Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming and mounting a sleeve and a thrust member in a bore in a motor/gear drive housing shaft to support the motor/gear drive shaft against radial and axial movement. Gates are formed in the motor/gear drive housing and communicate with separate first and second bores in the housing. A mold core is inserted into the housing and closes off one bore to allow the injection of molten plastic into a cavity formed between the tip end portion of the mold core and the first bore to form an annular sleeve. The annular sleeve has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the end tip portion of the motor/gear drive shaft to be nominally spaced from the outer diameter of the drive shaft, but is supportingly engaged by the drive shaft under radial deformation of the drive shaft.

Abstract: An optical moisture detector for determining a value corresponding to ambient light conditions and comparing that value to a predetermined value. The detector includes an optical moisture sensor and a processor. The optical moisture sensor can be a photo array, a CCD or a CMOS. The processor can be a microprocessor. The processor can emit a control signal to engage or disengage a light generating device based on the result of the comparison of the value to the predetermined value.

Abstract: An end play restriction wedge restricts the end play of a rotatable shaft with respect to a housing. The end play restriction wedge includes a female-wedge housing and a male wedge. The female-wedge housing has a U-shaped cross-section defined by an intermediate wall and outwardly extending side walls connected adjacent each end of the intermediate wall. The intermediate wall has a thrust plate surface along one side and an angled ramp along an opposite side. The angled ramp and outwardly extending side walls define a tapered aperture extending through the housing with an enlarged opening adjacent a first end of the housing. The male wedge is positioned adjacent the enlarged opening of the housing to be driven into the tapered aperture in response to an external force acting on an outer end of the wedge.

Abstract: A windscreen wiping device which includes a wiper arm which can be activated and a wiper blade which includes a wiper rubber having a carrier element receiver and a carrier element. A wiper lip is arranged on the wiper rubber and lies against the window to be wiped. Load alleviation elements which alleviate the wiper lip when the windscreen wiping device is in the parking position lift the wiper lip off the window to be wiped. The load alleviation elements include at least two interspaced pins arranged on the carrier element and ramps which co-operate with the pins and which are provided on the window or in the region around the window. In the parking position, the pins drive against the ramps in order to alleviate the wiper lip.

Abstract: This invention provides a method of applying a coating of a resin-rich material to a substrate to produce a molded device. The method involves installing a layer of the resin-rich material over a mold die and adding a molten substrate to melt the resin-rich layer and filling the mold. The mold is cooled and a molded device with a surface containing the resin-rich layer is formed.

Abstract: A control apparatus and method for a panel movable between at least two positions by an electric motor having a rotatable armature. The control generates time periods for the rotation of the armature over a constant angular distance. An average time period is computed over a predetermined number of time periods and compared with a threshold time period to determine if an obstacle is present in the path of movement of the closure. Transient counts are accumulated for increasing average time periods over a number of time period samples to detect an obstacle. A compensation factor is used to adjust a threshold upon detecting a start-up transient during an initial movement of the motor armature coupled to the panel to delay activation of obstacle detection until the start-up transient diminishes.

Abstract: A fluid heater apparatus includes a thermally conductive mass formed of a stack of lamina, each having apertures for receiving heater element(s) therethrough and apertures which are alignable between opposed ends of the stack to form fluid flow paths. The lamina are rotatably offset from adjacent lamina in one step or groups of two or more steps to create helical flow paths in the throughbores.

Abstract: An air distribution apparatus for a vehicle includes a partition disposed within a housing which separates a first longitudinal airstream from a blower and a cooling element into first and second airstreams, each separately directed through a heater element to form first and second recombined airstreams. The partition redirects the first and second recombined airstreams to a second direction angularly disposed from the first direction of air flow to enable the first and second output airstreams to be separately transmitted to first and second separate zones within the vehicle. Independently movable blend valves are interposed in the first and second airstreams to provide independent selection of temperature of the first and second output airstreams.

Abstract: A powered panel control apparatus and method is used with an electric motor having a rotatable armature. The control detects and generates time periods between the rotation of the armature over a predetermined constant amount of angular rotation. An average time period is computed over a predetermined number of time periods and compared with a threshold time period to determine if an obstacle is present in the path of movement of the panel. Transient counts are accumulated for increasing average time periods over a number of time period samples to detect an obstacle. Endzone ramp compensation adjusts a threshold for the initial entry of the panel into a seal.

Abstract: A rotor for a permanent magnet motor with a rotor yoke and a permanent magnet ring mounted on the rotor yoke, the magnet ring having a plurality of circumferentially spaced poles. One of the rotor yoke and the permanent magnet ring is an annular member including depressed portions along a peripheral edge located around a midpoint between each pole. The depressed portions are shaped so the motor produces a sinusoidal flux density. The other of the rotor yoke and the permanent magnet ring is an annular ring. In another aspect, the rotor has a rotor yoke and a permanent magnet ring mounted on the rotor yoke. The permanent magnet ring includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced poles. One of the rotor yoke and the permanent magnet ring includes a plurality of depressions along an outer peripheral edge shaped so the motor produces a sinusoidal flux density during operation. Each of the plurality of depressions is located around a junction defined by two poles.

Abstract: A heat source is disposed in the thermally conductive mass housing for imparting heat to the mass. Fluid in a flow path through the mass absorbs heat from the mass. A fluid expansion member is mounted over open ends of the fluid flow path. The fluid expansion member, in one aspect, is formed of a compressible material to compress under the forces of fluid phase change to a solid state and expands back to a nominal shape when the fluid undergoes a reverse phase change to a liquid state. In another aspect, the fluid expansion member is a solid seal member overlaying the open ends of the fluid flow channels. The seal resists expansion under normal fluid operating pressures, but expands into an open interior chamber in a closure fixed to the mass to accommodate a phase change expansion of the fluid.

Abstract: A motor vehicle wiper includes a wiper blade mounted on the free end of a wiper arm and pressing a wiping stem against the glass to be wiped. The wiper is provided with a wear indicator using a substance based at least on an azo compound.

Abstract: A windshield wiper drive imparts overlapping butterfly oscillation to a pair of spaced wiper shafts from a rotary drive member having a crank arm. A drive link is provided having first, second, and third connection points. The first connection point is adjacent one end of the drive link and is pivotally connectable to the crank arm of the rotary drive member. The second connection point is adjacent an opposite end of the drive link, and the third connection point is interposed between the first connection point and the second connection point along the drive link. An idler pivot link is pivotable about a fixed axis and has at least three crank arms extending radially from the fixed axis and spaced from one another. A first elongate link is pivotally connected at one end to a first crank arm of the idler pivot link, and is pivotally connected at an opposite end to the second connection point of the drive link.

Abstract: A bending device for bending plastically deformable strip material. The reverse bending that is required for workpieces with narrow processing tolerances in particular takes place independently of the actual bending. This increases the processing precision of the workpieces and simplifies the numerical control of the device. The reverse bending unit is moveably arranged on the bending unit in the bending device.

Abstract: A liftgate component module mountable on a pivotal liftgate window provides a unitary mounting platform for a plurality of components including a window wiper drive apparatus and a window latch apparatus. A unitary bracket carries the wiper drive apparatus and the window latch apparatus. The bracket may be an integral extension of the wiper motor apparatus housing. Connections on the bracket mate with connectors carried on the liftgate window for securing the bracket to the liftgate window in a single assembly.

Abstract: A wiper blade for cleaning a windscreen, in particular, a curved windscreen on a vehicle, has a frame with at least two claws to retain and guide a rubber-like wiper element, where the frame has at least one claw bow with a claw on at least one end of the bow and a pivot at a distance from the claw, where the claw has a contact surface at the claw base pressing on the upper side of the wiper element, where the surface is delimited in the longitudinal direction of the bow by an outer edge and an inner edge and has a maximum length and has claw fingers on the opposite longitudinal sides of the wiper element which capture the rear body forming part of the wiper element or engage longitudinal grooves in the side of the rear body and are delimited in the longitudinal direction by an outer edge and an inner edge, and the contact surface envisages that the claw fingers of at least one claw of the wiper blade are offset in relation to the contact surface in the longitudinal direction of the bow toward the pivot of th

Abstract: A stator tooth design for a stator core of a permanent magnet motor. The tooth surface comprises a plurality of surface segments, wherein each surface segment of the plurality of surface segments joins an adjacent surface segment of the plurality of surface segments at an obtuse angle, preferably between 160 and 170 degrees. Alternatively, the tooth surface comprises a single essentially straight surface segment. Each of the plurality of surface segments has a starting edge and an ending edge. Preferably, the starting edge of a surface segment lies along a first circumferential path a predetermined radial distance from the outside edge of the stator core and the ending edge of the surface segment lies along a second circumferential path either closer to or further from the outside edge. The first circumferential path and the second circumferential path can be concentric to the outside edge of the stator core.

Abstract: A windshield wiper system mounting apparatus includes at least one communication grommet. Each communication grommet can include at least one electrical connection and/or at least one fluid connection, such that the electrical and/or fluid connection is accomplished as a result of the mounting the windshield wiper system to motor vehicle body. The mounting apparatus can also include at least one mounting grommet. Each mounting grommet can include a plug-n-play grommet, a fastener grommet, and/or a bayonet grommet. The combination of the communication and mounting grommets connect the mounting apparatus to a support wall associated with the vehicle body in a simplified manner, while simultaneously performing electrical and/or fluid connections.

Abstract: The invention concerns a wiper arm comprising a body extending longitudinally from its rear driving end towards its front end which bears a wiper blade, and wherein, in cross section, at least a section of the arm body has an upturned U-shaped cross section defined by two wings mutually connected by an upper back and extending towards the surface to be wiped, consisting of a downstream wing remaining substantially perpendicular to the back and an inclined upstream wing forming an acute angle relative to a median plane parallel to the downstream wing to form an aerodynamic deflector integrated in the wiper arm which, by the action of a relative downwind direction, tends to urges the wiper arm towards the surface to be wiped. The upstream wing has a substantially planar or curved surface and the value of said angle ranges between 30° and 45°.

Abstract: A windshield wiper drive apparatus includes a non-electrical contact position detector of the wiper inwipe position. A magnet is rotated by the wiper drive gear and moves past a magnetically responsive sensor mounted within the drive housing to detect the inwipe position of the wipers. In one aspect, a rotatable cam is mounted in the housing and carries the magnet. Interengaging members on the drive gear and the cam cause rotation of the cam in only the normal direction of rotation of the drive gear. Any back movement of the drive gear through interfering contact of the wiper blades with an obstruction separates the drive gear interengaging member from the cam preventing movement of the cam.