Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Muhsin M Hamdoon

Marwan Ahmad Elbkaily

Yalla Mussa Abushawashi

Darrin Neil Wagner

Bakhtyar Baig

Linh Ngoc Doan

Edgar Edward Donabedian

Daniel Carl Bejune

Amit Chakravarty

George David Aucott

Bruce Richard Ghastin

Bhaskara Rao Pamarthi

Jonathan L Clarke

Viktor Kostrominov

Alexander Morgan

Benjamin Mansfield

Robert Walter Bartus

Stephen Dreher

Matthew Alan Niesluchowski

Shuenn-Muh Chen

Shravan Kumar Sabbani

Jeffrey Vonlinsowe

Vehicle frames with buckling avoidance features are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a cross member extending between a first side rail and a second side rail, a battery coupled to the cross member and the second side rail, and a bracket opposite to the battery, the bracket coupled to the first side rail and the cross member at a first location and a second location.

Vehicle frame cross members with buckling avoidance features

An upper reinforcement for a door trim panel includes a reinforcement channel, and a rib extending across the reinforcement channel. More particularly, the rib includes a first end section that engages a first wall of the channel, a second end section that engages a third wall of the channel and an intermediate section that extends across a window in the second wall of the channel.

Upper reinforcement for a door trim panel and method of tuning performance characteristics thereof

A vehicle frame includes a first frame rail and a second frame rail elongated along a vehicle-longitudinal axis and spaced from each other along a cross-vehicle axis. The vehicle frame includes a cross-beam elongated along the cross-vehicle axis between the first frame rail and the second frame rail. The cross-beam includes a first groove and a second groove both proximate the first frame rail and spaced from each other along the cross-vehicle axis.

Vehicle frame

A seatback for a vehicle comprises: a lid having a closed position preventing access to a storage area and an open position allowing access to the storage area; and a locking element having an engaged position that prevents the lid from transitioning from the closed position to the open position and a disengaged position that does not prevent the lid from transitioning from the closed position to the open position; wherein, the locking element transitions from the disengaged position to the engaged position via the force of gravity when the seatback transitions from a fold down position to an upright position, and transitions from the engaged position to the disengaged position when the seatback transitions from the upright position to fold down position. The lid can pivot upward from a rearward portion of the seatback in the fold down position, as the lid transitions to the open position.

Locking element for a lid to a storage area in a seatback of a vehicle

A locking device is provided for a motor vehicle door. The locking device includes a body having a base, a stake, a lever, a gusset and a rotational axis. A method of locking a motor vehicle door closed in response to a side impact is also provided.

Device and method for locking a motor vehicle door closed in response to a side impact

An upper reinforcement for a door trim panel includes a reinforcement channel, softening features within reinforcement channel, a tab depending from the reinforcement channel, and a trigger feature between the reinforcement channel and the tab whereby the reinforcement channel is released from the tab during a side impact. A method of tuning performance characteristics of the upper reinforcement is also described.

A vehicle includes a body structure, a side bracket secured to the body structure, and a spacer bracket secured to the side bracket. The spacer bracket extends in a lateral direction toward an interior of the vehicle. The vehicle further includes a roof bow secured to the spacer bracket. The roof bow extends in the lateral direction toward the interior of the vehicle. The roof bow may be secured to the spacer bracket through at least one fastener adapted to shear under a predetermined shear stress. The roof bow may be secured to the spacer bracket such that a distal end of the roof bow is disposed in spaced relation relative to a distal end of the of the spacer bracket. The roof bow may be secured to a K-brace which extends toward roof rails.

Collapsible vehicle roof support assembly

A locking device is provided for a door of a motor vehicle. That locking device includes a pin having a first end fixed to the door and a second end including an enlarged head. The locking device also includes a receiver on a rocker panel of the motor vehicle. When the door is subjected to a side impact the pin extends into the receiver and is captured to lock the door closed. A related method is also disclosed.

Crash safety locking device for a motor vehicle door

A collapsible vehicle armrest includes an armrest substrate extending between a door frame and a door trim and defining an opening therebetween. The opening has a longitudinal axis substantially parallel with the door frame. A plurality of support bands extends co-planar across the opening and parallel with the longitudinal axis. A plurality of stubs extends across each gap defined between adjacent support bands. Each stub is free of alignment with each other of the plurality of stubs in a direction perpendicular to the plurality of support bands. A cover member extends over the armrest substrate and the plurality of support bands, wherein the cover member is vertically supported proximate the opening by the plurality of parallel support bands and the plurality of stubs.

Armrest substrate having detachable elongated support bands

A vehicle roof support structure including a pair of reinforcing truss members. The roof support structure includes a header, a roof bow, right and left roof rails, and a center roof support. The trusses form triangular reinforcing structures on the driver-side and passenger-side.

Vehicle roof with truss structure

A vehicle roof structure and door opening panel structure is disclosed that is reinforced with an upper reinforcement strip and a lower reinforcement strip. The roof panel, door opening panel and reinforcement strips are attached by an adhesive and by a plurality of fasteners. The fasteners are received in pierce nuts that are preassembled to the lower reinforcing strip.

Vehicle roof structure

A vehicle body assembly including a frame with an outrigger secured to the frame below a passenger compartment. The passenger compartment includes a plurality of pillars supporting a roof, a first rocker assembly and a second rocker assembly disposed on opposite sides of the passenger compartment. The outrigger is secured to the frame below the passenger compartment, inboard of the rocker assembly and outboard of the roof to protect the roof in side impact collisions. The outriggers transfer the side impact loads to the frame rails that are disposed inboard of the roof rails.

Underbody structure for absorbing energy to improve roof structure integrity during side impact

A door trim panel assembly includes a door trim panel and an armrest supported by the door trim panel. The armrest includes a top portion and a bottom portion each extending from the door trim panel, and a middle portion extending from the top portion to the bottom portion. The bottom portion has a wall thickness greater than a wall thickness of the top portion and greater than a wall thickness of the middle portion. The wall thickness of the top portion is less than the wall thickness of the middle portion.

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Windsor, CA, United States of America

Muhsin M Hamdoon