Abstract: A trim component for mounting to a structural member of an automotive vehicle presenting an edge including a body adapted to be fixedly mounted to the structural member and extending substantially along the length thereof. The body presents a primary surface facing the interior of the vehicle and a contoured mounting surface disposed opposite the primary surface and corresponding to the shape of the structural member. The contoured mounting surface includes a plate disposed adjacent the edge presented by the structural member when the trim component is mounted thereto.

Abstract: A method of drilling ductile materials with split-point drills includes the steps of placing a split-point drill above a ductile material having an entrance side, drilling a hole in the ductile material with the split-point drill from the entrance side to an exit side thereof, breaking through a surface of the exit side with the split-point drill a first predetermined distance to form a drill cap, retracting the split-point drill a second predetermined distance, and accelerating the split-point drill through the surface of the exit side to remove the drill cap from the ductile material.

Abstract: A windshield assembly system for assembling windshield assemblies for vehicles includes a conveyor for delivering at least two plys of glass to an assembly station, a first robot for lifting one of the two plays from the conveyor, a second robot for gripping and removing at least one adhesive sheet from a stack of adhesive sheets and placing the removed adhesive sheet adjacent the other one of the two plys, whereby the first robot places the one of the two plys adjacent the removed adhesive sheet to assemble the windshield assembly. The apparatus includes a sheet edge separator such as a knife or blade movable along a longitudinal edge of the top sheet for separating at least a portion of the top sheet from the stack of adhesive sheets.

Abstract: A fault tolerant method of decoding an electronic key system includes the steps of reading a key return image from one or more actuated keys and comparing the read key return image to the previous key return image. The method also includes the steps of determining the actuated key from a net key return image between the read key return image and the previous key return image.

Abstract: A split joint construction for a space frame on an automotive vehicle includes at least one rocker member extending longitudinally, at least one structural member having extensions extending longitudinally in a first direction and in a second direction opposite to the first direction, each of the extensions having at least one channel to receive the rocker member, and a fastening mechanism for securing the structural member and rocker member together.

Abstract: A method of magnetically reinforcing a composite component including the steps of adding a composite mixture of a solidifyable material and magnetically attractable reinforcing particles to a mold, applying selectively a magnetic field to a predetermined location of the mold, migrating translationally the magnetically attractable reinforcing particles by the magnetic field to the predetermined location of the mold, and solidifying the composite mixture after the magnetically attractable reinforcing particles have migrated to the predetermined location of the mold.