Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Jerry P Bonnici

John Robert Van Wiemeersch

Kosta Papanikolaou

Howard Paul Tsvi Linden

Rajesh K Patel

Todd Ansbacher

Jeremy Rawlings

Venky Krishnan

James Edward Wooten

A vehicle door includes an outer panel and an inner frame defining a cavity, wherein a portion of the outer panel defines a generally downward outer surface. A trim member is attached to the outer surface, wherein the trim member and the outer surface define a cylinder receptacle in communication with the cavity. A keyed cylinder is disposed within the cylinder receptacle, wherein a longitudinal axis of the keyed cylinder is substantially normal to the outer surface, and the keyed cylinder slopes downward toward an outward surface of the trim member. The vehicle door also includes an internal locking mechanism and a key aperture of the keyed cylinder, wherein the internal locking mechanism includes a drain channel that slopes toward the key aperture and the cylinder receptacle, and wherein the drain channel is positioned parallel with the longitudinal axis of the keyed cylinder.

Self-draining keyed cylinder integrated into door trim

Automatically rotating a steering wheel to provide improved locatability of an ignition if the steering wheel reduces ignition locatability and the vehicle is parked. Indications that the vehicle is parked may include when an automatic transmission is in park, a park brake is set, an autopark event concludes, or during a remote start event. Rotating the steering wheel to provide improved ignition locatability while turning the vehicle wheels less than 10 degrees.

Visibility of a vehicle ignition location

A multi-functional switch assembly for a vehicle interior is provided. In at least one embodiment, the switch assembly includes a switch base having a guide with a longitudinal axis and a transverse beam member; and a switch body mounted to the guide of the switch base for limited translation along the longitudinal axis between a rest position and a transient position, wherein at the rest position, the switch body is pivotal about the transverse beam member between a first and a second transverse positions, wherein the rest and the transient positions are translatable to a first set of operative functions, wherein the first and the second transverse positions are translatable to a second set of operative functions.

Multi-functional switch assembly

Growing community of inventors

Macomb, MI, United States of America

Jerry P Bonnici