Fca US LLC

Chrysler Group LLC

Adrian J Purvis

Scott E Zilincik

Bryan G Mrozinski

James V Legray

Eric A Darin

Prabhu L Selvaraj

Ranjit B Pandhare

Meyyappan Valliappan

Richard A Lenzen, Jr

Jerome Herman

John A Dzvowik

David M Houser

David Dominic, Jr

Mark S Marek

Bhaskar Avutapalli

Jeffrey M Patrias

Charles H Kneshtel, Jr

Dustin DeMink

A vehicle that includes a vehicle frame, a wheel attached to the vehicle frame, and a wheel deflector assembly attached to the vehicle frame. The wheel deflector assembly includes a deflector plate that extends angularly outward from the vehicle frame, and the wheel deflector assembly is configured, in the event of an offset frontal impact to the vehicle that forces the wheel in a direction toward the frame, to be struck by the wheel and deflect the wheel in a direction away from the frame to prevent the wheel from travelling beneath the vehicle frame.

Wheel deflector

A vehicle front structure includes side rails, rail tips, and a tension member. The side rails extend longitudinally in a front portion of the vehicle on left and right sides of a central longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The rail tips have a plurality of flat walls that define a hollow polygonal body disposed about a tip axis. The rail tips have proximal and distal ends. The proximal end is fixedly coupled to a forward terminal end of the side rail inboard of an outer quarter of a total vehicle width. The rail tip extends outboard and forward such that the distal end is disposed within the outer quarter. The flat walls have a forward wall thickness that is less than a rearward wall thickness. The tension member is fixedly coupled to the distal ends and spans laterally therebetween.

Vehicle front structure with splayed rail tips

Vehicle front structure with splayed variable gage rail tip

An apparatus for damping vibration in a vehicle structure via a mass of a spare wheel includes a bar. The bar has a first end elastically coupled to the vehicle structure, wherein the first end is arranged for vertical movement relative to the vehicle structure. The bar also has a second end pivotably coupled to the vehicle structure, wherein the second end is arranged to facilitate the vertical movement of the first end. The bar additionally includes an arrangement for mounting a spare wheel, wherein damping of vibration in the vehicle structure is provided when the spare wheel is mounted on the bar.

Spare tire carrier vibration damper

A clam-shell bracket for defining a mounting flange on a structural member, such as a hydroformed vehicle cross-member or frame rail, includes a lower body featuring an integrated locating feature with which to preposition the bracket on the structural member, and permanently-attached male threaded fasteners with which to thereafter secure the bracket to the structural member. The bracket further includes a hinged upper body having slotted bolt holes through which the lower body's fasteners may freely pass as the upper body is pivoted into the assembled position, thereby reducing the time required for bracket installation. The use of fasteners on the both the hinged end and opposite end of the lower clamp body provides an improved clamping force about the structural member, while the improved clamping force cooperates with the mating locating features of the bracket and the structural member to improve the lateral applied load transfer therebetween.

Hinged clamp bracket

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Rochester Hills, MI, United States of America

Adrian J Purvis