Abstract: A motor vehicle door lock plate is provided, the plate (10) comprising a first part (14) with a slot (12), the slot (12) opening at one end of the first part (14), and a second part (16) for fixing the plate, the second part (16) being angled with respect to the first part and being at an opposite end of the first part to the end at which the slot opens. The plate has the advantage of allowing the lock to be fixed to a vehicle door the structure of which is such that the skin of the door is not able to take up the forces generated by operation of the door lock.

Abstract: A vehicle pick-up bed is disclosed that can be folded into shape by hand. The pick-up bed includes a generally flat sheet of colored material molded together with a generally flat sheet of reinforced polymeric material. Preferably, the sheet of colored material is placed in the mold and the reinforced polymeric material is injected into the mold, onto the back of the colored sheet. During the molding process, the reinforced polymeric material and the colored material are formed or molded into a single, generally flat, solid component. The sheet of colored material adheres to the reinforced polymeric material. Once molded, the sides of the pick-up bed are folded into shape along hinge edges and connected to stay in place. Hinge edges could be formed by locating few or no reinforcing fibers in the reinforced polymeric material in the desired location of the hinge edges. The colored material is preferably.a paintless polymer film. Alternatively, the colored material is pre-painted aluminum.

Abstract: A system for measuring payload is integrated into the cargo carrying bed of a vehicle. The vehicle bed is formed from a plastic material and includes a body member that is supported on a vehicle frame. At least one sensor assembly is molded within the body member. The sensor is positioned over the vehicle frame and generates a weight signal representative of weight of the payload supported on the body member. A central processor receives the weight signal and transmits the weight signal to a vehicle driver. The weight signal can be used to activate a warning device if the payload exceeds a predetermined limit.

Abstract: A motor vehicle door includes structural parts for providing the rigidness of the vehicle door and includes a structural element and a lining element. The door further includes function components for providing vehicle door functions like a window panel with a regulator. At least one of the structural parts serves as a support of the function components. In order to reduce the number of individual components, at least one of the structural parts forms a completely shaped composite or sandwich part having a plastic based matrix and further having several of the function components included to serve a rigidness providing bodies. The bodies are molded into the plastic based matrix by the plastic based matrix.

Abstract: A subassembly element in the form of an intermediate product for a multipart cover element for motor vehicles contains at least two subassembly parts, e.g., for a multipart sunroof or sliding roof cover or for a multipart loading zone or cargo space cover, containing edge regions on the adjacent edges of the subassembly parts which are correspondingly shaped such that they had least partially overlap in the closed position. All subassembly parts are present in the form of one connected-together part and are shaped in accordance with the predetermined contour of the cover element. A channel-shaped depression is arranged at least in the outer side of the subassembly element in the edge region in which two respective subassembly parts adjoin one another. The contour of the channel-shaped depression is comprised of the desired contours of the edge regions of adjacent subassembly parts of the respective cover element.

Abstract: A roof module comprises an outer shell and a foamed inner shell. The outer shell has a rim including an edge of cut and the inner shell extends as far as on the edge of cut. There is also proposed a method of producing such a roof module.

Abstract: A vehicle pick-up bed is disclosed that can be folded into shape by hand. The pick-up bed includes a generally flat sheet of colored material molded together with a generally flat sheet of reinforced polymeric material. Preferably, the sheet of colored material is placed in the mold and the reinforced polymeric material is injected into the mold, onto the back of the colored sheet. During the molding process, the reinforced polymeric material and the colored material are formed or molded into a single, generally flat, solid component. The sheet of colored material adheres to the reinforced polymeric material. Once molded, the sides of the pick-up bed are folded into shape along hinge edges and connected to stay in place. Hinge edges could be formed by locating few or no reinforcing fibers in the reinforced polymeric material in the desired location of the hinge edges. The colored material is preferably a paintless polymer film. Alternatively, the colored material is pre-painted aluminum.

Abstract: A sandwich construction vehicle roof module with an inner shell applied to this made of a dimensionally stable foam plastic has, integrated in the inner shell and formed from its foam plastic, grilles for air outlet and/or air passage. The grilles are therefore not components to be produced separately and installed in the inner shell, but unobtrusive elements of the inner shell itself and allow dazzle-free indirect lighting of the vehicle interior and/or the passage of targeted air flows for the ventilation and air extraction system for the vehicle interior.

Abstract: A vehicle roof module is proposed, consisting of a transparent roof skin, constituting the outer shell of a sandwich structure, and of an inner shell of the sandwich structure, the special feature thereof being that the inner shell is molded in the manner of a frame and is provided only in the edge area of the outer shell, thereby forming a panoramic transparent surface, a sun-blind being arranged beneath the transparent surface, which is held on the inner shell by elements foamed into the frame-type inner shell.

Abstract: A sandwich structure includes a deep-drawn outer skin and a plastic layer foamed onto the inner side of the outer skin. The plastic layer provides a decorative plastic film on its upper surface and a frame at its outer edge. An encircling canting about the plastic layer retains a sheathing that is provided over the entire flat area of the outer skin to increase the modulus of elasticity of the plastic layer.

Abstract: A composite assembly unit for closing an aperture in a vehicle body, in particular a glass cover for a sliding roof, comprises a flat base body, preferably a glass or plastic pane, having an outside face and an inside face, and a seal for sealing a gap between the composite assembly unit and the vehicle body. The seal has a sealing section and a fixing section, and being attached to the base body by means of plastic foam. The fixing section of the seal is pressed under elastic deformation by the plastic foam against the inside face of the base body so that the sealing section of the seal terminates substantially flush with the outside face of the base body. The result is a composite assembly unit in which a defined, in particular flush, relative position between the flat base body and the seal can be guaranteed in a simple way. A method and an apparatus for producing such a composite assembly unit in a simple way is also described.

Abstract: A vehicle fender includes an integrally formed storage compartment for storing items such as tools and equipment. The fender has fender body mounted to a vehicle frame, chassis, or unibody member. In one embodiment, a recess is formed within the fender body for storing items. A panel is pivotally attached to the fender body and pivots between an open position to allow access to the tools and a closed position to store the tools. A length, a width, and a height define the recess. In the preferred embodiment, the length is greater than the width and the height such that long items can be easily stored. In another embodiment, the panel is formed as a fender panel and a support is formed between the fender body and the fender panel. The fender panel is pivoted to the open position to allow access to the support.

Abstract: A retractable roof for vehicles having at least one cover panel, selectively closing a roof opening. The cover panel can be displaced above the roof skin along guides which have extensions that extend beyond the rear edge of the roof opening. These extensions extend essentially below the roof skin of the fixed roof area.

Abstract: Assembly as an installation element for a vehicle body, in particular as a cover for a motor vehicle sliding roof, which consists of an outer plate or cover plate preferably injection-molded from a polycarbonate, and a supporting structure for this to which the plate/cover plate is connected in a particular manner at several fixing points. As the supporting structure is formed from a material which has a co-efficient of expansion different from that of polycarbonate, at the fixing points are arranged special connecting elements which, with simple design, allow stress-compensating, direction-defined and essentially free relative movements between the supporting structure and the plate/cover plate but nonetheless hold these two components firmly and reliably together under all operating conditions.

Abstract: A composite assembly unit for closing an aperture in a vehicle body, in particular a glass cover for a sliding roof, comprises a flat base body, preferably a glass or plastic pane, having an outside face and an inside face, and a seal for sealing a gap between the composite assembly unit and the vehicle body. The seal has a sealing section and a fixing section, and being attached to the base body by means of plastic foam. The fixing section of the seal is pressed under elastic deformation by the plastic foam against the inside face of the base body so that the sealing section of the seal terminates substantially flush with the outside face of the base body. The result is a composite assembly unit in which a defined, in particular flush, relative position between the flat base body and the seal can be guaranteed in a simple way. A method and an apparatus for producing such a composite assembly unit in a simple way is also described.

Abstract: A vehicle pick-up bed is disclosed that can be folded into shape by hand. The pick-up bed includes a generally flat sheet of colored material molded together with a generally flat sheet of reinforced polymeric material. Preferably, the sheet of colored material is placed in the mold and the reinforced polymeric material is injected into the mold, onto the back of the colored sheet. During the molding process, the reinforced polymeric material and the colored material are formed or molded into a single, generally flat, solid component. The sheet of colored material adheres to the reinforced polymeric material. Once molded, the sides of the pick-up bed are folded into shape along hinge edges and connected to stay in place. Hinge edges could be formed by locating few or no reinforcing fibers in the reinforced polymeric material in the desired location of the hinge edges. The colored material is preferably a paintless polymer film. Alternatively, the colored material is pre-painted aluminum.

Abstract: A sandwich construction vehicle roof module with an inner shell applied to this made of a dimensionally stable foam plastic has, integrated in the inner shell and formed from its foam plastic, grilles for air outlet and/or air passage. The grilles are therefore not components to be produced separately and installed in the inner shell, but unobtrusive elements of the inner shell itself and allow dazzle-free indirect lighting of the vehicle interior and/or the passage of targeted air flows for the ventilation and air extraction system for the vehicle interior.

Abstract: A device for a detachable fastening of a load carrier (10) on a vehicle, in particular a roof rack, is disclosed, which has a carrier frame (18), on which two retaining elements (20, 22) are fitted, which are relatively mobile to one another when the load carrier (10) is in unfastened condition. When the load carrier (10) is in fastened condition the retaining elements (20, 22) engage in a gap (24) between a body frame on the vehicle side (26) and a flat body part (12) attached to this, where they interlock on a fastening element (28) on the body frame (26). The result is that the load carrier (10) can be fastened to the vehicle easily and securely.

Abstract: A vehicle roof module (2) with integral sunroof unit for mounting on a bodywork frame (16) is proposed, in which the sunroof frame (5) is attached to the inner shell (11) at a plurality of spaced points distributed around the roof opening (3) of the sunroof unit by means of elements (21) provided only at these points and connected firmly therewith. The inner shell (11) may be attached to the bodywork frame (16) in the same way as the sunroof frame (5) is attached to the inner shell (11).

Abstract: The invention relates to an adjusting device for a sunroof (11) of a vehicle. Said sunroof (11) is provided with at least two lamellae (12A, 12B, 12C). The roof opening (14) which is to be closed is defined by a base component (13) that is fixedly mounted to the vehicle and that has opposing side parts (18). The adjusting device comprises lamellae support elements (20A, 20B, 20C), a lamellae carrier slide (30A, 30B, 30C) and control means (26A, 28A; 26B, 28B; 26C, 28C). A drive slide (29) is provided which is displaceably arranged in the guiding element (32) in front of the lamellae carrier slide (30A, 30B, 30C). Pivoting means and coupling means are provided for pivoting a lamella and for connecting and separating two slides.