Faurecia Interior Systems, Inc.

Jean-Michel Azevedo

Cedric Ketels

Thomas Dessapt

Ryan L Clark

Bruno Dinant

Julien Rea

Hugo Piccin

Julien Mohy-Paci

A vehicle interior assembly includes a frame and a fall away door that closes off an opening in the frame when in a closed position. The door moves between the closed position and an open position via sequential vertical and horizontal movements. From the closed position, the door first drops vertically to a dropped position. A final portion of this vertical movement may be damped movement. From the dropped position, the door moves horizontally to the open position, at which the door is concealed from view from the exterior of the assembly. Various guides can be provided to define the movement path of the door. Various types of non-visible sensors can be used to detect a user's intention to open and close the door.

Vehicle interior panel with fall away door

A vehicle includes a compartment mounted to a frame of the vehicle. The compartment includes a box coupled to the frame in a fixed position relative to the frame and a latch system coupled to the box to allow a user to access the box. The latch system includes a shape-memory alloy wire guided by a pulley during actuation of the latch system.

Actuator for a vehicle compartment

Growing community of inventors

Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Jean-Michel Azevedo