Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Louis J Conrad

Jeffrey L Konchan

Anil Kumar Sachdev

John E Carsley

Balakrishna Chinta

Stuart J Brown

Ronald P McKenney

A thermal-assisted method deforms plastically a high-strength material using a high-intensive heat source. The high-strength material may be a cold-rolled sheet aluminum of strength greater than 300 megapascal (MPa) or a cold-rolled sheet steel of strength greater than 1000 MPa. The cold-rolled sheet metal is heated just before bending to a temperature near or above the critical temperature for the material and is followed by rapid quenching after bending.

Thermal-assisted roll forming of high strength material

A latching system for and a method of latching a first member to a second member are provided. The latching system includes a latching mechanism including a displaceable feature which, when operatively displaced, allows a striker to engage with a housing of the latching mechanism, at a recess defined by the housing, to provide supplementary or auxiliary latching force. The displaceable feature may be displaced by an actuating load transmitted between the striker and the latching mechanism, where the actuating load is substantially greater than the nominal load experienced by the latching system during ordinary latching conditions. The engagement of the striker with the housing at the recess may transfer a portion of the actuating load to the housing during the event generating the actuating load, thereby increasing the latching strength of the latching system and reducing the potential for deformation or distortion of the latching element during the event.

Latching mechanism

A door of a vehicle is moveable between a closed position, an intermediate position and an open position. When moving between the closed position and the intermediate position, a first vertical edge of the door moves parallel with a body of the vehicle and a second rearward vertical edge of the door moves laterally away from the body of the vehicle. A striker assembly for the door is attached to the body and includes a striker that is moveable between a first position and a second position. A latch mechanism selectively engages the striker when the door is disposed in or moving between the closed position and the intermediate position, with the striker moving with the first edge of the door between the closed position and the intermediate position to prevent lateral movement of the door.

Indexing door latch striker enabling complex door articulation

A door latching system for a vehicle and method of latching are provided. The system includes a carrier and a receiver each connected to one of a door and a door interface. The latching system, when non-actuated, does not substantially protrude from the latching faces of the door and door interface into an opening therebetween. The latching system is adaptable to a vehicle defining a continuous access opening closed by independently openable and closeable doors. The latching member is actuated to move from a retracted position to a protracted position in response to a triggering event, which may be defined by a sensor. In the protracted position, the latching member engages the receiver and the carrier to operatively latch the door and door interface portion. A latching feature defined by the latching member may be selectively engageable with a retaining member when the latching member is in the protracted position.

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Attica, MI, United States of America

Louis J Conrad