Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.

Magna International Inc.

Other

Nissan North America, Inc.

Darren Andrew Womack

William G Bowes

Edward Karl Steinebach

Jeremiah John Brady

Mark Justin Jones

Jeffrey Jay Mellis

Richard Lee Winfree

Warren Edward Young

Erryn Leigh Ashmore

Venugopal Garimella

Tom Sanor

Gianfranco Gabbianelli

Diane T Allen

Stephen D Ball

Edward Schleichert

Kevin Richard Langworthy

Brian B Cuyler

Michael D Anderson

Sten Burris

Mark D Snyder

William R Perry

David N Plentis

Richard Dumbleton

Blaine Bradley

Tarlok Singh Kainth

Tracy Arnold Grant Taylor

James Arminski

Kevin VanDenBrouck

Mujadded Qureshi

Paul James Marston

A multi-opening oven assembly for simultaneously heating a plurality of blanks, for example aluminum blanks, before forming the heated blanks in a production line is provided. The oven assembly includes vertically aligned shelves to present a plurality of chambers for heating the blanks. A table including an entry side platform and an exit side platform moves vertically along the oven assembly. A rail system extends along the platforms and the shelves to convey the blanks in and out of the chambers. Once one set of heated blanks is removed from a first chamber, the table moves vertically to a second chamber and is ready to receive the next set of heated blanks. A continuous supply of heated blanks is provided for high throughput. The oven assembly is preferably disposed in a press adjacent a forming station of an existing production line and thus, no additional floor space is required.

Aluminum warm forming multi-opening oven and production line

The vehicle door assembly includes an outer panel which has a rocker sill area and a beltline area. A reinforcement member, which is made of one or more pieces, is attached with the outer panel along at least a portion of an outer periphery of the outer panel. The door assembly further includes a module which is made as a single integral piece and is fixedly attached with the reinforcement member. The module has an inner beltline reinforcement and supports a pair of window channels and a window regulator for controllably raising and lowering a window between an open position and a closed position.

Vehicle door assembly

A bumper system including a bumper beam being cast from metal having a front panel and a back panel, extending between a first bumper beam end and a second bumper beam end. A plurality of reinforcing ribs integrally cast with the bumper beam extends between the front panel and the back panel defining a non-uniform cross-sectional profile along a portion of the bumper beam. The front panel includes a front center portion disposed between a pair of front side portions. The back panel includes a back center portion disposed between a pair of back side portions. The front center portion has a front center portion thickness greater than a back center portion thickness. Each of the front side portions has a front side portion thickness being less than a back side portion thickness of adjacent one of the back side portions. Method of manufacturing the bumper system is provided.

Cast bumper system and method of manufacturing same

A multi-window platen oven for simultaneously heating a plurality of blanks, for example aluminum blanks, before forming the heated blanks in a production line is provided. The oven includes a plurality of vertically aligned shelves disposed in an existing press assembly so that no additional floor space is required. The shelves are attachable to an upper press bed and one another. The upper press bed lifts the attached shelves to present an open window for receiving an unheated blank and/or removing a heated blank from the oven. The remaining windows remain closed and continue heating while the blanks are transferred to and from the oven. After closing the one open window, another window opens to receive another unheated blank and/or remove another heated blank. Thus, the multi-window platen oven continuously provides blanks which are ready for warm or hot forming.

Aluminum warm forming oven and production line

A vehicle bumper assembly includes a bumper beam and a crash box. At least one of the bumper beam or the crash box is cast from metal, such as aluminum or magnesium, to reduce weight, reduce manufacturing process steps, and improve performance characteristics of the bumper assembly. In an embodiment, both of the bumper beam and the crash box are cast from metal to establish an integral connection therebetween. One of the bumper beam or the crash box can be open along a top and bottom portion of the bumper assembly and include at least one reinforcing rib cast integral therewith. In an embodiment, both of the bumper beam and the crash box can be open along a top and bottom portion of the bumper assembly and each include at least one reinforcing rib cast integral therewith.

Cast bumper assembly and method of manufacturing same

A twist axle assembly () of a vehicle includes a pair of trailing arms () and a twist beam () extending along an axis (A) between first and second twist beam ends (). The twist axle assembly () further includes a bushing () interconnected to each one of the first and second twist beam ends () and a respective trailing arm () for establishing a weld-less joint between the twist beam () and the trailing arm (). In an embodiment, the twist beam () and bushings () are tubular, and the bushings () are press-fit or molded onto the respective first or second twist beam ends (). In a further embodiment, the trailing arms () define an orifice () aligned on the axis (A), and the tubular bushings () are press-fit into the orifices () of the trailing arms () to establish the weld-less joint.

Twist beam axle assembly and method of manufacturing same

A fastener assembly secures loads to a track in a truck bed and is retainable within a track slot of the track. The fastener assembly may include a retainer adapted to fit at least partly within a track slot and a handle operating on the retainer, the handle being moveable between at least an engagement position and a release position. A pressure applicator is positioned between the track and the handle, the pressure applicator having a bottom surface for applying a pressure on a top surface of the track in response to the position of the handle. The pressure applicator includes at least one projection projecting from the bottom surface and adapted to engage a positioning cutout of the track.

Track system

A fastener assembly secures loads to a track in a truck bed and is retainable within a track slot of the track. The fastener assembly may include a retainer adapted to fit at least partly within a track slot and a rotatable handle operating on the retainer, the rotatable handle being rotatable between at least an engagement position and a release position. A pressure applicator is positioned between the track and the rotatable handle, the pressure applicator having a bottom surface for applying a pressure on a top surface of the track in response to the position of the rotatable handle. The pressure applicator includes at least one projection projecting from an interior region of the bottom surface and adapted to engage a positioning scallop of the track.

Track slot fastener

A slidably retainable fastener assembly for securing loads to a track is provided with a retainer adapted to fit at least partly within a track slot and a member operating on the retainer, the member being positionable in at least a first position and a second position. When the member is positioned in the first position, the member causes the retainer to disengage the track slot thereby allowing the fastener to be movable within the track slot, and when the member is positioned in the second position, the member causes the retainer to engage the track slot thereby causing the fastener to remain stationary within the track slot.

A method of manufacturing a bed liner for a truck bed. The method comprises providing a truck bed, applying a masking device to an orifice in the truck bed, retaining the masking device in the orifice by inserting a portion of the masking device into the orifice, applying a coating of truck bed liner material to the truck bed, and removing the masking device. After removing the masking device, a region of the truck bed surrounding the orifice is free of the truck bed liner material. The orifice may include a nut. A portion of the masking device can be inserted into the nut. The masking device may include a clip.

Method of manufacturing a truck bed liner with a reusable masking device

A continuous, hydroformed tubular member includes a horizontal member having a first end and a second end. A first vertical member has a first lower end coupled to the first end of the horizontal member. The first vertical member also has a first upper pillar-free end to form a first pillar configured to form a terminal end of an upwardly-open rear bed of a motor vehicle. A second vertical member has a second lower end coupled to the second end of the horizontal member. The second vertical member also has a second upper pillar-free end to form a second pillar configured to form the terminal end of the upwardly-open rear bed of a motor vehicle. The horizontal member, the first vertical member, and the second vertical member together form a one-piece, unitary U-shaped member.

Frame for a motor vehicle

Growing community of inventors

Windsor, CA, United States of America

Darren Andrew Womack