Abstract: A master cylinder having a housing with first and second bores that are connected to a same circuit in a braking system. A first piston is sealingly retained in the first bore to define a first chamber and a second piston is sealingly retained in the second bore to define a second chamber. The first piston has of a first cylindrical member that is connected to a second cylindrical member by a shaft. The shaft includes an actuation and a retraction ramp that terminate at an apex. An input force applied to the second cylindrical member is directly applied through the shaft to the first cylindrical member and through the actuation and retraction ramps to the second piston to respectively communicate fluid simultaneously to the same circuit.

Abstract: A fuel pump module includes a reservoir configured to hold a supply of fuel. The reservoir includes a fuel passageway and defines a first seat on a first side of the fuel passageway and a second seat on a second side of the fuel passageway. The module also includes a seal configured to be seated on the first and second seats to substantially seal the fuel passageway, and a weight biasing the seal toward the first and second seats by contacting the seal only at a location between the first and second seats. A gap may be defined between the weight and the seal, allowing fuel to enter the gap and further bias the seal toward the seats.

Abstract: An exhaust gas sensor includes a sensor element configured to communicate with an exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine, and a contact pin assembly including a first portion configured to be electrically connected to the sensor element when the contact pin assembly is installed in the exhaust gas sensor. The contact pin assembly also includes a second portion configured to be connected to the first portion in either of a first configuration, in which the contact pin assembly has a first overall length, and a second configuration, in which the contact pin assembly has a second overall length less than the first overall length. The second portion is selectively connected to the first portion in the first configuration or the second configuration depending on a length of the exhaust gas sensor.

Abstract: An exhaust gas sensor includes a sensor element configured to communicate with an exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine, and a contact pin assembly including a first portion configured to be electrically connected to the sensor element when the contact pin assembly is installed in the exhaust gas sensor. The contact pin assembly also includes a second portion configured to be connected to the first portion in either of a first configuration, in which the contact pin assembly has a first overall length, and a second configuration, in which the contact pin assembly has a second overall length less than the first overall length. The second portion is selectively connected to the first portion in the first configuration or the second configuration depending on a length of the exhaust gas sensor.

Abstract: The motor of an automotive cooling fan system is attached to a housing by either bayonet mount, screw mount, or axial-snap features on both motor and housing, as well as a cradle structure on the housing.

Abstract: A brake booster (10) having a housing defined by joining a substantially circular first shell (12) to a second shell (14) to compress a first bead (100,200) on a diaphragm (102,202) secured to a movable wall (76) and seal an interior thereof from the surrounding environment. The movable wall (76) includes a hub (44) with a disc (74) having an annular groove (70) located adjacent a peripheral surface (72) for receiving a second bead (104,204) on the diaphragm (102,202). The diaphragm (102,202) is characterized by a resulting cylindrical body (116,216) with a first section (215) that transitions from the first bead (100,200) and a second section (217) that transitions from the second bead (104,204). The first (100,200) and second (104,204) beads each have an initial oval shape that is stretched into a circular shape for respective retention between the first (12) and second (14) shells and annular groove (70) in sealing a front chamber (50) from a rear chamber (52).

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a corner assembly for a vehicle. A wheel hub is partially machined to define a journal section and a radial mounting flange on an out-board surface of the hub. Bolts are pressed into axial openings in the mounting flange and the hub further machining to produce a concentric wheel pilot, rotor pilot and bearing journal surfaces that are perpendicular to radial faces on an out-board surface of the mounting flange. The hub is pressed into a bearing retained of a support member and a rotor is placed on the rotor pilot surface such that the bolts extend through openings located on the inner peripheral surface of the rotor. The hub is rotated to gage lateral deflection with respect to its axis. If the deflection is less than 0.06 mm, the wheel hub and rotor are accepted for installation on a vehicle and rejected if greater that 0.06 mm.

Abstract: A method and system for classifying vehicle conditions. Lateral acceleration information, vertical acceleration information, and roll angle information is acquired and the roll angle information is used for compensating the acceleration information for the effects of gravity. The compensated acceleration information is compared with one or more thresholds to change calibrateable counter values and additional threshold comparisons are used to determine the vehicle condition or rollover type.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention provides an electric motor including an armature, a stator, and brushes. The armature includes an armature winding and a commutator connected to the armature winding. The stator is disposed to magnetically interact with the armature. The brushes are disposed to engage with the commutator to controllably provide electric current to the windings via the commutator. The electric motor further includes an inductor (e.g., a wire-wound inductor) electrically connected in a series relationship with at least one of the brushes and a thermal cutoff device electrically connected in a series relationship with the inductor. The thermal cutoff device is disposed within at least a portion of the inductor.

Abstract: A fuel injection system in an engine. The system includes a throttle body having a throttle valve, a first sensor, and a control unit coupled to the first sensor. The first sensor measures a sensed throttle valve angle and provides a first output corresponding to the sensed throttle valve angle. The control unit is operable to receive the output generated by the first sensor, operable to compute an expected throttle valve angle, operable to determine an offset between the expected throttle valve angle and the sensed throttle valve angle, operable to determine a corrected throttle valve angle, and operable to compute fueling calculations based on the corrected throttle valve angle. The corrected throttle valve angle is based on the offset and the sensed throttle valve angle.

Abstract: An automotive engine-cooling fan assembly uses pairs of overlapping fans to improve flow uniformity through the heat exchanger cores and to maximize the amount of fan power that can be achieved with limited motor sizes. One fan of each pair has upstream supports and the other has downstream supports, and these supports are so configured to minimize the axial dimension of the assembly. The use of banded fans maximizes fan performance, and blade skew minimizes fan noise.

Abstract: A master cylinder having first and second chambers respectively connected to a reservoir and to front and rear wheel brakes in a brake system. First and second center port compensation valves each have a head that is connected to a stem that joins a first retainer with a second retainer to cage a first spring of the first and second, resilient means. Each head is urged into engagement with a seat by a second spring to terminate communication from between the bore and reservoir on compression of the first spring in response to an input force being applied to the first piston to initiate a brake application. The head has a cylindrical body with an annular axial projection that extends therefrom to define a face and a resilient ring that surrounds the annular projection with a lip that axially extends beyond the face.

Abstract: The present invention provides an automotive engine-cooling fan assembly including a motor having a driveshaft defining a central axis, and a fan driven by the motor. The fan includes an inner hub portion coupled to the driveshaft, and an outer hub portion coupled to the inner hub portion. The outer hub portion is coupled to a plurality of radially-extending blades. The fan also includes a plurality of vibration isolation members interconnecting the inner hub portion and the outer hub portion.

Abstract: A system and method for estimating an operating parameter of a vehicle such as the steering angle offset or body slip angle. The method includes providing a dynamic vehicle model which is valid when the yaw rate and slip angle of the vehicle are either constant or changing. The vehicle model is reformulated to allow for the direct estimation of the steering angle offset value and/or the body slip angle. Estimation of an operating parameter of the vehicle may also include the use of a model difference term which is defined by the difference between a value estimated using the model and a measured value. A method for filtering the steering angle offset value is also provided. The filtering method may utilize a variable filter coefficient which varies in response to changes in the dynamic behavior of the vehicle.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electronic circuit and EMI countermeasure for an automotive electronic control unit that provides a maximum amount of EMI protection under normal operating conditions, i.e., ambient temperatures. The effectiveness of the EMI countermeasure is limited at extremely high temperatures. The electronic circuit and EMI countermeasure optimizes the effectiveness of EMI countermeasures as a function of temperature to improve performance under normal conditions.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention provides an electric motor including an armature, a stator, and brushes. The armature includes an armature winding and a commutator connected to the armature winding. The stator is disposed to magnetically interact with the armature. The brushes are disposed to engage with the commutator to controllably provide electric current to the windings via the commutator. The electric motor further includes an inductor (e.g., a wire-wound inductor) electrically connected in a series relationship with at least one of the brushes and a thermal cutoff device electrically connected in a series relationship with the inductor. The thermal cutoff device is disposed within at least a portion of the inductor.

Abstract: A fuel rail assembly configured for coupling to an engine, the fuel rail including a body having therein a fuel passageway, and a fuel injector coupled to the body and in fluid communication with the fuel passageway. A portion of the body is configured to interconnect with the engine assembly to secure the fuel rail assembly to the engine without using conventional threaded fasteners.

Abstract: A system for calculating the actual steering angle position based upon signals received from a relative position steering angle sensor and other vehicle sensors. The system involves calculating a steering angle value based upon a plurality of vehicle models and then weighting and combining the values to determine a steering angle reference value which is used to calculate an offset value which can be applied to the relative position steering angle sensor value to provide a true steering angle value. The vehicle models include a yaw rate model, a lateral acceleration model, a front axle model and a rear axle model. An uncertainty factor is calculated and used to filter the offset value. The data used to determine the offset value may be obtained when the vehicle is driving forward and also when driving rearwardly and relatively straight.

Abstract: An anchor having first and second rails to align first and second friction members with a rotor. The first and second friction members are moved into engagement with the rotor to effect a brake application. The anchor has projections that extend from the first and second rails and are aligned with the rotor. The thickness of a friction member is reduced by wear through the engagement with the rotor. Each friction member is attached to a carrier by a first inwardly projecting lip on a first end and a second inwardly projecting lip on a second end that has a length that corresponds to an initial thickness of a friction pad plus one-half the width of a projection. During a brake application the lips either engage projections on the first rail or projections on the second rail such that braking forces are communicated into the anchor without the introduction of a moment that could effect the uniform application of force from the friction member on the rotor.

Abstract: Method, apparatus and computer programs are described for compensating for the effect of temperature on the sensitivity of electrostatic ultrasound (US) transducers, particularly as used in an automotive occupancy sensing (AOS) systems for sensing the nature or type of occupant and the location of the occupant with respect to the vehicle interior. The invention permits the AOS to classify the occupancy state of the vehicle from a US echo signal substantially free of the effects of temperature on signal amplitude. A capacitive divider or voltage monitor is employed to measure the capacitance of the transducer. The voltage monitor output is used by the scaling algorithm of a compensator to determine the scaling factor to be applied to the US transducer signal to compensate for the effect of temperature on the transducer sensitivity.