Abstract: A holding device for attaching, in a preferred embodiment, a window regulator channel blade to a vehicle door, the blade being subject to adjustment along three axes before final attachment to the door, the holding device including a nut having a fixed axis with respect to the door; a slider slidably engaged with the nut being adjustable with the nut along a first axis, the slider having an ear and an elbow spaced therefrom; a polymeric insert providing a nest for compliantly holding the blade, allowing adjustment of the blade with respect to the slider along two axes of adjustment and the insert having a guide surface for urging the blade into the nest; and a bolt for threadably penetrating the nut wherein torquing of the nut causes the nut and the slider to be affixed with respect to the door.

Abstract: An arrangement for a vehicle door is provided including first and second general vertical door supports spaced from one another in a fore and aft vehicle direction and a rigid side impact beam bridging the door supports, the beam being rigidly connected to the first beam under compressive loading, tensional loading and bending moment loading, and the beam being rigidly connected to the second beam under tensional loading and bending moment loading and the beam being slidably connected with the second support under compressive loading.

Abstract: An arrangement of an aimable vehicle headlamp assembly connected to a panel of an automotive vehicle is provided including in a preferred embodiment a bulb; a reflector housing mounting the bulb; at least one rod connecting to the panel of the vehicle and projecting therefrom with a balled end; a longitudinal channel connected to the reflector housing facing the panel of the vehicle, the channel having a forward wall having a depression, and the channel having side walls with converging flange portions spaced from the forward wall with a slotted region between the flanges; and a slider with a top tab, the slider being slidably mounted in the channel and captured by the forward wall, side walls and flanges, the slider having an elongated aperture having a first diameter larger than the rod ball and a second diameter smaller than the rod ball wherein to connect the reflector housing to the panel of the vehicle, the ball of the rod being generally aligned with the channel depression through the slot region in th

Abstract: A vehicle seat assembly is provided which, in a preferred embodiment, includes a vehicle seatback frame with at least two spaced-apart rails defining a seating surface therebetween, a flexible seat suspension bridging over and connecting to the spaced-apart rails for supporting the seating surface and including a generally elongated member generally parallel to at least one of the rails, a wire wing reinforcement pivotally mounted at upper and lower ends to the elongated member and extending from the elongated member and having upper stop means and lower means by making contact with the elongated member to limit a maximum angle of the wing reinforcement with respect to the seating surface, and an elastic wing covering the wing reinforcement compliantly returning the wing reinforcement to an angle approximating the maximum angle of the wing reinforcement with respect to the seating surface whenever the wing has been angularly displaced toward the seating surface.

Abstract: A vehicle seat is provided which, in a preferred embodiment, includes a seat bun platform, a seatback angularly inclined with respect to the bun platform and having a normal seating position and a folded forward position, an inertia latch mechanism having a first position allowing free forward angular movement of the seatback during normal conditions and a second position preventing forward angular movement of the seatback during excessive vehicle decelerations, and an armrest pivotally connected to the seatback having a first usage position and a second storage position wherein the inertia latch is locked in a second position whenever the armrest is in the first position.

Abstract: A vehicle headlamp assembly is provided which includes a bulb; a reflector housing mounting the bulb; at least one rod pivotally connected to the housing; an adjuster body encircling the rod and threadably engaged therewith, the adjuster body having an insertion end generally opposite the reflector housing and a slot on the insertion end; a vehicle panel with an aperture for receipt of the adjuster body insertion end; and a slider mounted for relative movement with respect to the panel. The slider has an aperture with a first dimension for receipt of the insertion end of the adjuster body, and the slider aperture has a second end with a smaller dimension for encircling the adjuster body adjacent the slot.

Abstract: A vehicle door wedge is provided including in a preferred embodiment a bracket having opposing ears, the bracket being connected to a door; a threaded shaft rotatably mounted by the ears of the bracket, the shaft having a head and being threadably engaged with the bracket ear generally least adjacent to the head of the shaft, the head of the shaft having a gap with the ear of the bracket to which it is most adjacent; and an elastomeric eccentrically mounted bumper mounted on the shaft. The bumper has a hardened member embedded therein and is rotated by the shaft to contact a door opening, preventing rattling of the door in the opening. The bumper is held in position by continuous rotation of the shaft causing the gap between the shaft head and the most adjacent bracket ear to be closed and for the bracket ears to elastically deform to capture the bumper until such time as the bracket ears are restrained from further deformation by resistance provided by the hardened member within the bumper.

Abstract: A tool for use in an automotive window regulator assembly is provided enabling a spring of the regulator assembly to be readily installed or removed by a mechanic or a technician.

Abstract: A holding element serves for the vertical fixation of a pane of glass to be glued in the frame of a motor vehicle. It consists of a holding part made of a hard elastic plastic inserted in a lower cross frame and a number of elastically insertable supporting steps connected to it with supporting faces arranged at equal distances one above the other to support the lower edge of the pane. In order to achieve the finest possible gradation of the individual supporting steps and simultaneously a no-play mounting, the supporting steps are designed to engage one another in a lamellar manner and are connected in each case to the holding part on both sides of the support area via elastically flexible cross members on their lamellar ends.

Abstract: An interior panel for an automotive vehicle is providing including a generally rigid plastic panel; a backing material formed into a membrane and attached with the rigid plastic panel; a polyester pad providing a cushioning surface and being adjacent to the backing material opposite the plastic panel; a cloth membrane insert covering a portion of the pad and having at least one major edge; an adhesive insert placed on the cloth membrane insert generally adjacent the major edge; and a supported vinyl membrane covering a portion of the pad not covered by the cloth insert, the vinyl membrane having a portion overlapping the adhesive insert and the cloth insert, the backing material, the pad, the cloth membrane insert, the adhesive insert and the vinyl membrane being dielectrically joined to one another adjacent the major edge of the cloth membrane insert.

Abstract: A headlamp adjuster is provided which, in a preferred embodiment, includes a mounting panel connected to the vehicle with an aperture and upper and lower ends providing linearly aligned cylindrical surfaces facing the vehicle; a housing fixably connected with upper and lower rods for pivotal entrapment in the cylindrical surfaces of the mounting panel, allowing pivotal movement of the housing with respect to the vehicle panel; a drive screw mounted by the housing and projecting therefrom having an end with a ball pivotally connected to the headlamp in a nonrotational fashion; a first gear with a connected bushing mounted within the housing, the first gear threadably encircling the drive screw being formulated from a nonmetallic material having a bore providing an interference fit with the drive screw, the rotation of the first gear causing translational movement of the drive screw; and a second gear mounted within the housing and held in position by the bushing of the first gear, the second gear being enmeshe

Abstract: The present invention provides, in a preferred embodiment, an interior trim component for a motor vehicle including a first membrane with a connected foam backing, an apertured second membrane spread adjacent the foam backing of the first membrane, and a moldable rigid polymeric material providing a backing for the second membrane and supporting the first membrane, the moldable polymeric material penetrating the apertures of the second membrane and adhering to the foam backing of the first membrane.

Abstract: A vehicle headlamp assembly is provided including a reflector housing having a forward face and a rearward face intersected by a bore, the rearward face having a generally annular flat with a series of depressions; a bulb providing a source of illumination positioned generally adjacent the reflector housing forward face; a bulb housing providing an electrical connection for the bulb and for mounting the bulb, the bulb housing having a first portion inserted within the housing bore and a second portion positioned generally adjacent to the reflector housing rear face annular flat contacting the same; a generally annular retainer having a first portion extending through the reflector housing bore and a second portion contacting the rear face of the reflector housing within the depressions of the rear face, the retainer also having an interlocking flange spaced from the second portion with biasing tabs for retaining the bulb housing within the reflector housing bore and urging the bulb housing against the reflect

Abstract: A mechanism for skinning a membrane cover onto a polymeric foam vehicle seat body is provided which, in a preferred embodiment, includes a frame which can releasably hold front and rear ends of the cover in a generally horizontal orientation with an apex of the cover extending vertically downward, providing an opening in the cover for insertion of the seat body, a first reaction member moved by a first cylinder in a generally horizontal direction for compressing the seat cover and the seat body in a generally horizontal direction, and a bottom plate with side arms, the side arms having sheeting strip support surfaces, the bottom plate also having operatively associated sheeting strips having a first fixed end connected with the frame and a second free end placed over the sheeting strip support surface and into the cover before insertion of the seat body into the cover, and the bottom plate and side arms being connected with a pop-up cylinder for extending the seat body upward from the mechanism after insertio

Abstract: A releasably mounted seat for a van-type vehicle is provided which in an embodiment includes a rear leg biased to latch to a floor of a vehicle, a seat bun frame joined to the rear leg providing a seating surface, a backing plate pivotally mounted with respect to the bun frame and selectively adjustable with respect to the bun frame means, a seat back pivotally mounted with respect to the backing frame and foldable between a first position generally extending with the backing plate and a second position folded forward generally adjacent the bun frame, and a single handle providing control to selectively position the seat back in the first and second positions and the handle providing control to selectively adjust the position of the backing plate with respect to the bun frame, and the handle providing control over the engagement of the latch of the rear leg with the vehicle floor.

Abstract: A vehicle seat and occupant restraint arrangement for a vehicle is provided which, in a preferred embodiment, includes a seat pan member having forward and rearward ends, a seat back joined with the seat pan rearward end, the seat back having an upper end, a D-ring joined to the seat back generally adjacent the upper end of the seat back, an anchor being generally fixed with respect to the vehicle, an occupant restraint belt with a first end operatively associated with the anchor, the restraint belt being threaded through the D-ring, and a lock plate mounted on legs of the D-ring to catch the occupant restraint belt upon sudden excessive acceleration of the vehicle in the forward direction to tension the restraint belt between the D-ring and the anchor to minimize angular movement of the seat back rearwardly.

Abstract: An optical coupler is provided which includes a light source; a conduit spaced from the light source with a major axis intersecting the light source, the conduit having a circular opening for receiving light from the light source; a first reflector surface of a partial rotated ellipse positioned to place the light source at the focus of the ellipse, the first surface having an extreme end with a first angle between the focus of the ellipse and the extreme end; and a second reflector surface juxtaposed between the first reflector surface and the conduit, the second reflector surface being generated from a compound parabola with a focus along the circular opening of the conduit with a parabolic axis at an angle generally equal to the first angle from the major axis of the cable rotated along the major axis of the cable.

Abstract: A vehicle headlamp assembly is provided including a bulb providing a source of illumination: a reflector housing for mounting the bulb and providing a reflector surface with a forward ledge extending therefrom; a bulb shield for restricting illumination from the bulb and including a generally tubular portion for surrounding the bulb and a leg extending therefrom, the bulb shield also having a foot to support the leg on the housing ledge; and wherein the foot has a snap fit connection with the housing ledge.

Abstract: A headlamp assembly having a recalibration device for providing the correct aim of the headlamp in a horizontal plane and characterized in that the recalibration device includes a transparent member which allows a leveling device to be visible to an observer so as to indicate whether or not the headlamp is in a correct aimed position in a vertical plane.

Abstract: A seatback load applying device that is capable of applying quasi-static and controlled loading along various points of an automobile seatback starting at a predetermined distance above the H-point of a seated surrogate and ending at the upper cross member of the seatback.