Abstract: A weight and noise reducing glovebox assembly made of an inner glovebox bin composed of a pair of thermopolymer fiber layers that work in concert to absorb noise and isolate noise and vibration providing a glovebox with improved NVH characteristics. The glovebox bin is formed of a three dimensionally chill formed structural layer composed of PET fiber to which is mated, preferably by needle tacking, an inner carpet layer also composed of PET fiber providing two stage noise, sound and vibration reduction. In a preferred embodiment, the inner PET fiber carpet layer is mated, preferably by needle tacking, to an outer structural moldable PET fiber substrate layer forming a two-stage sound, noise and vibration absorbing and isolating thermoformable blank that is chilled formed into a sound absorbing glovebox bin of one piece flip open construction that is lighter in weight and which has reduced sound and noise generation and transmission compared to conventional hard plastic gloveboxes.

Abstract: A system for preventing accumulation of ice, snow, slush, water, other moisture, sand, mud, and debris on an exterior of a vehicle. The system includes vibratory elements and can further include heating elements mounted on or to shedding wheel liners or underbody panels of the vehicle. The system has a controller that can be in communication with one or more accumulation sensors to manually or automatically energize vibratory and heating elements to prevent or shed accumulation when corresponding conditions are sensed by the sensors. A preferred vibratory element is an acoustic transducer that can be a motor or transducer acoustically coupled to a wheel liner or underbody panel in a manner that vibrates the liner or panel when energized. Each liner or panel is equipped with at least a plurality of vibratory elements arranged to relatively uniformly vibrate the liner or panel in a manner that prevents or sheds accumulation.

Abstract: A saddlebag container has a tub made of a plurality of composite fiber panels three dimensionally thermally molded or thermoformed in a chill forming process to form at least a plurality of structurally supporting tub walls and can have a lid of such construction. A preferred tub is formed of a plurality of panels with one panel three dimensionally shaped to form one sidewall and at least one of an endwall and bottom wall and another panel three dimensionally shaped to form the other sidewall that serves as a base to which the one panel is attached which can also provide a vehicle attachment mount. A preferred lid is formed of a panel that can have an outwardly extending mounting flap used to attach the lid to the base which can also serve as a hinge of the lid. A preferred tub and lid construction has at least two layers with one layer of a fibrous material and another layer of a different material that can provide a cover.

Abstract: A saddlebag container has a tub made of a plurality of composite fiber panels three dimensionally thermally molded or thermoformed in a chill forming process to form at least a plurality of structurally supporting tub walls and can have a lid of such construction. A preferred tub is formed of a plurality of panels with one panel three dimensionally shaped to form one sidewall and at least one of an endwall and bottom wall and another panel three dimensionally shaped to form the other sidewall that serves as a base to which the one panel is attached which can also provide a vehicle attachment mount. A preferred lid is formed of a panel that can have an outwardly extending mounting flap used to attach the lid to the base which can also serve as a hinge of the lid. A preferred tub and lid construction has at least two layers with one layer of a fibrous material and another layer of a different material that can provide a cover.