Trw Limited

Other

Trw United-carr Gmbh Co., K.g.

Jeffrey C Lewis

James F Fleck

James T Ligon, Sr

Melvyn J Clough

Jordan M Stevenson

Allan Rigberg

Andrew Okronick

Stephen P Mackowiak

Daniel G O'Sullivan

A process for forming a foamed thermoplastic earplug, comprising the steps of extruding a foamed body of thermoplastic material; shaping the foamed thermoplastic material; and at least partially separating the resulting shaped material for forming individual earplugs.

Ear plugs and method of forming same

A personal misting umbrella consists of a water distribution tubing network that exists within the umbrella canopy. Its placement within and attachment to the spreader and rib umbrella canopy support structure enables the canopy to be operated in an unhindered manner within its stored and unfurled configurations as required by the user. Upon connection of the water distribution tubing network to a source of pressurized water, such as a personalized container-air pump combination, the user can selectively fill the canopy with a fine water mist, cooling the shaded air beneath the canopy through evaporative cooling.

Water misting umbrella

A fastener assembly is integrated with a motor vehicle component such as an assist strap handle in a manner to allow the assist strap to be releasably mounted to overhead or other structural vehicle body panels. The fastener assembly includes a first set of resilient latch legs that extend from a main body of the fastener and are adapted to engage in a motor vehicle body panel opening. The latch legs are interengaged at their respective termini opposite the fastener body to facilitate insertion into the panel opening by preventing the latch legs from deflecting away from one another during movement through the opening. A second set of semi-rigid lateral support legs carried on the main body permit the fastener construction to be preassembled to another vehicle component, such as a headliner, prior to the time that the assist strap component and the headliner component are joined to the vehicle body panel. When assembled, the support legs engage the body panel to provide relative lateral support between the fastener assembly and the panel to prevent assist strap rocking when tugged by an occupant of the vehicle.

Releasable fastener with lateral stabilizing brace members and latch legs carrying fastener insertion guide

A ride-on toy vehicle for a pre-school child, the vehicle having a soft and compressible body which functions as a saddle. The body of the toy resembles an animal such as a sea turtle, or a familiar vehicle such as an ice cream truck. The body is mounted on a wheeled chassis whereby a child astride the body and holding onto a rein attached thereto can push and propel the ride-on vehicle with his feet. The chassis which accommodates the body includes parallel side walls having front and rear-end bearing holes. Bridging the parallel walls and passing through the front end bearing holes to join a pair of front wheels is a front axle. Bridging the parallel walls and passing through the rear end bearing holes to join a pair of rear wheels is a rear axle. The underside of the body is provided with front and rear channel pieces, the front axle extending through the front channel piece and the rear axle extending through the rear channel piece, thereby anchoring the body on the chassis.

Ride-on toy vehicle

A flap-type pressure relief valve particularly intended for relieving overpressure conditions in a vehicle passenger compartment includes a frame having an integral peripheral sealing gasket that is formed on the frame by being injection molded directly thereto. The frame is molded from a relatively rigid plastic and the gasket is molded from a plastic that is significantly more resilient and flexible but selected to permanently bond to the plastic of the frame when brought into contact therewith under injection molding conditions.

Pressure relief valve

A one-way flap-type vehicle ventilation valve comprises a generally planar molded plastic sealing flap for overlying a flow opening formed through a vehicle body panel. The flap is formed in a two shot molding process to have a rigid plastic main body with a resilient plastic seal lip about its periphery. A plastic support shaft is molded integrally with the main body and is spaced therefrom by integral support webs. A plastic support is pivotally joined to the support shaft by connecting portions of the bracket that are molded about the ends of the support shaft. Fasteners extend from the bracket for joining the valve to the vehicle body panel. The fasteners include end portions for passing through holes formed through the vehicle body panel adjacent the flow opening.

Vehicle ventilation valve

A flap-type pressure relief valve includes a frame defining a flow opening therethrough with a flexible flap valve element positioned adjacent the frame to overlie the opening and allow fluid flow in a first direction through the opening while preventing flow in the opposite direction. A retainer assembly for joining a peripheral edge portion of the flap valve element to the frame comprises an elongated retainer bar integrally joined to the frame at one edge and connected to the frame at the other edge along a side of the flow opening in overlying relationship to a peripheral edge of the flap valve element. The retainer bar has a retainer surface spaced from the frame a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the flap valve element. Retainer pins extend from the frame through openings in the flap valve element. The assembly thus supports the flap valve element in a freely floating manner without forming air leakage openings.

Flap-type pressure relief valve

A headlamp mounting arrangement for an automotive vehicle comprises a mounting support panel which forms a part of the vehicle and a lamp assembly with mounting studs extending outwardly from the rear wall thereof through first openings in the support panel. A lock plate is connected to the mounting support panel on the side opposite the lamp assembly for sliding movement between a first position for preventing withdrawal of the mounting studs from the first openings in the mounting support plate and a second position for permitting withdrawal of the mounting studs from the first openings. A latch type engagement is provided on the lock plate for preventing undesired sliding movement of the lock plate toward the second position.

Automotive headlamp assembly fastening system

A flap type pressure relief valve comprises a frame having an opening therethrough controlled by a valve flap in the form of a flexible sheet of material mounted to the frame along a first side of the opening to overlie the opening. The flexible sheet is joined to the frame by a connection comprising slots through the frame adapted to receive and retain tabs on the valve flap that extend through the apertures. The tabs are formed of resilient and compressible elastomeric material and have enlarged first and second retaining ribs extending closely adjacent the respective slot on both side faces of the frame with a necked connecting portion disposed between the first and second ribs. The connecting portion of each tab is seated within the respective aperture and is under compression and completely fills the aperture and compressively engages the frame. The retaining ribs hold the valve flap in its assembled location.

Flap-type pressure relief valve and method of forming the same

A one-piece plastic drive fastener comprises an enlarged head with a rigid cylindrical shank extending therefrom and terminating in a free end. Four circumferentially spaced axial rows of wing elements extend generally radially outwardly from the shank. The wing elements each have the shape of a segment of a thin walled truncated cone with a narrow first end joined to the cylindrical shank and a wider second end spaced outwardly of the shank and inclined toward the head portion. The wing members are freely flexible in the direction toward the head portion with the wing elements in each row being relatively uniformly spaced axially of the shank but axially offset from the wing elements in the next adjacent rows.

Plastic drive fastener

A plastic holding element 1 for the mounting of at least one tube or cable 2 includes a connecting base 4 attachable to a support and carrying a mounting area comprising two opposed dish-like elements 5, 6. The dish-like elements are connected to each other at a lower end and are further connected on both sides of the lower region to a resilient intermediate piece, which joins into connecting base 4. The dish-like elements 5, 6 are connectable to each other adjacent their upper end portions via contact elements 16, 17. Elastic strip portions 9, 10 connect the two dish-like elements with each other and are joined thereto at an interior end 13 and exterior ends 11, 12.

Holding element made of plastic

A one piece plastic push-in fastener for insertion into a preformed opening in a workpiece comprises an axially elongated rigid shank having a head end and a free end. A series of flexible wing members extend laterally from the shank to a radial extent greater than the cross-section of the opening. The wing members flex toward the head to permit push-in installation of the fastener in the opening. However, abutment stops are located between adjacent wing members to prevent their flexure toward the free end. Thus, the fastener has low resistance to installation and high resistance to removal.

Push-in fastener

A molded plastic, push-on fastener for connection to threaded studs or the like comprises first and second cylindrical collar members. The first collar has a resilient side wall and threads are formed on the interior thereof in a form and size for positive engagement with the threads on the associated threaded stud. The second collar member has a relatively rigid side wall with an open interior diameter which is greater than the diameter of the first collar member to permit the second member to be received over and surround the first member. A thin frangible, connecting web is provided for temporarily connecting the collar members in axial alignment. Cooperating interengaging thread forms are formed on the exterior of the first collar member and the interior of the second collar member. These interengaging thread forms act to inhibit radial expansion of the first collar member while simultaneously preventing axial withdrawal of the second member in a direction off the first member after the second member has been moved from the temporarily connected position to an installed position received over and surrounding the first collar member.

Push-on fastener

A hygienic dispenser for hard candies and medicaments in wafer form, each package of which is constituted by a stack of such wafers protectively sealed in an inner foil wrapper to create a roll that is surrounded by a removable outer sleeve. The dispenser includes a tubular container for receiving the roll through its open end and to seat it on an axially-advanceable platform which urges the roll upwardly. Covering the open end of the container and pivoted thereto is a cap whose thickness corresponds to that of a wafer. The cap is laterally swingable to a cocked position in which the open end is uncovered to release the roll which is then advanced by the platform to engage a visor projecting from the top of the cap, thereby exposing the uppermost wrapped wafer. When the cap is swung back to again cover the open end, it acts to sever the wrapper and discharge the uppermost wafer, the next wafer in the roll then engaging the cap in readiness for the next operation.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester Hills, MI, United States of America

Jeffrey C Lewis