Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Nissan North America, Inc.

Ian Patterson

Brian Westgarth

Rob Swann

Jack Whitehurst

Martin Petersen

Randall Johnson

Ronald B Morrow

Shane A Goodhall

Steve Terence Green

Bruce Pfeiffer

John Strudwick

This disclosure relates to a motor vehicle having a door check mechanism. An example motor vehicle a pivotable door, a door check mechanism including a bar, wherein the door check mechanism is configured to hold the door open in a fully open check position, and a retarder assembly configured to oppose opening of the door beyond the fully open check position by applying a force generated by a non-linear surface of the bar.

Motor vehicle having door check mechanism

This disclosure relates to a motor vehicle having a door check mechanism. An example motor vehicle includes a door pivotable between fully open and fully closed positions, and a door check mechanism including a bar having a helical groove and at least one check hold recess along the helical groove.

A cargo area structure has a retractable step installed to the cargo area structure beneath a floor and a first side wall thereof. A handle assembly has a base and a grip handle supported to the base. The base is attached to an upright surface of the first side wall. The base also has a position locking mechanism configured such that in response to manual operation of the position locking mechanism, the grip handle is movable from a stowed orientation and an in-use orientation such that in the in-use orientation the grip handle is positioned such that an individual using the step to enter the cargo area grabs the grip handle for assistance in stepping up into the cargo area.

Vehicle body structure

A motor vehicle door anti-rattle mechanism includes male and female parts. The male part is fastened to a door of a motor vehicle and the female part is fastened to a door pillar of the motor vehicle. The male part includes an expandable member that is selectively engageable with a recess in the female part in order to inhibit relative movement between the male and female parts and, hence, rattling of the door.

Motor vehicle door anti-rattle mechanism

A vehicle body structure having a cargo structure, a retractable step and a handle assembly. The cargo structure has a floor, a first side wall and a tailgate. The retractable step is installed to the cargo structure beneath the floor and the first side wall and adjacent to the tailgate. The handle assembly has a base and a grip handle extending from the base. The base is attached to an upright surface of the first side wall. The base is shaped and contoured such that the grip handle is positioned adjacent to and spaced apart from an upper surface of the first side wall within the cargo area above the floor and above the step. An individual using the step to enter the cargo area grabs the grip handle for assistance in stepping up into the cargo area.

A vehicle body structure with a cargo area structure, a retractable step and a handle assembly. The cargo area structure has a floor, a first side wall and a tailgate at least partially defining a cargo area. The handle assembly has a base and a grip handle. The base is attached to an upright surface of the first side wall. The grip handle is movable relative to the base between a stowed orientation in which the grip handle is at a location lower than an upper surface of the first side wall and a gripping orientation in which at least a portion of the grip handle extends higher that the upper surface of the first side wall. With the grip handle in the gripping orientation an individual using the step to enter the cargo area grabs the grip handle for assistance in stepping up into the cargo area.

A vehicle body structure includes a vehicle cargo structure and a handle assembly. The vehicle cargo structure has a floor and a first side wall at least partially defining a cargo area at a rearward end of a vehicle. The handle assembly has a base and a grip handle. The base is attached to the first side wall above the floor within the cargo area. The grip handle is movable relative to the base between a stowed orientation in which the grip handle is at a location lower than an upper surface of the first side wall and a gripping orientation in which at least a portion of the grip handle extends higher than the upper surface of the first side wall. With the grip handle in the gripping orientation an individual entering the cargo area grabs the grip handle for assistance in stepping up into the cargo area.

A vehicle door check mechanism includes a bellows to act as a pneumatic retarder to prevent a high load from being transferred from the door check mechanism to a structural part of a door of the motor vehicle if that door is opened to a fully open position at high speed.

Vehicle door check mechanism

A vehicle body structure has a cargo area structure, a retractable step and a handle assembly. The cargo area structure has a floor, a first side wall and a tailgate at least partially defining a cargo area. The retractable step is installed to the cargo area structure beneath the floor and the first side wall and adjacent to the tailgate. The handle assembly has a base and a grip handle fixedly attached to the base. The base is attached to the first side wall with a portion of the base overlaying a corresponding portion of the upper surface of the first side wall and with an attachment assembly extending through the at least one opening in upper surface of the first side wall with a first portion of the grip handle extending inboard over the floor of the cargo area.

A vehicle trim portion connection bracket is provided. The bracket includes a first flange having a connecting portion configured to be coupled to a trim portion and a second flange configured to be coupled to a support member of the vehicle. The support member is configured to be coupled to a body of the vehicle. A relief slot is provided in the first flange and configured to reduce a load required to deform the connecting portion relative to a remaining portion of the first flange, such that the connecting portion may be deformed without disrupting the coupling between the bracket and the support member.

Vehicle trim portion connection bracket

A vehicle has a sliding door fitted with a rotatable brake member to apply a braking force to the sliding door when the vehicle is on a slope. The brake member is automatically rotated about a pivot axis X-X by a moveable member forming part of an actuator when the vehicle is resting on a slope into a position in which a braking force is applied to the sliding door by the interaction of the brake member with an elongate track in the form of a sliding door support track.

Vehicle having a braked sliding door

A lock assembly for selectively and releasably holding a pivoting armrest of a vehicle in place relative to an adjacent seat back is disclosed. The lock assembly includes a first locking element fixedly attached to the seat back and a second locking element movably attached to the armrest. Both locking elements have engagement surfaces whereby the second locking element is releasably engageable with the first locking element. The first locking element includes a cover that, together with a base, defines a pocket. The second locking element includes a spring loaded attachment assembly. The assembly provides operator-movable attachment to the armrest. The second locking element further includes an engagement portion on which the engagement surface is formed and an anchoring portion. An operator-manipulable release tab extends from the engagement portion and through the tab-passing slot of the first locking element when the first and second locking elements are engaged.

Armrest lock for vehicle seat

A vehicle cargo bed accessory includes a vehicle cargo area with a bed floor, an accessory attachment track attached to the bed floor, a tailgate and a tailgate gap cover. The tailgate has a first end pivotally attached to a rear of the vehicle cargo area for pivoting movement between a closed position covering the tailgate opening and an open position exposing the tailgate opening. A gap is defined between a rear end of the bed floor and the first end of the tailgate. The tailgate gap cover is coupled to the accessory attachment track proximate the rear end and is movable to pivot between a horizontal orientation with the tailgate in the open position and an upright orientation with the tailgate in the closed position. The tailgate gap cover covers the gap.

Growing community of inventors

Novi, MI, United States of America

Ian Patterson