For a hanging flexible flap having a top and bottom end for reminding a driver, upon exiting, of the vehicle's occupancy for a vehicle having a driver-side door handle including a lever operable for opening the door, deployment, proceeding from a pre-deployment state in which the flap is in a folded-up configuration such that the bottom end is releasably attached to a second interior-side location vertically above a first interior-side location to which the flap is attached and both locations are vertically above the lever and jointly high enough that the flap does not cover the lever along at least most of the lever's length, includes undoing the releasable attachment; and unfolding the flap, or letting it fall, to hang down covering the lever along at least most of the lever's length. Alternatively, pre-deployment may be in a spring-biased rolled-up configuration, with the flap unrollable down to cover the lever.

A vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus mounted on a vehicle includes a first imaging unit that captures an image of a rear side and a diagonally backward, a distance detection unit that detects a distance from the vehicle to an object present in the rear side and the diagonally backward, based on the image captured by the first imaging unit, a course prediction unit that predicts a course of the object, based on transition of the distance to the object detected by the distance detection unit, and an entry prediction unit that predicts whether the object enters a door opening and closing area, based on the course of the object predicted by the course prediction unit and the door opening and closing area which is set on sides of the vehicle and defines a movable range in which side doors of the vehicle are opened and closed.

A vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus mounted on a vehicle includes a first imaging unit that captures an image of a rear side and a diagonally backward, a distance detection unit that detects a distance from the vehicle to an object present in the rear side and the diagonally backward, based on the image captured by the first imaging unit, a course prediction unit that predicts a course of the object, based on transition of the distance to the object detected by the distance detection unit, and an entry prediction unit that predicts whether the object enters a door opening and closing area, based on the course of the object predicted by the course prediction unit and the door opening and closing area which is set on sides of the vehicle and defines a movable range in which side doors of the vehicle are opened and closed.

A powered door latch may be actuated by a capacitive sensor or by movement of a mechanical release device. A controller may be utilized to prevent unlatching of the powered latch unless the vehicle is in Park and/or certain operating conditions are present.

A tailgate emergency opening cover includes a cover body, configured to match an emergency opening on a tailgate trim panel; a connecting mechanism provided on the cover body, the connecting mechanism being configured to fix a first side of the cover body with the tailgate trim panel; and a knob engagement mechanism, rotatably provided on the cover body. When the knob engagement mechanism is located at a first position, a second side of the cover body and the tailgate trim panel are locked; when the knob engagement mechanism is located at a second position, the second side of the cover body and the tailgate trim panel are unlocked, and the cover body can be moved away from the emergency opening, so that the emergency opening is opened.

Provide a door latch device allowing a childproof-double-lock mechanism is simplified and the size of the door latch device is miniaturized. While supporting a childproof lever and a double lock lever by a support shaft, coordinating the childproof lever and the double lock lever by an interlocking means and for moving the double lock lever in the direction of a double-lock position in conjunction with the childproof lever and the double lock lever move to the 3rd position from the 2nd position where is a childproof lock position.

An exemplary door lock transition method includes transitioning a door lock of a vehicle from a deactivated state to an activated state based on a door lock schedule that includes a deactivated period where the door lock is scheduled to be in the deactivated state, and an activated period where the door lock is scheduled to be in the activated state. An exemplary door lock transition assembly includes, a door lock of a vehicle, and a control system configured to transition the door lock from a deactivated state to an activated state based on a door lock schedule.

An exemplary door lock transition method includes transitioning a door lock of a vehicle from a deactivated state to an activated state based on a door lock schedule that includes a deactivated period where the door lock is scheduled to be in the deactivated state, and an activated period where the door lock is scheduled to be in the activated state. An exemplary door lock transition assembly includes, a door lock of a vehicle, and a control system configured to transition the door lock from a deactivated state to an activated state based on a door lock schedule.

A door outer handle which can be easily attached to an outer panel from the outside and in which the size of a counter weight is sufficiently ensured is provided. A door outer handle has an elongated shape. A hinge portion provided at one end of the door outer handle is inserted into a first attachment hole, and a counter weight provided at the other end of the door outer handle is inserted into a second attachment hole. An outer circumferential surface of the counter weight, which is located farthest from a contact point, is formed in an arc shape with a first radius, centered at the contact point. Furthermore, an inner circumferential surface of the counter weight, which is located closer to the contact point than the outer circumferential surface, is also formed in an arc shape with a second radius, centered at the contact point.

A door lock mechanism for a vehicle, may include a lock pin which is moved between an unlocked position and a locked position in a radial direction from a rotation axis of a pawl lever, wherein at the unlocked position, a rotating displacement of an outside handle lever is configured to be transmitted to the pawl lever, and at the locked position, the rotating displacement of the outside handle lever is configured to not be transmitted to the pawl lever, a lock lever which is selectively rotated to allow the lock pin to be moved in the radial direction, a safety lever engaged with the lock lever, the safety lever receiving a manipulation force of a safety knob and rotating the lock lever, and an interlinking unit which allows a rotating displacement of the pawl lever to be partly transmitted to the safety lever.