U.S. patent application number 09/725581 was filed with the patent office on 2002-05-30 for stamping reinforced polymeric molded elbow and method of manufacture.
Invention is credited to Lanser, Michael, Mulder, Jason.
Application Number | 20020063437 09/725581 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 24915127 |
Filed Date | 2002-05-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020063437 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mulder, Jason ; et
al. |
May 30, 2002 |
STAMPING REINFORCED POLYMERIC MOLDED ELBOW AND METHOD OF
MANUFACTURE
Abstract
A stamped reinforced visor elbow having a metal reinforcing
member that holds electrical conductors encased in a molded
polymeric material. The reinforcing member is generally U-shaped in
cross section and can be formed by stamping. The reinforcing member
provides support for the visor elbow while providing a channel for
electrical conductors. The reinforced visor elbow is made by
forming a metal reinforcing member through a stamping die, placing
one or more conductors into a recess created in the reinforcing
member and the steps of molding a polymeric material over the
reinforcing member while holding the wires to form the reinforced
visor elbow.
Inventors: |
Mulder, Jason; (Grandville,
MI) ; Lanser, Michael; (Holland, MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PRICE HENEVELD COOPER DEWITT & LITTON
695 KENMOOR, S.E.
P O BOX 2567
GRAND RAPIDS
MI
49501
US
|
Family ID: |
24915127 |
Appl. No.: |
09/725581 |
Filed: |
November 29, 2000 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
296/97.5 ;
362/144 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B29L 2031/3035 20130101;
B60J 3/0252 20130101; B29C 2045/14237 20130101; B29C 45/14639
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
296/97.5 ;
362/144 |
International
Class: |
B60J 003/02 |
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A reinforced elbow for an automobile visor comprising: a
reinforcing member having a generally U-shaped cross section; at
least one electrical conductor placed on said reinforcing member;
and a polymeric material molded over said reinforcing member and
said at least one electrical conductor.
2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said reinforcing
member is made of metal.
3. The apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said metal is
cold-rolled steel.
4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said steel is about
0.030 inches thick.
5. The apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said reinforcing
member is formed by stamping.
6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said reinforced
elbow is L-shaped.
7. A reinforced elbow for an automobile visor comprising: a
reinforcing member; at least one electrical conductor placed on
said reinforcing member; and a polymeric material molded over said
reinforcing member and said at least one electrical conductor.
8. The apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein said reinforcing
member is generally U-shaped in cross section.
9. The apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said reinforcing
member is made of metal.
10. The apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein said metal is
cold-rolled steel.
11. The apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein said steel is
about 0.030 inches thick.
12. The apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said polymeric
material is nylon.
13. The apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said polymeric
material is Delrin.RTM..
14. A reinforced elbow for an automobile visor comprising: a
reinforcing member; and a polymeric material molded over said
reinforcing member.
15. The apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said reinforcing
member is generally U-shaped in cross section.
16. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein said reinforcing
member is made of metal.
17. The apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein said metal is
cold-rolled steel.
18. The apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein said steel is
about 0.030 inches thick.
19. A vehicle visor comprising: a visor body; a visor elbow having
a reinforcing member, at least one electrical conductor placed on
said reinforcing member; a polymeric material molded over said
reinforcing member and said at least one electrical conductor; and
a torque clip for mounting said elbow to said visor body.
20. A method of making a reinforced elbow for an automobile visor
comprising the steps of: forming a reinforcing part from a stamping
die; placing at least one electrical conductor into said
reinforcing part; and molding a polymeric material over said
reinforcing part and said electrical conductor.
21. The method according to claim 20, wherein said reinforcing
member has a generally U-shaped cross section.
22. The method according to claim 21, wherein said forming step is
stamping said reinforcing part of metal.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention pertains to automotive visors, and
particularly a visor elbow for mounting visors to a vehicle.
[0002] Vehicle visors are typically mounted to the headliner of a
vehicle and supported by the underlying sheet metal roof using an
elbow bracket which permits the visor to be moved from a forward
windshield position to a side window, depending upon driving
conditions. There exists numerous visor brackets and torque
controls that are designed to allow a visor to pivot from a stored
position adjacent the vehicle headliner to selective lower use
positions. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,820,197; 5,765,897; and 4,634,196 are
among those patents that disclose visor mounts and/or torque
controls for pivoting a visor.
[0003] Visors frequently include a variety of accessories, such as
illuminated vanity mirrors, garage door opening transmitters,
cellular telephones and the like. Such accessories integrated into
visor bodies add to the weight of the visor. Furthermore, such
accessories require an electric source for powering the
accessories. Most of the accessories are powered by pairs of
electrical conductors which are themselves connected to feed wires
hidden in the headliner. These conductors may pass to one side of
the sun visor support arm, but for reasons of appearance it is
preferable to hide them in hollow metal pivot rods which may act as
the second conductor which is connected to the ground.
[0004] Another prior method of making a support arm is to mold
plastic material over a solid metal insert. The insert then
constitutes one of the electrical feed conductors for the sun
visor. In this case, the second conductor is provided via the other
sun visor support rod which holds the end that is distant from the
support arm by cooperating with a clip fixed to the roof. This
solution has the advantage of providing a visor support which is
particularly strong, however it suffers from the drawback of
requiring good electrical contact to be made with the clip when the
accessories are to be powered, and power is not available unless
the rod is engaged in the clip.
[0005] Visor support arms also have had two conductors passing
along the inside of a molded polymeric material extending over a
portion of the conductors in such a manner as to encase the
conductors. In one proposal, the polymeric material is molded over
at least a portion of the conductors by injection in two stages. In
a first stage, a polymeric material is molded over two electrical
conductors in a first mold to obtain a support arm blank in which
the material constitutes a block with the portion of the
conductors. The blank has at least a portion which is smaller in
section than a corresponding section of said support arm. The
second stage consists of the blank being overmolded by polymeric
material to complete the support arm. The drawback of this system
is that it does not provide sufficient mechanical support for
heavier visors which contain electrical accessories or glass
mirrors and it requires several steps in the manufacturing
process.
[0006] Other visor elbows have been suggested which are made of
hollow tubular members supporting conductors for an illuminated
vanity mirror and overmolded to complete the elbow, or a multiple
component visor rod with a solid core with recesses for receiving
conductors over which a sleeve is molded.
[0007] There exists a need, therefore, for a visor elbow which is
relatively inexpensive and capable of providing a source of
electricity for visor accessories, yet providing additional support
for the added weight of visors having accessories mounted therein.
Further, with the increasing sensitivity to the cost of vehicle
components by manufacturers, it is desirable to have a visor elbow
which is relatively inexpensive and requires less materials.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The stamping reinforced polymeric molded elbow of the
present invention solves the need for a relatively inexpensive
elbow which is capable of satisfying the design criteria for modern
vehicle visors. It accomplishes this goal by providing a visor
elbow made with a metallic reinforcement over which a polymeric
elbow is molded. The reinforcement is preferably shaped to provide
strength and to allow conductors to extend therein. Further, the
stamped reinforcement may serve as a carrier in the method of
manufacturing such an elbow.
[0009] These and other features, advantages and objects of the
present invention will be further understood and appreciated by
those skilled in the art by reference to the following
specification, claims and appended drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a visor and a visor elbow embodying
the present invention shown partly in phantom form and partly
broken away;
[0011] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross section of the elbow of FIG. 1,
taken along section line II-II of FIG. 1;
[0012] FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross section of the elbow of FIG. 1,
taken along section line III-III of FIG. 1;
[0013] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross section of the elbow of FIG. 1,
taken along section line IV-IV of FIG. 1; and
[0014] FIG. 5 is a diagram of the method of manufacturing the visor
elbow of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0015] Referring initially to FIG. 1, there is shown a vehicle
visor 10 having a stamped reinforced molded visor elbow 12 mounted
to the body of visor 10 by a torque clip 14, such as disclosed in
U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,197, the disclosure of which is incorporated
herein by reference. The molded visor elbow 12 is generally
L-shaped and has a wider portion near its end 11 where the stamped
reinforced visor elbow 12 extends upwardly to a conventional
mounting bracket (not shown) that attaches the visor 10 to the
vehicle. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the elbow 12 which includes
a generally U-shaped (in cross section) stamped metal reinforcing
member 16, made of cold-rolled steel, 0.030 inches thick, at the
widest point of the stamped reinforced visor elbow 12 over which a
polymeric material 20 is molded, encasing conductors 17 (when
employed) and reinforcing member 16. The metal that is used can be
any metal, including aluminum and steel. The metal reinforcing
member 16 has a recess 18 which holds the electrical conductors 17.
In the embodiment shown, recess 18 includes conductors for
accessories, such as an illuminated vanity mirror and a display
and/or transmitter, such as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,926,087, the
disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The
dimensions of this reinforcing member is about 12.24 mm (dimension
A) by about 3.096 mm (dimension B) at its widest part.
[0016] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the molded visor elbow 12,
showing the reinforcing member 16 near the opposite end 13 of the
stamped reinforced visor elbow 12. The dimensions of the
reinforcing member 16 near the end 13 is about 4.672 mm (dimension
C) to about 4.557 mm (dimension D). Similarly, FIG. 4 is a
sectional view of the molded visor elbow 12 showing the reinforcing
member 16 near the middle of the stamped reinforced visor elbow 12
with dimensions of about 3.938 mm (dimension E) to about 2.992 mm
(dimension F).
[0017] The generally U-shaped (in cross section) metal reinforcing
member 16 may vary in shape throughout the visor elbow. Thus, the
reinforcing member 16 may be of any shape at any point in the visor
elbow 12 that holds the electrical conductors 17 and reinforces the
visor elbow 12. The illustrated dimensions for the metal
reinforcing member 16 may vary depending on the size of the visor
elbow 12 and the shape of the metal reinforcing member 16. Thus, if
a different shape is chosen for the metal reinforcing member 16,
the dimensions may vary significantly from those illustrated in the
drawings.
[0018] The polymeric material 20 used to complete the elbow
structure 12 can be any suitable polymeric material, including Pom
Acetal, UV 90, Celcon.RTM., polyester nylon (filled or unfilled),
and Delrin.RTM.. The generally U-shaped metal reinforcing member
may optimally be C-shaped, V-shaped or shaped in another way to
provide a recess 18 for nesting one or more conductors 17 and for
providing a reinforcing feature for the completed elbow 12.
[0019] The method of the present invention is shown in FIG. 6 and
begins with step 22 in which the generally U-shaped (in
cross-section) reinforcing member 16 is formed by stamping. The
stamping die forms the metal reinforcing member 16 which has, as
noted in FIGS. 2-4, various widths throughout the elongated
generally L-shaped stamped reinforced member 16. In step 24, the
electrical conductors 17 are placed into the recess 18 of the metal
reinforcing member 16. Step 24 involves the polymeric material 20
being molded over the metal reinforcing member 16 to result in the
elbow 12. The molding step is performed using conventional
injection molding techniques with dies shaped to provide a visor
elbow which conforms to a particular visor into which it will be
subsequently incorporated. The assembly is completed by the
addition in step 28 of a torque clip 25 and a mounting bracket 27.
This assembly is then incorporated into the body of a visor 10 with
the electrical conductors providing electrical power or signals to
the visor accessories.
[0020] A visor elbow 12 made according to his invention withstands
a pull down torque of about 1.4N*M, sufficient to support visors
with electrical accessories. A visor elbow 12 made according to
this invention may also have the reinforcing member 16 overmolded
with polymeric material 20 without conductors 17 for use with
visors 10 that do not have electrical accessories.
[0021] The above description is considered that of the preferred
embodiment only. Modification of the invention will occur to those
skilled in the art and to those who make or use the invention.
Therefore, it is understood that the embodiment shown in the
drawings and described above is merely for illustrative purposes
and not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is
defined by the following claims as interpreted according to the
principles of patent law, including the doctrine of
equivalents.
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