Abstract: Methods of making a sealed crimp connection attaching a terminal to a wire conductor are provided. A layer of fluid conformal coating is applied to overlie a terminal and underlie at least a lead of the wire conductor upon at least the lead being received into the terminal. The terminal, the fluid layer, and at least the lead of the wire conductor are crimped to form the crimp connection. Fluid conformal coating is displaced where an abutting surface of the terminal makes contact with at least the lead of the wire conductor. The fluid conformal coating is cured to a non-fluid state. The fluid conformal coating may be formed of an acrylated urethane material that may provide an increased pull force and a low crimp resistance in the crimp connection. The crimp connection may be constructed using a manufacturing process on an automated assembly line.

Abstract: The invention provides, particularly although not exclusively in the context of a fuel injection system of a compression-ignition internal combustion engine, a method for detecting anomalous behaviour of a dynamic system (40), the method including i) determining a system model including plurality of characteristic parameters to define the dynamic system (40), ii) calculating one or more metrics indicative of the current system performance based on the plurality of characteristic parameters, iii) comparing the one or more derived metrics with one or more predetermined metrics indicative of anomalous system behaviour and iv) identifying a predetermined system fault condition if one or more of the derived metrics corresponds to one or more of the predetermined metrics. The invention also provides an apparatus for implementing the aforesaid method.

Abstract: An ignition coil engages an inner surface of a bore of an engine, the providing access to a spark plug. The engagement is a boltless cam-lock engagement. A spring is associated with the engagement to hold the assembly in tension, and the spring also contacts a ground terminal in the ignition coil and the base of the spark plug to provide a short electrical path for radiofrequency interference (RFI) dissipation.

Abstract: A heat exchanger assembly includes an outlet header extending along an outlet axis to define an outlet cavity and an inlet header defining an inlet cavity. A plurality of refrigerant tubes extends from the inlet header through the outlet header and into the outlet cavity. A collector conduit having a generally semi-circular conduit cross-section defining an arced surface and a chord surface interconnected with rounded ends is disposed in the outlet header and includes a conduit body portion and at least one conduit end portion interconnected by a conduit transition portion with the conduit body portion being offset from the conduit end portion. The conduit body portion is engaged to an interior surface of the outlet header to space the conduit body portion from the refrigerant tubes and the conduit end portion is coaxial with the outlet header axis to provide a central outlet for the refrigerant vapor.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for enabling a vehicle having adaptive cruise control to reduce its speed in a turn according to the vehicle's position within the turn as well as ignoring objects detected during the turn that are not in the vehicle's path. The method of the present invention includes the steps of operating the vehicle in an adaptive cruise control mode such that the vehicle is traveling at a set speed; determining whether the vehicle is in a turn in the vehicle's path by detecting change in the vehicle's lateral acceleration; and when the vehicle is determined to be in the turn, reducing the vehicle's speed according to the vehicle's position in the turn, monitoring for objects and maintaining the vehicle's speed if an object is positioned out of the path of the vehicle.

Abstract: A transparent bevel apparatus overlays marginal portions of juxtaposed display devices of a segmented display panel to obscure the visual gap between the display devices. The bevel apparatus at least partially overlaps only marginal pixels of the adjacent display devices, so that light from a given display device that passes through the bevel apparatus is bent toward from the respective display device at an angle with respect to the remainder of the emitted light. Consequently, light emitted from the marginal portions of the juxtaposed display devices is seen by the viewer in the place where the visual gap would otherwise be seen. The bevel apparatus may be constructed in the form of a sheet that overlays an entire display device, or all or a portion of the entire display panel, or a narrow strip that is aligned with the seams and affixed to juxtaposed faces of the display devices.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for mounting electrical components to electric circuit boards. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method for mounting electrical components having near-zero standoff height to electrical printed circuit boards.

Abstract: A crash sensor is provided on a vehicle having first and second vehicle structures. The crash sensor includes a light transmitter for emitting a light signal within an opening between the first vehicle structure and the second vehicle structure, and a photo receiver for sensing irradiance in the opening between the first vehicle structure and the second vehicle structure. A change in irradiance or illuminance is indicative of a change in displacement of the first structure relative to the second structure indicative of deformity of the vehicle. The sensor further includes processing circuitry for processing the sensed irradiance and detecting a vehicle crash based on the change in sensed irradiance.

Abstract: A nozzle adapter for an injection molding machine includes a body and one or more retainers mountable to an outer surface of the body. When the body and a retainer are assembled together they cooperate to define a cavity adapted to contain a cartridge heater between the body and the retainer. Access to allow replacement of the cartridge heater can be gained by removing the retainer from the body without removing the entire nozzle adapter from the injection molding machine.

Abstract: A method and system for monitoring broadcast programs from the beginning of the programs is provided. The system includes a tuner configured to receive and decode broadcast signals and provide programming as an output. The system also includes a buffer coupled to the tuner that stores programming from the tuner and provides buffered programming as an output delayed in time from the programming provided by the tuner. The system further includes processing circuitry coupled to the tuner and buffer that determines if the tuner is selected as a source for programming, and if a program is in progress when the tuner is selected. The processing circuitry provides the tuner programming as an output of the system if a program is not in progress when the tuner is selected, and provides the buffered programming as an output of the system if a program is in progress when the tuner is selected.

Abstract: A system and a method for configuring a communication system are provided. The communication system has an antenna system with a 3-D antenna grid. The configurable 3-D antenna grid has a plurality of antenna elements operably coupled to a plurality of switching elements. The method includes selecting a first 3-D antenna configuration associated with the configurable 3-D antenna grid from a plurality of antenna configurations. The method further includes controlling a memory device to output first data corresponding to the first 3-D antenna configuration. The method further includes closing selected ones of the plurality of switching elements to obtain the first 3-D antenna configuration in the configurable 3-D antenna grid in response to the first data. The first 3-D antenna configuration is one of the plurality of antenna configurations wherein at least a portion of the plurality of antenna elements are electrically coupled together.

Abstract: A fault detector for detecting valve movement of a valve in a fuel injector of an engine system, the valve includes an electromagnetic actuator arranged to move the valve between first and second valve positions, the engine system includes a sensor for sensing a current through the actuator. The detector includes a controller arranged to control the sensor; receive sensor data related to the current through the actuator; analyze the received data for current discontinuities; and output a valve movement signal dependent upon the current discontinuities. The controller is arranged to sense current during a finite sampling window, move the sampling window from a first window position to a later window position for one or more subsequent injection events; determine a new sampling window position on based a valve movement signal output the two preceding windows; and feedback the new sampling window position for a subsequent injection event.

Abstract: A vehicle system interface, comprising: an antenna for receiving satellite or terrestrial broadcast of digital radio signals; a radio receiver circuit for demodulating and decoding the digital radio signals; a FM audio modulator and transmitter circuit, the FM audio modulator and transmitter circuit being configured to condition and re-transmit audio content of the digital radio signals as a first re-transmitted FM signal containing audio data capable of being transmitted wirelessly; a vehicle bus interface circuit configured to receive and transmit a plurality of operational signals; a housing for the FM audio modulator and transmitter circuit, the radio receiver circuit and the vehicle bus interface; a connector configured to interface with a diagnostic link connector of the vehicle, the connector being in operable communication with the vehicle bus interface circuit; and wherein the vehicle system interface receives and transmits the plurality of operational signals through the diagnostic link connector of

Abstract: A heat exchanger assembly includes an upper and lower manifold. A plurality of tubes have flat sides and extend between the upper and lower manifold. A plurality of fins extend back and forth between and along the flat sides of adjacent ones of the tubes forming a continuous serpentine path. Each of the fins include a plurality of legs that extend between the adjacent ones of the tubes. A plurality of end portions extend along the tube sides so that adjacent legs are connected by one of the end portions to define a tube space between said adjacent legs. Each of the tubes include a plurality of spaced protrusions extending outwardly from both of the flat sides of said tubes into the tube space between the legs. A plurality of spaced projections extend inwardly from said end portions of said fins between said legs for interrupting air flow.

Abstract: A method of forming a seal about an electrically conductive core of a cable having an insulative outer cover and a terminal includes the steps of providing a lead of the core extending beyond an axial edge of the insulative outer cover; spraying a conformal coating onto the lead; crimping the terminal onto the cable while the conformal coating is still wet to displace the conformal coating from between the lead and the abutting contact surfaces of the terminal and to cover and seal remaining portions of the lead not in direct contact with the terminal with the conformal coating and curing the conformal coating over the remaining portions of the lead.

Abstract: A corrosion resistant electrical connection structure has an electrically conductive cable with an electrically conductive core and an insulative outer cover. An electrically conductive terminal is electrically connected to a lead of the core that extends beyond the insulative outer cover. A molded hot melt seal seals the lead of the core and the terminal interface section from ambient electrolytes. In an exemplary embodiment, the core is made from aluminum or an aluminum alloy and the terminal is made from a copper alloy.

Abstract: A transmission clutch position sensor includes two Hall sensors located at opposite ends of a flux concentrator outside the casing of the transmission to sense a magnetic field generated by a magnet attached to the clutch piston. To reduce sensitivity to magnet-to-sensor gap tolerances, a ratio of the voltage of one Hall sensor to the sum of the voltages from both Hall sensors is used to correlate to the piston and, hence, clutch position.

Abstract: A method of forming a seal about an electrically conductive core of a cable having an insulative outer cover and a terminal includes the steps of providing a lead of the core extending beyond an axial edge of the insulative outer cover; applying a conformal coating onto the lead; crimping the terminal onto the cable while the conformal coating is still wet to displace the conformal coating from between the lead and the abutting contact surfaces of the terminal and to cover and seal remaining portions of the lead not in direct contact with the terminal with the conformal coating and curing the conformal coating over the remaining portions of the lead.

Abstract: A corrosion resistant electrical connection structure has an electrically conductive cable with a core made from a first electrically conductive material and an insulative outer cover. A terminal is electrically connected to the core at a lead extending beyond the insulative outer cover. A conformal coating covers and seals the lead of the core not in direct contact with the terminal.

Abstract: A motion sensor in the form of an angular rate sensor and a method of making a sensor are provided and includes a support substrate and a silicon sensing ring supported by the substrate and having a flexive resonance. Drive electrodes apply electrostatic force on the ring to cause the ring to resonate. Sensing electrodes sense a change in capacitance indicative of vibration modes of resonance of the ring so as to sense motion. A plurality of silicon support rings connect the substrate to the ring. The support rings are located at an angle to substantially match a modulus of elasticity of the silicon, such as about 22.5 degrees and 67.5 degrees, with respect to the crystalline orientation of the silicon.