Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

United States Council for Automotive Research

United States Automotive Materials Partnership, LLC

Teijin Limited

United States Materials Automotive Partnership, LLC

Elisabeth Jane Berger

Hamid Ghavami Kia

John Neal Owens

Ingrid A Rousseau

Nilesh D Mankame

Chen-Shih Wang

John D Fickes

Peter H Foss

John P Fuchs

Erik Arthur Banks

Jessica A Schroeder

Alan Jon Jacobsen

Jacob Michael Hundley

Eric C Clough

Leonid Charles Lev

Arianna T Morales

Jon T Carter

Kestutis A Sonta

Xiaosong Huang

Richard Murray Kleber

William R Rodgers

John E Carsley

Selina X Zhao

Bhavesh Shah

Hanif Muhammad

Venkat Aitharaju

Valentin Schultheis

Stuart J Brown

Mark Doroudian

Stephan Fell

Tomohiro Ryutani

Ce Sun

Leland L Decker

Dean Robert Oswald

Dale Armstrong

James Truskin

Praveen Pasupuleti

Glen Novak

Ramesh Dwarmpudi

An example of a thermal composite includes a substrate, a primer layer, a first adhesive layer, a blanket layer, a second adhesive layer, and a metal layer. The blanket layer includes basalt fibers or glass fibers. The thermal composite may be incorporated into a battery pack as a battery enclosure.

Thermal composite

Methods of repairing a defect in a polymeric composite structure are provided. The methods include disposing a patch over a defect in a polymeric composite structure; disposing a textured sheet over the polymeric patch, applying pressure to the polymeric patch and the textured sheet; and heating the polymeric patch. The textured sheet has a surface texture that is a negative of a surface texture of the polymeric composite structure.

Cosmetic repair of a thermoplastic carbon fiber composite

A method for fabricating a micro-truss structure having particular application for a vehicle impact structure. The method includes providing a thin support enclosure having a plurality of walls, where at least one of the walls is transparent to ultraviolet (UV) light. The support enclosure is filled with a liquid photomonomer resin and light from at least one UV source is directed through apertures in a mask and through the at least one transparent wall into the enclosure so as to polymerize and at least partially cure columns of the resin therein to form polymerized struts defining a micro-truss core in the enclosure that is secured to the walls. The support enclosure is then inserted into an outer structural enclosure.

Stiffening and/or strengthening a structural member using a pre-made microtruss insert

Adhesive bonds may be formed between components (e.g., automotive) by sliding components into position without wiping or removing the uncured adhesive. Here, a first bonding region has an uncured adhesive and a plurality of bond standoffs that is positioned adjacent to a second bonding region. Bond standoffs promote sliding between the first and second components, while substantially retaining the uncured adhesive during the sliding. Bond standoffs can be formed on the surface, for example, by molding or stamping. The first and second bonding regions slide into engagement, followed by applying pressure, heat, and/or energy as needed, to form a solid adhesive bond. Methods of repairing manufactured components (e.g., automotive) are also provided with such techniques, including the ability to slide parts into place without removing the uncured adhesive, using bond standoffs formed as strips of adhesive cured on the substrate component or tacks pinned into a composite substrate component.

Bond standoffs for sliding positioning of components in an assembly

A process for fabricating a curved vehicle impact sandwich beam including a micro-truss structure. The method includes positioning a mold in contact with a curved bottom facesheet so that the mold and the bottom facesheet define a reservoir. The reservoir is filled with a liquid photo-polymer resin and a mask is positioned over the reservoir. A series of UV light sources are provided on a mounting member relative to the mask and the mounting member is flexed to conform to the shape of the bottom facesheet. Light from UV sources shines through apertures in the mask to cure and form polymerized struts in the reservoir to define the micro-truss structure formed to the facesheet.

Method for making a curved sandwich structure using a reconfigurable UV source mounting element

A process for fabricating a curved beam including a micro-truss structure. In one embodiment, the process includes fabricating the micro-truss structure on a bottom facesheet, where the micro-truss structure is only partially cured so that it is readily bendable, and then forming the partially cured micro-truss structure and bottom facesheet over a curved fixture, where the partially cured micro-truss structure is then fully cured and hardened to its final curved state. A top facesheet is then adhered to a top surface of the micro-truss structure. In an alternate embodiment, a curved bottom facesheet is forced flat against a fixture and the micro-truss structure is formed while the bottom facesheet is secured to the fixture to a partially cured state. The bottom facesheet is then released from the fixture, which causes it to return to its curved configuration causing the micro-truss structure to bend.

Low energy process for making curved sandwich structures with little or no residual stress

A front bumper beam and crush can (FBCC) system is provided for a vehicle. A bumper beam has an interior surface with a plurality of ribs extending therefrom. The ribs and the interior surface are made of a chopped fiber composite and cooperate to engage a crush can. The chopped fiber composite reinforces the engaging surfaces of the crush can and the interior surface of the bumper beam. The crush can has a tubular body made of a continuous fiber composite. The crush can has outwardly-extending flanges at an end spaced away from the bumper beam. The flanges are at least partially provided with a layer of chopped fiber composite to reinforce a joint between the outwardly-extending flange and the vehicle frame.

Joining and reinforcing a composite bumper beam and a composite crush can for a vehicle

A curved sandwich impact structure for a vehicle having a micro-truss core. In one embodiment, the sandwich impact structure includes a micro-truss layer sandwiched between two facesheets, a micro-truss layer designed for energy absorption on the outside of one of the facesheets, and a fascia panel in contact with the energy absorbing micro-truss layer.

Architected automotive impact beam

A battery enclosure comprising a support and a cover fabricated from a thermoset or thermoplastic polymer reinforced by at least a woven fabric reinforcement is described. In an embodiment the reinforcement is a woven glass fabric.

Fabric composite support or enclosure for an automotive battery pack

A pillar for a vehicle includes a translucent polymer composite having chopped reinforcing fibers incorporated therein. The pillar also includes a truss embedded in the translucent polymer composite and disposed substantially along a length of the pillar. The truss and the translucent polymer composite share a loading condition applied to the pillar. The pillar is to be disposed between a lower body portion of the vehicle and a roof of the vehicle to support the roof.

Vehicle pillar

A one-piece fiber reinforcement for a reinforced polymer is described. In an embodiment, a one-piece reinforcement is fabricated by first assembling an interior randomly oriented fiber layer between two exterior aligned fiber layers. With all layers in face to face contact, a preselected number of fibers from the aligned layer is conveyed out of its aligned layer and threaded into at least the random fiber layer so that the conveyed fibers engage and mechanically and frictionally interfere with the random fibers. The fibers may be conveyed from one aligned layer to the other for yet greater interference. The interfering fibers serve to secure and interlock the layers together, producing a one-piece reinforcement which, when impregnated with a polymer precursor, shaped and cured may be incorporated in a polymer reinforced composite article.

One-piece fiber reinforcement for a reinforced polymer combining aligned and random fiber layers

Methods of joining a magnesium substrate to a second substrate are provided. A region of the magnesium substrate and a region of the second substrate are aligned to provide an overlap. A region of the overlap is deformed to provide a joint. A polymeric material is disposed in the joint to secure together the magnesium substrate and the second substrate. The joining of the magnesium substrate and the second substrate is facilitated by using a die in various aspects.

Method of joining magnesium

A system for controlling displacement of a vulnerable component in connection with an impact event at the system. The system includes a frame structure, the vulnerable component, and a composite crush member (a) connected to the frame structure and the vulnerable component, forming a first close connection between the composite crush member and the vulnerable component and a second close connection between the composite crush member and the frame structure, (b) comprises primarily a polymer composite and is configured, and (c) is arranged in the system to fail in a predetermined manner in response to the impact event. The system also includes a retention feature configured and connected, directly or indirectly, to the vulnerable component and to the frame structure to, in operation of the system, maintain at least one of the first close connection and the second close connection during and following the composite crush member the impact event.

Bumper retention system

A composite pressure vessel assembly method includes fitting an end portion of a tubular member into an annular slot formed in an end cap. Sealant may be in the annular slot. The end cap includes an annular groove in an exterior surface of the end cap body portion. A first material layer is formed on an exterior surface of the tubular member. The first material layer includes a first composite material including fibers oriented circumferentially to the tubular member. A second material layer is formed on the first material layer with a portion of the second material layer being disposed into the annular groove, and includes a second composite material including fibers oriented axially to the tubular member. A third material layer is formed adjacent the second material layer and in the annular groove, and includes a third composite material including fibers having an orientation circumferential to the tubular member.

Composite pressure vessel and method of assembling the same

A joint for an automotive vehicle may be formed by applying an adhesive to at least one of a first member and a first surface of a composite member, placing the first member in contact with the first surface of the composite member, applying an adhesive to at least one of a second member and a second surface of the composite member, positioning a divot portion of the second member within an aperture of the composite member, placing the second member in contact with the second surface of the composite member, attaching the divot portion of the second member with the first member and curing the adhesives.

Growing community of inventors

Farmington Hills, MI, United States of America

Elisabeth Jane Berger