Nissan North America, Inc.

Gunnar Mason

Matthew Michael Gapinski

Patrick Grattan

Christopher Hartley

Michael J McGory

Perry McConnell

Hideo Aimoto

Joseph Buratto

Takao Tani

Takemi Nishikawa

Kazunori Iimi

Naoki Kamizawa

David James Wozniak

Jeffrey Tobey

Jeffrey Mazur

Travis James Parak

Yayoi Okumura

Hirofumi Itoh

Kaustubh Bedekar

An off-center impact reinforcement structure includes a push arm proximate rearward of a front portion of the vehicle frame. The push arm extends in a forward and laterally outboard direction from a front side member. A rear surface of the push arm is located below the first side member. During an initial stage of an off-center impact event in which a stationary barrier directly impacts a front surface of the push arm, impacting forces from the off-center impact event move the rear surface of the push arm into contact with brackets that extend downward from the front side member and transfer through the push arm to brackets and to the vehicle frame. In a second stage, a rear surface of the push arm contacts the vehicle frame as the push arm pivots with the front surface of the push arm moving in a laterally outboard direction.

Vehicle structure

A push arm has a rear surface and a front surface. A rear surface of the push arm is located adjacent to and spaced apart from a first cross-member defining a gap therebetween. The push arm extends forward and laterally outward such that the front surface of the push arm is located laterally outboard of and spaced apart from a front end of a first side member of a vehicle frame. A support bracket has a front section releasably attached to the push arm and a rear section releasably attached to a first cross-member of the vehicle frame adjacent to an intersection of the first side member and the first cross-member. The support bracket is configured such that in response to an off-center impact event against the front surface of the push arm, the support bracket guiding movement of the push arm in a rearward direction.

A vehicle includes a vehicle support structure and a steering linkage. The vehicle support structure includes a dash wall. The dash wall separates an engine compartment and a passenger compartment. The dash wall has an energy absorption member supported by the support structure on an engine compartment side of the dash wall. The steering linkage extends through an opening of the dash wall between the engine compartment and the passenger compartment. The steering linkage includes a steering column in the passenger compartment. The steering linkage further includes an abutment. The abutment is positioned and configured to contact the energy absorption member upon a frontal impact of the vehicle to transfer energy from the steering linkage to the energy absorption member and to limit a rearward displacement of the steering linkage.

Energy absorption member for a vehicle

An off-center impact reinforcement structure includes a push arm and a first diagonals structure installed to elements of a frame of a vehicle structure. The push arm is coupled to the frame proximate an intersection of a first side member and a first cross-member and extends in a forward and laterally outboard direction from the intersection. The first diagonal structure extends rearward and laterally inboard from proximate the intersection toward a section of a second side member rearward of the first cross-member. The off-center impact reinforcement structure is configured such that during an off-center impact event in which a stationary barrier impacts against a front surface of the push arm during forward movement of the vehicle frame, impacting forces from the impact event are transferred through the push arm to the vehicle frame at the intersection and from the intersection to the first diagonal structure.

A push arm has a rear surface and a front surface. A rear surface of the push arm is located adjacent to and spaced apart from a front suspension structure defining a gap therebetween. The push arm extends forward and laterally outward such that the front surface of the push arm is located laterally outboard of and spaced apart from a front end of a first side member of a vehicle frame. A support bracket has a front section releasably attached to the push arm and a rear section releasably attached to a first cross-member of the vehicle frame adjacent to an intersection of the first side member and the first cross-member. The support bracket is configured such that in response to an off-center impact event against the front surface of the push arm, the support bracket guiding movement of the push arm in a rearward direction.

A vehicle trim assembly includes an interior trim panel and a pull cup. The pull cup includes a main body, an attachment portion and a break-away portion connecting the main body to the attachment portion. The attachment portion is fastened to the interior trim panel. The break-away portion is configured and arranged to separate the main body from the attachment portion in response to a prescribed level of force applied to at least one of the interior trim panel and the pull cup.

Vehicle trim assembly

A vehicle door latch structure is basically provided with a door latch mechanism and a door latch engagement bracket. The door latch mechanism includes a latch release lever that is movably arranged between a rest position and a release position. The door latch engagement bracket defines an opening that is aligned with the latch release lever while the latch release lever is in the rest position such that the latch release lever extends through the opening upon movement of the door latch engagement bracket toward the latch mechanism while the latch release lever is in the rest position, and such that the door latch engagement bracket prevents movement of the latch release lever from the rest position to the release position while the latch release lever is extending through the opening in the door latch engagement bracket.

Growing community of inventors

Holly, MI, United States of America

Gunnar Mason