Automotive Products, Inc.

Automotive Products (usa), Inc.

Other

Fte Automotive Gmbh

Tale-gator Distributors, LLC

Ap Aero, Inc

Keith V Leigh-Monstevens

Richard A Nix

Brian D Mabee

David C Peterson

David J Compton

David C Barker

David L Wrobleski

Leslie P Branum

David K Mienko

Edward L Tury

Bryan M Stevens

Tim M Dangel

Paul M Regula

John G VanderPoorte

John G Vander Poorte

Jiamu Hu

David F Salzmann

Graham J Shirley

Michael James Woodard

Charles A Kassin

Julie A Hartig

Arlan E Vennefron

Mark W Rei

James V Ludwig, Jr

Gregg A Thoe

Lisa Marie Van Wynsberghe

Claude A Patalidis, Deceased

Larry Ray Corria, Jr

An accessory for use for the inside surface and the upper edge surface of a pickup truck tailgate. The accessory comprises a unitary member of plastic sheet material including a generally planar base portion, configured to overly and cover the inside surface of the tailgate and defining at least one upwardly opening seating surface configured to accommodate a human posterior, and a lip portion contiguous with an edge of and extending at an angle with respect to the base portion and configured to overlie and protect the upper edge surface of the tailgate with the base portion installed on the inside surface of the tailgate. A backrest is associated with the seating surface and is pivotally moveable between an upright position providing back support for a person sitting on the seating surface and a lowered stowed position within the concavity of the seating surface. The seating and protector accessory is secured to the tailgate using suitable fasteners coacting with the tailgate.

Seating and protector accessory

A diaphragm assembly for use with a hydraulic apparatus. The diaphragm assembly includes a cap formed of a rigid material and a diaphragm formed of an elastomeric material. The diaphragm is generally tubular and includes an upper annular collar portion defining an open upper end of the diaphragm and a main body portion extending downwardly from the collar portion, defining a closed lower end of the diaphragm, and including, in cross-section, a plurality of hollow radially extending circumferentially spaced arms. The cap includes an upper disc portion sized to receive the collar portion of the diaphragm and a rib portion extending downwardly from the disc portion and including, in cross-section, a plurality of radially extending circumferentially spaced arms positioned respectively within the arms of the main body portion of the diaphragm whereby the elastomeric arms of the diaphragm provide large expansion and contraction capacity and the rigid arms of the cap preclude undesired distortion or wrinkling of the flexible arms of the diaphragm.

Diaphragm assembly

A method and apparatus for molding a right angle connector onto a tube end portion. The tube end portion is positioned in a mold cavity; an axially extending core is positioned in the mold cavity with the axis of the core at a right angle to the axis of the tube end portion and with an inboard end of the core positioned proximate the open end of the tube end portion; a molten plastic material is injected into the mold cavity in surrounding relation to the core and the tube end portion; and the core is removed to form a connector fixedly secured to the tube end portion and having a central axial bore communicating with the open end of the tube, extending at a right angle to the central axis of the tube end portion, and conforming to the configuration of the core.

Right angle tube connector

A clutch hydraulic actuator system having a vibration damper provided in the system between a master cylinder and a slave cylinder of the system. The damper includes a housing, an elastomeric diaphragm, and a spring steel diaphragm. The upper face of the elastomeric diaphragm is in fluid communication with hydraulic fluid in the system so that the elastomeric diaphragm may deflect in response to low frequency vibrations transmitted through hydraulic fluid in the system to effect damping of the low frequency vibrations. The spring steel diaphragm is positioned in the system generally parallel to and proximate the lower face of the elastomeric diaphragm so as to form a back up for the elastomeric diaphragm so that the elastomeric diaphragm may deform against the spring steel diaphragm in response to intermediate frequency vibrations transmitted through the hydraulic fluid to cause deflection of the spring steel diaphragm to effect damping of the intermediate frequency vibrations. A thin annular sidewall of the damper housing coacts with the upper face of the elastomeric diaphragm to form a large volume fluid chamber above the elastomeric diaphragm which provides further, high frequency system damping by virtue of vibratory volumetric expansion of the thin housing sidewall.

Triple action damper for hydraulic clutch actuator

A concentric slave cylinder for use in a clutch actuator in which the housing of the slave cylinder is a two-part construction with one of the members having an injection molded polymer member. In one embodiment, both the inner and outer cylindrical members forming the annular chamber for the piston are formed as injection molded polymer members; in a second embodiment, the outer cylindrical member is formed as an injection molded polymer member and the inner cylindrical member is formed as a cold formed steel member; and in a third embodiment, the inner cylindrical member is formed as an injection molded polymer member and the outer member is formed as a cold formed steel member. The use of injection molded members reduces the cost of the housing assembly and the use of a two-part construction allows the provision of a small annular chamber for receipt of the piston.

Concentrically mounted hydraulic clutch slave cylinder

A concentric slave cylinder for motor vehicle manual transmissions in which the cylinder housing is fabricated from an inner cylindrical member having a base flange and an outer cylindrical member having a base flange wherein the annular fluid chamber between the outer wall of the inner cylinder and the inner wall of the outer cylinder has a radial dimension of not more than about 4 millimeters.

A pushrod assembly for use in association with a vehicle clutch control system of the type including a slave cylinder having an output member adapted for control of the clutch mechanism of the vehicle, a master cylinder for supplying hydraulic fluid to the slave cylinder, and a clutch control pedal assembly for actuating the master cylinder via the pushrod assembly. The pushrod assembly is connected at a forward end thereof to the master cylinder piston and is adapted for connection at a rearward end thereof to the clutch pedal arm and includes an isolator member of resilient material carried by the pushrod and interposed between the rearward pushrod end and the clutch pedal in a position to be resiliently distorted in response to movement of the control pedal in a release direction relative to the pushrod. When the operator's foot inadvertently slips off of the clutch pedal and the pushrod assembly flies back forcefully toward a pedal release position, the isolator member isolates the pedal arm assembly from the pushrod to reduce the impact on the pushrod and avoid system failures resulting from the impact loading.

Pushrod impact isolator

An improved quick connect coupling and an improved spring clip for use in the coupling. The coupling comprises a female member defining a passage defining an annular seat, a male member sized to fit in the passage, and a spring clip positioned in the annular seat. The spring clip comprises a thin walled spring steel tubular member capable of being compressed for seating within the annular seat and including a first plurality of circumferentially spaced finger portions for engagement with a trailing abutment surface on the male member and a second plurality of circumferentially spaced finger portions for engagement with an annular shoulder defining one end of the annular seat. In one embodiment the finger portions for engagement with the abutment surface on the male member have a T configuration with the head portions of the fingers coacting to define a large circumferential surface for engagement with the male member abutment surface. In another embodiment the finger portions for engagement with the annular shoulder on the female member have a T configuration with the T portions of the fingers coacting to define a large circumferential surface for engagement with the annular shoulder.

Spring clip for quick connect coupling

A clutch actuation system for use in engaging and disengaging the clutch of a manual transmission motor vehicle. The system includes a sensor sensing the rotary movement of the clutch pedal, an electric motor having a screw output shaft driving a ball nut mechanism engaging a clutch release member, a further sensor sensing the position of the ball nut mechanism and thereby of the clutch release member, and an electronic control module. The module compares the magnitude of the position signal received from the clutch pedal position sensor to the magnitude of the position signal received from the ball nut position sensor and operates in a closed-loop servo manner to move the clutch release member via the electric motor through a distance proportioned to the extent of pivotal movement of the clutch pedal so that the operator, by precise control of the extent of pivotal movement of the clutch pedal, can precisely control the extent of engagement or disengagement of the clutch. Return movement of the system to the clutch engaged position is preferably accomplished by back driving the ball nut and motor via the clutch diaphragm spring.

Clutch actuator system

A hydraulic control apparatus, more particularly for operating a motor vehicle clutch release mechanism, comprising a master cylinder, a slave cylinder and a conduit connecting the master cylinder to the slave cylinder. The apparatus is in the form of separate modular units which are separately filled with hydraulic fluid, and the filled modular units are shipped unconnected to a user. Each modular unit is provided with a leakproof quick-connect connector member, through which filling of the modular unit may be effected, and which mates with a complementary leakproof quick-connect connector member of another modular unit, such that after installation on a utilization device, a motor vehicle for example, complementary connector members are reconnected, thus opening ports in each connector member placing each member in fluid communication with the other. Preferably, the two connector members are provided with a one-way locking arrangement preventing separation of the connector members after coupling. Alternatively, the two connector members may be disconnected by a special tool to enable disconnecting the members without loss of hydraulic fluid, for the purpose of repair or replacement of components.

Modular hydraulic control apparatus

A master cylinder assembly and a motor vehicle power assist actuator utilizing the master cylinder assembly. In one form of the invention, a clutch actuator is provided in which the clutch may be actuated in the usual manner by depression of the clutch pedal to move the piston in the master cylinder assembly under the urging of the push rod or, in a power mode of the actuator, movement of the gear shift lever of the vehicle is sensed by a logic module whereupon the electric motor of the master cylinder assembly is energized in a sense to move the ball screw to apply a power assist force to the annular outer periphery of the rear end of the piston and thereby effect disengagement of the clutch. In another embodiment of the invention, the signal to the logic module to enable energization of the motor is generated by a switch connected to the clutch pedal so that the force for disengaging the clutch includes a manual force applied by the push rod and a power force applied by a ball screw. In a further embodiment of the invention, the master cylinder assembly is utilized in a power assist brake actuator wherein a proportional potentiometer senses the pivotal movement of the brake pedal and provides a power assist, via the logic module, to the ball screw that is proportional to the extent of pivotal movement of the brake pedal.

Master cylinder assembly

A preassembled, prefilled hydraulic actuator apparatus for a motor vehicle clutch and adapted for connection to a non-integral fluid reservoir. The apparatus comprises a master cylinder having a supply inlet and a working pressure outlet, a slave cylinder having an inlet, a working pressure conduit interconnecting the outlet of the master cylinder and the inlet of the slave cylinder, and a low-pressure supply conduit for connection to a reservoir. In one embodiment, the supply conduit is connected at one end to the master cylinder inlet and the free end of the supply conduit is sealed by a bung partition, a piercing coupling is provided on the free end of the supply conduit, and the coupling is connected to an outlet fitting on a prefilled reservoir which may also serve as the hydraulic fluid source for the brake system of the vehicle. The coupling functions in the course of the connecting operation to pierce the bung partition sealing the free end of the supply conduit and to further pierce a bung partition in the outlet of the reservoir so that fluid communication is thereby established between the hydraulic actuating apparatus and the reservoir. Another embodiment is disclosed in which the supply conduit is connected at one end to the reservoir outlet with its other end sealed; another embodiment is disclosed in which two supply conduits are respectively connected to the reservoir outlet and the master cylinder inlet; and another embodiment is disclosed in which a quick-connect coupling replaces the piercing coupling.

Prefilled hydraulic actuator apparatus with separate reservoir and

A damper for use with a hydraulic clutch actuator of the type including a master cylinder and a slave cylinder with a conduit interconnecting the outlet of the master cylinder and the inlet of the slave cylinder. The damper is positioned in the conduit between the master cylinder and slave cylinder and includes a diaphragm having a front face constituting a barrier wall of the hydraulic system so that the diaphragm can deflect in response to vibrations transmitted through the hydraulic fluid in the system to effect damping of the vibration and further includes a structure confronting but spaced from the rear face of the central region of the diaphragm which operates to limit the deflection of the central region of the diaphragm to a predetermined maximum magnitude to limit the stress at the center of the diaphragm to an acceptable level and thereby improve the fatigue life of the diaphragm. The limiting structure may comprise an upset portion on the cover; an elastomeric button on the inner face of the cover; a Belleville spring between the rear face of the diaphragm and the inside face of the cover; or a suitable liquid in the space between the rear face of the diaphragm and the inner face of the cover. The space between the limiting structure and the rear face of the diaphragm may be selectively varied to accommodate hydraulic control systems of varying hydraulic characteristics.

Damper for hydraulic clutch actuator

Electric control apparatus for a motor vehicle including a push button module to indicate the operator choice of transmission state, an encoder tracking the annular position of the mode select shaft of the transmission and operative to provide a transmission state signal, and a logic module receiving the operator input request from the push button module, receiving a present transmission state signal from the encoder, and operating to shift the transmission to the requested position, provide enabling of the starter motor circuit in response to receipt of a neutral or park transmission state signal from the encoder, and energize the backup lamp circuit in response to receipt of a reverse transmission state signal from the encoder.

Transmission logic controlling starter motor and backup light

A method of providing a pretested electric shift control apparatus for a motor vehicle including an operator input push-button unit for mounting in the instrument panel of the motor vehicle, a power unit for mounting on the transmission of the motor vehicle, and a logic unit for mounting on the motor vehicle in a position in which it is electrically interconnected between the push-button unit and the power unit and operates to transmit operator input signals from the push-button unit to the power unit to shift the transmission to the position corresponding to the operator input. The method comprises the steps of manufacturing a plurality of push-button units; manufacturing a plurality of power units; manufacturing a plurality of logic units; providing a test assembly by assembling a push-button unit, a power unit, and a logic unit in a text fixture in a manner to simulate their assembled interrelationship on the motor vehicle; performing tests on the test assembly simulating the combined operation of the units on the motor vehicle; disassembling the test assembly into at least first and second tested modules; transporting the tested and disassembled modules to one or more motor vehicle manufacturing sites; and reassembling each tested first module on a motor vehicle in combination with a tested second module to provide a pretested electric shift control apparatus for the motor vehicle. A methodology is also disclosed for testing a shift control apparatus for shifting both the transmission and the transfer case of a four wheel drive motor vehicle.

Growing community of inventors

Troy, MI, United States of America

Keith V Leigh-Monstevens