An apparatus and method for improving the safety and performance of an automobile in crash events is disclosed. The apparatus includes a front crash pad, rear crash pad, and a connection beam. Both crash pads and the connection beam are coupled to an automobile in such fashion as to absorb and dissipate energy by converting kinetic energy into strain energy.

A safety guard for a vehicle, such as a school or transit bus, includes a skirt extending below a side body portion of the vehicle and between front and rear wheels along a side of the vehicle. The skirt functions to push individuals and other animate objects out of the path of the wheels for safety purposes, while being mounted for separate linear and arcuate movements relative to the body of the vehicle to protect the guard from damage upon abutting an inanimate object during operation of the vehicle.

An external material for vehicles may include a non-woven fabric having a honeycomb structure and a wheel guard including the same.

A utility vehicle includes a pair of right and left front wheels, a pair of right and left rear wheels, a main frame positioned between the front wheels and the rear wheels and defining a cabin in the main frame, and a cabin front wall defining a front end of the cabin. The cabin front wall includes a cabin front wall body separating the cabin and a bonnet chamber provided ahead of the cabin, and includes a wheel housing wall separating between the cabin and each of right and left front wheel housings. The utility vehicle further includes a cabin guard covering an outer surface of the cabin front wall body.

In an undercover structure according to the present invention, a first cover part that is a lowermost part of an undercover has a first rear end positioned ahead of a front wheel axle. Further, a curved part with a predetermined curvature is formed at the first rear end of the first cover part in a side view. This generates a strong negative pressure in a region ahead of the front wheel axle 21. Accordingly, the flow rate of air flowing to each wheelhouse 23 decreases (the flow rate of the airflow between a road and a vehicle generated along the bottom surface of the first cover part 15a of the undercover 15 increases). This causes an attraction force that attracts the vehicle to a road surface to act on a vehicle body of the vehicle, thereby making traveling stability more excellent.

A foot guard for a lift and a lift having a foot guard. The lift having a base having a top surface and wheels. The foot guard extends around a periphery of the base and extends from the top surface of the base of the lift to a floor. The foot guard covers the wheels of the base. The foot guard includes a top wall and a vertical side wall. An underside of the top wall engages with the top surface of the base.

A system for managing wheel kinematics during a small overlap collision event includes a deflector apparatus. The deflector is configured to direct a wheel away from an occupant compartment of a vehicle. The deflector includes a first section arranged at an inside wall of a wheel well facing a wheel, near the base of a hinge-pillar. The first section includes a hollow structure configured to absorb energy from the collision event by plastically deforming. The deflector also includes a second section arranged at an angle to the wheel and configured to deflect the wheel laterally outwards from the vehicle away from an occupant compartment during the small overlap collision event. The deflector may be formed of extruded aluminum. The system may include an absorber arranged behind the first section and configured to further absorb energy from the collision event by plastically deforming.

A system for protecting the body and frame of a vehicle from flying debris, particularly during a tire blowout includes a mounting apparatus configured to secure a protective shield, which may be a protective plate and/or fender, to an axle of a vehicle. In embodiments, the protective plate may be mounted to the axel via a mounting apparatus, and the fender may further be mounted to the mounting apparatus and/or protective plate. In some embodiments, the protective plate may be mounted directly to the axel, and the fender may further be mounted to the protective plate, whereby the plate may serve as the mounting apparatus.

A system for reducing dust emissions resulting from tire abrasion, comprising a collecting unit (1), arranged at a distance from the tread (4) of a tire (5) and has at least one first electromagnet and/or permanent magnet (2). At least the material with which the tread (4) of the tire (5) is formed is magnetic or is ferromagnetically, ferrimagnetically or anti-ferromagnetically magnetisable, so that the tire abrasion particles (6) created as a result of abrasion of the tread (4) are magnetic or are ferromagnetically, ferrimagnetically or anti-ferromagnetically magnetisable. The at least one first electromagnet and/or permanent magnet (2) is designed to magnetise tire abrasion particles (6) and to accumulate the magnetized tire abrasion particles (6) detached from the material of the tread (4) in a collection point (3), arranged on a vehicle.

A vehicle includes a vehicle body defining a front wheel well. The vehicle body includes a rear wall vehicle-rearward of the front wheel well. The vehicle includes one or more cables supported at the rear wall. The cables are movable from a slack position to a taut position. The vehicle includes a pyrotechnic actuator operatively coupled to the cables to move the cables from the slack position to the taut position upon actuation of the pyrotechnic actuator.