Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Aisin Technical Center of America, Inc.

James Dennis Cunningham

Scott Louis Frederick

Paxton Steven Williams

Tarakorn Soonthornwinate

Kevin J James

John Gray

Taichi Yamashita

Joel T Runyan

Josh David Fraley

Phouvadol P Khouphongsy

Yoshiki Ishikawa

Edgardo Reyes-Crespo

Corey B Sargent

Alan Keith Williams

Thomas Bernath

Brandon H Hanna

Mohan Ramachandra Kulkarni

Methods, systems, and apparatus for a power hood system. The power hood system includes a powered hood rotatable between a closed position and an open position, at least one hood latch (e.g., a primary hood latch and/or a secondary hood latch) configured to secure the powered hood in the closed position (or a half latch position). The power hood system further includes an electronic control unit electrically coupled to the power hood. The electronic control unit is configured to automatically control the powered hood to move to the closed position in response to (1) receiving a drive mode signal indicating that the vehicle has been shifted into drive and (2) receiving a latch position signal indicating that a hood latch (e.g., the secondary hood latch) is not in the latched state.

Operation logic for a power hood system

A tailgate support cable assembly includes a cable and a retainer portion attached to an end of the cable. The retainer portion rotatably attaches the end of the cable assembly to a vehicle tailgate. The retainer portion includes a tailgate retention portion, an object contact portion extending from the tailgate retention portion, and a sensor engagement portion extending from the object contact portion. The retainer portion is structured to rotate with respect to the tailgate responsive to contact between the object contact portion and a foreign object positioned in a seam between the tailgate and another portion of the vehicle, during a closing movement of the tailgate. Rotation of the retainer portion brings the sensor engagement portion into contact with (and activates) a touch sensor mounted on the tailgate. Activation of the touch sensor causes a stoppage and/or reversal of tailgate movement, thereby preventing 'pinching' of the foreign object.

Tailgate support cable assembly with touch sensor activation feature

A vehicle tailgate configured to secure cargo and methods of using the same. The vehicle tailgate tray have a base portion. The base portion may have a top surface and be attachable to the vehicle. The vehicle tailgate may further have a top portion. The top portion may have a bottom surface and be attachable to the base portion. The top surface and the bottom surface may face each other and be configured to receive and fix the cargo when the top portion and the base portion are attached together. The bottom surface may be configured to adapt to a shape of the cargo.

Vehicle tailgate cargo stabilizer

A vehicle hood locking mechanism includes a housing and a hood lock having a locking portion positioned exterior of the housing. The hood lock is coupled to the housing such that the locking portion is rotatable with respect to the housing between a first rotational position and a second rotational position different from the first rotational position. Rotation of the locking portion to the first rotational position enables insertion of the locking portion through a shaped opening formed in the hood. Rotation of the locking portion to the second rotational position after insertion of the locking portion through the opening prevents withdrawal of the locking portion through the opening until the locking portion is rotated back to the first rotational position. This prevents the hood lock from being inadvertently detached from the raised hood, thereby maintaining the hood in the raised condition.

Vehicle hood locking mechanism

A vehicle hood locking mechanism includes a locking member including a helical portion structured to be insertable into a cavity formed in a vehicle hood. The helical portion is structured to be rotatable with respect to the hood so that contact between the hood and the helical portion during insertion of the helical portion into the cavity causes a rotation of the helical portion from a first rotational position to a second rotational position different from the first rotational position. The locking mechanism is also structured so that the helical portion is rotatable from the second rotational position back to the first rotational position when the helical portion becomes positioned inside the cavity.

Embodiments herein are directed to a hood prop assembly for a vehicle having a hood panel with a slot. The hood prop assembly includes an elongated member, a housing, and a retainer mechanism. The elongated member has a first end and a second end. The first end is coupled to the vehicle. The housing includes a cavity. The housing further includes a distal end and a proximate end. The cavity extends axially from the proximate end and receives the second end of the elongated member. The retainer mechanism extends from the distal end of the housing. The housing and the retainer mechanism rotatably move with respect to the second end of the elongated member between a locked position and an unlocked position. In the locked position, the retainer mechanism engages with the slot to retain the hood panel and in the unlocked position, the retainer mechanism disengages with the slot.

Hood prop rod assembly for vehicles

A mounting package includes a sunroof assembly, a roof crossbeam, and a hanger hanging the roof crossbeam underneath the sunroof assembly. The sunroof assembly includes a guiderail. The hanger includes a lower hook hooked with the roof crossbeam, and an upper hook hooked with the guiderail. The hanger is configured to flexibly accommodate multidirectional movement of the roof crossbeam relative to the guiderail. The multidirectional movement includes lifting movement of the roof crossbeam relative to the guiderail.

Hanger and associated hanger-based mounting package for a sunroof assembly and a roof crossbeam

A door latch assembly includes a handle bezel, a rotatable handle coupled to the handle bezel, and a bezel cap. The handle bezel includes a main body portion and a rib extending from the main body portion. The rotatable handle includes a handle lever extending through the main body portion of the handle bezel, wherein the handle lever extends alongside the rib of the handle bezel. The bezel cap is positioned in a first position at an end of the rib so as to provide clearance for the handle lever of the rotatable handle to rotate thereby. The bezel cap is configured to move along the rib toward the main body portion of the handle bezel to interfere with a rotation of the handle lever during a side impact condition.

Vehicle door latch assemblies

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a multi-purpose removable gear shift knob disposed on a gear shift lever in a vehicle. In one aspect, a removable gear shift knob includes a body comprising a central aperture for receiving the gear shift lever and a plurality of compartments disposed around the central aperture. An individual compartment of the plurality of compartments is configured to hold one or more accessories, where the one or more accessories are selected from: one or more screwdriver bits, one or more light emitting diodes (LED), and a battery.

Multi-purpose removable gear shift knob

A gap blocker assembly for a vehicle is provided. The gap blocker assembly includes a passage extending through an outer wall of a vehicle center console. A gap blocker resides in the passage and is configured to be positionable in an extended position in which the gap blocker extends from the passage past the outer wall to an exterior of the console. The gap blocker is also configured to be positionable in a retracted position in which the gap blocker does not extend past the outer wall.

Retractable gap blocker for center console

A vehicle door assembly includes an outer door panel and a door latch assembly operable to latch and unlatch the vehicle door assembly. The door latch assembly includes a door handle assembly, a bell crank operatively coupled to the door handle assembly, wherein rotation of the bell crank causes the door latch assembly to unlatch the vehicle door assembly, and a bell crank blocking structure. The bell crank blocking structure includes a first leg coupled to a support structure within the vehicle door assembly and an overhang portion connected to the first leg. The overhang portion extends outwardly from the first leg and is spaced from a plane of rotation of the bell crank during normal vehicle operating conditions. The overhang portion is configured to deform toward the plane of rotation of the bell crank during a side impact condition to block rotation of the bell crank.

Door latch assemblies for vehicles including bell crank blocking structures

A vehicle includes a door with an interior door cavity, as well as a lock rod and another item of a locking system, an impact beam, an attack member and a push member, all housed in the interior door cavity. The impact beam crosses the other item from laterally between the other item and the door. The attack member faces the lock rod from laterally between the door and the lock rod. The push member, along the impact beam, faces the other item from laterally between the other item and the door and laterally beyond the impact beam. When the door collapses when compromised by a side impact event, the door carries the attack member for attacking action on the lock rod. The door additionally carries the push member for counterpart pushing action on the other item. A connection between the lock rod and the other item thus breaks.

Disabling system for a lock rod in a vehicle door's locking system

A sealing system can be used between a first vehicle component and a second vehicle component. As an example, the first vehicle component can be a filler panel, and the second vehicle component can be a bumper panel. The first vehicle component and the second vehicle component can be spaced from each other such that a gap is formed between the first vehicle component and the second vehicle component. A seal can be operatively positioned at least partially between the first vehicle component and the second vehicle component to close at least a portion of the gap. The interface seal can be floatingly connected to the first vehicle component. The interface seal can be unconnected to the second vehicle component. The interface seal can be substantially adjacent to the second vehicle component.

Seal for variable dynamic gaps

A vehicle includes a hood assembly that covers an engine compartment. A multi-stage detachable hood air scoop assembly is connected to the hood assembly. The multi-stage detachable hood air scoop assembly includes an intake component connected directly to the hood assembly. A cover component is releasably connected to the intake component and directly to the hood assembly using releasable connections such that the cover component detaches from the intake component and the hood assembly in response to a predetermined front impact force.

Multi-stage detachable hood air scoop assemblies and vehicles incorporating the same

A vehicle front fascia includes a vehicle panel, a bumper assembly positioned below the vehicle panel in a vehicle vertical direction, and a seal member coupled to the vehicle panel and extending between the vehicle panel and the bumper assembly in the vehicle vertical direction. The seal member includes a seal portion that extends downward from the vehicle panel in the vehicle vertical direction, and a bulb portion spaced apart from the seal portion in a vehicle longitudinal direction, the bulb portion comprising a bulb wall that defines a cavity within the bulb wall.

Growing community of inventors

Clarkston, MI, United States of America

James Dennis Cunningham