Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Jason Douglas Scott

Amanda Kay Freis

Aindrea McKelvey Campbell

Michael James Freeman

Donald Paul Iacovoni

Paul L Heirtzler, Jr

Thiag Subbian

Scott George Miller

Shunmugam Baskar

Echung Su

Don Kelvin Wallace

Bruce Richard Ghastin

Martin A Trenkle

An assembly for a vehicle and a method of making an assembly including more than three panels stacked together and joined by self-piercing rivets or by clinch joints. A first panel and a second panel are joined together at a first attachment point. A third panel and the first panel are joined together at a second attachment point. A fourth panel and the third panel are joined together at a third attachment point. The first, second and third attachment points are spaced apart to avoid interference between the self-piercing rivets or the clinch joints.

Methods for joining more than two panels together and assemblies formed by the methods

A damping and stiffening assembly for a body panel. The assembly includes a first damping patch and a second damping patch that are attached to the body panel. The assembly also includes a stiffening lamination that has a first end, a middle portion, and a second end. The first end of the stiffening lamination attaches to and overlaps the first damping patch. The middle portion of the stiffening lamination attaches to the body panel. The second end of the stiffening lamination attaches to and overlaps the second damping patch.

Damping and stiffening of a vehicle body panel

Methods for joining more than two panels together

A hinge mechanism having a vehicle bracket that includes a pawl engagement member extending therefrom. A horizontally-rotating swing arm is rotatably coupled with the vehicle bracket. The hinge mechanism includes a pawl with an engagement portion and an abutment portion. The pawl is connected with the swing arm and operable between an engaged position and a disengaged position. A door bracket is rotatably coupled with the swing arm. A lever actuation member extends from the door bracket and is aligned to engage the abutment portion of the pawl.

Lockout feature for full open hinge

A method of making a filler neck housing assembly. A reinforcement bracket having a ring-shaped portion and a reinforcement flange is assembled to a housing panel that defines a recessed area inside a body outer panel. The reinforcement bracket includes door stop flanges and hinge attachment flanges to which a fuel door is attached by a hinge and hinge bracket.

Method of making a filler neck housing assembly

A vehicle door glass blocker assembly including a blocking bracket securable to a vehicle door frame panel, and a blocking edge integrally formed with the blocking bracket, being substantially normal to a vertical edge of a vehicle window, and being capable of at least partially shattering the vehicle window when the window impacts the blocking edge during a vehicle crash event. A blocking protrusion may be coupled to the blocking bracket, be longitudinally disposable between the vehicle window and a vehicle door latch mechanism, and be capable of at least partially preventing transverse displacement of the vehicle window. A support bracket may be secured to the blocking bracket, and a glass run extrusion may be secured to the support bracket, be adapted to accept a vertical edge of the vehicle window, and be capable of reducing vibrations in the vehicle window.

Vehicle door glass blocker and breaker

A filler neck housing assembly is disclosed that includes a reinforcement bracket having a ring-shaped portion and a reinforcement flange. The reinforcement bracket is assembled to a housing panel that defines a recessed area inside a body outer panel. The reinforcement bracket includes door stop flanges and hinge attachment flanges to which a fuel door is attached by a hinge and hinge bracket.

Growing community of inventors

Farmington Hills, MI, United States of America

Jason Douglas Scott