Abstract: A fold-in-floor vehicle seat is supported in a use position on a generally flat load floor. To move the seat into a storage position, the seat is lowered onto a portion of the load floor that acts as an articulated base for the seat. The base approximates the footprint of the seat, and covers a storage cavity directly below the seat and configured to closely receive the seat. The base is free floating with respect to the remainder of the load floor, but is pivotally connected to the vehicle by an articulating arm that allows the base to rotate about a pivot point through an arcuate section of guide track in the storage cavity, and the arm then articulates to allow the base to travel through a straight portion of track. The arm then returns to its starting position as the base traverses a second arcuate section of track, having now inverted so that the seat is lodged within the storage cavity.

Abstract: A flashloader having a standard module for receiving programming instructions and an application program via a communications port of a vehicle controller, where the flashloader further provides an MCU module for writing the received application program to reprogrammable memory within the vehicle controller, and an ECU module for determining whether a valid application program has been stored in the reprogrammable memory. Upon detection of a valid application program a microprocessor of the vehicle controller executes instructions from the reprogrammable memory and upon detection of an invalid application program the microprocessor continues to execute instructions from the bootloader.

Abstract: A dark bronze soda-lime-silica glass composition having excellent ultra violet and infra red absorbing ability. The colorants of the glass composition consist essentially of: greater than 0.5% total iron oxide as Fe2O3 with a maximum of 1.5% Fe2O3, wherein the redox ratio of FeO/total Fe as Fe2O3, is less than 0.26; 0.10 to 1.00 wt. % manganese compound as MnO2; 0.0005 to 0.004 wt. % selenium as Se; up to 0.016 wt. % cobalt oxide as Co; the glass composition having, at 4.0 mm. thickness: 570-585 dominant wavelength, 5-30% purity of excitation, 20 to 65% light transmittance using Illuminant A (LTA), less than 35% ultra violet transmittance measured over 300-400 nm, and less than 46% infra red transmittance measured over 760-2120 nm. At 20-50% LTA, the excitation purity is 7-30%, while above 50% LTA, the excitation purity is 5-20%. This glass is particularly useful for architectural applications.

Abstract: Metal nitrides are prepared by reacting a metal halide with an amine at an elevated temperature. The process is useful for depositing titanium nitride and vanadium nitride films onto glass, to make solar control automotive and architectural glazings.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, an electronic device comprises a circuit board having a first side and a second side and having circuit traces formed only on the first side. The electronic device further includes a voltage regulator providing a regulated voltage via a regulated voltage output terminal and having a regulated voltage return terminal. Additionally, the electronic device includes a microcontroller mounted to the first side of the circuit board and having a plurality of regulated voltage input terminals and corresponding microcontroller voltage return terminals. The electronic device also comprises a bus comprising a first circuit trace coupled to the regulated voltage output terminal and a second circuit trace coupled to the regulated voltage return terminal, the first circuit trace and the second circuit trace running substantially parallel to one another.

Abstract: An assembly (30) for use with a rotating electric machine has a first injection-molded plastic part (32), a second injection-molded plastic part (34), and a third injection-molded plastic part (36). Parts (32, 34) are a bearing sleeve and a brush holder respectively, while part (36) is a cap. The bearing sleeve has a transverse wall (138) from which channels (146, 148) extend in one direction. A cylindrical wall extends in the other direction to form a bearing cup (136) for receiving a bearing assembly. The brush holder has two side-by-side brush guides (62, 64) each containing a respective brush (38, 40). It also has two channels (110, 112) that interlock with the channels of the bearing sleeve to accurately and rigidly place the two parts (32, 34) in assembly. The cap closes an axial end of the bearing sleeve and attaches to the brush holder. The parts are further characterized by various structural features, as well as fabrication and assembly methods.

Abstract: An electrical machine includes one or more multiple-phase electrical power windings and an auxiliary winding. The auxiliary winding when closed generates electromagnetic fields which partially cancel fields generated during the operation of the electrical machine. The result is reduced audible noise from the electrical machine.

Abstract: A fault detection method is disclosed for a motor vehicle charging system including a generator and an electrical component coupled to receive electrical current from the generator. In one embodiment, the method comprises sensing a first voltage at an output of the generator and sensing a second voltage at the electrical component and, if the first voltage and the second voltage differ by more than a predetermined amount, reducing or suspending output of electrical current from the generator. One advantage of the method disclosed herein is in its ability to diagnose a fault in an electrical connection at the output of a motor vehicle generator, where the fault manifests itself as a high resistance connection.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine intake module (10; 60) integrates elements of a PCV system, including a PCV valve (40) and a channel, or conduit, (102) for conveying gaseous fluid.

Abstract: A throttle body (61) has a first body part (62) containing an upstream portion of a through-bore (68) and a second body part (64) containing a downstream portion of the through-bore. The two body parts are joined together to register the downstream portion of the through-bore as a continuation of the upstream portion at respective confronting faces of the two body parts. A throttle mechanism (92) is captured between the two body parts. The mechanism includes a torsion spring (78) external to the through-bore having tails (78A, 78B) respectively associated with formations in the exterior of the throttle body and in a cam on the shaft for spring-biasing a throttle blade (70) of the mechanism that is disposed within the through-bore to closed position.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a water-based paint composition comprising sodium silicate, water, water-soluble base, metal oxide pigment, a fused silica and, optionally, a low-melting glass frit, soda-lime-silica glass particles and/or zinc oxide. It may further optionally include surfactants and aluminum hydroxide. The paint composition is particularly useful as a black-out paint on automotive vehicle windshields and has been shown to impart improved stone chip resistance to the glass.

Abstract: An electronic module comprising a power supply conductor coupled to one or more electromechanical actuators to supply operable power to the electromechanical actuators. The electronic module also includes a moisture sensor positioned to sense moisture intrusion into the module. Further, the electronic module comprises a first transistor responsively coupled to the moisture sensor, the first transistor coupled to draw current from the power supply conductor when the first transistor is in a conductive state. In addition, the electronic module includes a second transistor responsively coupled to the first transistor and in turn controllingly coupled to the first transistor.

Abstract: The invention is a medium color gray soda-lime-silica glass composition having excellent ultra violet and infra red absorbing ability. The colorants of the glass composition consist essentially of: greater than 0.5 but less than 0.9 wt. % total iron oxide as Fe2O3; 0.1 to 1.0 wt. % manganese compound as MnO2; 0.0005 to 0.003 wt. % selenium as Se; 0.002 to 0.010 wt. % cobalt oxide as Co; up to 1.0 TiO2; the glass composition having, at 4.0 mm. thickness: 485-570 dominant wavelength, less than 5% purity of excitation, 35 to 60% light transmittance using Illuminant A, less than 40% ultra violet transmittance measured over 300-400 nm, and less than 45% infra red transmittance measured over 760-2120 nm.

Abstract: An rotor assembly 10 for use with an electrical machine. Assembly 10 includes two opposing and selectively intermeshing pole pieces 12, 14. Each pole piece 12, 14 has a body 16 and a plurality of integrally formed and outwardly extending projections or pole fingers 18. A plurality of magnets 34 are each fixedly secured, by use of swaged portions 36, within a unique one of several slots 38 which are cooperatively formed between a unique one of fingers 18 and a unique portion of body 16 of pole pieces 12, 14.

Abstract: A method for dynamically balancing a centrifugal blower fan wheel is disclosed. The method includes the steps of determining an amount and location of change in the fan inlet ring of the blower wheel which is required to balance the blower wheel. Once this determination is made, the radial thickness of the inlet ring is increased at a predetermined location to provide the proper amount of balance to the blower wheel. A mold is described for accomplishing this method.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for forming a starter motor drive stop includes the steps of forming a splined portion in a starter motor output shaft and forming at least one stop surface. Preferably, the stop surfaces are located in the splined portion and are formed as an integral part of the spline forming step.

Abstract: A speed monitoring and control method for a brushless motor controlled by a controller which provides switching control signals to a plurality of switching elements includes comparing one line voltage of the motor with a signal representing a voltage at the neutral node of the motor, to generate a comparison signal. The method also includes ANDing the comparison signal with a switching control signal to generate a composite feedback signal representative of a rotational speed of the motor's rotor relative to a speed of a rotating magnetic field generated by the stator.

Abstract: A throttle body (11) has a through-bore (18), a circular throttle blade (20) of nominal uniform thickness is disposed within the through-bore and on a cylindrical shaft (22). The through-bore has two generally semi-circular ledges (56, 58) spaced upstream and downstream respectively from an imaginary flat plane that contains the shaft axis, each at a distance substantially equal to one-half the blade thickness. One ledge occupies essentially one semi-circumference of the through-bore for sealing with one of the opposite semi-circular perimeters of the throttle blade when the blade is closed, and the other occupies essentially an opposite semi-circumference of the through-bore for sealing with the other semi-circular perimeter of the blade when the blade is closed.

Abstract: A throttle body (61) has a first body part (62) containing an upstream portion of the through-bore (68) and a second body part (64) containing a downstream portion of the through-bore. The two body parts are joined together to register the downstream portion of the through-bore as a continuation of the upstream portion at respective confronting faces of the two body parts, capturing bearing assemblies (94, 96) of a throttle mechanism (92) between the confronting faces to thereby journal the shaft on opposite wall portions of the throttle body. A gasket (116) is disposed between the confronting faces to circumferentially seal the through-bore, including sealing between the bearing assemblies and the confronting face of the first throttle body part.

Abstract: A tamper-proof seat screw (30), such as an idle set screw for a throttle lever of a throttle body, comprises a tool-engageable head (31) at one end, a foot (34) at an opposite end, and a threaded shaft (32) between the head and the foot with the threaded shaft having an adhesive coating (36) thereon that forms an adhesive joint between the threaded shaft and a threaded throttle body bore (10a). An anti-tampering slip collar (42) is provided on an anti-tampering break-away shaft (40) between the threaded shaft and the foot to hinder post-factory tampering of the screw.