Foam core visor
View Patent ↗A visor for vehicles includes a shell made of a material such as paper, vinyl, or the like. The visor includes first and second halves joined by a hinge. The first and second halves are folded about the hinge and bonded together to define a cavity. A rigid foam core fills at least a substantial portion of the cavity, and the foam core is bonded to the shell to provide support. The visor includes a structural mounting member extending from the shell for mounting the visor to the roof of a vehicle.
1. A visor for vehicles, comprising:
a paper shell having first and second halves having a shallow concave shape and defining a perimeter, wherein the first and second halves are folded about a hinge to define a cavity within the shell;
a rigid foam core filling at least a substantial portion of the cavity away from the perimeter and forming a foam inner core support, wherein the foam inner core support is bonded to the paper shell to provide structural support;
a structural mounting member extending from the paper shell for mounting the visor to the roof of a vehicle; and
a cover made of a thin material extending over the paper shell.
2. A visor for vehicles, comprising:
a paper shell having first and second halves having a shallow concave shape and defining a perimeter, wherein the first and second halves are folded about a hinge to define a cavity within the shell;
a rigid foam core filling at least a substantial portion of the cavity, wherein the foam core is bonded to the paper shell to provide structural support, and wherein the foam core comprises two separate pieces of foam, each defining a substantially flat inner face;
a layer of paper bonded to each inner face, the layers adhesively bonded to each other;
a structural mounting member extending from the paper shell for mounting the visor to the roof of a vehicle; and
a cover made of a thin material extending over the paper shell.
3. The visor of claim 1 , wherein:
edge portions of the cover wrap inwardly around a portion of the perimeter of the first and second halves of the paper shell, with edge portions of the first and second halves contacting one another to form a tucked edge.
4. The visor of claim 3 , including:
adhesive disposed around at least a portion of the tucked edge to secure the first half to the second half.
5. The visor of claim 3 , wherein:
the visor defines a perimeter, the paper shell wrapping around first portions of the perimeter, and having first and second edges of the paper closely adjacent one another along second portions of the perimeter.
6. The visor of claim 1 , wherein: the cover comprises a woven fabric material.
7. The visor of claim 1 , wherein:
the cover comprises a polymer material.
8. The visor of claim 1 , wherein:
the inner core support comprises a polyurethane foam.
9. The visor of claim 8 , wherein:
the inner core support defines an internal cavity; and including:
a detent spring disposed in the cavity and operably coupled to the structural mounting member to provide controlled rotation of the visor about the structural mounting member.
10. A visor for vehicles, comprising:
a thin flexible paper shell having first and second halves having a shallow concave shape and defining a perimeter, wherein the first and second halves are folded about a hinge to define a cavity within the shell, the paper shell comprising a layer of paper that can be readily deformed;
a rigid foam core filling at least a substantial portion of the cavity away from the perimeter and forming a foam inner core support, wherein the foam inner core support is bonded to substantially the entire inner surface of the paper shell to provide structural support, wherein the thin flexible paper is sufficiently flexible so as to require support from the foam core to retain its shape;
a structural mounting member extending from the paper shell for mounting the visor to the roof of a vehicle; and
a cover made of a thin material extending over the paper shell.
11. The visor of claim 10 , wherein:
the paper shell comprises a porous material.
12. The visor of claim 10 , wherein:
the foam core comprises first and second discrete halves positioned in the first and second halves, respectively, of the paper shell, each half of the foam core having an outer side with an outer surface in contact with the paper shell, and an opposite inner side with an inner surface.
13. A visor for vehicles, comprising:
a thin flexible paper shell having first and second halves having a shallow concave shape and defining a perimeter, wherein the first and second halves are folded about a hinge to define a cavity within the shell, the paper shell comprising a layer of paper that can be readily deformed;
a rigid foam core filling at least a substantial portion of the cavity away from the perimeter and forming a foam inner core support, wherein the foam inner core support is bonded to substantially the entire inner surface of the paper shell to provide structural support, wherein the thin flexible paper is sufficiently flexible so as to require support from the foam core to retain its shape;
a structural mounting member extending from the paper shell for mounting the visor to the roof of a vehicle; and
a cover made of a thin material extending over the paper shell;
the foam core comprises first and second discrete halves positioned in the first and second halves, respectively, of the paper shell, each half of the foam core having an outer side with an outer surface in contact with the paper shell, and an opposite inner side with an inner surface; and wherein:
the visor includes at least one layer of material extending between the first and second halves of the foam core.
14. The visor of claim 13 wherein:
the one layer of material comprises paper.
15. A visor for vehicles, comprising:
a paper shell having first and second halves having a shallow concave shape and defining a perimeter, wherein the first and second halves are folded about a hinge to define a cavity within the shell, the shell comprising a porous paper material;
a rigid foam core filling at least a substantial portion of the cavity away from the perimeter and forming a foam inner core support, wherein the foam inner core support is bonded to the paper shell to provide structural support;
a structural mounting member extending from the paper shell for mounting the visor to the roof of a vehicle; and
a cover made of a thin material extending over the paper shell.
16. The visor of claim 15 , wherein:
the foam core comprises first and second discrete halves positioned in the first and second halves, respectively, of the paper shell, each half of the foam core having an outer side with an outer surface in contact with the paper shell, and an opposite inner side with an inner surface.
17. A visor for vehicles, comprising:
a paper shell having first and second halves having a shallow concave shape and defining a perimeter, wherein the first and second halves are folded about a hinge to define a cavity within the shell, the shell comprising a porous paper material;
a rigid foam core filling at least a substantial portion of the cavity away from the perimeter and forming a foam inner core support, wherein the foam inner core support is bonded to the paper shell to provide structural support;
a structural mounting member extending from the paper shell for mounting the visor to the roof of a vehicle; and
a cover made of a thin material extending over the paper shell;
the foam core comprises first and second discrete halves positioned in the first and second halves, respectively, of the paper shell, each half of the foam core having an outer side with an outer surface in contact with the paper shell, and an opposite inner side with an inner surface; and wherein:
the visor includes at least one layer of material extending between the first and second halves of the foam core.
18. The visor of claim 17 wherein:
the one layer of material comprises paper.
19. A visor for vehicles, comprising:
a paper shell having first and second parts having a shallow concave shape and defining a perimeter, wherein the first and second parts are folded about a hinge to define a cavity within the shell;
a rigid foam core filling at least a substantial portion of the cavity, wherein the foam core is bonded to the paper shell to provide structural support, and wherein the foam core comprises two separate pieces of foam, each defining a substantially flat inner face;
at least one layer of material disposed between the inner faces of the pieces of foam;
a structural mounting member extending from the paper shell for mounting the visor to the roof of a vehicle.
20. The visor of claim 19 , wherein:
the one layer of material comprises paper that is bonded to the inner face of a selected one of the pieces of foam.
21. The visor of claim 20 , including:
a second layer of paper bonded to the inner face of the other of the pieces of foam.
22. The visor of claim 19 , wherein:
the first and second parts are mirror-images of one another.
23. A visor for vehicles, comprising:
a shell comprising paper and having first and second parts having a shallow concave shape and defining a perimeter, wherein the first and second parts are folded about a hinge to define a cavity within the shell;
a rigid foam core filling at least a substantial portion of the cavity away from the perimeter and forming a foam inner core support, wherein the foam inner core support is bonded to the shell to provide structural support;
a structural mounting member extending from the shell for mounting the visor to the roof of a vehicle.
24. The visor of claim 23 , wherein:
the shell comprises an outer of material covering the layer of paper.