Asc Corporation

Other

C&c Inc.

Distributed Control Systems, Inc.

George W Klein

David P Piontek

Solomon Manber

Alvin Taylor

Robert A Patterson

Richard P Hunt

Chad Himes

Marvin Sudhalter

John M Yera

Charles R Billiu

Eric Exner

A stowable top or cover mounted on an open bed of a truck, such as a pickup truck, using lift frames and actuators in a manner to be raised above the bed. The cover and lift frames include attachment channels for connecting a flexible tent-like enclosure thereto such that the enclosure can be attached thereto after the cover is raised. The flexible enclosure can comprise a camper enclosure that encloses the truck bed and also optionally can extend beyond the truck bed to form additional sitting and sleeping rooms supported on separate portable tent-type posts and platforms. A flexible awning enclosure can be attached to the raised cover and lift frames to form an awning that extends beyond the truck bed supported on separate tent-type posts to provide a covered area for on-site work/commercial/recreational activities. An office enclosure can be attached to the raised cover and lift frames to form an office or meeting room where job-site work/meetings and the like can be conducted protected from the weather.

Stowable truck bed enclosure

A sunroof assembly for an automotive vehicle employs a fixed roof panel, a rear sunroof panel, a front sunroof panel, a rear sunshade, and a front sunshade. Another aspect of the present invention includes adjustable fastening together of the tracks. A modular sunroof assembly is also provided.

Powered dual panel sunroof

A powered venting panel assembly includes a panel pivotable from a closed position to an open venting position, an automatic actuator, a linkage mechanism and a member coupling the automatic actuator to the linkage mechanism. In a further aspect of the present invention, the elongated member is a flexible cable. The window is a venting sunroof window in yet another aspect of the present invention.

Powered venting panel assembly

A powered drive assembly for positioning various slidable components within a vehicle interior. The powered drive assembly includes a motor assembly operably coupled to a flexible flocked drive cable which is supported for rotation within a housing. The flocked drive cable provides a helical surface. Specific coupling members are adapted to engage the helical surface and operably couple the drive cable with the slidable component. For example, in one preferred embodiment a coupling bracket operably couples the flocked drive cable to a slidable window assembly of the type used in the rear opening of a pick-up cab for opening and closing the window. In a second preferred embodiment, the coupling member operably couples the drive cable to a curtain assembly located within the interior of an over-the-road truck cab for opening and closing the curtain. The drive assembly further enables the motor assembly to be remotely located from the housing and coupling brackets, thereby facilitating in packaging of the powered drive assembly within the confines of the vehicle interior.

Powered drive assembly

A composite window assembly for use in an automotive vehicle includes a composite guide plate. The composite guide plate is molded from a polymeric material. The guide plate has a plurality of guide structures. Furthermore, a molded polymeric composite sector gear has an integrated extension arm. Moreover, a molded composite window mounting plate is provided. The present invention also provides a guide, retention means and ball bearing construction. A method of manufacturing the present invention is also disclosed.

Composite window assembly for an automotive vehicle

An improved bow for a convertible top is described which is molded from a polymeric resin such as nylon and reinforced with glass fibers. The bow has a general I beam cross section and can be reinforced for additional strength. The ends of the bow can be configured to retain stay pads or tack strips. The bow can be molded in a set of tools that have interchangeable ends and retain the same mold for the central section of the bow. The interchangeable tools for producing the ends of the bow allow for greater manufacturing flexibility in that the central tool is retained for use in producing multiple styles of bows while expenses only have to be incurred for additional tooling for the ends of the bows.

Convertible top bow

An improved bulkhead assembly intended for use in connection with the transportation of materials on a flat rack container, and an improved material transport system employing such bulkhead assembly is shown. The improved material transport system is of the type which includes a flat rack container having at least one open ended rail mounted on the flat rack which includes at least a pair of opposed flat bars mounted in spaced apart relation extending along the lengh of the rack container. The improved bulkhead assembly is formed by a base including an upper plate which rides along the upper support surface of the rail, and a lower locking plate adapted for riding along the lower surface of the rail. Devices are interposed between the upper plate and the lower locking plate for lockingly engaging the base onto the rail at any fixed position along the length thereof. The upper plate of the bulkhead includes a bulkhead support member which is mounted thereon and extends upwardly therefrom and positioned to be in support relationship with respect to a material load carried on the flat rack container. One or more of the bulkheads may be slidingly positioned along the rails on the flat rack in order to hold a material load thereon. The system is further improved by providing a material support arm device adapted for overlying the material load and interposed between a pair of opposed bulkheads which are lockingly engaged on either side of the material load and which may be secured to each of the two bulkheads in order to tie down the material load during transport.

Bulkhead and rail transport system

A multi-position hardtop roof for a vehicle which is retractable between a coupe position enclosing the passenger compartment and a convertible position wherein the roof is stored within the rear deck of the vehicle. The roof is segmented into a front fixed panel incorporating the windshield, an intermediate panel and a rear panel. The intermediate panel of the roof is telescopically retractable onto the rear panel and both movable panels are thereafter retractable into the rear deck of the vehicle. From the coupe position, the intermediate roof segment can be tilted to a second venting position. Further retraction moves the intermediate segment rearwardly onto the rear roof segment to a targa position. Finally, the roof segments may be fully retracted to the convertible position. Two sets of piston/cylinder mechanisms control movement of the intermediate segment and the rear roof segment. The longitudinal retraction and the segmented construction of the roof facilitate retraction even while the vehicle is moving and minimizes the storage space required for the fully retracted roof.

Multi-position retractable vehicle roof

An improved bulkhead assembly intended for use in connection with the transportation of materials on a flat rack container, and an improved material transport system employing such bulkhead assembly is shown. The improved material transport system is of the type which includes a flat rack container having at least one open ended rail mounted on the flat rack which includes at least a pair of opposed flat bars mounted in spaced apart relation extending along the length of the rack container. The improved bulkhead assembly is formed by a base including an upper plate which rides along the upper support surface of the rail, and a lower locking plate adapted for riding along the lower surface of the rail. Devices are interposed between the upper plate and the lower locking plate for lockingly engaging the base onto the rail at any fixed position along the length thereof. The upper plate of the bulkhead includes a bulkhead support member which is mounted thereon and extends upwardly therefrom and positioned to be in support relationship with respect to a material load carried on the flat rack container. One or more of the bulkheads may be slidingly positioned along the rails on the flat rack in order to hold a material load thereon. The system is further improved by providing a material support arm device adapted for overlying the material load and interposed between a pair of opposed bulkheads which are lockingly engaged on either side of the material load and which may be secured to each of the two bulkheads in order to tie down the material load during transport.

A universal input-output apparatus has: a controllable source of electrical energy including at least one drive source having an output terminal and a return terminal; an electrical energy measuring device including at least one energy sensor having an input terminal connected to the output terminal of the controllable source of electrical energy; a twin leaded line having the first ends thereof connected to the output and return terminals of the drive source, respectively; and an integrity tester in the form of a zener diode connected across the second ends of the first and second leads, respectively, a first terminal connected to one of the second ends, a second terminal connected via a unidirectional conductor to the one second end and a third terminal connected via a resistive device to the one second end.

Universal input-output device

A communications network is composed of a central mode and a plurality of remote nodes with each of the nodes including receiving means for receiving signals and transmitting means for transmitting signals. At the remote nodes each including two receiving means and a signalling means for transferring to the associated transmitting means for transferring to the associated transmitting means one kind of signal when signals are received by both associated receiving means and another kind of signal when only one of the receiving means receives a signal. In general, means connect the transmitting means of each node to one of the receiving means of two different successive nodes in such a manner that a unidirectional communication loop is obtained. In one embodiment of the invention all nodes are alike and one node is assigned to be the central node and the others to be remote nodes. In another embodiment the central node is unique and the remote nodes alike.

Growing community of inventors

Dearborn Heights, MI, United States of America

George W Klein