US-12617257-B2 - Vehicle visor

US12617257B2US 12617257 B2US12617257 B2US 12617257B2US-12617257-B2

Abstract

Systems and methods of sun visor construction are provided. The method can include obtaining a section of material from a piece of material used to form a headliner of a vehicle. The method can include forming a first portion of material and a second portion of material from the section of material. The method can include stacking the first portion of material with the second portion of material. The method can include coupling a component with the first portion of material and the second portion of material to form a visor of the vehicle, the component covering an outer edge of the first portion of material and an outer edge of the second portion of material.

Inventors

Kyunghwan Woo
Gangadhar Anchuri

Assignees

RIVIAN IP HOLDINGS, LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20230223

Claims (20)

1 . A method, comprising: obtaining a section of material from a piece of material used to form a headliner of a vehicle; forming a first portion of material and a second portion of material from the section of material; stacking the first portion of material with the second portion of material; and coupling a component with the first portion of material and the second portion of material to form a visor of the vehicle, the component applied as a single section, the single section comprising a plurality of sub-components including an upper lip covering an outer edge of the first portion of material, a lower lip covering an outer edge of the second portion of material, and a flat section extending from the upper lip and the lower lip.
2 . The method of claim 1 , comprising: adhering a bottom surface of the first portion of material corresponding to a bottom surface of the section of material to a bottom surface of the second portion of material corresponding to the bottom surface of the section of material.
3 . The method of claim 1 , comprising: stitching around an outer boundary of the visor to fix the component to the first portion of material and the second portion of material.
4 . The method of claim 1 , comprising: stitching a thread through the upper lip of the component, through the first portion of material, through the second portion of material, and through the lower lip of the component.
5 . The method of claim 1 , comprising: inserting the first portion of material into the component between a top surface of a plate of the component and the upper lip of the component surrounding an outer edge of the plate; and inserting the second portion of material into the component between a bottom surface of the plate of the component and the lower lip of the component surrounding the outer edge of the plate.
6 . The method of claim 1 , comprising: compressing a portion of the section of material between a boundary defined by an inner shape and a boundary defined by an outer shape; and forming at least a portion of the outer edge of the first portion of material from the compressed portion.
7 . The method of claim 6 , comprising: compressing a second portion of the section of material between a boundary defined by an inner shape and a boundary defined by an outer shape; forming at least a portion of the outer edge of the second portion of material from the compressed second portion, the second portion of material formed to have a shape corresponding with a shape of the first portion of material; and coupling the first portion of material with the second portion of material to align the outer edge of the first portion of material with the outer edge of the second portion of material.
8 . A visor for a vehicle, comprising: a first portion of material comprising a first outer edge wherein at least a portion of the first portion of material is compressed; a second portion of material comprising a second outer edge wherein at least a portion of the second portion of material is compressed, wherein the first portion of material is stacked on the second portion of material to align the first outer edge with the second outer edge; and a component coupled with the first portion of material and the second portion of material to form the visor, the component applied as a single section, the single section comprising a plurality of sub-components including an upper lip, a lower lip, and a flat section extending from the upper lip and the lower lip.
9 . The visor of claim 8 , comprising: a stiffening component coupled with the first portion of material and the second portion of material, the stiffening component covering the first outer edge and the second outer edge.
10 . The visor of claim 8 , comprising: the component comprising: the upper lip at least partially surrounding the first outer edge and a top surface of the first portion of material; the lower lip at least partially surrounding the second outer edge and a top surface of the second portion of material; and the flat section extending from the upper lip and the lower lip between a bottom surface of the first portion of material and a bottom surface of the second portion of material.
11 . The visor of claim 8 , comprising: the component coupled with the first portion of material and the second portion of material, comprising: a plate extending from a first lateral side of the component to a second lateral side of the component; the upper lip that extends from a top side of the plate on an outer boundary of the plate towards a center of the plate; and the lower lip that extends from a bottom surface of the plate on the outer boundary of the plate towards the center of the plate.
12 . The visor of claim 8 , comprising: the component, comprising: a plate extending from a first lateral side of the component to a second lateral side of the component; the first portion of material coupled to an upper surface of the plate; and the second portion of material coupled to a bottom surface of the plate.
13 . The visor of claim 8 , comprising: the first portion of material and the second portion of material each comprising a material stack, the material stack comprising: a substrate layer; a foam layer stacked on the substrate layer; and a fabric layer stacked on the foam layer.
14 . The visor of claim 8 , comprising: the first portion of material comprising a plurality of layers including a substrate layer forming a bottom surface of the first portion of material; and the second portion of material comprising a plurality of layers including a substrate layer forming a bottom surface of the second portion of material, the bottom surface of the first portion of material facing the bottom surface of the second portion of material.
15 . The visor of claim 8 , comprising: the first portion of material comprising a plurality of layers including a substrate layer; and the second portion of material comprising a plurality of layers including a substrate layer; wherein the substrate layer of the first portion of material is coupled to an upper side of the component and the substrate layer of the second portion of material is coupled to a bottom side of the component.
16 . The visor of claim 8 , comprising: the component covering the first outer edge and the second outer edge; and a thread stitched at least partially or completely around an outer boundary of the visor, the thread stitched through the first portion of material, the component, and the second portion of material.
17 . The visor of claim 8 , wherein: a plane of the first outer edge and the second outer edge is perpendicular with a bottom surface of the first portion of material, the bottom surface of the first portion of material coupled with a bottom surface of the second portion of material.
18 . A method, comprising: obtaining a section of material from a piece of material used to form a headliner of a vehicle; forming a first portion of material and a second portion of material from the section of material; stacking the first portion of material with the second portion of material; coupling a component with the first portion of material and the second portion of material to form a visor of the vehicle, the component applied as a single section, the single section comprising a plurality of sub-components including an upper lip covering an outer edge of the first portion of material, a lower lip covering an outer edge of the second portion of material, and a flat section extending from the upper lip and the lower lip; and installing the visor and the piece of material in the vehicle.
19 . The method of claim 18 , comprising: compressing a portion of the section of material between a boundary defined by an inner shape and a boundary defined by an outer shape; and forming at least a portion of the outer edge of the first portion of material from the compressed portion.
20 . The method of claim 18 , comprising: stitching around an outer boundary of the visor to fix the component to the first portion of material and the second portion of material.

Description

INTRODUCTION A vehicle, such as an electric vehicle, can include an interior for occupancy by drivers, passengers, or other personnel. The interior can include seats, passenger seats, compartments, and other components for occupants of the vehicle to utilize. SUMMARY This disclosure is generally directed to techniques for constructing a visor, e.g., a sun visor, for a vehicle. The manufacture of sun visors of a vehicle can be integrated with the manufacture of the headliner of the vehicle. The present solution can include cutting pieces out of scrap headliner material to form sun visors for the vehicle, or another vehicle. This integration of processes can reduce the amount of time, tools, and other material used to manufacture the headliner and the sun visors independently, thereby reducing a carbon footprint associated with the manufacturing of vehicles. Since the pieces of material cut from the headliner for the sun visors may have rough edges, or edges that expose the inner layers of the material, the sun visor can include a component, trim, edge, or apparatus that hides or covers the rough edges. The component can be a flexible material that is applied around an outer edge of the pieces of material. For example, the component can be an extruded thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). For each sun visor, two pieces of the material can be stacked and fixed together (e.g., via a glue or adhesive), and the component can be applied around an outer edge of the two pieces. The component can hide a rough or exposed edge of the sun visor. The component can be a rigid material that the pieces of material are inserted into. For example, the component can be an injection molded polypropylene (PP). The component can be or include a plate that includes a bezel, edge, or lip around a portion or an entirety of an outer edge or boundary of the plate. For example, at least one piece of material can be coupled with the plate. A first piece of material can be inserted, slid, or disposed on a top surface of the plate. The first piece of material can be fixed to the plate by the lips on the top surface of the plate. A second piece of material can be inserted, slid, or disposed on a bottom surface of the plate and can be fixed to the plate by the lips on the bottom surface of the plate. At least one aspect is directed to a method. The method can include obtaining a section of material from a piece of material used to form a headliner of a vehicle. The method can include forming a first portion of material and a second portion of material from the section of material. The method can include stacking the first portion of material with the second portion of material. The method can include coupling a component with the first portion of material and the second portion of material to form a visor of the vehicle, the component covering an outer edge of the first portion of material and an outer edge of the second portion of material. At least one aspect is directed to a visor. The visor can include a first portion of material including a first outer edge wherein the material is compressed. The visor can include a second portion of material including a second outer edge wherein the material is compressed. The first portion of material is stacked on the second portion of material to align the first outer edge with the second outer edge. At least one aspect is directed to a method. The method can include obtaining a section of material from a piece of material used to form a headliner of a vehicle. The method can include forming a first portion of material and a second portion of material from the section of material. The method can include stacking the first portion of material with the second portion of material. The method an include coupling a component with the first portion of material and the second portion of material to form a visor of the vehicle, the component covering an outer edge of the first portion of material and an outer edge of the second portion of material. The method can include installing the visor and the headliner in the vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. In the drawings: FIG. 1 is an example visor including a first piece of material and a second piece of material. FIG. 2 is an example visor including a plate that couples a first piece of material and a second piece of material. FIG. 3 is example pieces of material for constructing a visor. FIG. 4 is an example component that couples a first piece of material and a second piece of material to form a visor. FIG. 5 is an example component including a plate that couples a first piece of material and a second piece of material to form a visor. FIG. 6 is an example headliner material of a vehicle including multiple layers. FIG. 7 is an ex