Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Steven F Baker

Joseph L Tengowski

Ronald L Dorski

Brent R Behrman

Albert D Johnston

Edward Russell Clark

John Liddell Turner

Craig A Diem

Robert P Tussey

Mark C Zifcak

A brake corner module includes a wheel bearing assembly which is configured to be coupled to the steering knuckle of the module without requiring bolts or press fit. An outer ring of the bearing assembly has a flange on one end which engages the knuckle at one end of a bore through the knuckle and a second end which is configured to be deformed to engage the second end of the knuckle bore. The wheel bearing assembly is thus captured within the bore, eliminating the need for press fit or a snap ring to retain the wheel bearing assembly.

Automotive brake corner module

A powered wheel bearing has a solid spindle supported within a stationary hub by two rows of bearing balls. The innermost ball row has a separable race that is fixed in place by an abutting keeper ring that sits in an adjacent groove. The keeper ring, in turn, is prevented from dislodging by an overlaying shoulder on the sleeve of a CV joint that fits over the end of the spindle with interengaging splines. The joint sleeve is fixed to the spindle by an internal snap ring, so the motion of inserting the sleeve over the spindle is all that is necessary, both for attachment and alignment. The outside of the sleeve also carries regular teeth that provide the encoder ring for a speed sensor.

Bearing and drive assembly with combined wheel speed sensor

A drip collector installed to a vehicle coolant pump of the type that has a protruding cylindrical bearing race with vent holes includes a feature to prevent collected coolant from splashing out, but not preventing it from collecting in the first instance. The collector includes at least one axially extending cylindrical sleeve that overlays the vent hole, with a small radial gap from the outside of the bearing race. Leaking coolant can run slowly through the gap, but cannot splash out quickly.

Coolant pump drip collector with splash control

A composite seal ring has a porous main body and a non-porous insert molded into it. Differential rates of coolant absorption between the porous main body and non-porous insert cause the whole ring to swell into a regular pattern of distortion. In order to compensate, the seal ring, after initial machining, is pre-soaked to simulate use and deliberately cause the same kind of distortion. It is then lapped flat from its distorted state.

Method for processing composite water pump seal ring

A pump drip collector is easily provided to a pump housing of a particular shape. A cylindrical drum of L-shaped cross section, incapable of serving as a drip collector by itself, is adapted to be freely pressed over a cylindrical protrusion from a flat face of the pump housing. When a circular end edge of the drum engages the face, it is spun welded in place. Thereafter, the drum and pump face together provide a complete drip collector. The drum may also pilot on the outside of the protrusion to maintain concentricity during the spinning process.

Method for providing pump drip collector

A channel type vehicle water pump drip collector provides improved efficiency and capacity and a simple installation. The internal volume enclosed by a retainer that is snap fitted onto the housing is filled with an absorbent material. Leaking coolant is soaked up, rather than puddling at the bottom of the channel. Therefore, a leak proof, welded connection is not needed. In the embodiment disclosed, a retainer for the ring is attached by flexible teeth, and the spaces between the teeth provide air vents through which absorbed coolant may gradually evaporate to the outside.

Coolant pump drip collector with improved capacity

A vehicle water pump seal has a specially designed gasket interposed between the retainer flange that the spring bears on and the sealing ring that transmits the spring force evenly in spite of bowing in the retainer flange.

Water pump seal with improved seal force distribution

A vehicle coolant pump is improved with the addition of a channel shaped shield that surrounds the coolant weep holes. In addition to protecting the weep holes, expelled coolant is collected and allowed to evaporate before it can visibly pond. The channel also serves as a convenient point for the provision of wrenching flats when the pump housing is also used as a belt tension adjuster.

Combination coolant pump drip collection, belt tensioner

A slinger ring for a vehicle water pump shaft is given a scalloped outer lip, which causes the lip to undulate back and forth past vent holes in the bearing race as the pump shaft rotates. This provides a continual vent hole cleaning and scraping action.

Vehicle water pump with improved slinger

A water pump face seal assembly uses a wave spring stamped from flat stock with drive tabs which, besides providing contact force and wear take up, also serves to maintain a square, concentric contact interface and to transfer torque with almost no lost motion, isolating a joint between an elastomer seal and a seal casing from twisting stress.

Water pump face seal assembly

A vehicle water pump includes a unit handled assembly comprising a bearing housing, pump housing, and annular wear face sealing element, all made of suitable steels and alignable relative to one another at a common, accessible juncture of three circular edges. The components can thus all be welded together to give an easily handled unit, and the metal wear face has a much improved alignment, life and running temperature, as compared to a conventional ceramic wear face.

Combined water pump, bearing and seal assembly

An internal combustion engine, or the like, includes a camshaft drive providing hydraulically variable cam timing utilizing computer control of a hydraulic dump and fill coupling which varies the retardation of a spring driven member connected with the camshaft. The camshaft phase relation is read by the computer and adjusted in relation to engine speed according to a preprogrammed phase relationship.

Engine with hydraulically variable cam timing

A direct acting cam-valve assembly for an internal combustion engine having an engine block means defining a port includes an internal/external cam fixed to an engine driven camshaft and a direct acting cam follower having one end thereof driven reciprocably by the internal/external cam to push an associated poppet valve from a closed position to an open position and to pull the valve from the open position to the closed position. A conventional hydraulic lash adjuster is operatively positioned in the cam follower whereby one end of the lash adjuster abuts against the free valve stem end of the valve and a spring is operatively positioned in the opposite end of the cam follower and operatively connected to the valve stem end of the valve whereby to, in effect, operatively connect the valve to the cam follower.

Direct acting cam-valve assembly

A locking fuel cap has a lock bolt which is slidably disposed in the cap handle and responsive to a key-operated lock mechanism to selectively drivingly connnect the cap handle to a ratchet ring. The ratchet ring is connected through a torque limiting drive to a threaded closure. When the fuel cap is unlocked, the lock bolt provides a positive drive in both opening and closing directions. If the fuel cap is locked, a spring finger on the lock bolt engages a pin on the lock mechanism when a predetermined torque is present at the ratchet ring during cap installation. The pin holds the lock bolt in a position preventing a drive connection with the ratchet ring thereafter when the cap is rotated in the opening direction.

Locking fuel cap

A fuel cap has a cover-handgripping portion and a threaded closure portion, which portions are maintained in assembly by a ring member. The ring member has integrally molded therewith a plurality of outwardly extending flexible fingers in a hinged relationship. The closure portion is inserted in the ring member prior to assembly within the handgripping portion. At assembly, the fingers of the ring member pivot inwardly at the hinge position to become engaged with an annular groove formed in the handgripping portion. The movement of the fingers results in an inner portion of the ring member being displaced to form a support shelf for the threaded closure. Engagement of the fingers with the groove portion of the handgrip prevents removal of the ring and therefore the closure member from the handgripping portion.

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Bellevue, OH, United States of America

Steven F Baker