Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Roof structure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-29
2002-05-28
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Roof structure
C439S034000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06394538
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to headliners for motor vehicles.
BACKGROUND ART
Headliners for motor vehicles are mounted inside the passenger compartment and against the sheet metal roof of the vehicle to provide an aesthetic covering for the sheet metal. Such headliners may be provided with dome lights, convenience lights, sun visor vanity lights, air circulation fans, or other electrical devices, in order to form an overhead system. In order to route electrical power to these devices, the headliner must be provided with a wiring harness.
The wiring harness is conventionally located in a channel on the back side of the headliner, and then secured in the channel by means of tape or an adhesive. U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,521, for example, shows a headliner in which an adhesive is placed over the wire bundle to secure the wire bundle within a channel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is an improved motor vehicle overhead system. The overhead system comprises a headliner adapted to accept a wiring harness having a minimum cross-sectional dimension, and an energy management block. The energy management block has a routing channel and a plurality of retainers. The retainers are disposed in the routing channel, and extend over the routing channel to define a gap having a gap dimension less than a minimum cross-sectional dimension of the wiring harness.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved overhead system of the type described above which is less expensive to produce in terms of materials.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved overhead system of the type described above which is less expensive to produce in terms of labor.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best modes for carrying out the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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Brooks & Kushman P.C.
Lear Corporation
Pape Joseph D.
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