Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

John Michael McGuckin

Herbert Yang

Shekar Prabhakar Erasala

Praveenmanickam Renganathan

Shawn Michael Morgans

Sean Timothy Ryan

Peyman Aghssa

Michael Luchtman

Bhimaraddi Venkaraddi Alavandi

Behrooz Shahidi

Sampath Rengarajan

Andre Thompson

Zhenyan Gao

William C Bauer

Chris O'Connor

Erika Kristin Low

Randall Frank

Kevin A Gustafson

Tofiqul Islam

Yi Qu

Philip John Leonetti

Bin Zhang

David H Grandinett

Pratyaksh Kamath

Neil R Kauppila

Sankar Krishnamoorthy

Naeem Ahmed Ghias

Zhonghui(Sean) Ma

Framroz Meheryar Bharucha

Mathew A Demars

Abbas A Saleem

Pratt Kamath

Senthilkum Mahadevan

Lawrence Walczak

Ali Kanberoglu

Nikhil Mone

Mohammad Ali

Sri Boyina

A vehicle having a reinforcement brace includes, among other things, an aft structure, a passenger side strut, a driver side strut, a passenger side load transfer frame coupling the aft structure to the passenger side strut and being configured to transfer a load applied to the aft structure from a rear of a vehicle to the passenger side strut, and a driver side load transfer frame coupling the aft structure to the driver side strut and being configured to transfer a load applied to the aft structure from the rear of the vehicle to the driver side strut.

Seat supporting reinforcement brace

A rocker assembly for a vehicle comprising a rocker panel and a side sill that enclose an injection molded reinforcement. The reinforcement includes a plurality of intersecting walls that may be provided in horizontal and vertical planes. An intermediate wall formed by frames within four sided cells that define windows. The rocker assembly may include two different types of reinforcements, one with intersecting walls, or fins, extending laterally and one formed by a plurality of longitudinally extending tubular members.

Light weight rocker reinforcement

A rocker including a sill elongated along an axis and a reinforcement disposed in the sill. The reinforcement, in cross-section transverse to the axis, includes an intermediate portion, a first lobe, and a second lobe. The first lobe has a first wall extending from the intermediate portion to a first end. The second lobe has a second wall extending from the intermediate portion to the second end. The first and second ends abut opposite surfaces of the intermediate portion. The first lobe and the second lobe of the reinforcement resist buckling in response to components of the impact force applied to the sill reinforcement.

Vehicle sill reinforcement

A rocker assembly for a vehicle comprising a rocker panel and a side sill that enclose an injection molded reinforcement. The reinforcement includes a plurality of intersecting fins that may be provided in horizontal and vertical planes. An intermediate wall formed by frames within four sided cells that define windows. The rocker assembly may include two different types of reinforcements, one with intersecting fins, or walls, extending laterally and one formed by a plurality of longitudinally extending tubular members.

A trailer hitch includes a cross-vehicle beam and a receiver welded to the cross-vehicle beam. The cross-vehicle beam extends from a first end to a second end. The cross-vehicle beam includes a middle section, a first round section, and a second round section. The middle section includes a flat. The first round section is integral with the middle section and extends from the middle section to the first end. The second round section is integral with the middle section and extends from the middle section to the second end. The receiver is welded directly to the flat.

Trailer hitch

A floor pan assembly is disclosed that includes a side sill extending in a longitudinal direction that has a lower portion and a top surface. The floor pan may include a weld flange having a height Hthat is welded to the lower portion along a full length of the floor pan and an extended weld flange having a height Hthat is higher than Hand welded to the top surface of the side sill along a limited length of the floor pan. The floor pan may also include a corrugated area integrally provided in the floor pan that includes a plurality of furrows and ridges that extend obliquely relative to the longitudinal direction.

Vehicle floor pan

A side impact protective structure is provided for a vehicle floor pan. Right and left rear rails are attached, respectively, to right and left lateral sides of the floor pan. A kick-up cross member extends transversely between the right and left rocker assemblies. A right reinforcement is welded to the floor pan, the right rear rail, and the kick-up cross member. A left reinforcement is welded to the left rear rail, to the floor pan and the kick-up cross member. An assembly method includes the steps of selecting a thin mild steel floor pan between a thicker HSLA steel structural member and a thicker corner reinforcement and welding the components together with three thickness welds.

Method and apparatus for reinforcing a vehicle floor pan to prevent separation in a side impact

A vehicle body structure includes a side sill formed of high strength steel and a seat cross-member formed of high strength steel. A floor pan is welded to at least one of the side sill and the seat cross-member. A flange includes a base extending from the seat cross-member and a tab extending from the base. The tab is spaced from the seat cross-member and is welded to the floor pan and the side sill.

Vehicle body structure

A vehicle is provided. The vehicle has an underbody that includes a floor panel, a pair of laterally spaced side members affixed to opposing lateral side portions of the floor panel, a plurality of cross members affixed to and spanning the pair of side members, a longitudinal member affixed to and spanning two adjacent cross members, and a mounting element affixed to the longitudinal member. The longitudinal member is configured to transfer a load from the mounting element to the adjacent cross members.

Vehicle underbody structure

An impact absorption assembly includes a bumper that is attached to a crush-can. The crush-can is assembled within a frame rail or other chassis frame member. A load path for a low speed impact is provided from the bumper through the crush-can and to the frame rail. An outer body structure defines an opening through which the crush-can is assembled to avoid damage to the outer body structure that may include a back-light support panel, a lift-gate and a rear tail light.

Crush-can attached to a frame rail through a vehicle body

A cross-brace structure for a police interceptor SUV includes a front member and a rear member, coupled through a connecting element. The front member has its two ends mounted over the rear floor of the vehicle, and the rear member has a first end and a second end, mounted on the left side rail and the right side rail of the vehicle, respectively. During an impact from the rear side, the crash load gets transferred to the non-impacted rear side through the rear bumper of the vehicle, and eventually, through the left and right rear side rails, towards the rear member of the cross-brace structure. The rear member transfers the crash load towards the front member, and further, towards the front portions of the vehicle, through the front sections of the left side rail and the right side rail.

Safety cross-brace structure for vehicles

The invention discloses a uni-body frame subassembly for a motor vehicle having a towing hitch member. The uni-body frame subassembly involves a configuration for neutralizing the effect of a rear impact involving the rear bumper and the towing hitch member. More specifically, the subassembly comprises reinforcements for supporting and controlling the frame rail segments in a crash event. Controlling the collapse of the uni-body frame subassembly helps to dissipate energy from the impact and as a result delivers less energy to a vehicle occupant compartment.

Rear vehicle subassembly having a towing hitch member

An attachment structure for attaching a seat assembly to a vehicle underbody includes a first cross member that extends between a pair of side rails. The first cross member includes first and second transversely extending portions that each support a striker. A second cross member also extends between the pair of side rails. First and second longitudinal members extend between the first and second cross members. The first longitudinal member is attached to the first cross member at the first transversely extending portion and the second longitudinal member is attached to the second cross member at the second transversely extending portion. Straps are mounted to each of the first and second transversely extending portions, with one strap extending underneath each of the first or second longitudinal members. The first and second transversely extending portions each include a horseshoe shaped opening over which the respective striker extends. The attachment structure provides a robust connection between the seat assembly and the vehicle underbody.

Seat mount attachment to vehicle underbody

A rear load floor is formed with a first recessed storage well for holding cargo within the rear cargo area of the automobile. A second recessed storage well is formed in the floor of the first recessed storage well to store the spare tire and jack assembly. A removable panel is provided to cover the spare tire recessed well and maintain the integrity of the bottom of the first recessed storage well for the loading of cargo thereon. The second recessed storage well is positioned off center with respect to the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle to accommodate the mounting of the vehicle exhaust system. The first recessed storage well includes a flange located at the conventional load floor position and supported from the rear side rails of the vehicle body.

Growing community of inventors

Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

John Michael McGuckin