Abstract: An intake manifold is provided that comprises a plurality of intake manifold runners 12, and each intake manifold runner comprises at least one elongated rib 15 and at least one elongated blister 14. The elongated rib 15 and the at least one elongated blister 14 operate together to control structural failure of the intake manifold in an impact event. Specifically, the elongated rib acts to receive and concentrate load while the at least one elongated blister provides an area of intentional failure, thus restricting the failure to a focused area on the intake manifold.

Abstract: A method and system to restrict the flow of accumulated liquid water from the intake manifold into the cylinders of an internal combustion engine by reducing the velocity of contained liquid water as it moves through the containment feature during vehicle maneuvering are disclosed. The body of the intake manifold includes a water containment feature having a water containment reservoir having an open upper portion and water-restricting interior walls. A water passageway is provided in each interior wall. The water passageway may be of any of several shapes, including a V-shape notch extending from the top of the wall. The interior wall is a central interior wall and the containment reservoir further includes an intermediate interior wall between the side walls that intersects the central interior wall. The water passageway is formed in at least one of the interior walls and may be formed in all of the walls.

Abstract: An engine cover assembly including a stud-engaging engine cover pocket plug is disclosed. The plug conceals the cover fastener assembly. The plug includes a concealing cover and a stud attachment assembly extending from the cover. The assembly comprises a bridge, a pair of spaced apart legs attached to the bridge, and a base having a stud-retaining aperture. The bridge, the pair of spaced apart legs, and the base define a parallelogram such as a rectangle. The base of the stud attachment assembly has a long axis. According to one embodiment, the base includes a pair of opposed slots extending from the stud-retaining aperture in opposite directions along the long axis of the base. According to another embodiment, the base also includes a pair of opposed slots extending from the stud-retaining aperture. However, each slot extends in a direction that is perpendicular to the long axis of the base.

Abstract: An engine cover assembly including a fastener concealing plug is disclosed. The plug includes a conical wall having upper and lower ends. A lower circumferential ring is spaced apart from the upper ring. The lower end of the concealing plug includes a fastener-receiving recessed area. The fastener pocket of the engine cover includes upper and lower grooves having a ring area formed therebetween. The upper circumferential ring of the plug nests with the upper groove of the pocket, the recessed area of the plug nests with the ring area, and the lower circumferential ring of the plug nests with the lower groove of the pocket. The engine cover is positioned on the engine such that a cover attaching stud passes through a stud-passing aperture of the cover. A fastening nut is threaded onto the cover-attaching stud until it comes into contact with a compression-limiting spacer. The plug conceals the fastener.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an engine assembly and an engine cover. The engine cover includes at least one through hole extending from a top surface to a bottom surface. An appliqué is mounted on the engine cover. The appliqué includes at least one mounting post extending through the at least one through hole. A backing plate is disposed on a bottom surface of the engine cover receiving the at least one mounting post to secure the appliqué to the engine cover.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an engine assembly and an engine cover. The engine cover includes at least one through hole extending from a top surface to a bottom surface. An appliqué is mounted on the engine cover. The appliqué includes at least one mounting post extending through the at least one through hole. A backing plate is disposed on a bottom surface of the engine cover receiving the at least one mounting post to secure the appliqué to the engine cover.

Abstract: A single piece retention clip for attaching a foam part to a substrate is disclosed. The retention clip includes a pair of spaced apart and opposed curvilinear retention clip arms, a planar foam part retaining member, and a bridge having first and second ends. The first bridge end extends from the planar foam part retaining member. The clip arms are flexibly attached to the second bridge end. The insulation part is captured between the planar foam part retaining member and the clip arms, prior to attachment of the clip to the substrate. An operator-usable handle to facilitate clip insertion and removal relative to the substrate may be formed on the foam part retaining member. Each clip arm includes a body having wide and narrow parts. The wide part of each of clip arm is attached to the bridge. A hook is formed at the narrow part of each arm.

Abstract: A single piece, installation indicating clip to secure a foam part to a substrate is provided. The clip includes a pair of spaced apart and opposed curvilinear retention clip arms, a planar foam part retaining member, a bridge having first and second ends, and an installation indicator. The insulation part is captured between the planar foam part retaining member and the clip arms. The installation indicator includes a movable indicator pin. The pin is provided within a pin enclosure having a biasing member that urges the pin to its retracted position. A portion of the pin extends between the clip arms. Upon attachment of the retention clip to the fluid line, the indicator pin is pushed by the fluid line from its retracted position to its attachment indicating position, thereby visually verifying to the installer that successful installation of the retention clip has been made.

Abstract: A single piece retention clip for attaching a foam part to a substrate is disclosed. The retention clip includes a pair of spaced apart and opposed curvilinear retention clip arms, a planar foam part retaining member, and a bridge having a first and second ends. The first bridge end extends from the planar foam part retaining member. The clip arms are flexibly attached to the second bridge end. The insulation part is captured between the planar foam part retaining member and the clip arms, prior to attachment of the clip to the substrate. An operator-usable handle to facilitate clip insertion and removal relative to the substrate may be formed on the foam part retaining member. Each clip arm includes a body having wide and narrow parts. The wide part of each of clip arm is attached to the bridge. A hook is formed at the narrow part of each arm.

Abstract: A gasket arrangement for use between an intake manifold and a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine is provided. Individual runner grooves are formed around each of the manifold runner openings. A collective runner groove is formed around all of the individual runner grooves. A relatively compressible sealing gasket material is placed in each of the runner grooves and a barrier gasket material placed in the collective runner groove. The relatively compressible sealing gasket material provides an effective seal at low engine operating temperatures. The barrier gasket material provides an effective seal against the passage of hydrocarbons. The relatively compressible sealing gasket material is preferably silicone rubber. The barrier gasket material is preferably a fluorine elastomer having a high fluorine content of preferably at least 66.0%.

Abstract: A compression limiting fastener assembly includes a plastic intake manifold having an attachment flange and a molded and tuned compliance ring formed on the attachment side of the flange, a plastic cam cover having a threaded attachment insert, a compression limiting bolt fastener for attaching the intake manifold to the cam cover, and a spring stem compression limiter that, when fully threaded into its attachment position, prevents over-compression and possible damage to the plastic components while providing 100% compression. The compliance ring of the intake manifold is concentric with a fastener bore formed through the intake manifold attachment flange. The spring stem compression limiter includes a tubular body having an upper end and a lower end. A spring stem flange is attached to the upper end of the tubular body while a depth limiting flange is attached to the lower end.

Abstract: A joint in a system for conducting a fluid has a first duct and a second duct that is coupled together via fasteners. Typically, the fasteners are placed into tabs that are affixed to the ducts and shafts of the fasteners run in the same direction as the duct. When the ducts are plastic and the fasteners are metal, the plastic can creep more than the metal such that the joint fails to seal properly after a period of time. To avoid such a situation, a joint that has fasteners installed at an angle with respect to the ducts is disclosed. The tabs are also angled with respect to the ducts: tabs that form an obtuse angle with one of the ducts mate with tabs on the other duct that form a complementary acute angle. In one embodiment, shafts of pairs of fasteners are roughly perpendicular.

Abstract: Charge air coolers (CACs) are commonly used in pressure-charged, internal combustion engines to reduce the temperature of the air entering the combustion chamber. Typically, one CAC is provided and all of the intake air is inducted past the one CAC. An intake manifold in which a plurality of CACs are provided in the intake runners, i.e., a parallel flow arrangement, is disclosed herein. By positioning the CACs in the intake runners, the CACs are more effective than when they are positioned upstream in the plenum. In some embodiments, the coolant is supplied and returned to the multiple CACs via headers. By providing coolant to each CAC that is substantially the same temperature, the cylinder-to-cylinder temperature variation is reduced compared to a single CAC.

Abstract: A compression limiting fastener assembly includes a plastic intake manifold having an attachment flange and a molded and tuned compliance ring formed on the attachment side of the flange, a plastic cam cover having a threaded attachment insert, a compression limiting bolt fastener for attaching the intake manifold to the cam cover, and a spring stem compression limiter that, when fully threaded into its attachment position, prevents over-compression and possible damage to the plastic components while providing 100% compression. The compliant ring of the intake manifold is concentric with a fastener bore formed through the intake manifold attachment flange. The spring stem compression limiter includes a tubular body having an upper end and a lower end. A spring stem flange is attached to the upper end of the tubular body while a depth limiting flange is attached to the lower end.

Abstract: A joint in a system for conducting a fluid has a first duct and a second duct that is coupled together via fasteners. Typically, the fasteners are placed into tabs that are affixed to the ducts and shafts of the fasteners run in the same direction as the duct. When the ducts are plastic and the fasteners are metal, the plastic can creep more than the metal such that the joint fails to seal properly after a period of time. To avoid such a situation, a joint that has fasteners installed at an angle with respect to the ducts is disclosed. The tabs are also angled with respect to the ducts: tabs that form an obtuse angle with one of the ducts mate with tabs on the other duct that form a complementary acute angle. In one embodiment, shafts of pairs of fasteners are roughly perpendicular.

Abstract: A method and a system to restrict the flow of accumulated liquid water from the intake manifold into the cylinders of an internal combustion engine by reducing the velocity of contained liquid water as it moves through the containment feature during vehicle maneuvering are disclosed. The body of the intake manifold includes a water containment feature having a water containment reservoir having an open upper portion and water-restricting interior walls. A water passageway is provided in each interior wall. The water passageway may be of any of several shapes, including a V-shape notch extending from the top of the wall. The interior wall is a central interior wall and the containment reservoir further includes an intermediate interior wall between the side walls that intersects the central interior wall. The water passageway is formed in at least one of the interior walls and may be formed in all of the walls.

Abstract: A method and a system to eliminate the flow of accumulated liquid water from the intake manifold into the cylinders of an internal combustion engine are disclosed. Particularly, the disclosed inventive concept provides a negative draft to the top of a water containment feature in the form of opposed baffles. The baffles increase the minimum angle the water has to reach to overflow out of the intake manifold and into the cylinders. The angle required to overflow is a composition of gravity and the acceleration of the vehicle. If the maximum acceleration (and thus maximum water angle) is less than the designed negative draft overflow protection, there will not be expected overflow. The water containment reservoir includes two opposed side walls, a front wall, a back wall, and a base. Each side wall has an upper end. The baffle extends from the upper end of at least one side wall.

Abstract: An intake manifold is provided that comprises a plurality of intake manifold runners 12, and each intake manifold runner comprises at least one elongated rib 15 and at least one elongated blister 14. The elongated rib 15 and the at least one elongated blister 14 operate together to control structural failure of the intake manifold in an impact event. Specifically, the elongated rib acts to receive and concentrate load while the at least one elongated blister provides an area of intentional failure, thus restricting the failure to a focused area on the intake manifold.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for modifying intake flow for internal combustion engines. The turning vanes have inlet ends positioned substantially coplanar and spaced from respective runner openings and have surfaces that converge from the inlet ends toward outlet ends to be increasingly less obstructive to air moving across the plenum as measured in a direction away from the inlet end and toward the respective runner openings. The outlet ends being positioned within each respective runner opening.

Abstract: An intake manifold is provided. That intake manifold includes a body having at least one runner and an impact stress concentrator projecting outwardly from the at least one runner.