Lear Automotive Dearborn, Inc.

Ut Automotive Dearborn, Inc.

Other

Nathan J Moore

Roger W Wayt

Richard J Chutorash

Arthur R Moore

Alex Zaguskin

Klaus Schorn

David J Berels

A grommet used with flat flexible cable provides a seal between an inner compartment of an automobile and an exterior environment. This simplifies the use of flat flexible cable in automobile wiring harness assemblies. In another aspect of this invention, a cable connector assembly for joining an end of the cable includes a closed cell foam seal to provide a water-tight seal between the cable, the terminals and the exterior environment.

Grommet and connector seal for use with flat flexible cable

The invention relates to a method of welding terminal end connectors to wires in a flat flexible cable for use in vehicle wiring harnesses. The flat flexible cable includes a plurality of wires spaced apart from one another and surrounded by an insulating coating. A terminal with a tab is welded to each wire in the flat flexible cable. The welding method includes placing the tab portion of the terminal underneath one of the wires in the flat flexible cable. A tooling base supports the tab and the flat flexible cable. A tooling head engages the insulating coating along the top surface of the wire and moves in a path along the wire. The heat resulting from the friction between the tooling head and the insulating coating causes the insulating coating to flow away from the tooling head to expose the wire and frictionally weld the bottom surface of the wire to the top surface of the tab.

Method of welding a terminal to a flat flexible cable

The incorporation of a wire harness and a carpet provide a modular combination which reduces the required assembly steps for a vehicle. The wire harness may be attached to the underside of a carpet in any way to form the modular combination. Once the modular combination is completed, it is then mounted into a vehicle.

Modular wire harness and carpet for vehicle

This assembly is for attaching a wire harness to a panel. Preferably, the panel is a motor vehicle interior trim panel and the harness is a flat wire harness. Typically, the panel then attaches to an outside door frame. The assembly includes a motor vehicle interior trim panel having a surface with at least one pin protruding therefrom, and a wire harness having at least one aperture therein, wherein the wire of the harness is adjacent the surface of the trim panel and the pin of the trim panel passes through the aperture of the wire harness. A portion of the pin extends beyond the aperture and that portion of the pin is heat staked to secure the wire harness to the trim panel.

Wire harness assembly

This assembly is for attaching wire harnesses such as flat wire harnesses together. Preferably, the flat wire harnesses then are attached to a motor vehicle interior trim panel or to the vehicle's body. The assembly includes a plurality of wire harnesses, each wire harness having at least one aperture therethrough, the plurality of wire harnesses having a first surface and a second surface with the plurality sandwiched therebetween, and at least one Christmas tree retainer passing through an aperture of each wire harness in the plurality of wire harnesses, the retainer having a Christmas tree section extending beyond the first surface and a post end extending beyond the second surface with the plurality sandwiched therebetween.

Flat flexible cable includes at least one conductor with an insulating film disposed thereabout. The cable further includes an opening through the film not in contact with the conductor. A connector for use with the flat flexible cable, includes an opening and a means for retaining the cable within the opening. The opening receives the cable such that one end of the cable is within the connector. The means for releasably retaining the cable within the opening is disposed through the opening in the cable, so that any force on the cable is transferred to the connector.

Method for connecting flat flexible cable and a connector

A device (10) for assisting in the safe setting of traps (12) is disclosed including an elongated handle (34) and a portion (36) for removable engagement with the cross bar (32) and arm (23) of the striker (16) of the trap (12). The removable engagement portion (36) includes a hook (38) for slideably receiving a length of the cross bar (32) and a finger (46) for abutting with the arm (23) at a point located on the opposite side of the striker (16) than the lip (40) of the hook (38) and in a nonlinear position relative to the connecting leg (44) of the hook (38). The device (10) may be positioned to overlie the striker (16) in its first, trapping position and then pulled outward to pull the lip (40) of the hook (38) beneath the cross bar (32) and with the finger (46) overlying the arm (23) of the striker (16). When the handle (34) is raised, the device (10) will pivot about the cross bar (32) inside of the hook (38) until the finger (46) abuts with the arm (23). Upon continued movement of the handle (34), the striker (16) will pivot relative to the base (14) of the trap (12) to its second, set position. After the trip bar (24) has been engaged with the trigger (28) and the trap (12) placed at the desired position, the device (10) may be moved inwardly to release the cross bar (32) from the hook (38) and then pulled outwardly from the trap (12) intermediate the cross bar (32) and the base (14) of the trap (12).

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Dearborn, MI, United States of America

Nathan J Moore