Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Ryan Craig Harris

Scott Louis Frederick

Edgardo Reyes-Crespo

Matthew K Killeen

Faleh Almahmoud

Ethan D Fassezke

Mingher Fred Shen

Adam D Holmstrom

Matthew A Jansma

Keith O'Brien

Paxton S Williams, I

Avinash S Phadatare

David Takeo Nakayama

Palani Palaniappan

James J Chung

Scott W Shopoff

Peter C Piper

Sanjeev Gupta

Kristin Zwirlein

Daniel J F Cressman

Ulan M Thompson

Daniel JF Cressman

Methods, systems, and apparatus for a tow hook assembly for a vehicle. The tow hook assembly includes a tow hook having a distal end and a proximal end opposite the distal end, a translating member configured to be coupled to the tow hook, a hinge disposed between the tow hook and the translating member, a housing configured to house at least a portion of the translating member, and a biasing member disposed within the housing and configured to be coupled to the translating member such that the biasing member is configured to deploy the tow hook. A horizontal axis extending between the proximal end and the distal end. The translating member is configured to translate the tow hook along the horizontal axis, and the hinge is configured to rotate the tow hook about the hinge and radially away from the horizonal axis.

Collapsible tow hook with stowing

Methods, systems, and apparatus for a vehicle aerodynamic system include an air dam adapted to be mounted adjacent a front bumper of a vehicle. The air dam can be moveable between a stowed position (e.g., when the vehicle is operating at higher speeds) and a deployed position (e.g., when the vehicle is operating at lower speeds). The air dam includes an air dam panel moveable between the stowed position and a step position. In the step position, the air dam panel is configured as a step for a user to access a front vehicle compartment. The aerodynamic system can include an actuator configured to move the air dam panel relative to the front bumper. The aerodynamic system can further include a controller in electronic communication with a front hood position sensor that is configured to automatically deploy the step based upon a position of the front hood.

Active aerodynamics for foot step

A storage system includes a storage surface for storing a container thereon. The storage surface defines a storage surface ridge. The storage surface ridge defines a cavity. The storage surface further defines a storage surface valley. The storage surface ridge and the storage surface valley interlock with a bottom surface of the container. The storage system also includes a temperature-regulating medium housed in the cavity. The temperature-regulating medium regulates a temperature of one or more contents of the container when the container is stored on the storage surface.

Temperature-regulating storage system

Systems and methods are provided for a dual-access refrigeration space with conveyance system. The dual-access refrigeration space being accessible from both inside and outside the passenger cabin of a vehicle, and the conveyance system capable of conveying objects within the dual-access refrigeration space. The conveyance of such objects enabling passengers of the vehicle to access refrigerated objects that may have been loaded from an area external to the passenger cab without the passengers needing to exit the vehicle. In some examples, such convention may be reversed such that the refrigeration space within a passenger cabin may be utilized by a user outside the passenger cabin.

Vehicle based dual access refrigeration space with conveyance

Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to a vehicle tire guard that retracts in response to a force. In one embodiment, the vehicle tire guard device includes a tire guard extending downward from a vehicle frame and a retraction system attached to the vehicle frame. The retraction system includes a spring-loaded wheel with circumferential interface elements to engage with and retract the tire guard responsive to a vertical force applied to the tire guard, a curved cam affixed to a planar surface of the spring-loaded wheel, and a spring-loaded rod biased against the planar surface. The spring-loaded rod and cam interact to prevent rotation of the spring-loaded wheel to retract the tire guard until the vertical force exceeds a threshold.

Vehicle tire guard device

The application generally relates to an apparatus comprising a tailgate protector having a base disposed atop a first portion of a tailgate, a support arm extending from a first edge of the base, and one or more mounting elements disposed within the base, wherein the one or more mounting elements are configured to removably couple an attachment via one or more attachment mounting elements includes in the attachment.

Tailgate protector structure with modular accessory attachments

Apparatuses, systems, and methods include a container receptacle configured to receive a beverage container. The container receptacle includes a perforated bottom surface configured to allow a spilled liquid and/or debris to pass therethrough. A drip tray extends beneath the container receptacle so as to collect the spilled liquid from the container receptacle. A bottom surface of the drip tray can be inclined so that liquid and/or debris is directed to a low point of the drip tray for collection.

Apparatus, system, and method for vehicle cup holder with integrated grate and drip tray

Apparatuses described herein relate to improving the prevention of cargo movement during vehicle travel. In one embodiment, an apparatus for securing cargo within a vehicle includes a bladder coupled to an underside of a cover that extends over a cargo area, where the bladder faces the cargo area. The apparatus includes a supply device coupled with the bladder via a connecting member to expand the bladder into contact with the cargo within the cargo area.

Apparatus for preventing cargo movement in a vehicle

A truck includes a passenger cabin and a truck bed located rearward of the passenger cabin in a vehicle longitudinal direction. The truck bed includes a bed deck and a pair of spaced apart sidewalls. A tailgate replacement extends across a rear opening to the truck bed and between the sidewalls. The tailgate replacement includes vertically-extending support rails and vertically spaced-apart, laterally-extending support rails that extend between the vertically-extending support rails. A slider is connected to the laterally-extending support rails. The slider includes a first connecting portion that slidably engages a first one of the laterally-extending support rails and a second connecting portion that slidably engages a second one of the laterally-extending support rails.

Truck tailgate replacements with adjustable sliders and trucks including the tailgate replacements

A vehicle is provided with an integrated and removable traction device, such as a tread board. The traction device may be integrated into a bumper of the vehicle. When mounted/installed on the bumper, the traction device can act as a cover to a storage unit implemented in the bumper. When removed, the traction device can be placed under a wheel of the vehicle to provide increased traction on certain surfaces. By integrating the traction device into the vehicle's bumper area, the traction device need not occupy, e.g., interior storage space of the vehicle.

Integrated removable bumper traction devices

A tonneau cover for a vehicle has a topside and an underside. The tonneau cover also includes a rail system attached to the underside. The tonneau cover also includes a ramp system. The ramp system is slidably engaged with the rail system and is configured to slide out from the underside along the rail system such that a rear end of the ramp system engages a ground surface to create a rampway between the topside and the ground surface. The ramp system can be used to load large cargo onto the topside of the tonneau cover. The ramp system is also removable from the rail system and attachable to an end of a truck bed of the vehicle such that the ramp system can be used to load cargo into the truck bed.

Tonneau cover with ramp system

A truck includes a passenger cabin and a truck bed located rearward of the passenger cabin in a vehicle longitudinal direction. The truck bed includes a bed deck and a pair of spaced apart sidewalls. A compressor unit is located between an inner sidewall panel and an outer sidewall panel of one of the sidewalls. A truck bed cover covers the truck bed. A bladder is connected to an underside of the truck bed cover. The compressor unit connected to the bladder and configured to inflate the bladder.

Truck bed covers with air bladders and vehicles including the truck bed covers

A tonneau cover for a vehicle can include a panel and a table. The panel can define a cavity. The table can be modifiable between a stowable configuration and a standing configuration. In the stowable configuration, the table is configured to stow inside the cavity. In the standing configuration, the table is configured to stand on a ground surface when removed from the cavity. In the stowable configuration, the table may be configured to further rigidify the panel such that a user of the vehicle can store cargo on top of the tonneau cover.

Tonneau cover with integrated table

A vehicle rock slider having a removable cover and methods of using the same. The rock slider may be attachable to a rocker panel of the vehicle along a length of the rocker panel such that an edge of the rock slider extends below a rocker flange extending downward from a bottom of the rocker panel. The rock slider may have a cover removably attachable onto the rock slider. The cover may be shaped and sized to conceal the rock slider when the rock slider is not in use.

Vehicle rock slider with removable cover

A vehicle includes a driver seat, a front passenger seat and a console assembly located between the driver seat and the front passenger seat. At least one of the driver seat and the front passenger seat is spaced from the console assembly in a vehicle lateral direction forming a gap between the console assembly and the at least one of the driver seat and the front passenger seat. A retractable cover assembly includes a flexible, sheet-form cover that is connected to a retract device that takes up or pays out the cover between extended and retracted configurations.

Growing community of inventors

Saline, MI, United States of America

Ryan Craig Harris