Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Bakhtyar Baig

Marwan Ahmad Elbkaily

Muhsin M Hamdoon

Linh Ngoc Doan

Bhaskara Rao Pamarthi

Darrin Neil Wagner

Krishnakanth E Aekbote

Daniel Carl Bejune

Yalla Mussa Abushawashi

Viktor Kostrominov

Weigang Chen

Rongrong Zhou

Bruce Richard Ghastin

Md-Tofiqul Islam

Shuenn-Muh Chen

Mustafa Usuf

Behrooz Khatib-Shahidi

Systems and methods for directing and controlling air flow into an internal combustion engine are presented. In one example, an aluminum cylinder with two welded bearing holders is over molded with a short fiber reinforced polymer composite throttle body housing. The short fiber reinforced polymer composite throttle body housing may be welded to an engine intake manifold or it may be part of the engine intake manifold.

Integrated intake manifold

A locking device is provided for a door of a motor vehicle. That locking device includes a pin having a first end fixed to the door and a second end including an enlarged head. The locking device also includes a receiver on a rocker panel of the motor vehicle. When the door is subjected to a side impact the pin extends into the receiver and is captured to lock the door closed. A related method is also disclosed.

Crash safety locking device for a motor vehicle door

A collapsible vehicle armrest includes an armrest substrate extending between a door frame and a door trim and defining an opening therebetween. The opening has a longitudinal axis substantially parallel with the door frame. A plurality of support bands extends co-planar across the opening and parallel with the longitudinal axis. A plurality of stubs extends across each gap defined between adjacent support bands. Each stub is free of alignment with each other of the plurality of stubs in a direction perpendicular to the plurality of support bands. A cover member extends over the armrest substrate and the plurality of support bands, wherein the cover member is vertically supported proximate the opening by the plurality of parallel support bands and the plurality of stubs.

Armrest substrate having detachable elongated support bands

A vehicle roof structure and door opening panel structure is disclosed that is reinforced with an upper reinforcement strip and a lower reinforcement strip. The roof panel, door opening panel and reinforcement strips are attached by an adhesive and by a plurality of fasteners. The fasteners are received in pierce nuts that are preassembled to the lower reinforcing strip.

Vehicle roof structure

An improved fuel tank is disclosed that includes a plurality of recessed ribs formed in the fuel tank adjacent a fuel filter. The fuel filter is received in a pocket formed in the lateral side of the fuel tank by a front side wall and rear side wall that extend from the lateral side to a recessed wall. The ribs include an inner portion, a transverse portion and an outer portion. The recessed ribs have upper and lower walls that converge toward a base wall.

Fuel tank with stiffening ribs in a pocket for the fuel filter

A side airbag for an automotive vehicle includes an outboard panel having a perimeter edge and a first vertical length, and an inboard panel having a perimeter edge and a second vertical length shorter than the first vertical length, the inboard and outboard panels joined to one another around their respective perimeter edges to form an enclosed volume such that when the airbag is inflated a mid-thickness line is concave toward the inboard panel. When the inflated airbag is positioned between an occupant seat and a side wall of the vehicle, the inboard-curved shape provides early engagement between an occupant of the seat and the airbag to offer improved protection for the head and neck.

Asymmetric side airbag for improved head and neck protection

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Canton, MI, United States of America

Bakhtyar Baig