Daimlerchrysler Corporation

Chrysler Corporation

Todd H Wludyka

Mark E Gleason

Waine T Brock

Thomas C Odette

Joseph E Kubina

Richard F Biermacher

Jerry F Loughlin, Jr

Robert B Georgeff

Patrick M Harney

Earl R Sobeck

Jaime N Jyawook

Craig S Montie

Albert J Sherrington

Alfredo N DiMichele

A vehicle door system having a vehicle door, a stationary handle fixed to the vehicle door, a door switch, a power latching mechanism and a wiring harness with a sealing grommet is provided. The door switch is mounted to the stationary handle in a manner which permits the door switch to be actuated when the stationary handle is gripped to open the vehicle door. The wire harness extends from the door switch through an aperture in the vehicle door and couples the door switch to a control module. The sealing grommet substantially seals the aperture to inhibit the infiltration of water and dust into the vehicle door. Actuation of the door switch causes the generation of a door switch signal which is received by the control module. Upon receipt of the switch signal, the control module determines the latched condition of the power latching mechanism and controls its operation according to a predetermined control methodology.

Electronically-controlled vehicle door system

A lamp assembly having fluid dispensing capabilities comprising a housing, a lens having a fluid nozzle retaining sleeve and a fluid nozzle assembly. The lamp assembly is subassembled by snap-fitting these components together, installing a lamp unit to the housing and a seal to the lens. Installation of the lamp assembly into the vehicle is accomplished by connecting the lamp unit to a wire harness, coupling the fluid nozzle assembly to a fluid supply line and securing the lamp assembly in an aperture in the vehicle with a pair of fasteners. The lamp assembly is particularly useful when incorporated into a rearward facing surface of a vehicle as the lamp serves as a center high mount stop lamp and the nozzle assembly is used to dispense a cleaning fluid onto a rear windshield.

Lamp assembly with fluid dispensing nozzle

There is disclosed herein a fluid containment device secured to, or integrated within a vehicle cowl or louvered panel serving to divert water or windshield washer fluid 'run-up' away from the operator's line of vision. Such run-up of fluid tends to occur in the vicinity of the ends of a wiper blade at the end of its final or intermittent downward stroke. The fluid containment device is formed to include a ramped lead-in front surface and a vertically oriented trailing surface, creating a high pressure, low velocity space adjacent the rear surface thereof, causing a turbulent airflow to circle downwardly and spiral laterally. The result is to urge the fluid downward toward the base of the louvered panel, and laterally toward the outboard sides of the windshield.

Fluid containment device

Growing community of inventors

Walled Lake, MI, United States of America

Todd H Wludyka