16695 results about "Car door" patented technology

An optical transmission tube for illumination is uniquely incorporated into any one of a variety of automotive, commercial, retail, structural, architectural, safety, or other products including running boards, vehicle interior compartments such as a glove box, approximate the license plate attachment area on a vehicle, a trunk, a vehicle hood, on a vehicle door, a vehicle bumper, a vehicle luggage rack, a picture frame, a flashlight, a building, a guard rail, a construction barrier, a bicycle, a sign, an appliance interior compartment such as a refrigerator, a part bin, a retail display shelf, a clipboard, a step, a tractor trailer, a desk, a walkway, a room or storage chamber, a runway, an instrument panel, a railroad crossing gate, an emergency sign, an elevator doorway, a swimming pool, a dog collar, a fish tank, a baby crib a hand rail, an inline skate an island in a parking lot or on a street, affixed to a curb, or on safety clothing.

An air drag reducing apparatus for use with a vehicle having a rear end closed by a pair of doors consists of a rectangular shaped panel having a leading edge hingedly connected to the vehicle, the panel extending at about 15 degrees relative to the rearward projection of a side of the vehicle. An element positions the panel in a drag reducing position; this element is such that it allows the panel to be moved between the door and the side of the vehicle as the door is opened and moved to a position adjacent the side of the vehicle. As the door is moved back from the opened position to a closed position, the element causes the panel to return to its drag reducing position. The rear of a vehicle may include two side panels with or without two top panels.

The child safety seat includes a seat body that is attached to a base that is held in place by the vehicle seat belt. The base provides for movement of the seat body around at least one axis. A turntable allows the seat body to be rotated from a safe-riding position to face the car door to facilitate positioning the child in the seat or to make it easier to grasp and maneuver a separable child carrier with the child in it. Inadvertent rotation of the turntable is prevented by a locking mechanism that remains engaged until released by the parent or caregiver. In one embodiment, a second axis of movement allows the seat body to be reclined so that the child's head is supported when he or she falls asleep. The reclining adjustment is a motorized motion which can be remotely controlled by the parent or caregiver sitting in the front of the vehicle via wires connected to a remote control.

A handle/liftgate assembly for a door of a vehicle is mounted to a handle region of a vehicle door and includes a handle control and a handle sensor. The handle control is responsive to the handle sensor to detect the presence of or proximity of a user or operator at the vehicle door. The handle control actuates a door latch of the vehicle door to open the vehicle door independent of a door zone module or passive entry system of the vehicle door.

A door handle assembly for a door of a vehicle includes a handle portion and an illumination module. The handle portion is disposed at the vehicle door and movable to actuate a locking mechanism of the vehicle door to open the vehicle door. The illumination module includes at least one illumination source and an icon element and a cover element. The illumination source, when operated, backlights the icon element so that an icon of the icon element is viewable through the cover element at an exterior surface of the handle portion. The icon element includes a security icon and the illumination module is operable to backlight the security icon when a security system of the vehicle is operational.

Child safety seats with alarms notify the driver of a vehicle that an infant is in its carrier inside of the vehicle when a door is opened. Forgetting a child inside of the vehicle can result in severe injury to or the death of the child from extreme temperature conditions and/or dehydration. Child safety seats with alarms not only protect the child in the event of accident, but also detect the opening of a vehicle door and remind the driver of the presence of the child through visual and audio alerts. The detector and alarm system are automatically engaged when the buckle of the child safety seat is closed. The condition of the batteries powering the detector and alarm system are also monitored so that the user can be confident that the detector and alarm system have adequate power to function. A pressure transducer is employed as a detector to sense the changing air pressure caused by the opening or closure of a vehicle door. When such a condition is detected, red LEDs light up and an alarm is sounded from a speaker.

An in-vehicle monitor detects the occurrence of a meta-event related to the operation of a vehicle, such as the vehicle's operation over a maximum allowable speed, operation in a prohibited geographic area, operation during a specific time frame, or combinations thereof. The monitor signals a server via a wireless data link, and the server determines an appropriate deferred action to be taken by an in-vehicle controller, such as disabling the engine, limiting vehicle speed, and locking vehicle doors, upon occurrence of a second meta-event including conditions such as time delays, vehicle speed and direction, and vehicle location. The system can thereby allow orderly and safe control of vehicle functions for purposes such as terminating a pursuit, enforcing legal sentences and operator restrictions, and controlling fleet vehicle operations.

A vision system for a vehicle includes an exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at an exterior portion of a door of a vehicle, an imaging sensor having a field of view exterior the vehicle and a video display screen operable to display video images captured by the imaging sensor. The video display screen is disposed at an interior portion of the vehicle door at which the exterior rearview mirror assembly is mounted. The exterior rearview mirror assembly and the video display screen may be part of a mirror and display module that is mountable at the vehicle door as a unit. The camera may be disposed at the exterior rearview mirror assembly.

The invention is a unitary cantilever liftgate that attaches to the vehicle body instead of the vehicle chassis. The liftgate may be fully assembled and tested prior to installation on the vehicle body. This greatly reduces installation time while improving performance and reliability. Various features such as steps, bumpers and brackets are integrated into the liftgate. Further, the liftgate is preferably configured so that multiple units can be stacked together for shipping and ease of unloading and loading. The stackability of the liftgates simplifies storing as well, by removing the necessity of storing several components separately.

A flush door handle includes a powered actuator that shifts the handle from a fully retracted position to an intermediate position. A user can then grasp the handle, and pull the handle to a fully open position to thereby unlatch the door latch. After a user releases the handle, it shifts to a closed position due to spring force or a powered actuator. The door latch may also comprise a fully powered version wherein the handle shifts from a closed position to an open position, and a powered door latch releases the door latch if predefined conditions are detected.

A closing device for a vehicle door lock is actuated by a hand lever. The lock can be switched between a secured, inoperative position of the hand lever and an operative position in which the lock can be opened by the hand lever. An electric control device arranged within the vehicle effects via an antenna of a vehicle-correlated transmission and reception unit a data request directed to a data carrier external to the vehicle held by a vehicle user. The data carrier has a transmission and reception unit transmitting a data reply via the antenna of the vehicle-correlated transmission and reception unit to the control device which, for a positive identification of the data carrier, triggers securing, respectively, release of the lock. The antenna of the transmission and reception unit is arranged in the hand lever in addition to at least some further components of the transmission and reception unit.

A method for alerting a driver of an automotive vehicle (or other responsible party) to the presence or inferred presence of an object, a person, or a pet animal in rear seating rows of the vehicle. The open/closed condition of rear vehicle doors is monitored to determine whether the driver may have placed an object, child, or pet in the rear seating rows prior to the start of a drive-cycle, and an alert is generated at the end of the drive-cycle to remind the driver to check the rear seat. Sound detection and analysis may also be used to identify sounds characteristic of a human (a young child, for example) or a non-human animal (a pet, for example) and thereby verify that a child or pet is present.

A clearing system for external mirrors and side windows of a vehicle provides a flow of compressed warm air to an air distribution unit equipped with a number of openings to direct the flow of air towards the surface of the mirror or a side window. In one embodiment, the air compressor, the air heater and an optional air filter are located in the housing of the external mirror. In another embodiment, a supplemental air distribution unit is provided to be mounted along the door of the vehicle to increase the coverage area of the side window. In a further embodiment of the invention, the system is made adjustable for allowing the most appropriate angle for the air openings towards the mirror and the side window. Provisions are also made to use the system for newly designed vehicles and incorporate the elements of the system into the design of the vehicle door. Alternately, an add-on elements are described to allow existing vehicles to benefit from the system. Additional supplemental air disbribution units may be attached to the main system to improve visibility throughout the vehicle.

A system for indicating a past state of an apparatus through the use of a remote device by indicating the state with the remote device whether or not the remote device is still within communications range of the apparatus. In one embodiment, an indication can be made as to whether or not a vehicle door has been locked by providing such an indication at a remote keyless entry key remote control.

In a vehicle door control system, when a mobile terminal accepts door lock manipulation and a vehicle door control apparatus receives a door lock signal from the mobile terminal, the vehicle door control apparatus determines that a door should be locked and, at time of door locking, transmits the amount of charge of a secondary battery at that time. Then the door is locked.

The invention discloses a vehicle-mounted child leaving reminding device and a vehicle-mounted child leaving detection method. The device comprises a voice sensor, a touch sensor, a main control module, a voice alarm, a communication module and a data storage module, wherein the voice sensor and the touch sensor are connected with the signal input end of the main control module; the voice alarm and the communication module are connected with the signal output end of the main control module; the data storage module is connected with the main control module; after an automobile is power off andan automobile door is closed through detection, the voice sensor and the touch sensor are started and respectively perform detection in voice and touch modes; when at least one detection result indicates that a child is left in the automobile, the automobile sends alarm voice and sends information to a specified mobile phone; and an initial state is returned when the automobile door is opened through detection. By the vehicle-mounted child leaving reminding device and the vehicle-mounted child leaving detection method, people around the automobile and specific related personnel can be effectively reminded when the child is left in the automobile.