Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090184533 | Vehicle Endgate Hinge Assembly - A vehicle endgate hinge assembly is disclosed. The hinge assembly has a bodyside hinge strap including a hinge support boss extending through the endgate opening shut-face and having a central hole that is coaxial with the endgate pivot axis, a mounting plate located outboard of the shut-face, and a threaded portion extending from the mounting plate through the shut-face. The hinge assembly may have a crank including a hinge key pivotally coupled to a member mounted on the endgate, a pivot shaft extending from the hinge key through the central hole, a lever arm extending from the pivot shaft normal to the endgate pivot axis, and a ball extending from the lever arm spaced from the endgate pivot axis. A nut is located inboard of the endgate opening shut-face and threadably received on the threaded portion, and an energy storage mechanism is coupled to the ball. | 07-23-2009 |
20130088042 | VEHICLE IMPACT REDUCTION STRUCTURE - A vehicle structure comprising a body including a wheel house, a fender and an energy absorption member. The fender has an exposed A-side surface and an opposed B-side surface, with the fender including a laterally inner edge extending fore-and-aft that defines a portion of a hood opening, and the B-side surface adjacent to the laterally inner edge spaced from the wheel house in a vertical direction to define a crush gap. The energy absorption member is located in the crush gap between the wheel house and the fender, with the energy absorption member having a fender attachment flange secured to the B-side surface of the fender adjacent to the laterally inner edge, a body attachment flange secured to the wheel house, and an energy absorbing portion extending between the fender attachment flange and the body attachment flange, with the energy absorbing portion being curved in the vertical direction. | 04-11-2013 |
20140293638 | ENERGY ABSORBING HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY AND A RESETTABLE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY - An energy absorbing headlamp assembly and a resettable headlamp assembly are disclosed. The assemblies include a first component and a headlamp assembly supported by the first component. The assemblies also include an energy absorbing device operatively coupled to the headlamp assembly and the first component to absorb energy when a first force is applied to the headlamp assembly. For the energy absorbing headlamp assembly, the device includes a link and a biasing mechanism coupled to each other such that the biasing mechanism continuously applies a second force to the link to bias the link to a first position when the headlamp assembly is in an initial position and a second position when the headlamp assembly is in a displaced position. For the resettable headlamp assembly, the device allows movement of the headlamp assembly from the displaced position back to the initial position when the first force is removed. | 10-02-2014 |
20150145658 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CLOSURE NOTIFICATION - Apparatus are provided for notifying a driver of an open vehicle access. The apparatus includes an electronic control module for informing a vehicle driver that a vehicle access is not secured, the electronic control module configured to determine if a transmission of the vehicle is in either a park status or a neutral status, determine if all keys for the vehicle are located outside a predetermined distance from the vehicle and determine if a displacement sensor indicates that a vehicle access is not closed. When the vehicle is in the park or neutral status, the key is located at a distance greater than the predetermined distance from the vehicle, and at least one vehicle access is indicated as being not closed, then an access open message is generated and sent to the driver, | 05-28-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120084839 | SURVEILLANCE NETWORK SYSTEM - Embodiments of a sensor network system provide surveillance capabilities in multiple contexts/environments (e.g., military, commercial, scientific, civic, urban, wilderness, etc.). Network nodes may include devices such as sensors, network routers, network controllers, etc. Network sensors may be configured so that power management objectives are maximized. Network sensors (both individually and as a group) may be capable of intelligent and cooperative information gathering, so that the output of the sensor network does not contain high levels of irrelevant information. The network nodes may communicate among one another via one or more communication links, and in some cases, multiple routes between any two network nodes may be available. The sensor network may include aspects of both high data rate and low data rate network features. One or more network controllers may provide various network management capabilities, including management of network routing, information collection, information exportation, network configuration, etc. | 04-05-2012 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080202877 | SUPPORT APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CERAMIC MATRIX COMPOSITE TURBINE BUCKET SHROUD - A shroud support method and apparatus for a ceramic component of a gas turbine having: an outer shroud block having a coupling to a casing of the gas turbine; a spring mass damper attached to the outer shroud block and including a spring biased piston extending through said outer shroud block, wherein the spring mass damper applies a load to the ceramic component; and the ceramic component has a forward flange and an aft flange each attachable to the outer shroud block. | 08-28-2008 |
20090053050 | GAS TURBINE SHROUD SUPPORT APPARATUS - A support apparatus for a gas turbine shroud is disclosed. The apparatus includes an outer shroud block having a coupling connectable to a casing of the gas turbine and a shroud component having a forward flange and an aft flange. The shroud component is attached to the outer shroud block via the forward flange and the aft flange. The apparatus further includes a damper disposed between the outer shroud block and the shroud component and a biasing element disposed within the outer shroud block. A translational degree of freedom between the damper and the outer shroud block defines a direction of motion of the damper. The biasing element is in operable connection between the outer shroud block and the shroud component via the damper, a bias force of the biasing element directed along the direction of motion of the damper. | 02-26-2009 |
20090214845 | PROCESS OF PRODUCING A CERAMIC MATRIX COMPOSITE ARTICLE AND ARTICLE FORMED THEREBY - A CMC article and process for producing the article to have a layer on its surface that protects a reinforcement material within the article from damage. The method entails providing a body containing a ceramic reinforcement material in a matrix material that contains a precursor of a ceramic matrix material. A fraction of the reinforcement material is present and possibly exposed at a surface of the body. The body surface is then provided with a surface layer formed of a slurry containing a particulate material but lacking the reinforcement material of the body. The body and surface layer are heated to form the article by converting the precursor within the body to form the ceramic matrix material in which the reinforcement material is contained, and by converting the surface layer to form the protective layer that covers any fraction of the reinforcement material exposed at the body surface. | 08-27-2009 |
20100284810 | PROCESS FOR INHIBITING DELAMINATION IN A BEND OF A CONTINUOUS FIBER-REINFORCED COMPOSITE ARTICLE - A process for inhibiting delamination in a bend of a component formed of a continuous fiber-reinforced composite material having layers containing arrays of unidirectional fibrous elements in a matrix material. A preform of the component is formed by laying-up prepreg tapes corresponding to layers of the component. Each tape contains a matrix precursor, a binder, and an array of the fibrous elements. The tapes are laid-up so that the fibrous elements of at least a first tape traverse the bend, and the fibrous elements lie in planes that are not perpendicular to the axis of curvature of the bend. The preform then undergoes thermal processing, during which delamination of the layers in the bend is inhibited as a result of none of the fibrous elements lying in a plane perpendicular to the axis of curvature of the bend. | 11-11-2010 |
20120177488 | PROCESS FOR JOINING SILICON-CONTAINING CERAMIC ARTICLES AND COMPONENTS PRODUCED THEREBY - A process for joining silicon-containing ceramic articles, and particularly ceramic articles and CMC articles that contain both silicon carbide and free silicon. The process entails providing a reactive metal-containing braze material between the articles, and then heating the braze material and the articles to react the reactive metal with the silicon within the articles to form a brazement containing a silicide phase of the reactive metal. The brazement and articles are then cooled to produce a component comprising the two articles and the silicide phase-containing brazement. The process is preferably carried out at temperatures below that which would thermally degrade constituents of the articles, and more preferably below the melting point of silicon. | 07-12-2012 |
20140199174 | METHOD OF FORMING A CERAMIC MATRIX COMPOSITE COMPONENT, A CERAMIC MATRIX COMPOSITE COMPONENT AND A TIP MEMBER - A method of forming a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) component, a CMC component and a tip member are provided. The method of form the CMC component includes providing a component preform having a first end, a second end, and a cavity, the cavity having a pre-determined shape and a first engagement surface. The method includes forming a tip member from a pre-consolidated composite material, the tip member having a second engagement surface generally conforming to the first engagement surface. The method includes directing the second engagement surface to the first engagement surface. The method includes consolidating the component preform and tip member. The ceramic matrix composite component is formed having a desired geometry and the tip member stays in place in the cavity during operation of the ceramic matrix composite component. | 07-17-2014 |
20150115489 | METHODS OF REPAIRING MATRIX CRACKS IN MELT INFILTRATED CERAMIC MATRIX COMPOSITES - A method of repairing matrix microcracks in MI-CMC components includes heating “free” silicon phase present within the cracked matrix portion of the component to a temperature above the melting point of the silicon phase. During heating of the component an additional source of silicon phase is supplied to the component. The atmosphere about the component is controlled during the heating of the component. The MI-CMC component is cooled below the melting point of the silicon phase to cool and solidify the silicon phase that has migrated into the microcracks to thereby bond the crack faces together. | 04-30-2015 |