Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Roof structure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-21
2001-08-14
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Roof structure
C174S0720TR, C439S034000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06273499
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle headliner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Vehicle headliners are generally made from a textile material which is fixed to the roof and on which various electrical accessories are mounted, such as overhead lights, a brake light repeater, loudspeakers, etc.
Generally, such accessories are connected to wiring provided to power them and are then fixed into place, which represents considerable labor.
One object of the invention is to remedy this drawback.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a textile material automotive vehicle headliner including a number of electrical accessories such as overhead lights, loudspeakers and brake light repeaters and formed of a plurality of thicknesses between which are inserted a main ribbon conductor having a series of tracks and secondary conductors having tracks, wherein openings are formed in the thicknesses corresponding to the location of the accessories, the ribbon conductors extend into the openings, the accessories are adapted to be electrically connected to corresponding ribbon conductors and to be fixed into a corresponding opening, and one of the accessories includes means for connecting the main ribbon conductor to a power supply of the vehicle.
A complete headliner can therefore be manufactured ready to be fitted, at which time all the pre-wired accessories are automatically connected to the power supply circuit of the vehicle.
The headliner preferably includes a support for the electrical accessories having a rim adapted to cooperate with the surface of the headliner adjacent the opening, a flexible printed circuit for powering the electrical accessories, a plate which has compartments to receive contacts of the electrical accessories and means or assembling the support to the plate with the surface adjacent the opening in the headliner clamped between the plate and the rim. The accessories can therefore be connected quickly to the ribbon conductors and fixed to the headliner.
According to one feature of the invention the plate includes means for electrically connecting the ribbon conductor to the flexible printed circuit for powering the electrical accessories.
According to another feature of the invention the plate includes a hinged flap, means for locking the flap and an extension of the flexible printed circuit for powering the electrical accessories, the ribbon conductor can be clamped between the flap and a bearing surface and the extension includes power supply tracks intended to coincide with the tracks of the ribbon conductor.
The bearing surface preferably includes a trough and the flap preferably includes a corresponding protuberance.
According to a final feature of the invention one of the electrical accessories includes a connector element, a complementary connector element is fixed to the roof of the vehicle and connected by conductors to an electrical power supply circuit of the vehicle and the elements include contacts adapted to be pressed together after insertion of the main ribbon conductor in order to supply power thereto. Thus the ribbon conductor is inserted between the terminals of the two connector elements when fitting the headliner and all the accessories are therefore connected automatically.
The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only and with reference to one particular embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.
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Chenevert Paul
Company Sylea
Dayoan D. Glenn
Pearne & Gordon LLP
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