Abstract: An aerodynamic drag reducing apparatus for use with vehicles having downstream surfaces that are not streamlined. The apparatus includes folding panels that extend rearward for use in a drag reducing configuration and collapse for use in a space saving configuration.

Abstract: A system for joining a crash attenuator to a vehicle is operated by moving the crash attenuator into a joining position directly behind the vehicle and dropping a pair of hooks extending from an upper end of one of the vehicle and the crash attenuator over an engagement pin disposed on an upper end of the other of the vehicle and the crash attenuator, so that the hook and the engagement pin are engaged. Two sets of holes disposed on lower ends of each of the vehicle and the crash attenuator are aligned, and a securing pin is inserted through each set of aligned holes, for redundancy.

Abstract: A system using pairs of symmetrical aerodynamic devices (1) and (2) that affects the axial, the lateral response and handling of road vehicles. The symmetrical, dihedral revolving surfaces are controlled in an active and adaptive way, and are deployed independently, or in tandem, as a result of the drivers' control inputs (steering and braking), affecting the formation of the trailing vortices generated by the vehicle. Depending on the rotation of the devices, about axes (16) and (17), the concave and/or the convex sides of the aerodynamic surfaces, which are created by the dihedral angle (9), are exposed to the on-coming air flow. Their angular positioning, their orientation, and the semi-permeable condition of their central cavities (13), via the central cavity relief openings (11) and holes (14), determine the generation of drag and side forces differentially, by affecting the formation of the trailing vortices, and thus affecting the vehicles' handling.

Abstract: A tibia force reduction wedge has a core, a coating upon the core, and fasteners upon the coating. The core has three surfaces forming a triangularly shaped cross section and two opposite spaced apart ends. The core has single or dual density closed cell energy absorbing expanded polyethylene. Following skiving upon the surfaces, the coating adheres to the exterior of the core. The invention has an anti fungal, non slip, polyurethane coating. Hook and loop fasteners mutually engage fasteners upon an existing surface of a vehicle deck for adjustment to the leg lengths of vehicle occupants. The wedge sees usage beneath seats inside a vehicle.

Abstract: There is provided a vehicle. The vehicle of a first aspect of the present invention includes a main frame constituted by a structure in which an outer member and an inner member are connected to each other. A reinforcing member (reinforcement pillar center outers) made of reinforced plastics is interposed between the outer member and the inner member. The vehicle of a second aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of members. One (a pillar center inner) of at least two members (for example, a pillar center inner and a panel side outer) connected to each other is made of reinforced plastics.

Abstract: A front end module of a vehicle includes an outer member having a front and a rear which define an internal space; an inner member having a bottom and a front which define the internal space between the outer member and the inner member; a hood latch mounted on the rear of the outer member; and a safety strike disposed in the internal space. Since the safety strike is disposed in the internal space inside the front end module, a shock-absorbing space is defined ahead of the front end module. A shock that is transferred through the hood absorbed by the shock-absorbing space in a collision with a pedestrian. As a result, the safety of a pedestrian can be enhanced in a collision with the pedestrian.

Abstract: The device is a vehicle with a carefully designed multi-layered roof and with a solar array consisting of at least five solar panels mounted on various parts of that roof. When the vehicle is being driven none of the solar panels will extend beyond the outer perimeter of the vehicle. When the vehicle is parked, the driver will be able to cause the at least four solar panels to be repositioned in such a way that their total footprint is more than twice the total footprint of the vehicle. This vehicle will also feature an onboard computer that can help the driver do a variety of tasks that are not normally necessary for typical vehicles and which involve levels of information processing which a normal person would be better off allowing the onboard computer to accomplish.

Abstract: A rear fender of a vehicle can include a front-side rear fender forming a front part and a rear-side rear fender attached to a rear portion of the front-side rear fender. The rear-side rear fender can include an outer fender configured to be visually recognized as exterior when viewed from the rear of the vehicle, an inner fender provided inside the outer fender, and a metal rear stay provided between the outer fender and the inner fender. The rear stay is detachably attached to a vehicle body frame.

Abstract: A vehicle, a clip assembly for the vehicle and a method of manufacturing the clip assembly are disclosed. The clip assembly includes a first housing and a second housing attached to the first housing to define a pre-deployed position and detached from the first housing to define a deployed position. The clip assembly also includes a strap formed of a plurality of strands braided together. The strap is affixed to the first and second housings to tether together the first and second housings in both the pre-deployed and deployed positions. The clip assembly further includes an attachment member attachable to the first housing and detachable from the first housing to adjust the attachment member relative to the first housing.

Abstract: Motor vehicle with a seat bench which comprises a seat surface which is approximately horizontal in a normal position and a backrest which is approximately vertical in the normal position, wherein the backrest comprises at least one transparent region which is designed in such a manner that the view from a region in front of the backrest in the direction of travel into a region behind the backrest in the direction of travel is made possible.

Abstract: A slidable cargo area floor liner and cargo management device for a vehicle, and in particular, it is a substantially flat, rectangular sheet of material which is independent of the vehicle, which slidably moves on the floor of the cargo area of the vehicle and may be completely slidably removed from the vehicle. In addition, the device also provides protection to the floor of the vehicles cargo area, organizes cargo, and secures cargo through the use of a plurality of openings and tie down points integrated into the device. In use, the liner lies flat and occupies the cargo area of a vehicle without attaching itself to the cargo area or vehicle frame. The liner is equipped with a set of handhold openings that can be gripped and pulled towards the rear opening of the vehicle to access objects which would otherwise be difficult to reach.

Abstract: A door trim according to this invention includes a front trim and a rear trim. The front trim is to be arranged closer to a front side of a vehicle. The rear trim is to be arranged closer to a rear side of the vehicle. The door grip includes a first divided section included in the front trim and a second divided section included in the rear trim assembled together. With this configuration, the door grip can be formed using parts of the front trim and the rear trim while the front trim and the rear trim are provided for forming other part of the door trim. Therefore, the number of components can be reduced. In addition, dies and steps of forming the door grip are not required and thus the production efficiency is improved.

Abstract: Disclosed is a glove box for a vehicle including: an opening formed in an instrument panel; a box-shaped body which is ejectable and retractable through the opening and which is provided with a guide rail and a rack gear, the guide rail including a linear portion linearly extending in a direction in which the box-shaped body moves and a curved portion extending in a curve from an end of the linear portion, the rack gear being formed along one side of the guide rail; and an actuator provided with a pinion gear which meshes with the rack gear, and a drive unit which transfers driving force to the pinion gear.

Abstract: A bumper integrated forward radar mounting system for use with a vehicle is disclosed. The system includes a radar module, a bumper attachment bracket and a bumper extension. The radar module is attached to the bumper attachment bracket. The radar module may comprise one or both of a medium range radar component and a long range radar component. The bumper attachment bracket may be composed of a metal or of a polymerized material selected from one of several plastics, fiberglass or nylon. The bumper extension fitted over the radar module extends from the existing bumper. Radio waves emitted from and received by the radar module must be able to readily pass through the bumper extension without being altered. To be suitable for covering the radar module the bumper extension must be of a uniform thickness, fairly flat and non-metallic with no metal or chrome to interfere with its beam patch.

Abstract: A method of applying stitching to an interior component is provided herein. The method including the steps of: a) penetrating an outer skin layer, a substrate layer and an intermediary layer of the interior component with an awl to form a piercing therethrough; b) retracting the awl from the outer skin layer, the substrate layer and the intermediary layer; c) inserting a needle through the piercing through the substrate layer, the intermediary layer and the outer skin layer to grasp a thread positioned on the outer skin layer; d) pulling the thread through the outer skin layer, the intermediary layer and the substrate layer; e) looping the thread with a previous stitch passed through the outer skin layer, the intermediary layer and the substrate layer; f) advancing the interior component to another position; and g) repeating steps a-f until a predetermined amount of stitches are applied to the interior component.

Abstract: A vehicle body front structure includes a pair of left and right front side frames which are installed at a front of a vehicle body, and extend in a fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body; and a power unit disposed in a driving force transmission chamber between the left and right front side frames. The left and right front side frames include respective branch frames which extend from the left and right front side frames obliquely forward and outward in a vehicle width direction, rear ends of the branch frames penetrate through respective outer walls of the left and right front side frames, and extend along inner surfaces of the left and right front side frames, and a reinforcing member is integrally connected to each of intersection portions of the branch frames and the front side frames.

Abstract: A vehicle body structure has a floor panel upper; a rocker provided so as to extend in a vehicle longitudinal direction at a vehicle transverse direction outer side of the floor panel upper, and having a rocker upper and a rocker lower that are divided in a vehicle vertical direction; a floor reinforcement provided so as to extend in the vehicle longitudinal direction at a central portion between the rocker and a tunnel portion formed at a vehicle transverse direction central portion of the floor panel upper, and disposed at a vehicle rear side of a front side member; and an intermediate reinforcement lower provided so as to extend in the vehicle longitudinal direction between the rocker and the floor reinforcement, disposed at a vehicle lower side of the floor panel upper, and formed integrally with the rocker lower via a flange portion.

Abstract: In a vehicle package tray (100) disposed in the back of a rear seat of a vehicle, a sheet-shaped glass fiber mats (108), in which urethane resin (110) is impregnated, are overlapped on both surfaces of a semi-hard urethane foam layer (102), a front surface material (104) is overlapped on the surface of one glass fiber mat (108), in which the urethane resin (110) is impregnated, via a first adhesive film (106), back material (114) is overlapped on the surface of the other glass fiber mat (108), in which the urethane resin (110) is impregnated, via a second adhesive film (112), and the multi-overlapped object obtains a sound absorbing performance by being formed into a three-dimensional shape by being pinched and fixed by a press die, heated, pressurized, and thereby fused.

Abstract: Side structure for a motor vehicle includes an upper leg pusher located immediately outboard of a panel adjacent to a seat and inboard of a structural member such as a side impact beam. The upper leg pusher has a lower-stiffness portion adjacent to the rear section of the panel and aligned with an upper thigh position of the seat, and a higher-stiffness portion adjacent to the forward section of the panel, which is offset outboard relative to the rear section. When the structural component is urged inboard during a side impact event, the higher-stiffness portion of the pusher begins to urge the forward panel section inboard before the lower stiffness portion begins to urge the rear panel section inboard. The rear panel section may be located below an arm rest of a door, and the forward panel section may be forms a recessed surface above a storage pocket.

Abstract: A wind deflector for an overflowable opening in a wall element of a motor vehicle, which can be moved from a basic position exposed at least nearly to no flow into an operating position exposed to a flow, is provided. The wind deflector includes a movable first clamping arm that protrudes over the wall element in the operating position exposed to a flow, and a movable second clamping arm. The wind deflector includes an extensive wind deflector arranged between the first clamping arm and second clamping arm, wherein the second clamping arm and/or the wind deflector at least nearly abuts against an edge of the overflowable opening in the operating position.