Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Steven B Vantrease

Tyler E Schnug

A hinge assembly for a trunk lid of an automotive vehicle. The hinge assembly includes a mounting plate secured to the vehicle and a hinge arm having first and second ends. The first end of the connecting arm is mounted to the mounting plate such that the second end of the hinge arm is pivotally movable between a lowered position and a fully raised position. A friction plate is provided adjacent to the mounting plate and hinge arm and includes a portion biased into contact with the hinge arm. The contact between the friction plate and the hinge arm provides frictional resistance to movement of the hinge arm between the lowered position and the fully raised position.

Hinge assembly

A lateral impact energy transfer rail for an automotive vehicle and a body structure incorporating the same. The transfer rail includes a cross member having a gusset mounted at each end. The gussets opposing end of each gusset is attached to a roof side rail of the vehicle. The gussets are secured to the cross member by a fastener and an additional connection. The additional connection is laterally offset from the fastener.

Lateral impact energy transfer rail

A water management bracket includes a first angled portion with first interior surface, a second angled portion with second interior surface and a body portion with body interior surface. The first angled portion may be disposed between the body and second angled portions and oriented at an angle with respect to the body portion such that a normal to the first interior surface may be co-planar with a normal to the body interior surface. The second angled portion may be oriented at an angle with respect to the first angled portion and rotated away from the first angled portion such that a normal to the second interior surface is non-coplanar with the normals of the first and third interior surfaces, wherein, when the hatchback door assembly is open, the body interior surface may receive water flowing along the hatchback door assembly, and divert it away from a vehicle interior vehicle.

Hatchback door water management brackets

A guide member for guiding a cable in an automotive vehicle, wherein the cable includes a handle having a grab portion and a stem supported at an end of the cable. The guide member includes a fastener, a guide portion and an end portion. The fastener is operative for fixedly securing said guide member to the vehicle. The fastener is integrally formed with the guide portion. The guide portion has a curved surface guiding the cable thereabout. Flanges extend from opposite sides of the curved surface. A retaining wall extends between the flanges. The retaining wall is spaced from the curved surface for retaining the cable therebetween.

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Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Steven B Vantrease