Lear Corporation

Intier Automotive Inc

Magna International Inc.

Larry Francis Kocher

Paul S Severinski

Lisa Townley

Normand R Marceau

James Daniel Asbury

Louella Ann Patterson

Pusheng Chen

Geoffrey William Davey

Janusz P Gorowicz

Michael Hans

Paul Alan Forgette

Matt C Withun

Travis Peterson

A solar collector includes a roller rotatably attached to a vehicle. A carrier fabric panel is attached on one end to the roller. Side guides are attached the sides of the carrier fabric panel. Solar cells are connected in series and are attached to the carrier fabric panel. The solar cells are connected to an electrical power storage system. Electrical leads are attached to the carrier fabric and electrically coupled to the solar cells. Electrical conductors are attached to the carrier fabric between the solar cells and the right and left guides or are provided with retainer strips. A slip ring connector is disposed on the roller for electrically coupling the electrical conductors to an electrical power storage system. The solar energy collected may be used to power actuatable accessories or passive systems that may draw power when the vehicle is not being operated.

Roller shade with solar cells

A contour connect system for applying a vehicle trim includes a fabric loop and a low-profile hook component. The fabric loop component includes a spacer layer, Class A surface layer, and a loop-containing layer, the Class A surface layer being adhered to one side of spacer layer while the loop-containing layer is adhered to the opposite side of spacer layer.

Contour connect

A vehicle panel () includes a core layer () and a layer of metalized film () bonded to the core layer (). In one embodiment, the core layer () is made of a material with heat absorption or insulation properties. The layer of metalized film () is made of a material having heat reflective properties that can be bonded to the core layer (). Alternatively, a compatible bonding agent can be applied to the core layer, the metalized film, or both. To form the vehicle panel (), the layer metalized film () is positioned on one half of a mold tool and the core layer () is positioned on the other half of the mold tool. Heat is applied to the core layer () and the mold tool is closed such that the heat from the core layer () causes the metalized film () to be in a formable state and bonds to the core layer ().

Vehicle panel with metalized film

An interior trim assembly including vehicle roof structure that supports a headliner-mounted component and a headliner, a separating means proximate a mounting location perimeter of the headliner-mounted component for maintaining a mounting integrity of the headliner-mounted component upon deployment of an inflatable restraint.

Headliner system

A headliner assembly () includes a layer of core material (), a binding agent () adjacent to the core material (), a first layer of chopped fiberglass () adjacent to the binding agent (), a scrim () adjacent to the first layer of chopped fiberglass (), a catalyst () adjacent to the scrim (), a cover stock () adjacent to the catalyst (). The catalyst () and the binding agent () are mixed together and impregnate the core material when pressure is applied to the headliner assembly (), thereby resulting in a rigid headliner assembly. A method of forming the headliner assembly () is also disclosed.

Laminated headliner assembly and method for forming a lightweight laminated headliner

Growing community of inventors

Canton, MI, United States of America

Larry Francis Kocher