Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Other

Kulik, Mark

Mark Kulik

Jonathan Richard Young

Naipaul Deo Ramoutar

Manikandan Baby Mony

Behnaz Hajimohsen

Manikandan Babymony

An Off-Road Rolling Film Vision System has a Controller Module (), a Takeup Module (), and a Rollout Module (). The Controller Module () remotely controls a Motor () in the Takeup Module () with a Command Input () that has at least one Button to accept a knuckle bump for controlling a Motor () in the Takeup Module () when the Controller Module () is attached to a handlebar of an off-road vehicle. The Takeup Module () has a Motor Compartment (), a Takeup Spool Compartment (), a Takeup Spool Gear Compartment (), a Takeup Film Window (), a Motor (), a Motor Gearbox (), and at least one Takeup Spool Gear (). The Takeup Module () may have a Takeup Spool Window () to provide a view of a Takeup Spool () within the Takeup Module ().

Off-road rolling film vision system

Rollout module housing

Takeup module housing

Controller housing

Film spool

A mounting assembly for an automotive radiator, a vehicle including such a mounting and a method of mitigating an impact between a vehicle and a pedestrian. The assembly includes a radiator support and one or more brackets. Each bracket is made up of a first end portion that is secured to the radiator support and a second end portion extending forward of the radiator support such that it can be attached to a load-bearing structure within a vehicle. The brackets each include at least one enhanced collapsible zone in order to promote energy absorption relative to energy transmission in situations where a vehicle experiences a front-end impact with a pedestrian or other object. In this way, the added energy absorption by the brackets reduces the amount of impact energy being transmitted to more rigid vehicular structures such as the radiator and its support; this increase in impact energy absorption in turn results in less energy being delivered to the pedestrian.

Collapsible radiator support brackets for pedestrian safety

Disclosed is an Off-Road Rolling Film Vision System comprising a Controller Module (), a Takeup Module (), and a Rollout Module (). The Controller Module () comprises a Command Input (), a Controller Process Module (), a Command Transmitter (), and a Power Supply (). The Controller Module () is configured to remotely control a Motor () in the Takeup Module (). The Command Input () comprises at least one Button configured to accept a knuckle bump for controlling a Motor () in the Takeup Module () when the Controller Module () is attached to a handlebar of an off-road vehicle. The at least one Button configured to accept a knuckle bump may be configured to be adjacent to a user's metacarpophalangeal index finger joint. The at least one Button configured to accept a knuckle bump may be configured to be adjacent to a user's metacarpophalangeal thumb joint. The Takeup Module () comprises a Motor Compartment (), a Takeup Spool Compartment (), a Takeup Spool Gear Compartment (), a Takeup Film Window (), a Motor (), a Motor Gearbox (), and at least one Takeup Spool Gear (). The Takeup Module () may further comprise a Takeup Spool Window () configured to provide a view of a Takeup Spool () within the Takeup Module (). Also disclosed is a Takeup Spool () comprising a Spool Alignment Tab Wheel (), a Spool Ribbed Shaft (), a Rib Quarter Section Cutout (), a Spool Alignment Slot Wheel (), a Spool Alignment Tab (), a Spool Alignment Slot (), a Plurality of Wheel Cutouts (), and a Plurality of Wheel Slots (). Also disclosed is a method for maintaining clear vision with goggles comprising receiving a command input via a knuckle bump, transmitting a designated signal to a module comprising a Motor and a Takeup Spool, activating the Motor to cause the Takeup Spool to rotate, and winding a Transparent Film a designated distance over goggles.

Vehicle structures for dissipating energy associated with a collision are described herein. In one embodiment, a vehicle includes a side support extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction, a bumper assembly coupled to the side support and extending in a vehicle lateral direction that is transverse to the vehicle longitudinal direction, and a repositionable joint assembly extending between and pivotally coupled to the side support and the bumper assembly, the repositionable joint assembly including an outboard linking member pivotally coupled to the bumper assembly at a bumper securement location, an inboard linking member pivotally coupled to the side support at a side support securement location, and a fulcrum portion, where the outboard linking member is pivotally coupled to the inboard linking member at the fulcrum portion.

Bumper assembly and side support linking members

A vehicle includes a side member that extends in a vehicle longitudinal direction. A dash panel is coupled to the side member and extending in a vehicle lateral direction. A rocker support extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction and is spaced outboard of the side member in the vehicle lateral direction. An A-pillar is coupled to and extends upward from the rocker support. An inner front side member to rocker support reinforcement gusset includes a dash reinforcement portion that is connected to the side member and the dash panel and a floor reinforcement portion that is connected to the rocker support and the side member.

Growing community of inventors

Hayward, CA, United States of America

Mark Kulik