Abstract: An overhead console for a vehicle or the like includes a housing defining a transmitter storage compartment for a garage door opener and an opening for permitting access to the storage compartment. A door is pivotally mounted to the housing for movement between a closed position for covering the opening and an open position for exposing the interior of the compartment through the lower opening. A hinge assembly for pivotally mounting the door to the housing includes a pair of spaced cams integrally molded to the door and a pair of spaced spring arms integrally molded to the housing. The spring arms are engageable with the cams as the door moves toward the open position from the closed position to arrest the movement of the door at an intermediate position between the closed and open positions. The spring arms are engageable and deflectable by the cam to provide frictional resistance to movement of the door only from the intermediate position to the open position.

Abstract: An overhead console for a vehicle has a support structure (14) with walls (30, 80, 82, 84) and an access door (10) defining a compartment (78) for storing a remote transmitter (86). The transmitter (86) includes an actuator switch (92) that is normally manipulated by a user for operating the transmitter (86) to open a garage door, turn on lights, etc., from inside the vehicle. The console access door (10) is attached to the support structure (14) for movement between closed and open positions. A manually operable actuator (12) is engageable with the transmitter switch (92) for operating the transmitter (86) upon depression of the actuator (12). The actuator (12) is attached to the support structure (14) independent of the door (10) such that movement of the actuator (12) is at least substantially unaffected by movement of the door (10) between the closed and open positions.

Abstract: The invention relates to a light pipe which includes a more effective light collector which transmits a larger amount of illumination to a lens located adjacent the light pipe. A lamp assembly includes a housing having walls defining a chamber and an open front. A lamp is mounted in the housing as well as a lens which covers the open front of the housing. The lens has a portion which extends laterally of the housing chamber. A light pipe is mounted to the housing adjacent the lens for collecting and distributing the light from the lamp along the laterally-extending portion of the lens. For more effective transmission of the light in a light distribution portion of the light pipe, the light-distributing portion can be provided with grooves along a surface distal from the lens to direct light from the light-collecting portion toward the lens.