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US 12,570,127 B2Granted
Temperature compensated, fiber reinforced, structural composite roof
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsBradley Allen Newcomb, Xiaosong Huang, Julien P. Mourou
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A composite roof panel of a vehicle disposed vertically above a passenger cabin of the vehicle includes: a first one or more layers of carbon fiber; a second one or more layers of carbon fiber; a binder material configured to bind the first and second one or more layers of carbon fiber; first and second electrical conductors that are: disposed between the first one or more layers of carbon fiber and the second one or more layers of carbon fiber; configured to be selectively electrically connected to a battery of the vehicle; and electrically connected to at least one of the first and second one or more layers of carbon fiber.
Claims13
A composite roof panel of a vehicle disposed vertically above a passenger cabin of the vehicle, the roof panel comprising:
- a first one or more layers of carbon fiber,
- wherein the first one or more layers of carbon fiber include two or more layers of carbon fiber with fibers oriented in different directions;
- a second one or more layers of carbon fiber,
- wherein the second one or more layers of carbon fiber include two or more layers of carbon fiber with fibers oriented in different directions;
- a binder material configured to bind the first and second one or more layers of carbon fiber;
- first and second electrical conductors that are:
- disposed between the first one or more layers of carbon fiber and the second one or more layers of carbon fiber;
- configured to be selectively electrically connected to a battery of the vehicle;
- and
- electrically connected to at least one of the first and second one or more layers of carbon fiber;
- a third one or more layers of carbon fiber disposed vertically above the first and second one or more layers;
- a fourth one or more layers of carbon fiber disposed vertically above the first and second one or more layers;
- third and fourth electrical conductors that are:
- disposed between the third one or more layers of carbon fiber and the fourth one or more layers of carbon fiber;
- configured to be selectively electrically connected to the battery of the vehicle;
- and
- electrically connected to at least one of the third and fourth one or more layers of carbon fiber;
- a first switch configured to selectively connect and disconnect one of the first and second electrical conductors to and from the battery;
- a second switch configured to selectively connect and disconnect one of the third and fourth electrical conductors to and from the battery;
- and
- a temperature control module configured to:
- actuate the first switch and connect the one of the first and second electrical conductors to the battery in response to receipt of an input to heat the passenger cabin of the vehicle;
- and
- actuate the second switch and connect the one of the third and fourth electrical conductors to the battery in response to receipt of an input to melt at least one of ice and snow on the roof panel.
21 more elements
A roof panel of a vehicle disposed vertically above a passenger cabin of the vehicle, the roof panel comprising:
- a first one or more layers of a material that is one of transparent and opaque,
- wherein the first one or more layers of include two or more layers of the material with fibers oriented in different directions;
- a second one or more layers of the material,
- wherein the second one or more layers include two or more layers of the material with fibers oriented in different directions;
- a first electrical conductor that is disposed between the first one or more layers and the second one or more layers, that includes apertures through the first electrical conductor, and that is configured to be selectively electrically connected to a battery of the vehicle;
- and
- third and fourth electrical conductors that are:
- disposed between the first one or more layers and the second one or more layers;
- and
- electrically connected to the first electrical conductor;
- a third one or more layers of the material disposed vertically above the first and second one or more layers;
- a fourth one or more layers of the material disposed vertically above the first and second one or more layers;
- fifth and sixth electrical conductors that are:
- disposed between the third one or more layers and the fourth one or more layers;
- configured to be selectively electrically connected to the battery of the vehicle;
- and
- electrically connected to at least one of the third and fourth one or more layers of carbon fiber;
- a first switch configured to selectively connect and disconnect the first electrical conductor to and from the battery;
- a second switch configured to selectively connect and disconnect one of the third and fourth electrical conductors to and from the battery;
- and
- a temperature control module configured to:
- actuate the first switch and connect the one of the first and second electrical conductors to the battery in response to receipt of an input to heat the passenger cabin of the vehicle;
- and
- actuate the second switch and connect the one of the fifth and sixth electrical conductors to the battery in response to receipt of an input to melt at least one of ice and snow on the roof panel.
21 more elements
A method, comprising:
- receiving a first input to heat a composite roof panel of a vehicle;
- and
- in response to the first input, applying power to first and second electrical conductors of the roof panel from a battery of the vehicle, the roof panel comprising:
- a first one or more layers of carbon fiber,
- wherein the first one or more layers of carbon fiber include two or more layers of carbon fiber with fibers oriented in different directions;
- a second one or more layers of carbon fiber,
- wherein the second one or more layers of carbon fiber include two or more layers of carbon fiber with fibers oriented in different directions;
- a binder material configured to bind the first and second one or more layers of carbon fiber;
- and
- the first and second electrical conductors that are:
- disposed between the first one or more layers of carbon fiber and the second one or more layers of carbon fiber;
- configured to be selectively electrically connected to the battery of the vehicle;
- and
- electrically connected to at least one of the first and second one or more layers of carbon fiber;
- receiving a second input to melt at least one of ice and snow on the roof panel;
- and
- in response to the input, applying power to third and fourth electrical conductors of the roof panel from the battery of the vehicle, the roof panel further comprising:
- a third one or more layers of carbon fiber disposed vertically above the first and second one or more layers;
- a fourth one or more layers of carbon fiber disposed vertically above the first and second one or more layers;
- the third and fourth electrical conductors that are:
- disposed between the third one or more layers of carbon fiber and the fourth one or more layers of carbon fiber;
- configured to be selectively electrically connected to the battery of the vehicle;
- and
- electrically connected to at least one of the third and fourth one or more layers of carbon fiber.
21 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.