Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Miga Technologies. LLC

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

The University of Texas System

The Ohio State University

Vanderbilt University

Toyota Technical Center, U.s.a., Inc.

Board of Regents

Umesh N Gandhi

Ryohei Tsuruta

Brian J Pinkelman

Danil V Prokhorov

Paul A Gilmore

Michael Paul Rowe

Yuyang Song

Shailesh N Joshi

Mark A Gummin

Christian Arthur Trager

Shardul S Panwar

Phouvadol P Khouphongsy

Taewoo Nam

Rajendra Singh

Douglas J Osmak

Robert W Roe

Nicholas P Mastricola

Eric W Smith

Yasuo Uehara

Patricia L Harmon

Mark E Farmer

Pawandeep Singh Matharu

Yonas Tadesse

Ercan Mehmet Dede

Hideo Iizuka

Taehwa Lee

Brian J Stasey

Marcelo J Dapino

Leon M Headings

Vishnu Baba Sundaresan

Piran Ravichandran Kidambi

Herbert Meingast

Deborah Bumgardner

Vijay Venkatesh

Thomas J Hansz

Srivatsava Krishnan

Venkata Siva C Chillara

Linda M Kajma

Matthew C Clontz

Shinnosuke Shimokawa

Mizuho Takayama

Recep M Gorguluarslan

Raghuram Mandapati

Clare A McNamara

Stephane M Roussel

Mark E Smith

Richard Monroe Sullivan

An actuator includes a twisted and coiled polymer fishing line and an untwisted resistance heating wire (TCP) actuator and a coating on the TCPactuator. The coating includes a mixture of carbon nanotubes, metal nanoparticles, and mesoporous carbon nanoparticles, and in some variations, the coating includes a polymer matrix with the carbon nanotubes, metal nanoparticles, and mesoporous carbon nanoparticles disposed in the polymer matrix. And the actuator exhibits enhanced actuator parameters such as actuator efficiency, hydrophobicity, power consumption, actuation frequency, dynamic actuation and cooling rate.

Hydrophobic twisted and coiled polymer actuators

A system includes a vehicle, an airbag located within the vehicle, an elongatable tether anchored to the airbag at both ends, and an actuator configured to control the elongatable tether. In a first state of the actuator, the tether elongates when the airbag is inflated, and in a second state of the actuator, the tether does not elongate when the airbag is inflated.

Active tethers for programmable shape deployment of airbags

A morphing structure includes a deployable aerodynamic origami structure with an outer covering having a plurality of creases, a tether attached to the deployable origami structure, and a light-responsive polymer disposed on one or more of the creases of the outer covering. The light-responsive polymer is configured to change shape when activated by a light and the deployable origami structure configured to change from a first shape to a second shape different than the first shape when the light-responsive polymer is activated. In some variations, the morphing structure also includes at least one heating element disposed on one or more of the creases of the outer covering and the at least one heating element is configured to heat the light-responsive polymer such that the shape of the deployable aerodynamic origami structure moves from the second shape to the first shape.

Morphing origami structures with light-responsive polymers

Technology disclosed herein provides a cannula TCP actuator comprising an annealed microtube assembly including a polymer microtube having inserted therein a resistive heating wire such that the resistive heating wire extends through the length of the polymer microtube, wherein the microtube assembly is arranged in a twisted and coiled tube. The cannula TCP actuator is fabricated by inserting a resistive heating wire into the polymer microtube, forming a microtube assembly by applying a longitudinal force to a first end of the polymer microtube in a direction parallel to a center axis of the polymer microtube and in an opposite direction relative to a second end of the polymer microtube, and applying a rotational force to the second end of the polymer microtube during application of the longitudinal force to cause the polymer microtube to twist and coil about the center axis, and annealing the microtube assembly.

Cannula TCP actuator

Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to vehicle headliners. In one embodiment, a method includes detecting, with a controller connected to a first impact feature of a headliner of a vehicle, a physical contact with the first impact feature with the first impact feature having a first bending strength prior to the physical contact. The controller subsequently activates the first impact feature to transition the first impact feature from the first bending strength to a second bending strength in response to the detected physical contact.

Headliner impact system

A morphing aerodynamic structure includes a body with an outer covering, a bridle attached to the body, and a light-response polymer disposed on at least one of the outer covering and the bridle. The light-responsive polymer is configured to change shape when illuminated with a laser such that at least one of an angle of attack, roll, pitch and yaw of the morphing aerodynamic structure is at least partially controlled without the use of a mechanical or pneumatic control unit.

Morphing structures with light-responsive polymers

An apparatus includes at least two disk spring washers, at least one ring-shaped outer spacer coupled to the outer edges of one or two of the disk spring washers, and at least one ring-shaped inner spacer coupled to the inner edges of one or two of the disk spring washers. The apparatus also includes a central shaft concentric with the disk spring washers, the outer spacers, and the inner spacers. The apparatus also includes a bottom attachment portion coupled to the bottom of the central shaft to support the at least two disk spring washers, and a top attachment portion configured to slide vertically along the central shaft. The top attachment portion is configured to, with an application of a downward force, compress the at least two disk spring washers.

Stacked disk spring vibration isolator with increased lateral load capacity

Disclosed is a vehicle comprising a wheel with an associated air-cooled motor, and a ventilation path for passing outside air from outside the vehicle into the motor. An electrostatic device is disposed proximate to the ventilation path. When the electrostatic device is energized, particles or debris in the outside air are attracted toward or repelled from the electrostatic device, such that the particles or debris are removed from the outside air before the outside air enters the motor.

Electrostatic air filter for electric vehicle motors

A soft actuator includes an origami structure with an inflatable hollow body formed from at least one of Dyneema fabric or Kevlar fabric, and a plurality of TCPAs formed from at least one of polyethylene terephthalate, spandex, and nylon. The soft actuator also includes a plurality of heating wires disposed on the plurality of TCPAs and a controller configured to selectively heat the plurality of heating wires such that the plurality of TCPAs are selectively actuated by being heated by the plurality of heating wires.

Soft actuators with twisted coiled polymer actuators

A non-woven carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) composite object is formed by the variable frequency microwave (VFM) irradiation of a mixed fiber sheet of thermoplastic fibers, carbon fibers and wavy carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The mixed fiber sheets are prepared from a slurry of the thermoplastic fibers, carbon fibers, and wavy CNTs such that the wavy CNTs contact the carbon fibers and thermoplastic fibers. Upon irradiation with VFM radiation, the wavy CNTs generate heat and transfer the heat to the thermoplastic fibers, causing melting of the thermoplastic to form the matrix of the CFRTP composite object. The mixed fiber sheets can be combined alone or with other sheets to form laminar composites that are molded into objects and heated by VFM irradiation.

Carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic sheets for efficient microwave heating with dispersed wavy carbon nanotubes

A rotating machine system include a rotating machine. The rotating machine system can include a housing. The housing can include an inner surface. The housing can surround at least a portion of the rotating machine. The inner surface of the housing can be spaced from the rotating machine such that a space is defined therebetween. The rotating machine system can include a plurality of vibration isolators. The vibration isolators can be positioned in the space and can be operatively connected to the rotating machine and to the inner surface of the housing. The vibration isolators can be compression-type vibration isolators.

Vibration isolation for rotating machines

A vehicle seat can be configured to provide support to a vehicle occupant in conditions when lateral acceleration is experienced. Shape memory material members can be operatively positioned with respect to a seat portion of the vehicle seat. The shape memory material members can be selectively activated by an activation input. When activated, the shape memory material members can engage a seat pan so as to cause the seat pan to tilt in a respective lateral direction. As a result, a seat cushion supported by the seat pan can also tilt in the respective lateral direction. The seat cushion can be tilted in a lateral direction that is opposite to the direction of the lateral acceleration. Thus, the effects of lateral acceleration felt by a seat occupant can be reduced. The shape memory material members can be selectively activated based on vehicle speed, steering angle, and/or lateral acceleration.

Seat with shape memory material member actuation

A vehicle bumper assembly includes an adaptive energy absorption module operatively connected to a vehicle bumper body. The adaptive energy absorption module includes a primary deformable impact absorber member defining a primary impact chamber having a shape that is structurally adaptive or otherwise conforms to an impact force received by the bumper body. A secondary deformable impact absorber member is arranged in the primary impact chamber and defines a secondary impact chamber containing a shear thickening fluid that exhibits a decreasing viscosity responsive to the impact force. A plurality of fluidically connected tertiary deformable impact absorber members are arranged in an array the primary impact chamber and defines a plurality of tertiary impact chambers containing a volume of fluid, and has a shape that is structurally adaptive to the impact force.

Adaptive energy absorption module and vehicle bumper assembly

A system for using an electrostatic force to cause an object to adhere to a surface of a vehicle can include an electrode and a device. The electrode can be configured to be disposed within a structure of the vehicle. The structure can define the surface. A shape of the electrode can define a shape of a region of the surface. The device can be configured to connect the electrode to a voltage source so that, at a time at which the electrode is connected to the voltage source, an electric charge is produced on the electrode to produce the electrostatic force capable of causing the object to adhere to the surface. For example, the surface can include a dashboard, a dashboard vent frame, a sunglasses holder cover, or the like. For example, the object can include a mobile device, a cup, a pair of sunglasses, or the like.

Using an electrostatic force to cause an object to adhere to a surface of a vehicle

A vehicle seat assembly includes a seat frame, a seat pan, and a plurality of vibration isolators interposed between the seat frame and the seat pan for limiting transmission of vibrations from the seat frame to the seat pan.

Vehicle seat assembly incorporating quasi-zero/negative stiffness vibration isolators

Growing community of inventors

Farmington Hills, MI, United States of America

Umesh N Gandhi