the mounting structure and one of the movable elements to impart a force to the shield, tending to return the shield to a stored position. Releasable latching means hold the shield in a lowered position and can be operator actuated or automatically actuated with vehicle door opening to allow the spring to return the shield to the stored position permitting ease of exit from the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1989
    Assignee: Prince Corporation
    Inventor: Dennis J. Fleming
  • Container holder for a vehicle
    Patent number: 4818017
    Abstract: A container holder for a vehicle is stored in an armrest and can be moved to a use position exposing a container supporting element. The container supporting element includes an aperture with adjustable dimensions for engaging the sides of different diameter containers and a movable floor permitting compact storage and improved stability for holding containers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1989
    Assignee: Prince Corporation
    Inventors: Ronald A. Dykstra, James H. Hoeve
  • Visor mounting assembly
    Patent number: 4818013
    Abstract: A visor pivot rod for mounting a visor to a vehicle includes a threaded fitting one end which is adapted to thread into a mounting bracket of a dissimilar material having a central bore threaded to compressibly receive the threaded end of the visor rod and hold the visor rod in an axially adjusted position with a predetermined torque to prevent sticking of the two elements. The mounted bracket in turn is adapted to be secured to the roof of a vehicle in one embodiment or be integral with the visor core or mounted within the visor core in another embodiment. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the threaded end of the visor rod includes a polymeric molded-on fitting having a threaded end which engages a threaded bracket also made of a molded polymeric material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1989
    Assignee: Prince Corporation
    Inventor: Kim L. Van Order
  • Two-way vanity mirror visor
    Patent number: 4807093
    Abstract: A visor having a body with a central opening extending through the body. A cover selectively encloses the opening on one side of the visor. Pivotally mounted to the visor is a mirror and frame with the mirror facing the cover and movable between a position co-planar with and enclosing the opposite side of the opening for storage to a lowered use position in which the mirror is exposed for use when the visor is in a raised stored position. When the visor is in a lowered sun blocking position and the mirror frame is in its stored position, the cover can be opened for exposing the mirror from the rear facing surface of the visor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1989
    Assignee: Prince Corporation
    Inventor: Bruce W. Cisler