Patents Assigned to Rockwell Automotive Body Systems
  • Patent number: 5407289
    Abstract: The device comprises a bearing (3) carrying the glass (1), a stud (6) extending throughout the bearing and fixed to a carriage (2) of the driving mechanism, and means for locking the bearing to the stud comprising an elastically yieldable member (7) adapted to be clipped to the bearing before inserting the stud in the latter and adapted to grip the stud so as to fix it to the bearing. The member (7) is a clip having two arms (8) which are capable of being elastically spread apart on each side of a central bore (5) provided in the bearing (3) for the passage of the stud (6), slots (11) being formed in the bearing each of which receives a respective arm of the member (7). This arrangement permits pre-assembling the locking member with the bearing before the insertion of the stud (6) and consequently avoiding the necessity of assembling the clip "blind" in the door with risk of a defective assembly or loss of the locking member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1995
    Assignee: Rockwell Automotive Body Systems
    Inventor: Thierry Pebre
  • Patent number: 5392563
    Abstract: This device comprises arms (1, 2) arranged in X configuration, a shaped rail (11) inside which there are mounted rollers (5, 6) to which are articulated the ends of the arms (1, 2), one (6) of the rollers being provided with means for blocking in the rail while the other roller (5) can slide in the latter; the means for blocking the said roller (6) comprise an elastic clamp (13) with two branches (14) shaped so as to be able to cap the opposite ends of the roller, and through-holes for these branches are made in the walls of the rail so that the said branches pass through the rail from one side to the other, clamping the roller between them. This clamp is easy to install and can be fitted to existing rollers, which avoids the use of special components and therefore decreases the manufacturing costs of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1995
    Assignee: Rockwell Automotive Body Systems
    Inventor: Patrice Cardine
  • Patent number: 5250849
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for monitoring the closure of the opening points of a motor vehicle, in which each opening point is equipped with a closure contact which is connected to a central unit. It is characterized in that the central unit is connected to all the opening points by a single common line (8) with two conductors (31, 32), in that the central unit comprises at least one periodic-signal generator (28) connected to the said two conductors, in that each opening point comprises a passive receiver circuit tuned to the frequency of the periodic signal supplied by the said generator (28) of the central unit, the said passive circuit being connected in series with the closure contact of the said opening point, and in that the said device comprises, furthermore, indicia of a closure fault in response to the variations of the signal generated by the generator in response to the actuation of the corresponding closure contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1993
    Assignee: Rockwell Automotive Body Systems
    Inventor: Pierre Periou
  • Patent number: 5248898
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for the centrallized control of the opening points of a motor vehicle, in which the opening points have electrical actuators, including two locking states, and comprising at least one electric motor, and some opening points have a mechanically controlled device with a lock key sending commands to a central control unit which also receives commands coming particularly from the ignition key and/or from a remote-control set and from an anti-attack button.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1993
    Assignee: Rockwell Automotive Body Systems
    Inventor: Pierre Periou
  • Patent number: 5236234
    Abstract: Unitary integrated door latch assembly for vehicles, best seen in FIG. 1, has retention mechanism including a rotary or other latch bolt which engages a door post striker locking mechanism for locking and unlocking the retention mechanism, and electrical actuation and switching means for remote operation of the assembly and/or operation of latch assemblies of other doors of the vehicle e.g. as part of a central locking system, the assembly being in the form of a unit having a body or housing containing at least the electrical components and preferably also the mechanical components substantially sealed for protection and to resist tampering, and with electrical circuitry moulded into the body for plug-in connection of actuators, switches and other electrical components and for plug-in connection to external circuitry, the housing accommodating various selections of electrical components so that a common standard unit can be readily adaptable to different modes or systems of operation e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1993
    Assignee: Rockwell Automotive Body Systems (U.K.) Limited
    Inventor: Alan E. Norman
  • Patent number: 5205184
    Abstract: Brake designed to be connected to a brake cable (15), comprising a ratchet plate (1, 2) fixed to the floor of the vehicle, a pawl (4) designed so as to interact with the ratchet plate (2), and a handgrip lever (6) equipped with a push-button (18) associated with the pawl; it comprises a cassette casing (5) mechanically integral with the lever, containing the ratchet plate (1, 2) and the pawl (4), articulated on the ratchet plate and on the end of the brake cable (15). The cassette (5) is formed from two end plates (5a) between which are arranged the ratchet plate (1) and the pawl (4), and which are fixed to the lever (6) Because the lever is split into a grip lever (6) and a cassette casing (5), it is possible to make only the latter from sheet metal so as to enable it to withstand forces, whilst the lever (6) can be made from plastic molded into various shapes depending upon the desired aesthetics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1993
    Assignee: Rockwell Automotive Body Systems
    Inventors: Jean-Pierre Noel, Philippe Clerc
  • Patent number: 5184867
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a sun-visor for motor-vehicle, of the type comprising a light screening body having an indentation on one of its edges, a supporting arm traversing the indentation and a covering over the body. The body has two end portions of a rod which extend in opposite directions include the indentation and coaxially to the supporting arm. A mechanism for fixing the supporting arm on the body is constituted by the end portions of the rod which cooperate with recesses provided in the supporting arm and issuing onto the end faces of the arm. The parts of the coating situated in the immediate vicinity of the end portions of the rod are interposed between the end faces of the supporting arm and the light screening body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1993
    Assignee: Rockwell Automotive Body Systems-France
    Inventor: Charles B. Prillard
  • Patent number: 5148588
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the manufacture of a vehicle visor (2), of the type comprising a rigid core (1) enclosed in a fabric cover, according to which a fabric pocket (12) is produced, comprising on one of its sides (13) an opening (14) defined by lips, the core (1) is inserted into the pocket (12) through the opening (14) and the opening (14) is closed to form the cover. According to the invention, the lips (15, 16) of the opening (14) are first of all stiffened and the opening (14) is closed by inserting the stiffened lips (15, 16) into a groove (21) provided on the corresponding edge (6) of the core (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1992
    Assignee: Rockwell Automotive Body Systems-France
    Inventor: Charles B. Prillard
  • Patent number: 5145467
    Abstract: This geared motor comprises an outlet shaft (2) of the motor (1), carrying two coaxial screws (3, 4) offset axially and of mutually opposed screw pitch, two gearwheels (5, 6) located on either side of the shaft and each interacting with a screw (3, 4), an axle (7, 8) fastened to each gearwheel and extended by a crankpin (9, 11) eccentric relative to the corresponding axle (7, 8) so as to be capable of executing rotations about this axle, an element (12) equipped with a toothing (13) and linked to the crankpins in such a way as, during the rotation of the crankpins, to be driven in a circular translational movement, the radius of which is equal to the eccentricity of the crankpins, and a member (16) equipped with an output shaft (18) connectable to the component to be driven and carrying a toothing (17) interacting with that of the element so as to bring about a rotation of the member (16) in a ratio determined by the difference in the numbers of teeth of the two toothings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1992
    Assignee: Rockwell Automotive Body Systems
    Inventors: Pierre Periou, Francois Bardet
  • Patent number: 5103691
    Abstract: This device comprises a motor (1), the output shaft (2) of which carries two coaxial worms (5, 6), offset axially and with opposite pitches, two pairs of wheels, (7, 9, 8, 11) meshing with the worms, mutually in pairs, at the rate of two wheels (7, 8; 9, 11) per worm, which wheels are arranged on either side of the worms, an output shaft (12, 13, 14, 15) traversing each wheel (7, 8; 9, 11) freely and intended to control an associated element at one or other of its opposite ends, and on each shaft (12 . . . 15) and facing each wheel (7 . . . 11), a clutch (E1, E2, E3, E4) independent of the other clutches and adapted in order to be able to link the selected shaft in rotation to the corresponding wheel. This arrangement makes it possible to produce a compact control assembly distributing, from a single location, multiple functions from a lightweight divider box ensuring the switching of the functions, with a reduced overall size and a simplified single connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1992
    Assignee: Rockwell Automotive Body Systems
    Inventor: Pierre Periou
  • Patent number: 5050350
    Abstract: This panel is provided on its face turned towards the inside of the door with means for the fastening and preassembly on this panel of internal elements (8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) of the door, in particular window lift (8), lock (12), slide (11) for guiding and locking the window in the lowered position, and inside opening control (13), and these elements are provided with means for fastening to a panel (2) forming a structure inside the door. This arrangement considerably simplifies the structure of the door by eliminating an internal plate supporting the elements, while at the same time enabling the trim panel (7) to be disassembled easily, and consequently servicing to be carried out on the various elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1991
    Assignee: Rockwell Automotive Body Systems S.A.
    Inventors: Carlo Bertolini, Philippe Becceril, Patrice Cardine
  • Patent number: 5046377
    Abstract: Power actuator unit for servo-drive of motor vehicle body closures e.g. centrally controlled door latches and locks, window winders etc and including a power transmitting drive train wherein the latter includes a female bearing surface, e.g. the bore (34) of a boss (30) of a gear wheel or pinion (31) which is a running fit on a complementary male bearing surface e.g. a metal shaft (32). One surface e.g. of the shaft is at constant radius from the axis of relative revolution of the surfaces e.g. is cylindrical; and the other surfaces e.g. the bore (34) is formed to have a plurality of facets or other sections e.g. by being square in diametral cross section to provide line or point contact with the one surface at sufficient angularly spaced locations to ensure true running but the facets or sections not being otherwise in contact with the one surface e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1991
    Assignee: Rockwell Automotive Body Systems Ltd
    Inventors: Steven F. Wilkes, John F. Dean
  • Patent number: 5029915
    Abstract: Power actuated dead-locking unit for a centrally controlled vehicle door locking system has a lock actuating formation (20) which is shifted between locked and unlocked positions by a motor driven rotary operating cam (16), the latter holding the actuating formation in a dead-locked condition at a first position and allowing free movement of the formation between locked and unlocked conditions at a second position to which it is resiliently urged. A motor driven dead-locking catch (28) is movable between an engaged position at which it coacts with a formation (26) of the operating cam with the latter at its first position for dead-locking without having to keep the motor driving the operating cam continuously energized, and a disengaged position leaving the operating cam free.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1991
    Assignee: Rockwell Automotive Body Systems (UK) Ltd.
    Inventor: Steven F. Wilkes
  • Patent number: 5020841
    Abstract: This mechanism (3) for linking an opening handle (4) to a lock pin (2) comprises a calliper (6) interacting with the handle (4), a rod (11) engaged so as to slide in only one direction in a sleeve (13) at the lower end of which the pin (2) is inserted; the sleeve (13) is equipped with a ring (19) which is slidably fitted around the sleeve and can be moved during set-up from a first position at the base of the flexible arms (14) to a second position situated at the ends of the arms nearest the calliper (6), in which position the ring (19) clamps the arms (14) around the rack (12) and is held in place by suitable means (23, 24). The ring (19) prevents the arms (14) and their inner teeth from coming away at all from the rack (12), thereby guaranteeing the total irreversibility of the mechanism in both directions of the link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1991
    Assignee: Rockwell Automotive Body Systems-France
    Inventor: Patrice Cardine