Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Sara M Repen

Lorin A Mazur

James Axiotis

James C O'Kane

Rinaldo M Lucchesi

Kouichi Inaba

David Helmer

A lock indicator arm for a door having a latch mechanism includes a rod portion connectable on a first end to the latch mechanism, and a knob portion located on a second end of the rod portion opposite the first end and formed as a one-piece structure with the rod portion. The rod portion may include a spring region configured to bias the rod portion against either an interior panel, an exterior panel, or both panels. The knob portion and the rod portion of the lock indicator arm may be formed from a matrix material and a filler material. The filler material may include a plurality of fibers, and the plurality of fibers may be oriented substantially longitudinally along the rod portion. The rod portion of the lock indicator arm may have one of an H-shape cross section and a W-shape cross section.

Door lock indicator arm

A vehicle door assembly is provided that includes a retainer that secures to a door body panel, specifically, to the door inner panel, and is configured such that a door trim component or components may be secured to the retainer, rather than directly to the door trim panel. Door trim components of lightweight materials may be used, with the retainer providing the structural integrity required for securement to the door inner panel. Because it is not a visible component in the assembled door, the same retainer design may be used for doors of different models in a given vehicle platform, with different door trim components of different materials or styles consistent with the different models secured to identical retainers.

Door trim panel assembly and method

Growing community of inventors

Farmington, MI, United States of America

Sara M Repen