Wheel carriage assemblies and related fabric deployment systems and methods are disclosed. A wheel carriage assembly comprising at least one wheel with ball bearings on the interior of each wheel, and a pivot point that allows for position independence, is configured with a hembar coupled to a piece of fabric to allow a surface of varying shape to be covered. The system provides the ability to cover both traditional window shapes as well as surfaces of irregular shape or inclined orientation, and reduces and evens the amount of wear on certain components to extend system life.

An illuminated window assembly that includes a glass substrate; a light barrier over the substrate having a reflective interior-facing and a tinted exterior-facing surface; a light-diffusing element over the barrier having first and second opposed edges; and an LED source or spaced LED sources configured to direct incident light into the first opposed edge. Further, a thickness of the element at the first opposed edge is greater than a thickness at the second opposed edge. The LED sources can also be directed into both the first and second opposed edges, wherein a thickness of the element at the first and the second opposed edge is greater than a thickness between the opposed edges.

An illuminated window assembly that includes a glass substrate; a light barrier over the substrate having a reflective interior-facing and a tinted exterior-facing surface; a light-diffusing element over the barrier having first and second opposed edges; and an LED source or spaced LED sources configured to direct incident light into the first opposed edge. Further, a thickness of the element at the first opposed edge is greater than a thickness at the second opposed edge. The LED sources can also be directed into both the first and second opposed edges, wherein a thickness of the element at the first and the second opposed edge is greater than a thickness between the opposed edges.

The invention relates to a method for selecting a viscoelastic plastic interlayer including two outer layers and a central layer that can be incorporated between two glass sheets of a glazing unit, the method includes providing first and second components that constitute respectively the central layer and the outer layers, measuring the shear modulus G′ of the first and second components, selecting the material of the second component only if G′≧3×10.sup.7 Pa at 20° C. and between 100 Hz and 240 Hz, and setting the thickness h of the first component so that h is between 0.31 mm and 1.20 mm and so that g=G′/h is between 5.58×10.sup.8 Pa/m and 2.37×10.sup.9 Pa/m at 20° C. and between 100 Hz and 240 Hz.

An optical device is provided in the present application. The optical device of the present application has varying transmittance and improved appearance defects, such as reduction of wrinkles that may occur by lamination of a liquid crystal element and an outer substrate. Such optical device can be used for various applications such as eyewear, for example, sunglasses or AR (augmented reality) or VR (virtual reality) eyewear, an outer wall of a building or a sunroof for a vehicle.

An optical device is provided in the present application. The optical device of the present application has varying transmittance and improved appearance defects, such as reduction of wrinkles that may occur by lamination of a liquid crystal element and an outer substrate. Such optical device can be used for various applications such as eyewear, for example, sunglasses or AR (augmented reality) or VR (virtual reality) eyewear, an outer wall of a building or a sunroof for a vehicle.

A sunshade assembly for a vehicle door includes a housing including a storage portion configured to support a retractor for a sunshade, and a guide portion configured to guide the sunshade into and out of the storage portion. The guide portion includes a first wall and a second wall extended from the storage portion. The first wall and the second wall together define an elongated first opening for extension of the sunshade from the retractor. A sunshade garnish includes a base wall having an elongated second opening aligned with the first opening. A mounting flange depending from the base wall flanks the first wall and is directly connected to an outer surface of the storage portion. A weather-strip support covered by the sunshade garnish includes a mounting tab flanking the second wall and directly connected to the outer surface of the storage portion.

Systems and methods for mitigating wind throb in vehicles are disclosed herein. An example method includes detecting wind throb in a cabin of a vehicle due to opening of a first window of the vehicle, determining when a seat that is adjacent to a second window of the vehicle is unoccupied, opening the second window when the seat is determined to be unoccupied so as to compensate for the wind throb, determining that the first window has been closed, and closing the second window in response to closing of the first window.

A window stabilization mechanism includes a rail provided on a first cabin frame provided on one side of a window, and has a first end and a second end opposite to the first end in the lengthwise direction of the rail. A sliding member is provided on a windowpane and is configured to slide on the rail. The sliding member is located at a first end when the window is opened and at a second end when the window is closed. A lock mechanism is configured to lock the windowpane to the first cabin frame when the window is closed. A window support member is configured to abut on the windowpane when the window is closed, and to press the windowpane in an oblique direction from the windowpane toward the rail and from the second end toward the first end when the windowpane is locked by a lock mechanism.

A safety and input/output (I/O) module of an engine controller for an engine set of a marine vessel can be physically distinct from an engine control unit (ECU). The safety and I/O module can include hardware in addition to software, firmware, or a combination thereof. The safety and I/O module can be a single logic controller having safety functionality and I/O functionality. The safety functionality can be for dynamic engine protection during operation of the engine set of the marine vessel. The I/O functionality can be for sending signals to components external to the engine controller and for receiving signals from components external to the engine controller.