Abstract: A shaft assembly having an inner shaft extending lengthwise within an outer shaft, and a slip joint enabling relative axial movement between the shafts. The slip joint includes roller tracks on the outer shaft, and rollers on the inner shaft in rolling engagement with the roller tracks.

Abstract: A method for detecting a contact point of a brake mechanism. The brake mechanism includes an actuator controlled by a motor. The method includes the steps of establishing a parameter of the motor and a derivative of the parameter and, if the parameter has passed a previous value under no load conditions and the amplitude of the derivative of the parameter has passed a predetermined threshold, responsively establishing a zero position of the motor.

Abstract: First and second pumps are integral in that the pumps are driven by a common motor. The first pump is driven in pumping motion by an eccentric disposed on the motor shaft and the second pump is driven in pumping motion by an end of the motor shaft. The first pump can be an ABS pump and the second pump can be a pre-charge pump. The first and second pumps can be disposed in a common block housing and the common block housing can define a fluid path extending from the outlet of the second pump to the inlet of the first pump. A third pump can be susbtantially similar to the first pump and be disposed on an opposite side of the shaft as the first pump. The third pump can be driven in pumping motion by the eccentric. A separate feed line can be directed from the reservoir of the brake system to the second pump to improve performance.

Abstract: A single planet planetary differential including a shaft mechanism, a planet gear, disposed so as to be meshingly communicated with the shaft mechanism, a carrier device, the carrier device defining a carrier cavity for rotatingly containing the planet gear, a worm gear, wherein the worm gear is disposed so as to be meshingly communicated with the carrier device and a differential housing, wherein the differential housing defines a differential cavity for rotatingly containing the shaft mechanism and the carrier device and wherein the differential housing defines a worm gear cavity for rotatingly containing the worm gear.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method, a computer usable medium including a program, and a system for monitoring inflation in a plurality of vehicle tires. The method and computer usable medium include the steps of determining a direct pressure in at least one primary tire and determining a rolling radius for the primary tire and at least one secondary tire. A pressure difference is determined based on the determined rolling radius for the primary and secondary tires. The determined pressure difference is adjusted based on the determined direct pressure of the primary tire. The determined pressure difference is compared to at least one threshold value. The system includes means for achieving the method steps of the invention.

Abstract: A method for metallurgically joining a tube to a member. A tube having a flange is obtained, and a member is obtained. The tube and the member are positioned with the flange contacting the member directly and/or indirectly through an intervening welding/brazing joining material. The flange and/or the member is segmented and their contact is a segmented contact at spaced-apart contact areas between the flange and the member. A resistance welding/brazing current path is created,through the tube and the member at a first contact area creating a first weld/braze zone which includes at least some of the flange and at least some of the member. Then, a resistance welding/brazing current path is created through the tube and the member at a different second contact area creating a second weld/braze zone which includes at least some of the flange and at least some of the member.

Abstract: A method for joining a tube to a member. A tube having a flange is obtained, and a member is obtained. The tube and the member are positioned with the flange contacting the member either directly or indirectly through an intervening joining material. The tube and/or the member are locally heated proximate the contact of the flange and the member without substantially heating the tube and/or the member apart from proximate the contact of the flange and the member. In one example, the local heating is welding, with or without a filler material, such as resistance welding, laser-beam welding or electron-beam welding. In another example, the local heating is brazing. In an additional example, a curable adhesive joining material is placed on the flange and/or the member, wherein the adhesive is located between and directly contacts the flange and the member, and wherein the local heating cures the adhesive.

Abstract: A method of manipulating manufacturing features in horizontally structured manufacturing process models for large parts, comprising: selecting a manufacturing feature from a plurality of manufacturing features; wherein the horizontally structured manufacturing process model includes a first master process model in a first file with an established coordinate system with an existing sequence of virtual machining each manufacturing feature of the plurality of manufacturing features into a virtual blank, and each manufacturing feature exhibiting an associative relationship with the coordinate system and the virtual blank. The method also includes relocating the selected manufacturing feature of another master process model; and re-sequencing the master process model to establish a new sequence for virtual machining each manufacturing feature of the plurality of manufacturing features into the virtual blank indicative of the relocating.

Abstract: A high-performance piston core including a first piston cylinder and a second piston cylinder, with a piston center longitudinally disposed between and magnetically coupling the first piston cylinder and the second piston cylinder. The piston center is made of high-performance magnetic material, such as Cobalt steel (CoFe), Silicon steel (SiFe), Vanadium/Cobalt steel (Permendur), alloys thereof, or the like. The high-performance magnetic materials exhibit high magnetic permeability and reduce the magnetic reluctance of flux bottlenecks. In addition, high-performance magnetic materials typically saturate at a higher flux density than the conventional magnetic materials. The first piston cylinder and the second piston cylinder can be made of conventional magnetic material, such as low-carbon steel. The first piston cylinder can include a ring disposed about an end, where the end is longitudinally attached and magnetically coupled to the piston center.

Abstract: The present invention provides contoured crushable composite structural members and methods for making the same. The contoured structural members comprise composite materials sandwiching a support or stabilizing structure. The contoured structure can be provided by tube rolling (or roll wrapping) the composite materials and the support structure together and then, if necessary, bonding them or connecting them. The structural members are made crushable by incorporating an initiator into the structures of the members. With a contoured, crushable, and generally non-flat structure, applications for the structural members of the present invention are nearly limitless.

Abstract: The telescoping steering column includes a fixed jacket, and telescoping a translating jacket, and an inner tubular member. A wedge, is moved by a screw, into wedging engagement with the inner tubular member to force the inner tubular member into engagement with the translating jacket and the translating jacket into the fixed jacket for preventing relative longitudinal movement.

Abstract: A system and a method for controlling a steering position of at least one rear wheel of a vehicle are provided. The vehicle has both a brushless electric motor with a plurality of electrical phase windings and a steering actuator. The brushless electric motor has a rotor configured to drive the steering actuator. The steering actuator is operably coupled to at least one rear vehicle wheel. The method includes determining a desired voltage value indicative of about one-half of a peak-to-peak voltage to be applied to each of the plurality of electrical phase windings of the brushless electric motor based on a desired rear vehicle wheel steering angle and a measured rear vehicle wheel steering angle. The method further includes determining when the desired voltage value is greater than a threshold voltage level. The method further includes calculating a phase advance angle based on at least the desired voltage value and the threshold voltage level.

Abstract: The invention provides a multi-link suspension assembly for a vehicle wheel, comprising a wheel carrier, an upper lateral link, a lower lateral link, a toe link, and a longitudinal link. The wheel carrier is oriented along a longitudinal axis of a vehicle body. The upper lateral link is oriented along a lateral axis of the vehicle body near the wheel center and is pivotally connected to the wheel carrier. The lower lateral link is oriented along a lateral axis of the vehicle body near the wheel center and is pivotally connected to the wheel carrier. The toe link is oriented along a lateral axis of the vehicle body behind the wheel center and is pivotally connected to the wheel carrier. The longitudinal link is oriented along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle body and is pivotally connected to the wheel carrier forward of the wheel center and pivotally connected to the lower lateral link near the wheel center.

Abstract: A hub support (12) by which a wheel-supporting hub (14) may be supported for rotation relative to an axis (22). The hub support (12) comprises a one-piece metal casting, the casting comprising mounting means (12b, 12c) by which the hub support (12) may be mounted on a vehicle, and support means for a hub (12a). The support (12) also forms part of or a mounting for operating means (26, 32) by which friction material pads (18) of a disc brake (15) are brought into force-applying engagement with one or more discs (16) mounted on the hub (14). Said one-piece metal casting also comprises a guide (28; 28a; 28b) on which at least one of said friction material pads (18) may be mounted for movement relative to the axis (22).

Abstract: An integrated gear shift selector switch assembly for an automotive vehicle includes a park position switch and a brake transmission shift interlock switch combined in a unitized housing as an integrated structure. The park position switch has a movable component that moves within the housing between a park and non-park position corresponding to a movement of a gear shift selector lever from a park to at least one non-park position. The brake transmission shift interlock switch also has a movable component supported by the switch housing for movement in to and out of selective locking engagement with the movable component of the park position switch to selectively unlock and lock the gear shift selector lever in the park position.

Abstract: A motor assembly, such as an electro-mechanical-brake (EMB) motor assembly includes an electric motor, a latch gear, a solenoid, and a spring. The latch gear is non-rotatably attached to the drive shaft of the motor. The spring is operatively connected to the solenoid and has a spring projection which is longitudinally-deflectable by energizing the solenoid. The gear tooth is shaped to longitudinally retain the spring projection when the latch gear rotates the gear tooth into engagement with the longitudinally-deflected spring projection. In one example, the latch gear is a parking-brake latch gear and the motor assembly provides a parking brake function for an EMB electric motor which also is used for applying and releasing a vehicle's driving brakes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the feel back torque of a motor provides for receiving a difference between a desired motor position and an actual motor position; filtering the difference into two or more frequency bands; and applying a gain to one or more of the filtered frequency bands in correspondence with the received signal or a low-pass portion of the received signal to provide a motor command.

Abstract: An energy absorber may be used with the motor vehicle steering column of a motor vehicle is provided. The steering column includes a tubular mast jacket and a steering shaft. The tubular mast jacket has an upper end and a lower end. The steering shaft is located and rotatable within the mast jacket. Thee mast jacket and steering shaft are centered along a longitudinal center line. The mast jacket further includes an outer jacket with a top line parallel to the center line and located at a top of the mast jacket. The energy absorber includes a sleeve and a lower mounting bracket. The sleeve has a first end and a second end and forms a sleeve bore for receiving the lower end of the mast jacket. The lower mounting bracket is mounted on a body structure of the motor vehicle and defines a lower mounted bracket bore for receiving the second end of the sleeve. The energy absorber further includes a convex anvil located on at the second end of the sleeve, and generally being centered along the top line.

Abstract: A delashing assembly includes a tightening device for tightening a nut in relation to a main shaft supported on bearings and a wireless interface, wherein torque information is received by the tightening device over the wireless interface. A main shaft and main nut assembly, as well as a steering system, may include the delashing assembly. A method of delashing the main shaft and main nut assembly includes providing a tightening device on a first end of the main shaft and sending torque information from a second end of the main shaft to the tightening device over the wireless interface.

Abstract: A steering input device for a steer-by-wire system is provided. The input device comprises a first shaft and a hand wheel. The first shaft is rotatably installed in a first housing. The hand wheel is connected to the first shaft such that the hand wheel and the first shaft drive one another. The hand wheel has a range of motion of between about ±45 degrees and about ±90 degrees. The hand wheel also has an outer dimension of about 12 inches. The range of motion and the outer dimension allow the steering input device to be installed in a vehicle in a non-conventional position relative to a twentieth century conventional position including at least one of the hand wheel extending from the first shaft extending along a length defining the vehicle on one of two sides thereof and the hand weel extending rearward in the vehicle farther than an instrument panel.