Abstract: An expansion tank for a cooling system of a motor vehicle has an inlet mouth and is provided with a shell in plastic material having a wall which defines a cavity for containing a coolant liquid; the shell has, in addition, a projecting collar, at the inlet mouth, and a first inner tubular wall, which protrudes downwards into the cavity and defines a passage with a lower outlet opening, to make the coolant liquid flow into the cavity; the shell has, in addition, a second tubular wall, projecting upwards into the cavity and defining a compartment which is vertically aligned with the passage and has an upper overflow opening vertically arranged at a height that is equal to or greater than that of the outlet opening.

Abstract: A control device for a vehicle gearbox includes a support casing and a control lever pivotally mounted about an oscillation axis within said support casing. A pivoting body is rotatably mounted within the support casing about the oscillation axis of the control lever and is connected in rotation with the control lever. A connecting member for a gearbox control cable is connected to the pivoting body by an adapter element. The adapter element and the pivoting body are configured so they can be coupled with each other in different relative positions, in order to create different positions and/or different orientations of the control cable with respect to the pivoting body.

Abstract: Motor vehicle comprising headlights and an air conditioning system fluidically connected to the headlights for supplying an air flow thereto, and comprising an electric fan to generate the air flow, an electric heater to heat the air flow generated by the electric fan, a sensory system to measure air temperature and moisture inside the headlights, an electric heater and an electric fan arranged inside each headlight, and an electronic control unit connected to the sensory system to receive the measured quantities, to the electric fan and the electric heater of the air conditioning system, and the electric heaters and the electric fans in the headlights to control operation thereof.

Abstract: Particulate accumulation in a particulate filter in the exhaust line of an engine is calculated by an electronic engine control unit. When the estimated accumulated particulate mass exceeds a predetermined threshold, an automatic regeneration step of the filter is activated. An actual instantaneous burned particulate mass is calculated as a function of values indicative of the state of the filter. A temporary correction factor representing an error between a theoretical value and the actual value is calculated. The temporary correction factor is stored in a second map of correction factors, based on the engine operating conditions. During an accumulation step, the estimated instantaneous particulate mass, calculated according to the first map based on the operating conditions of the engine, is multiplied by a correction factor calculated according to the second map based on the operating conditions of the engine.

Abstract: An electric vehicle includes a modular support structure having a central frame module and front and rear frame modules in the form of a lattice framework, having two upper longitudinal beams and two lower longitudinal beams connected to each other by uprights and cross-members. The front frame module carries a front suspension with wheel supports carried by upper and lower oscillating arms, and a front electric motor unit including two electric motors, having respective motor axes coincident with each other and arranged along a transverse direction with respect to a vehicle longitudinal direction. The motors are positioned spaced apart from each other, and are symmetrical with respect to a vehicle median line. Two gear reducing units are arranged centrally between the two electric motors, with housings having lateral walls from which output shafts project, which are connected by drive shafts to wheel hubs rotatably mounted on the wheel supports.

Abstract: Motor vehicle comprising headlights and an air conditioning system fluidically connected to the headlights for supplying an air flow thereto, and comprising an electric fan to generate the air flow, an electric heater to heat the air flow generated by the electric fan, a sensory system to measure air temperature and moisture inside the headlights, an electric heater and an electric fan arranged inside each headlight, and an electronic control unit connected to the sensory system to receive the measured quantities, to the electric fan and the electric heater of the air conditioning system, and the electric heaters and the electric fans in the headlights to control operation thereof.

Abstract: An electronic control system for a motor vehicle comprising an automatic transmission operable to assume different operating modes, comprising a reverse mode, a neutral mode, a park mode, a drive mode and a manual mode, in response to a manual operation of a selector with at least one control switch and mounted to assume a stable central neutral position when the selector is not operated, and to be movable in opposite selection directions from the stable central neutral position to reach two instable end-of-travel selection positions arranged on opposite sides of the stable central neutral position.

Abstract: A canister for absorption of fuel vapors from a fuel tank, includes a hollow body defining an internal chamber containing absorbent material, a first opening communicating with a tank vent conduit, a second opening vented towards the atmosphere, and a third opening communicating with a conduit connected to an engine intake manifold. The canister body has outer and inner side walls parallel to and spaced apart from each other, and defining therebetween a thermally insulating interspace extending continuously for the whole circumferential extension of the outer side wall, on all sides of the canister body, whereby said thermally insulating interspace surrounds the internal chamber and promotes saving of heat generated inside the internal chamber in the absorption operating mode, during an engine inoperative stage, so as to improve canister scavenging efficiency during a subsequent stage wherein the scavenging operating mode is activated, when the engine is operative.

Abstract: A floor-panel structure for a vehicle includes a front body subassembly, a front floor structure, including a central longitudinal tunnel, two lateral longitudinal beams, connected to the floor structure and the body subassembly, and two intermediate longitudinal beams, which connect the floor structure to the body subassembly and extend in areas between the lateral longitudinal beams and central longitudinal tunnel. The lateral longitudinal beams each include a sheet-metal profile element having an open cross section, a front portion reinforced for withstanding relatively high axial loads, and a remaining portion that is more ductile than said front portion so as to be more liable to collapse. Each lateral longitudinal beam is constituted by a single sheet element of steel, and said reinforced front portion is constituted by a hardened portion obtained by subjecting only the front portion to a thermal treatment using high-frequency induction heating.

Abstract: A motor vehicle has a front engine compartment housing a powertrain unit and at least one side-member on which a safety device is mounted; the safety device is configured so as to move said powertrain unit sideways during an impact, towards the opposite side to that which is subject to the impact; the safety device is provided with a beam having a first end, spaced from a terminal portion of the side-member towards the outside of the engine compartment, and a second end fixed to the side-member at an intermediate portion next to the powertrain unit; the safety device is further provided with a pin, which is fixed with respect to the second end of the beam and projects from said second end through a hole of the intermediate portion towards the powertrain unit.

Abstract: A selector for an automatically operated gearbox is provided and includes: a casing; a control member mounted within the casing in an oscillating manner around a first axis of rotation, the control member being movable through a plurality of operative positions associated to respective operating conditions of the gearbox; a prevention device of the selection of an undesired operative position of the selector, wherein the prevention device includes a rocker mounted within the casing in a rotatable manner around a second axis of rotation; the rocker being operable in rotation around the second axis of rotation by an actuator member between a resting position and a working position in which it is configured to inhibit the selection of the undesired operative position. The prevention device is configured for enabling, in certain conditions, selection of the undesired operative position even when it is currently inhibited.

Abstract: A gear lever for motor vehicles is provided, of the type including a lever body, a grip, a block and a rod. The lever body defines a main axis and is configured for being associated to a gearshift device of a motor vehicle. The block is arranged to be displaced between an operative position and an inoperative position, respectively, for blocking and releasing the lever in or from a given gearshift position. The rod is slidably mounted within the lever body, and connected to which is said lever block, and which is arranged to be governed via a control member positioned on the lever body or on the grip for shifting the block from the operative position to the inoperative position. The lever is also height-adjustable.

Abstract: A motor-vehicle component, in particular a particulate-filter unit for diesel engines, includes a main body provided with attachments for connection to the structure of the motor vehicle and an additional body connected to said main body and in turn connected to the structure of the motor vehicle by a connection device that is able to compensate for dimensional variations due to manufacturing tolerances.

Abstract: A vehicle tank pressurization device has a valve seat establishing an opening for fuel vapors and/or air; such opening has a vertical axis coincident with the direction of application of an opening force, that is directed upwards and is produced, in use, by the pressure in an internal upper region of the tank; the device also has a movable shutter, placed on the valve seat, to open/close the valve seat, and having a weight set by design in such a way as to define the magnitude of a closing force directed downwards and with a center of gravity positioned eccentrically with respect to the vertical axis of the opening.

Abstract: Particulate accumulation in a particulate filter in the exhaust line of an engine is calculated by an electronic engine control unit. When the estimated accumulated particulate mass exceeds a predetermined threshold, an automatic regeneration step of the filter is activated. An actual instantaneous burned particulate mass is calculated as a function of values indicative of the state of the filter. A temporary correction factor representing an error between a theoretical value and the actual value is calculated. The temporary correction factor is stored in a second map of correction factors, based on the engine operating conditions. During an accumulation step, the estimated instantaneous particulate mass, calculated according to the first map based on the operating conditions of the engine, is multiplied by a correction factor calculated according to the second map based on the operating conditions of the engine.

Abstract: A system for recirculating blow-by gases into an air intake duct of an internal combustion engine includes a separating device to separate oil in a flow of blow-by gases of the engine. The separator device has an inlet for receiving blow-by gases, at least one discharge for returning the oil separated to the engine, and an outlet for clean blow-by gases. A recirculation duct connects the outlet to an air intake duct of the engine. The recirculation duct has an end connected to the intake duct by a T-connector member, with a main duct portion arranged along the intake duct and a tubular element protruding inside the main duct portion. The tubular element protruding inside the main duct portion has an annular end surface that has an irregular profile, preferably in the form of a saw-like toothed profile.

Abstract: An automotive active brake noise damping system to actively damp braking noise perceivable in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle comprising a braking system comprising a plurality of braking assemblies associated with wheels of the motor vehicle. The automotive active brake noise damping system comprises a sensory system to sense quantities that allow braking noise perceived in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle and generated by the braking assemblies during braking to be estimated, an audio system to diffuse sounds in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle, and an electronic control unit connected to the sensory system and the audio system, and programmed to control the audio system based on the quantities sensed by the sensor system to actively damp the braking noise perceived in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle.

Abstract: A device for loading and unloading a wheel of a vehicle includes an actuating device operable to move a cable between a lifted wheel position and a lowered wheel position. A support anchored to the wheel is elastically suspended to a supporting rod carried by the cable. A bracket secured to the vehicle has an axially fixed bush, through which the supporting rod moves following actuation of the cable. The rod has a lateral surface provided with projections. The rod and the bush have cam surfaces which come into engagement with each other during a final lifting stage to cause the bush to rotate towards a position in which, following a lowering of the cable, the projections rest on seats on the upper end surface of the bush to discharge the weight of the wheel.

Abstract: A rear-seat assembly, comprising a backrest, a transverse pin for articulation of the backrest, and a pair of brackets fixed by welding to respective rear wheelhouses. Each bracket comprises a fixing plate and a central bracket body, which are constituted by two separate components of sheet metal having different thicknesses and fixed together by welding. The fixing plate has front and rear surfaces contacting an inner surface portion of the wheelhouse, and the central bracket body is substantially C-shaped with a central wall and two side walls, which are bent with respect to the central wall and have respective front edges welded to the fixing plate front surface. The central wall has an opening for insertion and blocking of one end of the transverse pin having an internal edge that is not bent, with a thickness equal to the thickness of the central bracket body.

Abstract: An expansion tank for a motor-vehicle cooling system has an inlet port and an outlet port and is provided with a plastic shell having a container and two protruding collars, respectively at the two ports; at least one of the collars defines a seat, which is engaged by a tubular insert coaxial to the collar; elastically deformable teeth are provided for snap-coupling the tubular insert and the shell to each other and axially retaining the tubular insert in the seat.