Abstract: A method is provided for sewing a seat cover to provide a side panel and an inset panel with a C-shaped separable seam and inner and outer chutes for air bag deployment. The method comprises sewing the side panel and the inner chute together with permanent vertical extending and upper and lower horizontal extending seams that will not break during air bag deployment, and sewing the inset panel and the outer chute together with permanent vertical extending seams and upper and lower horizontal extending seams that will not break during air bag deployment. And thereafter sewing the side panel and the inset panel together with separable vertical extending seams and upper and lower horizontal extending seams that will break upon the air bag deployment to allow inflation of the air bag while the inner chute remains attached to the front panel and the outer chute remains attached to the side panel to guide the inflating air bag.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for producing a commanded torque in an electric motor in a vehicle. A method comprises obtaining a torque command, obtaining a speed of the electric motor, and operating the inverter based at least in part on a voltage command that corresponds to minimal current through the electric motor for producing the commanded torque at the instantaneous speed of the electric motor.

Abstract: A vehicle has a shifter assembly for shifting a transmission, and a floor pan. The shifter assembly includes a base and an attachment assembly for adjustably attaching the shifter assembly to the floor pan. The attachment assembly includes a bushing that is adjustable in a horizontal direction relative to the floor pan or a vertical direction relative to the base.

Abstract: A heating circuit and an electronics assembly for use in a vehicle includes an external housing having outer walls and an internal wall dividing the external housing into an electronics cavity and a non-electronics cavity. A heat generating electronics assembly is located in the electronics cavity adjacent to the internal wall. A control electronics assembly is located in the electronics cavity adjacent to the heat generating electronics assembly, with the control electronics portion controlling the heat generating electronics assembly; and an internal heat shield extending between and shielding the control electronics assembly from the heat generating electronics assembly, with the internal heat shield being made of a thermally conductive material and having a contact portion attached to the internal wall, whereby heat absorbed by the internal heat shield transmitted to the internal wall.

Abstract: A friction material is provided for a friction member of a torque-transmitting mechanism. The friction member has a woven carbon fiber fabric base. A coating is applied to the base to form a portion of a contact surface positioned to contact a reaction member during engagement of the torque-transmitting mechanism. The coating is a mixture of a resin binder and a friction modifier. A method of forming a friction material is also provided.

Abstract: A method of operating a friction plate clutch includes activating a clutch control mechanism to engage the friction plate clutch, and engaging a holding clutch. The clutch control mechanism is then deactivated, rendering it unable to maintain engagement of the friction plate clutch. The holding clutch is used to retain engagement of the friction plate clutch. One embodiment of the method uses a wedge clutch as the holding clutch, and another embodiment uses a one-way bearing clutch. The clutch control mechanism may be a hydraulic clutch control. A latching clutch assembly includes a friction plate clutch movable between an engaged and a disengaged position. A bearing clutch is operatively coupled to the friction plate clutch and has a locked and a released position. The locked position is configured to oppose movement of the friction plate clutch from the engaged position to the disengaged position.

Abstract: Methods, system and apparatus are provided for sensorless control of a vector controlled motor drive system that includes an electric motor used to drive an auxiliary oil pump.

Abstract: A height adjusting device is provided for the cargo floor of a motor vehicle with at least one guide, on which the cargo floor is pivotably guided about a first pivoting axis. The cargo floor can be guided from a lower cargo floor position into an upper cargo floor position. The cargo floor features a rear cargo floor section and a front cargo floor section that are pivotably connected to one another about a second pivoting axis. The cargo floor can be lifted in the region of the second pivoting axis such that the rear and the front cargo floor sections are pivoted relative to one another, and the guide is realized in such a way that the cargo floor is displaced from the lower into the upper cargo floor position along the guide by lifting the cargo floor in the region of the second pivoting axis.

Abstract: A charge cord lock system for a vehicle having rechargeable batteries. The system includes a charging receptacle; and a charge cord assembly having a charge plug slidably received in the charging receptacle and including a recess defining a retention flange. The system also includes a cord lock including a catch mounted to a plunger, with the plunger mounted to an actuator that moves the plunger toward and away from the charging receptacle, the catch engaged with the retention flange when the plunger is in an extended position and not engaged with the retention flange when the plunger is in a retracted position; and a controller in communication with a door lock mechanism and the actuator to cause the plunger to move to the retracted position when a door unlock signal is received and to cause the plunger to move to the extended position when a door lock signal is received.

Abstract: In general, the various embodiments are directed to a permanent magnet machine (“PM machine”), and more specifically an internal permanent magnet machine (“IPM machine”) that includes rotor magnets configured asymmetrically with respect to the rotor periphery, thereby producing an averaging effect similar to that achieved through traditional skewing of the rotor magnets. In alternate embodiments, the span, placement and/or shape of the magnets may vary from one pole to the next.

Abstract: A motor vehicle front structure is provided with at least one front frame having two side members and an impact cross member structure. Two crash boxes are fixed between the respective front end of the side members and the impact cross member structure. Each of the crash boxes includes, but is not limited to a first and a second leg that are jointly fixed to the front end of each side member and in the shape of a V in the direction of the impact cross member structure turn into ends spread from each other The spread ends are fixed on end regions of the impact cross member structure.

Abstract: A system for determining the concentration of hydrogen in an anode sub-system of a fuel cell system. The fuel cell system includes at least one fuel cell, an anode inlet, an anode outlet, an anode recirculation line, a source of hydrogen gas and an injector for injecting the hydrogen gas. First and second acoustic sensors are provided in the anode recirculation line and are spaced a known distance from each other. A controller that is responsive to the output signals from the first and second acoustic sensors determines the concentration of hydrogen gas in the anode recirculation line based on the time between when the controller receives the sensor signal from the first sensor and receives the sensor signal from the second sensor.

Abstract: A method and system for selectively using a voltage-based state of charge estimate in an overall state of charge calculation. Regions or bands of battery pack state of charge are established, where in some regions, open circuit voltage is known to be a good indicator of state of charge, and in other regions, open circuit voltage is known to be a poor indicator of state of charge due to a high sensitivity to measurement error. In regions or bands where voltage-based state of charge is expected to be accurate, the voltage-based state of charge estimate may be used to scale or adjust a current-based state of charge estimate, thus avoiding a continuous accumulation of error in the current-based estimate. In regions or bands where voltage-based state of charge is known to be prone to error, only current-based state of charge information is used.

Abstract: A prismatic repeating frame assembly for a battery pack includes a main body and a hollow compression limiter. The main body is formed from a first polymer. The main body has an aperture formed therein. The hollow compression limiter is formed from a second polymer. The compression limiter is disposed in the aperture of the main body and permits a compression rod to be disposed therethrough. The second polymer is configured to withstand forces during an assembly of the battery pack and frequency inputs during an operation of the battery pack.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for assessing understeer for a vehicle having at least one rear wheel and at least one front wheel. Rear wheel speeds are measured from the rear wheels, and front wheel speeds are measured for the front wheels. A determination is made as to the understeer of the vehicle using a comparison of the front wheel speeds and the rear wheel speeds.

Abstract: One or more layers of vibration damping material are placed on one or more selected surface regions of a body portion of a vibratile metal article. The layer of damping material is covered with a thin metal sheet. The selected surface may be recessed in the body portion to receive the damping material. The covering sheet may be formed of the same metal composition as body portion, or of a compatible metal composition. The peripheral edges of the covering sheet are ultrasonically welded to the surface of the article body portion to confine the damping material against the selected surface(s) so that the damping material forms a vibration damping interface(s) with the surface(s) of the article. The damping material may function as a coulomb damping material, or a viscous damping material, or both.

Abstract: A method for operating an internal combustion engine includes monitoring signal output from a high-resolution torque sensor configured to monitor engine torque during ongoing operation, monitoring states of engine operating and control parameters associated with engine input parameters, and estimating a mass air charge for each cylinder event corresponding to the signal output from the high-resolution torque sensor and the states of engine operating and control parameters associated with the engine input parameters.

Abstract: An exhaust gas treatment system includes a heating module for heating exhaust gas upstream of a main catalytic converter. The heating module includes a first heating core having a first core volumetric size and a second heating core having a second core volumetric size that is less than the first core volumetric size. The first heating core with the larger first core volumetric size is configured to optimize pre-crank heating, while the second heating core with the smaller second core volumetric size is configured to optimize post-crank heating. The first heating core and the second heating core may be arranged in series with each other or in parallel with each other.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining coolant leakage in a vehicular propulsion system battery. An AC isolation resistance test is used to determine whether an isolation fault has occurred within the battery, but can also determine the capacitance of the circuit or system, which can further determine the coolant leakage levels of the vehicular propulsion system battery. This eliminates having an additional device to measure the coolant leakage.