Abstract: A multi-part reel of molded plastic construction has two parts that are identical. Each part has a flange and an inner hub portion and an outer hub portion that are integrally connected to the flange so as to project in an axial direction; a plurality of circumferentially spaced hooks that interconnect with the hooks of the other to hold the parts together when the parts are mated and indexed in the circumferential direction; and a tangential lock arm that interlocks with the lock arm of the other to hold the parts in the indexed position. The lock arms has flexible arrow shaped heads that are aligned with access ports to visually assist in the assembly and disassembly of the reel parts and to permit disengagement of the lock arms for disassembly of the reel parts. The reel parts have axial fingers for centering the reel parts, slots for anchoring material to the reel for a winding operation and drive holes for rotating the reel in winding or feeding operations.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting precise angular positions of a rotating object. Two magnetoresistors (MRs) are positioned adjacent a target wheel attached to the rotating object, the target wheel having at least one element of finite length. Each MR is responsive to the passage of at least one of the elements as the target wheel is rotated, generating an analog signal with signal transitions between two voltage levels at the passage of the element's leading and trailing edges. The MRs are positioned relative to the elements such that their signals are phase shifted with respect to one another, resulting in time overlapping signals which intersect at a precise angular positions of the target wheel.

Abstract: An exhaust pipe hanger assembly is provided in a vehicle having a rigid structural member. The exhaust pipe hanger assembly includes a continuously linearly extending rigid rod bracket. The rod bracket has a first portion extending through and securely captured within the rigid structural member and a second portion linearly extending from the first portion and extending outwardly from the structural member. The exhaust pipe is suspended from the second portion of the rigid rod bracket. The rigid rod bracket has sufficiently high stiffness and resonant vibrational frequencies such that transmission of exhaust pipe vibration into the vehicle is reduced.

Abstract: A method for detecting a rough road surface upon which a vehicle is travelling, such detection being utilized by a crash sensing system for improving its immunity to inadvertent deployment during minor crash incidents. The onset of a crash event is sensed by an on-board accelerometer when the detected vehicle deceleration exceeds a predetermined deceleration threshold value. A rough road measurement is calculated as a function of the vehicle deceleration data and compared to a threshold boundary curve. A value of the rough road measurement exceeding the boundary curve is indicative of a rough road event.

Abstract: A variable reluctance sensor for sensing the rotational speed of a target wheel having teeth, separated by slots, angularly positioned along its periphery is comprised of an elongated core interposed between two permanent magnets which generate additive magnetic flux passing longitudinally through the elongated core. This additive flux is, however, opposed by a longitudinal flux developed by the opposing ends of the permanent magnets. In the absence of surrounding ferromagnetic material, the magnitudes of the opposing longitudinal flux components are essentially equal, resulting in no net longitudinal component of magnetic flux. The elongated core and permanent magnets are encircled by a multi-turn electrical coil which is wound transversely about a longitudinal dimension. A portion of the elongated core and permanent magnets extending beyond the electrical coil are positioned adjacent the periphery of the target wheel and define an air gap therebetween.

Abstract: A shoulder belt mounting assembly includes a mounting bracket attached to the vehicle and having a transversely extending arcuate bearing surface. The assembly further includes a pivot clip having a belt-receiving portion through which the shoulder belt webbing is routed and having a mounting portion adapted for snap-fitted engagement onto the mounting bracket. The mounting portion of the pivot clip includes a transversely extending arcuate pivot surface seated atop and slidably engaging the arcuate bearing surface of the mounting bracket when the pivot clip is mounted on the mounting bracket such that the pivot clip freely transversely pivots relative the mounting bracket. Thus, facile pivotal movement of the shoulder belt webbing relative the vehicle is permitted by the transverse pivotal movement of the pivot clip relative the mounting bracket.

Abstract: Before braking occurs the speed of non-driven wheels is monitored and averaged to determine vehicle speed and an integrator is initialized with that speed. Acceleration is periodically calculated from the vehicle speed, stored in a ring buffer and averaged. The output of a chassis accelerometer is also sampled during the same periods and stored in a similar ring buffer and averaged. Accelerometer bias due to slope or drift is determined as the difference of the two averaged accelerations. The noise level of the accelerometer bias is determined by filtering and rectification. After braking occurs, the accelerometer output is corrected by subtracting the bias and the noise and is then used to continuously update the integrator output to provide an estimate of vehicle speed during braking.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the adaptive correction of the shifting quality of an automatic transmission which is coupled to an engine and in which correcting elements acting on the pressure or oil throughput bring friction elements into engagement in the form of clutches or brake bands to carry out shifting processes, the line pressure impinged on by the correcting elements being registered by means of an electronic device and corrected as a function of various operating parameters.

Abstract: A device, such as a radio, has opposing vertical sides and a vehicle instrument panel includes a recess having a rearward access opening and opposing spaced apart side walls. Each side wall of the instrument panel recess includes an integrally formed longitudinally extending tapered dovetail rail. A pair of tapered dovetail slide members are each adapted to be fixedly mounted to an opposite side of the device. Each slide member includes an integral upper and lower finger transversely cantilevered away from the device. The upper and lower fingers are vertically spaced apart for matably receiving the respective dovetail rail therebetween by interference-fitted engagement therewith when the device is longitudinally inserted into the recess of the instrument panel. Thus, the slide members and dovetail rails cooperatively secure the device to the recess of the instrument panel to prevent movement of the device relative the instrument panel.

Abstract: An air bag module includes an inflator for generating gas and an air bag coupled to the inflator and deployable upon generation of gas by the inflator. A pouch is made of a fabric material and serves as both the housing and cover of the module. The pouch has wall portions surrounding the air bag and inflator and defining a pouch interior containing the inflator and the air bag substantially therein such that the inflator and the air bag are housed within the pouch. The pouch also is provided with a frangible seam being breakable to form a pouch deployment opening. Upon air bag deployment, the air bag breaks open the frangible seam of the pouch to permit deployment of the air bag out through the pouch deployment opening such that the pouch guides the air bag during deployment.

Abstract: An air bag assembly includes an air bag module subassembly for installation in an air bag housing having a housing opening through which an air bag deploys. The air bag module subassembly includes a subassembly retainer which captures and holds an inflator and an air bag retainer in position relative to the housing and enables facile installation of the air bag module subassembly into the housing via the housing opening such that the subassembly retainer is restrained by the housing to prevent release of the air bag retainer.

Abstract: A vehicle door assembly includes a window movably mounted for vertical movement between a raised closed position and a lowered open position. The window includes a lower portion having a constant transverse curvature and an upper portion having an accelerated transverse curvature. The window includes a side edge. The window has a notch on the side edge of the upper portion of the window.

Abstract: An air bag module includes an air bag and an inflator for discharging gas to inflate the air bag. The module includes a cover having a plurality of hooks and a base plate including a plurality of apertures for capturing the hooks of the cover therein. To securely retain the cover to the base plate, a cover retainer being a discontinuous resilient ring is utilized. The retainer is radially deformable for snap-fitted engagement with the base plate directly adjacent the hooks of the cover such that the retainer traps the hooks between the base plate and the retainer to prevent removal of the hooks from the apertures of the base plate and to anchor the cover to the base plate during air bag inflation.

Abstract: In a refrigeration system, an apparatus and method for providing low refrigerant charge detection before and during compressor operation. For detection before compressor operation, a very low refrigerant charge condition is indicated if the measured refrigerant pressure at the inlet of the compressor is too low based on a comparison of the measured pressure and a reference pressure related to the saturation pressure at the measured ambient temperature. If a low refrigerant charge condition is detected, the compressor may be inhibited from operating. If the system is stable with compressor non-operation, a warning also occurs. While the compressor is operating, a moderately low refrigerant charge condition is detected if the measured refrigerant temperature at the inlet of the compressor is too high based on a comparison of the measured temperature and a reference temperature related to the saturation temperature of the refrigerant for the measured refrigerant pressure.

Abstract: An air bag module includes an inflator for discharging gas and a base plate including a plate opening. A plurality of stud members are mounted to the base plate and extend downwardly from the base plate. Each stud member includes a radial slot. The inflator includes an outwardly extending inflator flange which underlies and engages the base plate upon insertion of the inflator through the plate opening. The inflator flange is adapted for receiving the stud members therethrough such that the slots in the stud members open subjacent the inflator flange when the inflator flange engages the base plate. The air bag module includes an inflator retainer being a discontinuous resilient ring which is radially deformable for positioning the retainer in radial alignment with the slots. When the retainer is radially aligned with the slots, the retainer is releasable to snap-fittedly engage with each of the slots such that the retainer is captured and held in the slots.

Abstract: A bridge rectifier for rectifying the alternating output voltage of an alternating current generator. The bridge rectifier has two heat sinks which are electrically insulated from each other. Each heat sink carries groups of semiconductor diodes that are respectively electrically connected to the heat sinks. A metallic output terminal stud is connected to and supported by one of the heat sinks. A part of the terminal stud has self-tapping threads and this part is tapped into a hole in the heat sink to thereby provide a self-tapped threaded connection between the terminal stud and the heat sink. The terminal stud has an electrical connector portion that has conventional threads. A threaded nut is adapted to be screwed onto the threaded connector portion to thereby secure a terminal connected to a conductor or cable in place.

Abstract: An air bag module for installation in a vehicle includes a module retainer mounted to the vehicle and including a single rod bent to form the module retainer. An air bag is operatively connected to the rod and an inflator is captured by the rod and held in position relative to the vehicle by the rod.

Abstract: A power operating system for a vehicle door includes a motor operable to power the door open or closed. When a manual movement of the door a predetermined distance is detected while the motor is inactive, the motor is energized so as to move the door in the direction of the detected movement to complete the manually initiated door movement.

Abstract: A locomotive traction controller system using fuzzy logic to maximize the coefficient of friction between locomotive drive wheels and the rail on which the wheels ride. The locomotive traction system includes a fuzzy logic slip controller that provides a generator reference signal to a generator controller that controls the field current of the generator of the locomotive. The fuzzy logic slip controller regulates to a predetermined wheel slip regardless of the rail condition. A fuzzy logic slip reference estimator applies a wheel slip reference signal to the fuzzy slip controller depending on the rail condition in order to adjust the generator reference signal and thus modify the wheel slip to maximize the coefficient of friction.

Abstract: An air bag module includes an air bag having a circular bag opening and a retainer plate including a circular plate opening. A peripheral hem portion surrounds the bag opening. The air bag module also includes a discontinuous circular ring having a first end and a second end which are circumferentially spaced apart to form a circumferential gap. The ring is located within the hem portion of the air bag. The ring has a relaxed position in which the gap is fully open and the ring has a diameter greater than that of the plate opening. The ring also has a deformed position in which the gap is reduced and the deformed ring has a diameter less than that of the plate opening such that the ring and air bag are insertable through the plate opening. Upon insertion of the ring through the plate opening, the ring reopens to the relaxed position and is captured beneath the plate such that the air bag is anchored to the plate and removal of the ring back through the plate opening is prevented.