Abstract: A motor-vehicle structure includes an underbody portion of sheet-metal defining an aperture with within there is mounted a floor portion of plastic material or composite material, for housing a spare wheel or other component of a vehicle, such as an electric or electronic component and/or for example a unit for accumulating electric energy. To said floor portion of plastic material or composite material there is associated a holding element having at least a first part anchored to the underbody portion of sheet-metal and at least a second part which can be anchored to said spare wheel or said other component, so that in case of an accident, said holding element prevents said spare wheel or said other component from being projected far away from the underbody structure, by constraining it instead to remain within a distance corresponding to one dimension of said holding element.

Abstract: In an engine having an electronically controlled hydraulic system for variable actuation of intake valves, an operating step of refilling, prior to ignition of the engine, is activated to refill a pressure chamber of the system with fluid when, after prolonged engine inactivity, the chamber has been emptied. In this refilling step, fuel supply to the engine is inhibited, and a camshaft is rotationally driven following upon activation of an engine-starting electrical machine. In this way, a pumping member associated to a tappet for actuating an intake valve is used as a pump for drawing fluid into the pressure chamber from an auxiliary fluid tank. During this step, a control valve is opened and closed in synchronism with movement of the pumping member so as to be open when the pumping member advances towards the pressure chamber and closed when the pumping member moves away from the pressure chamber.

Abstract: A fuel electro-injector for a fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine, having an atomizer equipped with a nozzle and a valve needle defining a discharge section that is annular and has a width that continuously increases as the opening stroke of the valve needle proceeds. The opening stroke is directed outwards and is caused, in a proportional manner, by the operation of an electric actuator. The electro-injector has a high-pressure environment with an annular passageway around the lateral outer surface of the valve needle to supply fuel to the discharge section, and a low-pressure environment, which communicates with a fuel outlet and is separated from the high-pressure environment by a dynamic seal between the valve needle and the nozzle.

Abstract: An intake assembly for an internal-combustion engine includes an intake duct for each cylinder, which communicates with an airbox that includes a filtering element. Each intake duct communicates with the airbox by a respective throttle body. A monitoring channel connects the intake ducts together and is configured for perturbing in a negligible way the dynamics of the fluid inside the intake ducts. Associated to said monitoring duct are sensors for monitoring the pressure inside the monitoring duct and designed to send signals indicating the value of pressure of the fluid taken in by the engine to an electronic control unit.

Abstract: A seat backrest for a motor vehicle has a structure, which supports a padding covered by a cover; the structure has a rear plate provided with a coupling portion, to which an end of the cover is fixed along a peripheral edge of the plate itself; the plate is fixed to a front frame by means of a snap-on connecting device having a plurality of deformable appendages, which are carried by the plate in positions that are spaced apart from one another; the appendages are part of respective brackets, which are fixed to the plate and have respective stiffening portions, which are arranged at the coupling portion.

Abstract: Described herein is a unit for conversion of thermal energy including: —a first heat-exchange unit defining a first flow path for a first thermovector fluid; and—a second heat-exchange unit defining a second flow path for a second thermovector fluid. The second flow path is obtained by a plurality of cartridge elements each including at least one element made of thermoelectric material. The second heat-exchange unit includes a first manifold element and a second manifold element, each including a connection interface to said plurality of cartridge elements, which is configured for providing a hydraulic connection with inlet orifices and outlet orifices of the cartridge elements, and an electrical connection to first electrodes and second electrodes of said plurality of cartridge elements electrically connected to the elements made of thermoelectric material.

Abstract: A bodywork or chassis component for a vehicle includes a first sheet having a first connection flange and a second sheet having a second connection flange, the first and second sheets being joined in correspondence of the respective first and second connection flanges. The first connection flange is a flange folded back towards the first sheet so as to define a valley with the first sheet. The second connection flange is overlapped to said first connection flange for an overlap length and it is at least in part joined to said first connection flange by a welding at that joins a perimeter edge of the second connection flange to a side of the first connection flange external with respect to said valley. The first and second connection flanges are parallel to one another in correspondence of the overlap length. The invention further includes a method for manufacturing of the aforementioned component.

Abstract: In a method for manufacturing a camshaft for an internal combustion engine a metal tubular element is expanded within a mold with the aid of a fluid at high pressure fed into the tubular element and with a simultaneous axial compression of the tubular element. The cams of the camshaft are formed in subsequent steps, starting from intermediate cams and ending with end cams. In a first step of the method, the intermediate cams are formed in a first mold. In a subsequent step, the end cams are formed within auxiliary molds which surround, only throughout a predetermined length, end portions of the tubular element which project from the mold which surrounds the already formed intermediate cams. In this subsequent step, the tubular element is compressed axially by axially displacing two clamp members, which grip and surround completely, throughout a predetermined length, the end portions of the tubular element which project outwardly from the auxiliary molds.

Abstract: An air guiding device for a motor-vehicle includes a main chamber located at the rear of a front wall of the motor vehicle, and defined between the front wall, a rear wall which is spaced apart from the front wall and two side walls. A first opening is provided on the front wall, for the inlet of air into the main chamber, while at least one second opening on said rear wall guides the air into an engine compartment. Two side ducts extend from an inlet to an outlet giving out on a respective outer side wall of the motor-vehicle. To the second opening there is associated a device for controlling the air flow therethrough. The outlets of the two side ducts are arranged and oriented so as to generate a substantially flattened and vertical air curtain adjacent to each front wheel of the motor-vehicle.

Abstract: An electrically actuated control valve has three mouths and three operating positions, in which the three mouths includes a first mouth for inlet of a working fluid, and a second mouth and a third mouth for outlet of the working fluid. The three operating positions include a first operating position in which a passage of fluid from the first mouth to the second mouth and the third mouth is enabled, a second operating position in which a passage of fluid from the first mouth to only one of said second and third mouths is enabled, and a third operating position in which the passage of fluid from the first to the second mouth and the third mouth is disabled. The control valve includes an electric or electromagnetic actuator for controlling the passage of fluid from the first mouth to the second and third mouths providing the aforesaid three operating positions.

Abstract: An air conditioning system for motor-vehicles includes a thermally controlled expansion valve unit for regulating the expansion of the fluid upstream of the evaporator, depending upon the temperature downstream of the evaporator. An intermediate heat exchanger provides a heat exchange between the conduit upstream of the evaporator and the conduit downstream of the evaporator. The expansion valve unit is arranged in such a way that its temperature sensor detects a temperature of the fluid along the conduit downstream of the evaporator at a portion of this conduit which is located downstream also with respect to the intermediate heat exchanger. A connecting flange is interposed between the evaporator and the thermally controlled expansion valve unit.

Abstract: A synchronous electric machine includes a stator having a plurality of teeth with first and second active surfaces; first and second stator windings having respective series of first and second coils wound on said teeth; first and second rotors having respective series of first and second permanent magnets with alternate polarities and facing said respective first and second active surfaces; wherein the first coils and the second coils of each stator winding are arranged in pairs, with two coils of each pair offset from each other by a predetermined angle; and wherein, during operation as a motor, two first coils of each pair produce concordant torque contributions on the first rotor and discordant torque contributions on the second rotor and two second coils of each pair produce concordant torque contributions on the second rotor and discordant torque contributions on the first rotor.

Abstract: An auxiliary frame for supporting elements of a front suspension of a motor-vehicle includes two end supports for connection thereto of suspension elements and a structure which connects the end supports to each other. The connecting structure has a front beam and a rear beam which connect the end supports to each other. The rear beam has an arch-like configuration which extends substantially in a horizontal plane, with a central portion arranged in a forwardly spaced position. The front beam of the connecting structure has a configuration which is substantially straight and perpendicular to a vertical median plane of the auxiliary frame. The front beam and the rear beam are longitudinally spaced from each other and connected to each other by at least two lateral longitudinal arms spaced from each other and which have a configuration substantially straight and parallel to the vertical median plane of the auxiliary frame.

Abstract: An automotive electronic control unit (4) configured to control operation of automotive direction indicators (2) based on motor vehicle-related data and by receiving current steering wheel angle (?) and motor vehicle speed (v), determining an initial steering wheel angle (?0) when a direction indicator (2) is activated, determining minimum and maximum steering wheel angles (?min, ?max) reached during the period that the direction indicator is active, computing a steering wheel release angle (?r) based on the current motor vehicle speed (v), the steering wheel release angle (?r) representing the steering wheel angle (?) beyond which the motor vehicle's steering wheel is to be turned in the direction indicated by the active direction indicator to cause, when the steering wheel is turned in the opposite direction at the end of steering manoeuvre, the automatic deactivation of the active direction indicator (2), and determining if and when to deactivate the active direction indicator (2) based on the current stee

Abstract: A system for variable actuation of an engine valve of an engine includes a master piston driven by a cam of a camshaft. A slave piston is driven by the master piston by a volume of pressurized fluid. The slave piston causes the engine valve to open, against the action of a spring. A control valve controls a communication between pressurized fluid and an environment at lower pressure, with which a fluid accumulator is in communication. A control unit is programmed for controlling the control valve according to one or more different valve modes. When one of these valve modes is actuated, the control valve opens the communication in advance with respect to the end of the lift cycle of the cam, and not after closing of the engine valve to prevent or reduce a decrease in pressure in the volume of pressurized fluid after closing of the engine valve.

Abstract: A fuel saving-aimed motor vehicle driver assistance system configured to receive and process motor vehicle-related data and motor vehicle position-related data to identify recurrent routes of a motor vehicle and to provide a motor vehicle driver, via an automotive human-machine interface, with motor vehicle driving assistance recommendations for fuel saving along the routes. The motor vehicle driver assistance system is configured to identify recurrent routes of the motor vehicle by determining a succession of geographic points, referred to as Waypoints, along a route of the motor vehicle, at which values of a series of physical quantities are determined and recorded, which define the attributes of the Waypoints. The Waypoint attributes are then updated when the vehicle travels through them.

Abstract: An air outlet device has a supporting structure suitable for communicating, in use, with an air ventilation system, and an outlet member that is configured so as to supply an air flow along an outlet axis and is coupled to the supporting structure so as to rotate by 180° about a joint axis orthogonal to the outlet axis, to assume two opposite configurations. The outlet member comprises a plurality of deflecting walls defining a plurality of air ducts, which are arranged about the outlet axis and distributed axially in sequence. The deflecting walls are shaped and/or positioned so as to guide the air in the air ducts in directions having a radial component. At least one of the deflecting walls has a series of through-holes made in positions that are spaced apart about the outlet axis.

Abstract: A hybrid powertrain unit comprises an engine and a gearbox device with a primary shaft connectable to a shaft of the engine via a clutch device. The gearbox device comprises a secondary shaft with an output pinion meshing with a first crown wheel of a differential, the casing of which is rigidly connected to a casing of the gearbox device. The unit comprises an electric machine configured to operate as an electric motor and as an electric generator, and having a shaft connected by a transmission to a second crown wheel of the differential. In the transmission, arranged between the electric machine shaft and the second crown wheel is an engagement device that can be operated via an electronically controlled actuator. The transmission that connects the electric machine shaft to said second crown wheel includes an auxiliary shift device configured for providing at least two different selectable transmission ratios.

Abstract: A module for monitoring industrial processes for use in a system for monitoring industrial processes that comprises sensor means (7; 17) for detecting process quantities in a process station (20), acquisition means (8, 32; 32?; 32?) for acquiring measurement signals (R) issued by said sensor means (7; 17), processing means (9; 19) operating on signals (T; T1) generated by said acquisition means (8, 32; 32?; 32?) to obtain information on the quality of the process, and means for managing the production flow (9; 19), which operate on the basis of said information on the quality of the process and are located in a workstation (50) that is remote with respect to said process station, said monitoring module (30) being configured for being set locally at said at least one process station (20) for receiving measurement signals (R) issued by said sensor means (7; 17).

Abstract: Described herein is a gearbox for a motor vehicle including a plurality of forward gear ratios and a reverse gear ratio, the gearbox further including: a control device (configured for controlling the selection and the engagement of said forward gear ratios and of said reverse gear ratio; and a plurality of engagement devices that can be controlled by means of said control device for engaging the forward gear ratios or reverse gear ratio (RM) of the gearbox that are operatively associated to said devices. The gearbox includes a locking device, which is electrically controlled and configured for preventing actuation of the engagement device associated to a predetermined forward gear ratio, said locking device being configured for being actuated above a threshold speed of the motor vehicle on which said gearbox is installed.