Did You Know...
...that after Parker Brothers executives turned down the game of Monopoly because it had "52 fundamental errors" (including taking too long to play), a copy of the game wound up in the home of the company president who stayed up until 1 a.m. to finish playing it? He was so impressed by the game that the next day he wrote to inventor Charles Darrow and offered to buy it!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 6270440 | Differential side gear with integral shaft A differential assembly is disclosed that is operable to prevent the escape of fluid from the assembly. The differential assembly further allows the transmission to be transported while containing fluid. The differential assembly further allows increased ... | 08/07/2001 |
| 6230949 | Vehicle jack and tool assembly A vehicle jack and tool assembly is provided. The assembly includes a body member having a handle and means to connect a vehicle jack, lug nut wrench, and a plurality of jack handles thereto. The body member also includes an attachment mechanism for selec... | 05/15/2001 |
| 6227452 | Combined assembly for a power steering pump and a viscous heater An auxiliary heat source for a vehicle having a driving source is provided. The auxiliary heat source includes a drive mechanism, an auxiliary machine and a heat generating unit. The drive mechanism is adapted for receiving a rotational driving force from... | 05/08/2001 |
| 6227321 | Structural tube for a motor vehicle unibody A front end assembly for a motor vehicle is provided including a U-shaped cross-car support member capable of being spot welded to a pair of cowl members and a pair of rail members. The U-shaped cross-car support member preferably comprises a hydroformed ... | 05/08/2001 |
| 6218637 | Method for resistance weld gun gross force selection A method for sizing a weld tool for forming a resistance spot weld to fasten a joint having at least two sheet metal members is provided. The method includes the steps of providing a plurality of weld force curves, determining a governing metal thickness,... | 04/17/2001 |
| 6217061 | Airbag system within impact countermeasures An air bag system that includes impact countermeasures is provided. The apparatus includes an air bag that is attached to a vehicle body via a base plate. The base plate includes a plurality of ribs extending therefrom disposed in a manner such that the p... | 04/17/2001 |
| 6216811 | Acid retention system for a vehicle battery A battery tray that includes a system for controlling the flow of fluid is provided. The battery tray includes a base surface having a retention cup formed therein. The retention cup collects aqueous sulfuric acid discharged from the battery. The retentio... | 04/17/2001 |
| 6213884 | Case hardened self-drilling, self-tapping, self-piercing fasteners and process for making the same A method for heat treating a metal article such as a fastener comprising the step of case hardening the fastener in a gas carborizing atmosphere at a temperature of about 1700° F. or in a carbonitriding atmosphere at a temperature of about 1550° F., and... | 04/10/2001 |
| 6209933 | Trunk release handle An release handle mechanism for a motor vehicle trunk lid is provided. The release handle mechanism includes a handle, that when activated can release the latch that couples the trunk lid to the vehicle body. The mechanism includes a housing having a plur... | 04/03/2001 |
| 6208919 | Vehicle data acquisition and analysis system A vehicle data acquisition and analysis system which acquires digital and analog input signals and analyzes information relating to vehicle component operation characteristics. A digital acquisition card is connected to at least one vehicle component to a... | 03/27/2001 |
| 6205779 | Integral hub driven gears The present invention provides a fluid pump for an automatic transmission which has at least one driven gear which has a hub portion insertable into the housing of the pump. By using this apparatus, the driven gear needs only to be aligned in one portion ... | 03/27/2001 |
| 6205774 | Method for detecting flow-reducing changes in an exhaust-gas catalyst body A method for detecting flow-reducing changes in an exhaust-gas catalyst body is provided. The method includes measuring the ion-current signal from an ion-current probe in an internal combustion engine and monitoring the signal to determine whether its si... | 03/27/2001 |
| 6205390 | Shift lever position logic A method of determining the shift lever position of an electronic automatic transmission system by identifying the mode of transmission operation selected by the driver of the vehicle to provide hysteresis between the park, reverse, neutral, drive and low... | 03/20/2001 |
| 6196606 | Door trim panel for a motor vehicle A motor vehicle inner door panel includes a map pocket having a plurality of apertures. The apertures permit partial visibility to pocket contents. A reflector assembly is secured to the inner wall of the pocket such that the reflective material is visibl... | 03/06/2001 |
| 6196580 | Method of controlling an active occupant-head protection system in a vehicle Method of controlling at least one active headrest in a vehicle. The invention relates to a method of controlling an active headrest in a vehicle, in which the active headrest is triggered when predeterminable triggering conditions indicative of a vehicle... | 03/06/2001 |
| 6189851 | Apparatus for holding beverage containers and other articles An apparatus for holding beverage containers and other articles is provided. The apparatus includes two cylindrically shaped receptacles with a channel formed therebetween. The receptacles and channel are formed by a generally planar back wall that is sub... | 02/20/2001 |
| 6186160 | Device for drawing off gaseous and liquid media A device for drawing off gaseous and liquid media from an inflowing medium, in particular in a tank ventilation system, has the following features: a housing, a feed connection for introducing the inflowing medium into the housing, an outlet connection fo... | 02/13/2001 |
| 6179363 | Transportable vehicle seat A vehicle seat assembly for a motor vehicle is provided. The assembly includes a cushion section a back section pivotally interconnected. The assembly also includes a wheeled latch assembly that is connected to the cushion section. The wheeled latch assem... | 01/30/2001 |
| 6179359 | Interior trim to windshield mounting arrangement A mounting arrangement for coupling a trim member to a structural member of a motor vehicle. The motor vehicle includes a structural member and a glass member. A longitudinally extending formation is coupled to the glass member. The trim member is a longi... | 01/30/2001 |
| 6176535 | Multi-positional vehicle shelf A partitioning system for use in the storage area of a vehicle is disclosed. The partitioning system includes a multipurpose shelf that can be positioned in a plurality of different locations. The shelf can be disposed (1) horizontally near the top of the... | 01/23/2001 |
| 6168231 | Two piece plastic vehicle panel construction A two piece vehicle panel construction is provided. The first and second piece of the vehicle panel are made by injection molding. The first and second piece cooperate to provide proper aesthetics, structural integrity, and increased sun load resistance. ... | 01/02/2001 |
| 6164944 | Random error generation of tooth index to eliminate pump noise A pump gear for an automatic transmission oil pump having a plurality of teeth. The thickness of each tooth varies randomly from a baseline thickness TB. Correspondingly, the clearance between each tooth varies randomly between each pair of adj... | 12/26/2000 |
| 6164160 | Integrated solenoid circuit assembly An improved method is provided for mounting a header to an insulator body of an automatic transmission solenoid assembly. The insulator body is provided with an overmolded lead frame. The insulator body and lead frame each include a plurality of terminal ... | 12/26/2000 |
| 6161643 | System of controlling torque transfer in a motor vehicle and related method A system for controlling torque transfer in a motor vehicle includes a transfer case, a front inter-axle differential unit and a rear inter-axle differential unit. The transfer case is operative for automatically transferring torque between front and rear... | 12/19/2000 |
| 6161577 | Solenoid assembly for an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle A solenoid assembly for an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle. The solenoid assembly includes a housing, a valve, an armature and an electromagnetic device. The valve is mounted within the housing. The valve is operative in a vented state and a non... | 12/19/2000 |
| 6159129 | Element overlap control for an automatic transmission The present invention provides a method for shifting from a first gear state to a second gear state which holds one element at a predetermined level until the second reaches its fill volume. In this method, one element is applied while the other element i... | 12/12/2000 |
| 6159124 | Hydraulic control system for automatic transmission with energy saving logic mode A manual valve arrangement is provided for an automatic transmission which provides for uninterrupted friction element control even though manual valve porting is being switched. An extra multi-select solenoid combined with porting through the manual valv... | 12/12/2000 |
| 6155624 | Wheel well liner for a motor vehicle and related method A wheel well liner for a motor vehicle includes a first portion and a second portion. The first and second portions are connected by a living hinge. Preferably, the wheel liner is injection molded to include the first portion, the second portion and the l... | 12/05/2000 |
| 6155137 | Adjustable solenoid assembly for an automatic transmission An adjustable solenoid assembly having a solenoid manifold and a first pair of rods mounted to the solenoid manifold. The solenoid assembly further includes a plate member having a pair of slots for receiving the first pair of rods. The pair of slots coop... | 12/05/2000 |
| 6151985 | Adjustable pedal apparatus An adjustable pedal apparatus for a motor vehicle is provided. The apparatus includes a pedal that can be translated in a longitudinal fashion parallel to the vehicle floor. The apparatus includes a pedal pivotally attached to a pivot pin. The pivot pin i... | 11/28/2000 |
| 6149548 | Element overlap control for an automatic transmission The present invention provides a method for shifting from a first gear state to a second gear state which holds one element at a predetermined level until the second reaches its fill volume. In this method, one element is applied while the other element i... | 11/21/2000 |
| 6149222 | Hinge assembly for a vehicle door A hinge assembly for a motor vehicle having an upper joint, a middle joint and a lower joint. The upper joint pivotally interconnects a door to a body. The middle joint pivotally interconnects the door to a rod. A door axis of rotation is defined by the u... | 11/21/2000 |
| 6149171 | Spring isolator for a motor vehicle suspension A suspension mechanism is provided for a motor vehicle including an axle, a spring seat, an isolator, and a coil spring. The spring seat is coupled to the axle and includes an aperture formed at a pre-selected location therein. An isolator is disposed on ... | 11/21/2000 |
| 6138713 | Solenoid assembly for an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle and related method A solenoid assembly for an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle. The solenoid assembly includes a housing having a core opening passing vertically therethrough. A valve is mounted within the housing. The valve is operative in a vented state and a non... | 10/31/2000 |
| 6138454 | Selective catalyst reduction wit pox reactor for engine exhaust aftertreatment An exhaust stream aftertreatment system that selectively reduces NOx emissions during lean-burn operation of an internal combustion engine is provided. The apparatus includes a partial oxidation reactor having a fuel source, an ignition device, and variou... | 10/31/2000 |
| 6135543 | Air exhaust and water management system for a motor vehicle An air exhaust and water management system for a motor vehicle to allow air to flow out of the vehicle cabin and to restrict air and water from flowing into the vehicle cabin is provided. The system includes a vehicle body having an aperture formed therei... | 10/24/2000 |
| 6125588 | Glass attachment system for window regulator systems An attachment system for coupling a vehicle window to a window regulator. The attachment system includes a mounting bracket, a housing, a first securing structure and a second securing structure. The mounting bracket includes a clip structure adapted for ... | 10/03/2000 |
| 6120406 | Automatic transmission with energy saving logic and failsafe operations An automatic transmission is provided with failsafe operation via a unique manual valve and multi-select solenoid arrangement. The transmission also provides for an energy saving logic operation mode.... | 09/19/2000 |
| 6114640 | Vehicle column stalk functionality A column stalk assembly for controlling lighting and wiper functions of a motor vehicle is provided. The column stalk includes a wiper stalk controlling the front wipers, rear wipers, front washer, and rear washer of the motor vehicle and a lighting stalk... | 09/05/2000 |
| 6113483 | Variable mode air distribution system An air distribution system having a plurality of vents for a motor vehicle is provided. The system includes a cylindrical housing having a plurality of passageways that lead to the vents attached thereto, The cylindrical housing encloses two inner barrels... | 09/05/2000 |
