Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Snyder, Mark A.

Bonardi, Timothy A.

Braun, Randall S.

Beute, Randall J.

Edward F Bulgajewski

Piotr Sliwa

John Healey

Michael M Cubon

Tilak R Varma

Michael Starozhitsky

Larry L Sharp

Uwe Stapf

James P Nelson

Paul J Storiz

Erik Arnold

Cary Moreth

Timothy A Norris

Timothy A Bonardi

James A Turek

Manfred Mueller

Kenneth G Irish

Christopher Thomas Schaafsma

James E Surjan

Randall S Braun

Fred A Kish

Randall J Beute

Mark A Snyder

Karly R Miller

Michael M Cuban

Laurence M Hearn

Michael Starozhitzky

By Antoinette Chiovatero

Prasun K Majumdar

Piotr Silwa

John F Healey

A bracket assembly for mounting a camera to a vehicle includes a bracket body and a glare shield that extends along the bracket body. A longitudinal axis is centrally disposed between a first sidewall and a second sidewall of the glare shield. At least one slit extends through the glare shield and spans between the first sidewall and the second sidewall.

Camera bracket assembly

A staking terminal includes a conductor portion having a conductor platform, a first plurality of tines extending from the conductor platform, and a conductor crimp extending from the conductor platform. The conductor platform and the tines are not coplanar in a folded configuration. The staking terminal further includes a ground portion having a ground platform, a second plurality of tines extending from the ground platform, and a first braid crimp extending from the ground platform. The ground platform and the tines are not coplanar in the folded configuration.

Staking terminal for a coaxial cable

A lane departure warning system is configured to be securely coupled to a portion of a vehicle. The lane departure warning system includes a bracket that is configured to securely retain a camera assembly, and a securing adhesive pad attachable to the bracket. The securing adhesive pad includes a substrate, a first adhesive layer on a first side of the substrate that is configured to secure the securing adhesive pad to the bracket, and a second adhesive layer on a second side of the substrate that is configured to secure the lane departure warning system to the vehicle.

Lane departure warning system

A heater for vehicular sensors is configured to pass sensing energy and thereby permit placement of the heater directly over the sensing area in the path of the sensed energy. In this way, direct heating of the sensing area is provided minimizing the energy necessary to prevent icing and improving deicing speed.

Transmissive front-face heater for vehicle sensor system

A window heater for a vehicular camera or the like provides for a first heating element surrounding the field-of-view of the camera and a second heater element winding through the field-of-view of the camera to optimize heat delivery to the windshield without obstructing the camera's field-of-view.

Hybrid heater for vehicle sensor system

An adhesive connector for making an electrical connection to a conductor formed on a support surface is provided. The adhesive connector includes a substrate and a metal strip attached to a first surface of the substrate, wherein the metal strip is configured to engage a releasable electrical connector. The adhesive connector also includes a conductive strip attached to a second surface of the substrate and a conductive staple configured to secure the conductive strip, the substrate, and the metal strip together. The adhesive connector further includes an electrically-conducting adhesive that coats a first portion of the conductive strip, and is configured to provide electrical contact to a conductor formed on a support surface.

High wattage solderless flexible connector for printed conductors

A heater system for clearing moisture (frozen and liquid) from a windshield () around a through-windshield vehicle sensor () provides a chamber between the sensor and the windshield containing air that may be heated by a chamber supported heating element (). The warm air within the chamber applies heat over the windshield in the critical viewing area () without obstructing the sensor ().

Dual plane heater for vehicle sensor system

A battery pack assembly interleaves pouch cells with thin flexible heater elements to provide for distributed low-power heating with reduced thermal resistance between the heater elements and the cells. The heater elements may include terminals for direct attachment to pouch cell electrodes and to each other to facilitate power distribution among the heater elements.

Heater for electric vehicle batteries

A heater system for resisting fog and ice buildup on advanced driver assistance cameras provides a chamber covering the camera lens and providing a transparent window through which the camera lens may be directed. A heating element communicates with an air gap between the lens and the transparent window and the periphery of the transparent window to provide heating of the transparent window without blocking an image received by the camera lens.

Camera heater for advanced driver assistance system

A combination automobile seat heater and occupant sensor antenna is provided having a flexible substrate with the seat heater applied on one side of the substrate and the occupant sensor antenna applied on the other side of the substrate. Structure is provided to minimize interference in the performance of the antenna by operation of the seat heater, which can include advantageous positioning of the layers and/or the use of a layer defining air gaps between the seat heater and occupant sensor.

Combination seat heater and occupant sensor antenna

The present invention relates to a combination heater and occupant sensor device that may be used in an automobile seat. The device will heat a seat and sense the mass of an occupant in the seat. The device provides the ability to combine occupant sensors with a seat heater without damaging the sensors or obtaining incorrect sensor readings. The sensor results may be processed and used to control air bag deployment, for example, or to indicate if the seat belt of an occupied seat is not being employed. To provide flexibility of the device during use, the device may be formed on a polymer substrate and configured to include apertures throughout. In addition, in the heating portion of the device, conductive material may be blended in a polymer and the device may be configured to limit conductor cracking after repeated flexing of the device thus extending the life of the device.

Seat heater with occupant sensor

The heating device includes a conductive layer which is positioned on an electrically insulative substrate. Preferably, the conductive layer is screen printed onto the substrate. The substrate is designed to limit elongation of the conductive layer, thereby improving the durability of the conductor and enabling the heating device to be used in flexible applications, such as automobile seats. The substrate can include at least one aperture passing therethough to further improve flexibility, fatigue resistance, and breathability of the heater. The conductive layer is configured to include a buss structure with a first buss ground inwardly adjacent from the periphery of the heating device and a first buss with serpentine paths extending from one edge of the heating device to another edge. The buss structure further includes a second buss with L-shaped portions positioned between the serpentine paths and the first buss ground. The second buss ground is located in a central location between the serpentine paths. A resistive or thermistor layer, preferably with a resistance which increases materially in response to increased temperature, is placed over the conductive layer.

Flexible heater device

The present invention is directed to a system for reducing condensation on the inner surface of a vehicle light cover, and preventing or deicing ice build up on the exterior of the cover. In an embodiment, a heater is mounted to a carrier and the heat produced by the heater prevents the occurrence of condensation on the inner surface of the light cover or build up of ice on the outer surface. In an embodiment, one or more vents may be provided in the carrier and one or more corresponding holes may be provided in the heater so as to increase the flow of air across the inner surface of the light cover. A controller may be provided to control activation of the heater.

Vehicle light heater

A power distribution system is provided for an automobile mirror assembly or the like, and includes a flexible membrane having electrical traces electrically connected to the vehicle electrical system, and connecting sites for electrically connecting to various power consumers in the mirror assembly.

Power distribution system

A heating device includes a conductive layer on an electrically insulated substrate. The substrate and conductive layer have a plurality of cross-like apertures therethrough. The conductive layer includes busses and traces extending from the busses, the traces surrounding the apertures. A resistive or thermistor layer is provided over the conductive layer.

Growing community of inventors

Benoa, IL, United States of America

Edward F Bulgajewski