Abstract: A flexible arm light for a motor vehicle having a passenger compartment equipped with an overhead console includes a first housing and a second housing interconnected by a flexible housing. The first housing includes a lamp coupled to the overhead console at a first location. The second housing is coupled to the console at a second location. The flexible arm light is operable in a stowed position and a deployed position wherein the flexible arm light is selectively directable toward a target when in the deployed position.

Abstract: A fuel control system is provided for enhancing the fueling strategy of a vehicle at start up when fueling is being supplemented with purge vapors from the fuel tank. The system includes monitoring the purge vapor flow rate from the purge vapor control system to the engine at start-up. A dynamic crankshaft fuel control fuel multiplier is then calculated based on engine roughness. If the engine is operating rough during purge vapor fueling, the amount of injected fuel is adjusted according to the fuel multiplier. Once oxygen sensor feedback is available, the dynamic crankshaft fuel control fuel multiplier is recalculated based on the oxygen sensor goal voltage. If necessary, the amount of injected fuel may be readjusted with the updated fuel multiplier. Once the engine is warm, the purge vapor fueling stops and the present methodology ends.

Abstract: The analog input of a sensor is connected to a 10-bit analog-to-digital converter. The converted is powered using a 5V supply. The A/D is interfaced with a microprocessor; however, only the least significant eight bits of the A/D output are connected to the microprocessor input. The microprocessor is used to adjust the fuel-air mixture used in engine combustion based on the output of the sensor. The use of the 10-bit A/D interfaced with only eight bits allows increased precision and increased computational speed. The increased precision allows more accurate adjustment of the fuel-air mixture to enable the engine to run closer to its stoichiometric point.

Abstract: A fuel control system is provided including a fuel tank, a purge vapor canister, a vapor line, and a fuel injector connected to an internal combustion engine. A purge vapor canister vent valve seals the purge vapor canister from the atmosphere such that the fuel tank, purge vapor canister, and fuel injector form a closed system. Upon initial starting of the engine, the purge vapor pressure is such that the purge vapor is drawn to the fuel injector from the dome portion of the fuel tank after passing through the purge vapor canister. Simultaneously therewith, the amount of liquid fuel is reducing or increasing by an amount of equally increasing or decreasing, respectively, vapor fuel so that a necessary mass flow rate is achieved to support combustion. As the amount of fuel vapors decreases to a negligible amount, combustion is supported by the atomization of liquid fuel.

Abstract: A reinforced vehicle door assembly more efficiently manages side impact energy by transferring the impact energy through door hinge assemblies to the vehicle frame. The door frame assembly preferably includes first and second reinforcement members or intrusion beams which are attached directly to hinge assemblies. The hinge assemblies have a first hinge member adapted for fixed attachment to the vehicle frame. A second hinge member is pivotally attached to the first hinge member and fixedly attached to a tapping plate. The tapping plate is in turn fixedly attached to the frame of the door. One end of both of the reinforcement members is fixedly attached to an associated one of the mounting plates.

Abstract: A vehicle fascia assembly includes a main body portion adapted to be interconnected to a frame of a motor vehicle and a horizontally elongated lamp having an inboard end and an outboard end. The lamp, which in one embodiment is a sidemarker lamp, is normally retained in an operative position within an opening in the main body portion of the fascia assembly and is permitted to move relative to the main body portion during an impact to accommodate elastic deformation of the main body portion. In the preferred embodiment, an inboard end of the lamp is interconnected to the main body portion of the fascia assembly through a resiliently deflectable mounting member. The mounting member is preferably constructed of spring steel.

Abstract: A lifter unit is provided for use with a transfer die of the type used to form sheet metal components. The lifter unit functions to appropriately position a stamping between the upper and lower die assemblies and is easily accessible from the top of the lower die assembly. The lifter unit is fabricated from standard components and is readily adaptable to a wide range of transfer die designs. As such, the lifter unit of the present invention is a standardized item that can be quickly utilized by a die designer to provide a part positioning feature in a transfer die running in a transfer press.