Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Other

University of Michigan

Gary Lee Jones

Alan L Browne

Nancy L Johnson

Mark A Kramarczyk

Jenne-Tai Wang

John C Ulicny

Andrew Leslie Bartos

Yhu-Tin Lin

John Anthony Cafeo

Ukpai I Ukpai

Ching-Shan Cheng

Nilesh D Mankame

Chin-Hsu Lin

Swaminathan Gopalswamy

Phillip A Bojda

Farzad Samie

Diann Brei

Jenne-tai Wang

Jan Henning Aase

Scott R Webb

Nathan A Wilmot

Francis D Wood

John Redmond

Samuel Miller Linzell

Chandra S Namuduri

Paul Edward Krajewski

William Charles Kruckemeyer

John Stilianos Agapiou

James W Wells

William B Barvosa-Carter

Dorel M Sala

James C O'Kane

Kevin B Rober

Gary Lee Johnston

Yi-pen Cheng

Chi-Hung Shen

Joseph D Mc Cleary

Lawrence E Peruski

Joseph D McCleary

M Mounir Gazayerli

Heui Su Kim

Ruth M Gusko

Hazem Ezzat

Chunhao J Lee

Paul W Alexander

Anil Kumar Sachdev

Geoffrey P McKnight

Scott David Thomas

Xiujie Gao

Adrian B Chernoff

Kumaraswamy V Hebbale

Steven Morris

Michael Leslie Oliver

Andrew C Keefe

Louis D Thole

John Patrick Spicer

Bahram Khalighi

Jennifer P Lawall

Brian Jones

William R Rodgers

Charles W Wampler, Ii

Edward D Moss

Kenneth J Baron

Mark O Neal

Leslie Momoda

Diane K McQueen

Alexander Millerman

Hanif Muhammad

Pablo D Zavattieri

Paul Richard Meernik

Bing Deng

Brian Daniel Kaminski

Harlan W Charles

James Y Khoury

Tadge J Juechter

Thomas H Froling

Jeffrey M Pleune

Rainer A Glaser

Janet S Goings

Peter J Gareau

Constantinos A Koromilas

David Acosta

Margaret M Andreen

John Ioan Manole

William H Haverdink

William E Thomas

Daniel Shakespear

F Davis Merrey

James E Williamson

Franz K Schenkel

Angela Foster

Dale Everett Fagaly

Fazad Samie

Carol Ann Perelli

A vehicle safety seat system comprises: i) a vehicle seat configured to move to a substantially reclining position, the vehicle seat comprising a seat back and a seat bottom; and ii) a first support arm associated with the seat back, the first support arm including a first airbag on a lower surface of the first support arm, the first support arm holding the first airbag in a position above the thorax of a passenger reclining in the vehicle seat. The first airbag inflates in the event of a collision and provides protection between the first support arm and the thorax of the passenger.

Thorax and thigh airbag system for reclined passengers

A vehicle seat safety system. The vehicle safety seat system comprises a vehicle seat configured to move between a substantially reclining position and a substantially sitting position. The vehicle seat comprises at least a seat back and a seat bottom. The system also includes an enclosure configured to store a blanket airbag in an undeployed position prior to a collision, wherein the enclosure is disposed near the head of a passenger in the vehicle seat, and wherein the blanket airbag is ejected from the enclosure to an intermediate position in the event of a collision. The system further comprises a first electromechanical restraint system associated with the seat back and coupled to the blanket airbag by a first physical coupling and a second electromechanical restraint system associated with the seat bottom and coupled to the blanket airbag by a second physical coupling. The first and second electromechanical restraint systems pull the blanket airbag from the intermediate position to a deployed position in which the blanket airbag substantially covers the passenger.

Blanket airbag with integrated seat belt system

A decoy suitable for hunting geese comprising a silhouette portion, side body portions attached to the silhouette portion capable of being folded into a one dimensional appearance or unfolded into a three-dimensional honeycomb appearance resembling the body of a goose from below the neck to the tail, and a stake attached to the bottom of the silhouette portion for insertion into the ground.

Goose decoy

A luggage table adapted to couple to a suitcase and provide a conveniently located, relatively stable platform on which to place personal effects, is described. The luggage table typically rests securely on top of the suitcase, with an aperture in the residing in the middle of the luggage table and a suitcase handle protruding therethrough. In some embodiments, the luggage table includes a surface having a relatively high coefficient of friction, in order to reduce the chances of an item stored thereupon from sliding. In some embodiments, the luggage table includes vessel holders adapted to receive beverage containers such as coffee cups, drinking glasses, or beverage bottles.

Luggage table

A method and apparatus for assembling a fuel cell stack is disclosed, wherein the apparatus includes a plurality of dunnage cassettes adapted to cooperate with a plurality of containers, a fixture, and an assembly device to simultaneously assemble a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies together with a plurality of bipolar plates.

Method and apparatus for fuel cell stack assembly

A device for concealing a seam between a first abutting surface of a first article and a second abutting surface of a second article, the device includes a seam concealment body fixedly attached to a selected one or both of the first abutting surface and the second abutting surface, wherein the seam concealment body comprises an active material, wherein the active material is configured to transition between a first stiffness and a second stiffness upon receipt of an activation signal, wherein the transition permits movement of a selected one or both of the first abutting surface and the second abutting surface such that the seam concealment body deforms with the movement of the surface to maintain concealment of the seam.

Active material based seam concealment devices and methods of use thereof

A torque transfer apparatus for a transmission includes a rotatable friction clutch pack including a first friction plate that is contiguous to a second friction plate, with the first friction plate coupled to a first transmission element and the second friction plate coupled to a second transmission element. A Belleville spring device is configured to urge the first friction plate to engage the second friction plate to effect torque transfer therebetween when a hydraulically-activated piston is deactivated. The hydraulically-activated piston is configured to urge the second periphery of the Belleville spring device away from mechanical contact of the first friction plate when the hydraulically-activated piston is activated.

Method and apparatus for hydraulically deactivating a torque transfer clutch

An audio distribution system in one embodiment includes a master device, a powered speaker unit, and an expander device. The master device has an output port for receiving a cable carrying an electrical power signal along with a digital audio signal. The speaker unit includes a first port for receiving the electrical power signal and the digital audio power signal, and a second port for sending the signals. A digital-to-analog converter in the speaker unit converts the digital audio signal to an analog audio signal, and a speaker driver uses the signal to produce sound. The expander device is electrically connectable to the second port of the speaker unit for providing electrical power to one or more further speaker units. In another embodiment, the invention provides a master mixer device and a speaker unit. The master mixer device includes a digital signal processor for receiving and separately processing a speech channel having digital audio containing speech content and a music channel having digital audio containing music content. In an embodiment a powered speaker unit employing a class D amplifier for reproducing sound is further disclosed. A digital power link in port is provided in the powered speaker for receiving a cable carrying a digital audio signal and electrical power.

Digital power link audio distribution system and components thereof

A device for concealing a seam between a first and second surface includes a seam concealment body having a body surface, the body overlaying and attached to a first surface and a second surface, the body surface being substantially co-planar with a portion of the first and second surfaces, the seam concealment body configured to transition between a first shape and a second shape, wherein the transition permits movement of one or both of the first surface and the second surface such that the seam concealment body forms a hinge. The device also includes an active material in operative communication with the seam concealment body, wherein the active material is configured to undergo a change in at least one property upon receipt of an activation signal, wherein the change in at least one property is effective to transition the seam body from the first shape to the second shape.

Active material based seam concealment device

Disclosed herein is a strut assemblycomprising a pistonin slideable communication with the housing; an actuatorin operative communication with the piston, wherein the actuatorcomprises a shape memory material and is adapted to control the displacement of the piston. Disclosed herein too is a method of operating a strut assemblycomprising displacing a suspended bodyin operative communication with a piston; and activating an actuatorin operative communication with the piston, wherein the actuatorcomprises a shape memory material.

Customizable strut assemblies and articles that employ the same

Disclosed herein are active material based closure hinge assemblies, latch assemblies, and alignment methods. In one embodiment, a closure assembly is disclosed. The assembly includes a first hinge portion having one end attached to a closure, a second hinge portion attached to the first hinge portion having one end attached to a vehicle body, and an active material configured to provide the first hinge portion with up to six degrees of freedom relative to second hinge portion upon receipt of an activation signal and less than or equal to two degrees of freedom in the absence of the activation signal.

Active material based closure hinge and latch assembly

A normally-engaged clutch is provided having a friction-element with a first side and an opposing second side, a first plate configured for pressing against the friction-element on the first side, and a second plate configured for pressing against the friction-element on the second side. The clutch also includes a biasing device configured to apply a first force to the second plate for pressing the second plate against the friction-element to engage the clutch. Additionally, the clutch includes an apply piston for applying a second force to the first plate, and a release piston for applying a third force to the second plate. The clutch is disengaged when the second plate is pushed away from the friction-element by the third force in the absence of the second force, and is engaged when the first plate is pressed against the friction-element by the second force.

Dual-piston normally-engaged clutch

An automatic variable transmission with normally engaged disc clutches includes a main transmission pump connected to the transmission and at least one clutch located within the transmission. The clutch is in an engaged position when the main transmission pump is not operating. The clutch assembly includes a piston moveable between an engaged position and a disengaged position and at least one spring is operably connected to the piston. The piston is operable to move the at least one spring between the engaged position and a disengaged position. A plurality of clutch plates may transfer torque when the at least one spring is in the engaged position.

Automatic transmission with normally engaged disc clutches

An actuator shifts a selectable one-way clutch (SOWC) between a plurality of operating modes. A first spring has a preload compression that is equivalent to a first start pressure. A second spring, disposed adjacent to the first spring, has a preload compression that is equivalent to a second start pressure. A plunger movably contacts the first spring and a slide plate movably extends from the plunger. The slide plate engages the SOWC such that the SOWC shifts between the operating modes in response to movement of the slide plate. The first spring is compressible from beyond the preload compression to a first stop position as the pressure is increased from the first start pressure to a first stop pressure. The second spring is compressible from beyond the respective preload compression to a second stop position as the pressure is increased from the second start pressure to a second stop pressure.

Actuator for shifting a selectable one-way clutch

Growing community of inventors

Farmington Hills, MI, United States of America

Gary Lee Jones