Abstract: A restraint system includes a housing and a rotor engaged with the housing. The housing and the rotor define a cavity therebetween. A resilient material is disposed in the cavity. A helical interface is between the housing and the rotor. The rotor is moveable relative to the housing along the helical interface. A seat belt buckle is connected to and moveable relative to one of the housing and the rotor. During a vehicle impact, the seat belt buckle may cause the rotor to move along the helical interface towards the housing. In this situation, the resilient material may be compressed between the rotor and the housing.

Abstract: An autonomous vehicle including a body defining a door opening for a front door and a rear door. The doors are attached to the body a track that guides the doors between an open position and a closed position. A rocker assembly includes an outer rocker panel defining a slot, an inner rocker panel attached to the outer rocker panel, and an insert including an upper tube and a lower tube disposed between the outer rocker panel and the inner rocker panel. The tubes extend between a front end and a rear end of the rocker assembly, a track is assembled between the upper and lower tubes, and the slot in the outer rocker panel provides access to the track for brackets that have rollers that engage the track. The brackets are attached to the doors.

Abstract: An underbody structure for supporting an adjustable seating assembly for a motor vehicle comprises a rotatable turntable operably coupled to an underbody of the motor vehicle and a brace operably coupled with the rotatable turntable and the underbody of the motor vehicle and extending substantially across the rotatable turntable, wherein the adjustable seating assembly is operably coupled to the brace and the underbody of the motor vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle underbody assembly may include a pair of front rails, a pair of hinge pillars, a pair of crush cans, a pair of bumper supports, and a bumper. Each of the front rails includes a front portion, a mid-portion, and a backup portion. Each of the hinge pillars may be attached to one of the backup portions. Each of the crush cans may be attached to one of the front portions. Each of bumper supports may be secured to one of the crush cans. The bumper may be attached to the bumper supports. The front portions and the backup portions may be heat treated to have a higher strength than the mid-portions. Each of the front portions and the backup portions may be heated to define a hard strength zone and the mid-portion may be heated to define a medium strength zone.

Abstract: A vehicle is provided. The vehicle may include at least one crush can, a controller and a pump. The crush can may include front and rear chambers. The controller may receive a first signal indicative of a loading condition generated at the time of an impact, and the pump may displace a nano-porous liquid in response to a second signal from the controller into at least one of the front and rear chambers of the crush can.

Abstract: A vehicle is provided. The vehicle may include a first A-pillar, spanning between a roof rail and shotgun, and a frame assembly. The first A-pillar may carry a windshield. The frame assembly may include a second A-pillar, spanning between the roof rail and a hinge pillar, and a C-pillar. The frame assembly may define a side ingress/egress opening of a cabin having a rearward-facing front seat. The opening may span between the second A-pillar and C-pillar without a B-pillar.

Abstract: A tow hook assembly includes a U-shaped tow hook received in a housing. The U-shaped tow hook includes first and second legs where the first and second legs each include forward and rearward locking flanges. The legs of the U-shaped tow hooks are received in a housing. The housing includes springs which bias the U-shaped tow hook in a forward direction and the locking flanges prevent the U-shaped tow hook from moving in a forward direction. The springs allow the U-shaped tow hook to deflect in a rearward direction upon a forward impact with the U-shaped tow hook.

Abstract: A vehicle structure including a roof beam and a first pillar and a second pillar each fixed relative to the roof beam. The first pillar and the second pillar are spaced from each other defining a door opening extending from the first pillar to the second pillar. A front door and a rear door are both disposed in the door opening. A panel is pivotally connected to the roof beam and pivotable relative to the roof beam to a lowered position. The panel, in the lowered position, extends across the door opening from the first pillar to the second pillar.

Abstract: A vehicle is provided. The vehicle may include at least one crush can, a controller and a pump. The crush can may include front and rear chambers. The controller may receive a first signal indicative of a loading condition generated at the time of an impact, and the pump may displace a nano-porous liquid in response to a second signal from the controller into at least one of the front and rear chambers of the crush can.

Abstract: A bumper assembly may include a pair of crush cans and a bumper beam. The pair of crush cans are for securing to a vehicle body. The bumper beam is secured to the crush cans and includes a first end and a second end each extending outboard of one of the crush cans, and a middle portion extending between the first and second ends. The bumper beam is thermally treated to provide the first and second ends with less tensile strength than the middle portion. The middle portion may have a tensile strength between 1000 MPa and 1900 MPa. Each of the first and second ends may have a tensile strength between 600 MPa and 900 MPa.

Abstract: A vehicle underbody assembly including a pair of rockers, a pair of side rails, a first cross member, a second cross member, and a fuel tank is provided. Each of the pair of side rails is secured to a rearward portion of one of the rockers. The first cross member extends between the side rails and is thermally treated to form a first central hard strength zone between two first soft strength zones. The second cross member is arranged with the pair of side rails and the first cross member to form a rectilinear frame and is thermally treated to form a second central hard strength zone between two second soft strength zones. The fuel tank is secured between the pair of side rails so that the fuel tank is located within a rectilinear frame formed by the pair of side rails and the cross members.

Abstract: A vehicle underbody assembly including a pair of rockers, a pair of rear rails, a first cross member, and a second cross member is provided. Each of the pair or rear rails extends from one of the rockers and each includes a rear portion, a first mid-portion, a second mid-portion, and a forward portion. Each of the forward portions is secured to one of the rockers at one of a first joint and a second joint. The first cross member extends between the rear rails at a transition region between the second mid-portion and the forward portion. The second cross member extends between the rear rails at locations adjacent the first and second joints. Each of the rear rails is thermally treated so that the second mid-portions form a hard strength zone. The hard strength zone may further be defined as a zone having a fully martensitic microstructure.

Abstract: A vehicle underbody assembly may include a pair of front rails, a pair of hinge pillars, a pair of crush cans, a pair of bumper supports, and a bumper. Each of the front rails includes a front portion, a mid-portion, and a backup portion. Each of the hinge pillars may be attached to one of the backup portions. Each of the crush cans may be attached to one of the front portions. Each of bumper supports may be secured to one of the crush cans. The bumper may be attached to the bumper supports. The front portions and the backup portions may be heat treated to have a higher strength than the mid-portions. Each of the front portions and the backup portions may be heated to define a hard strength zone and the mid-portion may be heated to define a medium strength zone.

Abstract: A vehicle structure including a first rocker, a second rocker, and a reinforcement. The first rocker is spaced from the second rocker. The reinforcement has a forward beam and a rearward beam spaced from each other. The reinforcement includes a first side member and a second side member each extending from the forward beam to the rearward beam. The first side member abuts the first rocker, and the second side member abuts the second rocker.

Abstract: A rear collision guard for a vehicle having a battery disposed on an underbody wall that is supported by longitudinal rails. The guard comprises a pair of sidewalls that attach to the longitudinal rails through the underbody wall and extend longitudinally on right and left lateral sides of the battery. A channel is attached to a back-end of each of the sidewalls and is spaced behind the battery. An airbag is attached to a rearwardly facing surface of the channel and is operatively connected to an inflation system that inflates the airbag to expand rearwardly in a rear end collision.

Abstract: A restraints control module (RCM) assembly attached to the tunnel in the floor of a vehicle. The bracket includes a base plate supporting the restraints control module. A helmet shield is secured over the RCM and encloses the RCM on three sides. The helmet shield includes slots that extend downwardly and outwardly from opposite side of the helmet shield that receive a plurality of bolts as the helmet shield is moved in a vertically downward direction. Two vertically extending sidewalls of the helmet shield are assembled over the RCM with a clearance being defined between the sidewalls and the RCM. The helmet shield is adapted to protect the RCM in a side impact collision.

Abstract: A bracket and restraints control module assembly attached to the tunnel in the floor of a vehicle. The bracket includes a base plate and an intermediate plate supporting the restraints control module. The intermediate plate defines a plurality of holes and is secured by a limited slip connector assembly that extend through laterally elongated slots defined by the base plate and holes in the intermediate plate, respectively. The connector assembly is tightened to a predetermined level of torque so that the intermediate plate can slide relative to the base plate on upper and lower slide surfaces when a collision force of sufficient magnitude is applied to the bracket and RCM assembly.

Abstract: A restraint system includes a housing, a spool rotatably coupled to the housing, a pinion fixed to the spool, a rack engaged with the pinion, and a piston attached to the rack and the housing. The piston is filled with a resilient material. The resilient material may be a heterogeneous mixture of a liquid and hydrophobic, nanoporous particles.

Abstract: A vehicle B-pillar assembly is provided. The vehicle B-pillar assembly includes a steel T-bracket and a B-pillar outer assembly. The steel T-bracket includes an upper portion secured to a roof rail and a lower portion extending perpendicular therefrom and below a beltline. The B-pillar outer assembly includes an upper carbon fiber portion extending from the roof rail to a location above the beltline and a lower steel portion extending from a vehicle rocker to a location above the beltline and secured to the lower portion of the T-bracket. The beltline may be defined by an axis extending between a shotgun joint on a vehicle A-pillar and a latch reinforcement on a vehicle C-pillar. The beltline may extend fore and aft along the vehicle and through a substantially central region of the B-pillar assembly.

Abstract: A restraint system includes a housing and a rotor engaged with the housing. The housing and the rotor define a cavity therebetween. A resilient material is disposed in the cavity. A helical interface is between the housing and the rotor. The rotor is moveable relative to the housing along the helical interface. A seat belt buckle is connected to and moveable relative to one of the housing and the rotor. During a vehicle impact, the seat belt buckle may cause the rotor to move along the helical interface towards the housing. In this situation, the resilient material may be compressed between the rotor and the housing.