Jac Products, Inc.

Other

Incoe Corporation

Icp Systems, Inc.

John Michael Heuchert

Gordon Michie

Jeffrey M Aftanas

John S Cucheran

Michael R Makin

Eric Weber

Gerard J Kmita

James W Hendry

Donald R Potter

James Hendry

Bill M Silamianos

Gerald L Drumm

Gerald J Drumm

A one piece end support for use with a cross bar of a vehicle article carrier system. The one piece end support may have a hollowed out neck portion adapted to receive an end of a cross bar. A hollowed out intermediate portion is provided which extends non-parallel to, but is integrally formed with, the neck portion. A flange portion is adapted to be secured to a support rail of the vehicle article carrier system. The flange portion may be integrally formed with the intermediate portion.

Single piece end support for a vehicle article carrier and method of making same

A vehicle article carrier system for use on an outer body roof surface of a vehicle to removably support articles above the outer body roof surface. The system may use a pair of support rails secured to the outer body surface generally parallel to one another. The system may also include at least one cross bar having a pair of end supports. Each support rail may include a decorative cover and metallic support element, with the decorative cover being positioned over the metallic support element, and secured thereto, to at least substantially cover the metallic support element. The metallic support element may include at least one aperture at each opposing longitudinal end thereof that allows the support rail to be secured to the outer body roof surface at only its opposing longitudinal ends, and to use pre-existing fastening elements mounted in the outer body roof surface as attachment points for the support rails.

System and method for vehicle article carrier having stowable cross bars

A vehicle article carrier system for use on an outer body surface of a vehicle. The system may have a pair of support rails secured to the outer body surface. At least one cross bar having a pair of end supports extends between the support rails. Each end support has a housing and a rotatable locking component secured to the housing for rotatable movement. One of the housing and the rotatable locking component has a biased implement projecting therefrom, and the other has a plurality of structural elements arranged in a circumferential pattern. The biased implement engages with at least one of the structural elements to provide an additional holding force to the rotatable locking component when the rotatable locking component has been tightened.

A vehicle article carrier adapted to be mounted to an outer body surface of a motor vehicle. The carrier has a pair of cross bars that can each be stowed on corresponding pairs of support elements when the cross are not needed for use without the need to completely detach either of the cross bars from their associated support elements. A rear one of the cross bars has a single sided release feature that enables both end supports at opposite ends of the rear cross bar to be simultaneously unlocked or locked from a rear pair of support elements from either end support. The rear cross bar can also be slidably positioned along the rear pair of support elements to better configure the cross bars to support variously sized articles thereon.

Vehicle article carrier having single sided releasable and stowable cross bars

A mold apparatus and method is used to form a solid injection molded plastic part having no internal voids, a Class A finish, a sink-free exterior appearance surface, and unevenly distributed structural detail extending from the opposite surface, the detail including free-standing reinforcement ribs, attachment bosses, and the like. In sequence, a seal groove in the mold cavity is reduced to a pressure below atmospheric (i.e., negative), a charge of hot thermoplastic is introduced into the mold cavity and seal groove whereby to form a gas seal ring, and pressurized gas is injected into the mold cavity. The pressurized gas forces the hot plastic from one mold half against the other mold half, and the gas seal formed by the plastic prevents gas on one side of the thermoplastic from reaching the appearance surface of the part.

Method for fluid compression of injection molded plastic material

An injection mold system and corresponding method that equalizes pressure of flowable plastic dispensed into an injection mold cavity. A gate in communication with the mold cavity introduces a quantity of flowable plastic into the cavity at a predetermined pressure. A gas inlet in communication with the mold cavity at a mold cavity location remote from the gate introduces a gas into the mold cavity to pack the flowable plastic in the mold cavity at a pressure corresponding generally to the predetermined pressure, to thereby minimize the formation of sink marks and warpage on an injection molded part formed therein. The present invention insures formation of the part with a highly finished appearance surface and eliminates the need for painting or otherwise additional finishing of the part.

Injection mold internal pressure equalization system and method

A vehicle article carrier having a pair of one-piece, integrally formed side rail members. Each side rail member has a side rail portion and a pair of end supports integrally formed with terminal ends of the side rail portion. The side rail portion includes a hollow area formed therein and extending along the entire length of the side rail portion. Each end support further includes an inaccessible hollow portion in communication with the hollow portion formed in the side rail portion. Each side rail member forms a lightweight yet rigid member which does not require molding lines, seams or other markings on any portion of the outer surface which is clearly visible to an observer once the side rail members are mounted on an outer body surface of a vehicle. The cost of manufacture is also reduced because the number of molding tools needed to manufacture the side rail member is reduced, as is the complexity and time to assemble the side rail members to an outer body surface of a vehicle. The method of manufacture of the invention further permits the side rail portions of the side rail members to be formed with varying shapes and functional features which would not be possible with conventional roll forming and extrusion techniques.

One-piece end support and method of forming thereof

A gas assisted injection molding system and method in which quantity of an inert gas is applied both internally and externally to a thermoplastic material introduced into an injection mold cavity during formation of an injection molded part. The system includes first and second mold portions defining a mold cavity. An injection means injects a quantity of a thermoplastic material into the mold cavity to form an injection molded part within the cavity. At least one internal gas inlet is provided for introducing a first quantity of gas into a portion the thermoplastic material to form a gas channel therein. The gas within the gas channel presses the thermoplastic material against a mold parting line defined by the intersection of the mold portions and forms a seal between the mold cavity and the mold parting line. As least one external gas inlet is located within one of the mold portions for introducing a second quantity of pressurized gas into the cavity to hold the thermoplastic material firmly against an inner surface of one of the mold portions. The system and method of the present invention thereby forms an injection molded part having a sink-free appearance side with a Class A finish.

Gas assisted injection molding combining internal and external gas

An adjustable hose-type clamping device fabricated entirely of a polymeric material, the device comprising an elongated flexible strap element having a thread form provided integrally along a portion of one side thereof; an enclosure member is fixedly secured adjacent one end of the strap element and includes spaced apart end wall portions and an arcuate-shaped side wall portion, a gear element disposed within the enclosure member and includes a double enveloping worm gear form adapted for engagement with the thread form on the strap element, one end of the gear is provided with a tool engaging portion whereby the gear element may be selectively rotated to effect advancement of the strap relative to the enclosure member.

Growing community of inventors

Macomb, MI, United States of America

John Michael Heuchert