Nissan North America, Inc.

Matthew Michael Gapinski

Gunnar Mason

Patrick Grattan

Christopher Hartley

Michael J McGory

Perry McConnell

Hideo Aimoto

Joseph Buratto

Takao Tani

Naoki Kamizawa

Kazunori Iimi

Takemi Nishikawa

David James Wozniak

Yu Zhang

Jeffery Carl Dix

Jeffrey Mazur

Travis James Parak

Yayoi Okumura

Mike Bristol

Jeff Mazur

Allison Yard

A releasable alignment clip secures a primary leaf spring to one or more secondary leaf springs of a suspension of a vehicle. The releasable alignment clip prevents separation of the primary leaf spring from the secondary leaf spring during normal operation while permitting relative sliding. The releasable alignment clip has a minimum separation force such that in response to a collision forcing a wheel forwardly, the releasable alignment clip deforms and permits separation of the primary leaf spring from the secondary leaf spring to avoid the primary leaf spring from breaking between the alignment clip and a point of attachment to the vehicle. The releasable alignment clip may have a reduced thickness, notches, or one or more perforations to achieve the minimum separation force.

Alignment clip for leaf spring suspension

A vehicle seat assembly for a vehicle includes a vehicle seat, a seat support rail, a load limiter and a seatbelt assembly. The seat support rail supports the vehicle seat within the vehicle. The vehicle seat is adjustably supported to the seat support rail. The load limiter is supported to the seat support rail. The seatbelt assembly has a latch and a receptacle that receives the latch. The receptacle is movably supported to the load limiter. The receptacle is movable along the load limiter from a rest position to an operated position upon receiving a predetermined force.

Vehicle seat assembly

An off-center impact reinforcement structure includes a push arm proximate rearward of a front portion of the vehicle frame. The push arm extends in a forward and laterally outboard direction from a front side member. A rear surface of the push arm is located below the first side member. During an initial stage of an off-center impact event in which a stationary barrier directly impacts a front surface of the push arm, impacting forces from the off-center impact event move the rear surface of the push arm into contact with brackets that extend downward from the front side member and transfer through the push arm to brackets and to the vehicle frame. In a second stage, a rear surface of the push arm contacts the vehicle frame as the push arm pivots with the front surface of the push arm moving in a laterally outboard direction.

Vehicle structure

A push arm has a rear surface and a front surface. A rear surface of the push arm is located adjacent to and spaced apart from a first cross-member defining a gap therebetween. The push arm extends forward and laterally outward such that the front surface of the push arm is located laterally outboard of and spaced apart from a front end of a first side member of a vehicle frame. A support bracket has a front section releasably attached to the push arm and a rear section releasably attached to a first cross-member of the vehicle frame adjacent to an intersection of the first side member and the first cross-member. The support bracket is configured such that in response to an off-center impact event against the front surface of the push arm, the support bracket guiding movement of the push arm in a rearward direction.

A vehicle includes a vehicle support structure and a steering linkage. The vehicle support structure includes a dash wall. The dash wall separates an engine compartment and a passenger compartment. The dash wall has an energy absorption member supported by the support structure on an engine compartment side of the dash wall. The steering linkage extends through an opening of the dash wall between the engine compartment and the passenger compartment. The steering linkage includes a steering column in the passenger compartment. The steering linkage further includes an abutment. The abutment is positioned and configured to contact the energy absorption member upon a frontal impact of the vehicle to transfer energy from the steering linkage to the energy absorption member and to limit a rearward displacement of the steering linkage.

Energy absorption member for a vehicle

An off-center impact reinforcement structure includes a push arm and a first diagonals structure installed to elements of a frame of a vehicle structure. The push arm is coupled to the frame proximate an intersection of a first side member and a first cross-member and extends in a forward and laterally outboard direction from the intersection. The first diagonal structure extends rearward and laterally inboard from proximate the intersection toward a section of a second side member rearward of the first cross-member. The off-center impact reinforcement structure is configured such that during an off-center impact event in which a stationary barrier impacts against a front surface of the push arm during forward movement of the vehicle frame, impacting forces from the impact event are transferred through the push arm to the vehicle frame at the intersection and from the intersection to the first diagonal structure.

A push arm has a rear surface and a front surface. A rear surface of the push arm is located adjacent to and spaced apart from a front suspension structure defining a gap therebetween. The push arm extends forward and laterally outward such that the front surface of the push arm is located laterally outboard of and spaced apart from a front end of a first side member of a vehicle frame. A support bracket has a front section releasably attached to the push arm and a rear section releasably attached to a first cross-member of the vehicle frame adjacent to an intersection of the first side member and the first cross-member. The support bracket is configured such that in response to an off-center impact event against the front surface of the push arm, the support bracket guiding movement of the push arm in a rearward direction.

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West Bloomfield, MI, United States of America

Matthew Michael Gapinski