Daimlerchrysler Corporation

Michael Okuniewicz

Harjeet Gill

Troy M Cornell

Erin Marie Shipp

Gregory A Beecher

Mark J Kirschmann

Pratap Atchutha Naick

Gerald F Burke

Manfred Staisch

Dave Cottrell

Larry Ososki

Norman Hartmann

Harry Gu

Robert R Stieg

Kenneth J Haller

A method and apparatus for absorbing energy during a frontal collision of a vehicle, through the use of a front frame structure having main frame rails that include several deformable and non-deformable sections which are connected by selectively crushable junctures that are configured to predispose one or more of the junctures and sections to pivot selectively outward, rearward and upward, in a predetermined manner, during the collision. The front frame structure also includes an engine cradle, attached below the main frame rails, and having a pair of side rails that include forward and rear crushable junctures joined by non-deformable intermediate sections, with the crushable junctures of the main frame rails and engine cradle side rails being configured to predispose the intermediate sections of the engine cradle side rails to move downward and rearward during the collision.

Energy absorbing front frame structure for a vehicle

A window glass spacer is provided which includes a base. The base has a tapered recess for locating and centering the base on a frame of a vehicle. The base has, on opposite sides, clip-type clamps for connecting the base with a frame of an automotive vehicle adjacent a bottom end of a window glass opening. A cantilever support arm is connected with the base and a compliant pad is connected on the arm to support the window glass in a direction generally perpendicular to a major plane of the window glass. A plurality of cantilever spring fingers extend from the base. Each finger has a window glass support member provided on the end of the cantilever spring finger. The cantilever fingers having a serially decreasing length so that the position of the window glass with respect to a top end of the window glass opening can remain constant despite variations in window glass opening dimensions.

Window glass spacer

Growing community of inventors

Rochester Hills, MI, United States of America

Michael Okuniewicz