Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Johnson Controls Technology Company

W.e.t. Automotive Systems Ltd.

Adient Luxembourg Holding S.a.r.l.

W.e.t. Automotive Systems Ag

Brennon L White

Anne Patrice Liss

Nilesh D Mankame

Goran Bajic

Marinko Lazanja

Lindy Brennan

Lucas Fernandez

Valerija Drobnjakovic

Andrew Thomas Cunningham

Daniel W Booth

Mary J Lumbard

William G Reed

Qigui Wang

Scott David Thomas

Kurt A Seibold

Ali Shabbir

Paul J Wolcott

Jeffrey B Harris

Adam J Campbell

Vanja Cemalovic

Alan J King

Daniel J Ridgeway

Paul Edward Krajewski

Robert Coon

Robert J McMillen

Richard J Skurkis

Yucong Wang

Chih-Hung Yen

Chin-Hsu Lin

Renato Colja

Eric Bernard Michalak

John Gomez

Elliott Hsu

Liang Wang

Steven Craig Lang

Nathan Caruss

Mark S Milner

Dalibor Dimovski

Danny D Alexander

Kyle M Doxey

Bruce L Stone

Nicholas Petouhoff

Jeff Laho

Joseph F Prosniewski

Anand V Iyer

David M Zini

Jennifer Carlson

Michael P Van De Velde

Zachary P Steffes

Onkar S Akolkar

Marcus J Baker

William H Jones

Mason Pike

Daniel R Gee

Richard Tann

Alex Saveski

Edward Thaddeus Kuczynski

James Hollowood

Ken Clark

Brad Feiler

Stanley Tong

Zach Steffes

Simon A Kehimkar

John M Kuehnel

Udit Patel

E J Zadina

Patricia L Conn

Patricia White

Dan Ridgeway

Barry Jones

Dan Sakkinen

Mark Harris

Systems and methods are provided for cleaning surfaces of a workpiece. The system includes a housing defining an enclosure, a holding structure within the enclosure that is configured to support a workpiece, a first powder removal device that is configured to propel a first media toward the holding structure such that the first media contacts the workpiece while the workpiece is supported by the holding structure, a first sensing device that is configured to detect surface characteristics of the workpiece while the workpiece is supported by the holding structure, and a controller configured to, by a processor: detect a powder material on a surface of the workpiece based on the surface characteristics, and selectively operate the first powder removal device to remove the powder material from the surface with the first media while the workpiece is supported by the holding structure.

Systems and methods for cleaning surfaces of a workpiece

A method to manufacture a ceramic foam filter includes: sintering a filter body to a temperature greater than a molten metal to be filtered through the body; creating multiple tortuous path channels extending through the filter body individually having a repeated and controlled passage geometry creating a continuously changing diameter and area of a flow path through the multiple tortuous path channels causing localized increases and decreases in molten metal flow rate through the multiple tortuous path channels; and applying a mixture of at least one ceramic powder and at least one binder using additive manufacturing to shape the filter body including the multiple tortuous path channels.

Process to make a ceramic filter for metal casting

An anti-submarining seat cushion for a vehicle includes a main body constructed of an anisotropic material. The anisotropic material includes a primary material including a primary stiffness and a plurality of inserts that are dispersed throughout the primary material. The plurality of inserts exert an axial compressive force in response to the main body of the anti-submarining seat cushion experiencing a submarining load, where the axial compressive force is exerted in a direction that opposes the submarining load to increase an overall stiffness of the main body in a direction that aligns with the submarining load.

Anti-submarining seat cushion for a vehicle constructed of an anisotropic material

An additive manufacturing method includes providing a first composite material and forming a composite part matrix using the first composite material and defining a first layer, applying a first fiber reinforcing material to the composite part matrix atop and in contact with the first layer of the composite part matrix such that fibers of the first fiber reinforcing material are oriented in a first direction and form a second layer on the composite part matrix, applying a second fiber reinforcing material to the composite part matrix atop and in contact with the first fiber reinforcing material such that fibers of the second fiber reinforcing material are oriented in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and form a third layer on the composite part matrix, applying the first composite material to the composite part matrix, and curing the composite part matrix to create a composite product.

Methods for composite part manufacturing

An additive manufacturing method comprises: positioning a sheet of composite material; curing a predetermined portion of the sheet; cutting the sheet about the perimeter of the predetermined portion to create a preceding processed sheet; adding a successive sheet of composite material atop and in contact with the preceding processed sheet; curing a predetermined portion of the successive sheet such that the predetermined portions of the successive sheet and the preceding processed sheet are bonded together; and cutting the successive sheet about the perimeter of its predetermined portion to create a subsequent processed sheet. The steps of adding, curing and cutting a successive sheet may be repeated for a plurality of cycles to produce a three-dimensional composite product.

Additive manufacturing method and machine for producing composite products

A structural instrument panel member for an instrument panel assembly of a vehicle comprises a cross beam, a steering column support, a first and second HVAC duct, and a first dash panel mount. The cross beam mount has a first surface, a first side, a second side and a first, second, third, fourth and fifth walls. The cross beam mount is fastened to a cross beam of the vehicle. The steering column support extends from the first side of the cross beam mount. The first and second HVAC duct each have a first end and a second end. The first HVAC duct is disposed on the second side of the cross beam mount and the second HVAC duct is disposed adjacent the first HVAC duct. The first dash panel mount extends from the first HVAC duct and fastened to a dash panel of the vehicle.

HVAC instrument panel bracket

A thermal management device for dissipating heat from an electrical component includes a volume of working fluid configured to change from a liquid state to a vapor state in response to being heated by the electrical component. The thermal management device also includes a working fluid chamber configured to move the working fluid. The working fluid chamber includes an impermeable outer portion and a porous inner portion integrally formed with and connected to the impermeable outer portion. The inner portion is configured to move the working fluid when in the liquid state toward the electrical component. The impermeable outer portion is made of a first material and the porous inner portion is made of a second material. The first material is different from the second material.

Thermal management device for use on electronics in a transportation vehicle

A vehicle seat cushion for a vehicle that includes a seat cushion support structure, and a lattice-structured support that is supported by the seat cushion support structure. The lattice-structured support provides a first resistive force in response to a vertically applied force that is less than a second resistive force in response to a force aligned with an H-point travel path of the vehicle occupant during a vehicle impact event.

Anti-submarine seat for a vehicle

An airbag assembly for mounting above an occupant in a vehicle includes an airbag housing and an airbag cushion. The airbag cushion is connected to the housing and is deployable from an uninflated state to an inflated state. The airbag cushion includes a forward portion and a rearward portion. The forward portion is positioned closer to the occupant than the rearward portion when the airbag cushion is in the inflated state. The forward portion is also separated from the rearward portion by a void. The void configured to cause a head of the occupant to rotate forward relative to a torso of the occupant when the occupant contacts the airbag cushion.

Airbag assembly with tethered reaction surface and cushion configured to permit forward head rotation

A seat cushion is provided. The seat cushion includes a first cushion comprising a top side and a bottom side. The bottom side or the top side includes a contoured area and the contoured area has a convex or a concave shape.

Contoured cushions

A system includes a climate control module and a thermal device control module. The climate control module, based on at least one of a user input and a first input from a temperature sensor that measures a temperature of a seat of a vehicle, generates one of (i) a heating command signal indicating an instruction to heat the seat and (ii) a cooling command signal indicating an instruction to cool the seat. The thermal device control module, in response to one of the heating command signal and the cooling command signal, controls at least one of a blower and at least one TED to one of heat and cool the seat based on a second input from at least one sensor that measures at least one of a pressure applied to the seat, a force applied to the seat, and a strain within the seat.

Climate control system and method for heating and cooling a seat of a vehicle based on an occupant pressure distribution, and a method of manufacturing a seat climate control system

An airbag assembly is configured for mounting above an occupant in a vehicle. The example airbag assembly includes an airbag housing that is configured to enclose an airbag cushion when the airbag cushion is in an uninflated state. The airbag cushion is connected to the airbag housing and is configured to project outward from the airbag housing when the airbag cushion inflates from the uninflated state to an inflated state. The example airbag assembly also includes a tether connected at a first attachment point and connected to the airbag cushion at a second attachment point. The first attachment point is located horizontally closer to the occupant than the second attachment point when the airbag cushion is in the inflated state such that the tether limits movement of the airbag cushion in a direction away from the occupant.

A seat structure is configured to support an occupant. The seat structure includes a suspension. A seat cushion is arranged adjacent to the suspension. The seat cushion defines a plurality of variable effective property regions. At least one of the plurality of variable effective property regions includes a regular periodic lattice structure.

Cushion with spatially varying lattice structures

An adjustable vehicle seat configured to support an occupant in a vehicle may include a seat cushion portion, a seat back portion including a backrest movable relative to the seat cushion portion, and a contour linkage linked to the seat cushion portion and the backrest. The contour linkage may be configured to impose force on the backrest upon movement of the seat cushion portion relative to the backrest in at least one of a fore/aft, vertical, and rotational direction. The backrest may be configured such that a backrest contour is altered based on force imposed by the contour linkage in response to movement of the seat cushion portion relative to the backrest. The backrest contour may include at least one of a contour angle of an occupant-side surface of the backrest, a maximum offset of the occupant-side surface, and vertical height of a contour apex.

Adjustable seat

A ventilated seat having a jounce zone, including a seat jounce zone and a back jounce zone, configured to deform when the ventilated seat and an occupant are subjected to a dynamic force includes a frame, a seat portion, a back portion, and a cylindrical blower. The seat portion is connected to the frame and has a porous seat cover portion and the seat jounce zone. The back portion is connected to the frame and has a porous back cover portion and the back jounce zone. The cylindrical blower is attached to the frame, is disposed at least partially outside of the jounce zone, and is operatively connected to one of the porous seat cover portion and the porous back cover portion such that air flows through the respective porous cover portion to provide ventilation to the ventilated seat.

Seat with a cylindrical ventilation fan

Growing community of inventors

Novi, MI, United States of America

Brennon L White