Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Michael James Freeman

Jason Douglas Scott

Richard Allen Bodey, Jr

John Patrick Joyce

Henry W Hausler

Shawn Michael Morgans

Edgar Edward Donabedian

Zhiyong Cedric Xia

Raphael Koch

Jeffrey Scott Mayville

Joy Hines Forsmark

Joseph Prescott Hickey

Michael Joseph Lee

George David Aucott

William Henry Dean

Raja Shekar Sohmshetty

Niamh Hosking

David Patrick Boucard

Maciej Bednarek

Kevin James Brohl

Gavin Smith

Guido H Mueller

Nicholas P Warrick

Jose De Jesus Colin Espinoza

Nicholas Stone Nace

Juergen Wilhelm Hover

Mario Alberto Rubio Monroy

Mohammed F Ahmed

Jeffrey Roland

Shelley Bolbrugge

Andrea Jane Orr

Hussein Ajami

Paul Edward Guzman

A vehicle body structure includes a vehicle pillar and a unitized reinforcement bracket. The unitized reinforcement bracket is mounted to the vehicle pillar and includes a reinforcement body and one or more stanchions. The reinforcement body extends along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle pillar. The stanchions are located at an inboard side of the vehicle pillar and are configured for mounting a vehicle component.

Body structure for vehicle having reinforcement assembly

A vehicle body structure includes a vehicle pillar and a unitized reinforcement member. The vehicle pillar includes an inner panel and an outer panel secured to the inner panel to form an internal cavity. The unitized reinforcement member is disposed within the internal cavity of the vehicle pillar and extends along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle pillar. The unitized reinforcement member includes an inner panel portion spaced apart from the inner panel, an outer panel portion coupled to an inner surface of the outer panel, and a connecting portion connecting the inner panel portion and the outer panel portion.

Body structure for vehicle having reinforcement member

A structural assembly includes a fastener and an additively manufactured component. The additively manufactured component includes a base, a void defined in the base, and a support disposed across the void. The fastener is secured to the base within the void, and the support is captured within a distal end portion of the fastener.

Additively manufactured part with fastener supports

A cargo management system for a cargo area of a vehicle includes a first retention feature and a second retention feature. The first retention feature is formed in a first panel structure of the cargo area and adapted to support a first end of a support member. The second retention feature is formed in an opposing second panel structure of the cargo area and adapted to support an opposed second end of the support member. The first and second retention features are configured to inhibit movement of the support member in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle while also allowing the support member to move laterally past one of the first and second retention features into a space defined by a respective panel structure.

Cargo management system for vehicle

A method of additively manufacturing a part includes placing a standardized blank in a recess within a baseplate, forming the part by successively applying material to the standardized blank, and removing the standardized blank with the applied material from the recess. The successively applied material is at least one of mechanically secured to the standardized blank and chemically secured to the standardized blank such that standardized blank is a feature of the part. The material can be successively applied to the insert by melting and solidifying a metal material onto the standardized blank using at least one of extrusion, selective laser melting, binder jetting, material jetting, directed energy deposition, and sheet lamination, and the standardized blank manages heat during successively applying material to the standardized blank.

Methods for additive manufacturing a part and parts formed according to the methods

This disclosure relates to a motor vehicle, and in particular a vehicle body structure for a motor vehicle, with a reinforcement structure including an additively manufactured bracket. An example motor vehicle has a vehicle body structure including a reinforcement structure. The reinforcement structure includes a tube and a bracket additively manufactured to the tube.

Vehicle body structure with reinforcement including additively manufactured bracket

An assembly and method of forming the assembly are disclosed. The assembly may include first and second components, the first component including a non-mating region and a mating region. The mating region may have an offset in a direction towards the second component and have a welding surface contacting the second component. A weld located within the welding surface may join the first and second components. The weld may be a laser weld. The method may include positioning a first component including a welding pad offset from a surrounding region of the first component such that the welding pad is in contact with a second component to form a gap between the surrounding region of the first component and the second component. The first component may then be welded to the second component in an area within the welding pad.

Localized mating surface for laser welding

A body structure reinforcement includes a reinforcement body and a connecting flange integral with the reinforcement body. Body structures incorporating one or more shell structures and the body structure reinforcement are disclosed along with methods for making the body structure reinforcement and the body structures.

Body structure reinforcement, body structure and related method

A vehicle cabin pressure relief device is provided having a base layer defining an aperture, a retainer layer disposed on the base layer; and a sealing member. The sealing member further includes a first portion and a second portion extending from the first portion, wherein the second portion of the sealing member is sandwiched between the base layer and the retainer layer. The first portion is also displaceable relative to the base layer, and covers a portion of the aperture in a closed first position.

Vehicle cabin air management

A structural reinforcement assembly for a vehicle body structure is provided. The assembly may include a pillar portion, a roof cross member, and a bead formation. The pillar portion may disposed at a rear upper corner region of the body structure and between a rear quarter window opening and a liftgate opening defined by the body structure. The roof cross member may extend along an upper portion of the liftgate opening. The bead formation may extend from the pillar portion to the roof cross member to reinforce the rear upper corner region. The bead formation may define an arc shape having a first end located adjacent the roof cross member and an access hole.

Structural reinforcement for vehicle upper rear corner panel

A vehicle joint assembly may include a lower housing, an upper housing, an expandable material, first and second vehicle components, and a fastener. The lower housing may define a first cavity. The upper housing may define a second cavity and may be sized for partial disposal within the lower housing. The expandable material may be disposed within the second cavity. The first and second vehicle components may each include contact surfaces. The fastener may extend through through-holes defined by the lower and upper housings to secure the first and second vehicle components to one another. Subjecting the expandable material to heat may move the upper housing to contact one of the contact surfaces. The expandable material may be configured to expand when subjected to heat from a paint oven of a vehicle assembly process.

Vehicle joint assembly with expandable structural material

A vehicle includes a vehicle body and an HVAC unit. The vehicle body has a first structure and a second structure that define a gap. The HVAC unit is fixed to the vehicle body and includes a motor and a case housing the motor. The case is disposed in the gap, abuts the first structure and the second structure, and reinforces the vehicle body between the first structure and the second structure.

Vehicle body with HVAC unit

A sunroof drainage conduit integrated into a heating, ventilation and air conditioning duct (HVAC) duct for a vehicle is provided. The duct may include an elongated, hollow body defining an air passage. The drainage conduit may be integrally formed on a surface of the body of the duct, such as an inside surface or an outside surface. The integrated drainage conduit may be routed through the duct's air passage or around the duct's exterior. A first drain tube may connect the sunroof to an inlet of the drainage conduit for directing drainage away from the sunroof's gutter or trough. A second drain tube may connect to an outlet of the drainage conduit for directing drainage from the drainage conduit to ambient.

Integrated sunroof drainage conduit

A vehicle includes a body structure having a first structural component and a second structural component spaced apart to define a space. A structural subwoofer is disposed in the space and includes a case formed of a material having a high modulus of elasticity. The case has a first attachment connected to the first component and a second attachment connected to the second component to form a structural bridge spanning between the components and defining a load path from the first component, through the case, and into the second component.

Structural subwoofer

A reinforcement assembly for a structural pillar includes an upper reinforcement that extends over a top of a wheel house and first and second surfaces. An area extends between the first and second surfaces such that the area defines a substantial right triangle over the wheel house. A slot within the area is defined to allow a duct connected to a casing to extend through the upper reinforcement. The reinforcement assembly further includes a lower reinforcement attached to the first surface of the upper reinforcement. The lower reinforcement extends parallel to the wheel house and perpendicular to the floor such that a load path is established through the upper and lower reinforcements.

Growing community of inventors

Allen Park, MI, United States of America

Michael James Freeman