Elco Textron Inc.

Other

Patrick H Predd

Chao H Mao

Kevin Jordan

Christopher M Hartwell

Ian Barnard

James M Zubkus

A floating bracket has a flexible interface between a vehicle body panel and a vehicle. The floating bracket is slidably interfaced with a vehicle body panel. The floating bracket is rigidly fixed to a point on the vehicle. The floating bracket enables expansion or contraction of the vehicle body panel to take place. Accordingly the vehicle body panel may slide with respect to the vehicle. Thus, the vehicle body panel is free to move yet is still fixedly attached to the vehicle.

Grille attachment to hoods

A latch mechanism which includes two paddles that are engaged by a lock plate. The lock plate is configured to swivel into engagement with lock portions of the paddles, thereby generally locking the paddles in place. Preferably, the lock plate engages a substantial width of the lock portions to avoid creating an undesirable asymmetrical loading condition. As a result of engaging a substantial width of the lock portions of the paddles, the locking of the paddles is robust and reliable. Preferably, the lock portions on the paddles include a retention ramp that engages corresponding structure on the lock plate. The retention ramp renders the engagement between the lock plate and paddles generally more effective. Additionally, preferably the lock plate includes an extending portion that provides a helical ramp which engages a lock assembly, wherein engagement between the lock assembly and helical ramp provides that the lock assembly can be actuated to cause the lock plate to swivel into or out of engagement with the paddles. Preferably, the lock plate is spring biased such that the helical ramp on the extending portion of the lock plate is biased into engagement with the lock assembly.

Dual handle latch

A rear lighting backplate that includes a backplate lower which is engaged with a backplate upper. A lead frame is sandwiched between the backplate lower and backplate upper. The backplate lower includes a receptacle for receiving a wire harness, and the backplate upper includes one or more integral bulb sockets which are configured to receive bulbs. The lead frame conductively engages each bulb which is engaged with the backplate upper and conductively engages the wire harness which is engaged in the receptacle on the backplate lower. Preferably, the lead frame includes clips for conductively engaging and retaining the bulbs in the bulb sockets. The backplate is preferably configured for selective engagement and disengagement from a lamp housing. Preferably, the backplate provides a sealing surface around each bulb for sealing with the lamp housing when the backplate is engaged therewith. To change a bulb which has burned out, one disengages the backplate from the lamp housing, disengages the burned out bulb from the backplate upper and lead frame, and installs a fresh bulb in the same location (i.e., installs the bulb in the same bulb socket, thus engaging the fresh bulb with the backplate upper and lead frame), and then re-engages the backplate with the lamp housing.

Growing community of inventors

Wixom, MI, United States of America

Patrick H Predd