Abstract: The problem of flow induced instability in a control valve for a vehicle damper is solved by a generally tubular shaped valve spool having an open, bridged, flow-through end, rather than side flow openings. The flow-through end of the spool has a narrow flat edge oriented perpendicularly to the axis of the spool, with an inside surface of the spool forming a 55 to 90 degree angle with the flat edge, and meeting the flat edge in a sharp corner.

Abstract: Described is a rechargeable lithium ion battery comprised of (a) a negative electrode and (b) a positive electrode both comprised of a current collector and applied to each a mixture of chlorinated polymer blend and lithium intercalation materials and (c) a separator/ polymer electrolyte comprised of chlorinated polymer blend and filler.

Abstract: A thermostatic expansion valve controls a flow of refrigerant. The valve includes a body defining a fluid chamber. A refrigerant inlet is defined within the body. The inlet communicates with the chamber such that the refrigerant can flow through the inlet and into the chamber. First and second outlets are defined within the body. The first outlet communicates with the chamber such that the refrigerant can flow from the chamber to an evaporator during normal and low refrigerant charge. The second outlet communicates with the chamber such that the refrigerant can flow from the chamber to a compressor during low charge. A moveable needle controls the flow of the refrigerant into and out of the body. A notch is defined within the needle such that, during low charge, the refrigerant that flows into the chamber can flow to the second outlet and to the compressor without flowing through the evaporator.

Abstract: The vehicle steering column has a rake adjustment and a telescope adjustment. The adjustment mechanism includes a compression bracket with a telescope slot, a rake bracket with a rake slot and a rake bolt that passes through the telescope slot and the rake slot. A wedge lock is mounted on the rake bolt and positioned in the rake slot and the telescope slot. Rake and telescope teeth on the wedge lock are held out of engagement with a rake tooth rack and a telescope tooth rack during rake and telescope adjustment. The rake bolt is tightened to hold a selected adjustment position and the telescope teeth on the wedge lock engage the telescope tooth rack. During a collision the rake teeth on the wedge lock are moved into engagement with the rake tooth rack to fix the rake and telescope adjustments.

Abstract: A fuel injector comprising an outer valve needle provided with a bore, an inner valve needle slidable within the bore, the outer and inner valve needles being engageable with first and second seatings respectively to control the supply of fuel from the fuel injector. The inner valve needle includes a passage which communicates with a sac chamber located downstream of the second seating, whereby movement of the outer valve needle away from the first seating causes fuel to flow through the passage into the sac chamber such that fuel pressure within the sac chamber causes the inner valve needle to lift away from the second seating.

Abstract: An HVAC system including a housing, an evaporator assembly, a heater core assembly, an air inlet assembly, a fan assembly, and a film valve assembly including first and second rollers, wherein each roller includes a biasing member with a constant force urging the biasing members to rotate and the biasing members are biased in opposite directions.

Abstract: A concentric tubing apparatus prevents heat gain in an air conditioning system. The heat gain results from heat generated in an engine compartment of a vehicle. To accomplish this, the tubing apparatus includes a first and second refrigerant tubes. The first refrigerant tube is in fluid communication with a receiver and an evaporator of the air conditioning system to accommodate the flow of the refrigerant from the receiver to the evaporator, and the second refrigerant tube is in fluid communication with the receiver and the evaporator to accommodate the flow of the refrigerant from the evaporator to the receiver. The second refrigerant tube is disposed concentrically about the first refrigerant tube such that the second refrigerant tube insulates the refrigerant flowing in the first refrigerant tube from the heat generated in the engine compartment. Thus, heat gain in the refrigerant flowing in the first refrigerant tube to the evaporator is prevented.

Abstract: A steering system for a vehicle, the steering system includes a rack-independent actuator. The rack-independent actuator has component parts isolates from undesirable loads by two universal joints that isolate mechanical components of the actuator from transient loads that may be encountered by the rack or rack housing.

Abstract: A solenoid assembly includes a solenoid having a magnetic circuit comprising stationary primary and secondary pole pieces and a moveable armature. The primary pole piece includes an inner cylindrical wall operable to define, with the armature, a fixed radial gap for the passage of magnetic flux, and a tapered outer wall operable to increase the mass of the pole piece through which flux may pass, as the armature moves axially within cylindrical inner wall, the primary pole piece further includes an inwardly tapered, conical portion that extends toward the armature which operates, with an associated conical portion on a periphery of the moveable armature, to substantially maintain the axial opening force on the armature by establishing a secondary gap for the passage of magnetic flux as the armature approaches the conical tapered portion of the cylindrical wall to compensate for the saturation of magnetic flux through the fixed air gap.

Abstract: An improved motor vehicle automatic climate control methodology individually develops climate control commands in response to ambient environmental conditions and a transient state estimator, and individually and adaptively adjusts the commands to improve driver comfort in response to driver override of respective automatic control settings. The adaptive adjustment of the climate control commands is carried by CMAC neural networks that take into account the environmental conditions and the dynamic state of the system when the respective overrides occur so as to minimize or eliminate the environmental state ambiguity and steady-state/transient coupling that occur in currently known control methodologies.

Abstract: A gas sensor for sensing NOx having electrochemical cells wherein dielectric material surrounds electrolytes except where electrodes are attached. Thereby, the exhaust gas is effectively prevented from contacting the electrolytes of the sensor's electrochemical cells. With the use of this technique, signal cross talk is minimized while enhancing NOx sensing sensitivity. Further, the total number electrodes needed are reduced which allows for more complex sensors structures.

Abstract: A vehicle door cinching apparatus for assisting the final closing motion of a sliding vehicle door includes an electromagnet, a ferrous metal plate, a cinch drive and a controller. The electromagnet mounts on either an outer periphery of a vehicle sliding door or an inner periphery of a vehicle sliding door frame that's shaped to receive the sliding door as the door moves along a final inward cinching portion of a door path to a final closed position within the door frame. The plate is supported on the other of the outer periphery of the door and the inner periphery of the door frame in a position where the plate can magnetically engage the electromagnet when the door is disposed along the final cinching portion of the door path. Whichever of the plate and electromagnet is supported on the inner periphery of the door frame is also supported for lateral movement in a direction generally parallel to the cinching portion of the door path.

Abstract: An improved method for producing a basic B tube configuration for a folded heat exchanger tube (26). A braze clad metal strip (10) having inner (1) and outer (0) surfaces and a opposed edges (12) is progressively formed over and in by a series of progressive roller stations (14A, 16A-14J, 16J) until the lower edges (12) on a pair of central abutting flanges 18 centrally engage the strip inner surface (1). Between two of the roller stations (G and H), a powered dispense valve (20) with nozzle (22) continuously dispenses a bead (24) of material containing flux or, alternatively, flux and braze material. Bead (24), rather than being a thin stripe, is a thick semi cylindrical shape, with substantial viscosity. As the flanges (18) move into abutment and the downstream roller stations, the flange edges (12) are forced down into the bead (24), some of which is pumped up between the outer surfaces (0) of the abutted flanges (18), yielding a good, solid braze joint between the two.

Abstract: A constant velocity stroking joint includes a housing having an inner cylindrical surface formed with axial guide channels aligned with guide channels of an inner race to provide axial ball tracks for a set of spherical balls. A double offset outer cage has a part-spherical outer diameter surface and a spherical inner diameter surface with centers of curvature axially offset from a center plane of the balls on opposite side thereof to provide constant velocity. An intermediate cage is provided between the inner race and outer cage having a spherical outer diameter surface with a radius of curvature matching that of the mating surface of the outer cage for maintaining constant velocity.

Abstract: A metallic or an electrical trace having a terminus and a stress relief bend formed in the trace adjacent the terminus. The electrical trace may have a portion carried by a flexible substrate to form a flexible circuit. The stress relief bend may be free floating and extend from the flexible substrate or may be encapsulated by the flexible substrate. The electrical circuit and the flexible circuit each have a generally planar portion extending in the X and Y axis, with the stress relief bend projecting into the Z axis. This allows electrical traces to be spaced with a very narrow pitch because the stress relief bend does not consume any valuable real estate on the flexible circuit or the substrate to which the electrical trace is applied.

Abstract: A compact constant velocity joint includes outer and inner joint members having surfaces to provide articulation of the joint. The surfaces are formed with aligned grooves to receive torque-transmitting balls. A ball retainer is provided axially adjacent the balls, adjacent an open end of the outer joint member to retain the balls in the grooves during operation. The ball retainer articulates on the same center point as that of the outer and inner joint members.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for folding together an inflatable airbag jacket of an airbag module for motor vehicles, in which the at least partly spread out airbag jacket is arranged in at least one folding pocket and a folding volume of the folding pocket which contains the airbag jacket is reduced in size.

Abstract: A grid plate for high power lead acid battery having a plate (14) covered with a conductive polymeric matrix (10) of preferably polyaniline and its derivatives, which is then coated with nanoscale particles of active material (14) such as lead sulfate and basic lead sulfate complexes.

Abstract: A multi-function receiver attenuates pressure fluctuations of refrigerant flowing from an evaporator to a compressor in an air conditioning system. The receiver includes a body housing having an inlet for receiving the refrigerant from a condenser and an outlet for sending the refrigerant to the compressor. A cap housing covers the body housing. The receiver also includes first and second ports defined within the cap housing. The first port communicates with the evaporator for sending the refrigerant to the evaporator, and the second port communicates with the evaporator for receiving the refrigerant from the evaporator. An internal wall defines an outer and an inner cavity. The outer cavity communicates with the inlet for receiving the refrigerant from the condenser and with the first port for sending the refrigerant to the evaporator. The inner cavity communicates with the second port to receive the refrigerant from the evaporator and to attenuate the pressure fluctuations.

Abstract: A two-step finger follower rocker arm assembly including a follower body having a socket at a first end for engaging a hydraulic lash adjuster and a pad at an opposite end for engaging a valve stem. A passage through the follower body in the direction of actuation by an engine cam lobe is slidingly receivable of a slider member for variably engaging a central cam lobe, preferably a high-lift lobe. An elongate shaft extends through a transverse bore in the slider member and through a slotted passage in the slider member. In the follower body, the shaft is provided with bearings supporting first and second lateral roller followers on opposite sides of the body for variably engaging first and second preferably low-lift lateral cam lobes flanking the central cam lobe. A lost-motion spring urges the slider member into contact with the central lobe. A latch member driven by a piston selectively locks the slider member to the follower body such that the follower follows the motion of the central cam lobe.