Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ryan John Craig

Zhenyan Gao

Benjamin Kulhawik

Antonio Del Puerto

Akshay Kulkarni

Todd Nelson Clark

David James Bauch

Jason Scott Balzer

Robert J Miller

Chris O'Connor

Hassen Hammoud

Herbert Yang

Christopher Stephen O'Connor

Juanito Yu Co

Kumar Mahadevan

Cathy Bingfeng Xi

Jeffrey Lichtner

Yuan Zhou

Prakash Basavarajaiah

Stephan Biggs

Shyam Pittala

Helen Chan Co

A vehicle seating system includes a seatback pivotally coupled to a seat base. The seatback is operable between an upright position and a reclined position. A lift assembly is operably coupled to the seat base. The lift assembly is operable between a disengaged position and an engaged position. A position sensor is coupled to the lift assembly via a ball joint, wherein the ball joint and the position sensor adjust with movement of the lift assembly. A seat controller communicatively is coupled to the position sensor, wherein the seat controller determines if the lift assembly is in the disengaged position or has moved to the engaged position based on position data received from the position sensor.

Vehicle seating system

A motor vehicle according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a sensor, a headlamp, and a controller configured to adjust an aim of the headlamp based on a signal from the sensor. The controller is configured to account for a zero drift of the sensor. A method is also disclosed.

Headlamp leveling system and method

A vehicle is provided. The vehicle may include a detachable roof assembly that includes an upper B-pillar extending from a longitudinal roof rail that extends between a pair of transverse roof bows. The vehicle may also include a frame assembly. The frame assembly may include a lower B-pillar that extends from a rocker panel to a beltline of the vehicle. The lower B-pillar may include an upper end that defines a receptacle that may receive at least 50% of the upper B-pillar when the roof assembly is assembled to the frame assembly.

Removable roof structure

A vehicle locator system may include a sensor in communication with a lighting system, a wireless transceiver, an illumination assembly received within a housing, and a controller. The controller may be configured to command the illumination assembly to emit light according to a first pattern, responsive to a communication from a remote device received through the wireless transceiver. The communication may include a request to operate the illumination assembly in a vehicle locator mode, while a vehicle ignition is off.

Vehicle locator system

A vehicle includes a frame, a subframe, a powertrain, a steering gear, and a bracket. The subframe is fastened to the frame at a subframe attachment point, and the subframe is movable relative to the frame along a collision path in response to a frontal collision. The powertrain is attached to the subframe. The steering gear is coupled to the subframe and disposed in the collision path between the powertrain and the subframe attachment point. The bracket is attached to the powertrain and disposed in the collision path between the powertrain and the steering gear. The bracket is positioned to wedge the steering gear between the subframe and the frame during the frontal collision to deform the subframe at the subframe attachment point.

Vehicle subframe assembly

A vehicle includes a vehicle body that includes a rocker fixed to an underbody. The rocker and the under body at least in part define a front wheel well of the vehicle. A rim engagement member is cantilevered from the underbody and extends into the wheel well. The rim engagement member snags a rim of a front wheel of the vehicle and directs movement of a front wheel of the vehicle away from intrusion into a floor and/or dash of the vehicle.

Underbody mounted rim engagement member

A pillar assembly for a vehicle includes an outer panel, a reinforcement and an inner panel. The outer panel extends from a roof to a rocker. The reinforcement is attached to the outer panel and extends from the roof to a lower end that is spaced from the rocker. The reinforcement defines an opening in one side extending upwardly from the lower end of the reinforcement to a hip seating reference point level. The inner panel encloses the lower end of the reinforcement in conjunction with the outer panel. The pillar reinforces the assembly to facilitate inwardly collapsing a lower portion of the pillar to a greater extent than an upper portion of the pillar in a side impact collision.

Tubular vehicle roof pillar reinforcement

A vehicle frame includes an outside rail section having an upper flange, a lower flange, and an inward facing cavity between the upper and lower flanges. An inside rail section is coupled along the upper and lower flanges of the outside rail section and has an outward facing cavity that aligns with the inward facing cavity to enclose an interior volume. A pair of hydroform tubes extending vertically through apertures at spaced longitudinal locations in the upper flange and engage a bottom surface of the inward cavity to define a pillar for supporting a vehicle roof.

Vehicle frame rail and pillar connection

An energy distributing side structure for a vehicle is disclosed. The side structure includes a B-pillar having a wide base and an internal reinforcing tube, a rocker having an internal bulkhead, a rear rocker, and at least one cross-member extending vehicle-inward from the rocker. The cross-member may extend to the vehicle tunnel and may be attached to a tunnel brace. One or more additional cross-members may be provided which also extend vehicle-inward from the rocker and define secondary load paths. By this arrangement loading is transferred to the floor and cross-members of the vehicle during a lateral impact event.

Growing community of inventors

Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Ryan John Craig