Abstract:
A vehicle suspension system of the MacPherson type includes a pair of wheel supports, and two shock absorbers each having a body bolted to a corresponding wheel support with a top end connected to structure of the vehicle. A leaf spring is set transverse to a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and has a central portion connected to the vehicle structure, and two ends connected to the respective wheel supports. The leaf spring is made of a single piece having opposite ends each having a forked shape, with two prongs made of a single piece with the leaf spring, wherein each prong is connected separately to the corresponding wheel support. The suspension system does not include other connection elements between each wheel support and the vehicle structure so that suspension components can be assembled on the leaf spring prior to installation on the vehicle structure.
Abstract:
A motor vehicle has an engine compartment accommodating a powertrain and at least one strut, which is substantially parallel to an advancing longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle; the motor vehicle has a safety device configured so as to move the powertrain sideways during an impact, towards the side opposite to the one concerned by the impact; the safety device is provided with a beam having a first end, distanced from an end portion of the strut towards the outside of the engine compartment, and a second end fixed to the strut in a position which is horizontally beside the powertrain; the safety device is also provided with a restraining member fixed to the strut and having a protruding portion arranged behind a wall of the beam.
Abstract:
A vehicle dashboard has a fixed structure provided with an outer surface, facing a passenger compartment, and a housing having an opening at said outer surface; the dashboard further has a supporting device provided with a frame, which has a seat for supporting a portable electronic device and is movable between an operative position, in the passenger compartment, and a stowed position, in the housing; the dashboard has a blocking device for retaining the frame in the stowed position; the blocking device is activated/deactivated automatically in response to a signal which is indicative of an authorized closing/opening control executed to close/open the lock of at least one of the side doors of the vehicle.
Abstract:
A motor vehicle body is provided with a substantially vertical wall, which separates a lower zone of the passenger compartment from the engine compartment, and with a structure for receiving and draining water; such a structure protrudes forward into the engine compartment from an upper end of the substantially vertical wall and has an upper crosspiece shaped so as to define a manifold for receiving water; the upper crosspiece has a perforated intermediate portion and two opposite end portions provided with respective openings for draining water into drain passages; the structure further has a reinforcing crosspiece, which is arranged underneath the perforated intermediate portion for receiving some of the water and is shaped so as to define a channel which is elongated in the transversal direction so as to divert the water sideways and outwards.
Abstract:
A system for managing operation of a personal electronic mobile smart device when it is on board a motor vehicle; wherein the personal electronic mobile smart device is configured to implement a number of user-accessible functions; wherein the personal electronic mobile smart device and the motor vehicle are each provided with an NFC-based short-range bidirectional wireless communication system operable to detect the presence of NFC-based short-range bidirectional wireless communication systems within its communication range and to establish communication with the short-range bidirectional wireless communication systems detected within its communication range; and wherein the short-range bidirectional wireless communication system of the motor vehicle is configured to be detected only by a short-range bidirectional wireless communication system of a personal electronic mobile smart device of a driver of the motor vehicle; and wherein the personal electronic mobile smart device is further configured to automatically reconfigure access to its user-accessible functions when its short-range bidirectional wireless communication system detects the presence of the short-range bidirectional wireless communication system of the motor vehicle within its communication range.