Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Chad Eric Anderson

Christopher M Higgins

Robert Joseph Hazlewood

Toshinao Wada

Christian Arthur Trager

Leon Toma

Logan R Astrike

Patrick J Edgar

Phouvadol P Khouphongsy

Skylar C Watson

Jay Leonard Sackett

Yi-Ru Chen Sosnowski

William A Purdy

Jonathan San

Masaaki Tanaka

Apparatuses and methods for preventing a vehicle door from opening in response to a side impact. An apparatus comprises a cover structure and a latch mechanism. The cover structure is located between an outer panel of a vehicle door and an inner panel of the vehicle door. The cover structure has an inboard surface with a sloped portion. The latch mechanism is associated with an inside handle that is attached to the inner panel of the vehicle door. Movement of the outer panel towards the inner panel causes the sloped portion of the inboard surface of the cover structure to contact the latch mechanism and move the latch mechanism into a latched position.

Side impact-initiated door latch locking system

A duct system, and more particularly, a rigid endcap of the duct system can be configured to prevent a register from being damaged and from being displaced upon a curtain side airbag deployment. The duct system can include a headliner defining an opening, and a soft duct operatively connected to the headliner. The duct system can include a rigid endcap operatively connected to the headliner and to the soft duct. An airflow channel can be defined by the headliner, the soft duct, and the rigid endcap. Additionally, the rigid endcap can define a terminal end of the airflow channel, and the opening can be located along the airflow channel directly below the rigid endcap.

Rigid endcap for a duct system in a headliner

A seat back frame assembly and seat assembly are provided. The seat back frame assembly includes a pair of side members spaced apart from each other, a top member spaced apart from a bottom member, each of the top and bottom members interconnecting each of the pair of side members so as to define a peripheral edge, the peripheral edge enclosing a back space. An interference member is disposed within the back space and spaced apart from an inner surface of one of the pair of side members. The interference member disposed above a midpoint of the one of the pair of side members and includes a sliding surface angled obtusely with respect to the back space so as to direct an occupant forward of the back space and away from the side member when experiencing a side load.

Seat back frame assembly with interference member

Apparatus, devices, methods and systems corresponding to one or more embodiments relating to a jack handle for operation of a vehicle jack is described herein. In one embodiment, a two-piece jack is described. A first piece may include a handle and a first interlock portion. A second piece may include a jack mating portion, a second interlock portion for engagement with the first interlock portion of the first piece and a stopper for preventing the first piece and second piece from becoming disengaged during operation.

Interlocking handle

A window lift assembly for moving a vehicle window includes a window regulator assembly including an actuator that moves the vehicle window between raised and lowered positions. A window support bracket assembly connects the vehicle window and the window regulator assembly. The window support bracket assembly includes a window support that supports the vehicle window. The window support includes an outboard side and an inboard side. A support bracket is connected to the window support. The support bracket includes a window support connecting portion connected to the inboard side of the window support and a lift arm bracket connecting portion extends below a bottom of the window support. An underhang portion is connected to the window support connecting portion at an inner bend and is connected to the lift arm bracket connecting portion at an outer bend.

Window lift assemblies for vehicles including window support bracket assemblies

A door handle assembly includes a handle pivot housing and a main handle rotatably or otherwise pivotally secured within the handle pivot housing. The handle pivot housing includes handle engaging-walls defining a handle pivot cavity therebetween. At least one of the handle-engaging walls includes an integrally formed boss extending into the handle pivot cavity. The main handle includes an arm integrally formed with a pivot joint defining a pivot axis, and a counterweight. The pivot joint rotatably or otherwise pivotally secures to the boss. The counterweight and the arm are positioned on opposite sides of the pivot axis. The main handle may be configured to receive and retain a plurality of caps, which may be formed of a different material than said main handle. Each of the caps may differ in at least one of size, shape, structure, material, texture, and color. A counterweight includes a fin that abuts the cap so as to secure the cap onto the handle.

Door handle assembly

Growing community of inventors

Ypsilanti, MI, United States of America

Chad Eric Anderson