Ford Motor Company Limited

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Visteon Global Technolgoies, Inc.

United Technologies Automotive Inc.

Gerald Arthur Heath

Johnny Hugh Allison

Sorin Stancu

Ionel Eugene Simplicean

Richard Morabito

Lisandro Trevino

David Norman Denomme

James H Zimmerman

Jeffrey Hampton Helms

Christopher Alan Myers

Thomas William Pietila

Ashir Prafull Thakore

Richard Louis Hamilton

Kenneth H Woodrich

Donald J Ray

John Hugh Allison

Beth M Wichterman

David S Wills

Daniel Ryan Malwitz

Kelly Michael Obriot

Arthur Single

Steven Dennis McCarthy

Bradley Richard Plymale

Richard K Leung

Robert Floyd Kukla

Richard Granitz

Jeff Hayes

Shishir K Agrawal

Harry Craig Kuptz

Walter Andrew Hartley

Valerie DiCarlo

Mark Timothy Lecznar

R David Arndt

Bruce Allen Williams

A seamless passenger side inflatable restraint system for a motor vehicle includes an instrument panel having a deployment opening and a deployment door integral with the instrument panel and closing the deployment opening. The seamless passenger side inflatable restraint system also includes a side inflatable restraint module disposed within the instrument panel and aligned with the deployment opening. The seamless passenger side inflatable restraint system further includes a door reinforcement connected to the deployment door and operatively connected to the instrument panel to rotate the deployment door and retain the deployment door to the instrument panel after inflation of an air bag of the side inflatable restraint module.

Seamless passenger side inflatable restraint system

A sliding console (,) for use with a vehicle. The console (,) includes a padded upper portion (,) to serve as an arm rest. The console (,) includes a slider assembly (,) that moves toward and way form the front end (,) and rear end walls (,) to allow the padded upper portion (,) to be adjusted.

Dual opening sliding console for use with a vehicle

Method of making an automotive latch handle intended for operation by manually pulling fingertips across a margin of the handle; it includes the steps of: a) molding a latch handle of a first essentially rigid plastic defining an area support for the margin, which plastic when fully solidified and cured has a stiffness of 0.8-5.8 GPa and a durometer ratio of 710,000 shore A; and b) overmolding the support area of the first plastic with a second plastic to define the margin, which margin when fully solidified and cured defines a finger gripping pad that has a stiffness of <0.01 GPa and a durometer ratio in the range of 35-85 shore A. An automotive latch handle structure that comprises: a) a generally flat paddle having means facilitating linear or pivotal movement, the paddle having been formed by molding of a first essentially rigid plastic with a stiffness of 0.8-5.8 Gpa; and b) an integrally overmolded second plastic defining a gripping pad for the fingers, the pad being molded to a margin of the paddle at least along one edge.

Soft touch automotive latch handle

A method for forming an automotive instrument panel having a concealed door comprising a series of steps. A plastic parison is extruded to form the substrate layer of the instrument panel. The parison has first and second walls. The parison is placed within a mold and the first wall is contacted with the second wall to form a hinge. The area of contact forms a bond between the first and second walls. A different portion of the first and second walls are contacted to form an opening path. The opening path intersects the hinge. The opening path usually has a thickness much less than the thickness of the first and second walls to form an easily fracturable area. The door swings on the hinge to open. A elongated section of material on the second wall, enables the second wall to wrap along the hinge when the door is opened.

Method for blow-molding an automotive instrument panel having an integral airbag door

A console is provided for use with an automotive vehicle. The console can be removed from or repositioned within a vehicle interior using an existing seating arrangement or seat fastening system. The console includes a variety of features, including use as a cooler or a seat separate from the vehicle. The console can be used in several positions within the vehicle.

Removable console for use with a vehicle

A glove box assembly (10) for a vehicle includes left and right side braces (50, 52) each having multiple sections (54, 64, 78). The first section (54) is fastened to the vehicle frame (24) and the second section (64) is connected to the first section and slidably movable relative to the first section between a retracted position at which the second section nests in the first section an extended position at which the second section extends from the first section. The third section (78) is connected to the second section (64) and slidably movable relative to the second section between a retracted position at which the third section nests in the second section an extended position at which the third section extends from the second section. A bin (28) is removably mounted between the left and right side braces (50, 52). The second and third sections (64, 78) of the braces (64, 78) are extended and retracted to controllably extend and retract the bin (28).

Glove box for a vehicle

A dual open console for use with a vehicle. The console includes a lock assembly that allows opening of only one side of the console at a time. The lock assembly includes a pivot bar engaging locks on both sides of the lid of the console. The pivot bar operates to ensure that the lock on one side of the lid remains engaged when the lock on the other side is released.

Dual opening console

An apparatus for cooling electrical components contained inside an enclosed housing, which is positioned proximate to a dashboard of a vehicle, includes an inlet pipe which receives a forced air flow and an outlet pipe which expels air from the enclosed housing. The inlet pipe receives the forced air flow either from a fan or from an air intake mechanism which supplies filtered air to an intake manifold of the vehicle engine. The air intake mechanism also maintains the temperature of the vehicle battery at a predetermined temperature by use of heated air from the engine exhaust manifold.

Apparatus for cooling a card cage

A console assembly in an automotive vehicle has a center console positioned between a pair of seats, a storage bin having a storage compartment therein accessible through an opening in an upper portion, and a lid covering the opening which is movable to provide an adjustable armrest. A hinge attached between the lid and the storage compartment allows the lid to pivot between a closed position covering the opening and an open position uncovering the opening. The hinge has a lid plate which fits into a sleeve on a bottom surface of the lid for allowing the lid to move longitudinally with respect to the console over the storage compartment between an aft position in which the lid covers the opening and a fore position in which a rear portion of the opening is uncovered. A cover plate covers the rear portion of the opening when the lid is in the closed and fore positions. The center console has a storage well for receiving the storage bin, which is movable between a seated position within the storage well and an extended position extended out of the storage well. In the extended position, a predetermined portion of the storage bin remains in the storage well to provide lateral stability of the a storage bin.

Adjustable armrest for automobile console

A console assembly in an automotive vehicle has a center console positioned between a pair of seats and a storage compartment with a lid having an armrest on an outer surface, the storage compartment being diagonally adjustable with respect to the console to provide an adjustable armrest for an occupant. The console has a mounting well and an auxiliary storage compartment therein. A telescoping member is angularly mounted with respect to a vertical axis for simultaneously adjusting the storage compartment both in a vertical direction and in a fore-aft direction with respect to the console, the telescoping member mounted to a storage compartment bottom of the second storage compartment on a first end and mounted within the mounting well on a second end. A stabilizing rod is mounted substantially parallel to the at least one telescoping member for preventing rotation of the second storage compartment about the telescoping member. The storage compartment has a slide bracket attached to the storage compartment bottom for horizontally adjusting the storage compartment relative to the console to provide additional adjustment.

Console assembly with adjustable armrest

An adjustable cover assembly for a storage bin of a console mounted within a passenger compartment of an automotive vehicle has a hinge assembly for allowing rotatable and transverse movement with respect to the console, a lock pin engagable with the hinge assembly for locking the cover in a releasable lock position, and an indexing mechanism for positioning the cover with respect to the console when the cover is in an adjustment position so that the lock pin is properly engaged. In the releasable lock position, the cover is longitudinally fixed relative to the console, and when in the adjustment position, the cover is unlocked from the console to allow longitudinal adjustment with respect thereto.

Vehicle adjustable console cover and armrest

A novel electrical connector assembly is disclosed. An embodiment of the electrical connector assembly includes a guide sleeve having a tapered interior and electrical contacts disposed therein. The guide sleeve receives a tapered housing having corresponding electrical contacts for mating with the electrical contacts of the guide sleeve. An alternate embodiment of the electrical connector assembly has a connection mechanism using a flat contact surface and a round tipped contact surface to maintain electrical contact while allowing for movement of the contacts in any direction along the surface of the flat contact surface.

Self-aligning electrical connector

A vehicular assembly incorporating knee bolsters. The assembly is fabricated largely from integrally injection molded plastic that is capable of reinforcing the knee bolsters, supporting the instrument panel and forming the ducts of an air distribution system. In the event of a collision, the knee bolster plates are stabilized so that they can cushion and limit the movement of the knees of a driver or passenger.

Cross vehicular assembly including knee bolsters

A method of manufacturing an article having a substructure with a wall having first and second wall surfaces and a molded layer along the first wall surface. The substructure is supported in a tool having first and second die surfaces on either side of the wall. The first die surface is spaced apart from the first wall surface and the second die surface is spaced apart from the second wall surface. A moldable material is injected between the first die surface and the first wall surface under conditions causing said material to exert a force on the wall. The second wall surface is contacted with a fluid under sufficient pressure to create a force on the wall that offsets the force exerted by the material whereby the wall is supported against deformation.

Method for producing a foamed panel

A method of manufacturing an article having a substructure with a wall having a wall surface and a foam layer along the wall surface, including the steps of: placing the substructure in a tool having a die surface being spaced apart from the wall surface; injecting a foamable material between the die surface and the wall; applying a clamp load between the die surface and the foamable material; allowing the foamable material to expand and exert a force on the wall; and reducing the clamp load on the foamable material to reduce the force exerted on the wall by the expanding material whereby the force exerted on the wall does not deform the article.

Growing community of inventors

Canton, MI, United States of America

Gerald Arthur Heath