Abstract: A process for producing a circuit component having a double-sided circuit device between a pair of substrates. The process entails depositing a solder material on contact areas on surfaces of the substrates, placing a first of the substrates within a cavity in a receptacle, and then placing a lead member on the substrate so that the lead member is supported by the receptacle and a portion of the lead member is aligned with a portion of the contact area of the substrate. A fixture is then placed on the lead member and over the substrate so that the fixture is supported by the receptacle. After aligning the circuit device with the contact area of the remaining substrate, the substrate-device assembly is placed in an aperture in the fixture so that a surface of the device electrically contacts the contact area of the first substrate and the opposite surface of the device electrically contacts the contact area of the second substrate. The resulting fixtured assembly then undergoes reflow.

Abstract: A cover assembly for a fuel tank of a vehicle includes a cover made of a metal material adapted to close an opening in the fuel tank having a fuel reservoir disposed therein and an insert molded to the cover to form a plurality of members to allow components to be attached thereto. The insert is integral, unitary, and one-piece.

Abstract: A cooled electronic assembly includes an integrated-circuit device carrier (such as a printed circuit board), a device (such as a flip chip), a liquid pump, a molding material, a heat exchanger, and a cover. The device and the liquid pump are electrically connected to the integrated-circuit device carrier. The molding material is molded to the device, to the liquid pump, and to the integrated-circuit device carrier. The cover has a coolant channel fluidly connected to the heat exchanger, wherein the cover is attached to the molding material. The coolant channel and the heat exchanger together at least partially define a closed coolant circuit. The liquid pump is operatively connected to the closed coolant circuit. A method for cooling a printed circuit board includes placing a liquid coolant in the closed coolant circuit and electrically activating the liquid pump through the printed circuit board.

Abstract: A pressure relief valve useful in vehicle fuel delivery systems includes a spring biased, concave conical flow directing surface and a spherical valve seat.

Abstract: A rear view mirror/video display includes a one-way mirror and a selectively activated video display that is mounted immediately behind the one-way mirror so that the driver is presented with a typical semi-obstructed rearward view when the video display is deactivated, and an unobstructed rearward view of substantially the same size and aspect ratio when the video display is activated. The video image is obtained from an imaging device mounted to capture a rearward field-of-view that is unobstructed by vehicle body panels but otherwise corresponds in content with that of the image reflected by the one-way mirror. Activation and deactivation of the video display may be manual, but is preferably automatic based on vehicle operating conditions.

Abstract: The invention provides a vending machine for cooling food products. The vending machine includes a housing defining an interior. The vending machine also includes a plurality of holding members substantially thermally isolated from one another and disposed in the interior. Each of the plurality of holding members includes inner and outer hollow members telescopically engaged with one another to define an inner cavity with an opening operable to communicate an individual food product and an outer cavity with an inlet and an outlet spaced from the inlet. The vending machine also includes a refrigeration system disposed outside of the interior and fluidly communicating individually with each of the outer cavities to cool each of the inner cavities.

Abstract: A connector assembly (10) is provided including a first connector (12) and a second connector (14) configured to mateably engage the first connector (12). The first connector (12) includes a housing (16), a conductor assembly (18) positioned within the housing and projecting from housing, and a resilient seal member (30) enclosing an interface between the housing (16) and the portion of the conductor assembly projecting from the housing. The second connector (14) includes an outer contact (60), an inner contact (62) nested within a portion of the outer contact (60), and a housing (64) containing the inner and outer contacts. Conductors of the conductor assembly (18) of the first connector (12) engage the outer (60) and inner (62) contacts of the second connector (14). Another resilient seal member (45) includes a flexible skirt (50) formed at an end portion thereof.

Abstract: The present invention provides a receiver for use in a SDAR system, the receiver including a receiving unit having satellite signal detection means for detecting a first transmit signal transmitted from a first communication satellite and a second transmit signal transmitted from a second communication satellite, the first transmit signal produced when the transmitter modulates a primary data stream with a secondary data stream on a first carrier wave associated with the first communication satellite and the second transmit signal produced when the transmitter modulates the primary and secondary data streams on a second carrier wave associated with the second communication satellite; and at least one demodulator coupled to the receiving unit and configured to demodulate the at least one of the first and the second transmit signals.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus that relates to a gear set. The apparatus includes, a housing, a first gear movable in the housing such that a first axis defined by the first gear is repositionable relative to the housing, a second gear in mesh with the first gear, and a second axis defined by the second gear. The apparatus constrains movement of the first axis to a plane containing both the first axis and a line commonly perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis, and a biasing member that urges the first gear toward the second gear.

Abstract: A printed circuit board (PCB) assembly includes a PCB and a first integrated conductive bus structure extending from a first edge of the PCB. The PCB connects a plurality of electronic components and includes a plurality of conductive layers, each separated by a non-conductive layer. The first integrated conductive bus structure includes a first portion that extends from the first edge of the PCB and which forms a plurality of electrically separate contacts of a connector. A second portion of the bus structure is integrated within the PCB and couples each of the contacts to at least one conductive trace of the PCB through plated holes.

Abstract: The subject invention provides a collapsible steering column assembly. The assembly includes a support for attachment to a vehicle. A steering column is movably supported by the support. An energy absorbing mechanism interconnects the steering column and the support for absorbing energy in response to the steering column moving relative to the support during a collision. The energy absorbing mechanism includes a elongated element and a brake for variably resisting the movement of the elongated element and absorbing the energy during the collision. The elongated element, in combination with the brake, is capable of adjustment to absorb energy at forces of various magnitude such that a universal energy absorbing device may be installed on each type of vehicle. Furthermore, the elongated element retains structural integrity after absorbing the energy and need not be replaced.

Abstract: Although current radio receivers support playback of audio from multiple sources, none support easy searching for content across these sources. There is no mechanism for locating specific content independent of the source that it is found on. The invention is to have an entertainment system which utilizes metadata to offer a feature that will allow the user to listen to any audio source based on their listening preference. This invention also allows the user of a radio receiver to be able to easily locate music of a particular genre without regard to the actual source. This invention further provides a mechanism for the music stored on a hard drive to be used to create a personalized radio station, complete with inserts of localized information.

Abstract: A child seat adapted for use in a vehicle, the child seat comprising: a shell portion; a harness for securing a child to the child seat, the harness comprising adjustable harness tether(s) secured to the shell portion at one end and having a latch plate at the other, the latch plate being configured to releasably engage a buckle of the harness; a tension sensor(s) for providing a signal indicative of a tension of the adjustable harness tether(s); and an electronic control unit secured to the shell portion, the electronic control unit being operably coupled to the tension sensor(s) to receive the signal, the electronic control unit being capable of processing the signal to compare the signal to a signal indicative of a predetermined range of acceptable tension, wherein the electronic control unit provides an output indicating whether the tension of the adjustable harness tether(s) is(are) within the predetermined range.

Abstract: A pyromechanical cutting element has a housing (2) in which an electrical conductor (3) is arranged, a cutting plunger (5) with a cutting tool (8) to cut through the electrical conductor (3), and pyrotechnic charge (13) to drive the cutting plunger (5), with the cutting tool (8) bending over the electrical conductor (3) after cutting through it and forming a bending tongue (18) that sticks out from the conductor (3) in a way that interrupts the conductor (3). The electrical conductor (3) has a cross-sectional area reduction in the longitudinal direction (4) consisting of two transverse sides and two longitudinal sides. The cutting tool (8) first cuts through the cross-sectional area reduction (4) just on one transverse side and upon further advancement bends over the longitudinal sides at least in part, and, upon further advancement, the cutting tool (8) clamps the bending tongue (18) thus created.

Abstract: A low-resistance hydrocarbon-adsorptive cartridge for an air intake of an internal combustion engine comprising a structure for being mounted into a portion of an engine air intake system. The structure is adapted to orient and retain one or more thin sheets of activated carbon sheeting in the intake system. Preferably, a plurality of sheets is oriented such that the leading edge of each sheet is presented to the engine intake air stream, thereby minimizing reduction in total cross-sectional area of the intake system. Preferably, the one or more sheets are spaced apart by a distance that is small relative to the extent of the elements in the direction of engine air flow such that a high probability is created that hydrocarbons migrating out of a shut down engine's intake manifold will encounter a surface of at least one of the adsorptive sheets and thus be adsorbed.

Abstract: A master cylinder housing including an outer shell having an open end and a closed end, a polymeric inner lining received within the outer shell, and a mounting flange extending from the open end of the outer shell.

Abstract: A sensor apparatus and method that can measure either a linear position or an angular position of a device. A linear array of galvanomagnetic sensing elements is fixedly mountable adjacent the device. A target is connectable to the device such that the target moves adjacent a surface of the linear array in response to movement of the device and is shaped so that a magnetic flux density curve resulting from excitation of the sensing elements includes a peak and/or a valley. A first circuit excites each of the sensing elements, and a second circuit measures a magnetic flux density value at each of the sensing elements. A maximum and/or a minimum of the flux density curve indicates the position of the device.

Abstract: A capacitive sensing apparatus for a vehicle seat includes a deflectable dielectric mat and a flexible printed circuit that wraps around the major surfaces of the dielectric mat to define upper and lower conductor strips that overlap in a direction perpendicular to the dielectric mat. Overlapping regions of the conductor strips define an array of capacitive load cells distributed over the seating surface. A connector stub depending from the flexible printed circuit couples the conductor strips to an external circuit that measures the capacitance of the various load cells to determine occupant weight and weight distribution.

Abstract: In a solid-oxide fuel cell assembly comprising a plurality of components having electrically-conductive mating surfaces therebetween, the surfaces are sealed by gasket elements that include first and second silver braze alloy layers and a dielectric layer, formed preferably of yttrium-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), disposed between the alloy layers. The alloy is capable of bonding to many ceramics, including YSZ, and is readily brazed to the oxide layer formed on many metals at elevated temperatures. Because the braze alloy is electrically conductive, a dielectric layer must be included to break conductivity in bonding applications where electrical insulation is required. YSZ functions as a reliable insulator and will not crystallize or fracture as do prior art glass insulators. The assembly is useful as an auxiliary power unit in a vehicle.

Abstract: A wobble joint particularly useful for supporting a wash plate in a wash basket of an automatic washing appliance includes inner and outer races formed with mating part-spherical surfaces having common centers of curvature about a longitudinal axis of the joint. Anti-rotation structure acts between the inner and outer races to prevent relative rotation of the races about the longitudinal axis, and cooperates with the part-spherical surfaces to restrict the races to two degrees of tilting movement about respective tilt axes disposed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and to one another, such that one of the races is thereby supported for wobbling movement relative to the other of the races. In a washing appliance application, the wash plate is fixed to the outer race and wobbles relative to the inner race.