Vehicle automatic window sunscreens

Abstract

Vehicle automatic window sunscreens are provided, which may comprise a plurality of roller shades for the windows of a vehicle. Sunscreens are installed for the side windows of the vehicle in addition to the windshield and rear window. The sunscreens block or filter radiant energy to reduce the effects of sunlight and heat on occupants and interior components of, and personal property in, the vehicle. The sunscreens protect infants and children if they are forgotten and left in the vehicle during sunny, hot days.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vehicle automatic window sunscreen system for windows of a vehicle, comprising:
 a plurality of roller shades determined by how many side windows the vehicle has;   a like plurality of rollers to which the roller shades are respectively attached;   a like plurality of electric motors respectively connected to the rollers, wherein the motors are connected to a vehicle battery by electrical wires via 1) an adjustable thermostat set to a predetermined temperature and 2) a switch in series with the thermostat indicating that the vehicle is parked;   wherein the roller shades are automatically actuated when the switch indicating that the vehicle is parked is actuated and the predetermined temperature is exceeded to connect the electric motors to the vehicle battery to actuate the rollers to extend the roller shades to cover the side windows of the vehicle;   a rear window sunscreen comprising one of:   a) a transparent infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) blocking film applied to the rear window;   b) clear polyester, polycarbonate, or vinyl plastic with organic photochromic molecules embedded into a surface of the plastic in uniform thickness of up to 150 μm or embedded with molecules of silver chloride or other microcrystalline silver halides to achieve a reversible darkening effect when exposed to UVA applied to the rear window; and   c) one of a) and b) laminated between layers of glass to provide safety glass for the rear window; and   a driver side sun visor;   a clip to attach the driver sun visor above a windshield of the vehicle;   an arm attached to the driver sun visor;   a motor drive mechanism mounted to the vehicle and connected to the arm;   at least one of i) a manual control which can be actuated by the driver to adjust a position of the driver sun visor, ii) a GPS-powered digital compass control to adjust the position of the driver sun visor automatically based on the geographical position of the vehicle with respect to the position of the sun, and iii) a sun sensor and tracker control to adjust the position of the driver sun visor automatically with respect to the detected position of the sun;   wherein the at least one control is connected between the motor drive mechanism and the vehicle battery to activate the first motor drive mechanism to pivot the driver sun visor downward way from the clip toward the windshield and pivot the driver sun visor downward and upward and swing the driver sun visor to a driver side window and back toward the windshield via the arm attached to the driver sun visor and connected to the motor drive mechanism to adjust the position of the driver sun visor to block the sun.   
     
     
         2 . A vehicle automatic window sunscreen system for windows of a vehicle, comprising:
 a plurality of roller shades determined by how many windows the vehicle has;   a like plurality of rollers to which the roller shades are respectively attached;   a like plurality of electric motors respectively connected to the rollers, wherein the motors are connected to a vehicle battery by electrical wires via a) an adjustable thermostat set to a predetermined temperature and b) a switch in series with the thermostat indicating that the vehicle is parked;   wherein the roller shades are automatically actuated when the switch indicating that the vehicle is parked is actuated and the predetermined temperature is exceeded to connect the electric motors to the vehicle battery to actuate the rollers to extend the roller shades to cover the windows of the vehicle.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising an on/off switch in series with the thermostat and switch in series with the thermostat indicating that the vehicle is parked, wherein when the vehicle is not being driven, the driver of the vehicle may actuate the on/oft switch to the off position to override automatic operation of the roller shades and the driver may subsequently actuate the on/off switch to the on position to reactivate automatic operation of the roller shades. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising switches/buttons for a driver of the vehicle to lower and raise one of more of the roller shades in the vehicle having a designated window number, and further comprising switches on rear doors having windows which can be actuated by passengers to lower and raise the rear door window roller shades. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising a like plurality of housings wherein the respective roller shades, rollers, and motors are mounted in respective housings having elongated openings through which the respective roller shades are extended and retracted. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the respective roller shades, rollers, and motors for door windows are installed inside door panels of the vehicle, and further comprising respective rigid frames to which the motors are attached and channels which guide the respective roller shades to move up and down with the roller shades interior of the door windows. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein one of the vehicle windows is a windshield and the roller shade for the windshield further comprises bristles constructed from the same material as the roller shade with an aperture at the top of the bristles to accommodate a rear view mirror mount attached to the windshield, and further comprising rails at the right and left edges of the windshield to guide the windshield roller shade when lowered and raised and wherein another of the windows is a rear window and further comprising rails at the right and left edges of the rear window to guide the rear window roller shade when lowered and raised. 
     
     
         8 . They system of  claim 2  wherein the roller shades are constructed with polyester or other ultraviolet (UV) resistant material and are white or other opaque color. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the surfaces of the roller shades are adapted to be embellished with advertising or decorated with art work. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the roller shades are constructed with transparent infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) blocking film laminated to an ultraviolet (UV) resistant substrate for added structural integrity. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising an auxiliary air conditioning system connected via the thermostat to the vehicle battery and activated when the temperature inside the vehicle exceeds the predetermined thermostat setting. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the housings are mounted in an arched space below the ceiling and above the windows of the vehicle and have an exterior finish to match the color of the interior of the vehicle. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 5 , further comprising a like plurality of slit covers attached to bottom portion of respective roller shades, wherein the slit covers have a weight to pull the roller shades down by gravitational force and wherein the color of the slit covers matches the interior color of the vehicle. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising guides having opposed channels attached to inside door pillars of vehicle doors having windows to guide door window roller shades so that the door window roller shades are positioned precisely with respect to the door windows. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising an exhaust fan having a flap cover that opens when the exhaust fan is activated and closes when the exhaust fan is deactivated, wherein the exhaust fan is installed inside the vehicle and connected via a second thermostat set to a temperature greater than the predetermined temperature to the vehicle battery and activated to blow hot air out through a vent duct when the temperature inside the vehicle exceeds the setting of the second thermostat. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising a solar panel connected to the vehicle battery to charge the vehicle battery. 
     
     
         17 . A vehicle automatic window sunscreen system for windows of a vehicle, comprising at least one of:
 a) a transparent infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) blocking film applied to the vehicle windows;   b) a clear polyester, polycarbonate, or vinyl plastic with organic photochromic molecules embedded into a surface of the plastic in uniform thickness of up to 150 μm to achieve a reversible darkening effect when exposed to UVA to provide photochromic sunscreens;   c) a glass substrate or sandwiched plastic layer embedded with molecules of silver chloride or other microcrystalline silver halides to achieve a reversible darkening effect when exposed to UVA; and   d) one of a), b), c) laminated between layers of glass to construct safety glass used for windows of vehicles.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  wherein the vehicle automatic window sunscreen is a photochromic sunscreen, and further comprising transparent electrical conductors embedded in the glass and connected via respective sensors to a vehicle battery to heat the glass to change from clear to dark or dark to clear automatically to counteract their dark state caused by cold weather, and further comprising an auxiliary air conditioning system activated automatically by a thermostat connected to the vehicle battery to counteract temperature dependency during summer, which causes photochromic sunscreens to retain their clear state caused by high temperature during hot weather, so that the photochromic sunscreens provide reversible darkening. 
     
     
         19 . A vehicle automatic window sunscreen system for a vehicle, comprising:
 a driver side sun visor;   a clip to attach the driver sun visor above a windshield of the vehicle;   an arm attached to the driver sun visor;   a motor drive mechanism mounted to the vehicle and connected to the arm;   at least one of a) a manual control which can be actuated by the driver to adjust a position of the driver sun visor, b) a GPS-powered digital compass control to adjust the position of the driver sun visor automatically based on the geographical position of the vehicle with respect to the position of the sun, and c) a sun sensor and tracker control to adjust the position of the driver sun visor automatically with respect to the detected position of the sun;   wherein the at least one control is connected between the motor drive mechanism and a vehicle battery to activate the first motor drive mechanism to pivot the driver sun visor downward away from the clip toward the windshield and pivot the driver sun visor downward and upward and swing the driver sun visor to a driver side window and back toward the windshield via the arm attached to the driver sun visor and connected to the motor drive mechanism to adjust the position of the driver sun visor to block the sun.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising a platform mounted to the driver side front door pillar inside the vehicle and a rail mounted inside vehicle proximate to the platform, and wherein the motor drive mechanism is attached to the platform and the motor drive mechanism to actuate the arm to rotate and ride on the rail to pivot and swing the arm to adjust the position of the driver side sun visor. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a front passenger side sun visor;   a second clip to attach the front passenger sun visor above the windshield of the vehicle;   a second arm attached to the front passenger sun visor;   a second motor drive mechanism mounted to the vehicle and connected to the second arm;   at least one of a) a second manual control which can be actuated by the front passenger to adjust a position of the front passenger sun visor and b) the GPS-powered digital compass control to adjust the position of the front passenger sun visor automatically based on the geographic position of the vehicle with respect to the position of the sun;   wherein the at least one control is connected between the second motor drive mechanism and the vehicle battery to activate the second motor drive mechanism to pivot the front passenger sun visor downward away from the second clip toward the windshield and pivot the front passenger sun visor downward and upward and swing the front passenger sun visor to a front passenger side window and back toward the windshield via the second arm attached to the front passenger sun visor and connected to the second motor drive mechanism to adjust the position of the front passenger sun visor to block the sun.