Daimlerchrysler Corporation

Stefano Frascaroli

Dorinel D Neag

David L Garber

Bryan E Nesbitt

John T O'Toole

Raymond J VanAssche

Partha Datta

Steve Klotz

Mark A Swartz

Brian R Johnson

Steven A Nilsen

Robert Stewart

John Dziengowski

Eugenia Popescu

Terry Marks

An apparatus for reducing buffeting in a vehicle caused by airflow over a removable or retractable roof-opening includes a rail that is mounted adjacently to the leading edge of the roof-opening. Attached to the rail is an angled deflector that diverts the airflow away from the roof-opening. Extending from the top edge of the deflector is a trip segment that causes the airflow to stabilize and reattach at a point beyond the roof-opening of the vehicle.

Air deflecting apparatus for a motor vehicle

The present invention provides a brake cooling system for cooling vehicle brakes having a fascia for mounting in a front area of the vehicle. The fascia has at least one aperture therein for allowing air to pass therethrough. The aperture has a first aperture side opposing a second aperture side. The brake cooling system further has a channel structure communicating with the aperture to allow the air to pass through the channel structure. The channel structure extends back from the fascia and has a first channel side opposing a second channel side. The channel structure is constructed to channel air from the aperture to the vehicle brakes when the vehicle is moving in a forward direction.

Brake cooling system

A front end assembly for a motor vehicle is provided including a U-shaped cross-car support member capable of being spot welded to a pair of cowl members and a pair of rail members. The U-shaped cross-car support member preferably comprises a hydroformed tube having a lower section disposed laterally with respect to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, a pair of upwardly projecting side sections extending essentially orthogonal to the lower section, and a pair of outwardly projecting end sections extending essentially orthogonal to the upright sections so as to be nearly parallel to the lower section. A cowl bracket is connected to each of the end sections and is spot welded to each of the cowl members. Similarly, a rail bracket is connected to each of the side sections and is spot welded to each of the rails. Advantageously, the ability to spot weld the cowl and rail brackets enables the U-shaped support member to be installed within the front end assembly in a high speed automated process. Further, the welds between the support member and the cowls and rails substantially strengthens the cross-car stiffness of the front end assembly.

Structural tube for a motor vehicle unibody

Growing community of inventors

Waterford, MI, United States of America

Stefano Frascaroli