Abstract: A fuel injector for a compression ignition internal combustion engine which comprises a fuel injection valve having an injection valve member which is moveable in use, under the influence of fuel pressure within an injection valve member control chamber acting upon it, between a closed position and an open position. The fuel injector further comprises a high pressure fuel supply passage to the injection valve member control chamber, and an actuator operable to open and close a discharge valve connected between the injection valve member control chamber and a fuel outlet passage to a low pressure reservoir or drain. A shut-off valve is provided in the high pressure fuel supply passage and the shut-off valve has a shut-off valve member which is moveable in use, under the influence of fuel pressure within a shut-off valve member control chamber acting upon it, between a closed position and an open position.

Abstract: An in-groove snap fastener for securely connecting two housing members and for providing a substantially air tight seal is disclosed. The in-groove snap fastener includes a first groove member and a second groove member extending from a first housing member defining a groove therebetween. One of the groove members includes a raised surface oriented toward the other groove member and the other groove member defines an aperture. A tab member having an integral tongue portion and a locking portion extends from a second housing member in the direction of the groove. The tongue portion cooperates with the raised surface to provide an interference fit between the groove members forming a substantially airtight seal. The raised surface also urges the locking portion to cooperate with the aperture to secure the first housing member to the second housing member.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of making a sensing element comprising forming an electrically conductive element, wherein the sensing element comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of Pd and alloys and combinations comprising Pd; and wherein the electrically conductive element is thermally stable at temperatures as high as 1,200° C.

Abstract: An end cap assembly for an in-tank fuel pump is configured to close an open end of a pump housing and includes an end cap body and a companion clip. On the bottom side of the end cap body facing the pump housing is a pair of motor brush wells for holding a pair of DC motor brushes. A pair of blind bores are provided to receive corresponding RFI suppression circuits. A pair of pockets are located in between the wells and the bores to allow flexible shunt wires to connect the RFI suppression circuits with the brushes. The clip is adapted for insertion into the bottom of the end cap body wherein a pair of axially-extending legs are guided into and seal the pockets. The captured shunt wires are electrically isolated in the closed pockets and contact with fuel is minimized.

Abstract: A control valve arrangement for use in controlling fuel pressure within a control chamber (30) includes a control valve member (32) which is movable between a first position in which the control chamber (30) communicates with a source of high pressure fuel, and a second position in which the control chamber (30) communicates with a low pressure fuel drain and communication between the control chamber (30) and the source of high pressure fuel is broken. The control valve arrangement also includes restricted flow means (55, 70, 86) for restricting the rate of flow of fuel from the control chamber (30) to the low pressure fuel drain when the control valve member (32) is moved from the first position to the second position.

Abstract: An occupancy detection system includes a signal generator coupled to an electrode, the signal generator configured to output a first signal at a first frequency and a second signal at a second frequency. The system further includes a voltage detection circuit connected to an output terminal of the signal generator and to an input terminal of the electrode, wherein the voltage detection circuit is configured to measure a first voltage responsive to the first signal at the first frequency and a second voltage responsive to the second signal at the second frequency. A control module in communication with the voltage detection circuit is configured to detect a state of occupancy based on the first voltage and the second voltage.

Abstract: An electronic module is provided having enhanced thermal cooling of electronics. The module includes a housing, electronic circuitry contained within the housing, and a fluid cooling chamber extending through the housing. The chamber has generally conical shaped portions at opposite ends. At least one thermal cooling insert extends into the chamber. The insert comprises a plurality of projections for forming fluid flow passages between adjacent projections, wherein the projections engage the generally conical shape portion of the chamber.

Abstract: A method of lane marker detection and detection fitting is provided for lane tracking. A lane marker is modeled and split into left and right steps. A filter response is calculated from a cumulative row sum, and normalized for filter pixel size, lane marker brightness and road brightness. A lane marker response is peak detected for positive and negative peaks and checked for having a magnitude above a threshold and being a local peak in a five point neighborhood. A Hough transform is extended to multiple planes to use lane marker features to determine a best line. Lane marker features include a mean and variance of lane marker brightness, lane marker width, lane marker parallelism to a host vehicle direction of travel, and consistence with a predicted lane marker characteristic. A closest lane marker line to a host vehicle is identified, and refitted to account for any curvature.

Abstract: An object detection system is provided for detecting a thermal emitting object in a blind zone proximate to a host vehicle. The system includes a thermal radiation detector located on a host vehicle and configured to sense temperature of multiple coverage zones proximate to the host vehicle. A processor processes temperature sensed by an infrared detector. The processor determines a change in thermal temperature sensed by the infrared detector and determines the presence of an object in the coverage zone based on the change in the sensed temperature. An output provides a signal indicative of an object sensed in the coverage zone based on the determined change in temperature.

Abstract: The invention provides a press in style motor attachment mount assembly. The assembly includes a motor and a vibration isolator. The motor has an end portion axially remote from the output end and a stop facing the output end. The vibration isolator includes a cup that axially receives the end portion of the motor. The cup includes an end wall, a sidewall, and flexible fingers integrally connected to the sidewall. The flexible fingers have a flexed position in which the tip of the flexible finger is disposed radially outwardly to allow axial assembly of the end portion of the motor into the cup and a locking position where the tip engages the first radial stop to prevent axial detachment of the motor from the cup.

Abstract: A circuit interruption device (110) is provided in which an interruption element (112) and a fuse element (114) are configured electrically in parallel. The interruption element includes an electrical conductor and a current interrupter capable of severing the electrical conductor to eliminate its capacity to carry current. An exemplary embodiment of a circuit interruption device is capable of detecting an interrupt control signal and actuating in response to the signal.

Abstract: An electrical terminal has a copper-based body and a coating disposed on at least a portion of a surface of the body. The coating is a metal selected from a group consisting of zinc, magnesium, a zinc alloy, magnesium alloy or other metal that is more electronegative than aluminum and its alloys.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for communicating data synchronously with a plurality of crash sensors onboard a vehicle. The system includes a control unit comprising interface circuitry for communicating with a plurality of crash sensors and providing synchronization signals to the crash sensors. The system also includes a communication bus coupled to the control unit for communicating with the crash sensors. The system further includes a plurality of crash sensors connected to the communication bus for communicating with the control unit. Each of the plurality of crash sensors receives one or more synchronization signals and is capable of transmitting data in response to the synchronous signals. The plurality of crash sensors each comprises logic for comparing a sensed parameter to a threshold and transmitting data when the sensed parameter exceeds the threshold.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fuel injection valve for internal combustion engines, comprising a valve body (1), with a drilling (3) embodied therein and defined at the combustion chamber end thereof by a conical valve seat (18) from which at least one injection opening (20) leads. A hollow valve needle (8) is arranged in the drilling (3) such as to be displaced longitudinally, comprising a valve sealing surface (35) at the end thereof facing the valve seat (18). A first sealing region (31; 34) and a second sealing region (32; 46; 48) are embodied on the valve sealing surface (35), whereby, on contact of the hollow valve needle (8) on the valve seat (18), the first sealing region (31; 34) provides a seal upstream of the at least one injection opening (20) and the second sealing region (32; 46; 48) downstream thereof.

Abstract: A control system for controlling a steering system is provided. The control system includes a first module that estimates a command adjust value based on a current position of a hand wheel of the steering system relative to an end of travel region. A second module generates a motor assist command based on the command adjust value to control the steering system.

Abstract: An electric cable assembly may include an electric cable and a conductive contact. The electric cable has a conductive core, an inner insulation jacket surrounding the conductive core, a conductive layer surrounding the inner insulation jacket, and an outer insulation jacket surrounding the conductive layer. The conductive contact is injection molded around the conductive layer at a prepared section of the electric cable so that the conductive contact can conduct electric current from the conductive layer.

Abstract: A communication system and method of communicating signals to a plurality of different types of receivers is provided. At least one transmitter transmits hierarchically modulated high priority and low priority signals as a single frequency network. At least one satellite re-transmits the high priority signal in a first circularly polarized direction and the low priority signal in a second circularly polarized direction. At least one of a first receiver having a single antenna is configured to receive the high priority signal in the first circularly polarized direction and switched to receive the low priority signal in the second circularly polarized direction, and a second receiver having a first antenna is configured to receive the high priority signal in the first circularly polarized direction, and a second antenna is configured to receive the low priority signal in the second circularly polarized direction substantially simultaneously.

Abstract: An antenna formed of multiple sub-arrays, each having rows of interconnected radiating elements. One row of radiating elements is shared between two sub-arrays by a coupler which isolatingly couples one row of radiating elements to each of two sub-arrays allowing the feed to the two sub-arrays to be isolatingly applied to the shared row of radiating elements while suppressing grating lobe generation and providing high sub-array isolation.

Abstract: An ignition apparatus includes a core, primary and secondary windings and a loop-shaped magnetic return path structure. The structure includes layers of wound strip steel or wound ferritic wire stacked in an outward fashion. The core is placed in an interior of the loop forming at least one air gap between a core end surfaces and the structure. A combined core and magnetic return path structure includes a continuous loop formed by winding ferritic wire either on a spool or on a mandrel and is then bonded. The bonded winding is cut to form two C-shaped portions. Each C-shaped portion has a central yoke that extends into a pair of parallel legs. The C-shaped portions are re-assembled over primary and second windings so that the legs form a pair of parallel branches. One branch acts as the core and the other branch acts as the magnetic return path.

Abstract: A method that employs a novel combination of conventional fabrication techniques provides a ceramic short-resistant capacitor that is bendable and/or shapeable to provide a multiple layer capacitor that is extremely compact and amenable to desirable geometries. The method allows thinner and more flexible ceramic capacitors to be made. The method includes forming a first thin metal layer on a substrate; depositing a thin, ceramic dielectric layer over the metal layer; depositing a second thin metal layer over the dielectric layer to form a capacitor exhibiting a benign failure mode; and separating the capacitor from the substrate.