Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Gecom Corporation

Ford Motor Company Limited

Midway Products Group, Inc.

Adrian Nicholas Alexander Elliott

Jason Falenski

Dave Michael Lechkun

Craig Blust

Henry W Hausler

Bryan Farris

Justin T Johnson

Lyle Dadd

Kosta Papanikolaou

Matthew John Zaluzec

Gary D Mullen

Bhavani Thota

Kimberly Ann Lazarz

Rajinder Pal Singh

Kenneth S Laird

Michael Henry Maj

Conrad Michael Kudelko

Charles Gregory Bambenek

Todd William Dishman

Kevin Murphy

Chris Richardson

Fritz Cory

William Boberg

James Krizman

Brian Gase

A cover assembly for an opening in a sliding vehicle door system including a linkage arm operably associated with the vehicle door and a vehicle body. Also included is a tambour door panel associated with the linkage arm. Further included is a channel located proximate a door trim panel having at least one slot, the channel including an opening capable of allowing the linkage arm to pass through at least a portion of the channel, where at least a portion of the tambour door panel slidably travels within the channel, wherein a sliding motion of the vehicle door imparts movement on the linkage arm, the linkage arm sliding within the at least one slot and the channel, and wherein the linkage arm simultaneously imparts movement on the tambour door panel.

Sliding door tambour close out panel

A sliding door panel for covering an opening in a trim panel of a sliding door includes a bracket having a first guiding member. The sliding door panel includes is a sliding appliqu&#xe9; having a second guiding member capable of associating with the first guiding member, and wherein the sliding appliqu&#xe9; includes a first end having a protruding configuration extending away from the trim panel.

Door trim moving applique

A power drive unit system includes a vehicle door, a slide member, a motor, first and second cable guide members, first and second cables, an external spool, a door inner panel and one guide track. The internal spool unit includes an internal spool. The motor operatively communicates with the internal spool. The first cable guide member is associated with a first cable and the external spool. The first cable is attached to the internal spool and the external spool. The second cable guide member is associated with a second cable and the external spool. The second cable is attached to the internal cable spool the external spool, which in turn communicates with an output gear. The motor actuates the internal cable spool to pull the second cable, thereby causing rotation of the external spool and the drive shaft. The rotation of the drive shaft results in rotation of the door relative to the body; after which the door slides open.

Dual action power drive unit for a vehicle door

An entry assembly includes a frame and a gate. The frame has a first side and a second side. The gate is connected to the frame. The gate defines a demarcation between the first side and the second side of the frame. The gate is pivotable about the frame along at least two axes of rotation. Each axis of rotation intersects at least one of the at least two axes of rotation.

Universal tailgate hinge

A vehicle door articulating mechanism including an articulating hinge assembly having a hinge arm pivotally mounted to a vehicle structure at one end thereof, a vehicle door pivotally mounted via first and second hinge mounts to the hinge arm at an opposite end of the hinge arm, a first cam mounted to the first hinge mount at one end of the hinge arm, a second cam mounted to the second hinge mount at an opposite end of the hinge arm, and a belt encircling both first and second cams. The hinge arm is disposed at first and second angular positions when the vehicle door is respectively disposed in closed and opened positions. The vehicle door articulating mechanism allows the door to articulate away independent of an adjacent vehicle door during initial and continued opening of vehicle door.

Vehicle door belt and cam articulating mechanism

A vehicle tailgate side mounted step assist mechanism attachable to a vehicle including a vehicle bed coupled to a pillar and a tailgate pivotally attached to the vehicle bed for providing access to the vehicle bed in a tailgate open position and securing contents of the vehicle bed in a tailgate closed position. The mechanism may include generally parallel supports rotatably mountable to a side of the tailgate, the supports capable of being deployed when the tailgate is in the tailgate open position and stowed when the tailgate is in the tailgate closed position. A tailgate step is disposable between the supports at a predetermined distance from the side of the tailgate, and a lockout device prevents the tailgate from returning to the tailgate closed position when the tailgate step is deployed.

Side mounted tailgate step

A simultaneous movement system for a vehicle door includes a vehicle door having a door inner panel, first and second outboard members, first and second inboard members, first and second guide tracks, a third curved guide track, first and second points on the second outboard member, and first and second slide members. The first and second guide tracks are operatively mounted to the vehicle door. The third curved guide track may be operatively mounted to the vehicle door and is configured to receive a second point on the second outboard hinge arm. The first point on the second outboard hinge arm may be pivotally mounted on a second slide member.

Simultaneous movement system for a vehicle door

A door system includes a vehicle frame defining a door opening. A forward opening door is disposed in the door opening and has a forward edge hingedly connected to a forward support pillar and a rearward edge securely engageable with an intermediate support pillar. A rearward opening door is disposed in the door opening and has a rearward edge hingedly connected to a rearward support pillar and a forward edge securely engageable with the intermediate support pillar. A latching system has frame latches that removably attach the intermediate support pillar to the vehicle frame and door latches that removably connect the intermediate support pillar to one of the forward opening door and rearward opening door, such that the intermediate support pillar is connected to one or more of the vehicle frame, forward opening door, and rearward opening door at all times.

Transferable B-pillar for facilitating ingress/egress

A simultaneous single rail movement system for a vehicle door includes an outboard hinge arm, an inboard hinge arm, a rail, and a guide track. The outboard hinge arm includes a first outboard end and a second outboard end. The outboard hinge arm is pivotally mounted to a vehicle body structure at the first outboard end. The outboard hinge arm includes a first region or point, and a second region or point. The inboard hinge arm includes a first inboard end and a second inboard end. The inboard hinge arm is pivotally mounted to a vehicle body structure at the first inboard end. The rail may be mounted to a vehicle door and is configured to receive the slide member. The slide member is pivotally mounted to the first point of the outboard hinge arm and the second inboard end. The guide track is adjacent to the rail and is configured to receive the second region or point of the outboard hinge arm. The guide track includes a substantially curved portion and a substantially linear portion. The substantially curved portion of the guide track extends beyond the rail in a longitudinal direction aft of the rail in a manner sufficient to facilitate continuous and smooth movement of the door upon opening and upon closing.

Simultaneous single rail movement system for a vehicle door

A vehicle door articulating and sliding mechanism is provided that includes a swing arm pivotally mounted via a first bracket to a vehicle structure at one end and a sliding assembly comprising a rotating second bracket mounted at an opposite end of the swing arm. The sliding assembly is slidably engaged to a vehicle door. The mechanism also includes a first flexible link at least partially encircling a first sprocket connected to the vehicle structure and a second sprocket fixed to the vehicle door. The mechanism further includes a second flexible link fixed to the vehicle door at one end and fixed to the vehicle structure at the opposite end. The second flexible link at least partially encircles a cam, wherein the first flexible link and cam provide a catch that engages the cam to accelerate movement of the door during opening.

Vehicle door articulating and sliding mechanism

Vehicle running board

A method of securing body panels to a space frame for a vehicle is disclosed. The body panels are secured to rivet nuts that are assembled to frame members. The location of the rivet nuts or rivet nuts supporting surface is measured and the rivet nuts are milled or machined to correspond to reference body coordinates. The milled rivet nuts function as a integral shim pack and obviate the need for shims between the space frame and body panels.

Growing community of inventors

Dearborn, MI, United States of America

Adrian Nicholas Alexander Elliott