Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Brian J Jutila

Ronald J Wojciechowski

Jeffrey A Diegel

Robert E Boniface

David K Rock

Brian D Van Buren

Mark A Fredal

Vanessa Menezes Oliveira

Joel T Bachler

Dennis Sienkiewicz

Srinivasa A Mandadapu

Michael J Clark

A vehicle having a front wall, two side walls, and a truck bed that altogether define a tonneau is provided. The vehicle includes a tailgate that has a front panel, a rear panel, two side panels, and a top panel that altogether define a cavity. The tailgate also has a tonneau cover deployable from and retractable to within the cavity. The tonneau cover is selectively movable between a stowed position, a deployed position, and a partially deployed position. In the stowed position, the tonneau cover is substantially within the cavity. In the deployed position, the tonneau cover substantially covers the tonneau of the vehicle. The partially deployed position is any position between the stowed position.

Tailgate with tonneau cover for a vehicle

A roof rack attachment assembly for a vehicle is provided along with a method of assembling a vehicle having a roof panel capable of receiving a roof rack attachment at a predetermined attachment point is provided. The vehicle may include a roof panel defining a plurality of elongated grooves. The assembly may include a groove applique disposed within and along the length of each of the elongated grooves. The groove applique may be secured within each of the elongated grooves with a plurality of securing components placed along the length of the elongated groove. A plurality of attachment features may be coupled to the groove applique at predetermined locations, defining a predetermined attachment point for a vehicle roof rack. The roof rack assembly allows a roof rack of any style to be added, removed, or replaced at the each of the predetermined attachment points throughout the life of the vehicle.

Reconfigurable roof rack attachment assembly for a vehicle

A tie-down assembly for attachment to and detachment from a structure, such as a vehicle pick-up bed, includes a female fastener configured to collapse during insertion of the tie-down assembly into the structure. The female fastener is also configured to expand following the insertion for retention of the tie-down assembly on the structure. The tie-down assembly also includes a male fastener configured to threadably engage the female fastener. Additionally, the tie-down assembly includes a holder configured to retain and rotatably restrain the female fastener when the male fastener is being threaded into the female fastener and when the male fastener is being threaded out of the female fastener. The holder includes an aperture and the male fastener is configured to be inserted into the aperture. The holder is also configured to guide the female fastener to a fixed position for removal of the tie-down assembly from the structure.

Removable tie-down assembly

A roof rack assembly for a vehicle having a roof is presented here. The roof rack assembly includes a first stanchion for structural attachment to the roof, a second stanchion for structural attachment to the roof, and a bar coupled between, and held above the roof by, the first stanchion and the second stanchion. The bar has a securing feature integrally formed therein, which holds an electric powered light-emitting component. Accordingly, the roof rack assembly employs a roof rack bar having a light-emitting element integrated therein.

Roof rack assembly with integrated lighting

An assembly adapted to be releasably attached to a mounting surface on a body panel of an automotive vehicle for mounting at least one component thereto includes at least one elongated rail member having a base portion that includes a first side adapted to be located adjacent to the mounting surface and an opposed second side. The rail member includes a pair of spaced apart flanges extending outwardly from the second side of the base portion. The base portion includes at least one aperture extending therethrough. The assembly also includes at least one fastening member that is adapted to be retained in the body panel by a retaining feature. The fastening member includes a backing plate portion having at least one flange extending therefrom and an aperture extending therethrough for receiving a fastener for releasably attaching the assembly to the mounting surface.

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Richmond, MI, United States of America

Brian J Jutila