Gm Global Technology Operations LLC

Dynalloy, Inc.

University of Michigan

University of Pennsylvania

Purdue Research Foundation

University of Illinois

Nilesh D Mankame

Alan L Browne

Nancy L Johnson

Paul W Alexander

Xiujie Gao

Patrick B Usoro

Richard J Skurkis

Christopher Paul Henry

Geoffrey P McKnight

Hanif Muhammad

Nicholas William Pinto

Andrew C Keefe

Steven Craig Lang

Guillermo A Herrera

Anil Kumar Sachdev

Robin Stevenson

James W Wells

John C Ulicny

Jennifer P Lawall

Douglas Martin Linn

Daniel W Booth

Louis G Hector, Jr

Pablo D Zavattieri

Paul Edward Krajewski

Wonhee Michael Kim

Gary Lee Jones

Roland J Menassa

Julien P Mourou

James Holbrook Brown

Elisabeth Jane Berger

Brennon L White

Mark A Kramarczyk

Diane K McQueen

Ivan G Sears

Chandra S Namuduri

Norman K Bucknor

Jacob Michael Hundley

Steven Morris

Dorel M Sala

Chin-Hsu Lin

Scott P Charnesky

Jan Henning Aase

Christopher Burton Churchill

Marten Wittorf

John Anthony Cafeo

Steven G Corrion

Thomas W Nehl

Alan Jon Jacobsen

Alireza Fatemi

William B Barvosa-Carter

William R Rodgers

Charles W Wampler, Ii

Eric C Clough

James C O'Kane

Aragorn Zolno

Albert H Butlin, Jr

Mark William Verbrugge

Lei Hao

Xingcheng Xiao

Hamid Ghavami Kia

David R Sigler

Paul G Otanez

Sanjeev Manubhai Naik

William B Carter

Jeffrey L Konchan

Vijay A Neelakantan

Tao Xie

Taeyoung Han

Shushan Bai

Anthony M Coppola

Robert Louis Vitale

Avoki M Omekanda

Wayne Cai

Diann Brei

Joseph M Polewarczyk

Kuo-Huey Chen

Jonathan E Luntz

John Neal Owens

Michael J Walker

Roy J Mathieu

Brian W Whitmarsh

Andrew Mark Mance

Ingrid A Rousseau

Raymond J Kiefer

Yen-Lung Chen

Yang T Cheng

Nicholas W Pinto

Scott Willis Jorgensen

Jihui Yang

Craig A Kollar

James F Pywell

Hesham Ahmed Ezzat

Brian K Saylor

Michael J Lukitsch

John R Czoykowski

Paul Richard Meernik

Peter H Foss

Stephen W Powell

Shivaram Ac

Scott R Webb

A vehicle seat includes a seat base including a center support, a seat back mounted to the seat base, and an adjustment mechanism operatively connected to the center support. The adjustment mechanism is operable to selectively raise and lower the center support relative to the seat base.

Vehicle seat having a seat base including an adjustable center support

A vehicle, suspension system and method of dampening a force on the suspension system is disclosed. The suspension system includes a damper having a first damping element and a second damping element configured to rotate relative to each other in response to a force received at the suspension system. The second damping element induces an eddy current in the first damping element during relative rotation. A feature of one at least one of the first damping element and the second damping element provides a first electrical resistance to the eddy current during relative rotation in a first direction and a second electrical resistance to the eddy current during relative rotation in a second direction. The first electrical resistance generates a first damping force and the second electrical resistance generates a second damping force.

Eddy current damper with asymmetrical forces

A structural component for a vehicle includes a component including an interior surface defining a first hollow passage and a structural reinforcement contacting the interior surface of the component. The structural reinforcement and component define a cross-section and the structural reinforcement partially fills the cross-section. A process for forming the structural component including inserting a bladder into the first hollow passage defined by the interior surface of the component and inflating the bladder in the first hollow passage, forming a cavity between the bladder and the interior surface, filling the cavity with a polymer resin, and foaming the polymer resin. A system for forming a structural component for a vehicle includes a component including a first hollow passage defined by an interior surface of the component, a bladder insertable into the first hollow passage of the component, and a supply line connected to an interior of the bladder.

Inflatable-based process for controlling structural foam reinforcement molding

A structural component for a vehicle and a process and system for forming the structural component. A first cavity is formed in a first hollow passage between a first bladder and an interior surface of a component forming the structural component. A first structural reinforcement layer is formed in the first cavity by filling the first cavity with a first polymer resin and foaming the first polymer resin to form a first polymer resin foam. A second cavity is formed in the first hollow passage and a second structural reinforcement layer is formed in the second cavity by filling the second cavity with a second polymer resin and foaming the second polymer resin to form a second polymer resin foam.

Inflatables-based process for creating multi-layer internal reinforcements

A cushion member having improved variable stiffness for a target is provided. The cushion member comprises a cushion housing having an interior with a variable internal pressure and an exterior surface for receiving the target. The cushion housing is arranged to be deformable and comprises granular particles disposed in the interior of the cushion housing. The cushion housing further comprises hollow particles disposed therein with the granular particles. Each hollow particle is compressible and hollow to define a void therein. The hollow particles have a size, a wall thickness, a material, and a bulk modulus defining infill properties thereof. The hollow particles and the granular particles are arranged to allow the cushion housing to be deformed upon contact with the target. The hollow particles and granular particles define a cushion infill having a variable stiffness based on the infill properties and the variable internal pressure of the interior.

Cushion member having variable stiffness

A lightweight and portable inflatable assembly includes an inflatable structural component and a chemical reaction based inflator device. The inflatable structural component includes a flexible housing defining a cavity. The inflatable structure is uninflated in a first operational mode and filled with an inflation fluid retained for at least 4 hours in a second operational mode. At least one primary and at least one secondary charge unit are in fluid communication with the cavity. The primary charge unit includes a first gas generant material configured to generate a first predetermined volume of inflation medium for filling the cavity, while the secondary charge unit includes a second gas generant material configured to generate a second predetermined volume of inflation medium for filling the cavity in the second operational mode. The second predetermined volume is ≤about 40% by volume of the first predetermined volume.

Inflatable structures with chemical reaction based inflators

An anti-submarining seat cushion for a vehicle includes a main body constructed of an anisotropic material. The anisotropic material includes a primary material including a primary stiffness and a plurality of inserts that are dispersed throughout the primary material. The plurality of inserts exert an axial compressive force in response to the main body of the anti-submarining seat cushion experiencing a submarining load, where the axial compressive force is exerted in a direction that opposes the submarining load to increase an overall stiffness of the main body in a direction that aligns with the submarining load.

Anti-submarining seat cushion for a vehicle constructed of an anisotropic material

A vehicle seat includes a seat cushion, a seat back pivotally moveable between an upright position and a reclined position, and at least one upper arm support selectively moveable between a stowed position and an extended position, the at least one upper arm support adapted to provide support for an upper arm of an occupant when the seat back of the vehicle seat is in the reclined position and the at least one upper arm support is in the extended position.

Seat upper arm supports

An energy absorbing structure includes a base, a loading platform, a pair of side supports, a center support, and a pair of flexible segments. The loading platform is spaced apart from the base. The side supports project from the base toward the loading platform. The center support projects from the loading platform toward the base. The flexible segments extend from the side supports to the center support and connect the side supports to the center support. The flexible segments have straight edges and curved surfaces disposed between the straight edges. The straight edges extend from the side supports to the center support and are oriented at an oblique angle relative to the base. Each of the curved surfaces faces one of the base and the loading platform.

Compact, lightweight and reusable local energy absorbers

Disclosed herein is a haptic device having at least one vibration motor, such as a linear vibration motor, configured to selectively generate a vibration at least partially along an actuator axis. An interfacing plate is configured to transmit the vibration and is at least partially composed of a compliant material. The linear vibration motor and the interfacing plate are embedded in a host. The host defines a first surface with a recessed zone extending from the first surface. The interfacing plate is configured to fit in the recessed zone. The host includes a chamber contiguous with the recessed zone, with the linear vibration motor being positioned in the chamber. The chamber may include respective walls having a plurality of protrusions configured to at least partially absorb the vibration. The haptic device may be part of a seat assembly.

Haptic device with vibration motor and seat 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 system for a seat of a vehicle includes a seat cushion, a seat cover, and a valve. The seat cushion forms at least part of a bottom of the seat. The seat cover encloses the seat cushion and forming a barrier to airflow out of the seat cushion. The seat cover forms a top surface of the seat bottom, a bottom surface of the seat bottom, and side surfaces of the seat bottom. The valve extends through the seat cover and is configured to regulate airflow out of the seat cushion through the valve.

Vehicle seat assembly including a seat cover enclosing a seat cushion and a valve extending through the seat cover and regulating airflow out of the seat cushion

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

A cover covering an object includes an inner surface of the cover facing the object and spaced from the object, and an outer surface of the cover opposite the inner surface. A local energy absorber is operatively attached to the inner surface of the cover. The local energy absorber includes an energy absorbing core layer operatively attached to the inner surface of the cover and a frangible face sheet layer attached to the energy absorbing core layer facing the object. The frangible face sheet layer is to initiate fracture of the frangible face sheet layer during an impact applied to the outer surface defining an impact event having a duration of less than 20 milliseconds.

Local energy absorber

A seat cushion includes a cushion body defining a first body surface and a second body surface opposite the first body surface, wherein the first body surface is configured to face the seat occupant, and the second body surface is configured to face away from the seat occupant. The cushion body defines a plurality of holes extending into the second body surface or columns extending from the second body surface. The holes or columns are arranged on a pattern to allow the cushion body to passively conform to the seat occupant, thereby enhancing comfort.

Waffle-board patterned B-surface for seat cushions

Growing community of inventors

Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Nilesh D Mankame