Patents by Inventor Yuyang Song

Yuyang Song 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).

  • Publication number: 20240101875
    Abstract: A resin for adhesive bonding to fabrics includes between about 80 wt. % and about 90 wt. % of a monomer, between about 10 wt. % and about 20 wt. % of a cross-linking agent with two or more acrylic acid groups separated by a flexible linker, between about 0.5 wt. % and about 1.5 wt. % of a photoinitiator, and between about 10 wt. % and about 15 wt. % of a thickening agent. The monomer as a melting point less than 25° C. and the flexible linker has subunits such as methylene glycol, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, and combinations thereof. Also, the resin forms a bond with polyurethane coated nylon fabric and the bond exhibits an adhesion strength greater than a tensile strength of the polyurethane coated nylon fabric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2022
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Georgia Tech Research Corporation
    Inventors: Yuyang Song, Masato Tanaka, Liang Yue, Hang Qi
  • Patent number: 11932736
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Vanderbilt University
    Inventors: Yuyang Song, Umesh N. Gandhi, Piran R. Kidambi
  • Publication number: 20240084788
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2022
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuyang Song, Shinnosuke Shimokawa, Danil V. Prokhorov, Umesh N. Gandhi
  • Publication number: 20240054985
    Abstract: A sound absorbing device includes an acoustic resonator with an opening and at least one fabric layer extending across the opening. The at least one fabric layer includes reversible actuatable liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) fibers such that an average pore size of the at least one fabric layer increases with decreasing temperature and decreases with increasing temperature. The sound absorbing device also includes at least one of a heater configured to heat the at least one fabric layer such that the average pore size of the at least one fabric decreases and a cooler configured to cool the at least one fabric layer such that the average pore size of the at least one fabric increases. And in some variations a controller configured to command the heater to heat to the at least one fabric layer and command the cooler to cool the at least one fabric layer is included.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2022
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuyang Song, Taehwa Lee
  • Patent number: 11884222
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignees: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuyang Song, Umesh Gandhi, Danil Prokhorov, Phouvadol Khouphongsy
  • Publication number: 20240010148
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2022
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuyang Song, Umesh Gandhi, Danil Prokhorov, Phouvadol Khouphongsy
  • Publication number: 20230419938
    Abstract: A sound absorbing device includes a chamber with an opening and at least one fabric layer extending across the opening. The at least one fabric layer extending across the opening is at least two fabric layers stacked relative to and in direct contact with each other, at least two fabric layers stacked relative to and spaced apart from each other by a predefined distance, at least one elastic fabric layer configured to vibrate independently from the chamber, or a three dimensional fabric layer. The at least two fabric layers stacked relative to and in direct contact with each other and the at least two fabric layers stacked relative to and spaced apart from each other by a predefined distance are configured to move relative to each other, and the at least one elastic fabric layer is configured to vibrate independently from the chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Taehwa Lee, Yuyang Song, Xiaopeng Li, Ziqi Yu
  • Publication number: 20230391935
    Abstract: A resin for grayscale digital light processing 3D printing includes a donor moiety, an acceptor moiety, a rigid moiety, a photoinitiator, and a photoabsorber. The donor moiety is an acrylate monomer with a side group of a free carbonyl, a primary amine on an acrylate, a secondary amine on an acrylate, and/or a tertiary amine on an acrylate. The acceptor moiety is different than the donor moiety and is an acrylate monomer with a side group of a free hydroxy, a primary amine, secondary amine, and/or an imine. And the rigid moiety is acrylate monomer with a side group of a cyclohexyl, a substituted cyclohexyl, or a bicyclic structure. A monolithic structure formed from the resin using grayscale digital light processing 3D printing can have a Young's modulus ranging from 0.1 MPa to 100 MPa.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2022
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Georgia Tech Research Corporation
    Inventors: Yuyang Song, Masato Tanaka, Liang Yue, Hang Qi
  • Patent number: 11732735
    Abstract: A soft actuator includes an inflation chamber. The inflation chamber has a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The inflation chamber is inflatable during an inflation stage, in which the second end rotates toward the first end about a folding axis, and is operable to be loaded during an inflated stage, in which the inflation chamber is inflated. The soft actuator also includes a variable-stiffness hinge located between the first end and the second end along the folding axis. The variable-stiffness hinge has a decreased stiffness in the inflation stage and an increased stiffness in the inflated stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuyang Song, Ryohei Tsuruta, Umesh N. Gandhi
  • Patent number: 11725635
    Abstract: An inflatable structure includes an inflatable membrane with an outer surface, and a skin with a textured space-filling Turing pattern disposed on the outer surface of the inflatable membrane. A variable stiffness filament is coupled to the inflatable structure and the variable stiffness filament has a first stiffness at a first temperature and a second stiffness different than the first stiffness at a second temperature different than the first temperature. An electrical energy source is included and in electrical communication with the variable stiffness filament, and the electrical energy source is configured to apply Joule heating to and increase a temperature of the variable stiffness filament from the first temperature to the second temperature such variable stiffness actively controls a stiffness of the inflatable structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuyang Song, Masato Tanaka, Tsuyoshi Nomura, Danil V. Prokhorov
  • Patent number: 11718264
    Abstract: Systems and methods of a seatbelt with head restraint are provided. A seatbelt assembly for a vehicle may include a plurality of airbags and an electrostatic clutch to control a deployment of the plurality of airbags. The electrostatic clutch may be operable to limit a movement of the plurality of airbags relative to each other to define a deployment shape of the airbags. Associated vehicles including the seatbelt assembly are provided. Associated methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignees: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Phouvadol P. Khouphongsy, Umesh Gandhi, Danil Prokhorov, Yuyang Song, Paul Gilmore
  • Patent number: 11643202
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to a drone having selectively actuated arms. In one embodiment, a drone includes arms connected to a body. Individual ones of the arms have a first end and a second end with the first end forming a connection with the body. The drone further includes rotor units individually including a propeller attached to a motor and mounted to the second end of the individual ones of the arms. Additionally, actuator units are integrated with the arms. Individual ones of the actuator units include electromagnetic cells that when activated induce an electromagnetic motive force that flexes the arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuyang Song, Taehwa Lee, Hideo Iizuka, Umesh N. Gandhi
  • Publication number: 20230108120
    Abstract: A method of designing an inflatable structure includes generating a finite element mesh defining a plurality of elements for an inflatable shape-morphing structure, calculating a topology optimization analysis for the inflatable shape-morphing structure having a final shape in an inflated state, wherein the topology optimization analysis determines a plurality of tensors for the plurality of elements of the finite element mesh, converting the plurality of tensors for the plurality of elements into a plurality of diffusion coefficients for the plurality of elements, and generating a space-filling Turing pattern for the inflatable shape-morphing structure as a function of the plurality of diffusion coefficients, wherein the space-filling Turing pattern defines a simulated textured surface for the inflatable shape-morphing structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Inventors: Masato Tanaka, Tsuyoshi Nomura, Yuyang Song
  • Publication number: 20230088911
    Abstract: A soft actuator includes an inflation chamber. The inflation chamber has a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The inflation chamber is inflatable during an inflation stage, in which the second end rotates toward the first end about a folding axis, and is operable to be loaded during an inflated stage, in which the inflation chamber is inflated. The soft actuator also includes a variable-stiffness hinge located between the first end and the second end along the folding axis. The variable-stiffness hinge has a decreased stiffness in the inflation stage and an increased stiffness in the inflated stage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2021
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Yuyang Song, Ryohei Tsuruta, Umesh N. Gandhi
  • Patent number: 11602743
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a carbon nanotube (“CNT”) array includes providing a substrate with a CNT catalyst disposed on a surface of the substrate, heating the CNT catalyst to an annealing temperature, exposing the CNT catalyst to a CNT precursor for an exposure period to pre-load the CNT catalyst, and exposing the pre-loaded CNT catalyst to a carbon source for a growth period to form the CNT array. The formed CNT array comprises a plurality of CNT bundles that are aligned with one another in an alignment direction. At least one of the plurality of bundles comprises an average structural factor of 1.5 or less along an entirety of the length thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Vanderbilt University
    Inventors: Yuyang Song, Shailesh N. Joshi, Piran R. Kidambi, Peifu Cheng
  • Patent number: 11591076
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a drone is provided with several inflatable tubes that each connect a propeller component to a body of the drone. In order to increase the handling of the drone, a patch is placed on the top surface of each inflatable tube that includes some number of shape memory alloy wires. The shape memory alloy wires shrink and become rigid when an electric current is applied to them. The optimal locations on each tube to place the patches, and the shape of the patches, is determined using a topology optimization. Later, the wires in the patches can be selectively activated or deactivated by an operating entity to provide an additional means to control the drone. Additionally, the drone is equipped with several landing arms which may include a shape memory alloy torsion coil spring to help the arm deployment during landing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuyang Song, Umesh N. Gandhi, Danil V. Prokhorov
  • Patent number: 11577471
    Abstract: Methods for microwave melting of fiber mixtures to form composite materials include placing the fiber mixture in a receptacle located in a microwave oven. The methods further include microwave heating the mixture, causing a heat activated compression mechanism to automatically increase compressive force on the mixture, thereby eliminating air and void volumes. The heat activated compression mechanism can include a shape memory alloy wire connecting first and second compression brackets, or one or more ceramic blocks configured to increase in volume and thereby increase compression on the mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Umesh N. Gandhi, Michael Paul Rowe, Yuyang Song
  • Publication number: 20220356312
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2021
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Vanderbilt University
    Inventors: Yuyang Song, Umesh N. Gandhi, Piran R. Kidambi
  • Publication number: 20220314211
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a carbon nanotube (“CNT”) array includes providing a substrate with a CNT catalyst disposed on a surface of the substrate, heating the CNT catalyst to an annealing temperature, exposing the CNT catalyst to a CNT precursor for an exposure period to pre-load the CNT catalyst, and exposing the pre-loaded CNT catalyst to a carbon source for a growth period to form the CNT array. The formed CNT array comprises a plurality of CNT bundles that are aligned with one another in an alignment direction. At least one of the plurality of bundles comprises an average structural factor of 1.5 or less along an entirety of the length thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Vanderbilt University
    Inventors: Yuyang Song, Shailesh N. Joshi, Piran R. Kidambi, Peifu Cheng
  • Publication number: 20220143929
    Abstract: Methods for microwave melting of fiber mixtures to form composite materials include placing the fiber mixture in a receptacle located in a microwave oven. The methods further include microwave heating the mixture, causing a heat activated compression mechanism to automatically increase compressive force on the mixture, thereby eliminating air and void volumes. The heat activated compression mechanism can include a shape memory alloy wire connecting first and second compression brackets, or one or more ceramic blocks configured to increase in volume and thereby increase compression on the mixture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Inventors: Umesh N. Gandhi, Michael Paul Rowe, Yuyang Song