Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Mark Wlotkowski

Leonard Anthony Shaner

Ajay Kumar Gupta

Narayana Venugopal

Charles Ko

John Charles Caris

Yu-Kan Hu

Tau Tyan

Zhibing Deng

Michael Musa Azzouz

Jamil M Alwan

Eric William Barrett

Antonio Dario Garay Serrano

A vehicle frame component for limiting the movement of the wheel of the vehicle toward the cab of a cab on frame vehicle including a base member welded to openings in the frame side rail and extending outwardly and located proximal the wheel structure. In one embodiment the vehicle frame component is located forward of the wheel and includes a tire puncture device to deflate the tire during an offset front impact and in a second embodiment the vehicle frame component is located rearward of the wheel. The vehicle frame component has particular utility during an offset front impact where the offset is less than approximately twenty-five percent (25%) of the width of the vehicle.

Vehicle frame component

A motor vehicle assembly that includes a strengthening member having a twelve-cornered cross section along at least a portion of the strengthening member, and an automotive component having a four-cornered cross section along at least a portion of the automotive component. The cross section of one of the strengthening member and the automotive component transitions between twelve corners and four corners to facilitate a connection between the strengthening member and the automotive component.

Twelve-cornered strengthening member, assemblies including a twelve-cornered strengthening member, and methods of manufacturing and joining the same

A load path control mechanism is fixed to a frame rail and includes a coupling bracket, a spacer bracket and a frame crossmember. The frame rail defines an inner chamber therein. The frame crossmember is fixed to the frame rail. The coupling bracket is disposed in the inner chamber and is fixed to the frame rail, paralleling the frame crossmember. The coupling bracket has a first projected area on a plane normal to a lateral axis. The spacer bracket, disposed on an outboard side of the frame rail, has a second projected area on a plane normal to the lateral axis. The projected areas at least partially overlap. The spacer bracket has a deformation mode responsive to a first load under which the space bracket deflects against the first side of the frame rail which deflects against the coupling bracket.

Load path control mechanism

A strengthening member for an automotive vehicle comprises a twelve-cornered cross section including sides and corners creating internal angles and external angles. To facilitate a connection between the strengthening member and the automotive component, one of the strengthening member and the automotive component may transition from the twelve-cornered cross section at a first end of the strengthening member to a four-cornered cross section at a second end of the strengthening member. An automotive assembly may include a strengthening member connected to an automotive component via a separate bridge connection member.

A system for providing crash compatibility between automotive vehicles is disclosed. The system includes crush horns and a bracket located below the longitudinal axis of the crush horns.

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Royal Oak, MI, United States of America

Mark Wlotkowski