Arvin Meritor Technology, LLC

Teleflex, Inc.

Meritor Light Vehicle Technology, Inc.

Fca US LLC

Steven John Engelgau

Silvio Masaaki Yamada

Rajesh J Somnay

Joseph Allen Wilbanks, Ii

Shelley Lynn Bess

Christopher Matthew Radjewski

Ian Christopher Hoare

Roch J Tolinski

Christopher A Bortolon

Christopher Rixon

Joachim Roeder

Troy Donavan Allan

John E Long

Daniel Cooney

Paul R Stibich

Hyong Chol Park

Gregory Kerwin

Congyue Wang

Michael Cherry

Keith Roberts

Rolf Herbert Reidel

A vehicle cross member has a beam with an overall U-shape cross-section. A pair of legs are connected, via rounded portions, with a web. A series of aperture is formed on the legs along a longitudinal axis of the beam. A flange is formed at a free end of the legs. The flange enables securement of the beam with a vehicle. The legs are angled with respect to one another so that the web has a width less than a width of the beam at the flange. The web has an arcuate portion along the longitudinal axis of the beam aligned with the series of apertures in the legs.

Lightweight structural crossmembers

A vehicle is provided that includes a roof with a roof opening and a rear body portion with a rear opening. Spaced apart guide rails are supported on an exterior surface of the roof. A retractable roof panel is supported on the guide rails by guide members that move along the guide rails along a path. The roof opening and the roof panel extend to the rearward end where the roof panel defines a rear header. The retractable roof panel may be driven from a closed positioned forward to an open position where the roof panel is adjacent to the exterior surface of the roof. The rear gate assembly, which is arranged in the rear opening, may be opened to provide access to the rear cargo area of the vehicle. With the rear gate assembly and retractable roof panel open, large items may be slid into the cargo area and may extend above the plane of the roof.

Retractable roof panel

A door actuation system conducts or assists movement of sliding vehicle doors by connecting the door to a bi-directional motor via one or more helical cables that engage with gearing on the bi-directional motor. Rotation of the motor in either direction pushes or pulls the helical cables, causing the door to move toward the open or closed position. The motor can be stopped when the door reaches selected positions other than the open or closed position, holding the door in a partially open position.

Door actuation system with helical cable

A sunroof assembly is provided for securing to an exterior surface of a vehicle roof. The vehicle roof has exterior and interior surfaces. Opposing rails are secured to opposing sides of the exterior surface of the vehicle roof. A sunroof is supported between the rails and is movable between closed and opened positions with the sunroof disposed in a sunroof opening in the closed position. A housing, which is preferably a portion of a deflector, is secured to the exterior of the vehicle roof. In the preferred embodiment which incorporates a deflector, the deflector is secured between the opposing rails. A drive motor is disposed in the housing for moving the sunroof between the closed and opened positions. At least one drive element interconnects the drive motor and the sunroof. Since the drive motor and housing are located exteriorly on the vehicle roof, the sunroof assembly may be installed as a single unit and multi-piece drive elements are unnecessary.

Exteriorly located motor for sunroof

A drive system drives a pulley along a curved track to open and close a sliding vehicle door. The pulley is pivotally mounted to the sliding door to permit the pulley to pivot when the pulley traverses the curved portion of the track. An electric motor drives the pulley through a drive belt. In operation, as the pulley pivots when it traverses the curved portion of the track, the drive belt twists. Torque transfer between the pulleys and the motor is maintained during twisting of the drive belt which thereby permits an uncomplicated yet effective system for driving the sliding door along the curved portion of track. Another drive system transmits torque through a drive shaft arrangement which rotates as the drive system traverses the curved portion of track.

Belt drive system for sliding vehicle door

A common drive system drives multiple systems within a sliding vehicle closure member with a single drive motor. A controller selectively connects the drive motor to either a door drive assembly, a window drive assembly, or a lock module drive assembly through a selector assembly in response to actuation of a particular input. The selector assembly includes a transmission which shifts the drive motor between multiple gear trains to drive the particular drive assembly.

Single drive system for driving components of sliding vehicle closure member

A vehicle includes an automated drive device for powered sliding movement of the door into open or closed positions. The drive device includes a belt that cooperates with a track. A biasing member urges the belt into engagement with a corresponding portion of the track to ensure adequate engagement to achieve the desired movement of the door responsive to rotary movement of the belt. In one example, the belt and track include teeth that cooperate such that rotary movement of the belt results in linear movement of the door relative to the vehicle body.

Power sliding vehicle door

A water management system of the present invention provides a sunroof drain member formed as a continuous piece. The drain member supports a sunroof guide track, and removes water from the guide track and sunroof area. The sunroof guide track is secured to the drain member by a plurality of interlocking features. By forming the interlocking features as integral parts of the guide track and drain member this prevents leakage in weakening in the areas where fastening devices would otherwise need to be attached.

One piece plastic water management system for sunroof

A vehicle door lock system comprises a sliding vehicle door, having a door path of travel generally translational to a vehicle frame. A drive unit moves the vehicle door along a door path. A drive component communicates the movement from the drive unit to the vehicle door by moving along a drive component path of travel. A latch is selectively actuated to arrest movement of the drive component and the vehicle door by blocking the drive component path of travel.

Integral latch and drive system for a powered sliding door

A pedal assembly ( ) for use in a vehicle comprising a pedal arm ( ) having a pivot ( ) for movable connection to a vehicle structure ( ) to allow the pedal arm ( ) to pivot in a normal operating range between a rest position and a fully applied position under a predetermined normal operating load. The pedal arm ( ) further includes a mechanism ( ) connecting the pedal arm ( ) to a brake system ( ) for transmitting normal operating loads through the pedal arm ( ) to the brake system ( ). The mechanism ( ) includes a fuse ( ) for allowing the pedal arm ( ) to move independently from the brake system ( ) in response to a predetermined load that exceeds the normal operating load. The pedal assembly ( ) is characterized by the fuse ( ) being frangible for destruction in response to the predetermined load and by including a pocket member ( ) for supporting the fuse ( ) and for receiving a replacement fuse ( ).

Break-away pedal with ball swivel snap-in

A vehicle control pedal apparatus (,) includes a support (,) adapted to be mounted to a vehicle structure (,) and an adjustable pedal assembly (,) having a pedal arm (,) that is moveable in fore and aft directions with respect to the support (,). A pivot (,) pivotally supports the adjustable pedal assembly (,) with respect to the support (,) and defines a pivot axis (,). The control pedal apparatus (,) further includes an electronic throttle control (,) attached to the support (,) for controlling an engine throttle (,). The apparatus (,) is characterized by the electronic throttle control (,) being responsive to the pivot (,) for providing a signal (,) that corresponds to pedal arm position as the pedal arm (,) pivots about the pivot axis (,) between rest and applied positions, Thus, the control pedal apparatus (,) can adjust pedal arm position in fore and aft directions without having to move the electronic throttle control unit (,) along with the pedal arm (,). Additionally, the electronic throttle control (,) is responsive to the pivot (,) about which the adjustable pedal assembly (,) rotates.

Adjustable pedal assembly with electronic throttle control

A pedal assembly (,) for use in a vehicle (,) comprising a pedal arm that moves in a normal operating range between a rest position and an applied position under a normal operating load and includes a rebound mechanism for moving the pedal arm to an extended position in response to an applied load greater than the normal operating load. The rebound mechanism rebounds the pedal arm to the normal operating range when the applied load is reduced to the normal operating load. In one embodiment, the break away and rebound pedal assembly (,) includes a first arm (,) having a first end (,) with a first pivotal connection (,) to the vehicle (,) for actuating an automotive system and extending to a second end (,). The assembly (,) also comprises a second arm (,) having third (,) and fourth (,) ends with a pad (,) supported on the fourth end (,). The invention is characterized by a rebound mechanism (,) connecting the second end (,) to the third end (,) at a second pivotal connection (,) for pivoting the arms (,) in unison in a normal position about the first pivotal connection (,) under normal loads applied to the pad (,). Further, the rebound mechanism (,) allows the second arm (,) to move relative to the first arm (,) about the second pivotal connection (,) in response to a predetermined load greater than the normal load. The second arm (,) is permitted to rebound back to the normal operating range upon the load falling below the predetermined load. A torsion spring (,) coupled with a friction pad (,) or a hydraulic, pneumatic, or spring loaded cylinder (,) may be used as part of the rebound mechanism.

Growing community of inventors

Royal Oak, MI, United States of America

Steven John Engelgau