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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7976256 | Track slot fastener A fastener assembly secures loads to a track in a truck bed and is retainable within a track slot of the track. The fastener assembly may include a retainer adapted to fit at least partly within a track slot and a rotatable handle operating on the retainer, the rota... | 07/12/2011 |
| 7850197 | Trim panel breakaway feature A vehicle body structure includes a pillar, a trim panel, a handle and an airbag. The trim panel is configured to overlay a portion of the pillar and conceal the airbag. The trim panel includes a first trim portion and a second trim portion that is separable from th... | 12/14/2010 |
| 7834272 | Vehicle grommet A grommet is attached between a body panel and a trunk lid at a location spaced from a hinge that movably supports the trunk lid. The grommet is located inboard of the hinge and is attached only to the body panel and trunk lid and free from connection to the hinge. ... | 11/16/2010 |
| 7830247 | Vehicle lighting system and method A system controls an auxiliary light for a vehicle. The system includes a cockpit button to activate the auxiliary light, a Hall sensor operable to detect the installation and removal of a magnetized cover for the auxiliary light; a warning indicator; and a controll... | 11/09/2010 |
| 7823479 | Vehicle steering column structure A vehicle steering column structure includes a movable steering column portion, a tilting mechanism and a telescoping mechanism. The tilting mechanism is configured to selectively adjust an angle of inclination of a tilting part. The telescoping mechanism adjusts th... | 11/02/2010 |
| 7810870 | Vehicle body structure A vehicle body stricture includes a vehicle frame having a pair of longitudinally extending first frame members spaced apart from one another supporting opposite lower side portions of a vehicle and a laterally extending second frame member extending between respect... | 10/12/2010 |
| 7802819 | Vehicle seat belt guiding device A vehicle seat belt guiding device is basically provided with a support portion and a seat belt guiding portion. The seat belt guiding portion includes a first seat belt guide surface extending for a prescribed length that is equal to or greater than a vehicle seat ... | 09/28/2010 |
| 7798686 | Fender tab and locating cradle A light assembly for a vehicle includes a light unit having a housing and a lens attached to the housing. A cradle is disposed on the housing, and the cradle includes a first guide surface. A body panel includes a cantilevered portion, and the cantilevered portion i... | 09/21/2010 |
| 7794007 | Passenger vehicle rear end structure A passenger vehicle rear end structure is provided with a vehicle body and a rear window. The vehicle body includes a vehicle interior area, a roof portion overlying the vehicle interior area, a pair of rear pillars and a rear body portion adjoined to a rear part of... | 09/14/2010 |
| 7793972 | Front pillar trim panel with tether A vehicular interior trim piece with a tether for use with a side curtain airbag. The tether is attached to an integral first panel portion and a second panel portion which rotates about a hinge out of the path of the airbag. The tether prevents complete detachment ... | 09/14/2010 |
| 7784982 | Wraparound light assembly A wraparound light assembly for a vehicle. A lens is attached to a housing. A body panel defines an interior vehicle space, and the body panel includes a recessed portion defining an aperture. The housing overlays at least part of the recess. A grommet is disposed i... | 08/31/2010 |
| 7784846 | Covering for interior vehicle surfaces and method of applying covering Disclosed herein are interior vehicle surfaces having a substrate and a covering having imposed thereon a decorative pattern. The covering is applied to the substrate oriented so that a segment of the decorative pattern forms an angle of less than ninety degrees wit... | 08/31/2010 |
| 7784841 | Door access handle with integrated lock-out function A vehicle has a door release apparatus for a first door supporting a door latch for a second door. A first door latch connects the first door with respect to a frame defining a vehicle body opening. A handle member has at least an inboard portion and is mounted to t... | 08/31/2010 |
| 7784818 | Side curtain airbag directional deployment apparatus At least one guide member extends longitudally along at least a portion of a stowed side curtain airbag. At least one guide ramp directs deployment of the side curtain airbag toward the openable passage defined at least in part by one or more trim pieces. The guide ... | 08/31/2010 |
| 7770487 | Vehicle steering column structure A vehicle steering column structure includes a fixed steering column portion, a movable steering column portion movably coupled to the fixed steering column portion and a steering column positioning mechanism. The steering column positioning mechanism is operably co... | 08/10/2010 |
| 7766673 | Fusible link busbar for starter and alternator with dual battery application An electrical coupling for electrically linking at least one battery to an actuator in a vehicle includes a housing having a base including at least two spaced apart connectors. A busbar has a first conductive portion, a second conductive portion spaced from the fir... | 08/03/2010 |
| 7766406 | Finishing panel structure A finishing panel structure for an automobile comprising a trim panel, a deformable panel and a retainer bracket. The trim panel is connectable to the automobile and defines a panel opening. The deformable panel at least partially covers the panel opening, and defin... | 08/03/2010 |
| 7766379 | Side airbag apparatus and method An inflatable side airbag restraint for use in passenger vehicles. The airbag includes a relief portion providing clearance for the arm and elbow of an occupant or test device which reduces or eliminates lateral compression of the arm on the chest and abdomen region... | 08/03/2010 |
| 7766377 | Side curtain airbag directional deployment apparatus At least one guide member extends longitudinally along at least a portion of a stowed side curtain airbag. At least one guide ramp directs deployment of the side curtain airbag toward the openable passage defined at least in part by one or more trim pieces. The guid... | 08/03/2010 |
| 7766370 | Rear pillar to center pillar trim joint connection for rear seat passenger airbag side curtain deployment An interior trim structure covers a stowed side curtain airbag and allows deployment of the side curtain airbag through an interface joint to a position along a sidewall of a passenger compartment adjacent a rear seat location of a two-door coupe style vehicle. A ce... | 08/03/2010 |
| 7762601 | Vehicle container interface A storage assembly for a vehicle includes a vehicle structure, a removable storage container and a container attachment member. The removable storage container is moveable between a retained position and a release position. The container attachment member is coupled... | 07/27/2010 |
| 7762578 | Tether guided inflatable sail panel A side curtain airbag to be deployed downward along an inner side surface of a passenger compartment of a vehicle can include at least one expandible chamber having an inflatable curtain portion and an inflatable sail portion extending forwardly from a foremost anch... | 07/27/2010 |
| 7743627 | Vehicle air conditioning system A vehicle air conditioning system includes a pressure reducing device that is operatively coupled to a condenser downstream therefrom. An evaporator is operatively coupled to the pressure reducing device downstream therefrom. A refrigerant flow booster is operativel... | 06/29/2010 |
| 7742603 | Security for anonymous vehicular broadcast messages An anonymous vehicular broadcast system that has encrypted links between the roadway infrastructure and the vehicles. The vehicles each have a common private key that is generated from a certification key, provided by a certification authority, and a configuration k... | 06/22/2010 |
| 7739031 | Vehicle on-board unit A vehicle on-board unit is configured and arranged to report an estimated time of arrival and an accuracy indicator for an estimated time of arrival from historical estimated time of arrival information. The vehicle on-board unit basically has a destination input se... | 06/15/2010 |
| 7735744 | Control of coolant flow rate for vehicle heating A method and apparatus for automatically adjusting the flow rate of engine coolant through a heater core in an automobile by automatically determining a temperature difference between the temperature of coolant at a first flow rate before it enters a heater core and... | 06/15/2010 |
| 7734050 | Digital certificate pool A wireless vehicle and infrastructure system is described that allows for utilization of a quasi-anonymous common private key/digital certificate pool, such that all vehicles are authenticated to the system, but no one vehicle/user can be readily identified during t... | 06/08/2010 |
| 7731255 | Interior vehicle cargo system An interior vehicle cargo system is provided with an interior cargo structure, bulkhead and a bulkhead attachment assembly. The bulkhead attachment assembly selectively retains the bulkhead in one of a plurality of locations within interior cargo area. The bulkhead ... | 06/08/2010 |
| 7717592 | Vehicle lighting system and method An exterior auxiliary lighting system is provided including a light source for generating a beam of visible light, the light source having an aperture through which the beam of light is projected. A cover can be detachably connected to the light source to overlay at... | 05/18/2010 |
| 7717445 | Detachable side step assembly and method of use Disclosed herein is a detachable side step assembly for use with a vehicle. The side step assembly comprises a side step with a first elongate section and a second elongate section. Each section has longitudinal edges attached to each other by a plurality of hinges.... | 05/18/2010 |
| 7716974 | Apparatus and method for testing a brake rotor An apparatus or method for testing a brake rotor that is mounted on a hub for rotation with respect to a caliper housing. The apparatus includes a bracket having a first end and a second end. A first attachment member and a second attachment member are connected to ... | 05/18/2010 |
| 7703855 | Vehicle seat assembly A vehicle seat includes a seat frame with at least one attachment point, a foam pad overlying the seat frame with at least one attachment opening and a flexible seat trim cover. The flexible seat trim cover overlies a front surface of the foam pad. The seat trim cov... | 04/27/2010 |
| 7703784 | Vehicle structure A vehicle side panel step structure includes a step, a mounting structure and a sub-side body panel. The mounting structure movably couples the step to the structural support for movement of the step between a retracted step position and an extended step position re... | 04/27/2010 |
| 7690676 | Vehicle pillar trim panel assembly A trim panel attachable to a structural pillar of an automotive vehicle for covering an expandable side-curtain air bag. The trim panel can also be part of a vehicular pillar structure or a vehicle subassembly. The trim panel is composed of a unitary molded body hav... | 04/06/2010 |
| 7686375 | Vehicle window sunshade assembly A vehicle window sunshade assembly includes a vehicle structure, a trim member, a sunshade and a close-out member. The trim member is dimensioned to at least partially cover the vehicle structure. The trim member also has a sunshade opening and attachment portions f... | 03/30/2010 |
| 7677653 | Headliner retainer clip A retainer assembly for connecting a headliner panel to a support structure. A retainer clip is configured to connect the support structure to the headliner panel. A slot is defined in the support structure and configured to receive s stem portion of the retainer cl... | 03/16/2010 |
| 7677652 | Roof inner body structure A roof structure for a vehicle can include a tailor-welded-blank, inner roof frame. The inner roof frame can include, at least in part, an elongated, transversely extending, intermediate roof rail having a first material thickness, and a plurality of reinforced roof... | 03/16/2010 |
| 7677640 | Panel assembly for a vehicle A panel assembly for a vehicle door has trim panel coupled to the door and having at least a portion thereof that is spaced from the door's outboard frame. The trim panel has first and second impact areas. A plurality of energy absorbing structures is arranged in an... | 03/16/2010 |
| 7677631 | Vehicle access assembly An access assembly for a vehicle body. The access assembly includes a body panel movably mounted to the vehicle body for movement between an open position and a closed position and defining an access opening. A door assembly is provided on the body panel and has a c... | 03/16/2010 |
| 7677596 | Side airbag intensifier pocket An apparatus for assisting and guiding deployment of a side airbag through a deployment seam of a seat cover for a vehicle seat having a seat frame includes an airbag assembly connectable to a support portion of the seat back frame, an intensifier pocket having an i... | 03/16/2010 |
