Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Patrick J Edgar

Robert Joseph Hazlewood

Vikas Bhatia

Yi-Ru Chen Sosnowski

Leon Toma

Shelby Leigh Brown

John Salvia

Sathya Shankar Kuttumukkula Chandrasekaran

Phouvadol P Khouphongsy

Gregory Todd Donovan

John J Salvia, Iii

Chad Eric Anderson

John D Harkleroad

Manish Shah

Jonathan San

Kyle E Rosander

Edward Qiu

Lynne Susan Dykins

Jacob C Herget

Robert Jones

A retention mechanism for a removable access door includes a retention tab positioned along a side of the access door. The retention tab includes a resiliently deflectable stem and at least two engagement heads projecting from the stem. The tab extends to a first distance from a reference surface of the access door. An overstress prevention structure is positioned along the side of the access door so as to enable the retention tab to contact the overstress prevention structure when the stem is deflected a predetermined amount. The overstress prevention structure extends to a second distance from the reference surface, wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance. Support walls may strengthen the overstress prevention structure against forces exerted by the retention tabs during deflection of the tabs. The support walls may form a protective 'shroud' around the retention tab.

Retention mechanisms for service access doors

A vehicular storage arrangement includes a storage compartment, a resiliently normally bendable divider for dividing the storage compartment, and a mount for the divider in the storage compartment. The mount is configured to make slidable peripheral engagement with the divider, under which the mount is configured to support the divider in a mounted position, and urge the divider to normally bend in the mounted position, thereby tightening the slidable peripheral engagement.

Vehicular storage arrangement

A seat assembly including a seat frame, an armrest pivotally coupled to the seat frame, a stopper, and an engagement member. The armrest pivots between a use position and a drop down position below the use position in a vertical direction. In the use position, the armrest is configured to support an arm of a user. The engagement member contacts the stopper in the use position to inhibit movement of the armrest from the use position toward the drop down position. The engagement member is configured to deform against the stopper upon application of a predetermined force to allow the armrest to move from the use position toward the drop down position.

Seat assemblies having resettable armrests

A seat cushion, for a seat assembly, includes a seat cushion frame formed of a resin material. The seat cushion frame includes a base wall, a pair of side walls, and a front wall. The base wall includes a pair of side edges and a front edge that extends between the pair of side edges. The pair of side walls extend outward from the pair of side edges of the base wall. The front wall extends outwardly from the front edge of the base wall. The front wall configured to provide an anti-submarining feature.

Resin tip-up seat cushion frames and seat assemblies having resin tip-up seat cushion frames

A seat assembly, for a vehicle having a frame member, includes a seat back, a seat cushion, and a seat bracket. The frame member extends along a floor of the vehicle and includes a bore. The seat cushion is pivotally coupled to the seat back for movement between a use position and a raised position. The seat bracket is coupled to at least one of the seat back and the seat cushion. The seat bracket includes a pin that extends downwardly in a vehicle vertical direction. The pin engages with the bore to temporarily attach the seat cushion and the seat back to the frame member on the floor of the vehicle and inhibit a rotation of the seat assembly in a vehicle forward direction when the seat cushion is in the raised position due to the engagement of the pin extending through the bore of the frame member.

Seat assemblies for temporarily attaching a seat assembly to a vehicle

A seat assembly is provided having a side shield having a leading edge. The side shield adapted to cover at least a portion of the seat cushion of the seat assembly. The assembly further includes a seat cushion, the side shield positioned adjacent to the seat cushion, the seat cushion having an elongated trench adapted to receive the leading edge of the side shield so as to prevent the formation of a gap between the shield and the cushion portion thereby providing an aesthetically appealing appearance to the user. The seat cushion includes a side surface positioned adjacent to the side shield. The trench is further defined as a generally horizontal momentary discontinuous surface extending into the side surface of the seat cushion, the leading edge of the side shield resting within the trench. The side shield extends around the seat cushion to a front portion of the seat cushion and the trench adapted to accept the leading edge of the side shield at the front portion of the seat cushion. The trench further extends horizontally from the rear to the front of the seat cushion to accommodate the leading edge of the side shield.

Side shield trench on seat cushion

A seat back frame assembly and seat assembly are provided. The seat back frame assembly includes a pair of side members spaced apart from each other, a top member spaced apart from a bottom member, each of the top and bottom members interconnecting each of the pair of side members so as to define a peripheral edge, the peripheral edge enclosing a back space. An interference member is disposed within the back space and spaced apart from an inner surface of one of the pair of side members. The interference member disposed above a midpoint of the one of the pair of side members and includes a sliding surface angled obtusely with respect to the back space so as to direct an occupant forward of the back space and away from the side member when experiencing a side load.

Seat back frame assembly with interference member

A seat back cushion for a vehicle includes a back surface including a plurality of indentations, the plurality of indentations including a plurality of generally vertical indentations and a plurality of generally horizontal indentations.

Growing community of inventors

Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Patrick J Edgar