Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Sathya Shankar Kuttumukkula Chandrasekaran

Robert Joseph Hazlewood

Vikas Bhatia

Patrick J Edgar

John J Salvia, Iii

Lynne Susan Dykins

A retention mechanism for a removable access door includes a retention tab positioned along a side of the access door. The retention tab includes a resiliently deflectable stem and at least two engagement heads projecting from the stem. The tab extends to a first distance from a reference surface of the access door. An overstress prevention structure is positioned along the side of the access door so as to enable the retention tab to contact the overstress prevention structure when the stem is deflected a predetermined amount. The overstress prevention structure extends to a second distance from the reference surface, wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance. Support walls may strengthen the overstress prevention structure against forces exerted by the retention tabs during deflection of the tabs. The support walls may form a protective 'shroud' around the retention tab.

Retention mechanisms for service access doors

A vehicular storage arrangement includes a storage compartment, a resiliently normally bendable divider for dividing the storage compartment, and a mount for the divider in the storage compartment. The mount is configured to make slidable peripheral engagement with the divider, under which the mount is configured to support the divider in a mounted position, and urge the divider to normally bend in the mounted position, thereby tightening the slidable peripheral engagement.

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Novi, MI, United States of America

Sathya Shankar Kuttumukkula Chandrasekaran