Patents by Inventor Alok Nanda

Alok Nanda has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7296833
    Abstract: A bumper system for an automobile vehicle includes, in an exemplary embodiment, a beam configured to attach to the vehicle, and a thermoplastic energy absorber coupled to the beam. The energy absorber includes an upper portion including a frame portion and a body having a plurality of tunable crush lobes extending from the frame portion. The energy absorber also includes an underbar spaced apart from the upper portion and a plurality of connecting towers extending between the upper portion and the underbar and connecting the underbar to the upper portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: SABIC Innovative Plastics IP BV
    Inventors: Subhransu Mohapatra, Alok Nanda, Frank Mooijman
  • Patent number: 7278667
    Abstract: 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 is tunable for meeting predetermined criteria for both low speed and pedestrian impacts and includes a frame portion and a body including a plurality of tunable crush lobes extending from the frame portion. Each crush lobe is longitudinally spaced apart from an adjacent crush lobe, and at least one crush lobe includes a first transverse wall, a second transverse wall spaced apart from the first transverse wall, a third transverse wall spaced apart from the second transverse wall, and a front wall coupled to the first and second transverse walls. The first, second, and third transverse walls extend from the frame portion and the second transverse wall is located between the first and third transverse walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Subhransu Mohapatra, Alok Nanda, Frank Mooijman
  • Publication number: 20070069535
    Abstract: A bumper system for an automobile vehicle includes, in an exemplary embodiment, a beam configured to attach to the vehicle, and a thermoplastic energy absorber coupled to the beam. The energy absorber includes an upper portion including a frame portion and a body having a plurality of tunable crush lobes extending from the frame portion. The energy absorber also includes an underbar spaced apart from the upper portion and a plurality of connecting towers extending between the upper portion and the underbar and connecting the underbar to the upper portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2005
    Publication date: March 29, 2007
    Inventors: Subhransu Mohapatra, Alok Nanda, Frank Mooijman
  • Patent number: 7188876
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Eric J. Jaarda, Alok Nanda, Stephen F. Shuler
  • Patent number: 7163242
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Stephen F. Shuler, Gopi Krishna Surisetty, Alok Nanda
  • Patent number: 7086690
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Stephen F. Shuler, Alok Nanda, Takaaki Nemoto, Frank Mooijman, Katsuhisa Kumagai, A. D. Shaleena
  • Publication number: 20060145491
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2005
    Publication date: July 6, 2006
    Inventors: Stephen Shuler, Gopi Surisetty, Alok Nanda
  • Publication number: 20060055187
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2004
    Publication date: March 16, 2006
    Inventors: Eric Jaarda, Alok Nanda, Stephen Shuler
  • Publication number: 20060043743
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2004
    Publication date: March 2, 2006
    Inventors: Stephen Shuler, Alok Nanda, Takaaki Nemoto, Frank Mooijman, Katsuhisa Kumagai, A.D. Shaleena
  • Patent number: 6866313
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: General Electric Co.
    Inventors: Frank Mooijman, Stephen F. Shuler, Alok Nanda
  • Publication number: 20040094975
    Abstract: A hybrid bumper system includes a hollow reinforcing metallic beam and a molded engineering thermoplastic resin energy absorber. The energy absorber further includes at least one crushable portion. The hollow metallic beam is secured in a physically stable combination with the energy absorber, thereby resulting in a solitary hybrid bumper system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2003
    Publication date: May 20, 2004
    Inventors: Stephen Shuler, Adam Trappe, Eric D. Kowal, Srikanth Santhanam, Suresh Nagesh, Alok Nanda, Tansen Dhananjay Chaudhari
  • Publication number: 20040066048
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2003
    Publication date: April 8, 2004
    Inventors: Frank Mooijman, Stephen F. Shuler, Alok Nanda