Abstract: The present invention is directed to a cord fixture for attachment to a cord. The cord fixture includes a body having at least one side wall, and a slot in the at least one side wall for retaining the cord therein when the cord is in a fixed condition. The slot has a neck portion and an enlarged end portion adjacent the neck portion. The neck portion is configured to guide the cord into the enlarged end portion such that the cord can be releasably retained within the enlarged end portion. The present invention is directed to the cord fixture for attachment to a cord attached to a tonneau cover for a trailer or vehicle.

Abstract: A hydro-formed body side rail is assembled by a bracket to a front header. The front header is an extruded cross-car structural support that is joined to the body side rail by a framed joint. A gap is defined between the body side outer panel and the hydro-formed side rail relative to a lateral end of a front header. Side impact test loads are applied initially to the body side rail and compress the bracket. Compression of the bracket closes the gap and the impact loads are applied to the cross-car structural support.

Abstract: A variable spoiler apparatus for a vehicle may include a driving portion including a gear set configured to provide a predetermined speed reduction ratio, wherein a driving motor and a driving shaft for supplying rotational force of the driving motor may be connected to the gear set, and a linkage, wherein a base bracket to which the driving shaft of the driving portion may be connected may be provided on the linkage, wherein the linkage includes a plurality of links that may be connected to a spoiler bracket connected to the driving shaft, the base bracket and a spoiler, and wherein the plurality of links may be rotated together with the driving shaft when the driving motor of the driving portion operates thereby to draw out or stow the spoiler such that angle and height of the spoiler may be varied.

Abstract: A chassis assembly of a vehicle includes a frame, an underbody supported by the frame, and a subframe connected to the underbody. A connection connects the subframe and the underbody. A lever extends from the subframe to the frame. During a frontal impact of the vehicle, the lever leverages against the frame to detach the connection from the underbody. This movement of the subframe relative to the frame and the detachment of the connection from the underbody absorbs energy during the frontal impact and results in a softer pulse and a reduced Vehicle Pulse Index.

Abstract: In a damper housing structure body, an upper edge of a damper housing and a damper base are bonded by spot welding. The damper housing has a U-shape with an opening on a vehicle outer side in plan view, and includes a planar part in a corner between a front wall and an inner wall. The planer part includes plural welding spots arranged in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. Adjacent weld spots have mutually overlapping welding margins or an interval between two adjoining welding points is shorter than an outer diameter of the welding margins. One of the welding spots is welded while a current is applied to another welding spot that has been already welded. A current value for welding the one of the welding spots is higher than another current value for another one of the welding spots that has been already welded.

Abstract: A vehicle exterior component includes a honeycomb structure having an inner plate portion arranged in the vicinity of an engine compartment, an outer plate portion arranged at an outer side of the inner plate portion, and a honeycomb portion held between the plate portions. The honeycomb portion includes a plurality of partition walls and a plurality of cells, which are separated from one another by the partition walls. Each of the partition walls of each cell has communication holes, to allow communication between the engine compartment and the interior space of the cell. Each partition wall has an absorbing portion. When external force acting inward is applied to the partition wall, the absorbing portion absorbs energy produced by the external force through deformation of the partition wall at positions corresponding to the peripheries of the communication holes, of the partition wall.

Abstract: Clipped twin-shell sun visor assembly comprising a first shell (1) and a second shell (2) arranged to be joined together for forming a sun visor core, wherein said assembly comprises a plurality of clips (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D; 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D) arranged for interacting with corresponding complementary elements (4A, 4B, 4C, 4D; 40A, 40B, 40C, 40D) so as to join the shells. At least when the shells are joined together, the clips are arranged in groups (3), each group comprising at least a first clip (3A; 30A) and a second clip (3B; 30B).

Abstract: A tarpaulin support device for an open top of a trailer or vehicle. The device has a flexible and resilient tube assembly bowed from a normally straight position under tension to an arched position outwardly from the trailer or vehicle. The tube assembly may be removably mounted to the side walls of the trailer or vehicle via brackets with angled bores therethrough. The tube assembly comprises an outer tube, an inner tube located substantially within an outer tube, a rod located substantially within an outer tube, or a rod located substantially within an inner tube located substantially within an outer tube.

Abstract: A tailgate assembly for a vehicle includes a structure that defines a compartment, and a cover that is moveably attached to the structure to cover the compartment. A compartment latch mechanism is attached to the structure for latching the cover to the structure. A compartment release mechanism is coupled to the compartment latch mechanism for actuating the compartment latch mechanism. The compartment release mechanism is disposed on one of a first lateral edge surface or a second lateral edge surface of the structure. When the tailgate assembly is disposed in a first position, the body of the vehicle conceals the compartment release mechanism to prevent access to the compartment release mechanism, thereby preventing actuation of the compartment latch mechanism and securing the cover relative to the structure.

Abstract: A vehicle with a driver's cab including a driver unit with a vertically suspended floor structure and a vehicle steering control, a vehicle speed control and a driver's seat. The cab is provided with a deformation zone behind the driver unit for absorbing force in case of a frontal collision. A horizontal beam belonging to the cab frame structure is positioned in front of the driver unit. An arrangement for positively locking the beam to the driver unit is provided in case a frontal collision causes the beam to contact the driver unit.

Abstract: A roof arrangement (3) of a motor vehicle is stowable and, in a closed position, extends between an upper windshield cowl and a fixed rollover hoop (6). The roof arrangement (3) has a roof frame (4) which is articulated, via a linkage (11, 13), in a mount (11) that is fixed with respect to a bodyshell. Seals (17) run on both sides of the roof frame (4) and form seal strands in the closed position of the roof arrangement. Each seal (17) is divided into three over its length. A front portion (18) of the seal (17) is fastened to the roof frame (4), a middle portion (19) of the seal (17) is fastened to a link (11) of the linkage (11, 13) and a rear portion (20) of the seal (17) is fastened to a rear surface bow (5).

Abstract: The invention is directed to a pick-up truck having a movable cover thereon. The side wall of the cover having rails at the bottom to accommodate a sliding motion. A hydraulic system is incorporated in the bed of the pick-up truck. The hydraulic system consists of a first hydraulic cylinder being mounted at a top of one of the sidewalls and covering half of the distance of the bed of the truck. A piston of the cylinder is separably connected to a rail on one side of the cover. The piston, when actuated, will move the cover half way along the cover. A second cylider is mounted at a half way mark of the first cylinder but on the opposite side of the other side wall of the truck. The piston of the second cylinder, when activated, will move the cover to its end position at the tailgate of the pick-up truck.

Abstract: A bracket for releasable securement of a cargo compartment floor, which is swingable about an axis in a vehicle in the opened position includes a holding device which, in an installed condition, can be swiveled or pushed from a starting position in which it projects from a surface of a cargo compartment lining elastically at least partially into the cargo compartment lining. A lighting device is provided in the part of the holding device which, in the starting position, projects from the cargo compartment lining.

Abstract: A vehicle hood panel is formed by bonding an outer panel and an inner panel to each other. Disposed along the outer peripheral edge of the inner panel is an outer peripheral portion to which a cushion member and hinges for attaching the hood panel to a vehicle are to be later fastened. Adhesive bonding surfaces which are to be bonded to the outer panel by mastic are disposed on the region surrounded by the outer peripheral portion, and a plurality of reinforcement beads are formed between the adhesive bonding surfaces. At least some of the adhesive bonding surfaces and/or reinforcement beads are bended so as to extend toward the hinges or the cushion member as seen in a plan view.

Abstract: An attachment system connects an object such as a windshield to a vehicle pillar. The attachment system includes a front extrusion connectable to the vehicle pillar and including a connecting member, and a mating extrusion connectable to the vehicle pillar and including a coupling member cooperable with the connecting member. A pocket is machined into one of the front extrusion and the mating extrusion, and a latch is coupled with the other of the front extrusion and the mating extrusion. The front extrusion and the mating extrusion are connectable in an unlocked position and a locked position, wherein in the unlocked position, the connecting member is engaged with the coupling member with the latch displaced from the pocket, and in the locked position, the connecting member is engaged with the coupling member with the latch in alignment and engaged with the pocket.

Abstract: A cowl top cover is disclosed that can be placed flush with a windshield and that makes it possible to efficiently absorb an impact load by appropriately allowing the windshield to deform, when the windshield is subjected to the impact load. The cowl top cover according to the present invention includes: a glass-parallel portion including an outer surface that is flush with the windshield at a rear end portion of a cover-main-body portion. The glass-parallel portion includes at least single linear fragile portion having a reduced thickness of the glass-parallel portion along the vehicle width direction. The fragile portion is configured to be deformable or breakable when the cover-main-body portion is subjected to a load equal to or greater than a predetermined magnitude.

Abstract: A structure for coupling roof rails using a side two-buck structure includes a floor formed of a bottom of a vehicle body, side inner panels coupled to both side surfaces of the floor, and roof rails coupled to upper portions of the side inner panels. A method for coupling roof rails includes coupling side inner arms to side surfaces of a vehicle floor, coupling a cross shaped joint part to an upper portion of the side inner arm, coupling a side inner reinforcement part to outer surfaces of the side inner arm and the joint part, coupling the roof rail to an upper portion of the side inner reinforcement part and an upper surface of the joint part, coupling a side outer reinforcement panel to an outer portion of the side inner reinforcement part, and coupling a side outer panel to an outer portion of the side outer reinforcement panel.

Abstract: A structure for a headlight cowl for reducing the difference in steering feeling between the starting of a pivotal motion and a succeeding pivotal motion when the handlebar is pivoted so that the driver is less likely to have an uncomfortable feeling. The structure of a headlight cowl includes a steering apparatus supported for pivotal motion on a head pipe at a front end of a vehicle body frame and operable to turn a front wheel in accordance with a steering operation by a driver. A headlight cowl includes left and right side faces for covering the left side and the right side of a headlight provided on a front face of an upper portion of the steering apparatus and for guiding a flow of air to flow rearwardly. The headlight cowl includes projections that individually project outwardly in a vehicle widthwise direction from the left and right side faces.

Abstract: A deflector assembly for a vehicle having a bumper and a frame rail that are connected by a crush-can. The deflector assembly absorbs impact forces in a small overlap rigid barrier test by directing the impact from the barrier in a lateral direction toward the frame rail. A guide and follower, such as a wheel-shaped roller, a ball-shaped roller, a sliding shoe, or a fastener is received in a guide member that defines a guide surface extending longitudinally to guide a back end of the deflector assembly in a full frontal impact in a longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A storage receptacle integrated into the floor of a vehicle. The storage receptacle includes a housing. The housing includes a collar, a lower surface, and a plurality of side surfaces extending between the collar and the lower surface. The side surfaces each define an upper surface and an intermediate surface that extend continuously around an inner periphery of the housing and are oriented substantially parallel with the collar and the lower surface. A lid is configured to rest on the upper surface in a first storage position when the lid has a first orientation, and is configured to rest on the intermediate surface in a second storage position when the lid has a second orientation, wherein the second orientation is rotated 90 degrees relative to the first orientation.