Nissan North America, Inc.

Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.

David Coakley

Michael Kowaczyk

John-Paul LaPorte

Jordan Renn

Shuichi Okada

Yasutsune Terashima

Syu Hashimoto

Masayuki Kato

Adam Michael Jones

Mark Odulio

Masayuki Katou

Tony Tognetti

Stephen Pfingsten

Michael Valencia

A vehicle front end assembly includes a grille, a front end module, an upper grille panel and a bell crank assembly. The front end module has a radiator positioned rearwardly with respect to the grille. The upper grille panel extends rearwardly with respect to the grille and overlies the front end module. The upper grille panel has a bell crank access area. The bell crank assembly is positioned in the bell crank access area of the upper grille panel. The bell crank assembly has a bell crank that is movable with respect to the upper grille panel. The bell crank assembly further has an airflow barrier that is fixedly supported with respect to the bell crank assembly. The airflow barrier has a front wall that is positioned forward of the bell crank to deflect air flow received through the grille.

Vehicle front end assembly

A vehicle frame structure has a front side member that extends forward from a dashwall. An engine cradle is attached to the front side member with a lateral side portion of the engine cradle being located beneath and spaced apart from a lower surface of the front side member. An engine installed to the engine cradle with a portion of the engine extending upward from the engine cradle adjacent to an inboard surface of the front side member, A push-off structure is attached to an outboard surface of the front side member adjacent to a front end surface of the front side member. A portion of the push-off structure extends outboard from the outboard surface. Another portion of the push-off structure extends downward below the lower surface of the front side member toward the lateral portion of the engine cradle and the engine.

A vehicle frame structure has a front side member that extends forward from a dashwall. An engine cradle is attached to the front side member with a lateral side portion of the engine cradle being located beneath and spaced apart from a lower surface of the front side member. An engine is installed to the engine cradle with a portion of the engine extending upward from the engine cradle adjacent to the inboard surface of the front side member. An inboard push structure has an inboard surface, an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion is attached to an inboard surface of the front side member. The lower portion extends downward below a lower surface of the front side member. The inboard surface faces the engine proximate the lateral portion of the lateral side portion of the engine cradle.

A vehicle body structure includes a roof ditch that is defined by a recessed support surface, first and second wall surfaces that extend longitudinally along sides of the recessed support surface. A cover includes a top portion that spans a width of the roof ditch between respective top edges thereof. The cover includes a cover attachment section and a molding attachment section. The cover attachment section couples the cover at a fixed position relative to the vehicle body panel. A molding member extends in a lengthwise direction along the roof ditch between the first and second wall surfaces. The molding member includes an attachment member mating with the molding attachment section of the cover to form a lengthwise movement connection that retains the cover to the molding member with a predetermined amount of movement along the lengthwise direction of the roof ditch.

Vehicle body structure

A vehicle body structure includes a roof ditch and an elongated molding member that convers the roof ditch. Each of a plurality of fastening members extends upward from a recessed support surface of the roof ditch to a level that is below upper edges of first and second wall surfaces of the roof ditch. The molding member includes a main section and a plurality of attachment structures. The main section and the attachment structures are formed unitarily as a single monolithic element. The main section is located between upper edges of the first and second wall surfaces and laterally conceals the roof ditch. The attachment structures extending from the main section into the roof ditch and including a bottom wall defining an opening fixedly receiving a corresponding one of the fastening members.

A vehicle body structure includes a roof ditch and an elongated molding member. The roof ditch is defined by a recessed support surface and first and second wall surfaces extending longitudinally along opposite sides of the recessed support surface. The molding member includes a plurality of roof attachment portions securing the molding member longitudinally along the roof ditch. The molding member includes a top portion, a first lateral side extending downward from the top portion along the first wall surface of the roof ditch and a second lateral side extending downward from the top portion along the second wall surface of the roof ditch. The first and second lateral sides include a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart stabilizing projections extending downward from bottom edges of the first and second lateral sides into contact with the recessed support surface of the roof ditch.

A vehicle support structure is provided with a floor impact restriction device coupled between a structural floor member of a vehicle floor and a vehicle suspension member supporting the vehicle floor. The floor impact restriction device basically has a suspension attachment member and a floor attachment member. The suspension attachment member has a suspension mounting portion fixedly attached to the vehicle suspension member and a first connecting portion rigidly coupled to the suspension mounting portion. The floor attachment member has a floor mounting portion fixedly attached to the structural floor member and a second connecting portion rigidly coupled to the floor mounting portion. The first and second connecting portions are interlinked together with a limited range of non-contacting movement between the first and second connecting portions.

Vehicle support structure with floor impact movement restriction device

A vehicle body supporting structure arrangement that an inner body member, an outer body member a manually operated mechanism and a tool guide tube. The inner body member has an inner aperture. The outer body member has an outer aperture that is offset with respect to the inner aperture. Further, the outer body member is coupled to the inner body member defining a body cavity therebetween. The manually operated mechanism is supported on the supporting structure. The tool guide tube is coupled to the inner and outer body members and extending through the body cavity to define a tool passageway between the inner and outer body members. An inner end portion of the tool guide tube is located in a position proximate the manually operated mechanism. The manually operated mechanism is accessed and operated by inserting a tool into and through the tool passageway.

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Macomb Township, MI, United States of America

David Coakley