Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Nissan North America, Inc.

Nissan Motor Company Limited

Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.

Scott Nydam

Michael Musa Azzouz

Michael Hrecznyj

Chris Robert Sculthorpe

Marcos Silva Kondrad

Kevin Wayne Preuss

Clay Wesley Maranville

Ari Garo Caliskan

Stavros Melabiotis

Kenneth Ameloot

Aref Vandadi

Scott Dearing

John Wayne Jaranson

Manfred Koberstein

Daisuke Fujimoto

Jeffrey Scott Mayville

Patrick James Blanchard

Kyle Happy

John Azar

Brian Shepard

John-Paul LaPorte

Jonathan Zischke

Kiyoshi Sagara

Jordan Renn

Jeff Pencak

Craig Martin Spinneweber

Jay John Meyer

Tom Domlovil

Chris Martin

Mike Speer

Hironori Awano

Jeffrey Tessmer

Dan Ritz

Amol Borkar

A cargo bed system includes a stair assembly that is movable between a stowed position and a staircase position relative to a vehicle structure. The stair assembly includes first and second support arm assemblies and first and a second steps. The first and second steps are configured to pivot together.

Vehicle cargo bed systems including a stair assembly, a load stop, or both

A thermal enclosure assembly for a vehicle includes a container disposed in a compartment of the vehicle that selectively couples with a wall of the compartment. The container is movable between a retracted position and an extended position. A tray couples with the wall and pivots between a folded position and an unfolded position to selectively enclose the container with the wall. The container is configured to move between the retracted position and the extended position when the tray is in the unfolded position.

Thermal enclosure assembly for a vehicle

A fluid connection for a vehicle includes a container selectively coupled with a compartment of the vehicle. The container includes at least one passage in fluid communication with an interior of the container. At least one port is disposed on the compartment and in fluid communication with a climate control system in the vehicle. The at least one passage is in fluid communication with the at least one port when the container is coupled with the compartment. The at least one port has an elongated cross-sectional area at a connection interface between the at least one port and the at least one passage.

Fluid coupling of a climate control system for a vehicle

A fluid connection for a vehicle includes a duct extending from a compartment wall of the vehicle. The duct defines a first channel and a second channel each in fluid communication with a climate control system of the vehicle. A container is selectively coupled with the duct and defines a receptacle configured to receive the duct to provide fluid communication between an interior of the container and the climate control system. At least one first aperture and at least one second aperture are each formed on the duct. The at least one first aperture fluidly interposes the interior and the first channel and the at least one second aperture fluidly interposes the interior and the second channel when the container is coupled with the duct.

Fluid connection for a vehicle

A thermal management system for a vehicle includes a connection interface that is coupled with a compartment of the vehicle and is in fluid communication with a climate control system of the vehicle. A container is movably disposed in the compartment and is in fluid communication with the climate control system via the connection interface. At least one alignment feature is coupled with the compartment and engages at least one sidewall of the container to align the container with the connection interface while the container moves in the compartment.

Thermal management system and stabilizer assembly for a vehicle

A coupling assembly for a vehicle includes a container selectively coupled with a compartment of the vehicle. The container includes at least one first port in fluid communication with an interior of the container. At least one second port is disposed on a wall of the compartment and is in fluid communication with a climate control system in the vehicle. A connection assembly is between the container and the wall. The connection assembly includes a positioning feature configured to align the at least one first port with the at least one second port. The connection assembly further includes a securing feature configured to bias the container toward the wall when the container is coupled with the wall to maintain fluid communication between the interior and the climate control system.

Coupling arrangement of a thermal connection for a vehicle

A thermal management system for a vehicle includes a heat exchange unit coupled with a compartment of the vehicle via an interface in the compartment. A container is moveable between a first position and a second position. The container is configured to be in fluid communication with the heat exchange unit via the interface in the first position.

Thermal management system for a vehicle

A thermally managed storage system for a vehicle that includes a partition structure that couples with and is expandable in a compartment of the vehicle. The partition structure includes a first wall fixed with the compartment and a plurality of second walls that are each moveable between a retracted position and an extended position. The plurality of second walls forms a space between the first wall and the plurality of second walls in the extended position. A casing is disposed in a space and selectively couples with a climate control system of the vehicle via a fluid connection with the compartment.

Thermally managed storage system for a vehicle

A vehicle door system includes, among other things, a vehicle body and a slidable door that is slidable back and forth relative to the vehicle body between an open position and a closed position. The system further includes an alignment bracket assembly having a door-mounted portion and a body-mounted portion. The door-mounted portion and the body-mounted portion are wedged against one another when the slidable door is in the closed position to restrict movement of the slidable door relative to the vehicle body when the slidable door is in the closed position.

Alignment bracket assembly for slidable vehicle door

A plurality of structural fibers are laid onto a substrate. The plurality of structural fibers are stitched together with a thread in a specified stitching pattern to form a composite preform. The thread in the specified stitching pattern secures the structural fibers to each other such that the structural fibers provide a tailored load path within the composite preform and presents a visible image on an outer surface of the composite preform.

Fiber composite with stitched structural image

Vehicle strut braces are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a strut brace including a first portion to removably couple to a cowl of a vehicle, a second portion to removably couple to a first shock tower on a first side of the vehicle and a second shock tower on a second side of the vehicle, and a third portion to removably couple to at least one of (i) a first longitudinal member on the first side of the vehicle and a second longitudinal member on the second side of the vehicle or (ii) an upper front rail on the first side of the vehicle and the second side of the vehicle, the third portion to traverse an axial centerline of the vehicle.

Vehicle strut brace apparatus

A vehicle assembly includes a front door of a vehicle, a detachable pillar assembly, and a rear door that is aft the front door along a longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The rear door is configured to selectively pivotably couple to the detachable pillar assembly. A method of providing an opening to a vehicle includes detaching a pillar assembly from a structure of a vehicle, and pivoting a rear door of a vehicle together with the pillar assembly from a closed position to an open position. The rear door pivots relative to the pillar assembly when the pillar assembly is latched to the vehicle.

Detachable pillar assembly for vehicle

This disclosure relates to a roof rail for a motor vehicle. In particular, the roof rail includes a divider wall configured to resist a clamping force, such as that which is expected to be applied to the roof rail from a cross bar of a roof rack. An example assembly includes a roof rail with a closed cross-sectional area and an open cross-sectional area separated by a divider wall.

Roof rail with divider wall configured to resist clamping force

A vehicle tailgate assembly includes a vehicle body structure, a tailgate, a hinge assembly and a bumper. The vehicle body structure defines a tailgate opening and having a hinge support section. The tailgate is installed to the vehicle body structure for movement between an upright orientation and a horizontal orientation. The hinge assembly has a first portion installed to the hinge support section and a second portion installed to the tailgate. The bumper is installed to the vehicle body structure proximate the hinge support section such that with the tailgate in the upright orientation, the second portion of the hinge assembly contacts the bumper.

Vehicle tailgate assembly

A vehicle taillamp assembly includes an attachment bracket and a lamp housing. The attachment bracket is configured for secure attachment to a vehicle body structure. The attachment bracket has an upright extending portion, an upper horizontally extending portion and a lower horizontally extending portion. The upright extending portion has a first projection extending therefrom and a second projection extending therefrom. The lamp housing is configured to attach to the first projection and the second projection.

Growing community of inventors

Farmington Hills, MI, United States of America

Scott Nydam