Abstract: A telescoping steering column assembly includes lower and upper jackets having inner and outer surfaces, respectively, disposed with respect to one another in telescoping relationship. The telescoping steering column assembly includes a linear bushing disposed between the inner surface of the upper jacket and the outer surface of the lower jacket, that includes a plurality of convolutions disposed axially in side-by-side relationship as viewed in cross-section to provide outer and inner load bearing surfaces to engage the upper and lower jackets and to provide radial walls for flexing to maintain the bearing surfaces in engagement with the jackets to allow the bushing to radially expand and contract. The present invention provides the length-wise grooves formed by the convolutions to allow for reservoirs for lubricant solution to help reduce friction between the jackets, wherein the convolutions are elastically deformed to adapt to the annual clearance between the jackets.

Abstract: A track visor includes a visor body with a rolling guide assembly engaged with a track extending above at least a portion of the front windshield and side window of a vehicle. The track is a curved, non-planar configuration with a pair of outer-extending rails which are parallel to each other along straight sections of the track and increase in separation distance with increased curvature of the track. The guide assembly has three rolling wheels assembled to a carriage, with two of the wheels engaged to one rail and the third wheel engaged to the opposite rail. The third wheel is assembled to a pivot arm that is spring biased for compressing the wheels against the rails of the track. The visor body is pivotally connected to the carriage and, therefore, movable above selected positions of the windshield and side door window for providing incident light blocking.

Abstract: A visor system includes a pair of opposed, facing visor panels, each of which are pivotally mounted to a vehicle roof by a pivot rod assembly in opposed, facing relationship. The length of the visor panels is selected to be substantially less than typical visor panels such that they intersect at a junction approximately midway between the visor mounting brackets. Each of the visor panels can be moved independently for front and side window protection and include interlocking means such that, if desired, they can function as a single visor. In one embodiment of the invention, at least one of the visor panels is slideably moved along the pivot rod.

Abstract: A visor mounting system includes a visor pivot rod with an end which extends through a bezel and a locking member which is spring-loaded to cooperate with the bezel and pivot rod for allowing the visor to be initially inserted in an aperture in the underlying roof support and subsequently rotated using the visor as the installation tool to a position in which the locking member moves toward the bezel and lockably engages the vehicle roof.

Abstract: A visor mounting system includes a visor pivot rod with an end which extends through a bezel and a non-circular locking plate which cooperates with the bezel and pivot rod for allowing the visor to be initially inserted in an aperture in the underlying roof support and subsequently rotated using the visor as the installation tool to a position in which the locking plate lockably engages an aperture in the vehicle roof completing the installation. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the locking plate includes arcuate collars which slidably interfit with arcuate collars of the bezel to interlock the plate and bezel from relative rotation and yet allow the locking plate and bezel to move with respect to one another.

Abstract: A tuner hose assembly for a motor vehicle power steering system including a flexible hose, a first flexible tuner tube inside the flexible hose having an upstream end connected to a pump, and a second flexible tuner tube inside the flexible hose having a downstream end connected to a power steering gear. A downstream end of the first flexible tuner tube is longitudinally separated from an upstream end of the second flexible tuner tube by a wave interference gap which terminates where an inner wall of the flexible hose is clamped against the upstream end of the second flexible tuner tube. The length of the second flexible tuner tube is selected, i.e. "tuned", to attenuate higher order pump fluid-borne noise and simulates a rigid metal tube of a prior tuner hose assembly having greater overall length.