Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Nissan North America, Inc.

Erik Robins

Maria Fernanda Medina Luna

Jay Douglas Blackson

Sarah Verner

Christopher Robert Tilli

Pamela Avendano Arenas

A roof rail assembly for a motor vehicle having an open frame vehicle architecture includes a side air curtain fixedly coupled with a sport tube extending along a longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle. A one way hinge bracket overlaying the side air curtain includes an upper bracket portion coupled to the sport tube via a fastener extending through an orifice in the upper bracket portion, a lower bracket portion depending from a lower edge of the upper bracket portion, and a plurality of aligned openings disposed on the upper bracket portion below the orifice in the upper bracket portion and above the lower edge of the upper bracket portion. The lower bracket portion rotates about a bend line defined by the plurality of aligned openings as the side air curtain deploys from a stowed condition to an inflated condition.

One way hinge bracket for open frame vehicle side occupant restraint system

A vehicle body structure includes a side wall, a vehicle impact sensor, a window covering assembly and a control mechanism. The window covering assembly is coupled to the side wall and has a plurality of window covering members extending along a window opening in the side wall from a first side of the window opening to a second side of the window opening opposite the first side. Each of the plurality of window covering members is configured to pivot between a window exposing orientation and a window covering orientation. The control mechanism is connected to the vehicle impact sensor and operably coupled to the plurality of window covering members to rapidly move the plurality of window covering members to the window covering orientation in response to detection of a vehicle impact event by the vehicle impact sensor.

Vehicle body structure

Growing community of inventors

White Lake, MI, United States of America

Erik Robins