Abstract: A restrictor for limiting the volume of fluid flowing from an automotive hose into a heat exchanging device in an automotive heating or air-conditioning system is disclosed. The restrictor includes a generally cylindrical, hollow body disposed in the hose and a flow limiting washer disposed in the body. The body includes an annular wall having a stepped region of reduced cross-sectional area which receives a hose clamp therein to prevent sliding and rotation of the restrictor within the hose.

Abstract: A duct apparatus for drawing a flow of air into a heat exchanger assembly of an automotive vehicle and directing the flow of air exiting the heat exchanger assembly away from the vehicle engine is disclosed. The apparatus includes a generally rectangular body extending across the entire length of the heat exchanger assembly and partially enclosing it. The apparatus further includes a plurality of vanes disposed in the body adjacent the heat exchanger assembly, the vanes directing the flow of air exiting therefrom, a pair of generally curvilinear plenums each in fluid communication with the body and extending longitudinally therefrom. Each of the plenums includes an exit end for directing air exiting therefrom to ambient air and a fan assembly for drawing air through the heat exchanger assembly.

Abstract: A barrel type air outlet is provided for an opening in an instrument panel or other panel or compartment of a vehicle. The air outlet contains two sets of stationary vanes for directing a stream of air. The first set of stationary vanes is oriented parallel to the longitudinal and transverse axes of the barrel and to one another to direct the stream of air in a jet flow pattern. The second set of stationary vanes is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis and nonparallel to the transverse axis and nonparallel to one another to direct the stream of air in a diffuse pattern to avoid direct impingement of the stream of air on the driver or other occupants of the vehicle.

Abstract: There is disclosed herein a heat exchanger tube having an elongated, generally rectangular member including a planar base, a top, and pair of arcuate opposed side portions interposed between the base and the top. A partition extends from the top to the base to define a pair of fluid passageways, the partition including a pair of opposing, contacting bend portions and a leg portion depending from each of the bend portions which contact the base. Each of the leg portions is disposed at an acute angle relative to a vertical plane and spaced apart a predetermined distance so as define a braze receiving fillet therebetween. A method of manufacturing such a tube is also disclosed.

Abstract: An active suspension system for a vehicle employing fluid powered force exertion units between the wheels and the vehicle body. The vehicle's engine operates a pump which provides pressurized fluid to operate the force exertion units under the control of a processing unit which monitors the rate of change of the power being consumed by the force exerting units and stores demand data indicative of the prior history of power demands placed on the engine by the suspension system. The processor calculates an autoregression moving average of the stored past demand values to form a prediction of future demand, thereby controlling the amount of power delivered by the engine in anticipation of the predicted needs of the force exertion units.

Abstract: A heat shield 22 for an automotive vehicle 10 utilizes a phase change material 28 to absorb excess heat generated by a heat source within the vehicle. The heat shield 22 insulates a component adjacent to heat source and prevents the transmission of heat to the component.

Abstract: A scroll compressor has a housing, fixed and movable scrolls mounted in the housing, and a control valve. The fixed scroll has a discharge port and pairs of bypass ports located at thermodynamically symmetrical points in the compression cycle relative to said discharge port The moving scroll is mounted in the housing and intermeshed with the fixed scroll to trap a volume of fluid. A rotatable, cylindrical control valve has pairs of slots therein that are alignable with the pairs of bypass ports to sequentially vent the trapped fluid and modulate the capacity of the compressor. The valve controls the pumping capacity of the scroll compressor by placing a series of bypass ports across the base of the fixed scroll. The bypass ports allow gas to flow from the compression chambers via the control valve to the low pressure chamber. The flow and sequencing of the ports is controlled by rotating the valve crossing over the ports.

Abstract: An air duct door controls air flow through an air duct in a vehicle. The door has two panels connected together that slide relative to one another as a free end of the first panel pivots and the free end of the second panel is constrained to move in a fixed path to conserve space. The first panel has a central slot and the second panel has a stop member riding in the slot to limit extension of the door. Rails are used to effect sliding movement and to lock the panel members together.

Abstract: An air inlet duct is provided for a heat exchanger of a vehicle. The heat exchanger having a top portion and a bottom portion for receiving air from an air inlet duct. The duct has an outer wall that fits against the heat exchanger and a center baffle for dividing air flow equally to the top and bottom portions of the heat exchanger. The center baffle has at least one member with a vertical portion dividing the air inlet into a plurality of vertical sections and at least one horizontal portion combining alternate ones of the vertical sections and directing air flowing therethrough to the top portion of the heat exchanger and also combining other alternate ones of the vertical sections and directing air flowing therethrough to the bottom portion of the heat exchanger so that the top and bottom portions receive substantially equal air flow.

Abstract: A muffler (20) for attenuating fluid pressure pulsations produced by (14) in an automotive air conditioning system (10) includes a housing (22) having opposed to axial ends, an inlet opening (40) and an outlet opening (42) both disposed at the same axial end of the housing. A tube (44) extends through the inlet opening (40) and into the housing, the tube having a first portion (46) and a second portion (48), the second portion having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the first portion. A circumferential bead (50) limits the extension of the tube into the housing to a predetermined distance. A method of manufacturing such a muffler is also disclosed.

Abstract: A cooling system for an automotive vehicle is disclosed including a heat exchanger assembly, a rotatable axial flow fan and a shroud member at least partially surrounding the fan and the heat exchanger assembly. The cooling system further includes an ejector disposed between the heat exchanger and the engine for drawing ambient air from under the heat exchanger and pumping the air toward the engine and for preventing recirculation of the air exiting the shroud member back to the fan while the vehicle is at idle.

Abstract: A vacuum motor 10 for an automotive vehicle comprises a generally cylindrical housing 12 having an end wall 14 with the depression 16 therein and a diaphragm 22 axially reciprocating within the housing. The diaphragm includes an annular ridge 38 having a predetermined diameter which provides an interference fit for a spring 40 contained within the housing. The interference fit of the spring within the housing reduces the vibration of the spring and the objectionable noise produced by the vacuum motor.

Abstract: An apparatus for attenuating noise produced by fluid pressure pulsations in a hydraulic system in an automotive vehicle is disclosed. The apparatus includes a muffler device comprising a generally elongate tubular member having a predetermined number of attenuating zones therein, each zone having a cross-sectional area of different size than the cross-sectional area of the tubular member. The attenuating zones are spaced at unequal lengths from one another to achieve maximized noise reduction benefits.

Abstract: A power tilt, telescoping and internally collapsible steering column assembly is provided. The assembly comprises a main housing, a telescope housing, and a tilt head. The telescope housing and tilt head are driven by a pair of torsionally rigid axially flexible cables extending generally along the steering column. The cable is adapted by its axial flexibility to axially flex to accommodate the collapse of the telescope housing with respect to the main housing.

Abstract: An active suspension system uses a closed-loop feedback controller to with tunable feedback gains to produce a control signal which minimizes a cost function formed by the weighted sum of system outputs including body acceleration and wheel displacement error. The feedback gains are adaptively varied by incremental amounts which are calculated based on the "pseudo-sensitivities" of those gains to system outputs, the pseudo-sensitivities being generated by a fixed-gain model of the suspension system and being combined using weighting factors which insure convergence in accordance with the predetermined cost function. The adaptive control provides long-term compensation for varying road conditions, variations from vehicle-to-vehicle, and changes in vehicle performance.

Abstract: Method and control system for controlling an automotive HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system using fuzzy logic to prevent fogging. The control system responds to signals generated by various climate control sensors including a humidity sensor to produce a desired vehicle air temperature and air flow to detect and avoid incipient windshield/window fog conditions. Fuzzy logic calculations are performed based on fuzzy rules and membership functions to provide nonlinear compensation.

Abstract: A plate-fin heat exchanger 10 is disclosed including a plurality of flat tubes 14 interleaved with a plurality of fin members 16. The flat tubes 14 are formed from a plurality of plate members 12. The heat exchanger 10 also includes a plurality of fin members 16 and a pair of fluid manifolds 22, 24. The manifolds 22, 24 are formed as one-piece members having a flange formed between the ends. The flange is brazed directly to the endsheet of the evaporator.

Abstract: A tab for joining together a plurality of adjacent, contiguous plate menders of a plate tube heat exchanger is disclosed. The tab comprises a generally planar web interconnecting adjacent plates. The web includes a first edge having a plurality of recesses disposed at predetermined locations therealong and a second edge having a plurality of recesses disposed opposite the plurality of recesses along the first edge. The plurality of recesses define first and second bend zones which provide proper plate-to-plate contact when forming the plate tubes as well as proper fin height spacing between adjacent pairs of plate tubes.

Abstract: A heat exchanger including a core formed by a plurality of elongated plates joined together in pairs to define a series of passageways and a single tank. The tank has at least three separate fluid flow tunnels in fluid communication with the passageways to move fluid through the core. Each of the fluid flow tunnels includes an aperture extending through at least a portion of each of he tunnels. At least one of the fluid flow tunnels is offset from the others such that the centerline of the aperture associated with the offset tunnel lies outside a plane containing the centerline of the apertures through the other tunnels.

Abstract: A fin for use in a heat exchanger of the type comprising a plurality of fluid carrying tubes for transporting heat exchange fluid is disclosed. The fin includes a generally planar base 24 having a longitudinal axis generally perpendicular to the direction of air flowing entering the heat exchanger 10 and a transverse axis generally parallel to the direction of air flow. The axes define a main plane disposed at a predetermined angle (.theta.) relative to the direction of air flow entering the heat exchanger. The fin 22 further includes a plurality of apertures 30 for receiving tubes 20 therethrough and a plurality of louvres 32 disposed on the base 24 extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the base. The angle .theta. can be between 140 and 175 degrees to the direction of air flow entering the heat exchanger.