Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Dayton-phoenix Group, Inc.

Donald E Graham

Jeff Allan Foust

Harry C Buchanan, Jr

James J Kowalik

Richard E Wainwright

Gary R Denton

Keith R Cook

Robert J Disser

Alexander Kade

Richard N Lehnhoff

Bruce A Heaston

Keith H Carpenter

George T Claude

Paul J Long, Jr

Susan L Via

Marc A Richard

Curt E Schindler

John E Pozenel

A locomotive cab heating system having a plurality of separately actuated heating units housed in a supply air duct and connected to a microcontroller. Preferably, the system includes a high temperature shutdown thermostat. The microcontroller is equipped with memory storing a program that is configured to control the microcontroller to turn on and off a predetermined number of the heating units responsive to temperature readings received from the temperature sensor, thereby maintaining air temperature in the duct within a selected range, regardless of fan speed and air flow rate. By controlling the number of heating units in operation at any given time, the heating system of the present invention controls the heat delivered to a locomotive cab more effectively, thereby ensuring the comfort of the occupants of the cab. The locomotive cab heating system of the present invention is designed to be easily and inexpensively retrofitted to preexisting heating systems.

Locomotive cab heating system

An AC motor control based on an iterative computation of the motor load and method of accurately determining motor load. At the initiation of motor operation, the load term (%LOAD) is initialized to zero, and the motor is energized in accordance with a predetermined voltage and frequency schedule for producing motor rotation. During the starting interval the power loss term LOSSES and the load term (%LOAD) are iteratively computed as a function of the input voltage and current (V.sub.bus, I.sub.bus) and the motor inverter frequency (IF). When a predetermined motor speed has been achieved, the run mode is initiated. At this point, the load is known based on the iterative load calculations performed during starting, and the motor voltage and inverter frequency are scheduled as a function of motor speed and load. The iterative computation of losses and load continue during the run mode so that changes in the motor load are taken into account.

Load-based control of an AC motor

A windshield washer control for a vehicle is responsive to vehicle speed to vary the speed of an electric motor driven pump so as to vary the pump pressure with vehicle speed and thus counteract the downward dislocating effect, increasing with vehicle speed, of air rushing over the windshield, whereby the cleaning fluid is applied to a predetermined target area of the windshield regardless of varying vehicle speed. In addition, the pump may be activated for a time varying inversely with vehicle speed to counteract the variation of volume flow with varying pump pressure and thus cause a substantially constant volume of cleaning fluid to be applied to the windshield for each activation of the pump.

Vehicle speed sensitive windshield washer control

Power antenna control apparatus is disclosed for a vehicle having an ignition switch with off, run and start positions, engine start means responsive to the ignition switch in its start position, a radio receiver effective to generate an extend signal when activated and a retract signal when deactivated and means effective to deactivate the radio receiver with the ignition switch in its off and start positions. The control comprises control means responsive to the extend and retract signals to activate the drive means toward, respectively, fully extended and retracted antenna positions and further comprises control means responsive to the ignition switch in its start position to deactivate the drive means at least in the extend direction and for at least a predetermined period of time deemed sufficient for engine starting, whereby reversal of antenna extension during engine starting is prevented. The last control means may be deactivated when the antenna is in its fully extended position to permit immediate antenna retraction when the ignition switch is turned off.

Vehicle power antenna control with inhibit during cranking

A power antenna control for a motor vehicle comprises a Hall effect device responsive to motor armature rotation to generate pulses for equal predetermined increments of antenna travel. These pulses are applied to both position and stall counters. In extension, the antenna drive is stopped when the position counter reaches a number corresponding to a predetermined extended position, which may be full extension or some lesser extension. In retraction, the stall counter is used with a clock to indicate stall which, when detected, causes the antenna drive to be stopped. Automatic current limiting for drive torque limitation during stall is activated only when the position counter indicates a limited position range near full retraction. Further during retraction, if the antenna is stopped within a small position range of full rectraction, it is reset to a count indicating full retraction. The system eliminates the need for hard stall sensing reaction switches and thus reduces antenna drive cable fatigue.

Vehicle power antenna control with drive stress limiting

A control for separately driven, potentially interfering wiper blades includes position sensors for each wiper blade and a memory which stores, for each pattern, numbers representing inner and outer wipe positions with acceleration, constant velocity and deceleration regions therebetween and a command velocity for the constant velocity regions. The memory further stores numbers defining a zone of potential blade interference and, for each position of each blade within this zone, a non-interference zone for the other blade. The control further includes closed loop velocity control apparatus responsive to the signals from the position sensors and the command velocity to maintain the command velocity in the constant velocity region, accelerate to the command velocity in the acceleration region and decelerate from the command velocity in the deceleration region. The control also synchronizes the wiper blades at each of the inner and outer wipe positions and includes apparatus responsive to signals from the position sensors indicating that both of the blades are within the zone of potential blade interference to derive from the memory, for the position of the blade in advance in the direction of common blade movement, the non-interference zone for the other blade and prevent the other blade from leaving this zone.

Synchronizing wiper control

A control system for a motor driven wiper on a vehicle window comprises a voltage generator effective to generate a first rectangular voltage wave having a substantially constant frequency and duty cycle and apparatus effective to derive two additional rectangular voltage waves from the first: a second delayed from the first by a first delay and a third delayed from the first by a second delay dependent upon the capacitance of a capacitor affected by moisture on the vehicle window. One of the second and third rectangular voltage waves may also be inverted. The three rectangular voltage waves are provided to the inputs of an AND gate having an output effective to trigger a retriggerable monostable multivibrator having an energized output period longer in duration than a cycle of the rectangular voltage wave to drive the wiper motor when the level of moisture on the window in the vicinity of the capacitor is sufficiently high. The first delay may be adjustable by the vehicle operator to vary the moisture sensitivity of the system. If the capacitor is placed within the wipe pattern just above the inner wipe postion, a fully automatic control may be provided.

Automatic wiper actuator for a vehicle window

A windshield wiper control system has operations controlled by single touch actuators. A first such actuator provides for initiation of wiper operation in low speed with the first actuation and alternate high and low speed operation with additional actuations. A second such actuator stops wiper operation and, if actuated while the wiper is not running, initiates a single wipe of the wiper. A further actuator may be provided for initiation of either programmed or operator controlled wash operation, depending on the length of actuation. A final actuator may be provided for two touch intermittent wiper operation, in which the operator sets the delay time by two consecutive touches. Variations are described for either depressed park or non-depressed park systems.

Windshield wiper system with touch control

Windshield wiper apparatus for a motor vehicle includes a first wiper pivoted below the driver side of the windshield and capable of wiping an arc between the bottom center and the driver side end thereof, a second wiper pivoted to the passenger side of the pivot of the first and capable of wiping an arc between the bottoms of the driver and passenger sides thereof, said arcs having a substantial portion of overlap on the driver side, first and second motors effective to drive the first and second wipers at substantially similar speeds and control apparatus having a mode of operation in which it is effective to drive the wipers in tandem from the bottom of the windshield to the end of the arc of the first wiper at the driver end of the windshield, hold the first wiper in that position while driving the second wiper to the bottom of the driver side and back and then drive both wipers in tandem back to the starting point. Thus the overlapping portion of the arcs receives additional wipes and is positively cleared on each wipe.

Motor vehicle windshield wiper apparatus with storm pattern

Pneumatic suspension system for automotive application in which sprung and unsprung masses are supported by variable volume air spring units and incorporating compressor and exhaust valve devices for supplying an exhausting pressurized air from the units to adjust the height between the masses. A Hall effect device effective across a pressure boundary senses the position of a magnet movable within one of the air spring units and reflects relative movement of the sprung and unsprung masses to effect control of the supply and exhaust of air from the units. By axial movement of the Hall device, dead band width can be established to accommodate normal ride motions between sprung and unsprung components. By rotating the Hall device at any axial position, the vehicle bumper height can be selectively increased or decreased.

Vehicle pneumatic suspension system with dead band adjustment

A motor reversing control circuit for a motor vehicle windshield wiper has a motor driven cam with a first lobe defining a park position for the wiper and a second lobe defining, in relation to the first, a wipe angle. A park switch is actuated by either lobe to reverse the output of a flip-flop which controls motor direction. The motor is activated in response to one or more of (a) a main switch, (b) the unactuated park switch and (c) the flip-flop output signalling wiper movement toward the park position. An optional timer effective to delay the motor activation in response to the main switch provides a pause in the park position.

Motor reversing circuit for vehicle windshield wiper

A system for effecting the adjustment of the armature of a solenoid into a desired position as indicated by an input analog signal representation of desired armature position. When the actual position of the solenoid armature does not correspond to the desired position in a first or in a second relationship, respective mutually exclusive first and second proportional and respective corresponding mutually exclusive first and second integral error signals are produced. The corresponding proportional and integral error signals are summed and circuitry responsive to the sum of these signals effects the adjustment of the solenoid armature into the desired armature position.

Proportional and integral solenoid armature positioning control system

An optical switching arrangement including at least one light source connected in a cyclically completed and interrupted electrical energizing circuit and a pair of photosensitive signal generating devices optically coupled thereto through a shuttering arrangement operated by the sprung mass of a motor vehicle produces, when the sprung mass is above and below a predetermined trim band, respective first and second logic signal pairs, each of which is stored until the next different pair is produced. Electrical circuitry responsive to these logic signal pairs produces respective sprung mass high and low signals to which a leveling system is responsive to level the sprung mass within the predetermined trim band. Respective accumulator circuits accumulate the time each of the sprung mass high and low signals is present to effect the inhibiting of the production of each of these signals at the conclusion of a respective predetermined period of time and each is reset to zero upon each occurrence of the opposite one of these signals.

Motor vehicle level control circuit

Electrically operable switching circuitry is effective to energize, in response to the application of a control signal, a commutated electrical motor in a first direction for driving a member driven thereby through a travel stroke and to energize, in response to the removal of the control signal, the motor in a second direction for driving the member driven thereby through another opposite travel stroke and an electrical signal produced while the motor is in the run mode is effective to maintain the switching circuitry operated for motor energization. Upon motor stall when the member driven thereby has reached the end of a travel stroke, the electrical signal produced while the motor is in the 'Run' mode terminates and the switching circuitry then operates to deenergize the motor.

Electric motor reversing control system

Electrical circuits responsive to a logic signal pair produced when the sprung mass of a motor vehicle is above a selected trim band and to another logic signal pair produced when the sprung mass of the vehicle is below the trim band produce respective sprung mass high and sprung mass low signals for a leveling system of the type operative to level the sprung mass of the vehicle within a predetermined trim band in response thereto. A delay circuit effective to inhibit the production of both the sprung mass high and sprung mass low signals for a predetermined time duration is provided to prevent unnecessary operation of the leveling system and respective accumulator circuits inhibit the production of each the sprung mass high and sprung mass low signals at the conclusion of respective predetermined accumulated periods of time.

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Centerville, OH, United States of America

Donald E Graham