Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Colin Michael Ravenscroft

Jonathan Richard Young

Corinne D Uskali

Vehicles incorporating load-transferring hood hinge members are disclosed. In one embodiment, a vehicle includes an A-pillar portion, an upper side member coupled to the A-pillar portion and extending forward from the A-pillar portion in a vehicle longitudinal direction, and a dash panel coupled to the A-pillar portion and extending in a vehicle lateral direction that is transverse to the vehicle longitudinal direction. The vehicle also includes a hood hinge member that is coupled to the upper side member and positioned forward of the A-pillar portion. The hood hinge member includes an attachment portion that is coupled to the upper side member, a flange member that extends upward from the attachment portion, a hood attachment opening passing through the flange member, and a rearward-projecting protrusion having a distal surface that is positioned transverse to the flange member.

Vehicles having load-transferring hood hinge members

A tailgate damping system for controlling movement of a tailgate assembly of a vehicle includes a speed sensor that provides rotational speed information of the tailgate assembly. A controller receives the rotational speed information from the speed sensor. A damping control assembly receives a tailgate shaft of the tailgate assembly. The damping control assembly includes a housing comprising a rotor chamber including a rotor member located therein. The rotor member is connected to a rotor shaft that is coupled to the tailgate shaft. A valve chamber includes a control valve located therein. The controller closes the control valve to inhibit exit of a damping fluid from the rotor chamber based on the speed information received from the speed sensor.

Growing community of inventors

Saline, MI, United States of America

Colin Michael Ravenscroft