Abstract:
A shielded, or coaxial, electrical cable assembly including a female shield connected to the outer conductor, or shield, of the cable. The female shield is configured to mate with a male shield to maintain the continuity of the shield in a connection. The male shield includes a flexible protrusion that is designed to align with and snap into an aperture defined in the female shield, thereby providing a mechanical connection between the male and female shields. The male shield also defines a flexible contact adapted to closely engage an interior surface of the female exterior shield, thereby providing an electrical connection between the male and female shields. The flexible protrusion and the flexible contact flex along axes that are generally orthogonal to one another so the flexible contact interacts with the female exterior shield substantially independently of the flexible protrusion.
Abstract:
A fuel cell stack includes a plurality of fuel cell cassettes each including a fuel cell with an anode and a cathode. Each fuel cell cassette also includes an electrode interconnect adjacent to the anode or the cathode for providing electrical communication between an adjacent fuel cell cassette and the anode or the cathode. The interconnect includes a plurality of electrode interconnect protrusions defining a flow passage along the anode or the cathode for communicating oxidant or fuel to the anode or the cathode. An electrically conductive material is disposed between at least one of the electrode interconnect protrusions and the anode or the cathode in order to provide a stable electrical contact between the electrode interconnect and the anode or cathode. An encapsulating arrangement segregates the electrically conductive material from the flow passage thereby, preventing volatilization of the electrically conductive material in use of the fuel cell stack.
Abstract:
An electronics module that includes a printed circuit board (PCB), a connector, a housing with a shroud, and an interposer. The PCB defines a plane of the PCB. The connector is coupled to the PCB to form a circuit board assembly (CBA). The connector includes a plurality of header pins oriented perpendicular to the plane. The housing is configured to receive the CBA. The housing is configured to define an opening in a wall of the housing proximate to the connector when the CBA is installed. The wall is characterized as perpendicular to the plane. The interposer is configured to couple to the housing. The interposer includes a plurality of mating pins oriented parallel to the plane. Each of the mating pins defines a forked end configured to make electrical contact with each of the header pins when the interposer is inserted into the opening.
Abstract:
A system for generating a variable frequency is provided. The system includes a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) and an integrator. The VCO is configured to output a frequency signal with a frequency value dependent on a voltage value of a control signal. The integrator is configured to vary the control signal provided to the VCO. The ramp rate of the integrator is varied so the frequency value changes at a substantially constant frequency rate over a period of time, i.e. is linearized. In one configuration, the ramp rate of the integrator is based on an input value of an input signal to the integrator determined by a digital to analog convertor (DAC).
Abstract:
A vehicle instrument panel assembly that includes a display, a pointer, and a light detector. The display is configured to define indicia on a surface of the display. The indicia are configured to emit light. The pointer is configured to rotate a shaft of the pointer about an axis to align a tip of the pointer with the indicia. The pointer is also configured to conduct light emitted by the indicia from the tip into the shaft when the tip is substantially aligned with the indicia. The light detector is configured to detect light in the shaft of the pointer to determine the position of the pointer.
Abstract:
A contoured display that includes a faceplate configured to propagate an image in a collimated manner from an interface surface of the faceplate configured to receive the image from a display device to a display surface of the faceplate. The display surface is contoured to provide a three-dimensional (3D) contoured surface that provides designers with artistic freedom when designing a display shape, and a convenient way to contour a display surface to reduce the effects of glare on the display surface.
Abstract:
A heater includes a heater housing with a fuel cell stack assembly disposed therein. The fuel cell stack assembly includes a plurality of fuel cells which convert chemical energy from a fuel into heat and electricity through a chemical reaction with an oxidizing agent. The fuel cell stack assembly includes a fuel cell manifold for receiving the fuel within a fuel inlet and the oxidizing agent within an oxidizing agent inlet and distributing the fuel and oxidizing agent to the fuel cells. A fuel supply conduit supplies the fuel to the fuel inlet and an oxidizing agent supply conduit supplies the oxidizing agent to the oxidizing agent inlet. A sonic orifice is disposed between the fuel supply conduit and the fuel inlet or between the oxidizing agent supply conduit and the oxidizing agent inlet, thereby limiting the velocity of the fuel or the oxidizing agent through the sonic orifice.
Abstract:
An occupant sensor mat configured to be located proximate to a seating surface of a vehicle seat assembly. The mat includes a sensor electrode formed of conductive material and configured to radiate an electric field in response to an excitation signal for determining an occupant presence proximate to the seating surface. A heater element is configured to underlie the sensor electrode. The heater element is formed of conductive material and configured to radiate heat in response to electrical current for warming an occupant residing on the seating surface. An incompressible spacer is interposed between the sensor electrode and the heater element. The incompressible spacer formed of a material sufficiently flexible for locating proximate to a seating surface, and sufficiently incompressible to prevent a substantial change in capacitive coupling between the sensor electrode and the heater element from before to while an occupant resides on the seating surface.
Abstract:
A LLC resonant converter that includes a plurality of electronic switches arranged to form a bridge and a controller. The bridge is operable to an operating mode that includes a full-bridge mode and a half-bridge mode. The controller is configured to adjust an operating frequency used to operate the bridge based on a comparison of a set-point value to an output value of an output voltage generated by converter, change the operating mode to the half-bridge mode if the operating mode is the full-bridge mode, an output current of the converter is less than a minimum current threshold, and the operating frequency is greater than a maximum frequency threshold, and change the operating mode to the full bridge mode if the operating mode is the half-bridge mode, and the operating frequency is less than a minimum frequency threshold.
Abstract:
A vehicle instrument panel assembly that includes a pointer, a light source, and a light pipe. The pointer is movable about an axis to point to indicia on a display surface of the assembly. The pointer defines a shaft portion of the pointer that rotates about the axis. The light source is configured to emit light into the shaft to illuminate the pointer. The light pipe is arranged on the display surface and proximate to a sweep path of a tip of the pointer. The pointer is further configured to project light from the light source into the light pipe.