Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Construction Robotics, LLC

Dns Designs, LLC

Scott Lawrence Peters

Glenn Dayton White

Anastasios P Angelopoulos

David W Lyndaker

Nancy Elizabeth Peters

Timothy Riley Voorheis

Scott C Moose

Erwin Ludwig Allmann

Rockwell Najeeb Yarid

Andrew Walter Beckmann

Timothy J Fuller

Thomas A Trabold

Gayatri Vyas

Craig S Gittleman

Bradley M Houghtaling

John P Healy

Reena L Datta

Jeffrey M Guzda

Thomas Charles Coller

Michael John Oklevitch

Nathan Podkaminer

David Whitney Lyndaker

David Wesley Lombardo

Greg Brulo

Ji Hong Hao

Kerry Evan Lipp

Matthew Ian Gilbride

Charles Alfred Streb, Iv

William Lewis Martz

Kimchua Heng

Nancy E Peters

An Enhanced Lift Assist Device is described. The device allows a user to lift and manipulate large, heavy or bulky items by applying force to the item as opposed to traditional control methods such as buttons. This force based system provides ease of movement of the item, making it appear much lighter than it actually is. The Enhanced Lift Assist Device also includes an adjustable base that allows for change of orientation of the device that may include leveling or self-leveling functionality, allowing the device to be operated in non-traditional environments that require leveling or operational adjustments for proper functioning.

Enhanced lift assist device

An intuitive control system for lifting equipment is described. The intuitive control system translates user defined inputs into machine expressions of movement that are in turn used to control a construction lift or similar piece of construction equipment. Orientation and relative position sensors may be incorporated into the translation and control system for correct user control of the lifting equipment in various operating conditions.

Intuitive control of lifting equipment

A Building Element Lift Enhancer is described. The Building Element Lift Enhancer provides for the movement and precise placement of building elements such as blocks or sheet products by one worker. The Building Element Lift Enhancer senses the force applied by a user to the building element and converts that user applied force to mechanically assisted force from the Building Element Lift Enhancer, allowing the user to precisely move and handle large, heavy or bulky building elements by direct interaction with the building element.

Building element lift enhancer

A Mortar Delivery System is described. The Mortar Delivery System provides precise control of the delivery and application of mortar in addition to the mixing and tempering of mortar. Such control eliminates the use of a hand trowel in brick, block and stone laying applications. Sensing and control are integrated with the Mortar Delivery System to make it an important element of a robotic brick laying system. The Mortar Delivery System contains sensors to measure mortar viscosity and workability, mortar flow rate, and mortar nozzle pressure. The data from the Mortar Delivery System sensors can be used to change the rotational speed of the shear blades, change the amount of water being used for mixing or tempering, and change the delivery speed of the mortar. Such changes result in precise control of mortar that is in turn suitable for automated or semi-automated building processes.

Mortar delivery system

A laser positioning system is described. The laser positioning system provides a positioning and guidance system that is suitable for environments that have external disturbances such as those caused by wind, equipment movement, vibration, and the like. The laser positioning system of the present invention uses at novel laser line beacon positioning system in optical communication with a novel laser line receiver to achieve accurate positioning in environments with external disturbances, something that has previously not been attainable. In some embodiments, a target or series of targets are used to create a reference by which the laser line receiver and an associated moveable assembly such as a robotic arm assembly are able to accurately place building elements such as bricks. Exemplary applications of the laser positioning system include, but are not limited to, accurate positioning of bricks in a wall under construction by a robotic brick laying system.

Laser positioning system

An electrode assembly and a method of making an electrode assembly. One embodiment of the method includes coating an ionomer solution onto a catalyst coated diffusion media to form a wet ionomer layer, and applying a porous reinforcement layer to the wet ionomer layer such that the wet ionomer layer at least partially impregnates the reinforcement layer. Drying the wet ionomer layer with the impregnated reinforcement layer and joining it to the catalyst coated diffusion media forms an assembly that includes an integrally-reinforced proton exchange membrane layer. This layer may be additionally joined to other ionomer layers and other catalyst coated diffusion media such that a membrane electrode assembly is formed.

Electrode assembly with integrated reinforcement layer

A process including coating a fuel cell component with an aqueous solution including a polyelectrolyte polymer.

Coating process for fuel cell components

Methods of making a substantially crack-free electrode layer are described. The methods include depositing an electrode ink on a substrate; placing a layer of porous reinforcement layer on a surface of the wet electrode ink; and drying the electrode ink to form the substantially crack-free electrode layer on the substrate. Substantially crack-free electrode layers and fuel cells incorporating substantially crack-free electrode layers are also described.

Wet lamination process for reducing mud cracking in fuel cell components

A Self-Aligning Zipper is disclosed that allows for one handed operation by anyone who would, otherwise use a zipper or use of the Self-Aligning Zipper by those with physical and developmental limitations or equipment such, as cold weather gloves or mittens. The proper alignment of each half of the Self-Aligning Zipper is accomplished by way of magnets of opposite polarity along with structural guide elements to ensure proper alignment and operation of the zipper.

Self-aligning zipper

A brick laying system where an operator such as a mason works proximate a moveable platform having a robotic arm assembly, a mortar applicator with a mortar transfer device, and a brick transfer device to build structures. The robotically assisted brick laying system may also contain a stabilizer having a disturbance sensing and a disturbance correcting component that provides compensation for disturbances caused by load shifting, movement of the platform, wind, operator movement, and the like. In addition, the robotically assisted brick laying system has a sensing and positioning component for controlling placement of the moveable platform and robotic arm assembly. The interoperability of the system with a mason or skilled operator removes much of the manual labor component of brick laying, allowing the mason more time to focus on craftsmanship and quality, thus improving the end product and the overall working conditions of the mason.

Brick laying system

A fastening device that provides for ease of alignment and operation. The fastening device has a first locking body having a first magnet, a second locking body having a second magnet, a slider body slidably connected to a first zipper track, the first locking body affixed to the first zipper track, and the second locking body affixed to a second zipper track. The first and second locking bodies reversibly form a single element while in use through the attractive force of the first and second magnets.

Zipper

A process comprising: submerging a fuel cell bipolar plate in a bath comprising nanoparticles and a liquid phase comprising a nanoparticles dispersion agent and wherein the bipolar plate includes an upper surface having a plurality of lands and channels formed therein; removing the fuel cell bipolar plate from the bath so that a coating comprising nanoparticles adheres to the fuel cell bipolar plate; while the coating is wet and before the coating is dried and solidified, removing the coating comprising nanoparticles from the lands of the bipolar plate, leaving coating comprising nanoparticle in the channels; and drying the coating in the channels.

Method of depositing a nanoparticle coating on a bipolar plate and removing the nanoparticle coating from the lands of the bipolar plate

A unitized electrode assembly for a fuel cell comprising an electrolyte membrane, a subgasket, and a sealing bead disposed therebetween is disclosed. The sealing bead adapted to fill a tenting region formed between the membrane and the subgasket to maximize an operating life of the electrolyte membrane by militating against wear of membrane expansion during use of the fuel cell.

Using ionomer to militate against membrane buckling in the tenting region

A fastening device comprising a pin affixed to a first zipper track, the pin comprising a first magnet and at least a first engaging element; a box affixed to a second zipper track, the box comprising a second magnet and comprising at least a second engaging element complementary to the first engaging element of the pin, wherein the pin and box form a single element through the releasable interaction of the first and second magnets, and the first engaging element of the pin reversibly interacting with the second engaging element of the box; and a first slider body, wherein the first slider body comprises at least one releasing element that reversibly disengages the first engaging element of the pin from the second engaging element of the box. The fastening device can also include a second slider body component comprising a second magnet and defining at least one groove element, wherein the first and second slider body components form a single slider body through the releasable interaction of the first and second magnets, and the ridge element of the first slider body component removably fitting into the groove element of the second slider body component.

A process including coating a fuel cell component using a coating solution including nanoparticles.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, NY, United States of America

Scott Lawrence Peters