Hi-lex Corporation

Hi-lex Controls, Inc.

Brian J Wild

Shigeki Arimoto

Kevin Richard Koneval

Warren J Anderson

Michael K Kawamoto

A door lock cable and trim panel assembly for a motor vehicle includes a door lock cable and a trim panel assembly. The door lock cable includes a sheath assembly having a sheath tube and a cable core, a casing cap attached to an upper end of the sheath tube and an end insert element affixed to the cable core. The end insert element is inserted into an inside blind bore of a lock knob. In addition, the trim panel assembly includes a knob hole and a trim-interface slot transversely protruded from an inner surface of the trim panel assembly. The trim-interface slot has an upper and lower portion being engaged with the casing cap of the door lock cable.

Door lock cable and trim panel assembly for a vehicle and method thereof

A rattle mitigation assembly for a window regulator installed in a vehicle door includes drive unit housing having a port with a mouth of a cylindrical cavity adapted to receive a connector of a sheathed cable; a profiled end face extending around the mouth; and a slot extending radially outward from the cylindrical cavity, along the cylindrical cavity and through the end face. The end face forms a radially sloped ramp profile configured to exert a radial bias on a compression spring surrounding the connector and abutting the end face. An optimal slope angle of the ramp for urging the spring in the radial direction lies in the range of 45&#xb0; through 80&#xb0; with respect to a plane extending radially relative to the cylindrical cavity. An optional wedge profile with an increasing elevation along a direction away from the radially sloped ramp profile may be arranged opposite the ramp profile to exert an axial bias on the compression spring.

Integrated window regulator assembly

A window regulator for raising and lowering a window glass in a motor vehicle. The regulator includes at least one rail defining at least one track, at least one glass carrier for receiving the window glass and mounted for movement along the at least one track, at least one cable where the at least one cable is attached to the at least one glass carrier generally parallel to the at least one track, and a drive unit for operably engaging the at least one cable to move the at least one glass carrier along the at least one track. The cable attachment includes at least one aperture of the glass carrier for receiving an end of the at least one cable and at least one elongated aperture of the glass carrier for receiving a length of the at least one cable generally parallel to the at least one track. The glass carrier additionally includes a cushioned support member for supporting the lower edge of the window glass. The cushioned support member includes a horizontally extending member, which includes a retaining member, and a cushion received by the horizontally extending member and secured by the retaining member. The cushion is formed from a polypropylene material, which is a different material than the horizontally extending member.

Window regulator with improved carrier

A motor vehicle door module assembly including a door module plate assembly mounting a bell crank having a first arm portion positioned to be engaged by an outside door handle and a second arm portion connected to a link arranged to trip the door latch. The door module assembly is integrally formed with a socket pivotally receiving the bell crank. The bell crank includes a pivot shaft portion sized to be journaled in the socket. The pivot shaft portion is configured to be inserted into the socket in a first angular position and, following insertion, the bell crank is rotated to rotate the pivot shaft portion in the socket to a second, operative angular position where the link may extend between the bell crank second arm portion and the latch and inadvertent withdrawal of the pivot shaft portion is precluded. The pivot shaft configuration allowing insertion into the socket comprises opposite flats on the shaft portion defining reduced diameter shaft portion sections and the modular plate assembly defines slots providing access to the socket and sized to pass the reduced diameter shaft portion sections to allow positioning of the pivot shaft portion in the socket.

Door module assembly with integrated actuator holder

A grommet assembly for sealingly mounting elongated elements in an aperture in a panel such as the dash panel of a motor vehicle. The grommet assembly includes inner and outer grommet members which are relatively telescopically arranged. The outer grommet member has a rearwardly opening cup shaped configuration, is formed of a resilient material, and includes a tapered forward portion sized to fit in the panel aperture. The inner grommet member has a forwardly opening cup shaped configuration, is formed of a rigid material, and includes an annular wall telescopically received within the annular wall of the outer grommet member and engaging a front wall of the outer grommet member at a location forwardly of the annular groove. The tapered forward portion is initially positioned in the panel aperture in frictional engagement with the aperture whereafter a pushing force is applied on the rear end of the inner grommet member to pull the forward end of the outer grommet member through the panel aperture and seat the circumferential groove in the panel aperture. An opening in the inner grommet member communicates with an opening in the front wall of the outer grommet member to allow the elongated element to pass sequentially through the openings in the inner and outer grommet members. The grommet assembly is especially suitable for use where the panel aperture is difficult to access such as where a thick layer of insulation is positioned in surrounding relation to the panel aperture for sound deadening purposes.

Grommet assembly

An end fitting for a cable assembly of the type including a conduit and a core wire slidably mounted within the conduit. The end fitting includes a housing defining a slot for snapping receipt of a mounting pin on a member to be controlled, an elongated tubular guide member receiving the free end of the core wire and slidably mounted on the housing, a spring interposed between the housing and the guide member, and a locking clip mounted on the housing for movement between a disengaged position in which serrations on the clip are spaced from serrations on the guide member and an engaged position in which the clip serrations are engaged with the guide member serrations to preclude axial movement of the guide member relative to the housing. The end fitting is readily assembled by positioning the spring over the guide member and passing the guide member slidably through a housing passage to compress the spring between an outboard face of the housing and a head portion of the guide member and to snappingly position a head portion on the other end of the guide member proximate another outboard face of the housing to preclude axial separation of the guide member from the housing. The locking clip includes outboard finger portions which coact with vertically spaced detents on the outboard faces of side walls of the housing to define the disengaged and engaged position of the locking clip relative to the guide member.

Cable end fitting with simplified assembly

An end fitting for attaching the conduit portion of a linear actuation cable to a fixed structure is provided with a lock condition indicator. If the end fitting is properly installed in locking engagement with the mating structure, the lock condition indicator can be latched down to lie close to the main body of the end fitting. If the end fitting is not properly installed, the lock condition indicator cannot be latched down, but instead stands out away from the main body to give a clearly visible indication of improper installation.

Growing community of inventors

Royal Oak, MI, United States of America

Brian J Wild