Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Shekar Prabhakar Erasala

Djamal Eddine Midoun

Zhibing Deng

Shawn Michael Morgans

Abdelmonaam Sassi

John Michael McGuckin

Matthew Brian Makowski

Herbert Yang

Laike Misikir

Praveenmanickam Renganathan

Joseph Edward Abramczyk

Jamil M Alwan

Bhimaraddi Venkaraddi Alavandi

Heiko Landsmann

Oliver O Nwankwo

Bin Zhang

Deepak Patel

Vladimir Vladimirovich Bogachuk

Ihab Grace

Stephen Thomas Kozak

Peyman Aghssa

Ahteram Khan

John Jardine

Sino Johan Van Dyk

Erika Kristin Low

Kirk David Arthurs

Michael Shawn Watterworth

Se Kyoon Shin

Behrooz Shahidi

Chunhui Kevin Lee

Tracy Christopher Bakos

Michael Luchtman

Sean Brady

Courtney L'Arrivée

Wanjun Lei

Steven Michael Lutowsky, Jr

Lavanya Vemuri

Pavan Nagaraj

Ulises T Herrera Esquibel

John Joseph Nizienski

Alberto Molina Bernal

Mario Alberto Mendez

Jose Luis Luis Trejo Chavez

Robert Sharp

Liqi Dong

Ali Kanberoglu

Mohammad Ali

Binyamin Qamruzzaman

An assembly for a vehicle includes an airbag inflator. The assembly includes a curtain airbag including a main lobe and an inflatable flap. The main lobe and the inflatable flap are each inflatable by the airbag inflator to an inflated position. The main lobe includes an inboard panel and an outboard panel. The inflatable flap is at the inboard panel in the inflated position. The inflatable flap, in the inflated position, is at the inboard panel and abutting the airbag inflator.

Curtain airbag assembly with inflatable flap

A vehicle includes a vehicle body including a front pillar and a rear pillar spaced from the front pillar. The vehicle body includes a rocker extending from the front pillar to the rear pillar. The vehicle includes a step bar supported by the rocker. The step bar extends from a first end aligned with the front pillar to a second end aligned with the rear pillar. The step bar is movable between a raised position and a lowered position. In the raised position, the step bar overlaps the rocker in a vehicle-outboard direction. The step bar extends upwardly above the rocker.

Vehicle step bar

This disclosure details rigid linkages for mounting traction battery packs to portions of a vehicle frame. The rigid linkages are designed to allow the traction battery pack to articulate away from deforming structures of the vehicle frame as part of an energy distribution system. During the articulation, the rigid linkage is capable of conserving its integrity to push the traction battery pack away from the deforming structures, thereby preventing the deforming structures from contacting the traction battery pack.

Rigid linkages for battery packs

A method and an apparatus, according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a battery pack supported by at least one vehicle frame member, a side frame member positioned adjacent to an edge of the battery pack, and a cross-member extending away from the side frame member and above the battery pack. The cross-member is spaced from the battery pack by a gap. At least one bracket is mounted to at least one of the side frame member and cross-member within the gap such that in response to an impact load, the bracket prevents the cross-member from direct contact with the battery pack.

Passive structural stopper bracket

A rocker assembly for a vehicle comprising a rocker panel and a side sill that enclose an injection molded reinforcement. The reinforcement includes a plurality of intersecting walls that may be provided in horizontal and vertical planes. An intermediate wall formed by frames within four sided cells that define windows. The rocker assembly may include two different types of reinforcements, one with intersecting walls, or fins, extending laterally and one formed by a plurality of longitudinally extending tubular members.

Light weight rocker reinforcement

An assembly includes an inner rail and a rocker rail outboard of the inner rail. The assembly includes a torque box having a first panel fixed to the inner rail and the rocker rail, a second panel fixed to the inner rail and the rocker rail, and a third panel fixed to the inner rail and the rocker rail.

Vehicle torque box assembly

A connected assembly can include, among other things, first and second side rails of a battery pack of an electrified vehicle. The battery pack including a plurality of battery arrays disposed between the first and second side rails within an enclosure assembly. The connected assembly further includes a lateral rail extending from the first side rail to the second side rail, and a bracket assembly directly connected to the first side rail and the lateral rail. A battery pack connection method can include, among other things, directly connecting a bracket assembly to a horizontally facing side of a lateral rail, and directly connecting the bracket assembly to a horizontally facing side of a first side rail of an enclosure assembly that holds a battery pack of an electrified vehicle between the first side rail and a second side rail.

Connected battery pack assembly and connecting method

A rocker including a sill elongated along an axis and a reinforcement disposed in the sill. The reinforcement, in cross-section transverse to the axis, includes an intermediate portion, a first lobe, and a second lobe. The first lobe has a first wall extending from the intermediate portion to a first end. The second lobe has a second wall extending from the intermediate portion to the second end. The first and second ends abut opposite surfaces of the intermediate portion. The first lobe and the second lobe of the reinforcement resist buckling in response to components of the impact force applied to the sill reinforcement.

Vehicle sill reinforcement

A rocker assembly for a vehicle comprising a rocker panel and a side sill that enclose an injection molded reinforcement. The reinforcement includes a plurality of intersecting fins that may be provided in horizontal and vertical planes. An intermediate wall formed by frames within four sided cells that define windows. The rocker assembly may include two different types of reinforcements, one with intersecting fins, or walls, extending laterally and one formed by a plurality of longitudinally extending tubular members.

An airbag includes a panel including a first lobe and a second lobe connected at a spine. The first lobe and the second lobe are affixed to each other along a seam. An inflation chamber is defined between the first lobe and the second lobe. The first lobe has a tab extending from and transverse to a perimeter of the first lobe. The tab is connected to the second lobe, and a vent is on the tab and in communication with the inflation chamber.

Side airbag including forward facing vent

An energy absorbing device for a bumper assembly of a vehicle includes a plunger. A deformable wall extends along an axis and defines a cavity for receiving the plunger during relative movement between the plunger and the deformable wall resulting from impact between the bumper assembly and another object. A ledge is fixed to the deformable wall and extends between the cavity and the plunger for collapsing the deformable wall into the cavity. The deformable wall collapses inwardly to eliminate material stack up to accommodate packaging restraints in the design of the bumper assembly.

Energy absorbing device for bumper assembly

A tire rotation blocking apparatus is disclosed for preventing a front tire of a vehicle from moving toward a passenger compartment in a small offset rigid barrier front-end collision. In one embodiment, an elongated bar is received by a plurality of guide members that each define an aperture extending in a longitudinal direction and that are fixedly attached to the vehicle. An actuator, such as a pyrotechnic device, is operatively connected to the bar to drive the bar longitudinally between the wheel and the passenger compartment in a front-end collision. In another embodiment, the actuator includes a spring attached to the bar, or blocker, that is released to drive the bar in a forward longitudinal direction. At least one stop engages the bar to hold the bar in the blocking position between the wheel and the passenger compartment.

Wheel rotation blocking apparatus

A rail assembly for a frame of a vehicle includes a rail defining a cavity. The cavity extends along an axis for receiving an energy absorbing member of a bumper assembly. A brace is fixed to the rail and includes a side wall extending along the axis in the cavity. The brace includes an end wall extending from the side wall in the cavity transversely to the axis adjacent to the energy absorbing member in the cavity. The rail defines a hole and the brace defines a hole aligned with the hole of the rail for receiving a fastener to engage the energy absorbing member.

Rail assembly for a frame of a vehicle

A protective bracket for a compressed natural gas pressure regulator mounted in an engine compartment of a motor vehicle is disclosed. The compressed natural gas pressure regulator is disposed between a natural gas pressurized tank and an intake system for an internal combustion engine within the engine compartment, and the protective bracket comprises a main body disposed essentially about the entire external volume of the compressed natural gas pressure regulator.

Compressed natural gas pressure regulator protective bracket

An attachment bracket in a vehicle for providing integrated support for one or more security features required by law enforcement agencies. The attachment bracket includes a first part including a horizontal cross member extending across the top of a rear panel of the vehicle body. The structure further includes a second part, connected to the first part, which includes two or more intersecting cross members. The second part is mechanically coupled to the vehicle body inside the vehicle cabin below the second row passenger seat. The structure also includes a third part, connected to the second part, which includes one or more arcuate tubular members extending along the vehicle floor panel from the second part towards the first row of seats. The third part is open at the end towards the first row passenger seats.

Attachment bracket for connecting peripheral devices to a vehicle

Growing community of inventors

Northville, MI, United States of America

Shekar Prabhakar Erasala