Ag Communication Systems Corporation

Gte Communication Systems Corporation

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Visteon Global Technolgoies, Inc.

Casco Products Corporation

Ford Global Tech.inc

Thomas D Belanger, Jr

David John Rutkowski

Roy L Johnson

Susan Verellen

Diana D Brehob

John Trublowski

Joseph V Bejster

Boris Khaykin

Dave Rutkowski

Keri Przebienda

Kelvin J Bennett

Richard Alex Beski

Gerald W Stull

Pierre Thorsten Boldt

Carrie Porter

Richard Allen Kraus

Douglas Hughson, Jr

A power data connection for a vehicle and one or more electronic devices is provided. The power data connection comprises a data communication connector and a terminal. The data communication connector includes a case ground and is adapted to enable data communication to and from the vehicle. The terminal is supported by the case ground and operable to supply electrical power from the vehicle to the electronic devices simultaneously with the data communication connector enabling data communication to and from the vehicle.

USB for vehicle application

A cigar lighter including a mounting ring, and a socket insertable into the mounting ring. The socket has at least one cantilevered lance extending in a longitudinal direction of the socket and directed radially inwardly. The mounting ring has a cylindrical body with an inner surface. A rib is provided on the inner surface of the housing so as to extend in a longitudinal direction. The rib is arranged in a vicinity of the lance of the socket so as to limit outward radial travel of the lance.

Radial travel limiter for lighter socket lances

A multipurpose power point for use by, and accessible to, the driver or other occupant of a vehicle, includes a generally cylindrical terminal housing having center terminal and at least one detent for retaining a ignitor plug within the terminal housing. An overtravel preventer attached to an outer housing portion of the power point engages the detent and subjects the detent to a radially inwardly directed force sufficient to prevent the detent from deforming plastically in response to forces placed upon the detent by power consuming devices inserted into the terminal housing.

Multipurpose power point for vehicular use

An apparatus and method is provided for an improved brake shift interlock system which reduces solenoid noise created by vehicle vibrations and solenoid activation. The brake shift interlock system includes a park position switch, a brake sensor, and a control circuit. The method includes the sensing of the park position switch and the brake sensor and generating a pulse width modulated control signal having a varying duty cycle for driving the solenoid when predetermined conditions of the park position switch and brake sensor are sensed.

Pulse width modulation of brake shift interlock solenoid

A fuel vapor recovery system for a vehicle having a fuel tank coupled to a fuel filler tube. The fuel vapor recovery system includes a carbon canister disposed in the fuel filler tube. Thus, the relatively cool stored fuel passes through the carbon canister disposed in the filler tube before entering the fuel tank. A primary advantage of the present invention is that the problem of the temperature of the carbon rising during vehicle fuelling due to displaced fuel vapors desorbing within the canister is mitigated by heat transfer between the cool fuel passing over the filler tube disposed carbon canister and the entering relatively cool fuel. This heat transfer results in a cooling of the carbon in the canister. Consequently, the carbon in the carbon canister remains effective in desorbing fuel vapors. The filler tube has an inlet for receiving fuel from a supply external to the vehicle. The filler tube is disposed to directing such received fuel to the fuel tank. The carbon canister is disposed within said fuel filler tube to enable the received fuel to contact the canister as such received fuel passes from the inlet, by and in contact with the canister, to the fuel tank.

Inline fuel cooling of the carbon canister

An arrangement of a flex circuit relay is provided. The flex circuit relay has a first substrate . A first connective member is connected on the first substrate . A second flexible substrate is provided having a contact portion spaced away from the first substrate in a first position and being spaced adjacent to the first substrate in a second position. A second conductive member is provided on the second substrate for making contact with the first conductive member . A piezoelectric actuator is connected with the second substrate to cause the second substrate contact portion to move between the first and second positions.

Flexible circuit piezoelectric relay

An arrangement of a flex circuit ( ) is provided which includes a first substrate ( ) with a connected first conductive membrane ( ) having a first gap ( ). A second substrate ( ) with a connected conductive membrane ( ) is spaced away from the first substrate ( ). At least one of the substrates ( ), ( ) is flexible. A first surface mounted device ( ) with a first end cap termination ( ), bridges over the first gap ( ). The end cap termination ( ) electrically connects with the second conductive membrane ( ) to complete an electrical circuit between the first and second conductive membranes ( ), ( ) when the substrates ( ), ( ) are displaced toward one another.

Flexible circuit relay

An arrangement of a flex circuit relay ( ) is provided which in a preferred embodiment has a first substrate ( ) and a second substrate ( ). The substrates ( ), ( ) have conductive membranes ( ), ( ) connected thereto. The second substrate ( ) has a contact portion ( ). Adjacent to contact portion ( ) is a ferritic member ( ). A coil ( ) is provided having wire windings wrapped around a core. The coil ( ) provides a magnetic field to cause the second substrate ( ) to move between a first position spaced away from the first substrate ( ) and a second position spaced adjacent to the first substrate ( ) against a flexural force of the second substrate ( ).

Flex circuit relay

An airbag plate for use in an airbag assembly incorporates a protruding push retainer feature to irreversibly secure the airbag plate to an instrument panel upper. The protruding push retainer feature may use a plurality of contact arms or an upwardly exposed flange region, with or without barbs, as a positive retaining feature. The instrument panel upper is coupled to the airbag plate by inserting a raised boss on the engine side of the instrument panel upper through a corresponding protruding push retainer contained on the airbag plate. This push retainer feature then bites into the boss to aid in preventing the airbag plate from separating from the instrument panel upper when an airbag is deployed.

Self-retaining automotive airbag plate

An adapter for interconnecting flexible circuitry, such as a length of flat flexible cable, to another electrical circuit component using an edge card connector includes a thin, substantially-flat, rigid projection that defines an edge, an upper surface and a lower surface. The flat flexible cable is secured to the upper surface of the adapter's projection and wrapped around the edge of the projection to thereby significantly improve the retention force achieved upon insertion of the adapter's projection into the edge card connector's main slot.

Edge card connector adaptor for flexible circuitry

A method and an apparatus,for interconnecting automotive electrical circuits and components. In one embodiment, the apparatus,includes at least one channel,formed by an opposing pair of rails,, and a backplane,. The backplane includes an &ldquo;omega-shaped&rdquo; cavity,. The assembly further includes a first flexible circuit,disposed within the backplane,, an elastomeric member,residing upon the circuit,, and a card,which is movably disposed within the rails,and which supports a second flexible circuit,. The card,is movable between a first position which is remote from the cavity,and a second position in which portions of the card,and the second flexible circuit,penetrate the cavity,, thereby deforming the elastomeric member,and securely and electrically connecting the first flexible circuit,to the second flexible circuit

Method and apparatus for selectively connecting flexible circuits

An electrical connection and power distribution assembly,including a dynamically configurable array of substantially identical terminal members,which are disposed upon a dielectric surface,which may be selectively connected to a plurality of automobile circuit assemblies,and,which may selectively receive fuses,or other components; and which may be selectively interconnected and/or selectively severed to form a desired and/or required circuit and component interconnection scheme.

Method and apparatus for selectively connecting electrical circuits and components

There is disclosed herein an electronic circuit, one embodiment of which comprises: an electronic component 10 having bump terminations 12 on a first surface 14 thereof; a flexible substrate 16 having a plurality of generally round holes 18 therein arranged in correspondence with the bump terminations, wherein each hole has a diameter d smaller than the diameter D of a corresponding bump termination; and an array of conductive circuit traces 20 arranged on a second surface 22 of the substrate, wherein each of the circuit traces terminates generally about one of the holes in the substrate. Each bump termination 12 is fixably inserted into its corresponding substrate hole 18 so as to mechanically connect the electronic component 10 with the substrate 16 and to electrically connect each termination 12 with a corresponding circuit trace 20.

Method of attaching a chip to a flexible substrate

A method and apparatus is provided for electrically interconnecting a circuit pattern with an adjacent circuit on a substrate. The circuit pattern is positioned in direct physical contact with the adjacent circuit to create a single electrical interface between the circuit pattern and the adjacent circuit. A compliant spring member is supported by the substrate for creating a normal force at the single electrical interface for holding the circuit pattern and adjacent circuit together. The compliant spring member is sufficiently flexible to facilitate electrical interconnection of the circuits along a non-planar substrate. Various embodiments are described.

Method and apparatus for providing planar and non-planar compliant

A printed circuit board is provided with a solder pad configuration for wave soldering a surface mount device with its longitudinal axis in a direction perpendicular to the solder wave. A leading solder pad is not wider than the surface mount device. A trailing solder pad is wider than the surface mount device, thereby ensuring that the trailing pad is sufficiently wet by the solder wave.

Growing community of inventors

Saline, MI, United States of America

Thomas D Belanger, Jr