Abstract: An apparatus that stabilizes vehicle sliding doors when transitioning to and from a closed position, wherein the sliding door is guided along a track by a guide wheel contacting internal surfaces of the track. The apparatus stabilizes the sliding door by limiting movement of the guide wheel in cross-car and vertical directions. The apparatus is coupled to the track and limits movement of the guide wheel by contacting a shaft of the guide wheel as well as top and bottom surfaces of the guide wheel. Shaft and bottom surface contact is provided by a plurality of parallel members extending along a first and second side of the shaft of the guide wheel. Top surface contact of the guide wheel is provided by a longitudinal member, preferably having a longitudinal cavity for energy absorption and dissipation. The plurality of parallel members further define a curved receptacle which substantially mates with the shaft of the guide wheel.

Abstract: A rear seat assembly for a vehicle can be moved between a seating configuration and a load floor configuration without requiring the operation of release pins or knobs. The seat assembly includes a mount assembly bolted to the floor of the vehicle and a seat back pivotably engaged with the mount assembly. The seat back is formed with a lower finger. A seat cushion is movably coupled to the mount assembly, and an interlock pin is immovably formed, as by welding, to the seat cushion. The seat cushion can be pushed backwardly to a seating configuration, in which the seat cushion is juxtaposed with the seat back and the interlock pin abuts the engagement surface to hold the seat back upright. Also, the seat cushion can be rotated forwardly to distance the interlock pin from the seat back and thereby permit the seat back to be pushed downwardly into a horizontal load floor configuration.

Abstract: A seal retainer for an electrical connector comprising two seal retainer halves for connecting around a wire assembly, the seal retainer halves being identical with corresponding locking tabs.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for limiting the fault current in a portable welding gun comprising a power circuit, the power circuit comprising a circuit breaker and an isolation contactor, the isolation contactor in series with the circuit breaker, the fault current limited by providing a safety circuit, the safety circuit comprising a safety circuit comprising two resistor/relay pairs, the resistor and the relay of each pair in series with each other and each pair in parallel with a contact of said contactor, the resistors sized to limit the fault current in the power circuit to less than 50 ma.

Abstract: A removable detent mechanism to be utilized with a vehicle door hinge assembly for providing a temporary door check mechanism during painting of the vehicle body and door assembly. The detent mechanism is positioned between the door hinge pin and the vehicle hinge bracket. An interference lobe formed on the detent mechanism is engageable with a portion of the door hinge bracket to generate a detent force during the opening and closing of the door assembly relative to the vehicle body. The removable detent mechanism is provided with local stiffness features which enable adjustment of the detent force.

Abstract: A nesting vehicle tailgate assembly comprising a primary leaf with a first and second edge, the first edge pivotally connected to the vehicle, the primary leaf defining a recess, the secondary leaf having a first and second edge, the first edge of the secondary leaf pivotally connected to the second edge of the primary leaf, the secondary leaf shaped to nest within the recess.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing side impact forces in a body-on-frame vehicle includes a plurality of impact reducing members connected between the body and the frame of the body-on-frame vehicle. One embodiment of the impact reduction member includes a flexible cord preferably constructed from polymer fibers. The cord is looped around a portion of the frame and a portion of the body. Another embodiment comprises a self-securing polymer sleeve. The impact reducing members further may be protected by a sheath. Connecting members for connecting the impact reducing members to the frame include an arm and a plurality of bolts connecting the arm to the frame. The impact reducing members reduce the side impact forces during a collision.

Abstract: A method of shifting in a manual mode of an electronically-controlled automatic transmission system includes the steps of determining whether a shift lever of a shift lever mechanism is presenting a position error when the shift lever is in a manual position, determining whether at least one switch on the shift, lever mechanism is presenting an error if a shift lever position, error is not determined, determining whether a temperature of an, automatic transmission or engine coolant temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold if the at least one switch is not presenting an error, determining whether the manual position conditions have been met, determining whether an upshift or downshift of the automatic transmission is scheduled if the manual position conditions have been met, and executing either an upshift or a downshift of the automatic transmission based on the determined upshift or downshift being scheduled.

Abstract: An electrical connector comprising power and control circuits within the same connector body.

Abstract: A shift control mechanism for manually shifting an automatic transmission includes a housing having a shift control pattern The shift control pattern has a longitudinal portion defining a plurality of automatic transmission operating settings and a transverse portion at one end of the longitudinal portion for manually shifting the transmission. The shift control mechanism additionally includes a shift lever manually movable along the shift control pattern for selecting the automatic transmission operating settings and for manually shifting the transmission. A switch is provided which is actuated by moving the shift lever in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal portion in the transverse portion to send a signal to manually upshift or downshift the automatic transmission. A centering mechanism centers the shift lever within the transverse portion.

Abstract: An optical strain gauge for measuring strain and torque on a rotating member. The apparatus includes a plurality of electrically resistive torque sensing elements secured to a rotating shaft which generate an output signal to a light. The magnitude of the light varies in accordance with the torque or strain sensed by the sensing elements. The optical signal transmitted by the light is received by an optical transmitting element having a plurality of fiber optic strands. The fiber optic strands pick up the received light and transmit the light to a photo sensing element which then transmits the signal to an intensity meter. The intensity meter provides an indication of the magnitude of the optical signal, and thus the magnitude of the sensed torque or strain. The apparatus does not require conventional slip rings or other like devices and is not susceptible to electromagnetic interference or other objectionable electrical phenomena.

Abstract: An arrangement for mounting a sliding door to a vehicle body for movement between an open position and a closed position. The arrangement includes a guide track mounted to the sliding door, a carriage support arrangement carried by the sliding door and a swing arm. The swing arm is connected to the carriage for pivotal movement about a first axis and to the body for pivotal movement about a second axis. With the sliding door unlatched, the swing-arm rotates the carriage support arrangement and the sliding door through an obtuse swing angle, thereby reducing longitudinal tipping forces on the sliding door. Further, when the swing-arm and sliding door are in the full-open position, the sliding door's center of gravity is only slightly offset aft of the carriage support arrangement, thereby reducing the force needed to remove the swing-arm, carriage support arrangement and vehicle sliding door to a fully-closed position.

Abstract: An apparatus for guiding a seat belt webbing includes a mounting portion and a guiding portion. The mounting portion preferably includes an aperture adapted to receive a vertical post for conventionally mounting a head rest to a vehicle seat back. The guide portion defines an opening for receiving the seat belt webbing. In the preferred embodiment, the opening is defined by a fixed arm and movable arm interconnected by a living hinge.

Abstract: A multi-piece front casting assembly for operably coupling components of a front suspension to a frame rail of a vehicle frame assembly. The casting assembly including an upper casting welded to the frame rail and having a pair of attachment locations extending laterally outwardly for operably coupling an upper control arm thereto, a attachment location extending laterally inwardly for operably coupling a rocker arm for a shock/spring assembly thereto, a suspension cross member attachment location, an engine cooling module attachment, a bumper mounting attachment, and two body structure attachment locations for securing the body structure to the frame assembly. The casting assembly further includes a front lower casting and a rear lower casting, each welded to the frame rail and having an attachment location for operably coupling a lower control arm thereto.

Abstract: A retractable seat assembly for a motor vehicle is fully retractable below the level of the vehicle's floor. Typically, the invention involves a bench-type seat which is located behind the driver and passenger seats of a minivan or other vehicle. In an operative position, the seat has a generally upright seatback which cooperates with a lower horizontal member to provide the seating portion. In the non-operative or stored position, the entire seat is positioned below the level of the vehicle's floor. Preferably, the front and rear edges of the seat are interconnected to the vehicle body for pivotal movement about translatable axes.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for removing excess material from a container with a follower plate pump assembly comprising providing an air bladder, disposing the bladder within the container, connecting the bladder to the air source, and inflating the bladder via the source when the follower plate has reached a point in the container where it no longer has the ability to pump material, the air bladder forcing material up to the follower plate.

Abstract: A front suspension and steering mount cradle is disclosed for front-wheel-drive and all-wheel drive motor vehicles which provides improved component packaging, noise isolation, and heat shielding. The cradle includes laterally spaced apart supporting end arches integrally joined by a transversely extending inverted U-section saddle, wherein each arch is defined by an upper section terminating in downwardly diverging front and rear legs. Each front leg ends in a pivot pin fitting for connection to a suspension arm front pivot bushing while each rear leg terminates in a footpad housing connection for a rear bushing fitted on a rearward extending stem of each arm. Each cradle forward leg provides a pedestal bracket for supporting a frame front isolator assembly while each rear footpad supports a frame rear isolator assembly. A pair of upstanding engine mounting flanges on the saddle bight wall insure exact powertrain orientation.

Abstract: A process control interface system having a network of distributed triply redundant input/output field computer units. The system includes a plurality of self-contained remotely located triply redundant field computer units connected to decision making redundant process control computers through a bi-directional communication network having at least two concurrently active communication channels. Each of the field computer units include a set of at least redundant field computers for arbitrating both input and output signals. The input arbitration method enables a plurality of selectable default input conditions, such as select HIGH and select LOW, in the event that a majority agreement cannot be reached among valid input signals. The output arbitration method includes a plurality of selectable default output conditions, such as fail SAFE and fail LAST. Each of the default input and output conditions may be rapidly adjusted through software selection.

Abstract: A reversible floor panel for making the rear seat floor area adjustable in a passenger vehicle. The reversible floor panel is formed with a planar surface on one side and an extended surface on the other side. The extended surface is adapted to fit within a cavity of the vehicle floor. When the reversible floor panel is mounted with its extended surface facing upwardly for added passenger comfort, the space between the planar surface and the floor cavity also forms a hidden compartment for use by a passenger. The reversible floor panel may also be formed with an extended flange along one end that enables a footrest shape to be present in both of the reversible positions.

Abstract: A window assembly specifically for the rear hatch opening of a motor vehicle is provided which is pivotally moveable between an open position and includes an exterior surface mounted completely flush with adjacent surfaces of the vehicle body. In a preferred embodiment, a mounting bracket interconnects an adjustable support member and a glass panel of the window assembly through an adhesive bond. The mounting bracket includes a generally planar mounting portion and a tab portion. The mounting portion is generally curvilinear with the laterally opposing sides in parallel relationship to one another. The curvilinear configuration of the mounting portion functions to oppose a bending moment imparted by the adjustable support member as a result of pivotal movement of the glass panel between its open and closed positions.