Abstract: The present invention is a fastening assembly for securing a door trim panel to a door body inner panel. The assembly includes a male member having a head portion adapted to be removably secured to a slot in the door trim panel. The male member has a cylindrical portion having a plurality of barbs spaced longitudinally along the cylindrical portion. The assembly also includes a female member having means for removably securing the female member to the door body inner panel. The female member has a cylindrical portion with a longitudinal axis and a pocket formed therein along the longitudinal axis. The pocket includes a means for engaging a groove between a pair of adjacent barbs on the male member for adjusting the door trim panel relative to the door body inner panel.

Abstract: The belt tension measuring device includes an enclosure supporting a movable load cell therein, the load cell being connected at one end to a belt contacting member and at the other end to a manually activated handle means so that the contact member can be moved against the belt thereby generating a force on the load cell. The activation means includes a reciprocally movable shaft which is cooperative with a catch member to latch the shaft into an tension measuring position whereby the contact member is moved a predetermined distance while pressing against the belt.

Abstract: A bracket assembly is provided for mounting a loose upper deck panel onto a vehicle body in the space between the rear vehicle window and the vehicle deck lid. The bracket includes a spacer element for positioning the bracket both vertically and longitudinally with respect to the deck lid. Securement means are provided on the bracket for mounting of the loose upper deck panel thereon in proper position with respect to the deck lid.

Abstract: Speed error is calculated by finding the difference between set speed and vehicle speed and then filtering the result. The error is tested for polarity and magnitude before selecting a desired acceleration rate. This acceleration rate is used in an acceleration based electronic speed control system for vehicles.

Abstract: A half-bridge driver circuit extends the duration of recirculating decaying currents in an inductance type indicating gauge after source voltage is cutoff. An inverter circuit controls a source transistor to provide a lower resistance path for the decay current than provided by the suppression diodes of the half-bridge driver.

Abstract: Components of the package are a leakproof container of sufficient size and shape to hold five quarts of motor oil and one engine oil filter and a zip-type, tear-open top to the container with a pull tab.The container is made of a paper-based material which allows interior coating to provide a leak resistant environment once engine oil is drained from an engine into the open container. The size and shape of the container is unique to the size and configuration of the five quarts of motor oil and the single engine oil filter contained within the carton. Before opening, the container top is a means to contain the five quarts of motor oil and engine oil filter. The zip-type, tear-open top with pull tab is a means to open the container, revealing and providing access to the five quarts of motor oil and engine oil filter contained within.

Abstract: A fuel tank with a sheet metal outer enclosure and an inner resilient liner overlying the outer enclosure with the upper surface of the liner being mold formed into a configuration suitable to act as a movable bladder to thus separate the tank interior into a variable volume fuel space and air space.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a wire harness retainer stud adhesively bonded to an automobile body panel. This stud is used to mount a wire harness to automobile body panels. The stud contains a contact adhesive and an uncured adhesive. The contact adhesive is used to mount the stud to the body panel until the stud and panel are heated to cure the uncured adhesive, thereby bonding the stud to the panel. A method of, and apparatus for, automated assembly of the stud is also disclosed.

Abstract: A bracket assembly is provided for mounting a loose upper deck panel onto a vehicle body in the space between the rear vehicle window and the vehicle deck lid. The bracket includes a spacer element for positioning the bracket both vertically and longitudinally with respect to the deck lid. Securement means are provided on the bracket for mounting of the loose upper deck panel thereon in proper position with respect to the deck lid.

Abstract: A method of determining and using an acceleration correction in a acceleration based electronic speed control system for automobiles, the method being utilized by a microcontroller.An error correction pulse is selected by integrating (or summing) the differences between the desired acceleration and the actual vehicle acceleration. The integral is compared to a trigger window. The throttle position is controlled based on the value of the integral as compared to the window. This is keyed in providing smooth control. The integration action serves to filter transient acceleration errors to dampen throttle response to prevent throttle correction at a faster rate than the vehicle can respond thereby reducing over and under shoot of the throttle.

Abstract: An arrangement for mounting a window glass sheet to a liftplate movable within a vehicle door. A plastic spacer bushing, having a through bore formed with an internal left-hand thread, is sandwiched between the glass sheet and the liftplate. A retainer assembly includes a plastic capped retainer, having an external left-hand threaded stem portion, and a metal T-nut. The T-nut head portion is concentrically anchored to the retainer cap portion with the T-nut tubular portion, having a right-hand internally threaded bore, telescopically received within the stem portion bore. The retainer stem portion is inserted through a hole in the glass sheet and is formed with its left-hand external thread engaging the bushing bore internal left-hand thread. The liftplate is secured to the glass sheet by a bolt having a right-hand threaded stem passed through a liftplate aperture for engagement with the T-nut internally threaded tubular portion.

Abstract: This invention relates to a number of improvements in ignition systems of spark ignition engines. A detector is employed to sense the first or "breakdown" phase of spark discharge across the spark plug which causes a short duration high current flow across the plug gap. The detection of the breakdown current enables control over a number of ignition system functions. A pulse transformer is used which enables extremely short duration energization of the spark plug at controllable voltages. The existence of end gas auto-ignition is detected by energizing the spark plug during a period of the operating cycle after top dead center of piston travel. Since the threshold voltage necessary to generate spark discharge at the plug differs in conditions where auto-ignition is occurring versus ordinary combustion, sensing of plug breakdown during such energization provides a means of detecting the occurrence of auto-ignition.

Abstract: A coupler to connect spaced apart ends of a pair of aligned shafts in an odometer assembly, for example, the shaft supporting a permanent or total mileage counting device and another shaft supporting a trip counting device. The coupler has a central body with a thin guide portion extending therefrom for insertion between the shaft ends. Each end of the coupler has a pair of spaced legs defining an open ended slot adapted to receive a shaft end. One leg on either end has a resilient catch-tab for holding the coupler in position on the shaft.

Abstract: A shaft coupler particularly adapted for automated assembly to axially spaced ends of two axially aligned shafts such as are commonly found in an odometer assembly. The coupler has a main body portion with a guide portion adapted for insertion between the shaft ends and spaced legs at either end adapted for sliding insertion over flats formed on the shaft ends. The main body has a projection therefrom adapted to be gripplingly engaged by an installation tool. Also, the projection and tool define mutual nonsymmetrical portions for orienting the tool and coupler relative to the shaft so that the coupler may be installed thereto in a simple radially directed movement.

Abstract: A heat sink assembly to dissipate heat from electrical components to a housing is disclosed. The housing is formed from a suitable heat sinking material including a body with integral continuous walls extending from the perimeter of the body. A carrier mechanism which retains a plurality of electrical components is positioned within the housing. The electrical components have heat sink tabs which are positioned in the housing such that the tabs are coupled with the housing to dissipate heat from the electrical components to the housing. A resilient biasing member including a plurality of resilient fingers is coupled with the carrier mechanism to retain the carrier and electrical components in position on the housing.

Abstract: An electroluminescent display drive circuit which compensates for the decrease in capacitance of the electroluminescent display panel that is experienced as the panel ages; this is accomplished by use of an RC time constant which will effectively increase the voltage presented across the electroluminescent display panel as the capacitive element of the RC time constant decreases with the age of the panel. Also presented is high frequency power supply to excite electroluminescent displays without a transformer such that the voltage across the display is in phase with the current through the display thereby reducing the effect of power factor and electromagnetic interference.

Abstract: A liquid fluid level sensor responds to differential pressure forces exerted on a diaphragm as produced by exposure of liquid fluid to one side and of atmosphere to the other side. An arched resistance card is movable with the diaphragm to engage the mid-portion of a metal spring which progressively overlies greater portions of the card as the diaphragm moves thereby changing the resistance of a circuit including the card and the spring.

Abstract: A vehicle fuel tank with a fuel level sensor is disclosed including a housing rotatably supporting a molded crank arm and a pivotal float rod attached thereto. The crank arm has a bore for insertion of one end of the crank arm and an apertured metal insert molded therein for providing a gripping interference fit between the inserted rod and the crank arm.

Abstract: A support and retainer for a shaft to be supported in spaced overlying relation to a base member as found in an odometer assembly, including an upstanding projection or post which has a bearing portion for support purposes and further including an adjacent retainer member which extends generally parallel to the post and has a free end normally overlying the shaft end but movable in the shaft's axial direction to allow passage of the shaft end against the post's bearing.

Abstract: A fuel gauge damper circuit takes a variable resistance signal from a fuel tank sending unit, develops an input voltage proportional to the variable resistance and generates a filtered average of the input voltage at the fuel gauge output. The circuit damps undesirable large swings in the input voltage caused by "sloshing" in the fuel tank. Additionally, the damper circuit features power-up initialization apparatus for eliminating erroneous gauge indications which would otherwise occur upon the initiation of vehicle engine cranking.