Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Trico Products Corporation

John Foss

David T Renke

Kyle A Moll

Andrew Ehde

Roger H Barnett

Disclosed are vehicle sunroof assemblies with enhanced water management systems, methods for making/using such sunroof assemblies, and vehicles equipped with sunroof assemblies having sunshade water drainage backup capabilities. A representative sunroof assembly includes a frame that attaches to the body of a motor vehicle, positioned within an aperture in the vehicle's roof structure. A center panel is movably mounted to the frame, and operable to transition between open and closed positions to thereby obstruct and expose the aperture. Also attached to the frame is a drain channel that collects and expels fluids from the sunroof assembly. A sunshade is movably mounted to the frame adjacent the center panel. The sunshade manually or automatically transitions between deployed and stowed positions to thereby prevent and allow the passage of light through the roof's aperture. When in the deployed position, the sunshade repels water and directs the repelled water into the drain channel.

Water management systems for vehicle sunroof assemblies

A tailgate assembly includes a tailgate and a telescoping ramp movably coupled to the tailgate. The telescoping ramp is movable relative to the tailgate between a fully retracted position and a fully extended position. In the fully retracted position, the telescoping ramp is entirely disposed inside the tailgate. In the fully extended position, the telescoping ramp is at least partly disposed outside the tailgate.

Tailgate assembly and vehicle including the same

The present invention relates a wiper assembly having an elongated wiping element, a pair of elongated splines, and a pair of end caps. The wiping element has a head portion and a wiping portion. The splines support the wiping element and each has opposing longitudinal ends, lateral sides, top and bottom surfaces, a first pair of notches disposed at the longitudinal ends, and a second pair of notches disposed along the lateral sides spaced from the end. The end caps are mounted to the ends and have a body defined by a shell extending from a distal surface, a pair of lower shelves extending from the surface facing each other, a valley between the shelves, mounts extending from the surface and engaging the first notches, and resilient tabs extending from the mounts and having hook sections disposed within each of the second notches of the splines.

Wiper assembly having an end cap

A heated wiper assembly includes a wiping element adapted to contact a surface to be wiped. The heated wiper assembly also includes at least one elongated beam acting to support the wiping element. The heated wiper assembly further includes a pair of end caps operatively mounted to ends of the beam and an airfoil operatively mounted to the beam and extending between the end caps. The heated wiper assembly includes a plurality of heating elements extending longitudinally along lateral sides of the airfoil adjacent the wiping element to heat the wiping element to resist snow and ice build-up on the wiper assembly.

Growing community of inventors

Troy, MI, United States of America

John Foss