Ford Motor Company Limited

Steve J Yockey

William F Horn

Robert C Gardner

Marvin D Wells

Mark K Rhoades

Joseph M Giachino

An alternator rectifier bridge is incorporated into an alternator housing by inserting half of the diodes of the bridge into apertures formed into an alternator housing end plate which then serves as one output for the alternator and also as a massive heat sink to dissipate heat generated in the diodes. The other half of the diodes of the bridge are inserting into apertures formed in a radiator plate which is embedded into a plastic circuit member together with conductor members which interconnect electrodes of the diodes to stator windings of the alternator and also perform other electrical connections required for efficient manufacture and proper operation of the alternator. The radiator plate serves as the other output for the alternator and also as a heat sink. The plastic circuit member is coupled to the alternator housing end plate such that the electrodes of the diodes embedded therein pass through the plastic circuit member to engage corresponding ones of the conductor members resulting in a compact, highly efficient bridge which is readily assembled, preferably in an automated manner, using a limited number of component parts.

Alternator rectifier bridge assembly

A fuel injector has a silicon micromachined nozzle plate which coacts with a fuel flow valve to control fuel flow out of the fuel injector.

Fuel injector with silicon nozzle

A silicon compound nozzle has two generally planar parallel plates with offset openings coupled by a shear gap. Fluid flow in the shear gap is generally parallel to the plates and increases fluid dispersion.

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Farmington Hills, MI, United States of America

Steve J Yockey