The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 23, 2021
Filed:
Sep. 12, 2018
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US);
Geoffrey David Gaither, Brighton, MI (US);
Takanori Aoki, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Abril Galang, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC., Plano, TX (US);
Abstract
A vehicle includes a body having a roof that defines a volume and includes a top surface. The vehicle further includes a plurality of support members. The vehicle further includes a plurality of actuators each coupled to at least one of the plurality of support members. The vehicle further includes an input device configured to receive user input corresponding to a desired roof rack configuration. The vehicle further includes an electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the plurality of actuators and to the input device and configured to control the plurality of actuators to actuate at least one of the plurality of support members to be in a raised position in which it extends above the top surface of the roof or to be in a stored position in which it is located in the volume based on the desired roof rack configuration.