Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

David James Bauch

Mahmoud Yousef Ghannam

John W Jensen

Howard Churchwell

Mohamed Ridha Baccouche

Mark Anthony Cuddihy

Saied Nusier

Kirsten Marie Carr

Manoharprasad K Rao

Zhibing Deng

Joseph Edward Abramczyk

Fubang Wu

Clifford C Chou

Joseph Robert Brown

Cliff Chou

Jerry Jialiang Le

Rouaa Nakhleh

Richard E Soltis

Jialiang Le

Clay Wesley Maranville

Swadad A Carremm

Todd Nelson Clark

Matt Alan Niesluchowski

Thiag Subbian

Paul Simmons

Robert J Miller

Patrick James Blanchard

Mukesh J Amin

Ryan John Craig

John Vincent Fazio

David Webster Clark

Jason Shomsky

Bruce Frederick Pierce

Glen Smith

Jesus Alfonso Alarcon Hernandez

Michael Cacovic

Senthilkumar Mahadevan

David Edward Winnard

Jhony J Barbosa

Stephan Biggs

Tony Ray Laituri

A vehicle includes a hinge pillar, a fender adjacent the hinge pillar, and a sealed bladder. The sealed bladder includes a first chamber and a second chamber in fluid communication with the first chamber. The first chamber is on the hinge pillar and the second chamber is in the fender. A pressure sensor is fixed to the second chamber and in fluid communication with the second chamber.

Sealed bladder with pressure sensor

A motor vehicle according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a sensor, a headlamp, and a controller configured to adjust an aim of the headlamp based on a signal from the sensor. The controller is configured to account for a zero drift of the sensor. A method is also disclosed.

Headlamp leveling system and method

A fuel control regulator system for a vehicle is disclosed in which a restraint control module registers an acceleration/deceleration that falls outside of predetermined limits. In one embodiment, the fuel control regulator system includes a vehicle including steering, an accelerator, brakes, one or more audio devices in proximity to one or more front crash sensors recording sensor data, a processor, and memory. The restraint control module is coupled to the processor and configured to dynamically adjust a threshold to lie outside of an amplitude of the sensor data of the one or more front crash sensors compromised by sound from the one or more audio devices. In another embodiment, the fuel control regulator system adjusts the sensor data of an affected front crash sensor to lie within an existing threshold. In yet another embodiment, the fuel control regulator system ignores the sensor data of an affected front crash sensor.

Fuel control regulator system with acoustic pliability

A vehicle structural or semi-structural component assembly or crash sensor assembly includes a body, wherein a first portion of the body comprises a polymer composite material and a sensor mount portion of the body is connected to the first portion; and a sensor directly attached to the sensor mount portion. The sensor mount portion comprises a polymer composite material and a flexible reinforcement material over-molded within the polymer composite material. A method for enabling tunable deceleration characteristics in a vehicle structural or semi-structural component assembly includes forming a structural or semi-structural component for a vehicle from a polymer composite material; over-molding a flexible reinforcement material within the polymer composite material at one or more locations along the component; and attaching a sensor directly to at least one of the one or more locations.

Apparatus and methods for vehicle structural or semi-structural component assembly enabling tunable deceleration characteristics

A restraints control module (RCM) assembly attached to the tunnel in the floor of a vehicle. The bracket includes a base plate supporting the restraints control module. A helmet shield is secured over the RCM and encloses the RCM on three sides. The helmet shield includes slots that extend downwardly and outwardly from opposite side of the helmet shield that receive a plurality of bolts as the helmet shield is moved in a vertically downward direction. Two vertically extending sidewalls of the helmet shield are assembled over the RCM with a clearance being defined between the sidewalls and the RCM. The helmet shield is adapted to protect the RCM in a side impact collision.

Restraints control module attachment assembly

A bracket and restraints control module assembly attached to the tunnel in the floor of a vehicle. The bracket includes a base plate and an intermediate plate supporting the restraints control module. The intermediate plate defines a plurality of holes and is secured by a limited slip connector assembly that extend through laterally elongated slots defined by the base plate and holes in the intermediate plate, respectively. The connector assembly is tightened to a predetermined level of torque so that the intermediate plate can slide relative to the base plate on upper and lower slide surfaces when a collision force of sufficient magnitude is applied to the bracket and RCM assembly.

A push-bar assembly including a push-bar and a pair of push-bar supports. The push-bar supports are attached by a pair of upper brackets and a pair of lower brackets. The lower brackets include about which a mounting block attached to the push-bar supports pivot when the push-bar assembly is assembled to a vehicle. A clevis bracket and clevis pin are provided on lower bracket assemblies that secure a lower mounting block on the push-bar supports to a pair of lower bracket assemblies.

Method and apparatus for attaching police push bars

A guard for a restraints control module includes a corrugated base and right and left corrugated sidewalls. The sidewalls extend above the base and are spaced from a restraints control module secured to the base. The sidewalls diverge from each other in a vertical direction above the base and include alternating furrows and ridges that form the corrugations. The furrows and ridges are connected by rib walls that strengthen the guard against lateral collision forces. A method is disclosed for protecting a restraints control module in a side impact collision. According to the method, in a side impact collision, an object driven into the guard bends the sidewall towards the restraints control module to absorb the impact force applied by the object.

Protective guard for restraints control module

A front end structure is provided for a vehicle that includes a bracket for attaching front crash sensors to the vehicle. The front end structure includes an engine compartment and a hood connected to the engine compartment by a hood latch and a pair of hinges. The bracket is connected to the hood latch and the front crash sensors to maintain palpability with the vehicle through the hood in a collision.

Bracket for front crash sensor

A vehicle includes a fuel pump configured to deliver fuel to an internal combustion engine. The vehicle also includes an accelerometer configured to detect acceleration of a vehicle component. A plurality of sensors are provided about the vehicle for detecting conditions that would indicate aggressive driving. At least one controller is provided and is in communication with the fuel pump, the accelerometer, and the sensors. The at least one controller is programmed to adjust a fuel pump shutoff threshold to an adjusted shutoff threshold in response to one or more conditions indicating aggressive driving. The at least one controller then shuts off the fuel pump in response to the acceleration exceeding the adjusted shutoff threshold.

Active fuel control system for aggressive drivers

A running board assembly for a vehicle including a running board and a plurality of brackets for connecting the running board to a rocker. The brackets include first and second planar supports extending downward and laterally outward from the rocker to the running board. The planar supports are spaced from each other and are disposed in a vertical/transverse plane. The first and second planar supports are disposed parallel to each other and form a parallelogram connecting the running board to the rocker that deflects in a longitudinal direction when impacted from the side in an impact. The running board assembly includes a mounting plate attached to the rocker that defines a plurality of longitudinally extending slots. The first and second planar supports are secured to the mounting plate with a first set of fasteners that are received in the slots.

Running board bracket

A vehicle system includes at least one sensor configured to detect an impact and a restraint device configured to deploy in response to the impact. A processing device is configured to deploy the restraint device in accordance with a first timing if the impact includes a front impact and a second timing if the impact includes a side impact. The second timing includes the first timing delayed by a predetermined value.

Side impact vehicle restraint deployment

A collision sensing system for a vehicle () includes a two-dimensional coil sensor () that is attached to a vehicle structure () A controller () is in communication with the two-dimensional coil sensor () and detects a collision event in response to movement of the vehicle structure () relative to a conductive member () of the vehicle (). A collision detection and safety countermeasure system () for a vehicle () includes a coil sensor () that is adhered to a vehicle structure (). A controller () is in communication with the coil sensor () and generates a countermeasure signal in response to movement by the vehicle structure () relative to a conductive member () of the vehicle ().

2D-coil collision sensor system

An automobile rollover detection system comprising a control module to receive a first set and a second set of signals, to determine a first threshold in response to the first set of signals, to determine a second threshold in response to the second set of signals, to provide a first signal in response to the first threshold, to provide a second signal in response to the second threshold, and to provide a control signal in response to the first and second signals. The control signal may activate an occupant restraint system in response to the detection of an automobile rollover event. Other embodiments are also claimed and described.

Growing community of inventors

South Lyon, MI, United States of America

David James Bauch