Prince Corporation

Johnson Controls Technology Company

Bright Automotive, Inc.

Echo Automotive, Inc.

Busch, David B.

David B Busch

James Theodore Hotary

Michael E Wiedeman

Rollin E Nothwehr

Robert C Fitzpatrick

Chester R Wisniewski

John E Waters

Robert B Scraver

Mark Lewis Zeinstra

Rick A Anderson

Eric Sean Deuel

Richard J Chutorash

David John McCarthy

Herbert Gruber

Rodger William Eich

William J Fluharty

Neil J Bush

Emery Jay Zadina

Jonathan Peter Cansfield

Scott S Bainbridge

Nick G Xiromeritis

Nathan W Young

Philip C George

James P Robillard

Mark P Kadzban

Peter C Laux

Hadrian A Rori

Timothy D Bindon

Dale Frye

John Clarke

Nathan Wills

Michael Churchill

Martin Goldman

Roland Knoepke

Michael Henderson

Peter LaDuke

William Blair

Hadrian Rori

David Lauzun

Sean Conway

Lyle Shuey

Robert B Bieri

Daniel A Friedman

John L Showalter, Ii

Robert Hamelink

The present vehicle vision system enhances visibility internally and externally with respect to the vehicle. A vision system is provided which is configured to switch between a plurality of modes. The system further includes a far-field effect which alters the focal length of the display in the vision system so as to reduce driver eye strain during operation. The vision system may be incorporated into various locations throughout the vehicle (e.g., the vehicle overhead console).

Vehicle vision system

A cargo van includes an integral structural bulkhead to separate a passenger compartment from a cargo area. The cargo van is designed such that the bulkhead wall contributes to the structural rigidity of the vehicle for purposes of meeting National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) requirements. That is, without the bulkhead, the cargo van would not meet NHTSA requirements. By designing the vehicle in this way, the overall vehicle weight is reduced as compared to vehicles in which bulkheads are optional add-ons.

Integral structural bulkhead for cargo vans

An automotive seat has a seat back and a seat bottom that are movable between a seating configuration and a work desk configuration. When moving from the seating configuration to the work desk configuration, the seat bottom pivots forwardly into a generally vertical orientation and the seat back pivots downwardly into a generally horizontal orientation. The seat bottom supports an end of the seat back when the seat bottom and the seat back are in the work desk configuration. The back surface of the seat back faces upwardly to provide a work surface when the seat bottom and the seat back are in the work desk configuration. Sufficient space is provided beneath the seat back when in the work desk configuration to accommodate a person's legs underneath the seat back.

Automotive seat reconfigurable to work desk

A user interface for receiving inputs from a user includes a touch sensitive surface having a plurality of regions where each region corresponds to a switch having a function. The user interface also includes an interface disposed on the touch sensitive surface over at least one of the plurality of regions. The interface comprises a material that is at least partially transparent and that is configured to provide tactile feedback to the user. The touch sensitive surface may emit light that is visible through the interface. The interface may further include a plurality of buttons disposed over the plurality of regions wherein the light is selectively provided to each of the plurality of buttons. The touch sensitive surface may include a display that is configured to provide text and graphics that are visible through the interface. The user interface may be mounted in, for example, a vehicle.

Reconfigurable user interface

Vehicle

A front seat assembly ( ) and a rear seat assembly ( ) for a vehicle, including a front seat bottom ( ) having a front portion and a rear portion, a rear seat bottom ( ) having a forward portion and a rearward portion and being connectable to the vehicle for movement between a use position and a stored position, and a support member ( ) connected to the front seat bottom and connectable to the vehicle. The support member supports the rear portion of the front seat bottom from the vehicle such that the rear seat bottom may be moved from the use position to the stored position with the forward potion of the rear seat bottom located under the front seat bottom.

Space efficient and adaptable vehicle interior

A removable storage tray frame ( ) which is insertable into a storage compartment ( ) in the floor ( ) of a vehicle ( ) is provided. The storage tray frame ( ) has at least one door ( ) which is capable of being rotated from a first horizontal position to a second generally vertical position. The door ( ) is capable of being inserted into a pair of slots ( ) formed in the storage tray frame ( ) to act as a divider of the storage compartment ( ).

Rear cargo storage assembly

An instrument panel assembly having a generally symmetrical upper cowl portion ( ) defining a cutout region ( ) having a center stack assembly ( ) disposed within the cutout region ( ). The central stack assembly ( ) is capable of slidably receiving a number of service modules ( ).

Instrument panel and center stack assembly

A vanity mirror assembly is pivotally mounted within a recess in a visor body and pivots downwardly and rotates from side to side, thereby pivoting on generally mutually orthogonal axes to provide a high degree of adjustability for use of the vanity mirror without requiring movement of the visor. In a preferred embodiment, illumination means are provided to facilitate use of the vanity mirror in low ambient light conditions.

Visor with pivoting vanity mirror assembly

A seat platform extends between the sidewalls of a vehicle and is mounted to rotating members and is offset from their axis of rotation such that the seat, when rotated to a seating position, is positioned above the floor level and, when rotated to a storage position, is positioned in a recess with the opposite side of the seating surface defining the floor of the vehicle. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the seating platform is slidably mounted to a beam such that the seat can be rotated to one or more intermediate vertical positions and locked in such positions with the seat platform defining a divider for a storage area between the seat platform and the rear of the vehicle.

Rotating seat/storage unit

A seating/storage system includes a seat which is rotatably supported on opposite ends between the sidewalls of a vehicle on a pivot axle in spaced relationship above the floor level of the vehicle. The seat pivot axle, in turn, is mounted to a rotating member offset from the pivot axle such that, when rotated to a seating position, the seat is positioned above the floor level and, when rotated to a storage position, the seat is positioned in a recess with the lower side of the seat defining the floor of the vehicle. A releasable latching member extends between the rotatable member and the vehicle seat to selectively lock the seat in use or stored positions. In a preferred embodiment, a releasable latch also extends between a fixed seat frame and the rotatable member to selectively lock the seat back and seat in use or stored positions.

Rotating storage seat

A tire pressure monitor is incorporated in a module mounted within a vehicle visor for ready accessibility and visibility by the vehicle operator. The monitor includes a light display extending on a first side of the visor which faces the vehicle operator when the visor is in a raised stored position against the vehicle headliner. A more detailed display is located on the opposite side of the visor for providing an indication to the vehicle operator as to which tire is low in pressure and the pressure of each of the tires.

Visor parameter monitor and display

A visor mounting system for mounting any one of a variety of different visor bodies of different shapes including a housing with a pivot rod assembly and a torque device which extends within the housing which further includes a blade-like frame which extends into the pocket of a visor body for coupling the mounting system to the visor body. Preferably, the frame is a mirror frame with a mirror and the housing including a cover for the mirror. In a preferred embodiment, the mounting assembly also includes a source of illumination for the mirror.

Universal visor mounting system

An accessory mounting system for mounting an accessory such as an overhead console to a vehicle opening such as a sunroof opening includes a pair of spaced, opposed mounting sockets being adjustable with respect to one another to span and engage opposite lower edges of the vehicle opening. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, one of the sockets is mounted on a rail which is telescopically adjustable with respect to the other socket and an incrementally adjustable locking mechanism allows the sockets to be finally locked into compression for removably holding the console in place. The sockets, in a preferred embodiment, include concave sockets with relatively thin upper members to engage the sunroof opening without interfering with its normal operation.

Overhead console for a vehicle with a sunroof

Growing community of inventors

Holland, MI, United States of America

David B Busch