Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Dynalloy, Inc.

Derek L Patterson

Mark A Voss

Alan L Browne

Paul W Alexander

Xiujie Gao

James M Townson

Mark L Felzien

Lei Hao

James Holbrook Brown

John Neal Owens

Chandra S Namuduri

Suresh Gopalakrishnan

Sanjeev Manubhai Naik

Kevin B Rober

Alexander Millerman

Aragorn Zolno

Robert T Gazda

Paulo M Mendonca

Duane T Vanpamel

Paul Edward Krajewski

Mohammad Naserian

Allan K Lewis

Craig A Kollar

Joseph P Fannon

David B Waskie

Edward L Schulte

Balakrishna Chinta

Donald Raymond Gignac

Cheryl A Garrison

Edward M Sanocki, Jr

Paul W Renius

Scott A Niemiec

Hugh S Bauer

Thomas A Wilson

Daniel R Hunt

Christopher C Cook

Peter M Snede

David P Zink

William C Bliss

Ryan Cahill

Robert A Greene

Brian D Hu

Michael P McGowan

Neil W Humann

Roland Dibra

Joseph E Champa

A tailgate assembly includes a first panel portion rotatably couplable to a vehicle body and pivotable between a closed position and an open position, a second panel portion rotatably coupled to the first panel portion and pivotable between a first position and a second position. The second panel portion is extendable relative to the first panel portion between a retracted position and an extended position. The tailgate assembly includes a third panel portion rotatably coupled to the second panel portion and pivotable between a stowed position and a use position. The third panel portion extends generally parallel with the second panel portion when the third panel portion is in the stowed position and the third panel portion extends generally perpendicular to the second panel portion when the third panel portion is in the use position.

Vehicle tailgate assembly

An endgate assembly includes a body and a quick-release receptacle. The body includes a first side and a second side opposing each other. The first side of the body defines a compartment accessible from the first side and spaced from the second side. The quick-release receptacle includes a platform. The quick-release receptacle is movable between a stowed position in which the quick-release receptacle is attached to the body within the compartment such that the platform and the first side cooperate to close the compartment, and a detached position in which the quick-release receptacle is released from the body to remove the quick-release receptacle from the compartment. A vehicle includes a cargo area and the endgate assembly as discussed above. The cargo area includes a floor, a first sidewall disposed transverse to the floor, and a second sidewall disposed transverse to the floor. The endgate assembly is coupled to the floor.

Endgate assembly and a vehicle that utilizes the endgate assembly

A bike rack for a vehicle with a tailgate includes a major gate, a minor gate, and a hinge connecting the minor gate to the major gate. The minor gate includes a main body and a load stop configured to pivot relative to main body. The bike rack includes a load stop bracket and braces. The load stop bracket is configured to be placed onto the load stop when the load stop is in a vertical position such that the load stop bracket extends over a top surface of the load stop and is disposed on front and rear sides of the load stop. The braces are attached to the load stop bracket, configured to extend into holes in the hinge when the load stop bracket is placed onto the load stop, and configured to be disposed on opposite sides of a tire on a bike.

Bike rack for tailgate that includes major and minor gates

A method and apparatus that prevent a collision with a hitch accessory are provided. The method includes: detecting an input to open a gate or detecting a gate opening motion, determining whether hitch accessory is present in a path of the gate opening motion, and in response to determining that the hitch accessory is absent from the path, opening the gate.

Method and apparatus for preventing tailgate collision with hitch accessory

A vehicle includes a body and a cargo area at least partially defined by the body. A tailgate assembly is adjustably connected to the body and movable relative to the body between a first position and at least one second position. The tailgate assembly includes a structure having a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge. A cargo system is operatively connected to the tailgate assembly. The cargo system includes an extension member having a housing, a first arm extending from a first side of the housing securable to the first lateral edge of the tailgate structure and a second arm extending from a second side of the housing securable to the second lateral edge of the tailgate structure.

Cargo system for a vehicle

A striker assembly includes a striker having an attachment portion, a shaft portion having a cylindrical outer surface, and a shoulder portion between the shaft portion and the attachment portion. The striker assembly also includes a striker sleeve having a wall that has an inner surface defining an interior space having first and second openings. The wall has corrugations such that the inner surface defines a plurality of concave portions and joining portions that interconnect the concave portions. The concave portions and the joining portions extend from the first opening to the second opening. The shaft portion is inside the interior space and the outer surface of the shaft portion contacts the joining portions of the inner surface of the striker sleeve.

Striker with expandable sleeve

A hood assembly for a vehicle includes a hood having a top side and an underside. Also included is a centering tool operatively coupled to a top support member of a positioning and reinforcement structure, the centering tool extending upwardly from the positioning and reinforcement structure. Further included is a hood locating aperture defined by the hood and located at the underside of the hood, the hood locating aperture configured to receive the centering tool therein for locating the positioning and reinforcement structure to the hood.

Hood assembly for a vehicle and method of aligning front end assembly components for a vehicle

A vent assembly is disposed within an interior space of a vehicle for opening and closing fluid communication between the interior space and an exterior of the vehicle. The vent assembly includes a housing defining a plurality of openings and a plurality of vanes disposed in the openings. An actuator mechanism moves the vanes between an open position and a closed position, and includes a shaped memory alloy (SMA) member for actuating the vanes between the open and closed positions. The SMA member is activated when a hatch of the vehicle is opened to move the vanes into the open position and thereby open fluid communication between the interior space and the exterior to alleviate excessive air pressure buildup during closure of the hatch.

Shape memory alloy active hatch vent

A multi-position endgate system includes a storage box wall and a storage box floor. A tailgate is mounted relative to the storage box floor and is pivotal about a tailgate axis. The tailgate is moveable between a fully-closed position proximal to the storage box wall and a fully-open position distal from the storage box wall. A cable mechanism has a first end pivotally attached to the tailgate and a second end pivotally attached to the storage box wall. A channel hook is attached to either the tailgate or the storage box wall at a connector. An arcuate ledge is spaced from the connector, by an arm, and defines a groove. The cable mechanism may be passed or routed through the groove of the arcuate ledge to selectively hold the tailgate in an intermediate position between the fully-closed and fully-open positions.

Multi-position endgate system

A method of establishing a dimensional reference datum for a vehicle front end assembly is provided. The method includes locating a positioning and reinforcement structure proximate a front end of a vehicle chassis. Also included is operably coupling the positioning and reinforcement structure to a first vehicle component, wherein the positioning and reinforcement structure is moveable relative to the first vehicle component. Further included is fixedly centering the positioning and reinforcement structure relative to a second vehicle component. Yet further included is positioning and operably coupling a plurality of front end components based on the dimensional reference datum provided by the fixed centered position of the positioning and reinforcement structure.

Dimensional centering structure for a vehicle and method of establishing a dimensional reference datum

A hood bumper is provided and includes a first end including a body defining a longitudinal axis and a surface having an angular edge oriented along the longitudinal axis, a second end opposite the first end and including a skirt portion and a bumper portion protruding from a longitudinal end of the skirt portion in a protrusion direction defined along the longitudinal axis and an intermediate section interposed between the first and second ends. The intermediate section includes reverse-drive helical threading.

Reverse-drive elastomeric helical-thread hood bumper

A number of variations may include a product including an extruded support beam constructed and arranged to be used as an inner support for a vehicle end gate.

Low mass truck end gate utilizing aluminum stampings and extrusions

A hood assembly for a vehicle includes a hood having a top side and an underside. Also included is a hood latch-striker reinforcement plate operably coupled to the underside of the hood and having a retaining recess. Further included is at least a portion of a centering tool removably disposed within the retaining recess and extending downwardly away from the underside of the hood. Yet further included is a centering bracket operably coupled to a top support member of a positioning and reinforcement structure and having an aperture configured to receive the centering tool therein for locating the positioning and reinforcement structure to the hood.

A vent assembly is disposed within an interior space of a vehicle for opening and closing fluid communication between the interior space and an exterior of the vehicle. The vent assembly includes a housing defining a plurality of openings and a plurality of vanes disposed in the openings. An actuator mechanism moves the vanes between an open position and a closed position, and includes a shaped memory alloy (SMA) member for actuating the vanes between the open and closed positions. The SMA member is activated when a hatch of the vehicle is open to move the vanes into the open position and thereby open fluid communication between the interior space and the exterior to alleviate excessive air pressure buildup during closure of the hatch.

A method for executing mechanical overload protection to prevent commanding a control signal to a linear actuator that may mechanically overload the linear actuator when an overload condition of the linear actuator is detected, the linear actuator utilized for controlling a movable element associated with the linear actuator responsive to the control signal, includes monitoring an overload condition based on position change of the movable element associated with the linear actuator during an integration period and excess energy during the integration period, de-energizing the linear actuator when an overload condition has been detected, monitoring an overload retry counter based on the number of cycles the overload condition is detected, comparing the overload retry counter to an overload retry threshold, an reenergizing the linear actuator when the overload retry counter is less than the overload retry threshold and maintaining de-energizing of the linear actuator when the overload retry counter is at least the overload retry threshold.

Method for position feedback based control for overload protection

Growing community of inventors

Shelby Township, MI, United States of America

Derek L Patterson