Abstract: To provide an inexpensive routing structure, which is improved in sealing performance with no harm in noise insulation performance, of a wire harness of a sensor for a door of an automobile. The routing structure includes a wire harness of a sensor. The sensor couples to a flange of a rear door of the automobile with a bracket, and detects an electric signal which provides an indication that an object is between the rear door and a front door. The wire harness passes through a through hole, provided on an inner panel of the rear door, and is routed into a space between the inner panel and an outer panel. The through hole is a service hole, provided on a door side surface of the inner panel.

Abstract: A system for preventing sliding vehicle doors from opening during collisions is disclosed. The system includes at least one roller assembly of a sliding door connected to a guiderail on a vehicle body. The roller assembly includes a protruding member that interfaces with a protrusion engaging member attached to the vehicle body. During normal operation, the protruding member clears the protrusion engaging member. During a collision in which the sliding door is pushed laterally outwards, the protruding member contacts the protrusion engaging member and stops the outward motion of the sliding door. In some cases, a vehicle includes corresponding protruding members and protrusion engaging members for both an upper roller assembly and a lower roller assembly of a sliding door.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter are directed to a vehicle door that includes a door frame and a door trim with pinch sensor located adjacent the door frame. A door harness coupler can hang within the door frame prior to assembly of the door, and can be connected to a pinch sensor coupler adjacent the door trim to electrically connect the pinch sensor to a controller and/or door actuator. Thus, the pinch sensor can be installed at the end of a door assembly line.

Abstract: Some embodiments are directed to a vehicle door that includes a door frame and a trim panel connected to the door frame. The vehicle door can also include an upper garnish connected to the door frame and including a connection portion. A bracket can be disposed along an edge of the trim panel and extend along a length of the door frame. The bracket can snap fit into the connection portion of the upper garnish, and a pinch sensor can be disposed on the bracket.

Abstract: To provide an inexpensive routing structure, which is improved in sealing performance with no harm in noise insulation performance, of a wire harness of a sensor for a door of an automobile. The routing structure includes a wire harness of a sensor. The sensor couples to a flange of a rear door of the automobile with a bracket, and detects an electric signal which provides an indication that an object is between the rear door and a front door. The wire harness passes through a through hole, provided on an inner panel of the rear door, and is routed into a space between the inner panel and an outer panel. The through hole is a service hole, provided on a door side surface of the inner panel.

Abstract: A roller assembly includes an L-shaped bracket and a support bracket, each having a preformed bend that is greater than ninety degrees, but that when under a load of a sliding side door of a vehicle, is configured to decrease under the load to ninety degrees. The roller assembly also includes a roller arm supported between the L-shaped bracket and the support bracket and extending laterally from the brackets for engaging a rail on the body of the vehicle. A spacer is included between the roller arm and the support bracket, preventing contact between them and thus allowing for decreased friction between them.

Abstract: A cover assembly, for covering a visible surface of a side sill pocket for a lower sliding door rail of a vehicle, includes a cover and a mechanical fastener. The cover has a shape corresponding to a shape of the visible surface of the side sill pocket. The mechanical fastener is arranged on a bottom surface of the cover, and is used to reversibly connect the cover to the visible surface of the side sill pocket, thus covering at least a portion of the visible surface so as to hide the covered portion from view. The cover provides a different characteristic than the visible surface provides, and can be selectively removed for replacement, or for cleaning of the cover and/or surface of contamination.

Abstract: A method of properly aligning a sliding side door on a vehicle includes first preparing a prototype vehicle and determining how far out of alignment the door is to the body of the prototype vehicle. This amount of misalignment is then used to adjust the attachment position of an anchor plate to a sliding side door of the vehicle, so that the anchor plate is attached at a desired position to the production vehicle, which causes there to be no misalignment between the sliding side door and the body of the production vehicle. A jig is used to hold the anchor plate at the desired location while welding the anchor plate to the door. A roller assembly is then attached to the anchor plate and to a rail on a body of the vehicle.

Abstract: A door seal and sensor assembly for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The assembly includes sealing members that can create seals between vehicle doors and the body of a vehicle. The assembly further includes pressure sensitive components that can detect pinching between vehicle doors and the body of the vehicle. The pressure sensitive components can be retained within retaining portions of lateral sealing members. Relatively rigid connecting members are used to connect the ends of the pressure sensitive components to corresponding wire harnesses. In vehicles that use a dual sliding door assembly, the assembly can be mounted around the entire periphery of an opening in the vehicle body.

Abstract: A vehicle door including a door water management system is disclosed. The water management system includes a baffle installed within the door to direct water towards a lateral door of the door, preventing water from leaking inside a motor vehicle. The water management system also includes a grommet that is set within an opening of a stiffening member, which is disposed between an exterior skin member and an interior panel member of the vehicle door. The grommet protects a wire running through the opening of the stiffening member and helps prevent water from leaking through that opening.

Abstract: A vehicle door including a door water management system is disclosed. The water management system includes a baffle installed within the door to direct water towards a lateral door of the door, preventing water from leaking inside a motor vehicle. The water management system also includes a grommet that is set within an opening of a stiffening member, which is disposed between an exterior skin member and an interior panel member of the vehicle door. The grommet protects a wire running through the opening of the stiffening member and helps prevent water from leaking through that opening.

Abstract: An asymmetric latch configuration for a dual sliding door system in a motor vehicle is disclosed. The dual sliding door system includes a front sliding door and a rear sliding door. One of the two doors is configured with a single latch that secures to a latch striker on the vehicle body. The other of the two doors is configured with three latches that secure to three associated latch strikers on the vehicle body. The sliding doors may also include overlapping lateral edges that reduce lateral separation during a collision.

Abstract: A door seal and sensor assembly for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The assembly includes sealing members that can create seals between vehicle doors and the body of a vehicle. The assembly further includes pressure sensitive components that can detect pinching between vehicle doors and the body of the vehicle. The pressure sensitive components can be retained within retaining portions of lateral sealing members. Relatively rigid connecting members are used to connect the ends of the pressure sensitive components to corresponding wire harnesses. In vehicles that use a dual sliding door assembly, the assembly can be mounted around the entire periphery of an opening in the vehicle body.

Abstract: A system for preventing sliding vehicle doors from opening during collisions is disclosed. The system includes at least one roller assembly of a sliding door connected to a guiderail on a vehicle body. The roller assembly includes a protruding member that interfaces with a protrusion engaging member attached to the vehicle body. During normal operation, the protruding member clears the protrusion engaging member. During a collision in which the sliding door is pushed laterally outwards, the protruding member contacts the protrusion engaging member and stops the outward motion of the sliding door. In some cases, a vehicle includes corresponding protruding members and protrusion engaging members for both an upper roller assembly and a lower roller assembly of a sliding door.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter are directed to a vehicle door that includes a door frame and a door trim with pinch sensor located adjacent the door frame. A door harness coupler can hang within the door frame prior to assembly of the door, and can be connected to a pinch sensor coupler adjacent the door trim to electrically connect the pinch sensor to a controller and/or door actuator. Thus, the pinch sensor can be installed at the end of a door assembly line.

Abstract: A vehicle operation detection device includes sensors laid out in a vehicle along an axis in an opening-closing direction of a door of the vehicle. When the user moves a part of a body toward the sensors and a motion of moving the part of the body along the axis is detected, the sensors detect an opening-closing operation for the door. The vehicle operation detection device further includes light-emitting members laid out in the vehicle along the axis in the opening-closing direction and an operation direction indicator configured to drive the light-emitting members in sequence in a first direction in a fully-closed state of the door and drives the light-emitting members in sequence in a second direction in a fully-open state of the door.

Abstract: An outer pinch sensor is an integral assembly for mounting on a double sliding door arrangement that covers an opening. The integral assembly includes a bracket, and a seal and sensor mounted to the bracket. The bracket is mounted to a leading edge of one of the doors, the leading edge leading the door when the door is moved in a closing direction. The bracket includes a flange for mounting to the door. When mounted to the door, the seal is arranged inboard of the sensor for sealing to an outer surface of the other door. The sensor is arranged furthest in the closing direction than the other components of the assembly so as to sense the presence of an object in the opening. A signal generated by the sensor may then be used to perform emergency operations for the door to prevent pinching of the object.

Abstract: Some embodiments are directed to a vehicle door that includes a door frame and a trim panel connected to the door frame. The vehicle door can also include an upper garnish connected to the door frame and including a connection portion. A bracket can be disposed along an edge of the trim panel and extend along a length of the door frame. The bracket can snap fit into the connection portion of the upper garnish, and a pinch sensor can be disposed on the bracket.

Abstract: An outer pinch sensor is an integral assembly for mounting on a double sliding door arrangement that covers an opening. The integral assembly includes a bracket, and a seal and sensor mounted to the bracket. The bracket is mounted to a leading edge of one of the doors, the leading edge leading the door when the door is moved in a closing direction. The bracket includes a flange for mounting to the door. When mounted to the door, the seal is arranged inboard of the sensor for sealing to an outer surface of the other door. The sensor is arranged furthest in the closing direction than the other components of the assembly so as to sense the presence of an object in the opening. A signal generated by the sensor may then be used to perform emergency operations for the door to prevent pinching of the object.

Abstract: A large diameter portion is provided on one side of a closing side drum in an axial direction, a small diameter portion having a diameter gradually decreasing from the large diameter portion to the other side of the closing side drum is provided on the other side of the closing side drum, a partition wall disposed between adjacent small diameter cable grooves in the axial direction of the closing side drum to prevent a closing side cable from slipping out of the small diameter cable grooves is provided in the small diameter portion. Accordingly, the thick partition wall provided in the small diameter portion can reliably prevent the closing side cable from slipping out (derailing) from the small diameter cable grooves even when a winding position of the closing side cable on the closing side drum is changed and transferred from the large diameter portion to the small diameter portion.