A parking brake apparatus is provided for a vehicle including a vehicle drive train that extends between a vehicle propulsion engine and a vehicle wheel. The parking brake apparatus comprises a wheel drum located away from the vehicle wheel and fixedly attached to a drivetrain shaft that extends along a portion of the vehicle drive train between the vehicle propulsion engine and the vehicle wheel. The parking brake apparatus also comprises activatable drum brake components disposed in an interior chamber of the wheel drum. When activated, the drum brake components apply a clamping force to the wheel drum to prevent the wheel drum and the drivetrain shaft fixedly attached thereto from rotating and thereby preventing the vehicle wheel from rotating to provide the vehicle with a parking brake functionality.

An assembly for improving aerodynamics of a motor vehicle including a movable member forming an active aerodynamic dam positioned at a front end of the motor vehicle and attached to one end of at least one lever, wherein the at least one lever is connected to a motor that powers movement of the movable member, wherein the motor is operatively connected to at least one sensor configured to provide an input to the motor, the motor with a gear selector disposed within the motor that is configured to move a motor gear from a first gear position to a second gear position, resulting in the movable member being disposed in one of a retracted position, a transition position, and a lowered position, based on the received input.

A top for a Jeep type vehicle is provided having a rear cargo area and parallel spaced roll bars. The top includes parallel spaced apart C pillars, each C pillar including front and rear vertical columns, the rear columns having a perpendicularly connected seat belt pass-through. The C pillars also have bottom plates connecting the front and rear columns that extend beyond the rear column. A top plate connects the front and rear columns together. The C pillars include pivotally connected sealing plates for sealing a top end of a rear door, the sealing plates being connected to the roll bars. A vertical rear window extending between said C pillar rear columns is provided, the rear window having a cutout portion for allowance of passage of a seat belt therethrough. A fabric cover providing a top deck extends over said front and rear seating portion of said vehicle and also covers the C pillars. A tonneau cover is provided for covering the rear cargo area providing a flat surface enclosure over the cargo area.

A vehicle includes a clutch that couples an engine to a transmission via a flywheel, a clutch actuator, and a controller configured to receive an obstructed launch command, elevate an engine operation, for a fixed period of time, beyond a typical launch operation upon receipt of the obstructed launch command, and engage the clutch against the flywheel for at least a portion of the fixed period of time.

A pickup truck box assembly includes a pair of longitudinal frame rails, an extruded cross-member, and a truck bed. The cross-member has a uniform longitudinal cross-section assembled perpendicular to the rails and defines a rectilinear profile with a front flange extending from a cross-member upper portion on a front side and a rear flange extending from the upper portion on a rear side. The truck bed is secured on top of the flanges and the cross-member upper portion. The cross-member may include a first end adjacent a first wheel well defined by the truck bed and a second end adjacent a second wheel well defined by the truck bed such that the cross-member spans between the wheel wells. The ends may be spaced from their respective wheel wells a distance selected to provide space for a truck box inner panel.

A thermal management system for an electrified vehicle and a method for managing such a system, according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a first cooling circuit, a second cooling circuit, and a third cooling circuit. The first cooling circuit cools a battery pack and includes a battery chiller in fluid communication with a cooling system inlet to the battery pack. The second cooling circuit cools the battery chiller and includes at least a first compressor and a first condenser in fluid communication with the battery chiller. The third cooling circuit cools a passenger cabin and includes at least a second compressor and a second condenser, and wherein the third cooling circuit is independent of the second cooling circuit.

A traction battery assembly includes, among other things, battery cells configured to be positioned between a first frame rail of an electrified vehicle and an opposite, second frame rail of the electrified vehicle. The battery cells are arranged to transfer a load from the first frame rail to the second frame rail. A method of securing battery cells includes, among other things, positioning battery cells between a first frame of an electrified vehicle and an opposite, second frame rail of the electrified vehicle. The battery cells are positioned to transfer a load from the first frame rail to the second frame rail.

A battery pack comprises a plurality of batteries which store electric power for activating an electric utility vehicle; a battery case which accommodates the plurality of batteries therein; and an external frame unit which is provided on an outer surface of the battery case and supports the batteries from below, wherein the external frame unit includes a lower support section placed on a lower surface of the battery case, an upper support section placed on an upper surface of the battery case, and a coupling section which couples the lower support section and the upper support section to each other. This allows the battery case to ensure a required stiffness while providing insulation between the batteries and an outside of the batteries, without increasing a thickness of the battery case.

The space-expandable and easily transportable caravan according to present invention is a cubical caravan, wherein the caravan has a structure in which both sides expand symmetrically, characterized by: comprising a caravan (100) which has a cubical upper main body (110) having space expandable and collapsible panel unit and a lower main body carrier (120) integrally attached thereunder to support the upper main body (110); the space expandable and collapsible panel unit is expandable from sides comprising external panels (10a, 10b) and internal panels (20a, 20b) on each of side walls of the caravan, wherein each external panel (10a, 10b) comprises roof panel (11a, 11b) which forms an expansion roof by spreading it outwards, and expansion external panel (12a, 12b) which forms an expanded side outer wall, and each of the internal panel (20a, 20b) comprises floor panel (21a, 21b) which forms an expansion floor by spreading it downwards, and expansion side panel (22a and 23a, 22b and 23b) which forms the front and back expanded outer wall. The space-expandable caravan (100) of present invention can be set up by conveniently loading onto a cargo box of a truck by lifting the caravan using four jacks, and easily unloading from the cargo box to a desired place.

A top for a Jeep type vehicle is provided having a rear cargo area and parallel spaced roll bars. The top includes parallel spaced apart C pillars, each C pillar including front and rear vertical columns, the rear columns having a perpendicularly connected seat belt pass-through. The C pillars also have bottom plates connecting the front and rear columns that extend beyond the rear column. A top plate connects the front and rear columns together. The C pillars include pivotally connected sealing plates for sealing a top end of a rear door, the sealing plates being connected to the roll bars. A vertical rear window extending between said C pillar rear columns is provided, the rear window having a cutout portion for allowance of passage of a seat belt therethrough. A fabric cover providing a top deck extends over said front and rear seating portion of said vehicle and also covers the C pillars. A tonneau cover is provided for covering the rear cargo area providing a flat surface enclosure over the cargo area.