Abstract: A valve train for an internal combustion engine includes a camshaft and a variable cam phaser connected to the camshaft for driving the camshaft. The variable cam phaser includes an input shaft rotationally coupled to a crankshaft drive member; and an output shaft rotationally coupled to the camshaft and coaxial with the input shaft. Electrically operated adjusting means drivingly connect the input and output shafts enabling the input and output shafts to be selectively, angularly adjusted while maintaining driving engagement therebetween. The input and output shafts are coupled to the drive member and camshaft via respective, rotationally stiff, flexible couplings.

Abstract: An anti-backlash assembly of the type for transferring motion via a pin movable along a slot. The assembly comprises a pivot lever and a second lever member. The pivot lever comprises a body portion and a pivot lever portion extending from the body portion to a pivot lever distal end. The pivot lever portion defines a pin engagement slot extending from adjacent the pivot lever distal end toward the body portion. A pair of fingers extend in parallel and spaced relationship from the pivot lever distal end of the pivot lever portion toward the body portion to engage opposite sides of a pin of the engagement arm. Each of the fingers includes a pin engaging section extending to an inwardly extending distal end and a spring section extending in a for urging the fingers into clamping engagement with the pin.

Abstract: A connector housing includes at least one contact part chamber. At least one inside surface of the chamber contains a draft angle. The inside surface also contains at least one rib which has no inclination or a lesser inclination than that of the draft angle and extends in a longitudinal direction similar to that of the draft angle.

Abstract: A continuously variable valve lift system for actuating a combustion valve of an engine includes a camshaft having a camshaft lobe rotatable about an camshaft axis of rotation. A rocker assembly is pivotable for providing reciprocating motion to the combustion valve. A control shaft is rotatable about a control shaft axis of rotation such that rotation of the control shaft about the control shaft axis of rotation changes the position of the rocker assembly to vary the lift of the combustion valve. An actuator selectively rotates the control shaft between a minimum lift position and a maximum lift position. A bias spring surrounding the control shaft axis of rotation biases the control shaft only from the minimum lift position to a predetermined position which is intermediate the minimum lift position and the maximum lift position upon failure of the actuator.

Abstract: An electrically-conducting contact element includes a section of the contact element defining an aperture. The section is configured to receive a wire cable within the aperture for attachment thereto. The section includes an internal surface with at least one groove having sharp edges formed therein. A wire assembly that includes the electrically-conducting contact and a method to construct the electrically-conducting contact are also presented. The method includes a step of providing the contact element and forming at least one cutout groove on the internal surface of the contact element. A further step in the method includes altering material on the internal surface of the contact element by a forming means. The forming means may be one of milling, rifling, machining, cutting, indenting, or stamping. A wire assembly and a vehicular electrical wiring harness that respectively include the contact element are also further presented.

Abstract: A system for conditioning the intake air to an internal combustion engine includes a means to boost the pressure of the intake air to the engine and a liquid cooled charge air cooler disposed between the output of the boost means and the charge air intake of the engine. Valves in the coolant system can be actuated so as to define a first configuration in which engine cooling is performed by coolant circulating in a first coolant loop at one temperature, and charge air cooling is performed by coolant flowing in a second coolant loop at a lower temperature. The valves can be actuated so as to define a second configuration in which coolant that has flowed through the engine can be routed through the charge air cooler. The temperature of intake air to the engine can be controlled over a wide range of engine operation.

Abstract: A seat belt reminder system includes an occupant sensor to detect an occupant in a seat of a vehicle and a buckle sensor to detect when a seat belt is latched to a seat belt buckle. A controller detects whether the seat belt buckle is latched and a wireless transmitter sends the buckle status to a remote receiver in the vehicle. The controller and transmitter are powered by a battery that is separate from the vehicle electrical system. The controller, transmitter, and battery may be incorporated into the occupant sensor. A separate power supply for the controller and transmitter and a wireless connection to the receiver in the vehicle eliminates the need for a wiring harness from the seat to the vehicle. The seat belt reminder system may provide long battery life by connecting the controller and transmitter to the battery only when the seat is occupied.

Abstract: A tie clip includes a strap body formed of a first material. The strap body has a first and second end, a strap retention member, a plurality of teeth disposed on the strap body, and a securing member. The strap body also includes sealing member that is formed of a second material that is different from the first material. The second material is directly chemically bonded to the first material. The first end of the strap body is received in a unidirectional manner in the strap retention member so as to form a loop that fixedly holds at least one object such that the object is prevented from having lateral movement through the loop. When the securing member is fastenably secured within a hole of a mounting structure, the sealing member sealingly engages against the mounting structure surrounding the hole to prevent environmental element intrusion therethrough.

Abstract: A grommet extends along an axis for insertion into a hole of a panel. The grommet includes a hollow funnel-shaped section inclined to the axis such that a portion of said funnel-shaped section is compressed radially inward during insertion of the grommet into said hole, the funnel-shaped section terminates at a circular ridgeline. The grommet also includes a retention groove adjacent to the ridgeline for receiving the panel upon complete insertion of the grommet into the hole. An array of recesses is included on an inside surface of the grommet. The recesses are arranged to expand when the funnel-shaped section passes through the hole during insertion of the grommet into the hole.

Abstract: An ignition coil for an internal combustion engine includes a magnetically-permeable core extending along a core longitudinal axis, the core having a pair of end surfaces on axially-opposite ends thereof. The ignition coil also includes a primary winding disposed outward of the core, a secondary winding disposed outward of the primary winding, and a structure comprising magnetically-permeable steel laminations having a base and a pair of legs, the structure defining a magnetic return path. The core is disposed between the pair of legs such that the core longitudinal axis extends through the legs and the end surfaces face toward the legs and at least one of the end surfaces of the core is spaced apart from a respective one of the legs to define an air gap. The structure is over-molded with an over-molding material such that the over-molding material fills at least a portion of the air gap.

Abstract: An ignition coil includes a central core, a primary winding, a spool, a secondary winding, and a case outward of the core, spool, primary winding, and secondary winding. The secondary winding is wound on the spool and includes a high voltage end. The ignition coil also includes a cup formed of a metal material in electrical communication with the high voltage end of the secondary winding and is configured to be contacted by a conductive connector that is suitable for connection to a spark plug. The cup includes a generally cylindrical first sidewall press fit with the case and defining a press fit area at the interface of the first sidewall and the case, a generally cylindrical second sidewall spaced radially from the first sidewall, and an annular space defined between the press fit area and the second sidewall.

Abstract: A connector handle for an electric vehicle battery charger is provided. The connector handle includes a latch that is operable to a locked position and an unlocked position. The connector handle also includes an electric circuit configured to provide an enable indication and a disable indication. The connector handle also includes an actuator button moveable to a first position where the latch is in the locked position and the electric circuit provides the enable indication, a second position where the latch is in the locked position and the electric circuit provides the disable indication, and a third position where the latch is in the unlocked position and the electric circuit provides the disable indication.

Abstract: A helical torsion return spring and a throttle body assembly for urging a throttle plate of a throttle body assembly to a default position when a throttle motor of the throttle body assembly is disabled. The return spring includes a middle portion, a first end portion, a second end portion, a first spring leg, and a second spring leg. The throttle body assembly includes a throttle shaft, a first bushing, a second bushing, and the spring defined above. A first end portion center axis defined by the first end portion and a second end portion center axis defined by the second end portion are offset from a middle portion center axis defined by the middle portion.

Abstract: A method of operating a cascaded multilevel inverter of photovoltaic system to transfer electrical power from a plurality of photovoltaic cells onto an electrical power distribution grid. Power switches in the inverter are operated in a manner effective to combine a block voltage output from each selected photovoltaic blocks series-wise to output an inverter voltage substantially equal to the grid voltage. A selected photovoltaic block may be pulse width modulated to incrementally adjust a current or voltage output by the system. The photovoltaic blocks selected to contribute to the current or voltage output by the system are selected based on a desire to operate solar panels formed by the photovoltaic cells at a maximum power point (MPP) of each solar panel in a photovoltaic block. Shuffling of which blocks are selected may occur at any time during synthesizing a sinusoidal output signal.

Abstract: A control assembly adapted for automotive applications provides operator inputs and displays and includes a uniface ornamental escutcheon defining a central display area and a plurality of operator input devices at least partially circumscribing the display area. Each operator input device includes a faux control member integrally formed within the escutcheon and having beveled circumferential contours mimicking a discrete displacable control element. At least one substrate extends rearwardly from and closely conforms with a rear surface of the escutcheon, and is positioned to transect a plurality of adjacent faux control members. At least one capacitance sensor is associated with each faux control member and is carried on a forward facing edge of the substrate. As a result, each operator input device is touch sensitive to manual operator selection of input devices by touching the exposed face of the escutcheon to effect a desired switching function.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a unitary heat pump air conditioner (Unitary HPAC) that includes a refrigerant loop having a condenser, a refrigerant expansion device, and an evaporator hydraulically connected in series. An electrically driven compressor is provided to circulate a two-phase refrigerant through the refrigerant loop to transfer heat from the evaporator to the condenser. The unitary HPAC also includes a cold side chiller configured to hydraulically connect to a cold side coolant loop and is in thermal communication with the evaporator. The unitary HPAC further includes a hot side chiller configured to hydraulically connect to a hot side coolant loop and is in thermal communication with the condenser. The refrigerant loop transfer heat from the cold side chiller to the hot side chiller, thereby cooling the cold side coolant loop and heating the hot side coolant loop. The components of the unitary HPAC are mounted on a common platform.

Abstract: A lightweight radio/CD player for vehicular application is virtually “fastenerless” and includes a case and frontal interface formed of polymer based material that is molded to provide details to accept audio devices such as playback mechanisms (if desired) and radio receivers, as well as the circuit boards required for electrical control and display. The case and frontal interface are of composite structure, including an insert molded electrically conductive wire mesh screen that has been pre-formed to contour with the molding operation. The wire mesh provides EMC, RFI, BCI and ESD shielding and grounding of the circuit boards via exposed wire mesh pads and adjacent ground clips. The PCB architecture is bifurcated into a first board carrying common circuit components in a surface mount configuration suitable for high volume production, and a second board carrying application specific circuit components in a wave soldered stick mount configuration.

Abstract: An ignition coil includes a central core, a primary winding, a spool, a secondary winding, and a case outward of the core, spool, primary winding, and secondary winding. The secondary winding is wound on the spool and includes a high voltage end. The ignition coil also includes a cup formed of a metal material in electrical communication with the high voltage end of the secondary winding and is configured to be contacted by a conductive connector that is suitable for connection to a spark plug. The cup includes a generally cylindrical first sidewall press fit with the case and defining a press fit area at the interface of the first sidewall and the case, a generally cylindrical second sidewall spaced radially from the first sidewall, and an annular space defined between the press fit area and the second sidewall.

Abstract: A method and a system on a vehicle for activating a pedestrian protection device that has one or more sensors coupled to a fascia of the vehicle and activates the pedestrian protection device if the signal from a sensor is greater than a minimum threshold and less than a maximum threshold. Coupling the one or more sensors to the fascia improves sensitivity for detecting a collision with a pedestrian when compared to systems that do not couple the sensors to the fascia. Comparing the sensor signal to a minimum threshold and a maximum threshold helps avoid inappropriate or ineffective deployment of the pedestrian protection device. When multiple sensors are used, the location of the pedestrian collision on the fascia may be determined.

Abstract: An engine control module and method configured to correct an engine crank sensor signal for errors in an apparent location of a tooth edge on a crank wheel is provided. A correction factor is determined based on a first formula if a comparison of adjacent pulse intervals to predetermined thresholds indicates that a tooth edge appears to be abnormally late, and determined based on a second formula if a comparison of adjacent pulse intervals to other predetermined thresholds indicates that a tooth edge appears to be abnormally The correction factor is set to a null value if the correction factor is not determined based on the first formula or the second formula; and operating an engine based on the correction factor.