Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Trw Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.

Sean Timothy Ryan

Peyman Aghssa

Manoharprasad K Rao

Djamal Eddine Midoun

Jamil M Alwan

Ian Brewster Hall

John Michael McGuckin

Harish Dutt

Brian Robert Spahn

Deepak Patel

Jerry R Brown

Herbert Yang

Nour-Eddine Fellague

Zakareia H Hussain

Rich Ruthinowski

Mark Anthony Cuddihy

Gary Steven Strumolo

Zhibing Deng

Joseph Edward Abramczyk

Srinivas Reddy Malapati

Matthew Brian Makowski

Richard Edward Ruthinowski

Zhenyan Gao

Edward Joseph Abramoski

Bhimaraddi Venkaraddi Alavandi

Stephen William Gallagher

Abdelmonaam Sassi

Pardeep Kumar Jindal

Jeffrey Charles Paddock

Mohammad R Aghili

Tzu-Chen Weng

Michal Jan Swiniarski

Rahul Makwana

William M Abramczyk

Barry Grindle

Eric D Veggian

Marcus John Scott Ward

Jay Douglas Blackson

Nial James Wykes

Jeff Steven Vinton

Jeffrey Steven Vinton

Michael Luchtman

Praveenmanickam Renganathan

Vijay Pachore

Bin Zhang

Janak Chitalia

Hassan Najib Dubaisi

Pratyaksh Kamath

Nikhil Mone

Roberto Jimmy Pellillo

Framroz Meheryar Bharucha

Sai Gnanarka Gomatham

Daniel Grabowski

Pratt Kamath

Senthilkum Mahadevan

Joseph Giaimo

Robert David Lemon

A vehicle of unibody construction includes a left rail, right rail, first kickup member, and second kickup member. A left transition portion of the left rail extends inboard and upward from a left forward portion to a left rear portion. A right transition portion of the right rail extends inboard and upward from the right forward portion to the right rear portion. A left end of the first kickup member is coupled to the left forward portion and a right end of the first kickup member is coupled to the right forward portion. The second kickup member is rearward of the first kickup member. A left end of the second kickup member is coupled to at least one of the left forward and left transition portions. A right end of the second kickup member is coupled to at least one of the right forward and right transition portions.

Vehicle having unibody architecture and dual kickup cross members for side load paths

Methods and systems are provided for protective cover. In one example, the protective cover may be configured to protect a fuel delivery module and may include a domed cap. The domed cap may resistant forces exerted on the protective cover and maintain clearance between the domed cap and enclosed electronic ports of the fuel delivery module.

Systems and methods for a fuel delivery module helmet of hybrid vehicle

A vehicle having a reinforcement brace includes, among other things, an aft structure, a passenger side strut, a driver side strut, a passenger side load transfer frame coupling the aft structure to the passenger side strut and being configured to transfer a load applied to the aft structure from a rear of a vehicle to the passenger side strut, and a driver side load transfer frame coupling the aft structure to the driver side strut and being configured to transfer a load applied to the aft structure from the rear of the vehicle to the driver side strut.

Seat supporting reinforcement brace

A vehicle includes a pair of frame rails elongated along a longitudinal axis, each of the frame rails having a downward deformation zone, the frame rails bendable at the downward deformation zones from a first position to a second position beneath the first position. The vehicle includes a tire supported between the pair of frame rails at the downward deformation zones. The vehicle includes a spare tire retention member supported between the pair of frame rails forward of the downward deformation zones.

Vehicle frame assembly

A seat includes a seat back frame and a mounting plate fixed to the seat back frame. A deployable plate is movably engaged with the mounting plate and is moveable away from the seat back frame from an undeployed position to a deployed position. An actuator is coupled to the deployable plate.

Seat including deployable plate

Methods and systems are provided for a fuel tank and suspension system. In one example, a system may include arranged a dampener between the fuel tank and the suspension system. The dampener may be configured to couple to the fuel tank or suspension system such that a threshold distance between a spud of the fuel tank and a stability bar of the suspension system may be maintained.

Systems for a fuel tank

An exemplary reinforcement assembly includes, among other things, a heel kick that extends horizontally between rockers of an electrified vehicle, and a reinforcement bracket that horizontally overlaps with the heel kick and is secured to an outboard portion of the heel kick. An exemplary reinforcement method includes, among other things, resisting a load applied to a side of an electrified vehicle using a reinforcement bracket secured to an outboard portion of a heel kick. The heel kick extends horizontally between rockers of the electrified vehicle. The heel kick and the reinforcement bracket are horizontally overlapped with each other.

Reinforced heel kick assembly and heel kick reinforcement method

A floor pan assembly is disclosed that includes a side sill extending in a longitudinal direction that has a lower portion and a top surface. The floor pan may include a weld flange having a height Hthat is welded to the lower portion along a full length of the floor pan and an extended weld flange having a height Hthat is higher than Hand welded to the top surface of the side sill along a limited length of the floor pan. The floor pan may also include a corrugated area integrally provided in the floor pan that includes a plurality of furrows and ridges that extend obliquely relative to the longitudinal direction.

Vehicle floor pan

A side impact protective structure is provided for a vehicle floor pan. Right and left rear rails are attached, respectively, to right and left lateral sides of the floor pan. A kick-up cross member extends transversely between the right and left rocker assemblies. A right reinforcement is welded to the floor pan, the right rear rail, and the kick-up cross member. A left reinforcement is welded to the left rear rail, to the floor pan and the kick-up cross member. An assembly method includes the steps of selecting a thin mild steel floor pan between a thicker HSLA steel structural member and a thicker corner reinforcement and welding the components together with three thickness welds.

Method and apparatus for reinforcing a vehicle floor pan to prevent separation in a side impact

A curtain airbag for a motor vehicle includes an inflatable cushion and a protective sheet having an attachment edge attached to the airbag and a free-length extending from the attachment edge. The cushion formed into a folded condition from which it is deployable in a deployment direction, and the free-length of the sheet is positioned adjacent to the deployment direction of the cushion. The airbag is installed in the vehicle to deploy adjacent to a daylight opening of the vehicle. Deployment of the cushion during inflation causes the protective sheet to be drawn along with the cushion in the deployment direction so that the sheet overlays the outboard-facing side of the cushion (between the cushion and the daylight opening) and thereby provides a degree of protection against damage to the cushion that may be caused by, for example, broken window glass.

Curtain airbag with protective sheet

A seat includes a seat back having a frame and a cover, an impact absorbing device, and an actuator in communication with the impact absorbing device. The impact absorbing device is movable from a stowed position to a deployed position. The impact absorbing device includes a base connected to the frame, a panel adjacent to the cover in the stowed position and spaced from the cover in the deployed position, and an intermediate portion connected to the base and the panel. The intermediate portion defines a chamber between the base and the panel. The intermediate portion has a portion thickness and the panel has a panel thickness greater than the portion thickness.

Vehicle impact energy absorber

A curtain airbag system for an automotive vehicle is disclosed. The system includes a curtain module substantially embedded in the roof rail in its normal, non-inflated state. The module includes an inflatable curtain attached to an inflator. The inflatable curtain has a forward portion. An elongated and inflatable extension is attached to the forward portion of the curtain. When the curtain is inflated in an impact event, the elongated and inflatable extension extends from the curtain and at least partially overlaps the A-pillar and at least part of the grab handle. The elongated and inflatable extension is a first extension that extends from the forward portion of said curtain. The inflatable curtain may include a second, triangular-shaped extension extendable from the forward portion of the curtain when the curtain is inflated.

Side curtain airbag for vehicle having inflatable extension

A supplemental impact protection system for an automotive vehicle includes an external energy management structure having a first position for normal vehicle operation and a second position for deployment during an impact event. A mounting system allows selective positioning of the energy management structure in either the first or second position, as determined by a controller which assesses an impact potential of the vehicle and operates the mounting system to move the energy management structure to the second, or deployed, position in the event that the assessed impact potential satisfies a predetermined threshold.

Supplemental side impact protection system for automotive vehicle

System and method for protecting an occupant in a vehicle seat, through the use of an occupant protection system is disclosed, wherein the vehicle seat includes a backrest section and a seat section. The occupant protection system includes a first airbag assembly having a first inflatable airbag, wherein the first airbag assembly is containable within an airbag recess located within a vehicle roof portion. A second airbag assembly is included having a second inflatable airbag and a deployment location. The second airbag assembly is mounted to a frame that is integrated with the seat while being external to a seat cushion. The first inflatable airbag is configured to extend downward from the roof portion to below a passenger shoulder-thorax protection region while in an inflated state. The second inflatable airbag is configured to extend upward from the deployment location through a passenger pelvic-thorax protection region while in an inflated state.

Occupant protection system

The present invention provides a vehicle airbag assembly and method for deployment. An inflator is connected to an airbag wherein the inflator generates gases that cause inflation of the airbag. A housing substantially encloses the airbag and the inflator. The housing includes a vent hole for venting gases. An airbag tether is included having at least a first and a second end, wherein the first end is attached to the airbag and the second end is attached to a venting member. The venting member, being configured to cover the vent hole, is moveable with respect to the housing. During a first airbag deployment stage, the venting member is forced away from the vent hole as the inflator generates gases. An actuator releases the second end of the airbag tether from the venting member during a second airbag deployment stage for the passage of gases through the vent hole.

Airbag system for out-of-position occupant protection and adaptive venting

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Farmington Hills, MI, United States of America

Sean Timothy Ryan