Lear Corporation

International Automotive Components Group North America, Inc.

Alan Sturt

Marcel C Ban

James A Mulvihill

Iris Drew

James M Hutek

George Bernard Byma

Andrew J Massara

Jason Gamache

Donald A Lux

Lisa Tucci

Harald Satura

John Marstan Tiesler

Matthew R Mowers

Michael Berta

Artur W Dlugosz

Tracy Lee Simpson

Robert L Hecht

William F Best, Jr

Andrew Marc Stein

Henry Hsu

Christopher Jones

Nicholas Alfano

A console assembly configured for use in a passenger seating area of a vehicle. The console assembly includes a lower console module having a housing extending generally horizontally adjacent a floor of the passenger seating area and an upper console module having a housing disposed adjacent and operatively connected to the lower console module. One or more panels are pivotally connected to the upper console module adjustable between at least a stored position disposed adjacent the upper console module housing and a deployed position wherein the one or more panels form a presentation surface for use in the passenger seating area of the vehicle.

Console assembly for a vehicle

A console assembly for use in a passenger seating area of a vehicle includes a console housing having a storage area defined therein. An armrest is pivotally connected to the console housing and is movable between a first position extending at least partially over a top surface of the console housing and at least one second position. The armrest includes a closeout section, a receiving portion operatively connected to the closeout section and a console lid slidably connected to the receiving portion. A console accessory tray is adjustably positioned adjacent the console housing between a stored position and a deployed position extending rearward of the console housing. The console accessory tray includes a display surface accessible to occupants in a rear portion of the passenger seating area.

A storage console configured to slide within a track. The storage console suitable for use in any number of environments, such as but not limited to automotive vehicles. The track being suitable to permit movement of the console from one end to the other, such as but not limited to facilitate movement of the console between multiple rows of vehicle seats.

Slidable floor console

A console assembly for use in a passenger seating area of a vehicle includes a base securable to a floor of the passenger seating area and a support structure mounted to the vehicle floor cooperating with the base. One or more storage modules are disposed adjacent to the base and include or define a storage area to provide additional storage in the passenger seating area. One or more trays are pivotally connected to base adjacent the one or more storage modules and are movable between a first position extending generally parallel to the vehicle floor and at least one second position extending generally perpendicular to the floor.

A foldable vehicle seat assembly includes a seat back frame having a lower end adapted to be supported relative to a vehicle floor to permit movement of the seat back frame between an upper, deployed position and a lowered, stowed position. A seat cross member is adapted to be supported relative to the vehicle floor in a spaced relation to the seat back frame. A seat suspension member, constructed of a flexible material, has a rear portion connected to the seat back frame and a front portion connected to the cross member. When the seat back frame is moved between the deployed position and the stowed position, the cross member and the suspension member are also moved between a deployed position and a stowed position.

Foldable vehicle seat

In at least one embodiment, the present invention relates to a modular vehicle interior component system which comprises a base having a channel defined at least in part by a latching lip, a vehicle interior component, and a release latch mechanism for slidably and releasably securing the component to the base.

Modular vehicle interior component system and release latch mechanism for use with the system

A vehicle storage compartment/cupholder assembly having a molded base into which is mounted a pair of flexible invertible dividers that allow for the secure retention of various sized beverage containers. The flexible invertible dividers may be mounted and tensioned by an internal or external flexible divider spring. The molded base may have a liner mounted therein which may be a liquid barrier, a tensioning device in place of a traditional spring, or both.

Invertible storage compartment divider

A sliding load floor system for use in the rear cargo area of a vehicle. The cargo area has a pair of opposing side portions that extend longitudinally in relation to the center line of the vehicle. A pair of opposing transverse portions extend laterally in relation to the vehicle. A storage area is positioned between and at a level below a plane including the side and transverse portions. The sliding load floor system comprises a slide mechanism including a pair of opposing rail members having a forward edge, a frame that is slidably received by the rail members of the slide mechanism, a removable load floor that is detachably positioned in relation to the frame; and a two-axis hinge assembly that is mounted to the side portions. The forward edges of the rail members are connected to the hinge assembly so that the frame and the removable load floor may be displaced in relation to the hinge assembly, and the frame plus the load floor may be slid rearwardly and/or arcuately about the hinge assembly.

Sliding load floor system with two-axis pivoting hinge

A sliding load floor system for use in the rear cargo area of a vehicle. The cargo area has a pair of opposing side portions that extend longitudinally in relation to the center line of the vehicle. A pair of opposing transverse portions extend laterally in relation to the vehicle. A storage area is positioned between and at a level below a plane including the side and transverse portions. The sliding load floor system comprises a slide mechanism including a pair of opposing rail members having a forward edge, and a removable load floor that is detachably positioned in relation to the slide mechanism; and a hinge assembly that is mounted to the side portions. The forward edges of the rail members are connected to the hinge assembly so that the slide mechanism, and the removable load floor may be moved arcuately in relation to the hinge assembly, and the load floor slid rearwardly. Also included is a levitation mechanism for raising a rear edge of the sliding load floor so that the load floor may be extended rearwardly outside the vehicle across a raised sill in the cargo area.

Sliding load floor system with levitation mechanism

A vehicle storage compartment system for a central console includes a lid and at least one hinge mechanism rotatable coupled to the lid and moveably coupled to the storage compartment. Each of the set of hinge blades define limit stop openings and receive limit stoppers therethrough, thereby limiting vertical movement of the set of hinge blades. The system also includes a set of tracks, and each of the tracks receives one of the set of hinge blades, such that the set of hinge blades move upwardly and downwardly as a function of opening and closing the lid. This movement allows the lid to flip open 180&#xb0; and lie flushly against an adjacent object.

Rising hinge system for compartment lid

An automotive console includes a console body adapted to be installed in the passenger compartment of a vehicle and includes a storage compartment having an opening for storing one or more items. The console further includes a console lid having a first lid portion pivotally coupled with the console body and movable relative thereto between an open and closed position. The console lid further includes a second lid portion pivotally coupled with the first lid portion and movable relative to the first lid portion between a first position and a second position. The second lid portion includes at least one convenience feature adapted for use by a second row occupant when the first lid portion is in the open position and the second lid portion is in the second position.

Automotive console having a double hinged lid

A configurable overhead console includes a support beam concealed above a headliner with a plurality of apertures adapted to receive one or more removable modules positioned below the headliner and sufficiently spaced to inhibit folding or creasing of the headliner during handling. The support beam may include attachment apertures and one or more associated positioning or orientation apertures to orient and secure a removable module to the support beam via a twist-lock latching device. Electrical contact strips may be provided along one or more of the channels of the support beam to provide power to modules via corresponding contact pins that extend through the attachment aperture and/or alignment or positioning apertures.

Configurable overhead console

An interior trim component for a vehicle includes a main body having an exterior surface for facing the interior of the vehicle. The body defines an internal cavity formed therein and an opening in the exterior surface. The cavity and the opening are in communication with each other. A source of light is mounted in the cavity such that the source of light is hidden from direct normal viewing within the interior of the vehicle.

Trim component with mounted light source for indirectly lighting the interior of a vehicle

A message board system () for a vehicle () may include a message board () that is configured to be coupled to a vehicle structure (). The message board () has a first layer () and a second layer (). The second layer () resides adjacent the first layer () and is configured such that a portion of the first layer () adheres to the second layer () to form an image in response to applied pressure on that portion. The message board system () may, as an alternative, include a message board housing () also configured to couple a vehicle structure (). The housing () includes multiple cells, each of which having a suspension liquid () and magnetic particles (). The particles () are pulled through the suspension liquid () in response to an applied magnetic field to form an image.

Erasable message board for a vehicle

An object holder assembly for a vehicle trim component has a vehicle trim body having an opening formed therein. A panel is movably mounted relative to the opening for movement between a retracted position and an extended position in the opening. The panel has a slot formed therein with the slot and the body being configured for receiving and supporting an object therein. The vehicle trim body defines a recess for receiving an object therein, and further can include a plurality of panels, each of the panels being slidably positioned within the recess for movement between the extended and retracted positions. Each of the panels also has a slot formed through a surface of the panel and each lower slot is successively smaller than each successively upper slot. The slots can have differently shaped slots formed therein and the plurality of panels can be stacked in a generally vertical manner.

Growing community of inventors

West Bloomfield, MI, United States of America

Alan Sturt