Abstract: An electric motor, in particular a motor and gear box unit for activating functional equipment in a vehicle, includes a rotor shaft (1) carrying a commutator (2) co-operating with conductive brushes (3) disposed in brush supports (4) fixed to a printed circuit card (5); the motor is provided with means for enabling brush supports to be fixed to the printed circuit card solely by surface mounting. These means may comprise, for each brush (3), a metal casing (6) containing the brush and having one wall (6) with at least one transverse tab (11) adapted to pass through the printed circuit card in order to position and hold the casing on the card and in order to provide an electrical connection. The invention enables brush-support devices to be fixed to the printed circuit card solely by surface mounting, thus making it pointless to perform an additional flow soldering operation as is required in the prior art.

Abstract: A method of assembling of a door comprising the steps of providing a door inner panel having an outer face and an inner face, at least one functional component of the door, an anti intrusion beam and a door outer panel. The functional component is assembled onto and towards the outer face. The anti intrusion beam is assembled towards the outer face prior to assembling the door outer panel towards the outer face. Fixing means secure the door inner panel, the functional component, the anti intrusion beam and the door outer panel relative to each other.

Abstract: An electric motor, in particular a motor and gear box unit for activating functional equipment in a vehicle, includes a rotor shaft carrying a commutator co-operating with conductive brushes disposed in brush supports fixed to a printed circuit card; the motor is provided with means for enabling brush supports to be fixed to the printed circuit card solely by surface mounting. These means may comprise, for each brush, a metal casing containing the brush and having one wall with at least one transverse tab adapted to pass through the printed circuit card in order to position and hold the casing on the card and in order to provide an electrical connection. The invention enables brush-support devices to be fixed to the printed circuit card solely by surface mounting, thus making it pointless to perform an additional flow soldering operation as is required in the prior art.

Abstract: A latch mechanism comprises a latch bolt rotatably mounted about a pivot on a chassis. The latch bolt is movable from an open condition, in which it is free to receive a striker of a motor vehicle, to a closed condition in which the striker is retained by the latch bolt. The latch bolt comprises an overmold of elastomeric material, which defines first, second and third buffers. The third buffer is adapted to cooperate with an abutment on the chassis to absorb over-travel of the striker when the door of a motor vehicle carrying the latch mechanism is closed.

Abstract: An actuator assembly (10) including a motor (1) having a body portion (14) and a drive shaft (16), the drive shaft being drivably connected to a pinion (18), the pinion drivingly engaging an array of gear teeth (20) of a gear rack (22) the array of gear teeth having a first side (21) adjacent the motor, in which the gear rack is pivotally mounted via a pivot about a pivot axis (25A) on said first side (21) of the array of gear teeth (20).

Abstract: An entry door lock system includes an energy storage device (27) to permit unlatching if unlatching movement of a door handle occurs before the latch has been unlocked. The device (27) is passive if unlocking occurs before unlatching movement of the door handle. The invention avoids the need for repeat movement of the door handle in cases where unlocking follows initial door handle movement.

Abstract: A latch arrangement including a latch, a release mechanism a manually actuable element and a control means, the latch being operable to releasably retain a striker in use, the release mechanism being capable of being moved by the manually actuable element from a rest position through an unlocked position to a release position wherein it unlatches the latch, the control means having a locked condition at which actuation of the manually actuable element does not cause unlatching of the latch and an unlocked condition at which during an initial movement of the manually actuable element, the release mechanism achieves the unlocked position and during subsequent movement of the manually actuable element, the release mechanism achieves the unlatch position.

Abstract: An assembly including a door panel, a window regulator housing component, and a window regulator drive system component. The door panel is secured to the window regulator housing component by a deformed portion to provide a subassembly. The deformed portion is utilized to releaseably secure the window regulator drive system component to the subassembly via a fourth component.

Abstract: A window-raising device for a vehicle provides a two-cable winding drum, a hood to support and partially surrounding the drum on a support plate to form a cable passage. A flange extends from the winding drum to support sliding movement of an end of one of the cables. An opening in the flange is defined by an outer side ramp that is angled relative to an axis of rotation of the drum. The ramp is positioned between two walls that are roughly parallel to the axis of the drum and formed below the flange. The present invention thereby permits a reduction in the total height of the winding drum for the same number of grooves. The cable is inserted at an angle relative to the axis of the drum by sliding it on the ramp. Thus, the drum and the device as a whole are made more compact.

Abstract: The body panels of the present invention are designed to crumple in a predisposed manner upon impact. The body panels are preferably made from a polymeric material. Further, the body panels can include a sheet of colored material attached to the polymeric material so that no painting of the panel is necessary. Preferably, the colored material is on an exterior surface of the panel. The colored material could be made from a thermoplastic with molded in color. The preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a polymeric material reinforced with spaced reinforcing fibers. An alternative embodiment of the body panel includes a sheet of polymeric material that is reinforced with spaced mechanical ribs that are preferably molded into the sheet of material. Another alternative embodiment of the body panel includes alternating sections of high density polymeric foam and low density polymeric foam.

Abstract: A window regulator and method for assembling a vehicle door incorporating it are provided. The method comprises inserting the screw thread of a screw with two heads into the screw thread of a plate secured to an outer panel of the door. The screw passes through an oblong hole in a lug substantially perpendicular to a slider guide of a window regulator rail. The transverse position of the rail with respect to the screw is adjusted. The screw is tightened using its upper head. The screw is loosened later using the lower screw head. The adjustment of the transverse position of the rail is then tweaked and the screw is tightened again using the lower screw head. This makes assembling and adjusting the transverse position of a window in a vehicle door easier.

Abstract: A latch assembly includes a latch bolt, a retaining member and an actuator. The latch bolt is moveable between a closed position at which it is capable of retaining a striker and an open position at which the striker is released. The retaining member is moveable between a retained position at which it retains the latch bolt in at least its closed position and released position at which the latch bolt can move between its opened and closed positions. The actuator is capable of moving the retaining means from its engaged position to its released position, in which, under normal operating conditions of the latch, the actuator is the sole means of releasing the latch.

Abstract: A latch mechanism has an input member and an output member. The mechanism has a first coupled condition at which the input and output members are coupled such that movement of the input member from its first position to its second position causes movement of the output member from its first position to its second position. The mechanism has a decoupled condition at which the input member is not coupled to the output member. The mechanism further includes a block member, which, with the mechanism in the decoupled condition, further prevents at least one of the input and output member from moving to its respective second position.

Abstract: An object detection system includes an emitter, a receiver, and a controller adjacent a window assembly which typically includes a moveable glass member and a frame. In operation the emitter transmits the electromagnetic through a defined field adjacent a closure path of a moveable glass member. The controller constructs a map of the signal received by the receiver such that insertion of an object within the defined field produces a variation in the map. The controller halts or reverses the movement of the moveable glass member to prevent trapping the object between the closing moveable glass member and the frame.

Abstract: An actuator including a rotatable gear wheel reversibly drivable by a motor, the gear wheel being operably connectable to an output element by a drive transfer device, the output element being moveable between a first and second position, in which the drive transfer device is operably disconnectable from the output lever to allow independent movement of the output lever.

Abstract: A window lifter includes a window connecting element, a cable drive motor element offset from the path of travel of the window connecting element, a first and a second cable return which are superposed and arranged at one end of the path of travel of the window connecting element, and a third cable return arranged at another end of the path of travel of the window connecting element. A cable is secured to the window connecting element. The window lifter has, in particular, increased compactness.

Abstract: The invention concerns an interference suppression system in an engine with permanent magnets activating a functional motor vehicle element, wherein the engine (1) comprises powering brushes (8, 9), connected to an external power source (12) with wires (10, 1) and a metal field magnet frame (2). The invention is characterized in that each brush (8, 9) is connected to the engine metal field magnet frame (2) through at least an interference suppression capacitor (13, 14) and the engine (1) metal field magnet frame (2) is connected to the vehicle earth connection (15).

Abstract: An assembly includes a first, second and third components having respective first, second and third holes. The assembly further includes a locating feature assembled into the holes having a small portion and a large portion that provide a shoulder therebetween. The locating feature further includes a fixing portion near the small portion to secure the second component relative to the assembly and a fixing portion near the large portion to secure the third component relative to the assembly. The small portion is located in the second hole to align the locating feature relative to the second component, and the large portion is located in the third hole to align the locating feature relative to the third component. The second component is aligned relative to the third component, and the first component is situated between the second and third components and between the shoulder and the second component.

Abstract: The invention concerns a gear motor (1), in particular for driving vehicle equipment, comprising a rotor provided with a rotor shaft (6), a reduction gearbox housing (14) containing a cog wheel engaged in an endless screw of the shaft and capable of driving an output member (12). The invention is characterised in that it comprises means (12) for eliminating, under predetermined axial compression (F), all axial play between one end (6a) of the rotor shaft and the housing wall (13). Said means can comprise a plug (15) housed in the housing (14) end (13) and a piston (18), inserted between the plug (15) and the shaft (6) end (6a); the plug (15) exerts on the piston (18) and the shaft (6) the axial thrust (7) which is adjusted when being mounted, and is axially locked in the corresponding position by melting the housing (14) plastic material in the grooves or recesses (19) of the piston (18) surface, then in solidifying said plastic material.

Abstract: A latch arrangement includes a latch, a manually actuable element, a release mechanism and an electromagnet. The latch is operable to releasably retain a striker. The release mechanism is capable of being moved by the manually actuable element from a latched position to an unlatched position such that the manually actuable element unlatches the latch. The electromagnet includes first, second and third conditions. The first condition is a non-powered condition and actuation of the manually actuable element does not cause the release mechanism to unlatch the latch. The second condition is a powered condition and actuation of the manually actuable element does not cause the release mechanism to unlatch the latch. The third condition is in a non-powered condition and actuation of the manually actuable element causes the release mechanism to unlatch the latch.