General Electric Company

Exatec, LLC

Stephen Shuler

Alok Nanda

Steven Marc Gasworth

Frank Robert Mooijman

Eric Jon Jaarda

Eric F J M Van Der Meulen

Gregory Raffi Harley

Chinniah Thiagarajan

Takaaki Nemoto

Adam Kenneth Trappe

Kees Marijnissen

Katsuhisa Kumagai

Tansen Dhananjay Chaudhari

Poovanna Kushalappa Theethira

Srikanth M Santhanam

Gopi Krishna Surisetty

A D Shaleena

Adams Trappe

Mark Kevin Nelson

Eric FJM Van Der Meulen

Gregory R Harley

A plastic assembly having a permanent mark therein at a subsurface location and formed after substantial manufacture of the panel assembly. The plastic panel includes a substrate and a coating over the substrate, the coating including a surface that defines an exterior surface of the panel assembly. A mark is located beneath the exterior surface of the panel assembly. In making the panel assembly, a plastic substrate is provided and a protective coating is applied to the substrate. After the step of applying the protective coating, a subsurface portion of panel assembly is exposed to a laser light. The laser light opacifies a subsurface portion of the panel assembly, thereby rendering the mark within the panel assembly.

Part marking of coated plastic substrates

A plastic panel assembly having a permanent mark therein at a subsurface location and formed after substantial manufacture of the panel assembly. The plastic panel includes a substrate and a coating over the substrate, the coating including a surface that defines an exterior surface of the panel assembly. A mark is located beneath the exterior surface of the panel assembly. In making the panel assembly, a plastic substrate is provided and a protective coating is applied to the substrate. After the step of applying the protective coating, a subsurface portion of panel assembly is exposed to a laser light. The laser light opacifies a subsurface portion of the panel assembly, thereby rendering the mark within the panel assembly.

A bumper system for an automobile vehicle includes, in an exemplary embodiment, a beam and an energy absorber coupled to the beam. The beam has a top surface and a bottom surface, and is configured to attach to the vehicle. The energy absorber includes a body having a first side and an opposing second side, a plurality of crush lobes extending from the first side, and a plurality of vertical translational crush lobes extending from the second side. The second side faces the beam, and each vertical translational crush lobe engages the top surface or the bottom surface of the beam.

Bumper assembly including energy absorber with vertical translation crush lobes

A bumper system for an automobile vehicle includes, in an exemplary embodiment, a beam configured to attach to the vehicle, and an energy absorber coupled to the beam. The energy absorber includes a body, an upper crushable member extending from the body, and a lower crushable member extending from the body and spaced apart from the upper crushable member. The upper and lower crushable members each include an upper transverse wall, a lower transverse wall, and an outer wall. Each upper transverse wall and each lower transverse wall includes alternating solid portions and open portions. Each solid and open portion extends from the body to the outer wall of a crushable member. The solid portions of the lower transverse wall of the upper crushable member are aligned with the open portions of the upper transverse wall of the lower crushable member.

Bumper system with energy absorber

An article comprises a plurality of auxetic structures wherein the auxetic structures are of size greater than about 1 mm. The article also comprises at least one cell boundary that is structurally coupled to the auxetic structures. The cell boundary is configured to resist a deformation of the auxetic structures. An automotive energy absorber comprises a plurality of auxetic structures wherein the auxetic structures are of size greater than about 1 mm.

Energy absorbing articles

A bumper system for an automobile vehicle includes, in an exemplary embodiment, a first beam configured to attached to the vehicle and a first energy absorber coupled to the first beam. The first energy absorber is tunable for meeting predetermined criteria for both low speed and pedestrian impacts, and includes a plurality of tunable lobes. The lobes are tuned so that a stiffness of the first energy absorber varies from a center of the first energy absorber to each end.

Bumper assembly including twin energy absorbers

An unitary bumper unit is adapted for attachment to a vehicle for absorbing forces generated from an impact and comprises a singularly molded part combining a relatively stiff beam portion for attachment to a vehicle and an impact energy absorber integrally molded together with the beam portion wherein the energy absorber faces in a forward direction for absorbing energy due to an impact with the said energy absorber having a crushable forward projecting members adapted to crush upon impact.

Integrated solitary bumper beam

An energy absorber that incorporates pedestrian protection and vehicle protection into a front bumper system on automotive vehicles comprises a unitary molded glass mat of thermoplastic material having a plurality of outwardly extending crushable lobes. The energy absorber is combined with a fascia and a reinforcing beam with the energy absorber interdisposed to form a bumper system for automotive vehicles.

Pedestrian energy absorber for automotive vehicles

A bumper system for an automobile vehicle includes a beam configured to attached to vehicle rails and an energy absorber coupled to the beam. The energy absorber is tunable for meeting predetermined criteria for both low speed and pedestrian impacts, and includes a flanged frame for attachment to the beam, a body that includes a plurality of lobes extending from the flanged frame and spaced apart from each other. Each lobe includes first and second side walls, having a concave shape.

Bumper assembly including and energy absorber

A bumper assembly ( ) for an automotive vehicle. The bumper assembly includes comprises a beam ( ) and an energy absorber ( ). In one example embodiment, the energy absorber is tunable for meeting predetermined criteria for both low speed and pedestrian impacts.

Growing community of inventors

Royal Oak, MI, United States of America

Stephen Shuler