Abstract: A system comprises a hinge assembly and an anchor. The anchor has a base, a head, and a pin connecting the base and the head. The hinge assembly has an aperture and a notch narrower than the aperture extending from the aperture. The head fits through the aperture, and the notch is configured to receive the pin when the hinge assembly is translated toward the pin with the head through the aperture. The hinge assembly releasably clips to the pin to retain the hinge assembly in an engaged position when the notch receives the pin. The system may be a cargo system in a vehicle, with the lid serving as a vehicle load floor. A method of securing a lid to a cargo bin in a vehicle utilizes the system.

Abstract: A window system for a passenger compartment of a vehicle includes a transparent window having a window treatment, an incident light monitoring subsystem, an incident light management subsystem and a controller. The incident light monitoring subsystem monitors incident light transmitted into the passenger compartment, determines a field of view of a passenger and determines an intensity of the incident light relative to the field of view of the passenger. The incident light management subsystem individually controls a plurality of light projectors to project a light beam that interacts with a subsection of the window treatment to modulate light transparency of one of the subsections of the window based upon the intensity of the incident light in relation to a field of view of the passenger.

Abstract: Limited slip differentials (LSD), methods for making and methods for using such LSDs, and motor vehicles employing an LSD. An LSD for a motor vehicle includes a differential casing that drivingly connects to the driveshaft, and two side gears rotatably mounted inside the casing. Each side gear drivingly connects to a respective axle shaft. One or both side gears includes a respective friction surface. One or more pinion gears are mounted inside the casing and meshingly engaged with the side gears. One or more friction plates are movably mounted inside the casing to selectively engage with and disengage from a friction surface. A centrifugal spring mass, which is mounted to one of the pinion gears, includes circumferentially spaced springs that expand responsive to a predetermined disparity in rotational speed between the side gears and thereby urge the friction plate(s) into engagement with the friction surface(s).

Abstract: A vehicle includes a motor for propelling the vehicle and at least one active aerodynamic element configured to generate a variable amount of aerodynamic downforce on the vehicle when the vehicle is in motion. The vehicle also includes at least one driver input sensor configured to detect a driver input and generate a feedforward signal indicative of a desired behavior of the vehicle. The vehicle additionally includes a controller in communication with the at least one driver input sensor and the at least one active aerodynamic element and configured to regulate the at least one active aerodynamic element at least partially in response to the feedforward signal. A method for controlling such an active aerodynamic element and a system for controlling an aerodynamic downforce on a vehicle are also disclosed.

Abstract: An attachment plate and towing lug combination for a vehicle having a crush can and a bumper beam includes a plate and a towing lug. The plate has a central portion and a flange portion. The towing lug is attached to the central portion of the plate and extends from an outer surface of the central portion of the plate. The flange portion of the plate is attachable to an end portion of the crush can. The central portion of the plate is attachable to a first side portion of the bumper beam. The towing lug extends to at least an outer surface of a second side portion of the bumper beam when the flange portion of the plate is attached to the end portion of the crush can and the central portion of the plate is attached to the first side portion of the bumper beam.

Abstract: A mounting assembly is provided. The mounting assembly includes a first assembly portion coupled to a first component and a second assembly portion coupled to a second component. The first assembly portion includes a first bracket and a locating pin. The first bracket has a first surface, a second surface, and defines a first bracket protrusion having a first bracket bore therein. The locating pin has a first end, a second end, and an exterior surface. The first end of the locating pin is fixedly mounted within the first bracket bore. The second assembly portion includes a base plate that has a base plate first surface and a base plate second surface and defines a base plate protrusion portion having a protrusion bore therein. The locating pin is configured to be inserted into the protrusion bore in order to position the first component with respect to the second component.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a cargo area at least partially defined by a first sidewall, a second sidewall disposed opposite the first sidewall and a floor cooperating with and extending between the first and second sidewalls. At least one tie down member is disposed on at least one of the first and second sidewalls. An auxiliary storage unit having a housing and a mounting bracket extending from the housing is removably secured to the at least one tie down member. The auxiliary storage unit is adjustable about the mounting bracket between at least a first position and a second position.

Abstract: An integrated lighting element assembly includes a transparent light-transmitting portion and an opaque or translucent optical diffuser. The light-transmitting portion has a light-transmitting surface. The optical diffuser is integrated or co-molded with the light-transmitting element to form a boundary of the light-transmitting surface. A light source is configured to direct incident light into the light-transmitting portion in response to a lighting control signal. A controller may generate the lighting control signal in response to activation of a user input device such as a turn signal lever or transmission mode selection lever. The optical diffuser may be parallel to and contiguous with the longitudinal surfaces of the light-transmitting element. A headlight assembly includes first and second headlights having respective low- and high-beam functions, and the lighting element assembly, which is positioned with respect to one of the headlights.

Abstract: A system for offsetting a CNC machining process includes transferring compensation variables through registers in fixed G-code programming of the CNC machine and offsetting the CNC machine without altering fixed G-code programming. Global compensation variables are applied to all feature programs of the CNC machining process, and local compensation variables are applied to only individual features or groups of features. The machine shifts position in response to the compensation variables.

Abstract: An electrical system is usable with an offboard charging station and configured to dynamically adjust a power limit of the electrical system during a battery charging process. The system includes a battery pack, charge coupler, power electronic components, temperature sensor(s), and a controller. The components include a most-limiting component, and are electrically connected to the battery pack with corresponding temperature-based operating performance information. The information describes a maximum allowed charging current over different time intervals. The most-limiting component has a lowest allowed charging current. The controller executes a method by determining a component temperature using the measured temperature(s), and requests increased charging current from the power supply over one or more of the time intervals to supply the battery pack with the maximum allowed charging current of the most-limiting component.

Abstract: An axle housing for a vehicle is provided. The axle housing includes a polymeric composite body. The polymeric composite body includes a polymer and a plurality of reinforcing fibers. The polymeric composite body has a modulus of greater than or equal to about 10 GPa. The polymeric composite body defines an inner surface and at least one bearing region. The inner surface defines an interior cavity. The interior cavity is configured to receive an internal gear set including a bearing. The at least one bearing region includes a bore. The at least one bearing region is configured to be disposed around the bearing of the internal gear set. The axle housing may unibody, such that a body portion is free of joints or seams, or it may include multiple pieces. Methods of manufacturing composite axle housings are also provided.

Abstract: An LPV/MPC engine control system is disclosed that includes an engine control unit connected to multiple sensors. The engine control unit receives, from the sensors, signals indicative of desired engine torque and engine torque output, and determines, from these signals, optimal engine control commands using a piecewise LPV/MPC routine. This routine includes: determining a nonlinear and a linear system model for the engine assembly, minimizing a control cost function in a receding horizon for the linear system model, determining system responses for the nonlinear and linear system models, determining if a norm of an error function between the system responses is smaller than a calibrated threshold, and if the norm is smaller than the predetermined threshold, applying the linearized system model in a next sampling time for a next receding horizon to determine the optimal control command. Once determined, the optimal control command is output to the engine assembly.

Abstract: A system and method of analyzing content of multilingual vehicle diagnostic records includes: determining a word window within a vehicle diagnostic record; identifying a pair or a tuple comprising parts, symptoms, or actions; generating a plurality of pairs or tuples comprising parts, symptoms, or actions; determining a frequency value for each pair or tuple; and comparing the determined frequency value with a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A system and method of adjusting digital audio sampling used with wideband audio includes: performing audio sampling on an analog audio signal at an initial sampling rate and an initial bit rate over a wideband audio frequency range; generating a digital audio signal based on the audio sampling; detecting a qualitative error rate between the analog audio signal and the digital audio signal; and decreasing the initial sampling rate, the initial bit rate, or both for sampling subsequent analog audio when the qualitative error is below a threshold.

Abstract: A method of vacuum forming an object includes heating a plastic sheet. After heating the plastic sheet, a vacuum is applied to pull the sheet against an outer surface of a flexible mold so that the plastic sheet has a formed shape that conforms to a contoured shape of the outer surface of the flexible mold. A rigid core is withdrawn from a cavity in the flexible mold. The flexible mold is then withdrawn from the plastic sheet by applying force to the flexible mold in a single direction, thereby causing flexing of the flexible mold past the undercut. An apparatus for vacuum forming a plastic sheet includes the flexible mold.