Abstract: The nozzle of a fuel injector is constructed to have a seat member and a single thin disc orifice member. A guide member affixed to the seat member guides the injector needle toward the seat in the seat member as the needle is reciprocated within the injector by pulsing the injector solenoid. Fuel is conveyed past the guide member by holes that are spaced radially outwardly from the central hole which guides the needle and that are skewed to the injector axis. As fuel passes through these skewed holes, it acquires angular momentum. The effect of this angular momentum is to increase the divergence of the column of fuel that is emitted by the single thin disc orifice member.

Abstract: An electromagnetic fuel injector has a raised seat with which the needle tip coacts to open and close the injector as the injector is operated. The raised seat has an annular transverse seating surface surrounding a hole through the seat member. The hole through the seat member has a frusto-conically shaped surface immediately contiguous the annular seating surface, and the tip of the injector needle is conically shaped. The cone angle of the needle tip is greater than the cone angle of the frusto-conically shaped hole in the seat member, and the needle tip and the annular transverse surface of the seat are almost parallel so that the needle tip seats on the annular transverse surface of the seat at the rim of the frusto-conically shaped hole when the injector closes. The seat is softer than the needle so that the seal is initially good and becomes better as the injector is operated.

Abstract: A wheel speed sensor comprises a Hall device disposed in a pocket in a cavity of a plastic housing. The cavity is filled with potting compound to capture and enclose the Hall device. Flux issued from a magnet that rotates with the wheel acts upon the Hall device and is concentrated on the Hall device by ferromagnetic fragments interspersed throughout the potting compound.

Abstract: A thin edge orifice disk is defined as a disk having a thickness to main dimension or diameter ratio of at least 1:80. The manufacturing of an accurately sized orifice in the disk is accomplished by means of a progressive die. One of the stations of the die provides a coining operation on the orifice. Such coining operation is adjustable by means of a micrometer adjustment.

Abstract: The actual lift of a valve is monitored by a lift sensor that is coupled to an electronic valve controller by a lift signal processing circuit, and the electronic valve controller issues a control signal that is calculated to secure as faithful correspondence as possible of this lift signal to a command signal that the electronic valve controller receives from an electronic engine management controller. The processing circuit functions to disclose to the electronic valve controller the actual opening and closing instants of the valve in a manner that amounts to the sensor being precisely re-calibrated each time that it closes.

Abstract: The sensor comprises a silicon sensing element on a ceramic substrate. A slot is provided in the substrate just ahead of the leading edge of the silicon so that some of the airflow that is flowing toward the leading edge surface of the silicon passes through the slot. This promotes a less turbulent flow over the sensing face of the silicon.

Abstract: Hydrocarbon fuel vapors that are collected in a canister are periodically purged to the intake manifold through a purge valve that comprises a variable orifice valve portion and a flow regulator valve portion in series with each other. The variable orifice portion sets an orifice in inverse proportion to manifold vacuum. The flow regulator portion controls the flow in accordance with a signal from the engine E.C.U.

Abstract: A pico fuel injector valve (10) adapted to be received in an injector socket provided in an air intake manifold (12) of an internal combustion engine having an integral fuel rail (14). The fuel injector valve has a magnetically permeable cylindrical housing (26) having radial inlet ports (24) and an armature guide bore (32). A valve seat member (40) having an outlet port and a valve seat (48) is attached to the end of the cylindrical housing (26) having the guide bore. An orifice plate (56) having a calibrated orifice is disposed in an orifice plate recess (50) provided in the face of the valve seat member (40). A stator (76) disposed in the cylindrical housing has an axially disposed pole member (78) and a radial flange (80) attached to the other end of the cylindrical housing. A solenoid coil is wound directly around the pole member (78).

Abstract: An electromagnetic fuel injector is calibrated for dynamic flow by creating a blind hole in a stationary pole piece passing through the solenoid coil. The blind hole can be created by drilling, or by partially filling a pre-existing hole.

Abstract: In the event of coolant loss leading to engine overheating, the operating range of an automobile engine can be extended by limiting the engine load signal that is supplied to the engine E.C.U. A circuit for implementing this feature is disclosed.

Abstract: The circuit according to the invention comprises a hysteresis comparator 9 connected to a transistor 2 controlling the current flowing in an inductive load 1. The voltage taken across the terminals of a measurement resistor 3 is compared with a reference voltage established by a source 6. According to the invention, a feedback loop 10 establishes a proportional action of the transistor 2 on the current in the load 1 when the voltage at S exceeds a predetermined threshold. In this way an oscillation is obtained between two values on either side of a nominal value, these two values being associated with the thresholds of the hysteresis comparator. Application to the production of an integrated circuit for the control of the ignition coil of an internal combustion engine.

Abstract: Improvements for imparting hysteresis, or dampening, to the shaft of a pedal assembly for an electronic throttle actuation system so that the feel of the pedal simulates the feel of a strictly mechanical system. Pads are resiliently urged against a disk in one embodiment, the disk being affixed to the pedal shaft. In another embodiment, metal rings are resiliently urged against friction rings on the disk.

Abstract: The amount of protrusion of an end of a standard length push pin from a stationary part of a solenoid-actuated valve is measured at a certain point in the valve fabrication process. Then before the armature is assembled into the valve, a depression whose depth is based on the push pin protrusion measurement is coined into the end of the armature that is to bear against the protruding end of the push pin. When the armature is assembled, the protruding end of the push pin seats in the depression that has been formed in the end of the armature with the result that the air gap between this end of the armature and the stationary part from which the push pin protrudes is the desired thickness. The process is well-suited for automated operation so that maximum production efficiencies can be attained.

Abstract: A method of making a molded plastic component of an internal combustion engine. The method is for making a fuel rail and includes constructing particular core pins of the mold with threaded connections that form seals between them when they are disposed in proper position within the mold cavity for the molding of a fuel rail. The core pins serve to form a main fuel passage and auxiliary fuel passages which transversely intersect the main fuel passage. Each core pin that forms an auxiliary fuel passage includes a screw thread on its inner end that threads into a corresponding complementary threaded recess in the side of the core pin that forms the main fuel passage to create a corresponding seal. This sealing prevents any significant flash from forming in the fuel rail at the intersection of each auxiliary fuel passage with the main fuel passage. After the plastic has been molded, the core pins are unthreaded and withdrawn.

Abstract: A current controlled electronic circuit for a hot wire air flow meter having a symmetrical bridge circuit to measure the mass of the airflow. The present current bridge arrangement requires very few adjustments to select a few resistors for obtaining a required temperature differential and compensation for variations in the temperature coefficient of resistance of both the heated and cold resistors. This is accomplished by placing of a voltage divider in parallel with the sensing leg and a first amplifier responding to the voltage divider and the sensing let to control the current in the compensation leg. A second amplifier responds to the compensation leg for controlling the power to the sensing leg.

Abstract: An in-line noise attenuation device for insertion into a gas induction system, such as the air induction system of an automotive vehicle internal combustion engine. The device comprises two plastic parts snap-fitted together. One part is an outer tube, and the other part, an insert disposed within the first part. The insert comprises a hollow ogival-shaped section that is axially coextensive with a frusto-conically shaped section of the outer tube to form an annular flow path of substantially constant cross section for the inducted air. The flow then passes through apertures in the insert to enter a venturi section. The flow continues through the venturi section and then exits the device. The venturi section serves to choke noise that propagates from the engine in the direction opposite the direction of airflow. The noise is reflected back to the engine by the hollow interior of the ogival-shaped section which is open toward the venturi section.

Abstract: A silicon-based sensor includes a substrate, a sensor element, and a protective diaphragm mounting and covering the sensor element. The diaphragm is a silicon layer which, in a preferred embodiment, includes an etch-stop dopant. The etch-stop layer is sealed to the substrate so that the layer covers and mounts the sensor element to the substrate. The sensor is fabricated by forming a trough area in a surface of a silicon block (e.g., a silicon chip or wafer), treating the trough area with an etch-stop dopant (e.g., boron), depositing a sensor element onto the doped trough area, sealing at least the periphery of the doped trough area to a surface of a substrate (e.g., glass) so as to encapsulate the sensor element, and then etching away undoped regions of the silicon block so that the doped trough area remains as a protective diaphragm sealed to the substrate and covering the sensor element. It is also possible to form a bonding pad on untreated (e.g.

Abstract: The device has an entrance and an exit with two low-restriction venturi sections placed in parallel between the entrance and exit. The entering gas flow is separated into two parts, one to pass through one venturi section and the other to pass through the other venturi section. The two parts reunite as they leave the exit. The venturi sections are substantially identical and each contains at least one venturi. The two sections are axially offset from each other by a distance that is equal to one-quarter of the wavelength of the frequency of a principal noise component so that that particular noise frequency is phase shifted 180 degrees by one venturi section relative to the other with resulting cancellation and significant noise attenuation. Usage in an air induction system of an internal combustion engine for attenuating noise from the engine is illustrated. The device is capable of functioning irrespective of the direction of noise in relation to the direction of gas flow.

Abstract: A dual stream thin edge orifice disk is defined as a disk having a pair of orifices positioned to direct the flow of fluid from the interior portion of a valve into two different streams. The dual streams may be parallel or typically diverge at an angle for directing the stream to two adjacent engine valves in the situation wherein the valve is an electromagnetic fuel injector for an internal combustion engine. To have the dual stream flow in a direction that is not parallel, the area of the disk surrounding the dual orifices is embossed and the orifices are positioned along the sides of the embossment between the base and the apex thereof. The manufacturing of the accurately sized orifices in the disk is accomplished by means of a progressive die. One of the stations of the die provides a coining operation on the orifice. Such coining operation is adjustable by means of a micrometer adjustment.

Abstract: A vehicle wheel speed sensing system comprises a magnetic ring mounted on the wheel hub and a sensor mounted on the spindle. The magnetic ring is polarized at regular circumferential intervals so that as the hub rotates on the spindle, magnetic impulses are detected by the sensor which generates an electrical signal corresponding to the rotational speed of the hub. The radially inner surface of the magnetic ring is non-circular and fits onto a correspondingly non-circular radially outwardly facing surface of a groove in the hub. The groove also comprises an axially inwardly facing shoulder against which the magnetic ring is disposed. A sealing ring that seals the axially inner end of the hub to the spindle also has a portion that radially overlaps the magnetic ring for cooperating with the groove shoulder to axially capture the magnetic ring on the hub. In this way no separate attaching parts are required for mounting the magnetic ring on the hub.