Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Visteon Corporation

Mike James Whitens

Peter Joseph Bejin

Mohammad Omar Faruque

Dean M Jaradi

S M Iskander Farooq

Cornel Lewis Gardner

Kathleen Blackmore

Jennifer Bremmer

Stuart C Salter

Johnathan Andrew Line

John Wayne Jaranson

Clay Wesley Maranville

Victoria Leigh Schein

Jeffrey Singer

Vishal Vinayak Nageshkar

Sangram Laxman Tamhankar

Cynthia Mowery Flanigan

Michael Williams

Kenneth Alan Stoner

Kaushlendra Singh

A vehicle comprises a seating assembly including a seatback pivotally movable relative to a seat about an axis, the seatback including a bottom portion and a top portion disposed further away from the axis than the bottom portion; and a seatback support element having a first portion coupled to the vehicle at a position other than the seatback and a second portion where the seatback interacts with the seatback support element, the seatback support element resisting pivotal movement of the seatback about the axis. The seatback support element can further includ3 a third portion coupled to the vehicle at a position other than the seatback. The second portion is between the first portion and the third portion along a length of the seatback support element. The first portion is coupled to the vehicle forward of the axis of the seatback and the third portion is coupled rearward of the axis.

Vehicle seatback support element to resist pivoting movement of seatback when force is applied to the seatback

Method and apparatus are disclosed for infrared sensor arrays for monitoring vehicle occupants and windows. An example vehicle includes a side window and an infrared sensor array. The infrared sensor array includes first pixels of measurement resolution to monitor an occupant and second pixels of measurement resolution to monitor the side window. The example vehicle also includes a cabin environment controller to detect, via the first pixels, whether a body temperature of the occupant is outside a predetermined temperature range and detect, via the second pixels, whether fog is on the side window.

Infrared sensor arrays for monitoring vehicle occupants and windows

A beam module for a vehicle seat is mounted at a front of a seat, on top of a seat pan and underneath a seat cushion. The module includes a molded plastic beam. The module has a first shape substantially flush with the seat pan and a second shape projecting above the seat pan. The molded plastic beam has a mounting flange with a forward portion and a second portion. The molded plastic beam is inflatable. When inflated, the molded plastic beam assumes its second shape with the seat cushion being correspondingly displaced and deformed to raise the seat cushion when a frontal impact is detected.

Seat with deployable plastic beam

An active knee bolster for disposition in a motor vehicle dashboard includes a main bladder and a side bladder. The main bladder is formed of molded plastic and has an aperture therein at a first end. The main bladder also has a substantially flat undeployed shape and a deployed shape extending away from the dashboard. The side bladder is formed of molded plastic and has an open side. The open side is disposed over the aperture in the main bolster front panel and is sealingly connected to the main bladder. The side bladder has a substantially flat undeployed shape substantially flush with the undeployed shape of the main bolster. The side bladder has a deployed shape extending away from the main bladder.

Deployable plastic knee bolster with off-centered telescoping support chamber

A lighting arrangement for the interior of an automotive vehicle in which the light source, such as an LED, is recessed into the interior structure of the vehicle and covered with a layer of fabric. The light source is invisible when not in use, but shines through the fabric/foam layer when illuminated, and can be associated with a light transmitting member, such as a light bar and a light pipe. Such lighting arrangements can be disposed within the headliner to direct light where desired and for different functions, such as a map light or for area lighting. The lighting arrangement can be mounted in non-traditional locations, such as on vertically oriented pillars, visors, door panels, seat backs, seat fronts, and console sides. The light source is preferably one or more LEDs associated with a light transmitting medium to direct the discharge of light as desired within the automotive interior.

Concealed interior lighting for automobiles

A floor console to provide ambient lighting in the interior of a vehicle is disclosed. The floor console includes lighting elements strategically positioned to illuminate the footwells of the vehicle, the cupholders, and the storage bin. The same lighting element may be used to illuminate one or more of the cupholders and the storage bin. The preferred lighting element is an LED while other lighting elements may be used. The floor console is also provided with wiring and an ECU and may be readily connected to the vehicle's power system.

Ambient lighting for vehicle interior floor console

A storage console for an automotive vehicle includes a manually moveable closure panel suspended upon the console's side walls at an installed location extending rearwardly from the front part of the console, so as to allow access to otherwise unusable space at the front of the console. A number of manually movable, interchangeable closure panels may be configured alternatively on opposite sides, so as allow a motorist to select from utilities such as cup holders, coin holders, powerpoints, and other utilities which are available in closure panel working surfaces.

Storage console for automotive vehicle

A center console for an automotive vehicle encloses an internal storage area accessible through an opening covered by a pivoted lid serving as an armrest. The vertical front face of the console immediately forwardly of the armrest is open to create an access opening that is greater than the opening covered merely by the pivoted lid. A removable storage tray seated in the upper portion of the storage area covers the open vertical front face of the console. The opening of the pivoted lid and the removal of the storage tray creates an access opening into the storage area that will accommodate the insertion of a laptop computer or a purse for hidden storage within the internal storage area of the center console. The latch mechanism is operable in conjunction with the removable storage tray to permit closure of the when the storage tray is removed from the console.

Automotive center console with open front face

A load floor () for attachment to a rear portion () of a vehicle floorpan (). The load floor () includes a one-piece body () that has a panel portion () with reinforcement members (), support members (&#x2033;), and containers () extending therefrom. The support members (&#x2033;) are configured for supporting the one-piece body () on the floorpan () and minimizing a load span () across said panel portion (). Also, the reinforcement members () are utilized for sufficiently reinforcing the panel portion ().

Vehicle load floor

One embodiment of the present invention is a load floor () for attachment to a rear portion () of a vehicle floorpan (). The load floor () includes a one-piece injection-molded body () that has a panel portion (), one or more reinforcement members () coupled to the panel portion (), and one or more support members () extending from the panel portion (). The support members () are configured for supporting the one-piece injection-molded body () on the floorpan () and minimizing a load span () across said panel portion (). Also, the reinforcement members () are utilized for sufficiently reinforcing the panel portion () for supporting a predetermined load and minimizing deflection of the panel portion ().

Growing community of inventors

Novi, MI, United States of America

Mike James Whitens