Patents Assigned to Cooper Automotive Products, Inc.
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Patent number: 6314608Abstract: A wiper blade for a windshield wiper blade refill includes a crown located at the top of the wiper blade. The bottom of the wiper blade has a windshield-engaging lip. A neck extends from the crown toward the lip, and the neck increases in width in a direction away from the crown.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2000Date of Patent: November 13, 2001Assignee: Cooper Automotive Products, Inc.Inventors: Brian A. Fisher, Donald W. Stratton
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Patent number: 6260991Abstract: A compact illuminator includes a housing having open ends configured to receive waveguides. A reflector is positioned within the housing. The reflector has open end portions, a central portion between the end portions, and a light source positioned within the central portion. Side walls extend between the end portions and at least partially enclose the central portion. The side walls protrude inward toward the light source. The reflector is shorter in length than the housing so that the waveguides fit within the housing and abut the end portions of the reflector.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 1998Date of Patent: July 17, 2001Assignee: Cooper Automotive Products, Inc.Inventor: George R. Hulse
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Patent number: 6244734Abstract: An illuminated step-up for a vehicle includes a step-up plate mounted on the door sill of a vehicle. A slot extends along a portion of the length of the step-up plate. An optical waveguide formed from a solid piece of material is positioned to release light through the slot.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 1998Date of Patent: June 12, 2001Assignee: Cooper Automotive Products, Inc.Inventor: George R. Hulse
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Patent number: 6238074Abstract: An optical waveguide structure for distributing light from a light source includes a cylindrical sleeve configured to accommodate and receive light from the light source. The sleeve includes a central axis. A waveguide collar is formed from a solid, planar block of material. The block of material has a central portion configured to accommodate and surround the sleeve. The first and second output arms extend in a plane away from the central portion. The plane is substantially perpendicular to the central axis.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 1998Date of Patent: May 29, 2001Assignee: Cooper Automotive Products, Inc.Inventors: George R. Hulse, James Burr Anderson, Jr.
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Patent number: 6227164Abstract: A direct injection combustion engine includes a combustion chamber, a spark plug and a shield. The combustion chamber includes a fuel intake port, an air intake port and a spark plug insertion opening. The spark plug includes a threaded shell having a firing end, a firing electrode, a ground electrode, and an insulator core nose extending substantially beyond the firing end of the threaded shell, the spark plug being installed in the opening so that the firing electrode, the ground electrode, and the insulator core nose extend into the chamber. The shield is attached to a surface of the combustion chamber and is positioned between the fuel intake port and the spark plug insertion opening and reduces the flow of fuel from the fuel intake port to the insulator core nose, including the portion of the core nose extending into the chamber, without preventing flow of fuel directly from the fuel intake port to a spark gap defined between the firing electrode and the ground electrode.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 1998Date of Patent: May 8, 2001Assignee: Cooper Automotive Products, Inc.Inventor: Kevin Lawrence Miller
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Patent number: 6217201Abstract: An optical waveguide assembly for distributing light within a vehicle door panel includes a light source that outputs light to an optical waveguide. A trunk waveguide that propagates light through internal reflection has output branches and a trunk input portion connected to the light source. Branch waveguides that propagate light through internal reflection extend from the output branches of the trunk waveguide to lighting outputs of the vehicle door panel. Support arms extend between the branch waveguides and support the branch waveguides within the vehicle door panel.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 1998Date of Patent: April 17, 2001Assignee: Cooper Automotive Products, Inc.Inventor: George R. Hulse
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Patent number: 6204594Abstract: A spark plug is installed in an internal combustion engine to monitor engine performance. The spark plug includes an outer shell having a central longitudinal axis and defining a first bore extending along the central longitudinal axis. The outer shell also includes a second bore that is offset from the central longitudinal axis. An insulative core is positioned in the first bore and defines a third bore concentric with the first bore. A first electrode is positioned in and has a firing end extending beyond the third bore. A second electrode including a firing surface is located adjacent to the firing end of the first electrode. A sensor is located within the third bore.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 1998Date of Patent: March 20, 2001Assignee: Cooper Automotive Products, Inc.Inventor: Robert S. Ingham
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Patent number: 6193399Abstract: An optical waveguide for illuminating the interior of a cup holder in a vehicle is disclosed. The waveguide includes a piece of solid material having a ring portion sized and shaped to be received within a cup holder and configured to release light into the cup holder. An input face receives light from a light source. An input portion extends between the input face and the ring portion. The input portion confines light through internal reflection to direct light from the input face to the ring portion.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 1998Date of Patent: February 27, 2001Assignee: Cooper Automotive Products, Inc.Inventor: George R. Hulse
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Patent number: 6186650Abstract: A vehicle headlamp includes a beamforming waveguide having an input face, an output face, and a guide portion extending between the input face and the output face. A light source is positioned at the input face of the beamforming waveguide. A lens is positioned at the output face so that light output by the beamforming waveguide passes through the lens to provide vehicle forward illumination. The beamforming waveguide is shaped to generate a desired headlamp beam pattern and can be formed as a block of solid material, a bundle of plastic or glass fibers, or a solid molded wedge that can be moved between two positions to provide both high and low beam forward illumination.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 1998Date of Patent: February 13, 2001Assignee: Cooper Automotive Products, Inc.Inventors: George R. Hulse, Lloyd Keith Bucher
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Patent number: 6170458Abstract: A direct injection combustion engine includes a combustion chamber that includes a fuel intake port, an air intake port and a spark plug insertion opening. A spark plug includes a firing electrode, a ground electrode, and an insulator core nose. The spark plug is installed in the spark plug insertion opening so that the firing electrode, the ground electrode, and the insulator core nose extend into the chamber. A shield is positioned between the fuel intake port and the spark plug insertion opening and reduces the flow of fuel from the fuel intake port to the insulator core nose without preventing the flow of fuel to a spark gap formed between the firing electrode and the ground electrode.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 1999Date of Patent: January 9, 2001Assignee: Cooper Automotive Products, Inc.Inventor: Kevin Lawrence Miller
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Patent number: 6168020Abstract: A reclosable sleeve package that includes a container and a sleeve which slides freely over the container. The container has a tab at one end, a space to hold a commercial article at the other end, and an opening along a portion of the container to allow the commercial article to be placed in and removed from the container. The tab contains an aperture to enable the package to be hung on a display rack. The sleeve has an opening at one end which allows the sleeve to slide over the container. The sleeve fits over the tab end of the container and covers the opening in the container. The other end of the sleeve contains an enclosure which covers the tab end of the container including a portion of the tab. The enclosure has a slot which exposes the aperture in the tab and a portion of the tab when the sleeve is in place on the container. The slot is such that would require the package to be hung on a display rack only by the aperture in the tab and not from the sleeve.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 1995Date of Patent: January 2, 2001Assignee: Cooper Automotive Products, Inc.Inventor: Scott Alan Niedzwiedz
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Patent number: 6168302Abstract: A hybrid headlamp subsystem for use in a distributed lighting system in a vehicle includes a light source. A focuses light from the light source to provide forward illumination for the vehicle. A collector element receives from the light source for use in providing an additional lighting function. An optical waveguide has a end positioned to receive light from the collector element and a second end positioned to direct light for use in providing the additional lighting function.Type: GrantFiled: January 20, 1998Date of Patent: January 2, 2001Assignee: Cooper Automotive Products, Inc.Inventor: George R. Hulse
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Patent number: 6163922Abstract: A wiper blade for a windshield wiper blade refill includes a crown located at the top of the wiper blade. The bottom of the wiper blade has a windshield-engaging lip. A neck extends from the crown toward the lip, and the neck increases in width in a direction away from the crown.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 1997Date of Patent: December 26, 2000Assignee: Cooper Automotive Products, Inc.Inventors: Brian A. Fisher, Donald W. Stratton
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Patent number: 6139334Abstract: A backplate assembly that is mounted to a reflector and lens includes a base panel. The base panel includes a conductor for conducting electricity and at least one separately molded lamp socket assembly. The base panel includes a mount for integrally attaching the lamp socket assembly to the base panel. A front panel is attached to the base panel and has an aperture through which the lamp socket assembly passes.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 1998Date of Patent: October 31, 2000Assignee: Cooper Automotive Products, Inc.Inventors: John Andrew Forish, Mark Christopher Molinaro
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Patent number: 6094990Abstract: A spark plug is installed in an internal combustion engine to monitor engine performance. The spark plug includes a core having a central longitudinal axis and defining a first bore extending along the central longitudinal axis. A layer of insulation surrounds the bore. A sensor is located within the bore. A first electrode is embedded in the core remote from the bore. The electrode includes a firing portion at a firing end of the spark plug. A ground electrode is arranged adjacent to the firing portion of the first electrode.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 1998Date of Patent: August 1, 2000Assignee: Cooper Automotive Products, Inc.Inventors: James D. Lykowski, Robert S. Ingham, Thomas R. Schuster
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Patent number: 6089077Abstract: Mass fraction burned in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine is determined by measuring an ion signal across a gap of a spark plug and identifying an inflection point of the ion signal. The mass fraction burned is determined using an expression that includes a constant. A value for the constant is determined using the inflection point of the ion signal, and the mass fraction burned is determined using the expression and the constant.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 1997Date of Patent: July 18, 2000Assignee: Cooper Automotive Products, Inc.Inventor: Chao Fu Daniels
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Patent number: 6078131Abstract: An electrode is secured and sealed in an insulator having a bore. The electrode has a shaft and an end plate, with the shaft having a cross section smaller than a cross section of the bore and the end plate having a cross section larger than the cross section of the bore. The shaft of the electrode is inserted into the bore and secured in the bore. A compressive force is applied between the end plate and an opposite end of the electrode, and an electrical current is applied between the end plate and the opposite end of the electrode to heat the electrode while the compressive force is applied. The electrical current and the compressive force are removed after being applied for a time sufficient to heat and expand the electrode so that, upon removing the electrical current, the electrode contracts to establish a seal between the electrode and the insulator.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 1998Date of Patent: June 20, 2000Assignee: Cooper Automotive Products, Inc.Inventor: Mark Stewart McMurray
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Patent number: 6013956Abstract: A touch panel for controlling a vehicle function includes a panel installed in a vehicle and a thin film switch disposed on the surface of the panel. The thin film switch is configured to control a vehicle function. The touch panel also may have a thin film range switch disposed on the surface of the panel. The range switch is configured to vary a setting of the vehicle function.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 1998Date of Patent: January 11, 2000Assignee: Cooper Automotive Products, Inc.Inventor: James Burr Anderson, Jr.
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Patent number: 5985473Abstract: A barium/lead-free ceramic glaze includes by weight:(i) between about 44 and 50% SiO.sub.2 ;(ii) between about 7 and 13% Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 ;(iii) between about 22 and 26% B.sub.2 O.sub.3 ;(iv) between about 3 and 9% CaO;(v) between about 1 and 3% SrO;(vi) up to about 2% ZnO;(vii) between about 2 and 4% K.sub.2 O;(viii) up to about 2% Li.sub.2 O; and(ix) between about 5 and 9% Na.sub.2 O.This barium/lead-free glaze can be effectually applied to a ceramic substrate at firing temperatures on the order of 1550 to 1650.degree. F. (843 to 899.degree. C.).Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 1997Date of Patent: November 16, 1999Assignee: Cooper Automotive Products, Inc.Inventor: Randy Owen Knapp
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Patent number: D418474Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 1998Date of Patent: January 4, 2000Assignee: Cooper Automotive Products, Inc.Inventors: James Patrick Witek, Richard Allen Herring, Alan Jeffrey Stahlhut, William Arthur Powell