Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Jac Products, Inc.

David James Spolyar

Jeffrey Scott Mayville

Patrick Reed

James Brian Slemons

Rong Yao

Gerard J Kmita

Donald L Munoz

Conde M Gonzalez

Brett J Borella

Brian E Henderson

Claude K Trambley

Dan Svenningsson

Mounting strategies for locating and securing roof hinge covers to vehicle roofs. An exemplary roof hinge cover may be mounted relative to a roof component (e.g., roof panel, body side panel, bracket, etc.). A locator may be received through the roof hinge cover and into a locating hole of the roof component. One or more clips that are connected to the roof hinge cover may be received within locating openings of a bracket. The bracket supports at least a portion of the roof hinge cover.

Roof hinge cover attachment strategies

A vehicle includes a roof panel, hinge bracket, cover, and retaining clip. The roof panel defines a recess. The hinge bracket is secured to the roof panel within the recess. The cover is disposed in the recess. The cover has a doghouse that extends downward toward the bracket. The retaining clip has a head that is disposed within the doghouse, a stem that extends downward from the head beyond the doghouse, and a biasing element that forces an opposing surface of the stem into contact with an edge of the bracket.

Vehicle body system

An adjustable tower stud assembly is disclosed for securing an object, such as a roof rack, to an external panel such as the roof of a vehicle. The object requires more support than can be provided by the external panel and it is also connected to a sub-surface support. Upper and lower collared studs are connected by a threaded connection that allows the length of the tower stud assembly to be adjusted. Stops on a lower collar ground the tower stud assembly to the sub-surface support after the tower stud assembly is adjusted to the proper length.

Method of attaching an object to a panel with an adjustable tower stud assembly

Adjustable tower stud assembly

A bicycle carrier adapted to be secured to an article carrier portion of an existing vehicle article carrier so as to carry the bicycle supported thereon in a vertical orientation over a liftgate of a vehicle, and normal to an outer surface of the liftgate. The bicycle carrier includes a wheel supporting member for engaging one wheel of a bicycle when the bicycle is placed in a vertical orientation. A frame supporting assembly engages a portion of the frame to hold the bicycle to the bicycle carrier. The bicycle carrier permits a single individual to load and unload a bicycle from the bicycle carrier without being required to lift the bicycle up onto the roof of a vehicle. Since the bicycle is supported at an angle generally normal to the liftgate, visibility through the rear window of the liftgate is also improved when a bicycle is being supported on the bicycle carrier.

Bicycle carrier adapted to be used on a vertically orientated vehicle article carrier

Growing community of inventors

Lake Orion, MI, United States of America

David James Spolyar