Abstract: An acceleration sensor for an automotive inflatable occupant restraint system employs a rolling diaphragm to divide a housing into two chambers in fluid communication through orifices across the diaphragm. The orifices damp the motion of an acceleration sensing mass with respect to the diaphragm.

Abstract: An automotive seat back cover includes an improved closure member that permits fastening the cover to the seat back upon the imposition of a force urging two plastic snap members together.

Abstract: A piezoelectric motor actuated amplifier mechanism that utilizes a pair of saggital linkages having one relatively fixed saggital midpoint and joined at their end points to obtain a doubled amplification factor output from one relatively movable saggital midpoint. Thermal compensators are employed between the piezoelectric actuator and the saggital linkages to stabilize the amplifier throughout a wide range of temperatures.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine has intake and exhaust ducts, including an exhaust duct portion formed as an integral part of the engine along with the engine coolant jacket and passages, the exhaust duct portion being located in good thermal contact with the engine coolant flow passages, and flow diverting valves in the exhaust duct portion to direct exhaust gases to flow through the exhaust duct portion when the engine is cold in order to accelerate warm-up, the valves causing the duct to be bypassed under normal operating conditions.

Abstract: An anti-theft system for sensing the removal of an ignition lock assembly from its housing utilizing a grounding switch within the housing that is biased to disconnect an electrical path when the ignition switch is forcibly removed. An associated circuit provides continuous monitoring of the conduction path within the housing when the ignition switch it turned off.

Abstract: A system for measuring distance traveled by a vehicle periodically updates the accumulated measurements, displays the updated measurements and electronically stores corresponding accumulations of updated distance data in a non-volatile memory device. The system employs a method of reading through the sequentially ordered storage locations of the non-volatile memory to determine the most recently stored correct data value as a value to be both displayed and used as a base value for subsequent measured distance accumulation.

Abstract: An automotive door hinge assembly is provided with a check spring assembly consisting of a leaf spring with an elastomeric block mechanically connected in series with the leaf spring and in which the check spring assembly is carried within the door plate and body plate of the hinge assembly.

Abstract: A rectifier circuit and control regulator are assembled onto a single plate for integral installation within the housing of an alternator. The method includes fabricating the plate with insulating, masking and conducting layers so as to provide mounting areas for commonly oriented rectifier diodes and efficient cooling for the entire unit.

Abstract: A release linkage for an automotive vehicle door latch provides a link which is vertically adjustably positioned with respect to a pivotal connection to the door's outside handle and is connected with lost motion to a latch actuating rod which is carried between the door handle and a release lever for the latch.

Abstract: An automotive type internal combustion engine has an air throttle body for providing air to the engine for combination with fuel injected to define a fuel air charge; the air throttle body having primary and secondary air passages controlled by throttling valves, the primary passage being a drive-by-wire electrical system in which the throttle valve is moved electrically in response to movement of the vehicle accelerator pedal, the secondary passage being controlled by a throttle valve that has a direct mechanical connection to the vehicle accelerator pedal to be operative at wide open or near wide open throttle positions of the accelerator pedal to not only supply additional air for wide open throttle operation, but also to supply sufficient air to sustain engine operation in the event of inoperativeness of the electrical system or the actuator/motor affecting movement of the primary throttle valve.

Abstract: An electrical connector which provides a positive interconnection between the exposed conductor runs of a flexible printed circuit film and corresponding conductors on a printed circuit board by utilizing an insulated block mounted on the printed circuit board for holding a plurality of spring contacts and providing a holding mechanism adjacent the flexible printed circuit film so that compression between the electrical contacts and the exposed runs is maintained.

Abstract: For a composite headlamp bulb body that has a seal and a flange with spaced tabs extending therefrom, the mechanism allows for the bulb body to be oriented in a predetermined configuration and inserted into the aperture of a retaining ring. The retaining ring is snap fitted for permanent installation onto the socket structure of a reflector housing and contains cantilevered finger elements with ramped surfaces to interfere with the flange tabs during rotation of the inserted bulb while in the socket.

Abstract: A vehicle accelerator pedal push-pull type cable is connected from the accelerator pedal lever to the carburetor throttle lever through a support bracket that includes a flexible soft pliable sleeve type connector with a dumbell-like shape that permits extreme bending of the cable and connector during servicing and other operations, one end of the connector being secured within the bracket, the other end extending cantilever-like from the bracket and formed to resist separation from a dust tube surrounding the cable.

Abstract: A compact combination engine air cleaner/noise deadener for installation in the engine compartment of a motor vehicle type engine includes a two piece plastic elongated housing that is compact and has an ambient air inlet at one end radially spaced from an air outlet to the engine located on the axis of the housing, the inlet containing a first noise attenuating venturi, the housing having an air filter at the other end connected to the venturi and discharging air into a second convergent-divergent flow control noise attenuating venturi with which is integrated a mass air flow sensor, the venturis being surrounded by a dead air space type resonating chamber that has an inlet concentric with the air outlet so that engine feedback noises and sound waves are trapped in the chamber and dissipated, and any sound waves passing serially into the venturis bounce off the walls of the venturi diffusers to also be dissipated, thus minimizing the transmission of engine feedback noises past the air cleaner.

Abstract: This specification is directed to electrochromic optical shutter (10) in which an electrochromic material (12), an ion conductor (14), and a counter electrode (16), in that order, are sandwiched between visibly transparent electrodes (18-18). The shutter is improved by forming the counter electrode from a nickel oxide applied to, as a base therefor, either the ion conductor or one of the transparent electrodes. The material is applied by a pyrolytic spray process in which a solution containing nickel as a pyrolyzable organic salt dissolved in an organic medium is sprayed on the base. The base has been previously heated to a temperature sufficient to pyrolyze the sprayed material and form a nickel oxide counter electrode layer.

Abstract: A flexible innerlayer tape having a corrugated portion in which the corrugation runs along the length on the tape. The innerlayer tape is wound onto a storage reel with radially leaded electrical components so as to provide separation between the wound layers of components, support for the leads and protection against a change in the lead wire orientation while on the storage reel.

Abstract: A device for slitting an elastomeric strip into two identical halves of cross-section suitable for use as windshield wiper blades includes a drive roller which grips the strip and draws it through stationary dies past the operative cutting area of a pair of rotary cutters having cutting tip configurations and placement effecting cutting of the strip to provide sharp, consistent corners at the resulting blade tips.

Abstract: The invention relates to a filler cap 10 for a fuel tank of a motor vehicle, the mouth of the filler spout 16 of which is arranged in a recess 18 in the vehicle body.The filler cap 10 comprises a body 12 to fit over the mouth of the filler spout 16, and a lock mechanism 16 rotatable relative to the body 12 for locking the filler cap body 10 to the spout 16. A cover plate 20 hinged on the body 12 is pivotable between a first position in which the cover plate 20 is flush with the vehicle body and covers the fuel spout recess 18, and a second position in which access may be gained to the lock mechanism 16.

Abstract: A plastic one-piece tubular clip has a base portion embedded in the bolt mounting hole of each of the holes of an engine oil pan gasket, and a tubular shaft portion that projects through the aligned holes of an oil pan rail and an oil pan reinforcing plate, and through which the oil pan mounting bolts are inserted, the tubular portion having internal ridges or teeth to grip the shank of the bolt with its head portion butting up against the bottom of the reinforcing plate to resiliently lock all the pieces together as a subassembly so that the oil pan can be easily assembled to the engine merely by raising the oil pan up against the crankcase with one hand and then pushing each one of the bolts up into their mounting holes and tightening the same with the other hand.

Abstract: A combination air inlet - engine noise silencer consists of a shell-type housing of large volume having a small volume air inlet tube at one end and an outlet of restricted area at another portion at right angles to the inlet for direct passage into the engine induction system, the air inlet tube containing a conical-like insert coaxially mounted with its apex facing upstream to provide a base portion at right angles to the axis of the inlet tube whereby engine acoustical waves passing from the engine towards the inlet are reflected against the base portion of the cone back into the expansion chamber to be dissipated and broken-up thereby reducing the engine noise, the cone concurrently increasing the velocity of the air flow into the engine proper to increase operating efficiency.