Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Valeo Electrical Systems, Inc.

Itt Automotive Electrical Systems, Inc.

Valeo Corporation

Ralph J Unterborn

Craig A Ham

Peter S Zhou

Harry C Buchanan, Jr

William R Mack

Jeffrey T Weller

Jack W Savage

Michael J McClain

Mark M Benner

A stator core for a variable reluctance motor. The stator core having a number of stator lamina joined together in a direction along a longitudinal axis. Each of the stator lamina include a number of circumferentially spaced-apart pole pieces and a circular member joined to each of the pole pieces at an intermediate portion thereof so as to define a flanged portion which extends radially inwardly from the circular member.

Externally-wound stator with improved magnetic transition

A drive gear engages a driven gear with non-intersecting axes of rotation making an angle of approximately 90&deg; with respect to one another. A shaft has a first portion with a predetermined diameter, and a second portion has an enveloped worm gear with at least one roll-formed helical tooth formed thereon with an outer diameter greater than the diameter of the first portion of the shaft. The extra envelopment achieves an overall smaller package size for competitive advantage. When the shaft is rolled, the outside teeth exceed the shaft diameter by a predetermined amount allowing more teeth to be in contact with the driven gear. An outer bearing can be placed at the end of the shaft to allow the teeth to be of a larger diameter than the shaft. The pitch of the teeth can vary. Preferably, the bearing groove is roll formed simultaneously with the teeth of the worm gear since the centroid of the enveloped teeth must be located with the gear center line.

Rollable enveloped worm with two curve profile

This invention deals with a system and method for manufacturing a drive gear having a plurality of teeth in cross section where the teeth are situated on a drive shaft in a substantially parallel manner. The drive gear is characterized in that the teeth are substantially parallel to each other and contact mating driven teeth at points which define an arc which is not concentric about an axis of the driven gear. The drive gear is characterized in that it has multi-tooth contact points which do not contact the teeth of the mating gear at exactly the same contact point on the mating teeth, thereby lengthening the life of the driven gear as well as distributing the torque load to a plurality of teeth. A method and procedure for generating a drive gear having the features of the present invention is also disclosed.

Vehicle window drive system and method

A motor assembly includes an output shaft having a first central axis, the output shaft including a first coupling member. The motor assembly further includes a secondary shaft having a second central axis, the secondary shaft including a second coupling member which is coupled to the first coupling member, wherein the first central axis and the second central axis are non-colinear when the first coupling member is coupled to the second coupling member during operation of the motor. A method of coupling an output shaft of a motor to a secondary shaft is also disclosed.

Apparatus and method for coupling an output shaft of a motor to a

A vehicle brake having an electrically powered actuator and a parking brake is provided which, in a preferred embodiment, includes an electric motor with a rotor torsionally associated with the actuator for applying brake shoes, springs for returning the brake shoes to a released position, a first friction plate torsionally associated with the rotor, a second friction plate for selective mating with the first friction plate, torsionally fixed with respect to the rotor, a parking brake actuator, a parking brake shaft powered for rotation by the parking brake actuator, and a cam associated with at least one of the friction plates and the parking brake shaft whereby rotation of the parking shaft translates into relative motion between the friction plates to position the friction plates together to lock or release the vehicle brake.

Electrically actuated electric brake with adjuster

The passenger side wiper of a tandem pattern system, in order to reach sufficient area of a sloped windshield, must have an effective wiping length that is longer that the space available in which to depress park the wiper along the lower edge of the windshield. In order to achieve this, the passenger side wiper is provided with a blade assembly that extends and retracts in a parallel swinging motion that does not depart unacceptably from the normal blade to arm orientation. The blade retracts automatically, activated by the already provided depressed park action.

Retract to park windshield wiper

In a vehicle wiper system of the type having a frame tube fixed to the vehicle body, an improved mounting of a housing to the frame tube includes an inwardly tapered cradle portion on the housing that matches an inwardly tapered mounting portion of the tube, with deformable ribs on the housing cradle that are sheared by the tube when the housing is attached so as to assure solid, intimate contact between the housing and tube.

Vehicle windshield wiper system with improved housing to frame connection

A wiper blade support is joined to a wiper arm by a yielding mechanism that maintains the two in a fixed angular relation during normal wipe, but which yields to allow the wiper blade to move more closely parallel to the windshield lower edge at park. The yielding mechanism includes a leaf spring indirectly joined between the wiper arm and blade support which buckles only when the wiper blade hits the lower edge of the windshield, allowing the compensating blade rotation, but remains flat during normal wipe.

Wiper with self compensating blade park position

A windshield wiper drive mechanism includes an electric motor having a worm shaft which meshes with a gear assembly which is drivingly connected to a crank arm. A windshield wiper transmission link is also connected to the crank arm. The crank arm has an inner diametral bearing surface which is rotatably supported on a pin secured at one end in cantilever fashion to a housing, and an outer diametral bearing surface which is adapted for rotatable support in a cylindrical opening in another housing. The outer bearing surface has axially extending recesses in which a lubricant is retained. When high transmission loads are applied to the crank arm, the pin deflects slightly so that the increased bearing loads are supported on the outer bearing surface to prevent further deflection of the pin.

Growing community of inventors

Dayton, OH, United States of America

Ralph J Unterborn