Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Visteon Global Technolgoies, Inc.

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Albert James Dapoz

Daniel Cornelius Bach

Thomas Michael Semrow

Christopher James Bartos

Barry J Hughes

Basil Alsayyed

Martin Arthur Trapp

Lucas Whaley Kroeger

Nicholas Quincy

Anis Limaiem

Richard King-Hong Leung

Yung-Sen Steven Sheng

Luke Wallace

Ta-chuan Sun

Kousik Chakrabarti

Stephen Norman Bazinski

Patrick Lee Vallad

Richard Joseph Rozmus

Disclosed is a fastener insert configured to join two components. The fastener insert includes an embeddable shank having an exterior surface and an axial opening. The embeddable shank can be inserted, embedded, and locked into a first component. The exterior surface defines a plurality of lobes extending around said embeddable shank. Each of the plurality of lobes has a leading edge. In some examples, a plurality of grooves of the exterior surface form a chevron groove pattern on each of the plurality of lobes.

Fastener insert

A nut is configured to be secured to a bolt. The nut includes a main body that defines an axially aligned bore with threads disposed on an inner wall thereof. Further, the nut includes a dome-shaped head that has an axially aligned aperture and that is provided to be deformed by threads on the bolt when a predetermined burst-through torque is applied thereto.

Apparatus for a burst-through torque indicator

A sealing nut for securing a battery vent to a battery cover includes an upper body, a base, a fang extending from the base in a direction opposite the upper body, a flange extending from the base in the direction opposite the upper body, and a channel formed between the fang and the flange. The channel extends annularly around the base and is configured to receive a seal member.

Sealing nut for electric vehicles

A method of knowledge-based engineering design of an instrument panel for a vehicle includes the steps of defining a parameter of the instrument panel using a knowledge-based engineering library stored in a memory of a computer system, generating a model of the instrument panel based on the parameter and analyzing the model of the instrument panel. The method also includes the steps of comparing a result of the analysis of the model of the instrument panel to a predetermined criteria from the knowledge-based engineering library, and varying the parameter so that the model of the instrument panel meets the predetermined criteria.

Method of knowledge-based engineering design of an instrument panel

An article of manufacture in the form of a screw retaining mechanism for assembling a pair of objects. The mechanism comprises a tubular wall of given thickness defining a plastic boss on one object; a screw having a threaded shank secured in the boss by grooves complementary to the screw threads, the screw having a head clamping the other object to the first object; and a heat shrunk sheath residing on the screw threads and shank to act as a threaded interference fit film between the screw threads and the boss grooves, the sheath having metal wires weavingly embedded into the sheath to extend at least generally parallel to the axis of the tubular wall.

Screw retaining mechanism

A threaded screw has a first segment adjacent the screw head (10) with nontapered sides for engaging metal automotive fastener clip nuts (30) and a second segment with tapered sides for engaging plastic bosses (24). The second segment is adjacent the first segment but distant from the screw head (10). A single set of threads (36) is used for both the metal clip nut (30) and the plastic boss (24). The threads (36) have a helical pitch angle (P) of about nine degrees and form a flank angle (.beta.) of about thirty degrees relative to a horizontal axis (20) of the screw. The screw taper matches the taper of the boss opening (22) to promote even stress distribution.

Multiple use screw with tapered threads

An inflatable occupant restraint system for an automotive vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes a body structure having a laterally extending beam and an instrument panel carried with the body structure. The occupant restraint system includes an air bag module, an aperture formed in the instrument panel which receives the air bag module, and a trim portion of the instrument panel fixedly secured to the air bag module in overlying relationship thereto for closing the aperture. The occupant restraint system further includes a latch assembly having a portion thereof directly connected to the laterally extending beam and another portion thereof directly connected to the air bag module. The latch assembly releasably secures the air bag module to the beam.

Inflatable occupant restraint system

Growing community of inventors

Sterling Heights, MI, United States of America

Albert James Dapoz