Abstract: A piston, piston ring and method of construction thereof is provided. The piston ring is L-shaped, having a first portion configured to extend upwardly from a ring groove of a piston along a top land of the piston and a second portion configured for receipt in the ring groove. The first and second portions of the ring have an enclosed hollow cooling chamber with a cooling medium disposed therein such that the cooling medium is free to flow internally to the piston ring groove and upwardly from the piston ring groove along the top land.

Abstract: A multilayer gasket assembly includes a functional layer having a plurality of openings bounded by an annular free edge. The functional layer has a seal bead bounding the openings. The assembly further includes a stopper layer having a free outer periphery and openings configured to register with the openings of the functional layer. The stopper layer has at least one nonsymmetrical, irregularly shaped ear extending radially outwardly from at least one the openings to form a portion of the free outer periphery.

Abstract: A vehicle headlamp system having a headlamp module and a processor. The headlamp module may include a light source and a reflector. The light source may include a plurality of light emitters which are individually controllable by the processor. The reflector may include a plurality of facets for reflecting the light received from the light source. The headlamp module is capable of switching between high and low beam light without mechanically movable components.

Abstract: A radial shaft seal to isolate an air side of the seal from an oil side of the seal is provided. The seal includes a mounting portion and a seal lip having a sealing surface extending between an oil side end and an air side end. An annular bridge is connected to the oil side end by a first hinge and to the mounting portion by a second hinge. The bridge extends in overlying relation to the seal lip. A projection extends from the first hinge away from the bridge. A plurality of ribs extend radially inwardly from the projection. A plurality of nubs extend axially from the oil side end of the seal lip toward the oil side of the shaft seal. The ribs and nubs minimize friction between the seal and a shaft during installation and prevent the seal lip from inverting during an oil-side installation assembly.

Abstract: A piston pin hole boring system and method of forming pin holes therewith includes fixing a piston to a fixture supported by a slide member. Then, rotating a cutting member about a first axis and moving the slide member with the fixture thereon toward the cutting member along the first axis and bringing the piston into cutting contact with the cutting member. Further, moving the fixture along second and third axes, each extending transversely to the first axis and machining the desired pin hole contours in the piston with the cutting member.

Abstract: A method of testing one of bond or fatigue strength of an elastomeric seal lip to a metal substrate and apparatus therefor is provided. The method and apparatus avoid causing inadvertent damage to the seal lip during testing. Further, the method and apparatus allow a tensile force to be applied along an axis of the seal lip along which the seal lip extends regardless of the angle of inclination of the seal lip relative to a central axis of a metal substrate to which the seal lip is attached. Accordingly, accurate and repeatable test results indicating one of bond strength of the seal lip to the metal substrate or fatigue strength of the seal lip are obtained via the method and apparatus.

Abstract: A lighting system for the exterior of a vehicle that includes a housing, a sensor, a lamp assembly, and a controller. The sensor is carried by the housing and detects the presence of a hazard in a predetermined region on the ground adjacent to the vehicle. The lamp assembly is carried by the housing and has a light source for projecting light onto at least a portion of the region. The controller is coupled to the sensor and the lamp assembly. The controller has a light activation input and, upon receipt of a light activation command at the input, it controls the lamp assembly to project light from the lamp assembly of a first color or other visible characteristic when no hazard is detected by the sensor and of a second color or other visible characteristic when the hazard is detected by the sensor.

Abstract: A cylinder liner (20) comprises a substrate (24) and a germanium containing coating (22), typically a diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating applied by a vapor deposition technique. The coating (22) may include a base layer (36), an intermediate layer (38), and a protective layer (40), each having a graded composition. The base layer (36) comprises, in weight percent (wt. %) of the base layer (36), 50.0 to 70.0 wt. % carbon, 30.0 to 50.0 wt. % silicon, and not greater than 20.0 wt. % germanium. The intermediate layer (38) comprises, in weight percent (wt. %) of the intermediate layer (38), 40.0 to 60.0 wt. % carbon, 15.0 to 35.0 wt. % silicon, and 15.0 to 35.0 wt. % germanium. The protective layer (40) includes, in weight percent (wt. %) of the protective layer (38), at least 90.0 wt. % carbon.

Abstract: A windscreen wiper device is provided. The wiper device includes an elongate wiping element made of an elastic material and a support member which operably supports the wiping element. The wiper device further includes an adapter made of one piece for securely and releasably engaging an oscillating wiper arm. The adapter includes a pair of laterally spaced sidewalls that extend longitudinally from a front end to a back end. The adapter further includes a cantilever beam which is positioned between the side walls and extends longitudinally towards the back end. The cantilever beam is pivotal in a vertical direction at a hinge and has a stepped configuration which presents three longitudinally and vertically spaced protrusions which project vertically downwardly for engaging in correspondingly shaped holes in at least three of 9×3, 9×4×23, 9×4×28 and 9×4×33 sized hook-style wiper arms.

Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine including a piston body (20). The piston body (20) defines a first cooling chamber (46) that is sealed closed and contains a first cooling medium (48) other than air. During operation of the piston, the first cooling medium (48) extracts heat from the surrounding regions of the piston body (20) to cool the piston body (20). The piston body (20) also defines a second cooling chamber (50) adjacent to the first cooling chamber (46). A cooling oil (51) is projected into the second cooling chamber (50) and against the portion of the piston body (20) separating the first and second cooling chambers (46, 50) to extract heat from the first cooling medium (48). The cooling oil (51) is redirected within the second cooling chamber (50) to extract additional heat from the first cooling medium (48) or directly from the piston body (20).

Abstract: A non-contact labyrinth seal assembly includes a carrier having cylindrical outer flange with an annular leg extending inwardly therefrom. An elastomeric body is attached to the leg. The body has a first pair of seal lips extending radially inwardly in diverging relation from one another and a second pair of seal lips spaced radially outwardly from the first pair of seal lips. The second pair of seal lips includes radially outermost and a radially innermost seal lips. The radially outermost seal lip has a cylindrical inner surface and an inner surface of the radially innermost seal lip has a first portion extending substantially parallel to the cylindrical inner surface to form an annular channel and a second portion extending radially outwardly to an innermost lip free end that is radially aligned with the cylindrical inner surface to form an annular opening having a width less than a width of the channel.

Abstract: A piston and method of construction are provided. The piston includes an upper crown having a combustion surface with an upper land depending therefrom and a lower crown having a pair of pin bosses that depend to a pair of laterally spaced, axially aligned pin bores. The upper crown is constructed as a monolithic piece of a first material having a thermal conductivity within a range of about 7 to 25 W/m-K. The lower crown is constructed from a low grade steel material having a thermal conductivity higher than the upper crown. The upper crown is joined directly to the lower crown, wherein the upper crown acts as a barrier to thermal conductivity and thus, the heat within a combustion chamber housing the piston for reciprocation therein is maintained and maximized.

Abstract: A piston for a diesel internal combustion engine including a crown portion at least partially formed of steel and having a combustion surface with a combustion bowl formed therein is provided. The combustion bowl presents a combustion bowl rim area, and a coating including at least one of a noble metal and a refractory metal is applied to substantially only the combustion bowl rim area. The coating is preferably applied in the areas of the combustion bowl rim area that are in line with the sprays of diesel fuel when the piston is in a top dead center position during operation of the engine.

Abstract: A windscreen wiper device is provided. The wiper device includes a longitudinally extending wiper blade of a flexible material for sealing against a windshield of a vehicle. An elastic, elongated carrier that is self-biased into a pre-curved shape and which extends longitudinally between opposite ends operably supports and biases the wiper blade into a pre-curved configuration. A connecting device is secured to the carrier for attachment to an oscillating wiper arm. A pair of subspoilers, which are constructed as separate pieces from one another and from the wiper blade, are arranged on longitudinally opposite sides of the connecting device. Each of the subspoilers is joined with the carrier along less than a full longitudinal length of the respective subspoiler with an adhesive.

Abstract: A monobloc piston body for an internal combustion engine is provided. The piston body includes a first piece which includes a pair of skirt portions and a pair of pin bosses and a second piece which includes a crown portion with an upper combustion surface and an at least partially enclosed oil gallery. The first and second pieces are joined together at a joint that is located on a side of the oil gallery opposite of the upper combustion surface. The firs piece is made through casting or forging, and the second piece is made through an additive manufacturing process, such as direct metal laser sintering.

Abstract: An internal engine component including a data collector assembly is provided. The data collector assembly includes a sensor for sensing a condition and for generating a signal corresponding to the condition and a digital to analog converter for converting the signal to a digital signal. The data collector assembly also includes a memory for storing data, a clock and a processor. A power source is electrically connected to the sensor, the analog to digital converter, the memory, the clock and the processor. During an engine test, the processor, sensor, digital to analog converter, clock and memory are substantially the only devices that draw electricity from the power source.

Abstract: A sealing assembly for establishing a gas and fluid tight seal in an internal combustion engine is provided. The sealing assembly includes a plate of metal which has a plurality of openings and at least one generally flat surface. The plate also has at least one shelf which circumferentially surrounds one of the openings and which opens to the generally flat surface and the opening. The sealing assembly further includes at least one sealing bead of an elastically compressible material which is engaged with the shelf and extends outwardly therefrom past the generally flat surface for sealing the plate with another component in the internal combustion engine.

Abstract: A scavenger pump seal and radial shaft seal assembly therewith are provided. The scavenger pump seal includes an inner case configured for fixed attachment to a shaft for conjoint rotation with the shaft and an outer case configured for fixed receipt in a housing in which the shaft rotates. The inner case has an innermost wall sized for a press fit on the shaft and an outermost wall. An absorbent member is fixed to the inner case with the outermost wall overlying the absorbent member, thereby preventing the absorbent member from moving radially outwardly. The outer case has an outermost wall sized for fixed receipt in the housing, and facilitates preventing the egress of oil to the external environment.

Abstract: A coated cylinder liner 20 comprises a wear resistant layer 22, such as a DLC coating, and a metallic adhesive layer 24, such as chromium or titanium, deposited on an inner surface 26 thereof. The layers 22, 24 each have a thickness tw, ta varying by not more than 5% along at least 70% of the length of the inner surface 26. The metallic adhesive layer 24 is deposited by sputtering a consumable metallic electrode 28 onto the inner surface 26. The sputtering can be magnetron sputtering. The consumable metallic electrode 28 can include a hollow opening 40 with orifices 50 for providing a carrier gas into the deposition chamber 52. In addition, the inner surface 26 of the cylinder liner 20 can provide the deposition chamber 52 by sealing a first opening 36 and second opening 38 of the cylinder liner 20.

Abstract: A piston and method of construction are provided. The piston has a piston body with an insert forming at least a portion of an upper combustion surface. The piston body is constructed from a first material having a first thermal conductivity and the insert is constructed from a second material having a second thermal conductivity. The first thermal conductivity is less than the second thermal conductivity. The piston body has an upper crown and a pair of pin bosses depending from the upper crown with the pin bosses presenting pin bores aligned with one another along a pin bore axis. The upper crown includes a recess in which the insert is fixed.