University of Florida Research Foundation Inc

Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin

Michelin Recherche Et Technique S.a.

Other

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft

Northwestern University

Clemson University

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte

John C Ziegert

Joshua D Summers

Jaehyung Ju

Wallace Gregory Sawyer

Tony Lavaun Schmitz

Georges M Fadel

Jian Cao

Kevin Scott Smith

Gregory Scott Duncan

David Lawrence Burris

Johann Kettenberger

Andreas Obieglo

Bethany A Woody

Christopher D Mize

Souharda Raghavendra

Jeffrey Alan Bardt

Gerald R Bourne

David Corbin Burton

Ashwin Michaelraj

Prabhu Shankar

Avinash Kolla

Norbert Seyr

Beshah Ayalew

Vincent Lee

A shear layer for a shear band that is used in a tire is provided that has multiple cells having a chiral configuration. The chiral configuration may be hexagonal or tetrachiral or have other configurations.

Chiral honeycomb meso-structures for shear flexure

The present invention provides an improved shear band for use in non-pneumatic tires, pneumatic tires, and other technologies. The improved shear band is uniquely constructed of honeycomb shaped units that can replace the elastomeric continuum materials such as natural or synthetic rubber or polyurethane that are typically used. In particular, honeycomb structures made of high modulus materials such as metals or polycarbonates are used that provide the desired shear strains and shear modulus when subjected to stress. When used in tire construction, improvements in rolling resistance can be obtained because of less mass being deformed and reduced hysteresis provided by these materials. The resulting mass of the shear band is greatly reduced if using low density materials. Higher density materials can be used (such as metals) without increasing mass while utilizing their characteristic low energy loss.

Honeycomb structures for high shear flexure

A shear layer for a shear band that is used in a tire is provided that has multiple cells or units having an auxetic configuration and that are constructed from aluminum or titanium alloys. The cells may have an angle of &#x2212;10&#xb0;.

Shear compliant hexagonal meso-structures having high shear strength and high shear strain

The present invention relates generally to deformation machining systems and methods that combine, in a single machine tool setup, the machining of thin structures and single point incremental forming (SPIF), such that novel part geometries and enhanced material properties may be obtained that are not achievable using conventional machining or forming systems and methods, individually or collectively. Important to many applications, lighter weight parts may be produced at lower cost using a conventional 3-axis computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine tool or the like, instead of the conventional 5-axis CNC machine tool or the like that is typically required.

Deformation machining systems and methods

A link of a vehicle suspension is elastic and includes three suspension points. A first point is adapted to be pivotally connected to a wheel carrier of the corresponding vehicle. A second point is adapted to be pivotally connected to a rigid chassis of the corresponding vehicle. The third point is adapted to be pivotally connected to a shackle, the shackle pivotally connecting the third point to the rigid chassis of the vehicle.

Vehicle suspension including a link

A method of forming integral articles having non-line-of-site contours includes the steps of providing a plurality of molds, the molds having at least one mold channel therethrough. The plurality of molds are stacked on one another to form a mold stack, wherein at least one portion of the mold stack provides a non-line of sight multi-level channel through at least partial overlap of the mold channels between adjacent ones of the plurality of molds. A flowable material is applied to the mold stack. The flowable material is pressed to fill the mold channels in each of the plurality of molds to form an integral article comprising a plurality of stacked integrally connected levels of the material, wherein through interconnection of the integrally connected levels the integral article provides at least one non-line of sight contour traversing in its thickness direction. The mold stack is then separated or removed to free the integral article.

Micro-molded integral non-line-of sight articles and method

A method for in-situ solid lubrication of sliding electrical contacts includes the steps of providing a device having a movable electrically conductive first member and an electrically conductive second member, the first and second member being in electrical contact at a slideable electrical contact, and automatically applying an electrically conductive solid lubricant transfer film to the slideable electrical contact during operation of the device. The applying step can be a deposition of the electrically conductive solid lubricant transfer film on a surface of the first member, wherein the electrically conductive solid lubricant transfer film is carried by movement of the first member to the electrical contact.

In-situ lubrication of sliding electrical contacts

A high frequency flexure-based dynamometer for measuring vibrations to use in determining cutting forces in a tool is disclosed. The dynamometer device may operate within a pre-selected high frequency range while measuring cutting forces less than about 1 N. The dynamometer may include two coupled flexures that interact to produce vibration modes at the edge of a selected bandwidth of interest. These modes may produce a frequency response function within the desired frequency band that has a magnified response and is substantially constant. The dynamometer may include a workpiece mounted to one of the two flexures and a one or more precision accelerometers mounted to the first or second flexures. Finite element analysis may be used to optimize the flexure design.

Flexure-based dynamometer for determining cutting force

A coordinate measuring machine (CMM), including three spherical base joints, a device for maintaining the base joints in a fixed spaced relation, and six actuator assemblies each having a variable length. Each of the base joints has a first end of two of the six actuator assemblies connected therewith, respectively. A center pole is provided having a first spherical joint connected to a first end thereof and a second spherical joint connected to a second end thereof. A second end of a first one of each of the two actuator assemblies connected to each of the base joints is connected to the first spherical joint of the center pole, and a second end of a second one of each of the two actuator assemblies connected to each of the base joints is connected to the second spherical joint of the center pole, in a manner which forms a hexahedron. The coordinate measuring machine further includes a probe mounted at one end of the center pole and a laser interferometer for determining a change in length of each of the six actuator assemblies upon movement of the probe. A method for initializing the CMM and an improved universal joint having a reference sphere therein for use in the CMM are also disclosed.

Universal joint for coordinate measuring device

Parallel kinematic structure for spatial positioning devices and method

A ball bar gage for obtaining the accuracy of numerical control machines and the like including telescoping means integrated with an interferometer and the method of measuring the distances between two locations including an initialization process that ascertains the absolute length of the distance being measured from the differential changes in length measured by the interferometer and a computer that calculates by a trilateration computation 2 or 3 dimensional coordinates by computing the measurements obtained by the ball bar gage. A laser beam or other light source are contemplated to energize the interferometer. Similar calculations are performed with the ball bar gage and computer over a number of spatial locations commensurate with determining the accuracy of the machine being evaluated.

Measurement instrument with interferometer and method

Growing community of inventors

Seneca, SC, United States of America

John C Ziegert