Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

John Charles Weber

James Lloyd Webber

Graham Thornton Spencer

James Kent Conlee

Barry C Worrell

Sean Michael Kelly

Subhasish Mukerjee

Diane M England

Bobby Edwards

An interconnect element for electrically connecting an anode and a cathode in adjacent fuel cells in a fuel cell stack, wherein said interconnect element has at least one featured surface including dimples, bosses, and/or pins arranged in a two-dimensional pattern. Preferably, both surfaces are featured, as by mechanical dimpling, embossing, or chemical etching, so that protrusions of the interconnect surface extend into either or both of the adjacent gas flow spaces to make electrical contact with the surfaces of the anode and cathode. This permits conduction of heat from the anode. The protrusions create turbulence in gas flowing through the flow spaces, which increases hydrogen consumption at the anode and hence electric output of the cell.

Fuel cell stack having a featured interconnect element

An inflatable knee bolster for a vehicle occupant is mounted in opposing relation to the knees of a vehicle occupant. The bolster is an expansible chamber of multipiece construction having a face portion and a separate three dimensional expansible body portion. The face portion and body portion are joined about their peripheries to define and substantially enclose the chamber. The expansible body portion is formed from injection molded polymeric material and has one or more integrally molded at least partially collapsible pleated profile elements disposed along the sides and across the top of the body portion in raised and lowered profile with respect to the face portion. Deformable mounting brackets extend outwardly from the body portion for attachment to the vehicle. The materials forming the face and body portions are of either similar or dissimilar chemical and physical character. Actuation of an inflator in fluid communication with the bolster pressurizes the expansible body causing at least a portion of the pleated profile elements to collapsibly deform such that the volume of the enclosed chamber is expanded and the face portion is thrust outwardly to an extended position.

Inflatable knee bolster

An air bag cover assembly includes a cover having a plurality of mounting posts extending downwardly from the cover and a gasket attached to the mounting posts. The air bag cover assembly further includes a reaction plate captured between the cover and the gasket and a membrane horn switch captured between the reaction plate and the cover. Thus, attachment of the gasket to the mounting posts securely attaches the reaction plate and the membrane horn switch to the cover during air bag deployment. Preferably, the mounting posts and the gaskets are integrally fused together by heat welding.

Air bag cover assembly

A vehicle air bag installation comprises an air bag mounted in a unitary container comprising a molded plastic substrate having an I-shaped slot defining a pair of doors with integral hinges, and a continuous self-skinned polyurethane foam covering adhered thereto during the formation of the covering. The covering has predetermined weakened sections formed along a tear line defined by the slot which rupture during air bag deployment to facilitate door opening. The covering material is an aliphatic or aromatic isocyanate cured low density polyurethane foam having a durometer of 35-60 Shore A. The unitary container is formed by providing a molded plastic container substrate having slots defining the doors, placing the substrate in a mold having a cover, placing a core within the mold to support the substrate. The core has a plurality of upstanding spaced blades projecting into the slots into spaced relation to the mold cover. Urethane foam is injected into the mold and the cover is closed. The foam is cured to form a container cover integral with the substrate and having a notched tear line along the slot.

Method of making a unitary inflatable restraint container

A high bond strength, high heat resistant water-based adhesive designed for bonding a vinyl substrate to a polyolefin surface.

Growing community of inventors

Springboro, OH, United States of America

John Charles Weber