Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Quality Safety Systems

Sean Anthony Wright

Vasudeva Sankarshana Murthy

Kevin Lyle Gilleo

William Brian Deming

Steven Edward Owen

Mohit Anand Jagasia

Jamaine Channte Arrington

A fastener assembly for attaching a fastener to an opening of a sheet material is disclosed. The sheet material is typically located adjacent to a base structure and the fastener assembly affords radial movement of the fastener relative to the opening of the sheet material. The radial movement allows the fastener to be aligned with a desired location on the base structure, e.g. a threaded aperture&#x2014;after being attached to the sheet material. In this manner, the fastener assembly provides for the placement of the fastener in difficult to reach and/or see locations until it can be attached to the base structure.

Fastener assembly

Disclosed is an assist grip assembly including a handle portion and at least one support structure, the at least one support structure including a securing surface attached to a mounting area of a vehicle body, and a transfer member comprising a flex portion and a contact portion having a contact surface, wherein the transfer member is formed with or attached to the handle portion and when a load is applied to the handle portion in a first direction, the contact surface of the transfer member contacts a contact area of the vehicle body and transfers at least a portion of the load from the mounting area to the contact area.

Assist grip assemblies

An energy absorbing mounting bracket for a rail mounted airbag inflator is provided. The mounting bracket has a circular section and at least one base leg. The circular section entraps an airbag inflator and the base leg is rigidly attached to the circular section and mounted to a vehicle rail. The base leg positions the circular section of the mounting bracket a specific distance from the rail, for the purpose of allowing the section to deflect in a direction towards the rail when an impact force is exerted on the section. One embodiment of the present invention is comprised of a circular section entrapping an airbag inflator and a first base leg, a second base leg and an intermediate leg. The first base leg is located adjacent to the vehicle rail when the bracket is mounted to the rail and is rigidly attached to the intermediate leg. The intermediate leg is rigidly attached to the circular section and the second base leg is also rigidly attached to said section. The first base leg in combination with the intermediate leg and the second base leg position the circular section a specific distance from the rail. The distance from the rail coupled with the design of the base legs and the intermediate leg allow for the circular section to deflect in a direction towards the rail when it experiences an impact force. In this manner, an energy absorbing mounting bracket for a rail mounted airbag inflator is provided.

Mounting bracket for rail mounted airbag inflator

An ejection control mechanism for a rail mount airbag is provided. The ejection control mechanism is comprised of an elongated strap attached to the rearwardmost cell of a side impact airbag. When the cell is inflated, the strap applies a tension to the cell in an upward and rearward direction and thereby assists the airbag in providing complete coverage of the motor vehicle side windows. One embodiment of the present invention is comprised of the strap being attached to the rearwardmost cell of the rail mounted airbag, whereas a second embodiment is comprised of the strap being attached to the rearwardmost cell and the motor vehicle frame.

Ejection control mechanism for rail mount airbag

A garnish assembly for an automotive pillar having a garnish dimensioned to cover the pillar and in which the garnish has a predetermined thickness and an elongated through slot. A spacer is disposed in the slot while a fastener extends through the spacer and is secured to the pillar. The spacer has a length at least as long as the predetermined thickness of the garnish and a cross-sectional shape smaller than the area of the slot so that the garnish is slidable relative to the spacer. The fastener may also be used to secure a handgrip to the pillar.

Growing community of inventors

Livonia, MI, United States of America

Sean Anthony Wright