Abstract: A motion-transmitting assembly has a cable movable within a tubular sheath anchored on a panel. A movable member, such as a lever, is movably mounted on the support and has an aperture which receives a retainer clip. The retainer clip has a cylindrical body installed into the aperture of the member and having a bore extending through the cylindrical body with yieldable fingers projecting into the bore. A cable fitting has a barrel with a bore slidably receiving the cable. A stud projects laterally from the barrel and has a circumferential groove so that upon insertion of the stud into the bore of the retainer clip, the yieldable fingers of the retainer clip engage with the circumferential groove of the cable fitting to thereby connect the cable fitting with the movable member.

Abstract: A seal structure is provided for a vehicle having a removable roof member. Advantageously, the single integral seal structure seals between a front end of the roof member, an upper edge of a windshield, and a header rail. The seal structure includes a base retainer portion secured to the header rail and a windshield lip portion covering and sealing against the upper edge of the windshield. The windshield lip portion is integrally coupled to the base retainer portion. The seal structure also includes a weatherstrip portion integrally coupled with the windshield lip portion and the base retainer portion for sealably engaging the front end of the roof member. Preferably, the weatherstrip portion includes at least one hollow weatherstrip bulb for sealably engaging the forward end of the roof member.

Abstract: A box-shaped component is mounted within a vehicle body by a bracket attached to the vehicle and having slide surfaces which slidably receive the component. A retaining element is provided on the component. A retainer member, preferably a lever, is movably mounted on the bracket for movement between retaining and releasing positions with respect to the retaining element of the component. The retainer member has a first engaging element capturing the retaining element of the component at a first position of partial insertion of the component into the bracket. The retainer member also has a second engaging element for capturing the retaining element of the component at a second position of full insertion of the component into the bracket. The retainer member is preferably a lever.

Abstract: A tubular member is manufactured in a hydroforming and hydroshearing apparatus. A substantially right circular cylindrical workpiece is placed in a die and pressurized to hydroform a substantially rectangular tubular product. The workpiece is presheared during the pressurization period and is fully sheared during the withdrawal of a plurality of plunger members while the internal pressure is maintained. The plunger members are positioned in the die by respective power cylinders which control the withdrawal thereof.

Abstract: A door inner panel has a wall defining an opening for receiving a door hardware module. The wall has at least one cutout with upper and lower integrally bent flanges defining the upper and lower margins of the cutout of the door inner panel. The door hardware module includes a molded plastic frame having a network of molded plastic structural elements which support hardware mounting surfaces upon which various door hardware components is mounted. The structural elements include integrally molded receptacles having upper and lower slots which are adapted to interfit respectively onto the upper and lower integrally bent flanges of the wall cutout of the door inner panel so that the molded plastic frame becomes supported on the door inner panel in readiness for the installation of fasteners between the molded plastic frame and the wall of the door inner panel.

Abstract: An instrument panel structure for use in an vehicle having opposing side pillars, so called "A Pillars". The structure includes an extruded cross car beam having a plurality of radially spaced grooves transversely extending along the length. End caps having a receiving cavity adapted to receive the cross car beam suitably mounted to each of the pillars and the cross car beam is installed within each of the end caps. A plurality of extruded component brackets adapted to slidably engage within the cross car beam are positioned therein along the beam. The component brackets are fixed positionally along the beam by a plurality of fasteners, adhesive joining, or welding. Advantageously the instrument panel structure provides a flexible and efficient method of installing interior components within a right hand drive or left hand drive vehicle with the same structural elements.

Abstract: A vehicle door latch has a rotatable fork bolt that is latched by a detent in primary or an intermediate secondary latch position. The detent is operated via an intermittent lever that is operated by a transfer lever that is actuated by inside and outside door handles via suitable mechanical linkage. The door latch includes a locking lever that disables the door handles from operating the intermittent lever when it is in the locked position. The door latch also includes a cinching mechanism that automatically engages the fork bolt in the primary latch position when the intermediate secondary latch position is reached. The cinching mechanism shifts out of the way responsive to an unlatching operation to provide a fail-safe feature.

Abstract: A yieldable plastic collar is mounted on the latch housing to surround the entry recess of the housing and be engaged by the striker to thereby isolate the striker from noise producing contact with the housing. The plastic collar has a base portion attached to the housing and a striker contacting portion projecting from the base portion into the entry recess of the latch housing. The contacting portion is connected to the base portion by an integrally molded living hinge so that the contacting portion yields to remain in full time contacting engagement with the striker irrespective of shifting movement or misalignment between the housing and the striker.

Abstract: A housing has a chamber and a piston is slidablyally mounted in the chamber. The piston has a piston shaft which extends outwardly of the housing and has a seat belt reel attached thereto. A pyrotechnic device is energizable to introduce pressurized gas into the chamber and thereby translate the piston within the chamber. Screw threads are provided between the housing and the piston shaft so that translation of the piston shaft upon energization of the pyrotechnic device will cause the screws to impart rotation to the piston shaft and the seat reel. Accordingly, the seat belt reel is simultaneously rotated to wind the belt and also projected outwardly with respect to the housing so that the belt is tensioned by both a rotary and a projecting action of the seat belt reel.

Abstract: A deck lid may be released via rotation of a latch release shaft. A pinion gear is operably connected with the release shaft for rotating the release shaft. An electric motor has a gear meshing with the pinion gear and is energizable to rotate the pinion gear. An electrical switch is located inside the vehicle for energizing the electric motor. According to the invention, a blocking member is movably mounted on the latch and movable between a normal disengaged position, permitting rotation of the pinion gear by the motor, and a blocking position in which the blocking member engages the pinion gear to block rotation thereof by the electric motor. In a preferred embodiment, the blocking member is slidably mounted on the latch and the pinion gear has a toothed periphery with a cutout into which the blocking member is slid to block rotation of the pinion gear, thereby causing the motor to stall.

Abstract: A door latch for latching the vehicle door in the closed position includes a fork bolt pivotally mounted on the latch housing for movement between the latching position engaging a striker in an unlatching position to unlatch from the striker and permit opening of the door. A detent lever is pivotally mounted on the latch housing for movement between an engaging position engaging the fork bolt in its latching position and a disengaging position disengaged from the fork bolt to permit pivoting of the fork bolt to its unlatching position. A spring acts between the detent lever and the latch housing to urge the detent lever to the engaged position. A catch member is provided to retain the detent lever in the disengaged position and block pivoting movement of the detent member to the engaging position in response to absence of the spring.

Abstract: A vehicle power liftgate cable drive has a cable drive housing. An electric motor with a motor housing and an output shaft is secured to the cable drive housing. A clutch pack with a first clutch driven by the output shaft and a second clutch driven by the first clutch, is mounted in the cable drive housing. One of the clutches in the clutch pack is a one way clutch and the other clutch is an electromechanical clutch. A pinion gear is driven by the second clutch. A driven gear is rotatably journaled on a fixed shaft and driven by the pinion gear. The cable drum is attached to the driven gear. A coil spring has one end fixed to the fixed shaft and its other end attached to the cable drum. The fixed shaft is rotated to preload the coil spring in a direction that tends to wind a cable on the cable drum and then the fixed shaft is fastened to the cable drive housing. A cable is attached to the cable drum and to the liftgate.

Abstract: A rod guide including an elongated strip base for connection with a vehicle door panel and to encircle an elongated control rod mounted adjacent the door panel, the strip base being spaced away from the rod; at least one mesh wing with a base end connected with the strip base, the mesh wing angularly extending from the strip base and the wing having a contact end for encircling contact with the control rod and dampening any transverse movement of the control rod while freely allowing generally linear movement of the control rod.

Abstract: A mounting device is provided for mounting a window regulator drive unit on a molded plastic mounting panel. A plurality of flexible tabs are molded integral with the mounting panel and adapted to engage with the window regulator drive unit to retain the drive unit on the mounting panel. A molded plastic cap is adapted to fit over the drive unit and has integrally molded mounting fingers for engaging with complimentary integrally molded mounting fingers provided on the mounting panel so that rotation of the plastic cap causes inter-engagement of the mounting fingers and the drive unit is captured between the cap and the mounting panel. The cap has slots therein which become engaged with projecting lugs of the flexible tabs upon rotation of the cap relative to the mounting panel so that the flexible tabs become blocked and cannot be disengaged from their respective engagement with the drive unit.

Abstract: A vehicle door has a door trim panel to conceal a door inner panel. A rod is mounted on the inner panel and associated with the door latch to unlatch the door latch when the rod is pulled. A handle is pivotally mounted on the trim panel and has an arm projecting toward the inner panel. A plurality of door mounting hooks are provided on the lower edge portion of the trim panel for insertion into mating holes provided on the inner panel so that the trim panel is supported on the door in readiness and alignment for tilting of the trim panel into overlying relationship with the inner panel. A molded plastic guide track is mounted on the door inner panel, and a slider connected with the rod is slidably mounted on the guide track.

Abstract: A vehicle door module includes a door latch mounted on the module and has first and second bent wire rods pre-assembled on the door latch. The portion of the module to which the door latch is mounted is of molded plastic construction and has an integrally molded first receptacle in which the first bent wire rod is releasably snap-retained. A plastic mounting clip is attached to the door latch and has a molded second receptacle in which the second bent wire is releasably snap-retained. The first and second receptacles retain the first and second bent wire rods, respectively, to orient the bent wire rods to facilitate installation of the module into a vehicle door. The first and second receptacles permit release of the first and second bent wire rod therefrom to permit connection of the bent wire rods respectively to an outside door handle and an outside lock cyinder.

Abstract: A vehicle door has a glass run channel extending vertically to guide vertical movement of a window glass. A bracket is mounted on the door adjacent the bottom of the glass run channel and has an upwardly opening slot therein. A threaded stud is carried by the bottom of the glass run channel. An annular roller of molded plastic construction is threaded onto the stud and has a circumferential groove by which the annual roller may be installed into the upwardly opening slot of the bracket to thereby mount the bottom of the glass run channel on the door. The stud is preferably threadably attached to the bottom of the glass run channel so that rotation of the threaded stud relative the glass run channel will adjust the position of the annular roller to adjust the bottom of the glass run channel relative to the door.

Abstract: The invention relates to a molded plastic lever for a door latch, and more particularly, provides a serviceable retainer bushing for connecting an operating rod to the lever.

Abstract: A bumper subassembly includes first and second brackets which are removably attached to an impact beam by removable fasteners installed between the brackets and the beam. The brackets of the bumper subassembly are then subsequently welded to the frame rails so that the bumper subassembly becomes welded to the vehicle frame rails in the assembly plant but removal of the removable fasteners permits subsequent disassembly of the impact beam from the brackets to permit repair of the vehicle. The impact beam is preferably a closed tubular beam having a support wall, and first and second openings are provided in the support wall which receive reinforcing portions provided integrally on the brackets. Clearance holes are provided in the support wall to provide access to the bracket for making the spot weld between the bracket and the frame rail.

Abstract: An air bag module is mounted on the instrument panel structure forwardly of the passenger seating position. An instrument panel cover is mounted atop the instrument panel to conceal the air bag from view and extends transversely substantially the entire distance across the instrument panel forwardly of both the driver and passenger sides of the occupant compartment. The instrument panel cover is fastened to the instrument panel structure by fasteners which include detachable fasteners provided at least at the portion of the instrument panel cover generally forward of the passenger to permit the air bag to lift the instrument panel cover upwardly away from the instrument panel structure upon air bag inflation. The forwardmost edge of the instrument panel is fixedly attached to the vehicle body structure.