Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Ralph W Edwards

David T Carolus

John R Powell

Thomas E Gardziola

Howard L Kelley

Paul C Morrin

Separable wiper lifting park ramps are attached to a vehicle body cowl panel after windshield installation through a cooperating installation track on the cowl panel and track follower on the ramp. A set of ratchet teeth are engaged as the ramp is pushed home toward the windshield surface. When the ramp hits the windshield, it stops, and cannot back out. Therefore, the ramp is always set accurately relative to the windshield, regardless of any variations between the cowl panel and windshield.

Windshield with self locating wiper park ramp

A wiper park ramp has two components, a softer isolation pad to cushion the initial and final arm impacts, and a harder skid pad to reduce sliding friction.

Vehicle wiper park ramp assembly

A seal for preventing intrusion of moisture between a lowermost or first movable tube section of a power operated antenna mast and an insulator between the first tube section and the panel through which the mast projects, the seal including a substantially inelastic polymeric insulator mounted on the panel with a bore therethrough surrounding the first tube section, an inside surface on the insulator perpendicular to the bore intersecting the latter at a lip extending through 360.degree. around the first tube section, and a substantially inelastic polymeric sleeve on and movable with the first tube section having an annular frustoconical seal shoulder engageable on the lip in an extended position of the first tube section to define a moisture seal between the latter and the insulator.

Moisture seal in power operated vehicle antenna

A connector apparatus for automotive vehicle antenna assemblies includes a free floating pin terminal telescopically related with a female terminal socket and biased into electrical contact at a distal head portion thereof with the antenna mast under the compression of an elastomeric seal member squeezed between a shoulder of the floating terminal element and the end fitting of the female element.

Radio antenna and connector apparatus

A telescoping, multi-tube, vehicle radio antenna adapted for power extension and retraction includes an outer metallic tube having inward bent upper end defining an inner annular bearing surface and an inner metallic cylindrical member in telescoping relationship within the outer tube, the cylindrical member having an expanded diameter rigid lower end which defines an outer annular bearing surface and further being slidably supported in the first tube by the axially separated bearing surfaces. The cylindrical member further has a circumferential shoulder spaced upwardly from its lower end and a circumferential sealing element carried on the upper side of the shoulder for compression between the shoulder and the inward bent upper end of the outer tube when the antenna is extended to prevent the entry of water into the antenna interior. The sealing element thus separates from the outer tube and contributes no sliding friction during the antenna extension and retraction.

Telescoping vehicle radio antenna with compressible O-ring seal

A power driven rotatable antenna cable storage drum has a driven worm gear formed circumferentially about one end of its periphery. The drum is supported for rotation on two axially aligned equal diameter post members. One of the post members is integral with the housing and the other post member is integral with the cover. The cover post member is spaced from and radially aligned with the driven worm gear.

Rotary support structure for a power antenna cable storage drum

A power antenna actuator mechanism has a worm and gear drive for a cable storage drum which is integral with the worm gear. A covering, which cooperates with a housing to enclose the actuator mechanism, has a rib portion which abuts a circumferential surface of the storage drum for an arcuate distance adjacent the mesh point of the worm and worm gear to provide a support member for the storage drum in a radial direction transverse to the axis of the worm.

Antenna actuator with a locating and reaction support surface for the

An antenna cable drive and storage drum has a member threaded on the housing and rotatable with the drum. The member is effective to release a pair of stop plungers which engage between the drum and housing to create a substantial resistance to further rotation of the drum if the drum is rotated in either direction more than the predetermined number of revolutions which are needed to either fully extend or fully retract the cable.

Antenna cable drive and storage drum with stop mechanism

An antenna cable drive and storage drum is driven by an electric motor to extend and retract a cable during a predetermined number of revolutions of the drum. A reaction switch, sensitive to drum rotation forces occurring at full extension or retraction, controls motor stoppage at the fully extended and retracted positions. A rotatable gear member supported on a stationary member is driven by a single tooth on the drum. In the event that the normal cable reaction load is not present, the drum continues to rotate beyond the full extension or retraction point such that an interference condition occurs between the gear member and the single tooth resulting in a high reaction load on the drum causing actuating of the reaction switch to discontinue operation of the motor.

A drive and storage drum is comprised of input and output frusto-conical sections. The input section has a resilient drive member and locking tangs disposed thereon which cooperate with slots disposed on the output section to provide a resilient drive connection and axial positioning between the input and output sections. An antenna cable is drivingly connected to the output section while a drive motor is drivingly connected through a worm drive to the input section. The resilient drive connection permits relative angular motion between the input and output sections when the end of cable travel is reached but the drive motor is not concurrently stopped.

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Dayton, OH, United States of America

Ralph W Edwards