Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Scott George Miller

Kian-Huat Tan

Duane A Koehler

Stephen Lewis Bruford

Jeff A Firzlaff

Nelson Roos

Ed Rybarczyk

Herbert Gruber

Jeffrey Alan Firzlaff

Steve Bruford

Glenn VanGelderen

Donald Paul Iacovoni

Paul L Heirtzler, Jr

Jason Douglas Scott

Shannon Carloni

James Posa

Robert Howell

Robert G Starbowski

David Tuck

Dan Ondrus

Robert William Woodall

Melissa Marie Brutto

Chris Thomas Bustamante

Jeff Crist

Aldous Cheng

William James Curtiss

Carl Rodney Roush

Dave Henry Meyer

Katherine P Minnich

Timothy J Moore

Jerry W Srutwa

A window regulator is provided for a window in a vehicle door. The window regulator includes a drive mechanism having a first cable and a second cable. The first cable is connected to the window at a first connection point and the second cable is connected to the window at a second connection point. The two cables are driven at different speeds so that the window is rotated with respect to the vehicle door panel as the window is displaced between a fully closed position and a fully opened position.

Window regulator and method of providing articulating motion to a window in a vehicle door

A hinge mechanism having a vehicle bracket that includes a pawl engagement member extending therefrom. A horizontally-rotating swing arm is rotatably coupled with the vehicle bracket. The hinge mechanism includes a pawl with an engagement portion and an abutment portion. The pawl is connected with the swing arm and operable between an engaged position and a disengaged position. A door bracket is rotatably coupled with the swing arm. A lever actuation member extends from the door bracket and is aligned to engage the abutment portion of the pawl.

Lockout feature for full open hinge

An automotive closure panel which is rotatable about a pivot axis has an axial locator insert situated within a pivot bearing insert bore to set a margin extending between the closure panel and a vehicle body. This system is particularly useful for closure panels such as tailgates having torsion bar or motorized lift assist, because such systems are not easily disassembled for the purpose of setting the closure panel margins.

Automotive closure panel with pivot-mounted alignment system

An anti-chucking device () for a tailgate assembly () for a vehicle (), includes a bracket member () and a striker member (). The striker member () engages the bracket member () and prevents the tailgate assembly () from moving in a lateral direction on the vehicle () when the tailgate assembly () is moved to an open position and a closed position. The bracket member () includes a first pair of tabs () and a second pair of tabs (). The first pair of tabs () extends from the second pair of tabs () by a predetermined angle. The first pair of tabs () defines a first slot (), and the second pair of tabs () defines a second slot (). The striker member () pivots between the first slot () and the second slot (), with the tailgate assembly () moving between open and closed positions.

Anti-chucking tailgate

A pivoting cage cargo is formed of opposing gate assemblies mounted on the rearwardmost D-pillar of a pick-up truck and movable from a folded, collapsed storage position against the respective side walls of the cargo box into multiple selectable operative configurations. The pivoting cage cargo retainer can be positioned in two different transversely extending positions that span the cargo bed when the gate assemblies are connected together. In one transverse position, the coupled gate assemblies cooperate with a lowered tailgate to provide a bed extension function. The other transverse position spans across the cargo bed to provide a divider function. Each gate assembly is also positionable into a storage container configuration that defines a small cargo retention area adjacent the side wall for the retention of small objects, such as grocery bags. A latching mechanism retains the gate assembly next to the side wall.

Configurable pivoting cage cargo retainer

A method of manufacturing a body panel assembly for a vehicle. The method includes providing first and second panels, applying an adhesive, positioning the first and second panels, hemming the first and second panels together to form a subassembly, applying a coating to at least a portion of the subassembly, and heating the subassembly to at least partially melt the adhesive.

Method of making a body panel assembly

A vehicle includes a supplemental tailgate assembly, which includes a tailgate extender that retracts within the tailgate and is extendable therefrom and right and left hand gate assemblies. The supplemental tailgate assembly is able to provide bed extender, box extender, step assist, roof rack, cargo storage area, and box divider functions. The supplemental tailgate assembly is stowable to minimize interference in cargo space when not in use.

Vehicle tailgate having supplemental tailgate assembly

A supplemental tailgate extends from the tailgate frame of a pickup truck and is positionable in multiple orientations to provide a variety of uses, including as an extension of the pickup truck bed. The supplemental tailgate includes a cross member connected between two telescoping supports, which forms a part of the tailgate molding when stored within the main tailgate structure. A lock rod assembly interconnects the supplemental tailgate and the body of the pickup truck to stabilize the position of the extended supplemental tailgate when positioned perpendicular to the opened main tailgate. The lock rod assembly can be formed as flexible cables that can be housed within the cross member for easy deployment when needed. The lock rod assembly can also be formed as fixed length rods that are pivotally mounted on the cross member and stored within the cross member for easy deployment.

Pivoted lock rod supports for supplemental vehicle tailgate

A one hand push button release mechanism is associated with a supplemental tailgate assembly to affect the release of the supplemental tailgate for deployment from the main tailgate apparatus. One embodiment of the push button mechanism engages a wedge having a cam surface that causes the wedge to move vertically with respect to the push button to pull on a linkage that releases a pivoted catch member. A second embodiment utilizes a laterally slidable push button that depresses into the molding to engage a spacer that is laterally movable with the push button to be movable into an interfering position with respect to the catch member to lock the supplemental tailgate in the stowed position. In both embodiments, a spring is operable to bias the locking mechanism into a locked position when the supplemental tailgate is returned to the stored position.

Push button release mechanism for supplemental tailgates

An open hem flange for a vehicle door includes an inner reinforcing panel and an outer panel having a first outer portion and a second inner portion folded about the inner panel at a base. The inner reinforcing panel includes dimpled sections against the second outer portion which provides a gap between the inner panel and the second inner portion of the outer. A gap also exists between the inner reinforcing panel and the outer portion of the outer panel to allow the hem flange to be properly cleaned and electrocoated.

Hem flange

A pivoting cage cargo bed extender is pivotally mounted to the D-pillars of a pick-up truck to be pivotally movable between a forward position and a rearward position. In the rearward position, the pivoting cage serves as a supplemental tailgate structure that rests on the open tailgate to extend the operative area of the cargo bed. The pivoting cage is formed of individual segments that are hinged together and separable at the center into two halves that are each collapsible into a stowed position adjacent the respective side wall of the cargo bed. The two halves of the cargo bed are connectable with a latching mechanism at the center to form a pivoting cage structure that spans transversely across the floor of the cargo bed. The latching mechanism compresses an internal O-ring to provide a tight connection between the two halves.

Pivoting cage cargo retainer for pick-up trucks

A tailgate for a vehicle has a supplemental tailgate that retracts within the tailgate and is extendable therefrom in order to provide multiple assist functions. The supplemental tailgate includes a pivotable molding, which mounts on a movable frame portion, and a latching assembly. When pivoted, the pivotable molding releases the latching assembly, allowing the supplemental tailgate to be moved to various extended positions. When the movable frame portion is in an essentially fully extended position, it can be rotated downward relative to the tailgate and a flip step pivoted to a use position in order to provide an assist step function.

Vehicle tailgate with supplemental tailgate having a flip out step

An automotive vehicle has a door adapted to pivot about a generally horizontal pivot axis, with the door including a shell defining a space surrounded by the shell. The door is pivoted upon bearings located at each end of the door. A full floating torsion bar is provided and includes a first end rotationally grounded to the door shell and a second end engaged with and rotationally locked with a bearing inserts so that the torsion bar will be subjected to torsional loading as the door is pivoted. At least a portion of the torsion bar extends along an external recess defined by the door's inner and outer panels.

Lift assisted tailgate system for automotive vehicle

An automotive vehicle has a door adapted to pivot about a generally horizontal pivot axis, with the door including a shell defining a space surrounded by the shell. The door is pivoted upon bearings located at each end of the door. A torsion bar lift assist is provided with a vibration and noise isolator and damper, which is engaged about a central portion of the torsion bar. The damper prevents objectionable noise which could otherwise result in the event that the torsion bar strikes the shell of the door because of road-induced vibration.

Growing community of inventors

Canton, MI, United States of America

Scott George Miller