Magna International Inc.

Magna Exteriors Gmbh

Bestop, Inc.

Decoma International Corporation

Chrysler Corporation

Keijo Johannes Huotari

Stephen John Lewis

Christopher John Kuntze

Duane Charles Junkin

Jack V Henderson

Eric John Hanson

Rick H Troeger

Riad Chaaya

David Alan Smith

Richard C Essig

Mark Peter Birka

Stephen R Roddy

Heiner Salzmann

John Schultz

William J J Harney

Larry R Erickson

Robert M Horner

Bradford D Armstrong

Brian Staley

Marc Cogswell

Gregory A Brower

Sandy J Emerling

Luyao Zhu

James R Drouillard

Charles John Chuba

Stanley V Spate

Randy R Rhoades

Scott Varisto

Mohan Girijeshwar

John S Muglia

Trevor Geiger

Tejaswi Vemuri

Himat Taank

Dennis Wiedenbeck

Greg Brower

Stephen G Telehowski

Rudolf Allan Schrempf

Mary Ann Bator

Christopher S Klem

Adolf Enrico Milani

Stanley J Krajenke

Kenneth Holbrook

Mike Karpinski

William J Harney

Paul J Clinton

Martin R Mcleod

Craig Stapleton

Richard Zemmer

The present invention is directed to a hardtop for a vehicle that has an exterior thermoplastic roof panel and sides. The hardtop includes a top frame formed of at least two longitudinal sides and at least one cross vehicle piece formed from fiber reinforced polymer. Connected to the top frame is at least one roof panel forming an outer surface of the hardtop. There are also one or more side frames each having a side panel connected thereto. The roof panel and side panel are all formed of thermoplastic, so it is possible to have a Class A finish paint surface or mold in color finish.

Thermoplastic hardtop roof

A liftgate integrating bulkhead reinforcements into an inner panel and/or outer panel of the liftgate or closure creating an efficient design that adds mold-in reinforcement structure and eliminates the need to add steel or plastic parts to meet performance requirements.

Liftgate with bulkhead reinforcements

A process for welding of at least two separate vehicle panels () to form an integral part () for a vehicle. There is provided at least one first panel () including a first weld line area () and at least one second panel () including a corresponding second weld line area (), the second weld line area () abutting in a weldable relationship to the first weld line area (). The first and second weld line areas () have at least one first weldable portion () and at least one second portion () at which welding is substantially hindered during welding attachment of the first and second panels (). The process includes applying a curable adhesive at each second portion (), placing in a welding fixture and welding the panels () at each first weldable portion () such that the panels () are held together during curing of the adhesive.

Hybrid welding of thermoplastics

A composite liftgate including an inner panel construction having strengthening channel structure in combination with a ribbing. Structural steel reinforcements are bonded to the inner panel where additional strength is needed. Where the extra structure is needed, a minimum amount of steel is used and the structural reinforcement is bonded in place using adhesive. A plurality of access doors are provided that are removable for easier maintenance and repair.

Composite liftgate

Hyrbid welding of thermoplastics

An exterior body panel assembly having a Class A painted surface, mold-in color or non-Class A surface, and process of infrared welding components of the assembly. Panels of the assembly are placed on a nesting structure and the inside half of the structures are brought together with the other for a fit check. Panels are separated and an infrared heating fixture then heats the various areas to be heated on the panels. The areas on the panels are heated depending on the thicknesses of the parts at each area and surface geometries to be welded. The parts are immediately clamped back together under pressure for joining and cooling of the joined surfaces in the clamped arrangement.

Infrared welded exterior panel assembly and process of making same

A drop-down running board assembly includes at least one linkage assembly connected to a vehicle having at least one door, and a sensor having a first part and a second part, one part of the sensor is mounted to a door, the other part of the sensor mounted to the vehicle. A step portion is connected to the linkage assembly. There is also an actuator connected to the linkage assembly such that the actuator moves the linkage assembly and the step portion to a deployed position when the door is opened and the first part of the sensor is moved away from the second part of the sensor, and a retracted position when the door is closed and the first part of the sensor is positioned substantially adjacent the second part of the sensor.

Independent running board actuation

A zipper pre-gather device which is operable for providing proper alignment of two sides of a zipper tape prior to being fed through a slider, thereby preventing the slider from becoming unintentionally engaged with sections of the foldable, stowable roof or parts of the foldable window. The zipper pre-gather device incudes a slider pivotally attached to a pre-gather device. The pre-gather device has two entrances, one for receiving each side of the zipper tape, which are operable with two exits. The entrances of the pre-gather device are of a large width and height in relation to the exits, and are operable for providing proper alignment between two sides of a zipper tape, prior to the two sides of the zipper tape being fed into the slider.

Zipper pre-gather device

The present invention is directed to a zipper for use with a foldable, stowable roof for a vehicle, where the foldable roof includes one or more windows made of a foldable material. The zipper also changes from being in a two-dimensional plane to a three-dimensional plane around a curved portion of the window, reducing the stress placed on the portion of the zipper connected to the foldable roof, and the portion of the zipper connected to the window.

Planar-zippering cornering design

The present invention is a cable tonneau system having at least one frame assembly selectively mounted to a vehicle, and at least one bow portion having a plurality of links pivotally connected to the frame assembly. Also included is a cover operatively connected to the frame assembly and the bow portion for concealing a storage area of the vehicle. The frame assembly and the plurality of links are operable to be pivoted between a stowed position and a deployed position. The cover is positioned to expose the storage area of the vehicle when the frame assembly and the plurality of links are in the stowed position. The cover conceals the storage area of the vehicle when the frame assembly and the plurality of links are in the deployed position.

Cable tonneau system

The present invention is directed to a tonneau cover incorporating a cable system which generates the proper amount of cross-car tension, and still provides for the tonneau cover to be rolled up and stowed when not in use. The present invention is directed to a tonneau cover for a vehicle that is moveable between a stowed position and a deployed position. The tonneau cover has at least one pocket extending along a side of the tonneau cover, and at least one cable disposed in the pocket such that a first end of the cable extends out of a first end of the pocket, and a second end of the cable extends out of a second end of the pocket such that when the tonneau cover is in the deployed position, the cable applies tension to the tonneau cover.

Cable roll up tonneau

A lift system for use with a foldable, stowable roof capable of being moved between a deployed position and a stowed position. The lift system includes at least one side link, with the side link as part of a frame assembly. The frame assembly supports a foldable roof, and both the frame assembly and the roof are operable for movement between a stowed position and a deployed position. A biasable member is operable with the side link for biasing the side link and the frame assembly toward the deployed position. When it is desired to move the frame assembly and roof from the stowed position to the deployed position, a reduced amount of force is applied to the frame assembly to move the frame assembly to the deployed position because of the force applied to the frame assembly from the biasable member.

Lift assist system

The present invention is a foldable and stowable roof system which can be selectively detached from the vehicle and stored within a short amount of time. The foldable and stowable roof system of the present invention includes a first frame member connected to a roof member, a second frame member connected to a roof member, and a third frame member selectively connected to the first frame member and the second frame member. Also included is a fourth frame member selectively connected to the first frame member and the second frame member such that when the third frame member is connected to the first frame member and the second frame member, and the fourth frame member is connected to the first frame member and the second frame member, the first frame member, second frame member, third frame member, and fourth frame member, form a frame for supporting the roof member.

Foldable/stowable roof system

Growing community of inventors

Fenton, MI, United States of America

Keijo Johannes Huotari