Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Tyler E Schnug

Mark D Clauser

Gerritt Benjamin Meyers

Kuo Sun

Donald E Maynard

Kevin O'Beirne

Yizhou Fan

Paxton Steven Williams

Corinne D Uskali

William F Graves

William A Hardy

Steven B Vantrease

James J Chung

Ryan A Mikolaizik

Rahul Gururaj

John A Scheick

Min Zhu

A vehicle including a rocker extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction having a first surface and a second surface, at least one crossmember extending in a vehicle width direction from the first surface of the rocker, and at least one spacer coupled to the second surface of the rocker, the at least one spacer being in line with the at least one crossmember.

Vehicle rocker with load transferring spacer

Vehicles and vehicle systems for restricting rotation of vehicle steering systems are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a vehicle including a front wheel, a steering column assembly coupled to the front wheel, a steering wheel coupled to the steering column assembly, a steering rack assembly that includes a rack coupled to the front wheel, where the rack extends in a vehicle lateral direction and is translatable with respect to a body of the vehicle in the vehicle lateral direction, and a resistance device including a damper coupled to at least one of the steering rack assembly and the steering column assembly that limits a rotation of the steering column assembly.

Vehicles and vehicle systems for restricting rotation of a vehicle steering system

Vehicles and vehicle systems including locking devices are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a vehicle includes a front wheel, a steering rack assembly that includes a rack coupled to the front wheel, where the rack extends in a vehicle lateral direction and is translatable with respect to a unibody of the vehicle in the vehicle lateral direction, and a locking device coupled to the steering rack assembly, where the locking device includes a deactivated configuration that allows translation of the rack and an activated configuration that restricts translation of the rack.

A vehicle includes a side support extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction, a drive unit spaced apart from the side support in a vehicle lateral direction, where the drive unit includes a crankshaft extending in the vehicle lateral direction, and a spacer member positioned between the side support and the drive unit in the vehicle lateral direction, where the spacer member coupled to one of the drive unit and the side support, and the spacer member is detached and spaced apart from the other of the drive unit and the side support, and where the spacer member is positioned rearward of the crankshaft in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

Vehicles including an engine compartment spacer member

An attachment bracket for attaching electrical components is provided in a vehicle. The attachment bracket can have a deformable tab configured to be operatively connected to vehicle structure, such as a floor panel. The deformable tab can include an attachment portion and a connector portion. The attachment portion can have one or more attachment features, such as an aperture, to operatively connect the deformable tab to the vehicle structure. The connector can include different shapes, sizes, and/or configurations to control and/or influence the deformation of the deformable tab under an application of force. The attachment bracket can be used to operatively connect an electrical component to a vehicle structure. For example, the attachment bracket can retain an vehicle airbag ECU to a vehicle floor panel during impacts of the vehicle.

Deformable attachment for electrical components

Embodiments of a crush box are described. One embodiment of the crush box includes a first sidewall that is coupled to a vehicle and a second sidewall that is coupled to the vehicle, where the first sidewall and the second sidewall include similarly pre-bent portions that cause the first sidewall and the second sidewall to bend outward upon receipt of a force. In some embodiments, the first sidewall and the second sidewall include a plurality of tabs that couple the first sidewall and the second sidewall to a top wall that bends inward upon receipt of the force.

Crush box for vehicle impact

Vehicle structures and methods of assembling the same are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method of assembling a unibody structure of a vehicle includes assembling a door surround ring comprising a forward pillar portion, a roof rail portion, a rearward pillar portion, and a rocker portion. The method also includes, subsequent to assembling the door surround ring, installing the door surround ring into a vehicle side outer panel, coupling the door surround ring to the vehicle side outer panel. The method further includes, subsequent to installing the door surround ring into the vehicle side outer panel, coupling the door surround ring and the vehicle side outer panel to a vehicle interior structural member.

Vehicle structures and methods of assembling the same

Vehicle structures and methods of assembling the same are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a unibody structure of a vehicle includes an inboard A-pillar member, an outboard A-pillar member positioned outboard of the inboard A-pillar member and coupled to the inboard A-pillar member, and a reinforcement member positioned between the inboard A-pillar member and the outboard A-pillar member. The reinforcement member is coupled to the outboard A-pillar member and has a plurality of reduced thickness regions that are positioned in a vehicle vertical direction along the reinforcement member.

Embodiments of vehicles including wheel well reinforcement members are discussed and disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a vehicle includes a wheel well, a rocker coupled to the wheel well, where the rocker extends rearward from the wheel well in a vehicle longitudinal direction, a torque box coupled to the rocker, and a reinforcement member positioned at least partially within the wheel well, the reinforcement member including a forward face that is coupled the radially inward facing side of the wheel well, and at least one of a downward face that is coupled to and extends along the torque box and that is oriented to face downward in a vehicle vertical direction and an outboard face that is coupled to and extends along the rocker and that is oriented to face outboard in the vehicle lateral direction.

Vehicles including a wheel well reinforcement member

Bumpers and vehicles that include bumpers are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a bumper includes a bumper beam assembly, where the bumper beam assembly extends in a vehicle lateral direction, the bumper beam assembly including a front side that is oriented to face forward in a vehicle longitudinal direction that is transverse to the vehicle lateral direction, and a reinforcement bracket coupled to the front side of the bumper beam assembly, the reinforcement bracket including an inboard edge coupled to the front side of the bumper beam assembly, an outboard edge coupled to the front side of the bumper beam assembly and positioned outboard of the inboard edge, and a central portion that extends between the inboard edge and the outboard edge in the vehicle longitudinal direction, where at least a portion of the central portion extends in a direction that is transverse to the vehicle longitudinal direction.

Bumpers including a reinforcement bracket and vehicles incorporating the same

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.

Growing community of inventors

Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Tyler E Schnug