Abstract: A mounting bracket for mounting a window regulator motor housing with three holes to a door panel having three holes aligned with the holes in the power regulator motor and three slots. The mounting bracket has three legs projecting radially outward from a central portion. Each leg has an arm that depends toward the door panel carrying a tab with a ramp surface for engaging the door panel for flexing the tab as tab is inserted in a normal direction to the panel through the slot of the door panel. Each tab has a shoulder for engaging the door panel upon the tab flexing back after insertion of the tab into the slot so that the bracket is secured to the door panel. The central portion engages the motor housing for sandwiching the motor housing between the mounting bracket and the door panel so that the motor housing is mounted to the door panel.

Abstract: A one-piece molded plastic nut for receiving a screw adapted to retain a trim assembly to a panel having a slot. The plastic nut has a head having a bottom surface and a top surface with a trench molded into the head and opening onto the top surface. The trench has a bottom face with three holes molded in the bottom face of the trench that extend through to the bottom surface of the head with the holes adapted to receive the screw. The trench has a pair of opposing facing planar side walls and a pair of opposing facing planar end walls angled towards the bottom face of guiding the screw towards one of the holes in the bottom face. Two flexible webs are spaced between the holes and confrm to and engage the screw when inserted into one of the holes. A pair of legs mirror each other and are adapted for insertion into the slot for engaging the panel and retaining the plastic nut to the panel. Each leg has an inner surface having a series of molded curved surfaces aligned with the holes in the head.

Abstract: A motor vehicle molding assembly for concealing the space between the edges of a window panel and a door which are mounted to a pillar. The molding assembly has a retainer mounted to the pillar. The retainer has a first projection projecting generally perpendicular to the pillar, with a hook formed at the end of the first projection. A dual durometer molding has a rigid portion having a groove with a catch portion adapted to receive and engage the hook of the retainer to secure the molding to the door pillar. A pliable portion encases the rigid portion and has a pair of legs depending towards and engaging the retainer mounted to the pillar for biasing the dual durometer molding away from the retainer and maintaining the engagement of the hook with the catch portion. A continuous flexible lip is extruded integral with the pliable portion and bridges across the top of the legs and the interposed rigid portion.

Abstract: A motor vehicle with a fixed roof that has a roof opening defining a forward edge, a rear edge, a pair of side edges and a closure for the roof opening. A central hinge hingedly divides the closure panel into a forward panel having a forward edge and an aft edge, and a rear panel having a forward edge and an aft edge. The central hinge permits jackknife folding movement of the panels in relation to each other between an unfolded position closing the roof opening and a folded position. A central handle integral with the central hinge assists the movement of the panels to and from the unfolded position closing the roof opening. A separable hinge hingedly connects the aft edge of the rear panel to the rear edge of the roof opening permitting rotation of the jackknife folded forward and rear panels to a stored position cantilevered rearwardly of the roof opening and overlying the fixed roof. Separation of the separable hinge permits the removal of the panels from the fixed roof.

Abstract: A hood latch engages a striker for latching a hood panel movable between open and closed positions relative to a body panel. The striker is mounted on one of the panels. A housing is mounted on the other panel. A pop-up lever is pivotally mounted to the housing for movement between lowered and raised positions. A pop-up spring bias the pop-up lever to the raised position. A latch lever has a hook for latching engagement with the striker. The latch lever is pivotally mounted to the pop-up lever for movement between latched and unlatched positions and has a handle for manually moving the latch lever. A latch spring acts between the pop-up lever and the latch lever to rotate the latch lever towards the latched position. A detent lever pivotally mounts to the housing for releasably engaging and retaining the pop-up lever in the lowered position and preventing rotation to the raised position.

Abstract: An assembly for a motor vehicle has an opening granting access to a fuel tank filler. A fascia is mounted to the motor vehicle and has a slot grant access to the opening and the fuel tank filler. The assembly has a rear fuel tank door with a pair of mounting brackets for pivotably mounting the rear fuel tank door to the motor vehicle. The rear fuel tank door has a pair of upper turned lips and a pair of square apertures. A pair of expandable plastic nuts are received by the square apertures of the rear fuel tank door. A license plate is received by the upper turned lips of the rear fuel tank door and secured to the expandable plastic nuts. A flexible splash shield is sandwiched between the license plate and the rear fuel tank door and has a pair of slits for receiving the upper turned lips and a pair of square holes that aligns and register with the square apertures and receiving the expandable plastic nuts.

Abstract: A one-piece molded plastic nut for receiving a screw adapted to retain a trim assembly to a panel having a slot. The plastic nut has a head having a bottom surface and a top surface with a trench molded into the head and opening onto the top surface. The trench has a bottom face with three holes molded in the bottom face of the trench that extend through to the bottom surface of the head with the holes adapted to receive the screw. The trench has a pair of opposing facing planar side walls and a pair of opposing facing planar end walls angled towards the bottom face for guiding the screw towards one of the holes in the bottom face. Two flexible webs are spaced between the holes and conform to and engage the screw when inserted into one of the holes. A pair of legs mirror each other and are adapted for insertion into the slot for engaging the panel and retaining the plastic nut to the panel. Each leg has an inner surface having a series of molded curved surfaces aligned with the holes in the head.

Abstract: A latch mechanism for a vehicle closure panel hingedly mounts to a vehicle body panel and latches the closure panel in a closed position. A striker post is rotatably connected to one panel. A handle is mounted to the striker post and allows the striker post to be manually rotated, when the handle extends outwardly in an extended position. A striker guide is mounted on the other panel and has an open ended slot therein engaged by the striker post upon closing movement of the closure panel. The slot is angularly disposed to rotate the striker post from the extended position upon movement of the closure panel toward the closed position. A primary latch engages the striker post to hold the closure panel in the closed position and is releasable to allow movement of the closure panel from the closed position toward an opened position. A pop-up spring moves the closure panel from the closed position toward the open position so that the slot rotates the striker post toward the extended position.

Abstract: A hinge rotatably connecting a paintable closure panel to a closure panel jamb of a vehicle body panel of a motor vehicle and enabling temporary extending motion of the hinge from a retracted position to an extended position, spacing the paintable closure panel away from the vehicle body panel during assembly to allow the painting of the paintable closure panel and the clousre panel jamb. A reinforcement plate mounts to the vehicle body panel and has a pair of slots and a retaining pin hole. A body hinge plate has a pair of rivets that are slideably received by the slots of the reinforcement plate to permit slideable movement of the body hinge plate relative to the reinforcement plate. A gate side strap of the hinge is mounted to the paintable closure panel. A hinge pin hingedly connects the gate side strap to the body hinge plate enabling rotation of the paintable closure panel.

Abstract: A sunshade panel is mounted on a support rod by an improved bearing assembly which permits the sunshade to pivot about the rod and to slide axially along the rod. The bearing assembly includes the support rod with a splined shaft and a sunshade carrier which encircles the support rod in radially spaced relation from the support rod. The sunshade panel is mounted on the sunshade carrier. A low friction slide element is interposed in the space between the carrier and the support rod. The slide element is preferably a VELCRO-like material including a base of plastic or fabric and a plurality of radially projecting resiliently flexible friction fingers which project to fill the radial space and enable sliding movement of the sunshade panel relative to the support rod by virtue of the frictional slip and resilient flexure of the fingers.

Abstract: An improved cargo screen for a vehicle body having a cargo floor accessible through a rear door and a rear seat which has a seat back that folds to extend the cargo floor. A cargo screen for covering the cargo floor includes a flexible screen having a forward end and a rearward end. The forward end of the flexible screen is mounted to the vehicle body below the cargo floor level on a reel having a spring for reeling the flexible screen to a stored position. A track formed on the seat back of the rear seat guides the flexible screen from the reel to the top edge of the seat back. A guide formed by the upper part of the the track redirects the flexible screen from a direction parallel to the folding seat back to a direction towards the rear door. The rearward end of the flexible screen is removably attachable to the vehicle body aft of the rear seat so that the screen is suspended above the cargo floor to conceal the cargo floor and the reel is concealed beneath the cargo floor.

Abstract: A secondary hood latch is rotatably mounted on a body panel of a vehicle body and engageable by a striker mounted on a hood panel upon partial opening movement from a fully closed position to retain the hood against full opening movement subsequent to release of a primary latch. A cam member is rotatably mounted on the latch and has an interengagement with the striker so that the cam member is rotated in one direction during closing movement of the hood to the fully closed position and rotated in the other direction during opening movement of the hood from the fully closed position. A handle is carried by the cam member so that the handle is rotated therewith and estabilished in a retracted position concealed within the vehicle body when the cam member is rotated in one direction during closing movement of the hood and established in an extended occupant accessible position projecting out of the vehicle body when the cam member is rotated in the other direction during opening movement of the hood.

Abstract: A pop-up and release handle mechanism has a pop-up support rod slideably connected to a vehicle body panel for movement between a retracted position and an extended position as a vehicle closure panel moves from a closed position toward an opened position. A pop-up spring is anchored between the vehicle body panel and the pop-up support rod for urging the pop-up support rod from the retracted position to the extended position and for urging the vehicle closure panel towards the opened position. A secondary latch handle, carried by a self-presenting bracket, is connected to the secondary latch by a flexible push-pull cable for releasing the secondary latch allowing movement of the vehicle closure panel to the opened position.

Abstract: An air dam attaches to the underside of a motor vehicle and extends downwardly therefrom into proximity with the road surface and potential interference with curbs or like obstructions extending above the road surface. The air dam is comprised of a generally rectangular flexible sheet with an upper edge and a lower edge defining an air deflecting surface therebetween. A bracket attaches the upper edge of the flexible sheet to the underside of the motor vehicle with the air deflecting surface cantilevered generally horizontally forward from the bracket so that the lower edge is spaced substantially above the road surface.