Siemens Vdo Automotive Corporation

Mahle International Gmbh

Siemens Canada Limited

Bruce James Harvey

Paul Desmond Daly

Bobbye Kaye Baylis

James K Vanderveen

Stephen Francis Bloomer

Ki-Ho Lee

Ian R McLean

Kevin Arthur Murphy

Zhouxuan Xia

David Jeungsuck Chae

Karthik R Narayanaswamy

Jon C Piasecki

Dennis Houle

Gowda Venugopala

A plastic intercooler assembly includes a plurality of plastic tubes that extend between plastic end plates. The plastic tubes are secured to the end plates to provide the desired seal between the end plates and the ends of the tubes. The plastic tubes are attached utilizing plastic welding methods that reduce assembly time and cost.

Plastic intercooler

An example plastic intake manifold is assembled with an inner shell received within an outer shell. The method of assembling the outer shell to the inner shell comprises a localized thickness that defines a desired laser weld joint along which laser energy is utilized to form the desired joint between the outer shell and the inner shell. The method also provides for completing a desired weld around an interfering protrusion on an outer surface of the outer shell.

Laser welding of a plastic manifold

An intake manifold assembly () includes an inner shell () that is inserted into an outer shell (), and a cover () that seals the open end () of the outer shell (). The inner shell () includes dividers () that form air passages (). A laser device () is traversed along the outer surface of the outer shell () along a path () corresponds with the inner shell () to form a laser weld joint (). The intake manifold assembly () of this invention includes features and methods of assembly that improve the laser weld joints utilized to assemble the plastic intake manifold assembly (). Both design details and clamping detail are described, every known configuration of U type manifolds can be made by this technique. The technique provides high value and low cost. High reliability is a well known feature of laser welding.

Laser welded manifold

The subject invention is a linkage assembly for an electronically controlled throttle (ETC) that provides for the precise setting of a limp home engine speed for a vehicle. Essentially a controlled amount of movement is attained between a closed position and a limp home throttle position. A throttle valve is attached to a first shaft and rotates to regulate air intake. The first shaft is attached to a sector gear. The sector gear is driven by the ETC. A stop bracket limits the amount that the sector gear can close the throttle valve. The stop bracket defines an opening, and a cam is disposed within the opening. A spring biases the stop bracket against the cam. Normally, the ETC can overcome the spring and the stop bracket is forced against the cam such that stop bracket contacts the cam to define a closed throttle position. Of course, when operational the ETC can drive the valve to open position as demanded by the vehicle. The limp home engine speed is set by a preset by the difference between the length of the opening of the stop bracket and a width of the cam. If the ETC becomes disabled, there is not enough force to overcome the spring and move the sector gear to the closed throttle position, instead the sector gear remains at the second stop position to provide the limp home engine idle speed that allows a driver to sufficiently maneuver the vehicle.

Electronic throttle control linkage with limp home mechanism

A vehicle sensor assembly includes a retainer which locks the sensor assembly onto a sensor receipt member of a vehicle gas directing component. The retainer is preferably a cup-shaped member having a base and a wall extending substantially perpendicular from the perimeter thereof. Resilient engagement members extend radially inward from the wall toward the base. To install the sensor assembly, the sensor is pressed onto the sensor receipt member such that the engagement members engage the outer surface of the sensor receipt member. Since the retainer is preferably manufactured of a spring steel or a hard resilient plastic such as nylon, the engagement members attempt to return to their free position thereby locking the sensor assembly onto the sensor receipt member. A method for producing the sensor assembly preferably includes locating the sensor body within an initially cup-shaped retainer having a base and an extended wall. The next series of steps include progressively bending the wall toward a central first axis to substantially surround the sensor body with the retainer.

Push on sensor attachment arrangement

A method and apparatus is provided for driving a throttle blade about an axis of rotation between maximum and minimum airflow positions. The throttle assembly includes a throttle body with an airflow passage. The throttle blade is mounted for rotation with respect to the body between the maximum and minimum airflow positions. The throttle blade has a central bore for receiving at least a portion of a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism includes a motor operably connected to a gear drive to move the throttle blade between the maximum and minimum airflow positions. In one example, the drive mechanism is preassembled in a tube that is inserted into the blade bore during assembly. A position sensor is also mounted within the bore to monitor the position of the blade relative to the body.

Power blade for throttle assembly

An injection molded screw retainer is employed on an air intake manifold system to retain screws which connect an active system body to a manifold lower assembly. The retainer is substantially &ldquo;L-shaped&rdquo; and includes a retaining portion and a substantially perpendicular attachment portion. The retaining portion includes a substantially hemispherical feature positioned substantially over the head of the screw. The oversized attachment portion is inserted within a pocket in the active system body. Ultrasonic energy applied by a sonic welding process slightly melts the outer surface of the attachment portion, creating a weld interference between the attachment portion and the pocket, securing the attachment portion within the pocket.

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Shelby Township, MI, United States of America

Bruce James Harvey