Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of Nasa

Dynalloy, Inc.

Alexander Millerman

Chunhao J Lee

Farzad Samie

Chandra S Namuduri

Alan L Browne

Paul W Alexander

Suresh Gopalakrishnan

Anil Kumar Sachdev

Lei Hao

Xiujie Gao

Sanjeev Manubhai Naik

James Holbrook Brown

John Neal Owens

Kevin B Rober

Derek L Patterson

Mark A Voss

Aragorn Zolno

Brian Daniel Kaminski

James M Hart

Scott H Wittkopp

James B Borgerson

Gary Lee Jones

John Stilianos Agapiou

Yhu-Tin Lin

Jenne-tai Wang

Chris A Ihrke

Venkateshwar R Aitharaju

Selina X Zhao

Mark O Neal

Lyndon Bridgwater

Myron A Diftler

Donald L Dusenberry

Terrence Wathen

Gerald Andrew Szekely, Jr

Mark Steven Huebler

Peter J Gareau

Ronald M Otto

Ping-Ho Tsai

Chin-Hsiu Li

Vienny Nguyen

James E Williamson

William H Haverdink

Arun Sushilkumar Paulraj Solomon

Ritesh Dixit

Thomas J Klakulak

A rotatable stator sensor device includes a stator support plate configured to support a steel stator having multiple teeth, a rotary table electrically isolated from the stator support plate, and at least two sensors on the rotary table. The at least two sensors are located within an inner circumference of the steel stator, each of the at least two sensors including two sensor legs, and a distance between the two sensor legs corresponds to a distance between two of the multiple teeth of the steel stator. The device includes a sensor rotation control module configured to rotate the at least two sensors between a first position aligned with a first set of the multiple teeth of the steel stator, and a second position aligned with a second set of the multiple teeth of the steel stator.

Rotatable stator sensor device

A mold for molding a composite preform that has an outer edge thereabout and a plurality of tethers each attached at respective opposed ends thereof to the outer edge. The mold includes first and second mold halves defining a mold body and being configured to transition between an open position and a generally closed position, and a plurality of moveable members each having a moveable gage pin configured for being wrapped thereabout by a respective one of the tethers and a respective actuator configured for moving the moveable gage pin between a respective first position in which the respective moveable gage pin is disposed at a respective first distance from a center of the mold body and a respective second position in which the respective moveable gage pin is disposed at a respective second distance from the center of the mold body that is less than the first distance.

Mold for forming composite preforms with high precision

A vent assembly is disposed within an interior space of a vehicle for opening and closing fluid communication between the interior space and an exterior of the vehicle. The vent assembly includes a housing defining a plurality of openings and a plurality of vanes disposed in the openings. An actuator mechanism moves the vanes between an open position and a closed position, and includes a shaped memory alloy (SMA) member for actuating the vanes between the open and closed positions. The SMA member is activated when a hatch of the vehicle is opened to move the vanes into the open position and thereby open fluid communication between the interior space and the exterior to alleviate excessive air pressure buildup during closure of the hatch.

Shape memory alloy active hatch vent

A robotic system includes a tendon-driven end effector, a linear actuator, a flexible tendon, and a plate assembly. The linear actuator assembly has a servo motor and a drive mechanism, the latter of which translates linearly with respect to a drive axis of the servo motor in response to output torque from the servo motor. The tendon connects to the end effector and drive mechanism. The plate assembly is disposed between the linear actuator assembly and the tendon-driven end effector and includes first and second plates. The first plate has a first side that defines a boss with a center opening. The second plate defines an arcuate through-slot having tendon guide channels. The first plate defines a through passage for the tendon between the center opening and a second side of the first plate. A looped end of the flexible tendon is received within the tendon guide channels.

Robot arm with tendon connector plate and linear actuator

A vent assembly is disposed within an interior space of a vehicle for opening and closing fluid communication between the interior space and an exterior of the vehicle. The vent assembly includes a housing defining a plurality of openings and a plurality of vanes disposed in the openings. An actuator mechanism moves the vanes between an open position and a closed position, and includes a shaped memory alloy (SMA) member for actuating the vanes between the open and closed positions. The SMA member is activated when a hatch of the vehicle is open to move the vanes into the open position and thereby open fluid communication between the interior space and the exterior to alleviate excessive air pressure buildup during closure of the hatch.

A transmission is configured to transfer power between an input member, first and second torque machines and an output member and includes a transmission case, a differential gear set, first and second torque transfer clutches, a first torque machine rotatably operatively couplable to a first element of the differential gear set when the second torque transfer clutch is in an applied state, and a second torque machine rotatably operatively coupled to a second element of the differential gear set. The differential gear set is configured to transfer torque between the first torque machine and the output member in a first continuously variable mode when the first torque transfer clutch is in the applied state, and to transfer torque between the first and second torque machines and the output member in a second continuously variable mode when the second torque transfer clutch is in the applied state.

Method and apparatus for controlling a selectable one-way clutch in an electro-mechanical transmission

An electro-mechanical transmission includes a plurality of transmission components and at least one synchronizer configured to selectively engage and disengage at least two of the transmission components to effect operation in a speed range in the transmission. The synchronizer further includes a plurality of input components associated with one of the transmission components and a plurality of output components including a clutching mechanism configured to engage to at least one of the input components when the synchronizer is activated and disengage from the input component when the synchronizer is deactivated.

Synchronizer in electro-mechanical transmission

A selectable one-way clutch includes a strut plate co-annular to a slide plate and a notch plate. The selectable one-way clutch is configured to transfer torque between a strut plate and a notch plate in a first direction when a displacement actuator moves a pin and a slide plate to a first position. The selectable one-way clutch is configured to disengage the strut plate from the notch plate when the displacement actuator moves the pin and the slide plate to the second position.

An adjustable head tool (AHT) is configured for positioning a free motion headform (FMH) having a regulated FMH backoff requirement prior to an impact between the FMH and a target surface having a target point. The AHT has a built-in or a variable backoff angle relative to the position of the target point, and includes a cranial portion and an adjustable facial template. The cranial portion encloses a linkage assembly, and the facial template has one or more facial features. A rotary dial translates the facial template with respect to the cranial portion to maintain the regulated FMH backoff requirement. The cranial portion includes a forehead impact zone having a first set of demarcations, and the rotary dial has a second set of demarcations corresponding to the first set of demarcations. The dial is set so the second set of demarcations matches the first set during positioning of the AHT.

Adjustable face tool for positioning a free motion headform

A transmission includes a selectable one-way clutch (SOWC) assembly. The SOWC assembly includes a rotatable pocket plate, a rotatable slide plate, and an annular piston having a ramped surface feature. The piston, which can be hydraulically actuated, moves axially toward the pocket plate when applied, and axially away from the pocket plate when released, to thereby select between two torque holding or operating modes of the SOWC assembly. The ramped surface feature of the piston engages an axial knob portion of the slide plate when the piston is applied to select to one operating mode, thus rotating the slide plate in one direction. A return spring moves the piston away from the pocket plate when the other operating mode is selected, and the slide plate is rotated via a spring in another direction. A guide pin maintains a relative position of the piston and the slide plate.

Rotary-type selectable one-way clutch

A selectable one-way clutch (SOWC) assembly uses hydraulic-actuation to select operating modes within a rotating housing. Two races of the SOWC assembly can rotate at disparate speeds, i.e., one race is not grounded prior to actuation. The SOWC assembly has a pair of races keyed to different housings and hubs. The housing and hub can be attached to different elements of a gear train, for example, which can be rotating during the various gear states. A hydraulic actuator or multiple actuators can be keyed to the housing, with axial motion of the actuator or actuators selecting a state or operating mode of the SOWC assembly. The actuator has axially-extending tabs that engage radially-extending fingers of the selector plate, thus rotating the selector plate in different directions when applied or released. Multiple actuators can be used in conjunction with multiple selector plates to provide additional SOWC operating modes.

This invention provides a method of assembling a modular internal combustion engine. The modular engine includes a cast crankcase having an open top and a closed bottom, a mid-plate, and an extruded cylinder bore block. A pre-assembled crankshaft with bearings, connecting rods, and pistons with piston rings are all placed through the open top crankcase. The mid-plate partially houses the assembled components over top the crankcase as the connecting rods and pistons extend through and above. Next, the piston rings are simultaneously compressed and the cylinder block is located over the pistons. The pistons with piston rings are inserted into cylinder bores through the bottom surface of the cylinder block and the assembly is completed. This method is performed with the help of a fixture for compressing and positioning the piston rings.

Method of Assembling an internal combustion engine

A modular engine assembly includes a cylinder bore block, a cylinder head disposed above the cylinder bore block, and a crankcase assembly disposed below the cylinder bore block. The crankcase assembly includes an upper carrier and a lower carrier each having a plurality of bearing portions therein being integral, unitary, and one-piece.

Simplified engine architecture and assembly

Superior piston bowl and combustion chamber configurations are designed for a reverse tumble spark ignition direct injection engine. The piston includes a shallow bowl extending from adjacent an edge of the piston head to an inner side slightly beyond a peak. The bowl features a bowl lip re-entrant angle at the spark plug location having an open or positive re-entrant angle. On lateral edges of the bowl between the inner and outer edges, wing like extensions include negative re-entrant angles. These help contain the injected fuel within the bowl during combustion. Other features of the combustion chamber include vertical intake ports that produce a weak reverse tumbling air flow motion with a tumble ratio of about 0.6, which allows increased flow efficiency of the port. An injector spray cone angle of 90 degrees is preferred with a bowl sized to capture the spray. Various additional features are disclosed.

Combustion chamber for reverse tumble spark ignition direct injection engine

An automotive reciprocating engine design is disclosed preferably including an extruded cylinder bore block with cylinder bores and a surrounding coolant passage extending from a top flat surface to a bottom flat surface; a cast, closed bottom, open top crankcase with vertical walls having flat upper surfaces; and a stamped metal mid-plate interposed in sealing relationship between the bottom surface of the cylinder block and the flat top surfaces of the crankcase. The crankcase contains bearing supports for a crankshaft and the mid-plate contains holes for connecting rods attached to pistons in the cylinder bores. The design facilitates low cost manufacture of strong, light weight components and easier assembly of the engine, and permits flexible manufacture of a family of engines with different displacements by substitution of a cylinder block of different length or of different bore diameter.

Modular engine architecture

Growing community of inventors

Bloomfield Hills, MI, United States of America

Alexander Millerman