Abstract: A vehicle body panel arrangement includes a first panel having a bight portion provided with a terminal flange and a second panel having an edge portion resiliently held against the flange of the first panel by a deflectable portion of a clip mounted to the first panel. The clip also includes an abutment adjustable relative to the flange of the first panel to define a throat guiding insertion of the edge portion of the second panel into engagement with the flange of the first panel.

Abstract: A control means for an occupant restraint belt system includes a cable connected to a disablement mechanism of a restraint belt retractor at one end and connected at the other end to an actuating lever. The actuating lever is moved to an actuating position upon operation of the latch mechanism by either the inside or the outside operator. A latch bolt position sensor moves in the path of the latch bolt and mounts a blocking lever. When the sensor is moved to an actuating position by the latch bolt as the bolt moves from a fully latched position through a partially latched position, the locking lever moves to a blocking position with respect to the cable actuating lever so that the restraint belt retractor remains disabled when the door is in an open position and the inside and outside operators are released.

Abstract: A vehicle wheel cover includes a plastic cover body and an annular retention band which is secured to the cover body by a series of projections on a flange of the body being received through openings in the band. The material of the openings is formed into integral lanced tabs which engage shoulders of the projections. The axial extent of the openings is greater than that of the projections to permit axial adjustment of the cover body and retention band relative to each other. The band is provided with retaining fingers for retaining engagement of the cover on a vehicle wheel.

Abstract: A fastening arrangement for interconnecting a pair of levers of a vehicle body door latch system includes a rod having one end non-adjustably connected to one of the levers and the other end adjustably connected to the other lever by a series of truncated cones on the outer surface of the rod engaged by deflectable portions of a fastener secured to the other lever, with the deflectable portions defining an internal truncated cone.

Abstract: A control means for a restraint belt retractor includes a latch bolt sensor directly actuating the disabling means of the retractor and movable between actuated and unactuated positions. The sensor is normally located in unactuated position in the path of movement of the latch bolt when the latch bolt is in latched position. As the latch bolt moves to unlatched position it engages the sensor and moves it to actuated position. The sensor is connected to an operating lever of the door latch through a lost motion connection. This connection provides an operative connection to the operating lever when the sensor is in the unactuated position and provides a free wheeling connection when the sensor is in an actuated position. This permits the inside and outside operators, which operate the operating lever, to be released and to free wheel relative to the sensor when the sensor is in actuated position.

Abstract: A bearing assembly for seat slide structures includes, in one embodiment, a plastic cage which is preassembled with a flexible elongate member which can be bowed intermediate thereof to support the track members of a seat slide structure, with such track members being spaced by uncaged balls.

Abstract: A vehicle body door lock includes a fork type bolt and a sliding detent member which moves between detent and undetented positions with respect to the legs of the bolt. The detent is slidably mounted in a plastic housing located within a box type frame of the lock. A compression spring biases the detent to detented position, with the detent being located by engagement of a shoulder of a plastic cap thereon with a stop mounted on the housing. A release mechanism for the detent includes an intermittent member movable between locked and unlocked positions with respect to another shoulder of the plastic cap of the detent through inside and outside release members.

Abstract: A vehicle body door lock includes a pivoted operating lever connected to a pivoted transfer lever by a shiftable rod having a hooked end hooked through an opening in one end of the operating lever. The transfer lever rotates the operating lever against a spring bias. The position of the transfer lever relative to the frame is adjustably set by a bendable tab to eliminate lost motion between the hooked end of the rod and the operating lever and locate the levers and rod in rattle free relationship. The bight of the rod seats in an arcuate bearing area of the opening in the operating lever to reduce operating effort.

Abstract: A vehicle body door handle assembly includes a mounting member which is mounted to a flange of the rear portion of the upper portion of a vehicle body door and includes a housing fitting within a cutout in the flange and mounting a pull type handle. The handle is associated with an operating mechanism connected to a vehicle body door lock mounted inside the lower portion of the door. The handle and operating mechanism are mounted outwardly of the rear side wall of the door and access to the handle is provided through the rear open side of the housing and an adjacent recess in the body lock pillar.

Abstract: The shape of a non-axisymmetric vehicle body membrane panel is determined by placing a sheet of material over a scaled opening in a frame or support; constraining the edge portion of the sheet of material around the opening; heating the support and material to an elevated temperature above the glass transition temperature of the material until the modulus of elasticity of the material is relatively low and non-existent and the material has only membrane stresses which lie solely in the plane of the material and are constant over thickness. The unconstrained portion of the material within the opening deforms to the desired membrane shape so that this shape can be transferred to a die when the deformed material is thereafter cooled.

Abstract: A latch structure for a seat slide structure includes a latch member pivoted to the base wall of the movable one of a pair of track members and having a latch portion extending inwardly of the one track member and provided with at least one latched tooth engageable within openings in the track members to releasably latch the track members to each other. The latch member is biased to a latched position by a spring anchored between the latch member and the one track member. Where a pair of spaced seat slide structures are each provided with latch structures, simultaneous movement of the latch members of these structures to released position is effected by interconnecting the latch members with a slightly slack cable. A release lever is coaxially pivoted with one of the latch members and mounts a pulley engageable with the cable to effect shortening of the cable intermediate the anchored ends thereof and simultaneous movement of the latch members to released position.

Abstract: A latching arrangement for seat slide structures includes a latch member which is fulcrumed on one track member of the slide structure and includes a latching portion which extends inwardly of the one track member and has latched teeth, engageable within openings in the other track member and in the one track. The latch member is biased to latched position by a hairpin type spring.

Abstract: A cast vehicle wheel includes a series of circumferentially spaced radially extending reinforcement ribs. A number of adjacent pairs of ribs are provided with ramps which slope axially and radially opposite to each other, with one such ramp including a retention notch. The cover includes a number of radially flexible box members including a base wall slidably engageable with one of the ramps and a retention lip slidably engageable with the other ramp and interlockingly engageable with the retention notch. The box member is twisted until the retention lip slides past the other ramp and into engagement with the retention notch.

Abstract: A vehicle body floor pan assembly includes a pair of longitudinally extending floor pan units comprised of longitudinally arranged vertical load reacting non-axisymmetric membrane panels which are longitudinally connected by a central tunnel member having a catenary shape upper wall which reacts to the vertical loads applied to the membrane panels.

Abstract: An easy entry seat adjuster includes a latch member which is resiliently biased to a latched position and can be manually moved to unlatched position to adjust the seat. When the seat moves to the easy entry position, tilting movement of the seat back moves a blocking member into engagement with the latch member to move the latch member to unlatched position and block return thereof to unlatched position. Movement of the seat from the easy entry position rearwardly engages the latch member with an abutment of the lower track member to release the latch member from the blocking member and permit the blocking member to return to unblocking position and the latch member to latched position.

Abstract: A mechanism for forming threads in injection molded parts includes a core member having a threaded end which is moved into and out of a mold cavity. The core member is slidably and rotatably mounted on a support and is driven by a motor through a first lost motion rotatable connection. The core member is moved linearly upon rotation thereof into the mold cavity by a lead screw member which is coupled to the core member through a second lost motion connection and threadably mounted in the support.

Abstract: A latching arrangement for seat slide structures includes a latch member having a body portion which is pivoted to an edge of an opening in the upper one of a pair of track members. A latch portion extends from the body portion and includes a pair of latch arms which extend opposite of each other for movement within a second opening in the one track member and any one of a plurality of openings in the other track member. The latch member is biased to latched position by a hairpin type spring mounted on the one track member.