Abstract: A door includes an inner wall, an outer wall, and a window assembly including a window. The inner wall is configured to engage with a cab of a vehicle. The outer wall is coupled to the inner wall and spaced apart from the inner wall to form an interior cavity. The door is configured to move between a closed position in which the inner wall is engaged with the cab and an open position in which the inner wall is separated from the cab. In the closed position, at least a portion of the interior cavity is configured to be disposed outboard from the cab in a lateral direction. The window is slidably engaged to the door and configured to move between an extended position and a retracted position. In the retracted position, the window is at least partially disposed in the portion of the interior cavity.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a wheel within a wheel well, a fender panel assembly that includes a fender outer panel and a fender inner panel, the fender panel assembly at least partially surrounding the wheel well, and an overfender assembly connected to the fender panel assembly. The overfender assembly includes an overfender backing including a fender outer panel connection portion that connects to the fender outer panel and a fender inner panel connection portion that connects to the fender inner panel and an overfender garnish connected to the overfender backing. The overfender garnish and the overfender backing are formed separately of different materials.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a box extending from a cab and including a floor and a first sidewall attached to a headboard, via a hinge assembly, disposed normal to the floor and sidewall. The hinge assembly is configured to allow the first sidewall to rotate away from the floor at the headboard. The vehicle also includes a latch mechanism. The latch mechanism includes a pin having an end and a shaft attached to the first sidewall and a receiver having a plate hingedly connected to the receiver. Upon rotation of the first sidewall toward the floor, the end fits into the receiver and the plate locks the shaft to secure the first sidewall to the floor.

Abstract: An emergency exit door assembly for a vehicle. The door assembly comprises a main panel including an interior-facing surface and exterior-facing surface. The main panel is rotatably connected to the vehicle, such that the main panel is configured to selectively alternate between a closed position in which the interior-facing surface faces an interior of the vehicle and an open position in which the interior-facing surface faces an exterior of the vehicle. The door assembly additionally comprises one or more projection members extending from the interior-facing surface of the main panel. The projection members each include a first major surface configured to support articles within an interior of the vehicle while the main panel is in the closed position. The door assembly further comprises a support mechanism configured to support the main panel in the open position.

Abstract: A second joining flange formed along an edge of a second panel and a third joining flange formed along an edge of a third panel are superimposed on a first joining flange formed along an edge of a first panel, a seam weld is made in a section in which the first joining flange and the second joining flange form two layers and a section in which the first joining flange and the third joining flange form two layers, and a spot weld is made in a section in which the first joining flange, the second joining flange and the third joining flange form three layers. Such structure enhances production efficiency by increasing welding speed, and facilitates spot welding in the section having three layers, for which seam welding is difficult due to the large number of superimposed sheets, thereby enhancing strength against peel-off.

Abstract: Vehicles are described including a cab having a door opening on a side thereof, a chassis that supports the cab, two or more steps leading to the door opening, each of which is supported by the cab or the chassis, wherein the steps are placed within the recesses in the cab or chassis, and a door connected to the cab, wherein the door fits within the door opening, and the door comprises a lower door extension having a lower edge that terminates near to an upper surface of a lowermost step, the lower door extension covers a majority of the one or more recesses, and the lower door extension extends outboard to match the outboard extension of a fender or exterior cab side panel to provide a coplanar transition from the fender to the door, or from the door to the exterior cab side panel, or both.

Abstract: Vehicles are described including a cab having a door opening on a side thereof, a chassis that supports the cab, two or more steps leading to the door opening, each of which is supported by the cab or the chassis, wherein the steps are placed within the recesses in the cab or chassis, and a door connected to the cab, wherein the door fits within the door opening, and the door comprises a lower door extension having a lower edge that terminates near to an upper surface of a lowermost step, the lower door extension covers a majority of the one or more recesses, and the lower door extension extends outboard to match the outboard extension of a fender or exterior cab side panel to provide a coplanar transition from the fender to the door, or from the door to the exterior cab side panel, or both.

Abstract: Added openings are provided for sport utility vehicles (SUV), pick-up trucks, two and four door vehicles, vans, minivans, sedans, station wagons, or other vehicles. The opening(s) may utilize doors, gates, windows, sunroofs, or lids that provide more physical and/or visual access to the interior space, cargo, and/or seating within the vehicles that currently are not easily accessible, viewed, seen-by, or displayed-on conventional opening means. These openings may also provide the ability to place cargo within the space of the vehicle that current vehicles prohibit from being carried therein, or they may provide decorative, descriptive, or electronic displays for such vehicles, for example, advertising on taxi cabs. Among the embodiments, this invention results in a new 2 door or a 4 door SUV vehicle having added rear side doors, and a new 2 door or 4 door sedan that in effect functions likes a pick-up.

Abstract: A wheel-arch protector mounted on the rear edge of a side door for covering a wheel arch for a rear wheel, the wheel-arch protector including a protector body formed from a polymer material and a seal part formed from a polymer material that elastically deforms more readily than the polymer material for forming the protector body. The body includes a mounting baseplate, a extending plate, and a distended part. The extending plate extends from an end of the mounting baseplate to outside in a widthwise direction of the vehicle. The distended part is distended to an inner angle part of a corner between the mounting baseplate and the extending plate and has a hollow part. The seal part is comprised of a basal part formed on a vehicle-interior-facing surface of the mounting baseplate and a seal-lip part formed on the basal part.

Abstract: A wheel-arch protector mounted on the rear edge of a side door for covering a wheel arch for a rear wheel, the wheel-arch protector including a protector body formed from a polymer material and a seal part formed from a polymer material that elastically deforms more readily than the polymer material for forming the protector body. The body includes a mounting baseplate, a extending plate, and a distended part. The extending plate extends from an end of the mounting baseplate to outside in a widthwise direction of the vehicle. The distended part is distended to an inner angle part of a corner between the mounting baseplate and the extending plate and has a hollow part. The seal part is comprised of a basal part formed on a vehicle-interior-facing surface of the mounting baseplate and a seal-lip part formed on the basal part. The basal part is set apart toward another end of the mounting baseplate relative to the hollow part.

Abstract: The invention relates to a utility vehicle (1) with a hinged cover element (12) which covers a fuel tank (15) and at least part (24) of an ascent region when the cover element is in a covering position. The cover element (12) can be pivoted from the covering position to an open position. A safeguarding element (11) is non-rotatably coupled to the cover element (12), so that the cover element (12) and the safeguarding element (11) have the same pivot axis and are both moved to the open position simultaneously.

Abstract: A bracket assembly including a plurality of components attached along a hem line, a plurality of attachment points along the hem line, a first bracket, and a second bracket. The first bracket connects to the plurality of components at at least one of the plurality of attachment points, and supports a longitudinal load applied to at least one of the plurality of components. The second bracket connects to the plurality of components, and supports a lateral load applied to at least one of the plurality of components.

Abstract: A running board is provided by the invention. The running board includes a deck and a plurality of attachment members. The deck and the plurality of attachment members are formed from a continuous polymer composition. The deck has a stepping surface and a support structure for supporting the stepping surface. The plurality of attachment members extend from the support structure and each attachment member has at least one opening for receipt of a fastener. The plurality of attachment members are provided for attachment to at least one of a motor vehicle frame and a motor vehicle rocker panel. A motor vehicle and methods for manufacturing and installing a running board are provided.

Abstract: An integrated bed side step assembly is provided for a pick-up truck having a bed. The integrated bed side step assembly includes a body opening assembly forming one side of the bed and having an opening extending therethrough above a floor of the bed to allow access to an interior of the bed. The integrated bed side step assembly also includes a door assembly operatively cooperating with the body opening assembly to open and close the opening and having at least one step to allow an operator to step up into and access the interior of the bed.

Abstract: An integrally formed running board including a plurality of mount projections (24) extending laterally from an inner edge (22) with a pair of parallel side walls (54) extending transversely to the longitudinal axis, a short wall (56) having ends closer together than the distan between the side walls (54) and a pair of converging walls (58) joining the side walls (54) at joints (60) and converging from the side walls (54) to the ends of the short wall (56). A projection-reinforcing rib (52) is disposed centrally between and parallel to the side walls (54) of each of the mount projections (24). A base rib (62) extends between the joints (60) of each pair of the side walls (54) with the associated pair of the converging walls (58). A pair of continuing ribs (64) extend from the side walls (54) aligned therewith to an outer wall (23).

Abstract: An electricity feeding device for a vehicle slide door includes a flexible conductive portion for electrically coupling components in the slide door and the vehicle body. The flexible conductive portion has a curved portion which is fitted in a groove so that at least one portion of the flexible conductive portion is spaced a distance from a wall of the groove. The curved portion moves in the groove in association with movement of the slide door for opening or closing an opening area formed in the side wall of the vehicle body.

Abstract: An accessing step, mounted on a vehicle having a bumper attached to the vehicle frame, comprises a step part and a mount assembly fixedly supported on the bumper and frame, mounting the step part for swinging movement from a first operative position in which the step part extends generally horizontally to a retracted second position pivoted upwardly to lie generally vertically adjacent the bumper. The mount assembly incorporates a lock device automatically operative between the mount assembly and step part for releasably locking the step part in the second position and automatically locking up to block the step part from downwardly swinging beyond a substantially horizontal position, while permitting the step part to be swung upwardly.

Abstract: A molded polymeric trim panel has an upper and a lower edge. The upper edge includes a surface for receiving an adhesive for attachment of the upper edge of the panel to a support surface on a vehicle. In some embodiments, the trim panel further includes integrally molded spaced projections including slots or apertures for receiving conventional fasteners for providing for tolerance variations from vehicle to vehicle for installation. The resultant panel structure attaches either as original equipment to the vehicle or gloves over an existing trim panel. In a preferred embodiment, the upper edge of the panel includes spacing lands for providing clearance for vehicle doors once installed.

Abstract: A rear door assembly for a truck cap for mounting onto a truck bed is provided with a specially modified plate disposed at a lower edge of the rear door of the truck cap for cooperatively engaging protective ribs that are disposed on upper ends of tailgates of late model trucks. The enclosure plates disposed on the rear doors of the truck caps extend outwardly and downwardly so as to conform to the general shapes of said currently-available tailgate protector ribs. The enclosure plates enable the rear door to close fully and provide the requisite engagement between the lower end of the rear door and the upper end of the tailgate so as to prevent moisture and dirt from entering the inside of the truck cap.

Abstract: A door and running board conversion kit including a hanger framework capable of mounting beneath several different vehicle chassis configurations. A step device is adapted to be supported longitudinally on the hanger framework, and which carries a step deck to be spaced at a selected distance below the bottom edge of a vehicle door and terminating in a longitudinal outboard edge. Such edge is to be covered by a downwardly projecting door skirt fastened to the outboard lower extremity of the door to project downwardly a distance equal to or greater than such selected distance to projection in covering relation over the outboard edge of the step deck when the door is in a closed position.

Abstract: An overfender, which is formed on a rear door of a vehicle adjacent to a rocker molding, extends at its lower end downward along a rear end of the rocker molding to cover the rear end of the rocker molding.

Abstract: A vehicle door opens and closes a door opening which is defined between a pillar and a fender formed with a wheel arch. The vehicle door and disposed adjacent to the wheel arch has a door extension extending to the wheel arch and shaped so as to conceal part of the fender between the door opening and the wheel arch.

Abstract: A kit including an elongated planar step disposed beneath the lower edge of a truck cab door, mounted from the chassis and shrouded by a skirt attached to such door and projecting downwardly to terminate in a bottom edge disposed in confronting relation over the outboard edge of such step.

Abstract: A folding step apparatus (38) is provided for vehicles having either a hinged door (26) or a sliding door (26'). The apparatus includes two parallel step supporting members (44) pivotally attached to the underside of the vehicle for adjustably supporting a step (42) or plurality of steps. A spring member (46) is used to bias the supporting members (44) and attached steps to a retracted position beneath the vehicle. A cable (64) has a first end attached to the locking end of the door and a second end attached to a front one of the supporting members (44). The cable is at least partially disposed within a hollow cord (70) which extends through portions of the vehicle frame. Opening the vehicle door causes the folding step assembly (38) to pivot about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal horizontal axis (36) of the vehicle, thereby extending the step assembly (38) for facilitating easy boarding of the vehicle.

Abstract: A pickup truck bed with a vertically hinged passenger door mounted in a side panel thereof. The door permits passenger ingress and egress to the bed area, and conceals a gas cap behind the door and under the bed. Access to the gas cap and ingress and egress is controlled by a locking mechanism operatively associated with the door.

Abstract: A three-wheeled motor vehicle has a vehicle body on which two front wheels and a single rear wheel are rotatably mounted. The vehicle body includes a front portion covering the two front wheels and having a wide and flat shape, and a rear portion having a driver's compartment and covering the rear wheel, the rear portion being narrower than the front portion and progressively higher in a rearward direction of the vehicle body. The front and rear portions of the vehicle body include slanted continuous side surfaces tapered toward a longitudinal axis of the vehicle body in the rearward direction thereof.

Abstract: A vehicle construction comprising a vehicle frame, spaced apart wheels on the frame, and an operator cab mounted on the frame between the wheels. The cab has an access door with generally vertically extending sides adjacent to one of the wheels and the door has a lower extremity below the uppermost extent of the adjacent wheel and a relief in one side thereof at the lower extremity of the door. A generally horizontally directed link is within the cab and has one end pivoted to the cab at a location intermediate the sides of the door and an opposite end pivoted to the door on the interior surface thereof between the side having the relief and the intermediate location at which it is connected to the cab. There is a horizontally slidable connection between the door adjacent the side having a relief thereon and the cab so that when the door is opened, the door will rotate and be translated to allow the lower extremity to clear the wheel and permit the door to fully open.