Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Rohit Telukunta

Steven Frank

Raj Sohmshetty

Adam Weyrauch

Mohamed Ridha Baccouche

Saied Nusier

Michael J Gardynik

Todd Mueller

Peter Joyce

Sridhar Santi Boyina

Dragan B Stojkovic

Leonard Anthony Shaner

Edward Andrew Pleet

Jason Scott Balzer

Darryl Leigh Young

Jack Lashbrook

Steven Perucca

Dinesh Munjurulimana

Torsten Hallfeldt

Varinder Singh Saini

Anil Tiwari

Jack Bekou

Sankarsh Kanth Aekbote Vishnukanth

A vehicle roof structure of a vehicle includes an outer roof panel and a unitized inner roof panel. The inner roof panel is separate from the outer roof panel and is secured to the outer roof panel. The inner roof panel includes roof headers, a roof bow, and support braces. The roof headers are spaced apart from each other and extend in a transverse direction relative to a longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The roof bow is spaced apart from and positioned between two roof headers of the roof headers and extends in the transverse direction. Each support brace is positioned between the roof bow and one of the two roof headers. The support braces extend from the roof bow to the one of the two roof headers and extend in multiple directions.

Vehicle roof structure

A roof rack assembly for a vehicle includes a pedestal including an indentation. A roof rail is movable between a first configuration and a second configuration relative to the pedestal. In the first configuration, a toggle loop of the roof rail is positioned in a first orientation relative to the indentation. In the second configuration, the toggle loop is positioned in a second orientation relative to the indentation.

Vehicle roof rack assembly

A battery box for an electric vehicle includes an Al casting that extends between and joins to a BIW or chassis rails of the electric vehicle. The Al casting includes a bottom wall, a side wall with a pair of rails that are securely attached to the BIW or chassis rails of the vehicle, and a plurality of cross members. The bottom wall, the side wall, and the plurality of cross members define a structural enclosure with a plurality of battery compartments and at least one crush zone, and the structural enclosure is load bearing member of the electric vehicle.

Lightweight battery box for electric vehicles

A hybrid structural assembly includes a vehicle structural member extending from a first end to a second end, and a composite reinforcement member attached to the vehicle structural member between the first and second ends of the vehicle structural member. The composite reinforcement member being formed by a continuous method and cut to a predetermined length extending from the first end to the second end.

Structural assembly for vehicle components having continuously formed composite reinforcement

A sun visor assembly for a vehicle that includes a mount configured to be connected to the vehicle. A guide rod having a first portion that includes a head and a second portion with a terminal end is operably coupled to the mount via the head. An impact point is at the terminal end of the second portion. The guide rod and the impact point are configured for use as a window breaker tool in a disassembled position. A visor is operably coupled to the guide rod in an assembled position and is rotatable about the guide rod from a first position to a second position. The visor includes a channel defined within the visor that is configured to receive the guide rod.

Sun visor with an incorporated impact point

This disclosure details overmolded vehicle sheet metal structures that included integrated attachments for achieving part integration. An exemplary sheet metal structure includes a sheet metal panel, a reinforcing structure molded on the sheet metal panel, and an integrally molded attachment structure formed within the reinforcing structure. In some embodiments, the integrally molded attachment structure may include a nut, a bracket, or both. An additional vehicle component may be attached to the sheet metal panel via the integrally molded attachment structure. The sheet metal structure may be formed in a single shot injection molding process.

Overmolded vehicle sheet metal structures with integrated attachments

An apparatus, according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a body-in-white member having an inboard side and an outboard side, a reinforcing structure molded on the inboard side, and an energy absorbing structure molded on the outboard side. A method according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, providing a body-in-white member having an inboard side and an outboard side, molding a reinforcing structure on the inboard side, and molding an energy absorbing structure on the outboard side.

Vehicle body-in-white panel with reinforcing and energy absorbing structures

A vehicle underbody assembly including a pair of rockers, a pair of rear rails, a first cross member, and a second cross member is provided. Each of the pair or rear rails extends from one of the rockers and each includes a rear portion, a first mid-portion, a second mid-portion, and a forward portion. Each of the forward portions is secured to one of the rockers at one of a first joint and a second joint. The first cross member extends between the rear rails at a transition region between the second mid-portion and the forward portion. The second cross member extends between the rear rails at locations adjacent the first and second joints. Each of the rear rails is thermally treated so that the second mid-portions form a hard strength zone. The hard strength zone may further be defined as a zone having a fully martensitic microstructure.

Vehicle underbody assembly with thermally treated rear rail

A vehicle underbody assembly including a pair of rockers, a pair of side rails, a first cross member, a second cross member, and a fuel tank is provided. Each of the pair of side rails is secured to a rearward portion of one of the rockers. The first cross member extends between the side rails and is thermally treated to form a first central hard strength zone between two first soft strength zones. The second cross member is arranged with the pair of side rails and the first cross member to form a rectilinear frame and is thermally treated to form a second central hard strength zone between two second soft strength zones. The fuel tank is secured between the pair of side rails so that the fuel tank is located within a rectilinear frame formed by the pair of side rails and the cross members.

Vehicle underbody component protection assembly

A die apparatus including a first die element and a second die element is provided. The first die element is arranged with the second die element for disposal of a blank therebetween and includes a coolant channel and a trim groove for alignment with a trim line of the blank. A groove insert is disposed within the trim groove arranged to support a portion of the blank extending thereover and to reduce a cooling rate of the blank. The groove insert may be of a material including reflective radiation characteristics to reduce heat transfer from portions of the blank adjacent the trim line. The first die element may include a cavity aligned with a pierce region of the blank so that the pierce region does not contact an adjacent die element surface.

Apparatus and method for piercing and trimming hot stamped parts

A bumper assembly may include a pair of crush cans and a bumper beam. The pair of crush cans are for securing to a vehicle body. The bumper beam is secured to the crush cans and includes a first end and a second end each extending outboard of one of the crush cans, and a middle portion extending between the first and second ends. The bumper beam is thermally treated to provide the first and second ends with less tensile strength than the middle portion. The middle portion may have a tensile strength between 1000 MPa and 1900 MPa. Each of the first and second ends may have a tensile strength between 600 MPa and 900 MPa.

Vehicle bumper beam with varied strength zones

A vehicle underbody assembly may include a pair of front rails, a pair of hinge pillars, a pair of crush cans, a pair of bumper supports, and a bumper. Each of the front rails includes a front portion, a mid-portion, and a backup portion. Each of the hinge pillars may be attached to one of the backup portions. Each of the crush cans may be attached to one of the front portions. Each of bumper supports may be secured to one of the crush cans. The bumper may be attached to the bumper supports. The front portions and the backup portions may be heat treated to have a higher strength than the mid-portions. Each of the front portions and the backup portions may be heated to define a hard strength zone and the mid-portion may be heated to define a medium strength zone.

Growing community of inventors

Madison Heights, MI, United States of America

Rohit Telukunta