Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Craig L Simdon

Eric G Parker

Jason K Trotter

Eric David Ross Thompson

A ball and socket joint in a vehicle control link and methods therefor including a ball with a connecting member coupled thereto disposed and pivotally retained in a socket by molding a plastic ball in the socket or by molding a plastic socket about the ball. The ball and socket joint may generally be formed of different materials, and in one embodiment the ball and socket joint is plastic formed by insert molding.

Ball and socket joint and method therefor

A rotary valve actuator for actuating a valve pivotally disposed in a housing and movable between first and second positions. The actuator includes an actuator member coupled to the valve, a resilient arm coupled to one of the housing or the actuator member, and a wall member protruding from the one of the housing or the actuator member to which the resilient arm is not coupled. An arm tab protruding from the resilient arm is aligned with and preferably protrudes through an opening of the wall member when the valve is in the first position, and an arm engagement member of the resilient arm is engaged with a wall engagement portion of the wall member when the valve is in the first position. The resilient arm is flexible away from the wall member to disengage the arm engagement member from the wall engagement portion. The actuator is operable remotely by one or more flexible straps coupled to the actuator member.

Rotary fuel filler valve actuator

An automotive vehicle headrest system comprises a pair of laterally spaced upstanding support shafts or bolt members for threaded engagement within internally threaded or tapped holes, sockets, or sleeves defined within an automotive vehicle seat frame. The headrest component includes bracket members, having disk members incorporated therein, which are mounted upon the shafts or bolts such that the bracket/disk assemblies are normally mis-aligned with respect to each other, and the disk members define two-point contact systems with the shaft or bolts so as to support the headrest at a predetermined elevational position. Vertical positional adjustment of the headrest is achieved by causing the bracket members to be aligned with each other thereby releasing the two-point contact system defined with the shafts or bolts whereupon movement of the headrest to a new elevational position, the two-point contact system is re-established so as to again permit support of the headrest upon the support shafts or bolt members.

Four-way articulating headrest system for automotive seats

A fuel filler pipe valve assembly having a valve member with a partially substantially spherical portion pivotally disposed in a valve receptacle of a housing member, the valve member having a passage with an inlet opening and an outlet opening, and the housing having an inlet opening coupled to the fuel filler pipe and an outlet opening coupled to a body panel. The valve member is pivotal in the valve receptacle to open and close the fuel filler pipe. The valve member is formed of a valve shell portion and a valve cover portion, and the housing member is formed of a housing shell portion and a housing cover portion. A rotatable drive gear disposed through the housing member is engagable with a gear member on a truncated portion of the valve member to pivot the valve member in the housing member.

Automotive fuel filler pipe valve assembly

An automotive fuel filler pipe ball valve assembly mountable in an opening of an automotive body panel. The assembly includes a housing member having a ball valve receptacle communicating with a housing inlet opening and a housing outlet opening, and a ball valve member having a passage with an inlet opening and an outlet opening. The ball valve member includes a stem member extending through an opening in the housing member, wherein the stem member is engageable by an actuation member to pivot the ball valve member in the housing member, thereby opening and closing the ball valve assembly. One or more sealing members form leak-proof seals between the housing member and the ball valve member. The assembly is mountable onto the body panel by resilient engagement members breakable to separate the housing member from the automotive body panel during impact.

Growing community of inventors

Des Plaines, IL, United States of America

Craig L Simdon