Abstract: A non-contact charging device for charging a battery in a vehicle includes a source resonator, and a foreign object detector. The source resonator is configured to transfer electrical energy to a capture resonator in a vehicle. The foreign object detector is configured to detect a foreign object proximate to the source resonator. The foreign object detector includes a vertical antenna configured to detect a foreign object above the source resonator, and a horizontal antenna configured to detect a foreign object beside the source resonator.

Abstract: A flexible grommet with a grommet spreader mounting and alignment feature is provided. The grommet is configured to attach an object to a support structure. A body of the grommet defines an opening configured to clamp around the object. The opening defines a plurality of channels configured to facilitate mounting of the grommet onto the spreader. The channels may also be configured to correctly orient a mating feature of the grommet relative to the spreader.

Abstract: A camshaft phaser includes a stator having a plurality of lobes; a rotor coaxially disposed within the stator and having a plurality of vanes interspersed with the lobes defining advance chambers and retard chambers; a camshaft phaser attachment bolt for attaching the camshaft phaser to a camshaft, the camshaft phaser attachment bolt defining a valve bore that is coaxial with the stator. A supply passage extends radially outward from the valve bore and includes a downstream end that is proximal to the valve bore and an upstream end that is distal from the valve bore and separated from the downstream end by a check valve seat. A check valve member in the supply passage is biased toward the check valve seat by centrifugal force. A valve spool is moveable within the valve bore such that the valve spool directs oil that has passed through the supply passage.

Abstract: A camshaft phaser includes an input member; an output member defining an advance chamber and a retard chamber with the input member; a valve spool coaxially disposed within the output member such that the valve spool is rotatable relative to the output member and the input member, the valve spool defining a supply chamber and a vent chamber with the output member; an actuator which rotates the valve spool in order to change the position of the output member relative to the input member by supplying pressurized oil from the supply chamber to one of the advance chamber and the retard chamber and venting oil to the vent chamber from the other of the supply chamber and the advance chamber; and a check valve which allows oil to flow from the vent chamber to the supply chamber and prevents oil from flowing from the supply chamber to the vent chamber.

Abstract: A housing with a self-mounting feature is provided. The housing includes a base that is configured to define a hook that cooperates with a back side of a panel and a first edge of an opening of the panel to secure the housing to a front side of the panel. The housing further includes a retainer that is operable to an un-engaged position and an engaged position. The retainer is configured to define a blocker portion that cooperates with a second edge of the opening to keep the hook adjacent to the first edge when the retainer is in the engaged position.

Abstract: A mechanically assisted electrical connector including a lever and a slider. The slider is coupled to the lever such that movement of the lever moves the slider. The slider defines a slot that is configured to cooperate with a post of a mating connector in a manner effective to urge the electrical connector and the mating connector together when the lever is moved from a first position to a second position. A ramp angle of the slot is varied to reduce a peak value of an applied force to advance the lever from the first position to the second position when connecting the electrical connector to the mating connector.

Abstract: A wireless power receiver configured to control an electrical connection between a capture resonator of a wireless power transfer system and an electrical load, such as a battery pack or electric motor. The circuitry of the wireless power receiver is powered directly by the power output from the capture resonator, automatically powering up the wireless power receiver as soon as the capture resonator begins producing power. The wireless power receiver 16 does not require stand-by power provided by an external source, such as a vehicle battery. Since the wireless power receiver does not require power from an external source, it can initiate charging of a vehicle battery even if the state of charge of the battery in the vehicle is too low to operate the controller.

Abstract: An electrical connector shield configured to be attached to a shielded wire cable having a conductive wire cable and a shield conductor surrounding the wire cable that is separated from the wire cable by an inner insulator. The shielded wire cable further has an insulative jacket surrounding the outer shield. The electrical shield connector includes a connection portion for connection with a corresponding mating electrical connector shield and an attachment portion having a conductor crimp wing for attachment to the outer shield and an insulator crimp wing for attachment to the insulative jacket. The insulator crimp wing defines a prong having a pointed end to penetrate the insulative jacket. The end of the prong penetrates the insulative jacket but does not penetrate the inner insulator. The connector shield may define a protruding triangular lock tang to engage a lock edge within a cavity of an electrical connector body.

Abstract: A connector assembly including a first connector having a primary locking lever that is configured to mate with a second connector having a primary striker. The primary locking lever includes a beam extending along a mating axis and a primary latch configured to engage the primary striker. The connector assembly includes a connector position assurance (CPA) device slideably mounted to the first connector. The primary latch blocks movement of the CPA device from an initial position to a final position until the first connector and the second connector are fully mated. The CPA device defines a lateral flange that inhibits movement of a secondary latch of the CPA device under the primary latch that would allow the CPA device to move from the initial position prior to the full mating of the first connector and the second connector.

Abstract: An evaporative emissions control system for reducing the amount of fuel vapor emitted from a vehicle includes a canister containing a sorbent material and a cartridge heater disposed at least partially within the canister in direct contact with the sorbent material. Electrical terminals for applying power to a heating element within the heater are disposed external to the canister. At least one heat sink may be included within the canister in direct contact with the heater. A method of manufacturing an evaporative emission control system that includes a cartridge heater disposed in a canister is also presented.

Abstract: A wire cable assembly includes a terminal having a termination segment attached to an end of a wire cable, a connection segment configured to attach to a mating terminal, and a transition segment intermediate the termination segment and the connection segment. The transition segment of the terminal has a generally rectangular cross section and a recess defined in at least one distal edge and preferably both distal edges of the transition segment. The recess may alternatively be characterized as a concavity, notch, hollow, or indentation. A sealant is applied to the transition segment and a sleeve encloses at least a portion of the termination segment, the end of the wire cable, and at least a portion of the transition segment. The sealant fills the recess(es) and blocks a leak path between the sleeve and the distal edge. The sleeve may be a section of dual wall heat shrink tubing.

Abstract: A gas sensor includes a sensing element formed on a ceramic substrate, an insulator surrounding at least a portion of the sensing element, and a metal shell surrounding at least a portion of the sensing element. The gas sensor further includes a cured ceramic adhesive structure bonded to the insulator and the sensing element, to the insulator and the metal shell, or to the sensing element and the metal shell. The ceramic adhesive structure is disposed so as to mitigate gas leakage through the gas sensor.

Abstract: A fuel cell stack includes a plurality of fuel cell cassettes each including a fuel cell with an anode and a cathode. Each fuel cell cassette also includes an electrode interconnect adjacent to the anode or the cathode for providing electrical communication between an adjacent fuel cell cassette and the anode or the cathode. The interconnect includes a plurality of electrode interconnect protrusions defining a flow passage along the anode or the cathode for communicating oxidant or fuel to the anode or the cathode. An electrically conductive material is disposed between at least one of the electrode interconnect protrusions and the anode or the cathode in order to provide a stable electrical contact between the electrode interconnect and the anode or cathode. An encapsulating arrangement segregates the electrically conductive material from the flow passage thereby, preventing volatilization of the electrically conductive material in use of the fuel cell stack.

Abstract: A fuel cell system is disclosed comprising a plurality of fuel cell modules including a sealed planar fuel cell stack, the stack including internal manifold channels for transport of fuel and air to fuel cells within the stack and transport of tail gas and spent air away from fuel cells within the stack. Each of the fuel cell stacks is mounted on a stack footprint area of a top member of a base manifold. The base manifolds are configured to allow for interconnection of a number of fuel cell stack modules to provide a fuel cell system capable of producing power outputs that otherwise would have required large surface area cells or stack with a large number of cells.

Abstract: A connector system includes a first connector body defining a channel between a longitudinally-oriented fixed wall and a longitudinally-oriented flexible beam. The flexible beam is located opposite and generally parallel to the fixed wall when in a relaxed state. A distal surface of the flexible beam defines a first protrusion having a first inclined surface. A second connector body defines a cavity configured to receive the first connector body. A mesial surface inside the cavity defines a second protrusion having a second inclined surface configured to engage the first inclined surface of the flexible beam when the connector bodies are mated. A member inserted into the channel causes the flexible beam to flex laterally and move the first inclined surface with respect to the second inclined surface sufficient to generate a longitudinal force between the first and second inclined surfaces and thus between the first and second connector bodies.

Abstract: An electrical assembly, such as a high voltage electrical center that controls the flow of electricity between a battery pack and the propulsion system of an electric or hybrid electric vehicle. The assembly includes a plurality of electrical connectors configured to receive and mate with a plurality of corresponding mating connectors and a housing containing a plurality of electrical devices interconnected to the plurality of electrical connectors. The housing includes a bulkhead defining a plurality of connector shrouds that axially surrounds each connector in the plurality of electrical connectors. Each connector shroud is configured to receive a connector body of a corresponding mating connector. The plurality of connector shrouds is integral to the bulkhead. The bulkhead, and thereby the shrouds, may be formed of a composite conductive material containing electrically conductive fibers within a dielectric matrix.

Abstract: A plurality of heaters are disposed end to end within a bore hole of a formation where the bore hole extends from an upper end to a lower end such that a lower heater of the plurality of heaters is proximal to the lower end of the bore hole while every other of the plurality of heaters is distal from the lower end of the bore hole. Each of the plurality of heaters includes a fuel cell stack assembly having a plurality of fuel cells which convert chemical energy from a fuel into heat and electricity through a chemical reaction with an oxidizing agent. Each of the plurality of heaters has a thermal output that is less than or equal to a predetermined value except the lower heater of the plurality of heaters which has a thermal output that is greater than the predetermined value.

Abstract: A printed circuit board (PCB) assembly having a double-ended male blade electrical terminal is presented. The double-ended terminal has a first blade with a substantially uniform first thickness and a second blade opposite the first blade that has an embossed mesial region providing a substantially uniform second thickness, wherein the effective thickness of the second blade is greater than the thickness of the first blade. The terminal may be used in an electrical center of a motor vehicle to interconnect a female socket in a vehicle wiring harness to an electronic device, such as a fuse or relay, having a socket terminal that is mounted on the PCB. A method of manufacturing such as double ended-terminal is also presented.

Abstract: A non-contact charging device for charging a battery includes a source resonator, a reference antenna, and a variable gain amplifier. The source resonator is configured to transfer electrical energy to a capture resonator in a vehicle. The reference antenna is configured to detect a reference signal originating from the source resonator. The reference antenna is configured to be less sensitive to a presence of a foreign object than a foreign object detection (FOD) antenna proximate to the reference antenna. The variable gain amplifier is configured to amplify a reference signal from the reference antenna.

Abstract: The invention relates to an algorithm for detecting activation of a tactile pressure sensor having a mechanic structure that includes the steps of: (a) measuring periodically an input quantity (V0; f0) of the sensor, when it is not pressed, the period being set according to sensor dynamic requirements; (b) computing a current idle quantity (Vidle; fidle) depending on the input quantity (V0; f0) measured at step a); (c) computing an activation threshold (?VP; ?fP) based on a quantity characterization of the sensor mechanic structure and depending on the idle quantity (Vidle; fidle) defined at step b); (d) comparing the sensor input quantity (V0; f0) with the last defined idle quantity (Vidle; fidle) increased by the activation threshold (?VP; ?fP) computed in step c) in order to determine whether the sensor is pressed or not.