The present invention is related to a hinge for sunvisors for automobiles which, specifically, is for application in connection with sunvisors based on a body obtained by the injection-moulding of a material of low specific gravity, such as polyurethane. The body includes a reinforcing frame consisting of a metal rod whose shape matches the shape of the visor body.
It is widely known that sunvisors, such as those described above and normally fitted as standard equipment in automobiles, have a hinge which enables the user to set the sunvisor to any of its usual positions for use in a stable way. The hinge consists basically of a bent supporting pivot attached to the vehicle's structure by means of a base member fitted to it, and of a retaining spring set inside a linking body, made generally in plastic materials, which is included in the body of the visor and firmly joined to the metal reinforcing rod. The retaining spring is sized to receive snugly the horizontal arm of the supporting pivot in such a way that the visor may be rotated around that pivot. Furthermore, both the spring and the horizontal arm of the supporting pivot possess complementary means for positioning them with respect to each other ensuring greater retaining strength in the rest position(s) of the visor, i.e. moving the visor away from those positions requires the user to exert a turning torque whose value is significantly higher than that required when the visor is not occupying its rest position(s).
By way of example of embodiments of sunvisor hinges such as those described above, Spanish utility model number U 8902208 may be quoted. It describes a linking body with an essentially quadrangular prismatic shape providing a housing for fitting a retaining spring and, around its edge, a recess such as to house a metal reinforcing rod shaped with a double bend, to prevent the linking body from changing its position once the linking body has been attached to the rod.
Known embodiments of linking bodies for sunvisor hinges such as that described above all suffer, wholly or partly, from the following drawbacks. Their use requires the metal reinforcing rod to have a closed perimeter, ie. that the ends of the metal rod be joined together, generally by welding. Moreover, the linking bodies are sizeable items as a result of having to withstand the high stresses to which they are subjected when the visor is positioned by the user, said size constituting a clear limitation on performance. These drawbacks lead to high fitting and/or manufacturing costs for the sunvisor, which significantly increase the price of the finished product.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds