Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Josh David Fraley

Scott Louis Frederick

Mingher Fred Shen

Bryan Else Yamasaki

James Dennis Cunningham

Tarakorn Soonthornwinate

Yoshiki Ishikawa

John Gray

Joseph Charles Walusek

Kimberly A Strigle

Mark A Zeilinger

A door latch assembly includes a door handle, a latch release lever operatively coupled to the door handle and having a plane of rotation, and a latch release lever blocking structure operable to block rotation of the latch release lever through the plane of rotation. The latch release lever blocking structure includes a bracket body and a catch arm extending from the bracket body to a catch end. The latch release lever blocking structure is spaced from the plane of rotation of the latch release lever during normal operating conditions. The latch release lever blocking structure is configured to deform in the vehicle longitudinal direction when acted upon by an impact force such that the catch arm moves into the plane of rotation of the latch release lever and the catch end catches the latch release lever to prevent the latch release lever from rotating to an unlatched position.

Door latch assemblies for vehicles including latch release lever blocking structures

Disclosed herein is a door, lock and a protector block. The door includes an inner panel, a lock including a cable mounting plate and an inner surface, the inner surface faces the inner panel and connects to the inner panel such that an inner space is created between the cable mounting plate and the inner panel, and a protector block connected to the inner surface of the rear lock within the inner space present between the cable mounting plate and the inner panel.

Protection block for vehicle door lock

A vehicle includes a door with an interior door cavity, as well as a lock rod and another item of a locking system, an impact beam, an attack member and a push member, all housed in the interior door cavity. The impact beam crosses the other item from laterally between the other item and the door. The attack member faces the lock rod from laterally between the door and the lock rod. The push member, along the impact beam, faces the other item from laterally between the other item and the door and laterally beyond the impact beam. When the door collapses when compromised by a side impact event, the door carries the attack member for attacking action on the lock rod. The door additionally carries the push member for counterpart pushing action on the other item. A connection between the lock rod and the other item thus breaks.

Disabling system for a lock rod in a vehicle door's locking system

A seal for use with a reciprocating rod in which a small diameter portion and a large diameter portion formed on the rod defining opposed walls. The seal has an inner diameter greater than the small diameter portion of the rod such that the seal is disengaged from the rod during reciprocating movement of the rod; but sealingly engages one of the opposed walls on the rod at first and second end positions of travel of the rod. In a specific implementation, the seal and the reciprocating rod are mounted on a vehicle fuel door housing for sealingly locking the fuel door in a closed position.

Seal structure for translating member

A moonroof assembly including a transparent panel and a sunshade that are moveable between closed positions and fully open positions. A mechanism is coupled between the panel and the sunshade so as to effectuate automatic movement of the sunshade into the partially open position in response to movement of the panel into its fully open position.

Sunshade with automatic closing

A bracket protecting a location on a vehicle. The bracket can have upper and bottom members that are spaced apart from each other and connected by a side member. The upper, bottom and side members of the bracket can also form an opening where a blind spot monitor can be located. The upper member can have a liquid diversion flange that prevents water from flowing onto an outer radar surface of the blind spot monitor and the bottom member can have a debris-blocking flange that protects or shields the outer radar surface from debris such as rocks, sand, etc., that are thrown up from a road surface towards the blind spot monitor.

Integrated stone and water shield for blind spot monitor

A retractable panel assembly includes a cover panel slidingly engaged with a rail assembly and having an open position and a closed position, where the cover panel translates along the rail assembly as the cover panel translates between open and closed positions. The retractable panel assembly further includes a shade located between the rail assembly and the cover panel, the shade having an engagement member, and a retention assembly having a retention member engaged with the engagement member of the shade, where, when the cover panel translates between open and closed positions, the retention member works in conjunction with the engagement member of the shade to prevent the shade from translating and the retention assembly retrains at least a second portion of the shade in a vertical direction.

Retractable panel assemblies and motor vehicles incorporating the same

A slidable window assembly mounted within the roof of an automotive vehicle is provided. The roof includes an opening and the slidable window assembly includes a window panel having a catch. The window panel is slidably mounted within the roof and slidable between an open position and a closed position. The slidable window assembly further includes a sunshade disposed beneath the window panel. The sunshade is also slidable between an open and closed position. The sunshade has a first surface facing the window panel and a stop mounted on the first surface. The catch is operable to engage the stop so as to move the sunshade from the closed position to the open position.

Slidable window assembly with retractable sunshade

A wire harness grommet assembly includes a sheet metal panel having a speaker hole and a grommet for supporting a wire harness from an audio speaker disposed in the speaker hole. The sheet metal panel has an emboss formed along a peripheral edge of the speaker hole. The grommet has an extension portion and an attachment portion. The extension portion has a tube for supporting the wire harness therein. The attachment portion is disposed within the emboss so that an outer surface of the attachment portion is substantially continuous with an outer surface of the sheet metal panel.

Growing community of inventors

South Lyon, MI, United States of America

Josh David Fraley