Interior Patents (Class 296/187.05)
  • Patent number: 12162332
    Abstract: A frame structure of an automotive exterior panel includes a sheet-like outer panel, a plurality of first members, each of which has an elongated shape, and which are disposed on a vehicle inside with respect to the outer panel, and a second member that has an elongated shape and intersects with the plurality of first members, in which each of the plurality of first members extends in a first direction along a sheet surface of the outer panel, and has a groove part recessed from the vehicle outside toward the vehicle inside at a portion thereof in a longitudinal direction, the second member extends in a second direction along the sheet surface of the outer panel, and has a thickness in a vehicle inside-outside direction, which is uniform at a portion closer to the center than at both end portions in the longitudinal direction, and at an intersection portion where each of the plurality of first members and the second members intersect with each other, the second member is in contact with the inside of the groo
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshiya Suzuki
  • Patent number: 12145682
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a body having a first part and a second part, which is moveably coupled to the first part. The vehicle further includes a pedal assembly having a first component coupled to the first part and a wheel assembly having a second component coupled to the second part. The vehicle further includes an extendable drive shaft having a first member and a second member. The first member is coupled to the first component and the second member is coupled to the second component. The vehicle further includes a locking mechanism having a locking member coupled to the first part and the second part of the body. The locking member, in an unlocked position, unlocks the second part from the first part to allow the second part to move over the first part, which may cause a change in a length of the extendable drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Guy Melville-Brown
  • Patent number: 12109872
    Abstract: A door armrest structure of a vehicle includes: an armrest pivot rotatably coupled to the door internal panel and extending in a direction parallel to the door internal panel; a trim cover including a first end portion connected to the armrest pivot and operating to be rotated around the armrest pivot according to rotation of the armrest pivot; an armrest including an end portion attached to the trim cover and operating to deploy and return according to operation of the trim cover; a drive motor operating to rotate the armrest pivot according to an opening signal or a closing signal of the door; and a telescoping rod including first end portion connected to the drive motor and the other end portion passing through the armrest to be fixed to the trim cover, and moving back and forth to pivot the trim cover according to operation of the drive motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventors: Dowon Kim, Jaeseung Lee
  • Patent number: 12060032
    Abstract: A pedestrian protection device for a motor vehicle includes a crossbar and a deformation device which is arranged in front of the crossbar. The deformation device has bending limbs with ends which contact a surface or come into contact with the surface in the event of a collision of the motor vehicle and which are designed to be movable along the surface as a result of the collision, and a latching device is formed on the surface, said latching device being latchable with the ends of the bending limbs as a result of the collision. The deformation device has a plurality of such bending limbs, wherein a first bending limb and a second bending limb are arranged adjacently to each other, and the first bending limb and the second bending limb are offset relative to each other in the movement direction of the bending limbs and/or the end of the first bending limb and the end of the second bending limb are designed to be movable in opposite directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Oeztzan Akif, Majid Hojjat, Arne Koehler, Roland Lang, Theodor Meinerling, Lin Moellenhoff
  • Patent number: 11975763
    Abstract: A dashboard support for a motor vehicle to be installed between and connected to two pillars located on opposite vehicle sides. The dashboard support has a support structure provided by a hollow profile, which support structure has at least one support portion having a curvature. A planar reinforcement part spanning this curved support portion on the inside of the curvature is arranged on the outside of the support structure. The planar extension of the reinforcement part faces toward the curvature and the ends of the reinforcement part facing in the spanning direction are connected to the outer surface of the support structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: KIRCHHOFF AUTOMOTIVE DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventor: Aydogan Gündogan
  • Patent number: 11926197
    Abstract: A door assembly for a motor vehicle includes a door trim panel attached to a door body on the vehicle inside. The door trim panel includes a first impact region and a second impact region formed integrally therewith, wherein at each of the impact regions, an intermediate space is formed between the door trim panel and the door body. In order to allow an optimized protection of an occupant's pelvic region from injury by a vehicle door in a side impact, the door trim panel includes a channel portion, which is recessed back towards the door body, is formed between the impact regions and has two mutually opposite wall portions extending in the vehicle transverse direction, each of which is formed integrally with an impact region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Curtis, Emrah Tokyuerek
  • Patent number: 11840198
    Abstract: A vehicle door trim panel has a vehicle interior-facing A-side and a vehicle door structure-facing B-side. The vehicle door trim panel includes a pocket portion that includes a side portion and a wall portion that surrounds and extends outward from the pocket portion. The wall portion has a first portion. The B-side of the first portion of the wall portion is concave and faces generally vehicle-downward. A thickness of the first portion of the wall portion is less than a thickness of the pocket portion adjacent to the first portion of the wall portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Muhsin M. Hamdoon, Marwan A. Elbkaily, Marc D. Nedelman, Robin Burnett
  • Patent number: 11623260
    Abstract: A formed body 1 includes a first flange 3, a body portion 100 (a first vertical wall portion 4, a top plate portion 5, a second vertical wall portion 6), and a second flange 7, and the formed body 1 is made of steel having tensile strength of 440 MPa or more. The first flange 3 extends toward the second flange 7 from an edge portion of the first vertical wall portion 4. The first flange 3 and the body portion 100 curve so as to conform to each other as viewed from the direction orthogonal to the top plate portion 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryuichi Nishimura, Yoshiaki Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 11597441
    Abstract: An automobile structural member being a hollow automobile structural member having: a top wall part; a bottom wall part facing the top wall part; and a first heightwise wall part and a second heightwise wall part being a pair of heightwise wall parts that connect to the top wall part and the bottom wall part, the automobile structural member including: a first reinforcing part having one end portion joined to the top wall part and the other end portion joined to the bottom wall part; and a second reinforcing part having one end portion joined to either the first heightwise wall part or the second heightwise wall part, and the other end portion joined to the first reinforcing part, in which a plurality of the second reinforcing parts are provided along a height direction of the heightwise wall part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryo Urushibata, Yasuhiro Ito
  • Patent number: 11548425
    Abstract: An assist handle assembly for a vehicle is provided. The assist handle assembly includes an assist handle configured to be gripped by a user, a hanger connected to the assist handle and configured to hang a holder configured to hold an electronic device, a charger configured to charge an electronic device held in the holder hanging on the hanger, and a connector configured to secure the assist handle assembly to a structural component of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, David Brian Glickman, Annette Lynn Huebner, Jim Baumbick, Paul Kenneth Dellock, Daniel J. Martin
  • Patent number: 11427061
    Abstract: A top for a convertible vehicle, the top having a top linkage displaceable between a cover and storage position, and which may have a front bow forming a front edge of the top when the top is in the cover position and accommodating a front lock by which the front bow can be fastened to a front header of the vehicle when the top is in the cover position, and the top having a headliner, the front bow having an upper bow shell to which a drive of the front lock is attached and whose upper side is covered by a top cover. The front bow may have a lower bow shell extending at least largely across the width of the front bow in the transverse direction of the top and whose underside is fully covered by the headliner and defines the shape of the headliner with its entire surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: WEBASTO SE
    Inventors: Alexander Haimerl, Heinrich Wüllrich
  • Patent number: 11414032
    Abstract: A closed cross-sectional structure member includes a hollow member, the hollow member having a collision side wall part located on a collision side, an opposed collision side wall part opposing the collision side wall part, a pair of first side wall part and second side wall part connecting with end portions of the collision side wall part and end portions of the opposed collision side wall part, a first inner wall part extending from the first side wall part to an inside of the hollow member, a second inner wall part extending from the second side wall part to the inside of the hollow member, a third inner wall part connecting with the first inner wall part and the collision side wall part, and a fourth inner wall part connecting with the second inner wall part and the collision side wall part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Soma Sonobe, Atsushi Ono, Yutaka Mikazuki
  • Patent number: 11338861
    Abstract: A vehicle roof structure includes a roof bow and a stiffening member. The roof bow has a main section with a forward flange section, a rearward flange section and a middle section that extend in a lengthwise direction of the roof bow. The stiffening member has a panel portion with a plurality of forward projections extending from a forward edge of the panel portion and a plurality of rearward projections extending from a rearward edge of the panel portion. The plurality of forward projections are fixedly attached to the forward flange section of the roof bow and the plurality of rearward projections are fixedly attached to the rearward flange section of the roof bow. The panel portion of the stiffening member is located between the forward flange section and the rearward flange section of the roof bow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Patrick Grattan
  • Patent number: 11292527
    Abstract: A vehicle pillar structure including a first column, a second column, and a transparent member. The first column includes a first framework member in a substantially plate shape extending along a vehicle vertical direction, and a second framework member in a substantially plate shape extending along the vehicle vertical direction and opposite the first framework member. The second column is at the vehicle rear side of the first column with a spacing between the first column and the second column, and includes a third framework member in a substantially plate shape extending along the vehicle vertical direction, and a fourth framework member in a substantially plate shape extending along the vehicle vertical direction, and opposite the third framework member. The transparent member spans between the first column and the second column, and enables outside of a vehicle to be seen when viewed from a driving seat side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinya Kamimura, Toshiya Miyashita, Koki Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11040666
    Abstract: A glove box retainer assembly for retaining a glove box in a closed position during a frontal impact event of a vehicle includes an instrument panel of the vehicle and a bin is coupled to the instrument panel. The bin includes a base coupled to a rearward wall, a forward wall, and a side wall positioned between the rearward wall and the forward wall. A plurality of ribs is coupled to the forward wall. A collapsible feature is coupled to the side wall. An arm feature is coupled to the side wall and is defined by a slot feature in the side wall that feature extends from an upper rim of the side wall toward the forward wall. The collapsible feature is configured to collapse and the arm feature is configured to protrude outward from the side wall and engage the instrument panel in response to the application of a sufficient force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yalla Mussa Abushawashi, Marwan Ahmad Elbkaily, Matthew James Enciso, Abdelrahim Khal, Jon Maninga
  • Patent number: 10703317
    Abstract: An armrest assembly includes a body outlining a crushable space. The body includes a first deformation initiating feature, a second deformation initiating feature, a deformation propagating feature and a fracture initiating feature provided at spaced locations around the crushable space. The features function to dissipate energy in the event of a side impact and therefore force or load that might be transmitted to a motor vehicle occupant as a result of a side impact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yi Yang Tay, Linh Doan, Bhavani Thota, Li Lu, Michael Gerard Orlowsky, Brian Pietila
  • Patent number: 10640056
    Abstract: A component system for fixing a trim part in a defined position as well as a motor vehicle, in particular a passenger car, is provided. The component system has a trim part that is to be fixed in relation to a motor vehicle body component, in particular a headliner, a trim support for supporting the trim part as well as a counter-pressure device for applying a first force to a first area of the trim part. At least one section of the trim support is disposed on a side of the first area opposite the counter-pressure device for applying a second force oriented in an opposite direction from the first force to the first area. A second area of the trim part is disposed on the side of the trim support opposite the first area and thus forms a visible side of the trim part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Uwe Marschall, Michaela Grobe
  • Patent number: 10501127
    Abstract: Frames for vehicles, such as buses or industrial transport vehicles, are provided which may be formed by a plurality of welded elements including ribs, cross members and uprights. At least one upright maybe formed by a first section bar welded to a second section bar, thereby forming a closed, hollow cross-section. Methods of making and using such frames are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: BAOMARC AUTOMOTIVE SOLUTIONS S.P.A.
    Inventor: Pietro Passone
  • Patent number: 10414348
    Abstract: A vehicle pillar trim piece bracket includes a body carrying a panel- or flange-engaging portion held in a first plane and a trim piece stand-off portion held in a second plane that is different from the first plane. In combination, the body, the panel- or flange-engaging portion, and the trim piece stand-off portion may define a three-dimensional L shape. The body includes an elongated positioning wall and a fore-aft positioning rib disposed on a first end and one or more up-down control fingers disposed on a second, opposed end. The trim piece stand-off portion includes a neck and a pillar trim piece-supporting head which includes one or more vertical rotation controlling ribs and an edge configured to matingly abut a pillar trim structural feature. The panel- or flange-engaging portion includes a plurality of staggered fingers and a plurality of offset tunable ribs disposed to define an interference-fit panel receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
    Inventor: Diego Fabricio Villacres Mesias
  • Patent number: 10399607
    Abstract: A vehicle floor structure includes: a floor tunnel extending in a vehicle-longitudinal direction at a center in a vehicle-width direction of a vehicle; and a floor pan fixed outward of the floor tunnel in the vehicle-width direction. The floor tunnel includes a top wall having a plate-like shape, a side wall extending downward from an edge of the top wall in the vehicle-width direction toward the floor pan, a tunnel reinforcement covering a corner ranging from the edge to an upper edge of the side wall in the vehicle-upward direction, and a reinforcement member provided on the side wall. A part of the reinforcement member is placed on an outer surface of the tunnel reinforcement, and is fixed to the outer surface of the tunnel reinforcement at a position adjacent to a front end of the floor tunnel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuki Sasakura
  • Patent number: 10220748
    Abstract: A vehicular interior part includes an armrest extending in a vehicular front-rear direction, the armrest including a vehicular interior edge portion and a vehicular exterior edge portion, and an interior part component where the armrest is mounted from an upper side at at least the vehicular interior edge portion and the vehicular exterior edge portion. One of the vehicular interior edge portion and the vehicular exterior edge portion is mounted on the interior part component so as to be removed from the interior part component relatively more easily than another one of the vehicular interior edge portion and the vehicular exterior edge portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shin Inami, Takanori Kato
  • Patent number: 9464647
    Abstract: A pillar garnish mounting structure includes a tether clip and a pillar garnish. The tether clip has a tether portion. The pillar garnish is attached to a pillar by the tether clip and has a tether housing portion. The tether housing portion has side walls that extend in a longitudinal direction of the pillar garnish. The tether portion has a connecting portion and an anchor portion. The connecting portion is inserted through a space between the side walls and extends in the longitudinal direction of the pillar garnish. The anchor portion is formed on a tip end of the connecting portion, and is positioned to an outside of the tether housing portion. The anchor portion catches on end surfaces of the side walls in the longitudinal direction of the pillar garnish, when the pillar garnish moves in a direction away from the pillar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazuhito Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9296430
    Abstract: A front floor panel for an automotive body as a lightweight sheet can be reliably press-formed without a press forming loads becoming excessively large, can have desired stiffness, and noise and vibration characteristics for all directions since there is little stiffness anisotropy. The front floor panel includes a floor tunnel formed in a center in an automotive width direction to be oriented to a longitudinal direction, upright flanges disposed left and right formed at a left and right end portions in the automotive width direction to be joined to side sills, and a left and right plane portions formed between the upright flanges disposed left and right and a left and right longitudinal wall portions of the floor tunnel. In loop-shaped areas including outer edge portions of the plane portions, convex-concave parts in specific shapes are formed, and remaining areas excluding the loop-shaped areas are formed into flat sheet shapes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toru Yonebayashi, Toshiya Suzuki, Yoshiaki Nakazawa, Masaya Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9283902
    Abstract: A tether clip includes: a seat portion; a tether portion standing on the seat portion; an anchor portion connecting to one end portion of the tether portion that is opposite to the other end portion thereof; an engagement retention portion located at each of both sides of the tether portion and standing on the seat portion on the same side as the tether portion; and an independence facilitation structure provided between the tether portion and each of the engagement retention portions and the tether portion when the tether clip received load in a first direction parallel to the seat portion and orthogonal to a direction of a line that connects the engagement retention portions provided at the both sides of the tether portion and is parallel to the seat portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazuhito Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9175575
    Abstract: In one aspect, the present subject matter discloses a seal including a substrate material. The substrate material has a first portion having a first abradability and a second portion having a second abradability, the first abradability being different from the second abradability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Stanley Frank Simpson, Gary Charles Liotta, Jeffrey Todd Knapp
  • Patent number: 9126636
    Abstract: A tibia pad has: a right foot placement portion having a right side horizontal portion formed horizontally and on which a passenger's right heel is placed, and a right side inclined portion formed at a vehicle front side of this right side horizontal portion and inclined with respect to a vehicle longitudinal direction to head toward a vehicle upper side while heading toward a vehicle front side; a pair of groove portions formed, at least in a bottom surface of the right side horizontal portion at the right foot placement portion, to extend along the vehicle longitudinal direction and to lined-up in a vehicle transverse direction; and a step portion formed at a transition portion between the right side horizontal and the right side inclined portions, and positioned between a rear and a front side ribs are formed at the right side horizontal and the right side inclined portions, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Eisuke Ikeno, Kunio Ohashi, Satoshi Yamaguchi, Yusuke Fukushima
  • Patent number: 8998298
    Abstract: An energy absorber includes a base sheet and a plurality of recovering crush lobes extending from the base sheet. The crush lobes protect an adjacent object by cushioning the blow following repeated impacts in both vehicular and non-vehicular (e.g. helmets) environments. Each crush lobe includes a side wall that is oriented to buckle or bend and then spring back after absorbing energy when impacted. At least one of the base sheet and an end wall of at least one crush lobe optionally includes a number (X) of integrally-formed protruding countermeasures where 0<=X<1000 of lower standing strength than the crush lobes. Methods related to the above are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Oakwood Energy Management, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew M. Gerwolls, Michael A. Rossi, Dane Winbigler, Donald S Smith, Joel M. Cormier, Richard F. Audi
  • Publication number: 20150061322
    Abstract: Provided is an impact absorber capable of effectively absorbing impact even if an impact receiving position deviates from a desired position. An impact absorber according to an aspect of the present disclosure has a front wall for receiving impact, a rear wall opposed to the front wall, and surrounding walls for connecting the circumferences of the front wall and the rear wall, wherein thin portions are formed at corner portions for connecting the front wall and the surrounding walls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: KYORAKU CO., LTD .
    Inventors: Teruo Tamada, Naoto Tani
  • Patent number: 8960774
    Abstract: An impact absorbing body for attachment to a door trim is capable of bearing a collision load from an exterior panel at the time of a side collision. The impact absorbing body has a top face portion with linear edge portions and sidewall portions extending from the linear edge portions toward the door trim to provide a hollow box. The impact absorbing body also includes base portions connected to edge portions of the sidewall portions. The base portions are open toward the door trim and are attached to the door trim. The impact absorbing body also includes slits between adjacent sidewall portions, and the sidewall portions have outwardly slanted portions. In addition, rib members extend from the top face portion toward the base portion, toward the inside of the hollow box, and connect the adjacent sidewall portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Nilesh Ishwardas Sakhare, Toru Ishizaki, Yoshiyuki Arai
  • Patent number: 8944497
    Abstract: A side track for a vehicular sun roof comprises a first portion having a longitudinal extension for supporting the sun roof, and a second portion extending side by side, and connected to, at least a part of the first portion. Furthermore, at least a part of the second portion is arranged to pivot in relation to the first portion in order to absorb impact energy from a colliding object. A sun roof arrangement comprising such a side track, and a vehicle comprising such a sun roof arrangement or side track are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation
    Inventors: Joakim Dryselius, Peder Soederstroem
  • Publication number: 20150001881
    Abstract: A side structure of a vehicle body has a side panel provided in a side part of the vehicle body, a door striker which is provided on a vehicle body outer side of the side panel and is engageable with a latch of a sliding door, a sliding door rail which is provided on the vehicle body outer side of the side panel and slidably supports the sliding door, and a joint bracket provided on a vehicle body inner side of the side panel. The joint bracket is connected to the door striker and the sliding door rail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Masahiro Tsutsumi, Takashi Mukaiyama
  • Patent number: 8915536
    Abstract: An impact absorbing member includes a hollow body having a plurality of ribs, and the hollow body includes a low rib density portion being a portion where density of the ribs is low, and a high rib density portion being a portion where density of the ribs is high. The hollow body may include a thin portion and a thick portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Kyoraku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Teruo Tamada, Seiji Oono
  • Patent number: 8888129
    Abstract: An airbag device includes an airbag comprising foam bulk at least partially surrounded by a flexible membrane, the airbag compressible from a second volume to a first volume; a locking mechanism for maintaining the airbag compressed to the first volume; a one-way valve openable to deliver air to the airbag when the locking mechanism is released; and wherein when the locking mechanism is released, the airbag expands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Simon Fraser University
    Inventors: Siamak Arzanpour, Hossein Dehghani
  • Patent number: 8876151
    Abstract: A garnish mounting apparatus includes a rack formed at a back surface of the garnish and a tether clip for mounting the garnish to the body member at the rack. A slit is formed at the rack, and the tether of the clip extends through the slit. The tether and the slit-defining edge of the rack are movable relative to each other in a longitudinal direction of the slit and can be brought into engagement with each other in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the slit. The clip has an engagement span for suppressing a rotational play of the garnish about a longitudinal axis of the garnish between a slit-penetrating portion of the tether and a contact portion of the clip with a bottom wall of the rack. A contact seat plane of the clip with the body member has a width for suppressing rotational play.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuhito Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8876183
    Abstract: A trim panel having at least one bracket portion which is releasably coupled to a bracket member having a clip receiving assembly. A clip is received in the clip receiving assembly and adapted to couple to a car body. The clip is a high retention clip adapted to retain the trim panel on the car body during an air curtain deployment event. The trim panel is further adapted to be removeable from the bracket member to allow access to an underlying air curtain deployment mechanism. The trim panel is adapted to be removed from the bracket member while the bracket member and clip assembly remain coupled to a car body in a vehicle interior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Tuomisto, Jason Richard Nagy
  • Patent number: 8876186
    Abstract: A vehicle visor assembly having a visor which includes a first end pivotally coupled with a header, an intermediate portion, and a second end. A retention check is coupled with the header about a fastener. The retention check includes an outward protruding member for retaining the second end of the visor. A perforation is disposed between the member and the fastener and it is configured to fracture when the member receives an impact force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: David Huelke
  • Patent number: 8857895
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Inventor: David J. Millar
  • Patent number: 8827354
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle interior fitting part, in particular for a motor vehicle, and to a method for producing a vehicle interior fitting part. The vehicle interior fitting part has a first support element and an energy absorption element. The support element is integrally joined to the energy absorption element by means of a connecting region. The support element is provided such that it can be pre-assembled relative to the energy absorption element by means of the connecting region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Martin Wolff, Alexander Schidan, Thorsten Meyer, Oliver Hube, Holger Kalus, Detlef Zimmermann
  • Publication number: 20140191533
    Abstract: Provided is a pillar trim (30) (a vehicle interior trim) with a main body part (32) formed in a hollow, three-dimensional structure by a thermoplastic synthetic resin. The exterior surface of the main body part (32) has a structure whereby an attachment surface (32a) attached to a vehicle structural member and a design surface (32b) inside the vehicle which are both joined together. In addition, the main body part (32) is formed of a bag-like construction that restricts the flow of internal air to the outside, and the main body part (32) distributes and absorbs impact forces from passenger during vehicle impact by using the internal pressure thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: HOWA TEXTILE INDUSTRY CO., LTD
    Inventor: Masahito Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8770652
    Abstract: An upper vehicle body structure of a vehicle with a sun roof in which an edge of a roof panel at which the sun roof is installed may be connected to a center pillar positioned at a center among a plurality of pillars formed to extend in a height direction of the vehicle and arranged in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, may include a ring reinforcement member attached to the roof panel so as to form a closed section with the roof panel, a gusset unit mounted under the center pillar and the ring reinforcement member, Wherein the sun roof may be connected to the gusset unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Jang Won Hong, Ju Sik Kim
  • Patent number: 8757703
    Abstract: A car body, for example, a front or rear frame is provided. The car body includes at least one crossmember and at least one pair of left and right braces that are arranged at least substantially symmetric to the crossmember. The car body also includes a shear element that is designed for absorbing shear forces during a collision and that is mounted on a brace of the pair, wherein no shear element is provided symmetrically thereto on the other brace of this pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Jens Matuschek, Roland Schirmer, Andreas Woisnitza, Juergen Vollhardt
  • Patent number: 8757702
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a plastic vehicle-interior-part with an impact module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: James D. Biebel, Edward C. Harrison, Robert E. Wilson, Brian Zaharia, Mike Corvino
  • Publication number: 20140138984
    Abstract: Provided is an impact-absorbing auxiliary material for a vehicle, which is fabricated using pulp containing a biodegradable plastic resin, so that a mold may be easily manufactured without regard to a shape of the auxiliary material, and in particular, which is environmentally friendly so that no waste treatment problems occur in discarding waste and an overall weight thereof is reduced. In particular, provided is an impact-absorbing auxiliary material for a vehicle, which is capable of obtaining sufficient impact-absorbing performance required in the impact-absorbing auxiliary material through successive deformation of ridges and ribs by connecting ribs between hollow ridge portions and forming integrally.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicants: IPSUNG CO., LTD., DAEHAN SOLUTION CO., LTD
    Inventor: Chung Ho KWON
  • Publication number: 20140117714
    Abstract: Provided is an impact-absorbing auxiliary material for a vehicle, which is fabricated using pulp so that a mold may be easily fabricated without regard to a shape of the auxiliary material for absorbing the impact, and moreover, which is environmentally friendly and does not generate a waste treatment problem when being discarded. Also provided is an impact-absorbing auxiliary material of a vehicle, which is capable of obtaining a sufficient impact-absorbing performance required in the impact-absorbing auxiliary material through continuous deformation of ridges and ribs by connecting ribs between hollow ridge portions and forming integrally. The auxiliary material includes a base fabricated using pulp, wherein hollow ridges integrally protrude from the base in a plurality of rows at predetermined intervals, and the ridges adjacent to each other are connected to each other through ribs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicants: IPSUNG CO., LTD., DAEHAN SOLUTION CO., LTD
    Inventor: Choong Ho KWON
  • Patent number: 8702126
    Abstract: A pencil brace is incorporated into a cross car assembly of an automotive vehicle as a secondary energy absorption device to assist in managing the energy and controlling the column stroke due to a collision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Shawn Grayson Gloden, Sarah Beth Certeza, Alvin Matti, Daniel Blaine Bollinger, Leonard Anthony Shaner, William Moore Sherwood
  • Publication number: 20140091594
    Abstract: An instrument panel assembly of an automotive vehicle is provided wherein the instrument panel is operable to hold a meter cluster. The meter cluster is positioned adjacent to a shifter of an automotive vehicle. The meter cluster is mounted within the center of the vehicle. The instrument panel includes a main panel having a plurality of apertures located adjacent to the meter cluster. A mounting aperture for the meter cluster is provided wherein the meter cluster is mounted to the mounting aperture for the meter cluster. The plurality of apertures on the main panel located adjacent to the meter cluster are operable to weaken the structure of the main panel to facilitate a controlled collapse of the instrument panel when the shifter hits the meter cluster. The positioning of the apertures located adjacent to the meter cluster prevents damage to the meter cluster during the accident.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Anthony Porcs, Raymond David Howe
  • Patent number: 8678476
    Abstract: A shock absorber assembly includes a shock absorber, a utility part, and a flexible member. The shock absorber is provided to a vehicular interior part that is mounted on a compartment inner side of a body panel, and the shock absorber includes a mounting portion that is mounted to a compartment outer side surface of the vehicular interior part. The utility part is provided to the vehicular interior part. The flexible member covers a peripheral surface of the shock absorber, and a part of the flexible member is held by the vehicular interior part and the utility part to support and mount the shock absorber to the vehicular interior part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignees: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha, Hayashi Telempu Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumitaka Hirose, Yoshiaki Maesoba, Kazumi Kojima, Eiji Fujii, Isao Yamanaka, Hiroyuki Ishida
  • Patent number: 8672392
    Abstract: An instrument panel assembly of an automotive vehicle is provided wherein the instrument panel is operable to hold a meter cluster. The meter cluster is positioned adjacent to a shifter of an automotive vehicle. The meter cluster is mounted within the center of the vehicle. The instrument panel includes a main panel having a plurality of apertures located adjacent to the meter cluster. A mounting aperture for the meter cluster is provided wherein the meter cluster is mounted to the mounting aperture for the meter cluster. The plurality of apertures on the main panel located adjacent to the meter cluster are operable to weaken the structure of the main panel to facilitate a controlled collapse of the instrument panel when the shifter hits the meter cluster. The positioning of the apertures located adjacent to the meter cluster prevents damage to the meter cluster during the accident.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Anthony Porcs, Raymond David Howe
  • Patent number: 8668238
    Abstract: A glove box structure for a vehicle includes a storage portion and a lid portion. The lid portion is openably mounted on a instrument panel of the vehicle and includes an inner panel, honeycomb structure ribs, an intermediate panel, and an outer panel. The inner panel is disposed on a storage portion side. The honeycomb structure ribs integrally formed with the inner panel. Each of the honeycomb structure ribs is disposed on a first surface of the inner panel. The first surface is disposed on an opposite side of the inner panel to the storage portion. The intermediate panel is attached to at least one of the honeycomb structure ribs to increase a shock transfer capability of the inner panel. The outer panel is mounted on the inner panel. The intermediate panel is sandwiched between the outer panel and the honeycomb structure ribs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yohei Kuwano, Masamitsu Shiono, Katsuhiko Sato, Tsukasa Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20140062115
    Abstract: A trim panel having at least one bracket portion which is releasably coupled to a bracket member having a clip receiving assembly. A clip is received in the clip receiving assembly and adapted to couple to a car body. The clip is a high retention clip adapted to retain the trim panel on the car body during an air curtain deployment event. The trim panel is further adapted to be removeable from the bracket member to allow access to an underlying air curtain deployment mechanism. The trim panel is adapted to be removed from the bracket member while the bracket member and clip assembly remain coupled to a car body in a vehicle interior.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Tuomisto, Jason Richard Nagy