Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Greg Gombert

Leonard Anthony Shaner

Mikolaj Tyksinski

Jeffrey A Walesch

Marcela Arana

Sukhwinder Singh Dhindsa

Mohamed Ridha Baccouche

Peter Joseph Jargowsky

Srinivasan Sundararajan

Yu-Kan Hu

Diego Eduardo Mendoza Hernández

Chris Allard

Jaspal Sohal

Oskar Rozalski

Rahul Arora

Marwan Ahmad Elbkaily

Paul Zandbergen

Alberto Girelli Consolaro

Steve Scott Allen

Tushar Kamble

Steven C Hopson

Grant Warr

Gururaj Aralikatti

Mary A Mason

Benjamin Mansfield

Andrew Barry Lane

Chih-Yu Lin

William L Duncan

Vinay Satya

Splayed front horn for vehicle frames are disclosed. An example apparatus disclosed herein includes a first structural member extending along an axial direction of a vehicle, a second structural member coupled to the first structural member, the second structural member splayed relative the first structural member, second structural member including a first section having a first material property, the first section adjacent to the first structural member, and a second section joined to the first section, the second section having a second material property, the first material property different than the second material property.

Splayed front horns for vehicle frames

A vehicle includes a hood at a front end, a frunk under the hood, and a cabin. The vehicle includes a cross-beam positioned between the frunk and the cabin, and configured to inhibit protrusion of the frunk into the cabin in a frontal impact. The vehicle also includes a frame and the cross-beam is coupled to the frame. The cross-beam is a unitary member that is coupled to the frame or the cross-beam includes two members separated by a gap and each member is coupled to the frame. The frame includes shock towers for coupling the cross-beam to the frame. The frame can also include a bracket for coupling the cross beam to the frame.

Front trunk assembly

This disclosure details systems and methods for supporting and protecting vehicle underbody-mounted battery packs. An exemplary electrified vehicle may include a frame, a battery support structure mounted to the frame, and a battery pack. The battery pack is supported relative to the frame by the battery support structure but is not itself directly coupled to the frame. The battery support structure may be configured to provide an under-frame mounting configuration, cross member positioning, skid plate positioning for battery pack protection, weight optimized sub-components, unique shapes for ground clearances, etc.

Support structures for vehicle frame mounted battery packs

Barriers for rear frame mounted spare tires are disclosed. An example vehicle disclosed herein includes a frame including a cross member, a spare tire, a skid plate, and a barrier extending between the skid plate and the cross member, the barrier abutting the spare tire, the barrier including a first surface having a first curvature, the first curvature concave relative to a rear of the vehicle.

Barriers for rear frame mounted spare tires

Splayed front horn for vehicle frames are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a frame of a vehicle having a side rail directed in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and a splayed front horn coupled to the side rail, the splayed front horn angled outward relative to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, wherein the splayed front horn includes a first section and a second section, the first and second sections having different physical properties.

An assembly includes a first frame rail and a second frame rail elongated along a longitudinal axis and spaced from each other along a lateral axis. The assembly includes a crossbeam extending along the lateral axis and fixed under the first frame rail and the second frame rail. The assembly includes a first support member extending transversely from the crossbeam to a first end fixed to the first frame rail. The assembly includes a second support member extending transversely from the crossbeam to a second end fixed to the second frame rail.

Frame support assembly

A vehicle frame includes two frame rails fixed relative to each other and each having a tubular shape defining an exterior surface and an interior surface, a crush-initiating notch on each exterior surface, and a reinforcement extending along each interior surface and positioned in a vehicle-rearward direction from the notches.

Vehicle frame

A wheel suspension system for a vehicle includes a first member pivotably coupled to a portion of the vehicle so as to be pivotable about a first rotational axis which forms an angle with a vertical plane extending through a fore-aft axis of the vehicle.

Independent rear suspension

A wheel support knuckle and trailing arm assembly that is attached to a toe link of a vehicle suspension system. The trailing arm assembly is formed by a blade member and a reinforcement member. The wheel support knuckle defines an axle bore and includes an integrally formed upper link receptacle and an integrally formed brake caliper track. The toe link is retained on the trailing arm assembly by a clevis formed by a transverse wall formed in the blade member and a parallel transverse wall formed in the reinforcement member. An alternative embodiment discloses a one-piece trailing arm that defines a clevis for connection to the toe link between a transverse wall and a tab that extends parallel to the transverse wall. A method of making cast wheel support knuckle and stamped trailing arm assembly is also disclosed.

Method of making a wheel support knuckle and trailing arm

Vehicle suspension system with wheel support knuckle and trailing arm attached to toe link

Growing community of inventors

Canton, MI, United States of America

Greg Gombert