Abstract: Noise produced during a supplemental brake apply is reduced eliminated by reducing the quantity of additional brake fluid supplied to the pump during the apply. The prime valve is opened only at the initiation of the supplemental apply to supply a predetermined small quantity of brake fluid to the accumulator and pump inlet and is then closed for the remainder of the apply. The quantity of extra fluid supplied can be retained by the accumulator and does not need to by blown off back to the master cylinder. The apply valve of the non-regulated wheel brake is controlled to regulate pressure to the regulated wheel brake through the apply valve thereof, which is left open while the release valve of the regulated wheel brake is left closed. The release valve of the non-regulated wheel is controlled to maintain a lower pressure at the non-regulated wheel, preferably equal to the master cylinder pressure whenever possible, while permitting fluid flow back to the accumulator.

Abstract: An air quality system for controlling air quality in a cabin of a vehicle is provided. The air quality system utilizes three air quality sensors for detecting three air quality parameters. A controller is responsive to the air quality sensors. The controller is programmed to determine a current value of the air quality parameters from the air quality sensors and to determine whether the current value of any of the air quality parameters exceeds a predetermined limit. The predetermined limits for the air quality parameters are based on levels indicative of poor air quality for the cabin. The controller is operable between purging and non-purging modes to purge the air from the cabin in the purging mode when the current value of any of the measured air quality parameters exceeds the respective predetermined limit.

Abstract: An improved planetary traction drive mechanism for use in actuating a throttle valve assembly is provided. An electric drive motor supports a cup-shaped member defining the outer ring of the mechanism. The drive shaft of the motor extends into the cup-shaped member to define a sun roller and forming an annular space between the sun roller and the outer ring. An output plate is rotatably supported on the drive shaft, and one or more deformable planetary friction rollers are disposed in radial compression between the outer ring and the sun roller are mounted on the plate. An output shaft extends from the plate and may or may not be coaxially aligned with the sun roller. The output shaft may be connected via a link to a lever arm on the throttle shaft of the throttle valve, which may be used on an internal combustion engine.

Abstract: A NOx adsorber is protected from sulfur poisoning by introducing fuel to the NOx adsorber prior to a sulfur trap and/or particulate trap regeneration stream entering the NOx adsorber. The fuel establishes a rich environment, thereby inhibiting sulfur adsorption in the NOx adsorber.

Abstract: A fuel injector comprising a nozzle body, a first outlet opening having an axis, a second outlet opening having an axis, and means for controlling fuel delivery through the first and second outlet openings. The axes of the first and second outlet openings are arranged so as to intersect one another downstream of the outlet openings such that, when fuel is delivered through both the first and second outlet openings, a combined spray formation is formed which is substantially equivalent to a single spray formation having been delivered from a single opening.

Abstract: A multi-stage internal gear/turbine fuel pump for a vehicle includes a housing having an inlet and an outlet and a motor disposed in the housing. The multi-stage internal gear/turbine fuel pump also includes a shaft extending axially and disposed in the housing. The multi-stage internal gear/turbine fuel pump further includes a plurality of pumping modules disposed axially along the shaft. One of the pumping modules is a turbine pumping module and another of the pumping modules is a gerotor pumping module for rotation by the motor to pump fuel from the inlet to the outlet.

Abstract: A seal assembly for a shaft has a flange fixed to a work piece having a bore hole therein. The flange encircles the shaft and includes a triangular shaped projecting member having first and second surfaces extending from the flange into the bore hole. An angle is formed between the first and second surface. The first surface of the projecting member is in contact with an inner surface of the bore hole or the outer surface of the shaft. An o-ring encircles the shaft and a backup ring is positioned within a space between the shaft, the flange and the o-ring or between the bore hole, the flange and the o-ring. Subject to axial forces, the backup ring undergoes a wedging action between the shaft and the triangular shaped projecting member or between the bore hole and the triangular member to seal where the shaft penetrates the work piece.

Abstract: A brushless electric motor is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the motor includes a permanent magnet rotor having a plurality of magnetic poles thereupon and a stator. The stator further includes a plurality of stacked laminations defining a plurality of slots therein, and a plurality of fractional-pitch phase windings disposed within the plurality of slots. The motor has a non-integer slots-per-pole ratio, and a magnitude of 5th and 7th harmonic components of a fundamental frequency component of the motor are less than 0.3% and 0.1% of a magnitude of the fundamental frequency component, respectively.

Abstract: A hydraulic vehicle damper is provided for limiting the extent and/or speed of extension of the damper on the rebound stroke with a variety of working fluids including magneto-rheological (MR) fluids, through the use of buoyant sleeve in the working chamber of the damper, rather than having rebound limiting elements attached to the damper piston or damper cylinder tube as in prior vehicle dampers.

Abstract: In an unified control of a plurality of active chassis systems a role of each chassis system in applying a corrective net force and a corrective moment to a vehicle is determined. In determining the roles, control influence coefficients and a control authority of each active chassis system is determined. An activation status of each active chassis system based on the control influence coefficients and the control authority is subsequently determined.

Abstract: A fluxer applies powdered flux to an object. The fluxer includes an enclosure that defines a chamber where the object is fluxed. The enclosure includes an inlet for receiving the object into the chamber prior to application of the flux and an outlet for discharging the object from the chamber after the flux has been applied. A conveyor extends through the enclosure for traversing the object into and out of the chamber. The fluxer also includes a hopper for storing the flux and an applicator in fluid communication with the hopper for applying the flux to the object. A flux recovery system is in fluid communication with the chamber to introduce and maintain a negative pressure within the chamber. As a result, excess flux is retained within the enclosure. This excess flux can then be recovered and recycled to the hopper.

Abstract: A plate making process for a lead acid battery which eliminates the need for steaming and curing steps to produce the active material. Mixing, reacting and crystallizing occur in a closed reactor under controlled temperature and mixing conditions to produce a paste having the desired crystal morphology. A polymer is then added to the paste to bind the crystals together and to produce desired rheological properties in the paste. The paste having the polymer addition is then pasted onto a grid where the paste is dried to form a battery plate of the lead acid battery. The process is applicable for both the positive and negative plates of a lead acid battery.

Abstract: A two-step roller finger follower including an elongate body having side walls defining coaxially disposed shaft orifices, a pallet end and a socket end interconnecting with the side walls to define a slider arm aperture, and a latch channel. The socket end is mountable to an hydraulic lash adjuster, and the pallet end is matable with a valve stem. A slider arm for engaging a high-lift cam lobe is disposed in the slider arm aperture and has a first end pivotably mounted to the pallet end of the body and the second end forming a slider tip for engaging an activation/deactivation latch. The latch is slidably disposed in the latch channel, and the latch has a nose section for selectively engaging the slider tip. A spool-shaped roller having first and second roller elements fixedly attached to the shaft is rotatably disposed in the shaft orifices, the roller being adapted to follow the surface motion of low-lift cam lobes.

Abstract: A tandem vacuum booster includes a rear housing mounted to the vehicle, and a front housing mounted to the rear housing to define an interior chamber. A divider, disposed between the housings, partitions the interior chamber into primary and secondary chambers. A primary diaphragm, disposed between the rear housing and the divider, partitions the primary chamber into a primary high pressure chamber and a vacuum chamber. A secondary diaphragm, disposed between the divider and the front housing, partitions the secondary chamber into a secondary high pressure chamber and a vacuum chamber. A tie rod extends between the housings and through the chambers. A sleeve is disposed about the tie rod and extends between the high pressure chambers and is spaced from the tie rod. This sleeve defines a passage between the tie rod and itself such that air can be transferred between the high pressure chambers.

Abstract: A vehicle seat occupant classification system uses a pressure responsive, fluid filled bladder and pressure sensor adapted for engagement with an underside of a foam seat cushion so as to generate a pressure signal corresponding to the weight of an occupant on an upper side of the foam seat cushion. A humidity sensor responds to relative humidity of air adjacent the pressure sensor and/or foam seat cushion to generate a humidity signal that is used to compensate at least one of the pressure signal, a stored reference pressure value and a stored threshold value, from which at least in part; an occupant classification is determined.

Abstract: An accumulator fuel system for an internal combustion engine having a plurality of engine cylinders, includes an accumulator fuel volume for supplying high pressure fuel to one or more of a plurality of injectors, each of which is arranged to supply fuel to an associated one of the engine cylinders. The accumulator fuel volume is integrated within an engine component, where the engine component provides a purpose other than that solely of an accumulator volume for storing high pressure fuel. The accumulator fuel volume is therefore defined in an existing engine component, to reduce part count, weight and cost. In one embodiment the accumulator fuel volume is defined within a rocker shaft of the engine and in another embodiment within the engine cylinder head.

Abstract: The invention provides a magnetorheological damper assembly and piston. The assembly includes a housing with a fluid carried therein, a piston slidably carried in the housing, a rod and a valve both operably attached to the piston. The piston includes at least one passageway formed therein. The valve includes at least one bypass opening formed therein and at least one variable opening formed between a piston surface and the valve. The valve provides asymmetric fluid flow through the passageway. During operation, the variable opening selectively restricts fluid flow and the bypass opening maintains fluid flow through the passageway.

Abstract: A system and method of controlling engine vibration mounted within a vehicle including at least one hydraulic mount, each mount including a fluid chamber. A pair of accelerometers sense relative acceleration across the mount between the engine and the frame and generate a relative acceleration signal. A control unit is electrically connected to the accelerometers. The control unit is adapted to generate an electronic control signal in response to the relative acceleration signal. The control device is responsive to the electric control signal for controlling the damping force of the hydraulic mount. A control algorithm calibrates the control unit such that maximum vibration damping occurs at and around the engine resonance bounce frequency.

Abstract: An air cleaner assembly includes an adsorber member disposed in a fluid passageway of the air cleaner assembly for eliminating pollutants from being discharged into the atmosphere contained within the air cleaner assembly. The adsorber member comprises a support and a silicate pollutant treating material free from zeolite disposed onto a surface of the support.

Abstract: A motion sensing system and method for detecting an occupant in a vehicle with enhanced sensitivity to detect small movement, such as movement caused by heartbeat and breathing of an occupant. The system includes a radar motion sensor located in a compartment of the vehicle. The radar sensor transmits and receives signals within the compartment and generates sensed signals. The system has a controller for converting the sensed signals to a frequency domain. The controller further processes the frequency domain of sensed signals and determines the presence of movement of an occupant due to one of heartbeat and breathing of the occupant.