Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Toyota Jidosha Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

David Takeo Nakayama

Ryan Craig Harris

Peter Kim

Corinne D Uskali

Matthew K Killeen

Peter C Piper

Aaron W J Atkinson

Jeffrey Brian Wolbert

Nigel Christopher Taylor

A storage system includes a storage surface for storing a container thereon. The storage surface defines a storage surface ridge. The storage surface ridge defines a cavity. The storage surface further defines a storage surface valley. The storage surface ridge and the storage surface valley interlock with a bottom surface of the container. The storage system also includes a temperature-regulating medium housed in the cavity. The temperature-regulating medium regulates a temperature of one or more contents of the container when the container is stored on the storage surface.

Temperature-regulating storage system

A foreign object obstruction device for preventing foreign objects from entering into the vent of a vehicle without completely obstructing the air passage of the vent is provided. The foreign object obstruction device extends between the a rear vehicle bumper and the vehicle body, and includes a rigid panel mounted to the vehicle body, generally beneath the vent so as to present a generally horizontal planar surface. The foreign object obstruction device may also include a stand-off structure extending from the rigid panel to the vehicle body so as to maintain the foreign obstruction device a predetermined distance from the vent, and a resilient pad disposed between the stand-off structure and the vehicle body so as to help absorb the force caused by objects being hurled into the device; and between the rigid panel and the bumper so as to form a seal.

Foreign object obstruction device

A vehicle includes a body framework including a side roof rail structure that extends in a vehicle longitudinal direction that includes a slide rail portion including an upper slide rail channel panel and a lower slide rail channel panel connected to the upper slide rail channel panel forming a slide rail channel for receiving a slide door assembly. The side roof rail structure includes a side roof reinforcement portion including a rail reinforcement panel that is connected to the upper slide rail channel panel providing a space there between. A cross support member extends in a vehicle lateral direction toward the side roof rail. A vehicle side reinforcement member is located in the space and is connected at an inboard end to the cross support member and at an outboard end to the rail reinforcement panel.

Vehicle body side reinforcement members and vehicles incorporating the same

A cavity filler for use in a hollow pillar of a vehicle. The cavity filler includes a carrier having a generally planar upper surface, an expandable foam mounted to the carrier wherein the expandable foam is mounted to the carrier around a peripheral edge of the carrier. The invention further includes a flange connected to the expandable foam (also made of the expandable foam) wherein the flange extends away from and generally parallel with the planar upper surface of the carrier. The extension and flange of the expandable foam are operable to extend the expandable foam to ensure a full filling of the expandable foam after the heat treating process. The fully occupied hollow cavity of the pillar with the expandable foam blocks the transmission of noise from the engine, wind and/or road noise through the pillars to the interior vehicle cabin.

Heat activated expansion foam with lip seal

A rocker molding for attachment to a rocker panel of a vehicle includes a rocker garnish with an arcuate cross section. A garnish shelf extends from an upper edge of the rocker garnish such that the garnish shelf is substantially perpendicular to the rocker garnish. A riser portion extends from an inboard edge of the garnish shelf in a substantially vertical direction. A cap shelf extends from a top edge of the riser portion in an inboard direction. When the rocker molding is installed on the rocker panel of the vehicle, the garnish shelf extends from the rocker panel in an outboard direction, the riser portion is substantially flush with a skin of a vehicle door when the door is in a closed position, and a bottom edge of the vehicle door is spaced apart from the garnish shelf by at least a height H of the riser portion.

Rocker moldings for vehicles

A side outer panel of a vehicle having an outer surface including an outer surface edge. The outer surface edge has a predetermined curved path that provides a styling shape to add an aesthetic element to the side outer panel. The side outer panel further includes a mounting portion integrally formed thereto. The mounting portion provides a structure for attaching the side outer panel to the vehicle. In a preferred embodiment, the mounting portion includes a planar surface spaced apart from the outer surface and a step disposed between the outer surface edge and the planar surface. The planar surface at least one flange extending orthogonally therefrom to define a welding surface for welding the side outer panel to the body thereby providing structural reinforcement to the outer surface edge of the side outer panel.

Growing community of inventors

Canton, MI, United States of America

David Takeo Nakayama