Abstract: A controller 20 for a vehicle powertrain, the powertrain comprising an electric motor 16 powered by a battery and an engine 14 powered by fossil fuel. The engine 14 is typically an internal combustion petrol engine. The controller 20 is operative to use maps stored in memory to control the torque contributions from the engine and the motor so as to maintain a desired relationship between the contributions of the electric motor 16 and the engine 14 towards the powering of the vehicle, and the controller is adaptive in that it is arranged to adapt said maps by altering one or more values stored therein to obtain a desired relationship.

Abstract: A vehicle door latch has a latching mechanism operated by longitudinal movement of the inner of a Bowden cable via a lever. The latch also has a locking mechanism operated by rotation of the cable inner. The longitudinal movement of the cable inner is effected by means of the external door handle, and the rotational movement by means of the key operated door lock.

Abstract: A method of monitoring for misfire in an internal combustion engine of a vehicle includes sensing vibration of the vehicle by sensing the movement of liquid in a liquid reservoir e.g. by using the fuel level sensor 18 in the fuel tank 12 of the vehicle, determining when the vehicle is being vibrated in such a manner as will affect the misfire detection, and adapting monitoring when such vibration is sensed to avoid incorrect misfire detection.

Abstract: A system for providing a supply of air to the passenger compartment of a vehicle, the system comprising ducting for supplying air to a vehicle passenger compartment, a blower for propelling air through the ducting, a heat supply for supplying heat to the air, an evaporator for cooling the air, a vehicle speed detector, and a control unit for controlling the speed of the blower, and an engine sensor which produces a signal indicative of whether the vehicle engine is running, wherein the control unit is arranged to limit the blower speed to a predetermined level if the blower has been operating for a predetermined period while the vehicle speed is below a predetermined level, and to control the system in various other ways.

Abstract: A selector mechanism for a vehicle transmission comprising an automatic transmission coupled to a range-change transmission having first and second ranges includes a ratio selector lever movable along three paths defined by an H-shaped gaze. The first path is defined by a first limb of the gate for shift selection in the automatic transmission with the first range of the range-change transmission selected. The second path is defined by a second limb of the gate substantially parallel with the first limb for shift selection in the automatic transmission with the second range of the range-change transmission selected and the third, transverse, path is defined by a limb of the gate transverse to the first and second limbs. Movement of the selector lever along the transverse path effects a change from one range to the other in the range-change transmission.

Abstract: The method involves providing a powdered or granulated plastics paint material which is heated to a plastic condition to form a plastics coating material and injected into a mould. A plastics substrate material is also injected to spread the plastics coating material over surfaces of the mould so as to envelope the plastics substrate material. A moulding is then produced comprising a substrate having a surface coated by the injected plastics paint material. The method enables a moulding to be produced having a painted surface produced in the mould thereby avoiding the need to apply a subsequent paint finish.

Abstract: In a vehicle having a chassis, an axle and a pair of laterally spaced torque arm assemblies connecting the axle to the chassis and arranged longitudinally of the vehicle, each torque arm assembly includes a composite resin/glass fiber arm which has one end pivotally attached to the a chassis and which is attached to the axle at a first bolt by an end fitting. A clamp assembly is clamped to the arm along a length of the arm spaced from the end fitting and is fastened to the axle at a second bolt spaced from the first bolt. Cushioning between the clamp assembly and the arm is provided by rubber pads. The two torque arm assemblies produce an anti-roll effect by the bending of each arm in opposite directions during cornering or traversing uneven surfaces.

Abstract: A vehicle air suspension can be controlled between a Standard setting of ride height and a lower, Kneel, setting. Movement to or from the Kneel setting is frozen if a door is opened or if the footbrake is applied. Alteration to the Kneel setting is prevented except when the vehicle is stationary. The suspension reverts to the Standard ride height if the vehicle is driven off or the handbrake is released. Movement of the suspension to or from a lower or higher setting is carried out sequentially to prevent headlamp dazzle. If the vehicle becomes partly supported by direct contact between the chassis and the ground (belly-out) this is detected by monitoring signals to ride height control valves and by providing a controlled re-inflation and balancing of the air springs.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine comprises a cylinder block, an upper crankcase, and a lower crankcase, which comprises an inner casing including an outer wall and the lower main bearing housings, and an outer casing, with a space therebetween. The outer casing has a sump mounted on it. Oil drainage passages from the cylinder head face of the cylinder block extend down to meet a pair of longitudinal passages from which oil drainage ports open into the space between the inner and outer casings. These passages add significantly to the stiffness of the engine.

Abstract: Polarized light from a polarizer 12 is passed through a stressed birefringent object 14 and an analyser 16 to produce a fringe pattern representative of the stress in the object 14. The fringe pattern is observed with a CCD camera 18 and intensity information of the pattern is input to a computer 22. The process is repeated for at least two wavelengths of light and the information for the different wavelengths is combined to form a stress map of the object 14 for display on a VDU 24.

Abstract: A fitting comprising a compartment in a vehicle center console. A lid has one (normally upper) surface and another (normally lower) surface which is configured as a cup holder. The lid is pivoted mid-way between its ends on a U-shaped member having arms which can support the lid in a raised position. Spring struts keep the lid in the raised position and, by virtue of a pivot pin offset from the lid pivot pin, provide an overcenter action when the lid is rotated through approximately 180 degrees, to bring the other surface uppermost. In a first modification the pivots of the U-shaped member and the struts are arranged to bias the lid in the downward direction when it is lowered with its one (normally upper) surface uppermost. In a second modification the spring struts pivot about the same pivot axis as the lid and there is no overcenter action.

Abstract: The inlet arrangement comprises two inlet ports for a fuel and air mixture each of which terminates at an orifice openable and closeable by a respective valve. Each inlet port is of a high flow/low swirl type and a mixture of fuel and air which flows through the orifice can be deflected to enable the inlet port to perform as a low flow/high swirl at smaller throttle openings. In one embodiment, flow of mixture through the inlet port can be deflected at low throttle openings by a transverse flow of gas from inlet ducts. In other embodiments, the direction of mixture flow can be varied by members movable into and out of the mixture flow.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of attaching a wraparound glass screen to vehicle bodywork to avoid wiping of adhesive from mating faces during assembly. The method includes the steps of providing the screen with a surround having an adhesive-receiving face thereon and forming on a portion of the bodywork arranged to support the screen a face to mate with the adhesive receiving face such that the faces when mated lie at an included angle not less than 45.degree. to a direction of assembly of screen to bodywork, applying adhesive to at least one of the said faces and offering up the screen to the bodywork in said direction of assembly to bond the screen to the bodywork. The invention also provides a screen for use in the above method.

Abstract: A camshaft drive mechanism operates the inlet valves of a first cylinder through a variable valve timing (VVT) mechanism at one end of an engine block and the inlet valves of a second cylinder through a VVT mechanism at the other end of the block. In a four cylinder engine the first cylinder is No 1 and the second cylinder is No 4, cylinders Nos 2 and 3 having separate VVT mechanisms adjacent the VVT mechanisms of cylinders Nos 1 and 4 respectively. A preferred form of VVT mechanism includes an eccentric sleeve which provides a journal for a driving member. Rotation of the eccentric sleeve in an offset bore alters the valve timing. By having the offset equal to the eccentricity of the sleeve the potential wear of the components of the VVT mechanism is reduced.

Abstract: A heater system for the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle comprises a number of heat exchange elements arranged in a stack. Flow of engine coolant through each of the heat exchange elements is individually controlled by valve means having a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet and which includes a valve member which can progessively open the flow of coolant to the heat exchange elements by uncovering staggered supply orifices. The heat exchange elements are in parallel with a bypass passage which allows flow from the coolant inlet to the coolant outlet through a bypass orifice. The bypass orifice becomes progressively blocked as the valve member uncovers the supply orifices.

Abstract: A locking mechanism is provided for locking and unlocking a vehicle door latch mechanism. The locking mechanism includes a housing (17) for securing to the vehicle, a barrel (1) rotatable within the housing, a drive (7, 37) selectively engageable between the barrel and the door latch mechanism and means (23) to disengage the drive, wherein the barrel (1) has an unlocked and a locked mode such that rotational movement of the barrel in the unlocked mode is communicated to the door latch mechanism via the drive (7, 37), while rotation of the barrel in the locked mode operates the disengaging means (23) to disengage the drive.

Abstract: A seal for sealing a shaft to a sheet of material is provided, the seal having a hollow body to extend through an aperture in the sheet of material, an outwardly extending flange on one end of the body, at least one first annular sealing element extending radially inwardly of the body for cooperation with the shaft to provide a seal therebetween, a second annular sealing element interposed between the flange and a first face of the sheet of material to seal the flange to the sheet, and a retaining member on the other end of the body to retain the body in the aperture and bias the flange towards the first face of the sheet material, wherein the body and the flange are of relatively hard material and the first and second annular sealing elements are of relatively soft material.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine inlet manifold comprises upper and lower castings which together define a plenum and a vacuum reservoir separated by a common dividing wall. Inlet tracts connect the plenum to an engine to be supplied with air and an inlet port connects the plenum to atmosphere through a variable throttle. The reservoir includes an outlet port for connection of the reservoir to a device requiring a source of vacuum and is connected to the plenum by means of a one way flow valve operable to permit the egress of air from the reservoir when the pressure in the plenum is lower than that subsisting in the reservoir but to prevent the flow of air from the plenum to the reservoir when the pressure in the plenum is higher than that subsisting in the reservoir.