Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Mark O Vann

Pei-chung Wang

Nilesh D Mankame

Julien P Mourou

Bradley J Blaski

Steven Craig Lang

Steven Cipriano

Timothy J Fuller

Mahmoud H Abd Elhamid

Jan Henning Aase

Herman K Phlegm

A fastening assembly includes a panel defining an aperture, a fastener having a head, a shaft portion extending from the head, and a recess formed in the head, and a sacrificial primary anode insert disposed in the recess. The sacrificial primary anode insert is configured to corrode at a rate faster than a corrosion rate of the fastener.

Fastening assembly

A thermal interface member configured to be disposed between a heat sink and a heat-releasing device includes a thermal interface member. The thermal interface member has a thermally conductive, cure-in-place, polymer foam pad configured to maintain uniform contact with each of the heat sink and the heat-releasing device. The thermal interface member is additionally configured to absorb the thermal energy released by the heat-releasing device and direct the released thermal energy to the heat sink. The polymer foam pad has a matrix structure including at least one of anisotropic and isotropic thermally conductive anisotropic filler material, and is characterized by foam material density below 0.5 g/cm.

Cure-in-place lightweight thermally-conductive interface

A fastener assembly for use with one or more workpieces. The fastener assembly can be a single-sided (i.e., blind) fastener assembly in which the fastener assembly is inaccessible from one side of the workpiece(s). In this regard, the workpiece(s) can make-up an enclosed component, for example. The fastener assembly can have a fastening end, such as a threaded stud, for securement with a distinct component that is otherwise detached from the fastener assembly. The workpiece(s) can be composed of a carbon fiber composite material, an aluminum material, or another type of material.

Fastener assembly for use with one or more workpieces

A fastening assembly includes a panel, a fastener and a primary anode insert. The panel defines an aperture and the fastener includes a shaft portion disposed within the aperture. The primary anode insert may be disposed adjacent to a reaction region of the fastener. Alternatively, the fastening assembly may include a fastener and a primary anode insert. The fastener includes a shaft portion which is configured to be disposed within at least two aligned component apertures. The primary anode insert may be also be disposed adjacent to a reaction region of the fastener.

A method for providing localized stiffening of a vehicle trim panel using a plurality of discrete stiffening elements. The method includes selectively placing one or more of the discrete stiffening elements on the panel and then bonding the stiffening elements to the panel.

Process for securing discrete stiffeners to a panel

A technique for providing localized stiffening of a vehicle trim panel, especially for high curvature areas. The vehicle trim panel includes an outer panel having an outer show surface and an inner surface. A plurality of discrete reinforcement elements are bonded to the inner surface of the outer panel at locations where localized stiffening is desired. The discrete elements can come in a variety of different shapes and sizes, where the combination of elements and the number of elements is selected for a particular trim panel stiffness.

Designs and processes for using discrete stiffeners to create light, stiff and strong automotive structures

A method for securing sandwich structures together, especially vehicle structures. In one embodiment, two sandwich structures are perpendicularly secured together, where a first one of the sandwich structures includes a micro-truss core having one unit cell geometry and second one of the sandwich structures includes a micro-truss core having different unit cell geometry. The micro-truss core of the second sandwich structure includes a micro-truss extension fabricated at the same time as the micro-truss core and having the same unit cell geometry as the micro-truss core for the first sandwich structure. The extension is inserted in an open area between face sheets in the first sandwich structure so that it abuts against the micro-truss core in the first sandwich structure.

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Canton, MI, United States of America

Mark O Vann