Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Igor Fischbein

Torsten Gerhardt

Bruce Southey

James Neugebauer

Robert Spahl

Martin Knuettel

Robin Oliver Dargel

Robin Dargel

A motor vehicle has a tailgate arranged pivotably on a body. The tailgate in a closed position closes a cargo space opening of the body at the rear and in an open position at least partially exposes the cargo space opening. A tailgate latch locks the closed position of the tailgate and has a closing element and a locking mechanism interacting with the closing element in the closed position. In order to make available a variable cargo space size, in which an open position of the tailgate can be secured, a support arm is pivotably articulated with one end between a rest position, in which the support arm is immovably secured, and a functional position, in which the support arm pivots in the direction of the locking mechanism, and is capable of being fixed with another end to the locking mechanism by an actuation of the locking mechanism.

Motor vehicle

A motor vehicle is provided with a luggage compartment opening arranged at the rear of a body of the motor vehicle, and a tailgate arranged pivotably on the body and in a closed position closes the luggage compartment opening and in an open position at least partially opens the luggage compartment opening. In order to provide a motor vehicle with a luggage compartment of variable size, the motor vehicle comprises a cover attached to a vehicle portion of the motor vehicle adjacent to the luggage compartment opening and/or defining the luggage compartment opening, and which is made of a flexible material and is configured and arranged such that, in the open position of the tailgate or by pivoting of the tailgate into the open position, it can be transferred from a compact rest state into an extended function state.

A method according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, folding in an exterior mirror of a motor vehicle having a door with a rear-mounted hinge. The exterior mirror is folded in when the door is opened and when at least one of the following conditions is met: (1) an obstacle is detected adjacent the door or (2) a speed at which the door is opened is less than a predefined threshold value. A motor vehicle configured to perform the method is also disclosed.

Method for folding in a motor vehicle exterior mirror

A vehicle and method for lowering a window pane of a door of a vehicle to make it easier for the vehicle occupant to enter and exit the vehicle. The door has a door unlocking apparatus and a drive device for lowering and raising the window pane. The vehicle has an unlocking sensor, which registers the operation or the imminent operation of the door unlocking apparatus and converts the operation or imminent operation into corresponding unlocking signals, and a control unit, which receives the unlocking signals and converts the signals into operating signals for triggering the drive device. The method checks whether the door unlocking apparatus is operated or operation is imminent and, if the door unlocking apparatus is operated or operation is imminent, triggers the drive device with the control unit to lower the window pane to a position which is easier for the vehicle occupant to enter and exit the vehicle.

Method for lowering a window pane of a vehicle door, and vehicle which is designed for carrying out the method

A motor vehicle, such as a narrow motor vehicle, e.g., a left-hand drive motor vehicle, has a driver's seat and a driver's footwell, in which a footrest having a fixed tread surface is mounted. The transverse axis of the tread surface extends at an angle to a horizontal plane in which the front wheel axis of the motor vehicle is situated. In this arrangement, the tread surface slopes downward away from the longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle, wherein the angle is chosen in accordance with the distance between the center of the tread surface of the footrest and an outer side wall of the driver's footwell and is in a range of 1-5 degrees.

Motor vehicle having a sloping footrest

The invention relates to a vehicle seat which may be adjusted forward and back along a seat rail arranged on both sides, and in which both the inclination of a seat surface and a back surface and a height thereof may be adjusted. Such a vehicle seat is intended to be adapted very easily and in an uncomplicated manner to the different body sizes of drivers. This is achieved in that a common adjustment mechanism is provided for all seat adjustment sequences, which coordinates the individual adjustment sequences, in that the coordination of the adjustment sequences produces seat adjustments in which the seating position of the respective driver is optimized irrespective of body size.

Vehicle seat

Selector lever arrangement for automatic transmissions of motor vehicles, having a manual shift facility and a selector lever, which in a shifting gate can be moved forwards or backwards in only one plane into the positions P, R, N and D, all positions being situated in series in one plane and the selector lever having a hand rest together with a release mechanism, the hand rest being pivotally guided relative to the selector lever by way of a four-bar linkage, in such a way that its angle in relation to the selector lever varies according to the position of the selector lever.

Growing community of inventors

Cologne, Germany

Igor Fischbein