Ford Motor Company Limited

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Roy E Bonnett

Patrick James Blanchard

Ronald A Carpenter

Saravanan Subramanian

Stephen William Gallagher

Robert E Burnham

Gregory T Bretz

Greg Bretz

Earl S Calcut

Peter Stockmann

Lothar Patberg

A lightweight automotive vehicle door assembly incorporates a modular concept having an outer door panel, an inner door panel, a reinforcement beam, and a hardware mounting module. The outer panel is preferably formed from aluminum, polypropylene or steel, while the inner door panel is preferably cast from magnesium with the hardware mounting module formed of thermoplastic. The magnesium inner panel is mounted to the outer panel by a hemming process while hardware is mounted to the inner panel through the use of two-piece thermoplastic inserts creating a dielectric barrier between the fasteners and the magnesium inner panel. The reinforcement beam is formed of a composite material consisting of a glass and carbon fiber reinforced outer skin with an interior core of polyurethane.

Magnesium door assembly for automobiles

An anti-intrusion beam for incorporation into a vehicle door assembly is manufactured from an outer skin formed from laminated layers of composite materials having fiber reinforcement oriented in a directional pattern in each respective layer. The anisotropic beam includes body members having an interior core formed of high density foam plastic. The transversely corrugated beam includes attachment areas that have the same corrugated configuration which are fastened to mounting lugs of an inner door panel arranged in a corresponding corrugation. Variations in the thickness and formation of the layers of the outer skin can be used to control the failure of the beam during impact to provide a progressive predicable failure pattern for the beam. A frame catcher can be inserted into the body portions of the anti-intrusion beam to permit the transfer of impact forces to the frame of the vehicle.

Anti-intrusion beam for a vehicle door assembly

A vehicle body has multiple panels adhesively bonded in spaced relationship without direct contact therebetween, the vehicle body constructed by presenting discrete body panels into an assembled position with respect to a single base for application of an adhesive thereon to secure the body panels together. The body panels, which include a pair of body side panels, a roof outer panel, a roof inner panel, and an underbody, have mating flanges along the peripheries thereof angled at between approximately 5.degree. and 15.degree. from a line perpendicular to a surface from which the flanges extend so as to reduce adhesive wipe-off between mating surfaces.

Automotive multi-panel compartment and method for making same

An assembly apparatus for assembling multiple panels at a single assembly site into an adhesively fixed, spaced relationship without direct contact therebetween mounts the panels with respect to a single base for movement into an assembled position. The apparatus has a base for receiving an underbody thereon, the base having a forward end, a rear end, and underbody alignment and retention means. A pedestal proximate the rear end of the base has a roof support member cantileverly mounted from a forward wall thereof in generally planar alignment with the base for receiving a roof inner panel on an upper surface thereof. A rotatable roof holder is axially mounted on an upper edge of the pedestal for receiving a roof outer panel thereon and for rotating the roof panel onto the roof inner panel. A pair of side supports are rotatably mounted on a pair of referencing rails on opposing side edges of the base for swingably positioning a pair of body side panels in juxtaposition with the underbody, the roof outer panel, and the roof inner panel. A slidable tray is mounted on the pair of referencing rails at the forward end of the base for holding a body front end portion to slidingly engage the body front end with the underbody and the pair of body side panels.

Single station assembly apparatus for automotive multi-panel compartment

A fiber reinforced structure having a hollow blow-molded core and a method for manufacturing the same. Bulk fibrous material is dispensed between two die pieces of a mold. A blow-moldable plastic parison is extruded within the fibrous material. The mold is closed, pinching the parison closed and detaching the bulk fibrous material from the structure. The parison is inflated thus forcing the fibrous material against the interior mold walls. Liquid resin is injected into mold and impregnates the fibrous material. After curing, the finished reinforced structure is removed from the mold.

Method of manufacturing a fiber-reinforced structure having a hollow

An improved pick-up truck includes an integral auxiliary load compartment positioned between the cab and the load box of the pick-up, the auxiliary load compartment having lateral side walls which extend in parallel planar relationship with adjacent portions of the cab and load box.

Pick-up truck with auxiliary load compartment

A reinforcing insert (16) for a vehicle body (10) has a shell-like construction positionable within the vehicle occupant compartment (14) and includes a front end (54) having a foot portion (56) as well as including a rear end (58) of an upwardly and forwardly opening shape. The reinforcing insert also has an intermediate portion (60) extending between the front and rear ends (54, 58) and having a floor (62) with side edges (64) for positioning adjacent side door openings (34) of the vehicle. Resin transfer molding is preferably utilized to manufacture the reinforcing insert (16) as a pair of insert members (66) with a central connection (68) extending in a longitudinal direction with respect to the convertible vehicle. Reinforcing ribs (72) of the insert members (66) provide locations of connections to the convertible vehicle. Rear quarter panels (86) of the insert are preferably connected by a trunk ceiling portion (96) and also have holes (98, 100) for mounting the convertible soft top frame (48) and rear quarter windows (44). Adhesive bond connections preferably connect the reinforcing insert (16) to the convertible vehicle at all points of contact as well as connecting the insert members (66) to each other.

Reinforcing insert for convertible vehicle

A hinge is provided for connecting together two adjacent panes in a window of an automobile having a fold-down convertible top. The hinge comprises two separate, opposing lengths of tape, each having transverse reinforcing fibers associated therewith. Each length of tape further includes adhesive on one side thereof for adhering each length of tape onto the opposite edges of the two adjacent panes.

Hinge for a folding window

A truck cab (32) is disclosed as having a lower cab component (38) including a unitary, lower member (46) with a rear wall (48), a floor (50), and a toe panel (52), and as also having an upper cab component (40) including a unitary, upper member (66) having a roof (68), a pair of windshield pillars (70), and a cowl (72). An upper connection (42) connects an upper end (54) of the rear wall (48) of the lower cab component to the rear end (74) of the roof (68) of the upper component, and a lower connection (44) connects an upper end (64) of the toe panel (52) to the cowl (72) of the upper cab component. The unitary, lower and upper members (44,66) are disclosed as being made by resin transfer molding, compression molding, or sheet metal forming. With a resin transfer molded lower and upper members, an outer roof panel (104) is also utilized to cover the roof (68) of the upper member (66). The compression molded embodiment also has an outer roof panel (110) covering ribs (108) of roof (68) and having windshield pillar portions (114) connected to a cowl portion (115) to cooperate with the compression molded upper member (66) to provide the requisite strength.

Truck cab construction

A low cost concealed radio antenna makes use of a weather seal gasket material used to surround an automotive body opening. The weather seal gasket contains a metal carrier strip functions as the antenna conductor when connected to a radio antenna terminal.

Growing community of inventors

Birmingham, MI, United States of America

Roy E Bonnett