Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Paul Culbertson

Joseph Edward Abramczyk

Eric Layton Stratten

Phillip A Przybylo

Herbert Yang

Zheng Peng

Paul Lawrence Lipinski

Brent Richard Sovoda

Richard Moss

Tim Rush

Robert Bruce

Syed A Imam

Sohail Jamal

Sandeep Kumar Gupta

Kenneth Jerome Rottet

Karthik Chitoor

Laurie Call

The tire deflation device () includes a rail member () having a support portion () and a piercing portion (). The piercing portion () of the rail member () extends toward a tire () and is located between the tire () and a protected portion () of the automotive vehicle (). The piercing portion () is intended to puncture and deflate the tire () when a crush zone () is deformed inwardly so as to force the tire () into the piercing portion () of the rail member (). The support portion () has at least one anchor member () fixedly attached thereto for securely mounting the rail member () to a side mount () of the automotive vehicle () within a middle rigid zone () thereof.

Tire deflation device

An automobile includes a door, inner and outer rocker panels, and a floor pan joined to the inner rocker panel. A structural frame extends under the body. A frame standoff member is mounted to the inner rocker panel and extends inboard to a frame rail. The frame standoff member is separated from the frame rail by a clearance gap. Once the gap is closed due to lateral deformation of the door, rocker panels, and floor pan, the frame standoff member will resist further deformation of the door and rocker panels without dynamically coupling the door or rocker panels to the frame rail during normal operation of the vehicle.

Automotive vehicle with enhanced lateral collision intrusion resistance

Growing community of inventors

Farmington Hills, MI, United States of America

Paul Culbertson