Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Jay Leonard Sackett

Christopher M Higgins

Paxton Steven Williams

Christian Arthur Trager

Norman Charles Kerr, Iii

Keith O'Brien

Chad Eric Anderson

Todd Michael Bello

Jamie Beth Pawloski

Masaaki Tanaka

A power back door for a vehicle, in which the back door is automatically opened and closed by left and right power back door drive devices, each of the power back door drive devices including an inner tube encompassed by an outer tube; a motor; a spindle screw that is turned by the motor; a spindle nut attached to one end of the inner tube and travels up and down the spindle screw to cause the inner tube to extend and contract relative to the outer tube over a length of travel; and a stopper fixed to the end of the spindle screw to stop the movement of the spindle nut. A length of travel of the left power back door drive device is different than a length of travel of the right power back door drive device so as to attenuate bouncing of the back door when the back door reaches a fully opened position.

Power back door bounce prevention to allow maximum opening speed

A folding tonneau cover or lid is configured for selectively enclosing at least a portion of an open topped bed of a pick up or SUV type motor vehicle. The tonneau cover includes one or a plurality of flexibly linked panels extending between cooperating side walls of the open topped bed, and is manually operable for displacement between a deployed position wherein the open topped bed is fully covered and a retracted position wherein the open topped bed is partially or fully exposed. At least one panel forms a generally planer first surface facing downwardly when in the deployed position and upwardly when in the retracted position, and a second surface facing upwardly when in the deployed position and downwardly when in the retracted position. A cup holder is integrated with one of the panel surfaces and forms a beverage container receiving cavity opening away from the panel surfaces.

Cup holder for tonneau cover

A power sliding window assembly for a motor vehicle. The assembly can include a back window casing with a first window pane and a second window pane fixedly attached to the casing. A generally U-shaped guide rail can be at least partially encased within the window casing and be adjacent to the first window pane and the second window pane. A third window pane can have a portion fixedly attached to a glass carrier and the glass carrier can be located at least partially within and slidably engaged with the generally U-shaped guide rail. Located at least partially within the generally U-shaped guide rail can be a first stopper and a second stopper with the first and second stoppers providing for desired placement of the third window pane when it is in a closed position and a fully open position.

Power sliding window assembly with a stopper

Obstacle detection for a sliding door of a vehicle including a sensor apparatus located on or near a hinge of the sliding door and arranged to detect an obstacle in a path of the hinge of the sliding door. A controller connected to the sensor apparatus is configured to receive an obstruction signal from the sensor apparatus indicating detection of an obstacle in the path of the hinge of the sliding door.

Sliding door obstacle detection

Apparatus, devices, methods and systems corresponding to one or more embodiments relating to a jack handle for operation of a vehicle jack is described herein. In one embodiment, a two-piece jack is described. A first piece may include a handle and a first interlock portion. A second piece may include a jack mating portion, a second interlock portion for engagement with the first interlock portion of the first piece and a stopper for preventing the first piece and second piece from becoming disengaged during operation.

Interlocking handle

A tailgate hinge retaining mechanism for a truck bed. The retaining mechanism can have a post bracket and a tailgate bracket. A retaining bracket is also included and attached to the tailgate bracket, the retaining bracket having a sleeve with an offset slot that prevents the tailgate bracket from being undesirably removed from the post bracket.

Growing community of inventors

Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Jay Leonard Sackett