Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Teijin Limited

United States Council for Automotive Research

Bhavesh Shah

Mark A Voss

Joseph M Polewarczyk

Venkateshwar R Aitharaju

Xiaosong Huang

Bradley Allen Newcomb

Robert N Saje

John Neal Owens

Erik B Golm

Selina X Zhao

Hesham Ahmed Ezzat

Matthew Simonin

Yutaka Yagi

Gustavo Cibrian Salazar

Kevin Stang

Tsukasa Arai

Chris James Tadeusz Wisniewski

Paul W Alexander

Pei-chung Wang

Julien P Mourou

Wonhee Michael Kim

William R Rodgers

Elisabeth Jane Berger

Chen-Shih Wang

Bradley J Blaski

Ingrid A Rousseau

Edward D Moss

Craig A Kollar

Su Jung Han

Susan M Smyth

Kestutis A Sonta

Terrence Wathen

Jeffrey Scott Dahl

Thomas S Prevost

Chris Wisniewski

Venkat Aitharaju

Christopher A Michaels

Lane G Lindstrom

Rafael Gabriel Casalduc

Charles William Knakal

An energy absorbing system includes a structural member and a composite energy absorber including a first member arranged within the structural member. The first member has a first repeating geometric pattern extending in a first direction along a first length, a first width in a second direction transverse to the first direction, and a first height in a third direction transverse to the first and second directions. The first member is made of a composite material including first reinforcing fibers and a first polymer matrix.

Composite energy absorber for electric vehicles

A deployable ramp is provided for a cargo loading system of a vehicle. The ramp includes one or more rigid element having a surface for supporting a load. The ramp further includes one or more bladders defining a chamber that is fluidly connected to an outlet of a compressor. The chamber is adapted to receive a fluid from the compressor. The bladder is attached to rigid element, and the at bladder is movable to a collapsed state where the chamber has a first volume. The bladder is further movable to an expanded state where the chamber has a second volume and contains a pressurized fluid for supporting the rigid element, in response to the bladder receiving the fluid from the compressor. The second volume is higher than the first volume.

Deployable truck ramp with bladders

Presented are anti-buckling cables for battery assembly shear plates, methods for making/using such anti-buckling cables, and electric-drive vehicles equipped with traction battery packs having impact-attenuating shear plates joined by anti-buckling cables. A battery assembly includes multiple battery cells, such as lithium-class prismatic, pouch, or can-type cells arranged in rows and columns, that are housed inside a protective battery container, such as an electrically insulated battery pack housing. A pair of rigid, impact-attenuating (top and bottom) shear plates is attached to opposing (top and bottom) sides of the battery container, sandwiching therebetween the battery cells. An engineered pattern of tether cables extends through the battery container with cable each rigidly secured at opposing ends thereof to the two shear plates. The tether cables are electrically non-conductive and structurally join together the vertically spaced, mutually parallel shear plates. Each of the tether cables may be continuously tensioned between the shear plates.

Anti-buckling cables, systems, and methods for impact-attenuating shear plates of battery assemblies

A hybrid material housing for a battery reduces or minimizes thermal runaway propagation. The housing includes a composite structure for the battery and optionally includes a polymeric matrix selected from the group consisting of: epoxy, phenolic resin, polyester, vinyl ester, and combinations thereof and a reinforcing material selected from the group consisting of: glass fibers, carbon fibers, basalt fibers, aromatic polyamide KEVLAR® fibers, and combinations thereof. A metal layer is disposed along an exterior surface of the composite structure that comprises aluminum, steel, stainless steel, alloys, and combinations thereof. In a first mode, the metal layer contacts the composite structure and in a second mode after exposure to a thermal load of greater than or equal to about 500° C., the metal layer at least partially delaminates from the exterior surface and forms insulating air gaps to define a thermal barrier. Methods of forming the hybrid material housings are also provided.

Hybrid composite materials systems for battery housings having improved thermal performance

A containment system for a rechargeable energy storage device (RESS) is described includes an enclosure having a first compartment adjoining a second compartment. The first compartment is arranged to house a plurality of power electronics devices, and the second compartment is arranged to house a plurality of battery cells. The second compartment includes a tub that defines a bottom portion, and a floor plate. The tub includes opposed end walls and opposed sidewalls. A top plate is arranged overtop of the first compartment and the second compartment. A first one of the end walls and the top plate define a first slot between the first compartment and the second compartment. A first removable panel is arranged to enclose the first compartment. The plurality of battery cells connect to the plurality of power electronics devices via a high-voltage DC power bus that is arranged to pass through the first slot.

Containment system for a multi-cell rechargeable energy storage device

A battery tray is provided and includes a first component and a second component. The first component includes a first set of walls, where the first set of walls includes a first stitched fabric, and where the first stitched fabric includes first metal coated fibers. The second component includes a second set of walls, where: the second set of walls includes a second stitched fabric; the second stitched fabric includes second metal coated fibers; and the second component is attached to the first component to form the battery tray, which is configured to hold a battery pack of a vehicle. The first metal coated fibers and the second metal coated fibers provide an electromagnetic shield surrounding the battery pack.

Electromagnetic shielded battery tray with metal coated fiber stitched walls and corresponding manufacturing processes

A composite panel includes a backing substrate and a first plurality of fiber tows. The first plurality of fiber tows is stitched to a first surface of the backing substrate in a predetermined pattern to form a fiber reinforced insert. A first polymer layer encapsulates the first surface of the backing substrate and the first plurality of fiber tows.

Fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite body panel

A method is provided for forming a near-net thermoplastic composite component includes co-spraying a mixture comprising a thermoplastic polymer material and a chopped reinforcing material deposited onto at least one region associated with a tool having a first temperature and defining a near-net component shape. The mixture and adjacent tool is heated to a second temperature while the mixture is on the tool. The first temperature is below the solidification temperature of the thermoplastic polymer material and the second temperature is above the solidification temperature. Then, the mixture is exposed to a negative pressure to promote removal of gases from the mixture and put under compressive force to densify the mixture. The thermoplastic polymer material melts and flows. The tool is cooled to the first temperature and removing the mixture to form the near-net thermoplastic composite component having randomly oriented chopped reinforcement material distributed within a thermoplastic polymer matrix.

Methods of forming near-net fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite components

A rocker assembly for a vehicle body structure includes a rocker rail having a boxed cross-section defining a rocker rail interior space, a rocker rail length, and a rocker rail outer surface along the length. The rocker rail defines at least one aperture connecting the interior space and the panel outer surface. The rocker assembly also includes an insert member configured to fit within the rocker rail interior space and extend along the panel length to reinforce the panel. The insert member includes at least one projection configured to match up with and extend at least partially through a respective at least one aperture. The projection(s) are configured to reinforce the rocker rail by opposing deformation of the boxed cross-section. The projection(s) oppose deformation via interference with the boxed cross-section at the respective aperture(s) when the rocker rail is subjected to an applied load perpendicular to the panel outer surface.

Enhanced energy absorption rocker assembly

A method of manufacturing a workpiece includes heating a pre-formed blank of a first fiber reinforced thermoplastic material in an oven. A second fiber reinforced thermoplastic material is heated in an extruder. The second fiber reinforced thermoplastic material is extruded from the extruder, within the oven, to form an extrudate. The extrudate is positioned on the pre-formed blank of the first fiber reinforced thermoplastic material, within the oven, to form a composite blank. The extrudate may be formed into a shape before being positioned onto the pre-formed blank, after being positioned onto the pre-formed blank. The composite blank may then be transferred to a final shaping station.

Method of manufacturing a workpiece

The indexing self-aligning hardware tool can join components and includes a first tool section including a die carrier, one or more dies coupled to the die carrier, and a first locator coupled to the die carrier. The indexing self-aligning hardware tool also includes a second tool section having a support body, one or more blankholders coupled to the support body, one or more punches movably disposed inside the blankholders, and a second locator coupled to the support body. The first locator and the second locator are configured to mate with a product feature locator of a component to align the first tool section relative to the second tool section.

Indexing self-aligning hardware tool

An adhesive-bonded component including a first workpiece having a first substrate and a first mating surface including a plurality of protrusions. The component also includes a second workpiece comprising a second substrate having a second mating surface contacting the first mating surface and adhesive positioned on the first mating surface. In various embodiments, the second mating surface comprises troughs receiving the protrusions of the first workpiece, and the plurality of protrusions of the first workpiece and the troughs of the second workpiece may be arranged in multiple mating patterns. The technology also includes processes of making the components.

Systems and processes for joining workpieces robustly using moguls and adhesive

A number of variations may include a product that may include a final part that may include a first part that may include a first face and may define at least one through hole and a second part that may include a second face, at least one stake, and at least one energy director that may be disposed between the first face and the second face wherein the first face and the second face may be abutted against one another and the at least one stake may be passed through the at least one through-hole and the first part and the second part have been ultrasonically staked and ultrasonically welded such that an ultrasonically welded interface may be formed between the first part and the second part.

Joint design for improved strength of plastic and composite joints

An integrated amalgamation carrier can join parts. The integrated amalgamation carrier includes an amalgamation carrier body elongated along a longitudinal axis. In addition, the integrated amalgamation carrier includes a plurality of fasteners protruding from the amalgamation carrier body. The fasteners are integrated with the amalgamation body to form a one-piece structure.

Integrated amalgamation carrier

Provided is a load-carrying or non-load carrying structural component for a vehicle having improved impact resistance, such as a gas tank protection shield, an underbody shield, a structural panel, an interior floor, a floor pan, a roof, an exterior surface, a storage area, a glove box, a console box, a trunk, a trunk floor, a truck bed, and combinations thereof. The component has a support structure with ridges, each spaced apart from one another at predetermined intervals, to form a corrugated surface capable of load-carrying. The ridges are longitudinally extending, raised ridges. The corrugated designs provide support structures that are impact resistant.

Growing community of inventors

Troy, MI, United States of America

Bhavesh Shah