Nissan North America, Inc.

Joyce Lam

Jeffery Carl Dix

Ryan Corby

Kenneth Ameloot

Mark D Snyder

Paul Slaats

An airbag system has a curtain airbag, a first airbag and an airbag guiding member. The curtain airbag is installed along an A-pillar or a roof structure within a passenger compartment and deploys covering at least a window section of a door and a portion of the A-pillar. The first airbag is installed to a forward structure within the passenger compartment and deploys to an inflated orientation covering at least a portion of the forward structure. The airbag guiding member is installed to a side area of the forward structure adjacent to the door, a forward area of the door adjacent to the A-pillar or the A-pillar. The airbag guiding member moves to a position in which the airbag guiding member urges the curtain airbag and the first airbag into contact with one another as the curtain airbag and the first airbag move to their respective inflated orientations.

Vehicle airbag system

A transverse link has an inboard side and an outboard side. A steering knuckle has an upper end, a wheel supporting section and a lower end. The lower end is pivotally coupled to the outboard side of the transverse link. A strut has an upper end and a lower end. An upper knuckle breakaway structure attaches the upper end of the steering knuckle to the lower end of the strut. The upper knuckle breakaway structure has a frangible part that releases the upper end of the steering knuckle from the lower end of the strut upon application of a prescribed rearward directed force. A transverse link breakaway structure couples the inboard side of the transverse link to a lower suspension support structure such that upon application of the prescribed rearward directed force the inboard side of the transverse link is released from the lower suspension support structure.

Vehicle front suspension

A vehicle front suspension includes a lower suspension support structure, a transverse link, a steering knuckle and a lower knuckle breakaway structure. The transverse link has an inboard side and an outboard side, the inboard side being attached to the lower suspension support structure. The steering knuckle has an upper end, a lower end, and a wheel supporting section between the upper end and the lower end. The lower end is pivotally coupled to the outboard side of the transverse link. The lower knuckle breakaway structure is formed on the steering knuckle to release the steering knuckle from the transverse link upon application of a prescribed rearward directed force on the vehicle front suspension outboard of the lower suspension support structure.

A vehicle front suspension includes a suspension support structure, a transverse link, a front link breakaway structure and a rear link breakaway structure. The transverse link has an inboard side with a front connection structure connecting a front end of the transverse link to the suspension support at a first location and a rear connection structure pivotally connecting a rear end of the transverse link to the suspension support at a second location that is spaced rearwardly of the first location. The front link breakaway structure is configured to release the front end of the transverse link from the suspension support upon application of a prescribed rearward directed force on the vehicle front suspension outboard of the suspension support structure. The rear link breakaway structure is configured to release the rear connection structure of the transverse link from the suspension support upon rearward rotation of the transverse link about the rear connection structure.

A vehicle front body structure includes a front side member, an A-pillar and a strut tower. The front side member extends in a vehicle longitudinal direction. The A-pillar is coupled to the front side member. The strut tower is positioned forward of the A-pillar and has an inboard side fixedly attached to an outboard section of the front side member. The strut tower also defines a force receiving surface extending between the inboard side and an outboard side. The force receiving surface of the strut tower is configured and arranged to receive a force directed rearward in the vehicle longitudinal direction and redirect at least a portion of the force in a vehicle lateral direction toward the front side member.

Vehicle front body structure

A vehicle front suspension includes a lower suspension support structure, a transverse link, a steering knuckle and a lower knuckle breakaway structure. The transverse link has an inboard side and an outboard side, with the inboard side being attached to the lower suspension support structure. The steering knuckle is pivotally coupled to the outboard side of the transverse link. The lower knuckle breakaway structure is formed on one of the transverse link and the steering knuckle to release the steering knuckle from the transverse link upon application of a prescribed rearward directed force on the vehicle front suspension outboard of the lower suspension support structure.

A vehicle front suspension includes a lower suspension support structure, an upper suspension support structure, a steering knuckle and a strut. The steering knuckle has a lower end pivotally coupled to the lower suspension support structure and an upper end. The strut has an upper end connected to the upper suspension support structure, and a lower end fixedly attached to the upper end of the steering knuckle by an upper knuckle breakaway structure. The upper knuckle breakaway structure has a predetermined frangible part that releases the upper end of the steering knuckle from the strut upon application of a prescribed rearward directed force on at least one of the lower suspension support structure and the steering knuckle.

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Bloomfield Hills, MI, United States of America

Joyce Lam