United Technologies Automotive Inc.

Richard P Bozyk

James D Dowd

David M Hilborn

Matthew J Brown

John P Quan

A modular headliner includes an assist strap for mounting to the modular headliner to the vehicle body structure and includes an assist strap fastening means. The fastening means extends to engage a vehicle body adjacent an opening defined by a vehicle body structure. A mandrel may then be inserted between the fastening means to lock the fastening means to the vehicle body structure to thereby mount the assist strap and headliner to vehicle body structure. The assist strap may include a pivotally mounted handle having a preassembly position such that upon displacement of the handle, the mandrel is displaced to the locking position. Additionally a breakaway tab means may secure the handle to the assist strap base such that until sufficient force is applied to the handle to rupture the breakaway tab the handle will not be displaced. The tab is tuned to require that a sufficient force be sufficient to drive the mandrel to the locking position.

Method of assembling modular headliner to a vehicle by snap-fitting

Assist strap for a modular headliner

In the assembly of a door panel module (1) with the door frame (2) in the assembly line of an automotive manufacturing operation, an automatic interfacing system for a multi-component mechanical system, such as for example the door locking mechanism, part of which is on the panel module and the other part of which is on the door frame. The interfacing system includes a receptor cup (20) on the door lock actuator (10) on the panel module and an orthogonally extending distal tip (34) of the door lock actuating rod (30) mating therewith. The receptor cup includes a circular, conically shaped, tapered surface (21) which leads into a centrally located, locking opening (22), into which the distal tip of the locking rod becomes engaged, after the tapered surface through the lateral movement of the receptor cup has guided and caused it to become longitudinally engaged with the centrally located opening. The end portion of the locking rod includes a dog leg or inverted 'U' section, which extends along side (rod section 31), over (section 32) and into (section 33) the receptor cup, when the door panel module is mated with and fastened to the door frame. The tapered surface of the receptor cup causes the locking rod to become automatically engaged and locked into the receptor cup in the assembly operation. The receptor cup can be carried on a pivoting link arm (12), while the distal leg portion of the locking rod can include a nub (50) with an enlarged head (54) for positively locking the rod to the receptor cup (FIG. 7).

Growing community of inventors

Roseville, MI, United States of America

Richard P Bozyk