Gm Global Technology Operations LLC

Dynalloy, Inc.

University of Michigan

Bend All Automotive, Inc.

General Motors LLC

Nancy L Johnson

Alan L Browne

Paul W Alexander

Nilesh D Mankame

Xiujie Gao

Guillermo A Herrera

Geoffrey P McKnight

William B Barvosa-Carter

Christopher Paul Henry

Andrew C Keefe

Nicholas William Pinto

Gary Lee Jones

Patrick B Usoro

Richard J Skurkis

James Holbrook Brown

Jan Henning Aase

John C Ulicny

Diann Brei

Cameron G Massey

John Anthony Cafeo

Jonathan E Luntz

Chandra S Namuduri

Jennifer P Lawall

Dorel M Sala

Christopher Burton Churchill

Leslie Momoda

Nicholas W Pinto

Mark A Kramarczyk

Thomas B Stanford

Paul Edward Krajewski

Robin Stevenson

Daniel W Booth

Marten Wittorf

Diane K McQueen

Roland J Menassa

Anthony L Smith

Kevin B Rober

Hanif Muhammad

Norman K Bucknor

Steven Morris

James W Wells

Wonhee Michael Kim

William R Rodgers

Douglas Martin Linn

Craig A Kollar

Lei Hao

Adrian B Chernoff

William B Carter

Vijay A Neelakantan

Chin-Hsu Lin

Patrick G Szymkowicz

Edward D Moss

Mark A Voss

Adam Franklin Gross

Donald K Grimm

Alan Jon Jacobsen

Bret M Olson

Bahram Khalighi

Charles W Wampler, Ii

Roy J Mathieu

James C O'Kane

Vidyashankar Ramasastry Buravalla

Bob Ross Powell

Norman Mark Wereley

Kirk D Bennion

Joseph F Szczerba

Mark William Verbrugge

Suresh Gopalakrishnan

Xingcheng Xiao

Thomas W Nehl

Wende Zhang

Dongxu Li

Scott David Thomas

Hamid Ghavami Kia

Paul G Otanez

Sanjeev Manubhai Naik

Andrew Leslie Bartos

Jinsong Wang

Tao Xie

Taeyoung Han

Michael P Balogh

Shushan Bai

Robert Louis Vitale

Wayne Cai

John K Lenneman

Kuo-Huey Chen

John Neal Owens

Mark A Golden

Brian W Whitmarsh

Andrew Mark Mance

Shawn G Quinn

Ingrid A Rousseau

Sloan Patrick Smith

Scott Willis Jorgensen

Osman D Altan

Steven Craig Lang

Robert E Doty

Mohan Sundar

John R Czoykowski

Robert Dallos, Jr

In an exemplary embodiment, an interior heating system for occupant seats of a vehicle is provided. The interior heating system uses a weft co-knit fabric combined with at least one conductive electrode to heat selective regions of a vehicle seat. The interior heating system includes the weft co-knit fabric that contains a set of weft knit active or plated emitting yarn configured with at least one conductive electrode. The knit active or plated emitting yarn is co-knit with at least one parent yarn for enhanced uniformity of an electrical current applied to at least one conductive electrode from the weft co-knit fabric, and a plurality of conductive electrodes arranged in an interdigitated layout to combine together each conductive electrode with a set of a plurality of conductive co-knit active emitting yarns which attach to each electrode tine of the conductive electrode in a select region.

Weft knit interdigitated electrodes for automotive interior heating elements

An antimicrobial interior component for a vehicle includes an interior component body having a contoured surface. The interior component also includes an antimicrobial jacket assembly having a first piece and a second piece coupled together and disposed over the contoured surface. The antimicrobial jacket assembly defines at least one touch surface disposed over the contoured surface of the interior component body. The first piece and the second piece each includes an antimicrobial metal material configured to prevent or minimize microbes from accumulating on the at least one touch surface.

Antimicrobial metallic touch surfaces and methods for making the same

A selectively rigidizable membrane for cargo management comprises a vacuum bladder, and a first architectural layer and a second architectural layer, each of the first and second architectural layers including a plurality of tiles interconnected by flexural elements, each of the tiles of the first and second architectural layers including at least one constraining element extending therefrom, wherein, when atmospheric pressure is present within the vacuum bladder, the first and second architectural layers are slidably moveable relative to one another and the membrane is flexible, and further wherein, when negative pressure is applied to the vacuum bladder, the first and second architectural layers are forced into engagement with one another, the constraining elements of the first and second architectural layers providing mechanical interference and preventing sliding movement of the first and second architectural layers relative to one another, causing the membrane to become substantially rigid.

Selectively rigidizable membrane

A system for bacteria irradiation from an occupant zone of a vehicle is provided. The system comprises an interior portion disposed in the occupant zone. The interior portion has one of a predetermined surface porosity and a predetermined surface roughness. The interior portion has phosphorescent paint for visual indication. The system further comprises a high energy visible (HEV) light source integrated within the interior portion. The HEV light source has an emission wavelength of between about 375 nm and about 425 nm. The HEV light source further provides a cumulative energy of between about 1 J/cmand about 50 J/cm. The system further comprises a vehicle processor in communication with the HEV light source. The vehicle processor is configured to enable the HEV light source. The system further comprises a sensor in communication with the vehicle processor and configured to provide input on when to enable light source.

System and method for bacteria irradiation from an occupant zone of a vehicle

A vehicle seat includes a seat base and a seatback coupled to the seat base. The seatback includes a rigid frame, a first textile layer attached to the rigid frame, a second textile layer attached to the rigid frame, and at least one textile interconnecting tube coupling the first textile layer to the second textile layer. The textile interconnecting tube is attached in tension between the first textile layer and the second textile layer to dampen dynamic loads applied to the seatback. Instead of (or in addition to) the textile interconnecting tube, the seatback may include a plurality of tension elements interconnecting the first textile layer and the second textile layer.

Multi-layer textile seat for dynamic conditions

A pneumatic articulating structure includes a plurality of tiles, a flexible cover, and a plurality of resiliently flexible hinges. Each tile has a first surface and a second surface facing in opposite outward directions. An area of at least one respective first surface is greater than an area of at least one respective second surface. The cover is constructed to cover the tiles. The second surface of each one of the tiles is attached to the cover. Each tile is engaged to an adjacent tile by a respective hinge, and are proximate to the first surface. A vacuum chamber is define by at least the plurality of tiles and the flexible cover.

Pneumatic articulating structure system with internal tile architecture

Presented herein are active textile structures with selectively variable surface friction characteristics, methods for making/using such structures, and vehicle components fabricated with electronically controlled textile structures with modifiable surface friction characteristics. An active textile system for governing frictional force levels at an interface with a user or object is presented. The system includes a textile structure that is fabricated from interlaced first and second textile filaments. Each textile filament has a respective texture that exhibits a distinct coefficient of friction. The textile structure has an outer and/or upper contact surface at the interface with the user/object. An actuating element, which is connected to the textile structure, is operable to selectively transition the textile structure between first and second states. The first state includes the first textile filament defining the textile structure's outer contact surface, whereas the second state includes the second textile filament defining the outer contact surface.

Active textile structures with selectively variable surface friction characteristics

A knitted fabric for use on a vehicle seat includes a plurality of interconnected loops of yarn forming a repeating stitch pattern including a plurality of transversely-oriented courses and a plurality of longitudinally-oriented wales, wherein each loop of the plurality of loops in a first course of the plurality of courses is positioned in contact with an adjacent loop in the first course of the plurality of courses. The yarn is a flat yarn including at least two plies, each ply having a ply twist of at least three turns per inch and the yarn is characterized by an overall twist of at least eight turns per inch. A stitch density of the knitted fabric is greater than twelve wales per inch.

Knitted durable fabrics for use on vehicle seats

The knitted textiles include a knitted structure including a plurality of hollow yarns. Each hollow yarn includes a yarn body and defines a yarn hole extending through the yarn body to allow expansion of the yarn body upon inflation of each hollow yarn through the yarn hole. The knitted structure is configured to transition from an unexpanded state to an expanded state in response to the inflation of the hollow yarns through the yarn hole. The knitted structure has a first porosity in the unexpanded state, and the knitted structure has a second porosity in the expanded state. The second porosity is less than the first porosity such that a visibility through the knitted structure is greater when the knitted structure is in the unexpanded state than when the knitted structure is in the expanded state.

Multi-functional knitted textiles

A textile comprising: i) a fabric including a laced region associated with a surface of the textile; and ii) a thread inlaid through a plurality of points proximate a perimeter of the laced region. Tightening the thread causes opposite sides of the laced region to be cinched together, thereby forming the laced region into a flap associated with a second surface of the textile opposite the first surface. The textile further comprises a listing wire disposed in the flap. The fabric forms a plurality of perforations within the laced region. The listing wire may be accessed by an attachment device through at least one of the plurality of perforations.

Knitted-in laces for shaping and fitting textiles and fabrics

A thermal control system includes a component having a surface. A plurality of thermal generating devices include a first conductive plate, second and third conductive plates, a first semiconductor device arranged between the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate, and a second semiconductor device arranged between the first conductive plate and the third conductive plate. The first semiconductor device and the second semiconductor device have different types of doping. First ones of the plurality of thermal generating devices are arranged with the first conductive plate located adjacent to the surface of the component. Second ones of the plurality of thermal generating devices are arranged with the second and third conductive plates located adjacent to the surface of the component. The first ones and the second ones of plurality of thermal generating devices perform heating and cooling of the surface, respectively.

System for controlling localized heating and cooling

A fabric assembly includes a knitted fabric and a filament. The knitted fabric is adapted to move between a stretched state extended along a direction of an applied force, and a relaxed state. The filament is disposed in the knitted fabric, and includes a plurality of loops longitudinally spaced apart from one-another. Each loop of the plurality of loops are adapted to project outward from the knitted fabric when in the stretched state, and substantially retract into the knitted fabric when in the relaxed state.

Attachable fabric assembly

A vehicle seat includes a first knitted fabric layer defining an outer surface and a second knitted fabric layer defining an inner surface. The inner surface is opposite the outer surface. The vehicle seat further includes a knitted spacer fabric interconnecting the first knitted fabric layer and the second knitted fabric layer. The knitted spacer fabric resiliently biases the first knitted fabric layer and the second knitted fabric layer away from one another. The knitted spacer fabric is configured to buckle when a seated occupant exerts an occupant load on the vehicle seat. The first knitted fabric layer is more elastic than the second knitted fabric layer to conform to the seated occupant when the seated occupant exerts the occupant load on the vehicle seat.

Technical knit archtectures for comfort seating

A trim component for attachment to a vehicle seat includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is disposed on a first side of the trim component and defines a first knit. The second portion is disposed on a second side of the trim component and defines a second knit distinct from the first knit. The first and second portions are integrally knitted. The trim component is configured to be installed on or more support members of the seat. The first side is configured to face the support member. The second portion is configured communicate with an occupant of the seat. In various aspects, the first portion includes a first yarn and the second portion includes a second yarn that is distinct from the first yarn with respect to one or more of density, thickness, and material. In various aspects, the first yarn is a heat-activated yarn.

Vehicle seat trim covers including integrally-knit backing materials and methods of manufacturing vehicle seat trim covers

A knitted structure is configured for heat generation and distribution. In some embodiments, the knitted structure includes a knitted fabric including a first knitted layer and a second knitted layer opposite the first knitted layer. The first knitted layer has a first thermal conductivity. The second knitted layer has a second thermal conductivity. The second thermal conductivity is greater than the first thermal conductivity to facilitate heat transfer toward the first knitted layer. The knitted structure may further include a plurality of electrodes at least partially disposed inside the knitted fabric. Each of the plurality of electrodes is configured to generate heat within the knitted fabric upon receipt of electrical energy in order to distribute heat along the knitted structure and toward the first knitted layer.

Knitted structures for heat generation and distribution

Growing community of inventors

Northville, MI, United States of America

Nancy L Johnson