Fca US LLC

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Chrysler Group LLC

Randy K Ihrke

Christopher J Duke

Christopher J Sytek

Michael C Gillam

Clifford L Eberle, Jr

Eric Ghoukasian

Paul S Van Norman

Sean E Whelan

Vivek V Kirtane

Thomas A Czapski

Alexander J Stanton

Britt A Beatty

Christopher J Antenucci

A vehicle includes a vehicle body, a door and a hinge assembly. The door is coupled to the vehicle body and is pivotable about a horizontal axis between a closed position and a horizontal open position. The door is also pivotable about a vertical axis between the closed position and a vertical open position. The hinge assembly pivotably couples the door to the vehicle body and includes a first hinge and a second hinge. The first hinge includes a first hinge plate and at least one first hinge barrel extending from the first hinge plate. The second hinge includes a second hinge plate, an extension section and at least one second hinge barrel. The extension section positions the vertical axis laterally outwardly relative to a mounting location of the hinge assembly to the vehicle body. The vertical axis also being positioned inwardly relative to the door.

Vehicle hinge assembly

A dual platform bumper system for a vehicle includes a bumper configured to couple to one of the door or another vehicle component, the bumper having first and second points of contact, and a platform configured to couple to the other of the door and the other vehicle component. The platform includes an upper contact platform and a lower contact platform. The upper contact platform is configured to contact the first point of contact when the door is moved to a closed position, and the lower contact platform is configured to contact the second point of contact when the door is moved to the closed position to facilitate preventing over-travel relative movement of the at least one door.

Dual platform bumper system for vehicle doors

In at least one implementation, a torsion rod preload device, includes a body, a driver and a retainer. The body may have a base adapted to be connected to a vehicle and at least one stop. The driver is carried by the body for movement relative to the body, and is adapted to engage a torsion rod so that movement of the driver relative to the body increases a torsion force within the torsion rod. The retainer is carried by one or both of the body and the driver, and is movable by the driver as the driver moves relative to the body. The retainer is engageable with the stop to inhibit or prevent movement of the driver when the retainer is engaged with the stop to maintain a desired torsion force in the torsion rod.

Torsion rod loading device and assembly

A vehicle may include a body, a closure member, a hinge assembly and a sleeve. The body may define a cavity having an opening. The closure member may be movable relative to the cavity to provide access to the cavity. The hinge assembly may be attached to the body and the closure member and may include first and second torsion rods extending between first and second sides of the opening of the cavity. The first and second torsion rods may urge the closure member toward an open position. The sleeve may be attached to the first torsion rod and may include an outer surface having a profile defining a plurality of peaks and valleys. The outer surface may contact the second torsion bar to prevent direct contact between the first and second torsion rods.

Torsion rod isolator

A hinge rotatably connecting a paintable closure panel to a closure panel jamb of a vehicle body panel of a motor vehicle and enabling temporary extending motion of the hinge from a retracted position to an extended position, spacing the paintable closure panel away from the vehicle body panel during assembly to allow the painting of the paintable closure panel and the clousre panel jamb. A reinforcement plate mounts to the vehicle body panel and has a pair of slots and a retaining pin hole. A body hinge plate has a pair of rivets that are slideably received by the slots of the reinforcement plate to permit slideable movement of the body hinge plate relative to the reinforcement plate. A gate side strap of the hinge is mounted to the paintable closure panel. A hinge pin hingedly connects the gate side strap to the body hinge plate enabling rotation of the paintable closure panel. A retaining pin temporarily installed in a retaining pin hole in the body hinge plate and the aligned retaining pin hole in the reinforcement plate retains the hinge in the extended position spacing the paintable closure panel from the vehicle body panel to allow for painting of the paintable closure panel and the closure panel jamb. A pair of securing bolts mounts the body hinge plate to the vehicle body panel for retaining the hinge in the retracted position after painting and removal of the retaining pin.

Dual position hinge

The present invention relates to an adjustable hinge assembly for a vehicle closure or deck lid which can be readily, vertically adjusted to enable the closure or deck lid to be positioned so as to be flush with adjacent exterior body structure of the vehicle when in a closed position. The assembly includes a hinge box, a vertical slide which carries a hinge pivot, adjustment means for vertically raising and lowering the slide and cooperable guides on the slide and hinge box for guiding the movement of the slide in a vertical path.

Growing community of inventors

Auburn Hills, MI, United States of America

Randy K Ihrke