Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

David E Compeau

Lloyd W Rogers

Suresh Deepchand Shah

William L Priest

Mark Manuel

Jayprakash Uttamchand Raisoni

Mark D Nicholas

David Gerard Hlavaty

Gary D Bree

Robert J Myslicki

Walter C Chapman

Ronald J Pyszel

Shane Childs

A mounting panel is provided for mounting a window and a window regulator in a vehicle door. The mounting panel is comprised of a one-piece plastic molded member having a central planar mounting member adapted to mount the window regulator, and a plurality of spaced apart spokes molded integrally with the center drill plate and radiating generally forward and rearward therefrom to mount the guide channel receiving the edges of the window. The window guide channels are preferably integrally molded with the radiating spokes. The spokes are hollow tubular members of generally circular cross-section. The molded plastic mounting panel also has a plurality of integrally molded arm rest supports which project laterally therefrom and are adapted to support an arm rest structure of the vehicle door. The plurality of apertured mounting brackets are molded integral with the spokes for receiving fasteners by which the mounting panel is mounted on the vehicle door. The plurality of snap fasteners are integrally molded with the mounting panel for snap together fastening of such door operating hardware as the window regulator, the window regulator motor, door handle, and the door latch control rods.

Tubular plastic mounting panel for door hardware

A gas injector having a retractable nozzle with linear gas feed passage therethrough for a gas assist plastics injection molding machine. The injector interfaces with the injection molding tool and has a nozzle with a tip that, in a forward position, protrudes through a port therein leading into the tool cavity or a runner system leading into the cavity for gas injection during molding. The nozzle tip is connected by a nozzle body to a base that is operatively mounted in an actuator housing. The base is connected to an in-line gas routing extension of the nozzle that projects through the outer cover of the housing. The extension is coaxial with an internal spring that seats on the base and holds the nozzle tip in a gas injection position resisting the force of plastics injection pressure. The base connected nozzle is retracted by combined flux fields of an electromagnet and a permanent magnet mounted within the housing while compressively loading the spring enhancing gas release from the cavity tool separation and subsequent ejection of molded part. The electromagnet is then deenergized since the permanent magnet has a sufficient magnetic force field to, hold the base and the attached nozzle in the retracted position. For return to the gas injection position, the electromagnet is again energized but with the current supplied thereto reversed so flux field of the electromagnet is reversed to negate flux field of the permanent magnet allowing the spring to return the nozzle to the forward position.

Gas injector with retractable nozzle for assist of plastics injection

A method and apparatus of selectively applying a holding force to a vehicle door hinge, comprises the steps of (i) determining when a vehicle door is open and, when the vehicle door is open, thereafter (ii) sensing door movement to determine if the door has remained substantially stationary in an open position for a predetermined time period, (iii) if the door has remained stationary in an open position for a predetermined time period, activating a braking mechanism to provide a holding force for the door, (iv) if the braking mechanism is activated, determining if the door has moved a predetermined distance since activating the braking mechanism, (v) if the door has moved a predetermined distance since activating the braking mechanism, deactivating the braking mechanism, (vi) sensing whether the door is closed, and (vii) if the door is closed, deactivating the braking mechanism.

Door hinge with infinitely adjustable detent

A sliding door in a van is mounted on tracks for sliding movement between open and closed positions. At the closed position a weather strip is compressed and a door latch is latched. A cable is attached to the door and routed through the vehicle body via pulleys so that pulling the first cable end opens the door and pulling the second cable end closes the door. A motorized drive mechanism includes first and second reels mounted concentrically and having the cable ends wrapped respectively about the reels in opposite directions. A motor drives in one direction rotating the first reel to open the door and is reversible to rotate the second reel to close the door. Each of the reels has a large diameter portion for winding the cable to provide relatively high speed and low force door movement over the greatest portion of travel and a small diameter portion for winding the cable to provide relatively low speed and high force movement of the door during the lesser portion of travel of the door closest to the closed position. The reels have cable set grooves to receive the cable and a spiral ramp groove to connect the large and small diameter portions. A tension retaining spring acts between the two reels to always maintain the cable under tension.

Power sliding door closer

A sliding door in a van is mounted on tracks for sliding movement between open and closed positions. At the closed position a weather strip is compressed and a door latch is latched. A cable is attached to the door and routed through the vehicle body via pulleys so that pulling the first cable end opens the door and pulling the second cable end closes the door. A motorized drive mechanism includes first and second reels mounted concentrically and having the cable ends wrapped respectively about the reels in opposite directions. A motor drives in one direction rotating the first reel to open the door and is reversible to rotate the second reel to close the door. Each of the reels has a large diameter portion for winding the cable to provide relatively high speed and low force door movement over the greatest portion of travel and a small diameter portion for winding the cable to provide relatively low speed and high force movement of the door during the lesser portion of travel of the door closest to the closed position. The reels have cable seat grooves to receive the cable and a spiral ramp groove to connect the large and small diameter portions. A tension retaining spring acts between the two reels to always maintain the cable under tension.

A deck lid release actuator in which a uni-directional motor is mounted on a housing and rotatably drives a screw having high lead threads. The screw is rotatably journaled in a housing and a saddle nut threadedly engages the high lead threads of the screw so that rotation of the screw drives the saddle nut along the screw. An actuator member operably engages the detent lever of the deck lid latch and is mounted on the housing by a slide track extending parallel with the screw. When energization of the motor turns the screw, the saddle nut abuts against the actuator member to move the actuator member along the slide track and unlatch the deck lid latch. A spring acts on the actuator member to return the actuator member along the slide track thereby pushing the saddle nut axially along the screw as permitted by rotary back-drive of the screw and motor by the effort of the spring. The slide track mounting of the actuator member on the housing independently of the saddle nut serves to restrain the actuator member against rotation so that torque applied on the actuator member by the latch is isolated from the saddle nut and screw.

Deck lid release actuator

An actuating means for a vehicle body closure latch includes a driver or passenger controlled electric motor driving a reciprocable rack through a gear train. The rack is resiliently biased to a neutral position and shifts an actuator from neutral to an operating position when the rack is moved from the neutral position to a driving position. The actuator is engageable with a latch operator to control movement of the latch bolt to unlatched position when the actuator moves to an operating position. When the actuator reaches the operating position, the actuator is positively stopped to stall the motor or power operator. When the power is removed from the stalled motor or power operator by the driver or passenger releasing a switch, the bias of the resilient centering means returns the rack to its initial neutral or starting position and back drives the motor through the gear train.

Closure latch

Mechanism for pulling an opened compartment panel closed and engaging a latch with a striker includes a slide member mounted on the body for horizontal reciprocating movement and having a cam slot which receives a cam follower carried by the striker so that horizontal reciprocating movement of the slide member vertically reciprocates the striker. The cam slot includes an inclined cam surface effective to provide the vertical reciprocation of the striker. The cam slot also includes a horizontal dwell surface at the end of the inclined surface to define the retracted position of the striker in which the compartment panel is closed so that the load imposed on the compartment lid in the direction to pry open the compartment panel is prevented from urging the slide member in a direction which would permit the striker to extend. A second horizontal dwell surface at the other end of the inclined surface defines the extended position of the striker so that a slamming movement of the compartment panel toward the closed position latching the latch with the striker is prevented from urging movement of the slide member in a direction to permit retraction of the striker. Thus, the pull down mechanism is constructed so that a vertical load imposed on the striker when the compartment panel is slammed or when the compartment panel is pried open is not exerted on the motorized drive unit.

Compartment panel pull down mechanism

A venting arrangement for an automotive vehicle is provided in which its rear closure is automatically raised to a slightly open position in response to opening a door of the vehicle so that upon closing the door, entrapped air in the vehicle can escape through the rear to reduce door closing effort. The arrangement includes a latch and pull down mechanism for the rear closure of the vehicle to move the same between a partially open and a closed position and a control means including door jamb switches for energizing the pull down unit to raise the rear closure to its partially open position in response to opening movement of the door and to return the same to its fully closed position in response to closing of the door.

Vehicle venting arrangement responsive to side door opening and closing

A releasable connection device for connecting a motor driven drive cable to a closure includes a pin attached to the closure and having a head supported by a necked down stem. A cylindrical housing member has an opening in a lateral wall thereof which receives the pin. A slide member is attached to the drive cable and is reciprocably carried by the housing member. The slide member has an open ended slot smaller than the head of the pin and receiving the necked down stem. A spring acts between the housing member and the slide member to urge the members to relative positions in which the head of the pin is captured to effect a connection between the drive cable and the closure. The spring yields upon imposition of force to permit energy absorbing limited relative movement between the members and yields further to permit withdrawal of the open ended slot of the slide member beyond the head of the pin so that the pin is released from the housing member. A cam surface acts between the housing member and the head of the pin to eject the head laterally through the opening of the housing member so that the drive cable is effectively disconnected from the closure.

Releasable connector for closure operating mechanism

A control for a motorized deck lid pull down mechanism which does not require the use of mechanically activated limit switches for detecting deck lid positions or the presence of closing or sealing obstructions. Detection of specified pull down conditions as well as the presence of deck lid obstructions is achieved by monitoring the magnitude of motor current in relation to various predefined motor current thresholds. Engagement of the deck lid with obstructions during the pull down sequence will cause the motor current to exceed the closing and sealing thresholds, terminating or reversing the respective function.

Control apparatus for a compartment panel pull down mechanism

Each vehicle door in which a retractor is mounted includes a jamb switch mounted in the door jamb for sensing actual opening of the door, and a lock switch mounted in the door lock assembly for sensing actuation of the interior or exterior door handles. When door opening or closure is indicated, locking of the retractors is inhibited for a predetermined interval. Logical agreement between the lock and jamb switches is required to maintain the inhibit beyond the predetermined interval while the door is open. If agreement is not achieved within the interval, a switch failure is presumed, and the inhibit is removed to permit normal locking of the retractors. If such agreement is achieved, the inhibit is maintained until closure of the door, and thereafter for another predetermined interval. If the switches fail to remain in agreement after closure of the door, further operation of the inhibit on subsequent opening of the door is disabled.

Inhibit control of a belted vehicular passive restraint system having

A vehicle body compartment is selectively closed by a spring loaded closure panel movable between an open position and a closed position. A latch assembly is mounted on the panel and has a latch bolt spring biased to an unlatched position and normally maintained in the latched position by a key releasable detent lever. A pull down mechanism includes a housing mounted on a vehicle body and a striker mounted thereon by a motorized vertically reciprocating drive unit for moving the striker between extended position and a retracted position. When the panel is moved toward the closed position, the latch bolt engaes with the extended striker to interconnect the panel with the striker. The drive unit is energized and retracts the striker, thereby pulling the panel to its fully closed position. A cam acts between the detent lever of the latch assembly and the housing of the pull down mechanism. The cam acts upon motorized movement of the striker from its retracted position toward its extended position to cam the detent lever to the position releasing the latch bolt independently of key operated release thereof whereby the latch bolt is spring biased to the unlatched position thereby disconnecting the panel from the striker and freeing the panel for spring loaded movement to the open position.

Growing community of inventors

Oxford, MI, United States of America

David E Compeau