Ellsworth S Miller, 43Detroit, MI

4979384, Dec 25, 1990

Nov 13, 1989

7/436927

Michael W. Malesko - Utica MI
Ellsworth S. Miller - Rochester MI
Michael Slavin - Caseville MI
Peter J. Henning - Pontiac MI
Rodney Hayden - Ontario, CA
Charles R. Martus - Troy MI

Lectron Products, Inc. - Rochester Hills MI

E05B 6519

70241

An improved deck lid lock with remote release for motor vehicles. The deck lid lock employs a solenoid operated rotatable armature which acts directly on a leg of a rotatable latch plate which engages a lock bar. On energization of the solenoid, the armature is attracted to the solenoid causing it to disengage the latch plate so that the deck lid may be opened. When the deck lid is closed, the lock bar is engaged by the latch plate which is returned to its normal latched position in engagement with the armature. The deck lid lock further includes a rotatable key cam which acts on the armature to enable release of the deck lid through conventional external key actuation.

5476284, Dec 19, 1995

Sep 11, 1991

7/757877

Dan DuRocher - Leanord MI
Ellsworth Miller - Rochester Hills MI

ITT Corporation - Secaucaus NJ

B62D 118

280777

An energy absorbing apparatus includes first and second telescopingly arranged members. A non-deformable ring is mounted on one end of one of the members and engages a plurality of projections extending from the side wall of the other member. The projections extend longitudinally along the other member and are provided in various lengths, widths, heights and numbers to provide selective force versus displacement characteristics during the telescoping collapse of the first and second members with respect to each other. Preferably, the first and second members form a steering column housing for a vehicle steering apparatus.

5235734, Aug 17, 1993

Nov 4, 1991

7/787190

Daniel J. DuRocher - Leonard MI
Ellsworth S. Miller - Rochester Hills MI

ITT Corporation - New York NY

B21D 3900

294551

A collapsible steering shaft apparatus includes first and second telescopingly arranged steering shaft members. A plurality of longitudinally extending projections are formed in one of the steering shaft members and engage a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves formed in the other steering shaft member. The mating projections and grooves join the steering shaft members together for longitudinal sliding movement under external forces exerted on the steering shaft apparatus. The mating projections and grooves also prevent rotation of the two steering shaft members relative to each other and insure that the two steering shaft member rotate together as a unit without backlash upon rotation of the vehicle steering wheel. A method of forming the projections and grooves in the tubular steering shaft members is also disclosed.

5314204, May 24, 1994

Nov 16, 1992

7/977750

Dan DuRocher - Leanord MI
Ellsworth Miller - Rochester Hills MI

ITT Corporation - New York NY

B62D 119

280777

A steering shaft is rotatably mounted within a steering column housing and is formed of two telescopingly engaged steering shaft members. A portion of one of the steering shaft members is deformed into a notch formed at one end of the other steering shaft member to mechanically and non-separably interconnect the two shaft members together during normal operating conditions, and allowing separation and telescoping collapse of the steering shaft members under axial force on the steering column shaft. A longitudinally extending projection is formed in the outer steering shaft members and engages the inner disposed steering shaft member to rigidly interconnect the two steering shaft members.

5724719, Mar 10, 1998

Dec 11, 1995

8/570330

Daniel J. DuRocher - Leonard MI
Ellsworth S. Miller - Rochester Hills MI

ITT Corporation - New York NY

H01H 1100

29622

A method of manufacturing a steering column stalk switch apparatus includes the steps of fixedly engaging a hub attached to an elongated shaft to one end of a hollow housing having apertures formed at opposite ends, movably mounting a button in one of the apertures in the housing, the button being movable between first and second positions and biased to the first position, mounting a first electrical contactor having first electrical contacts thereon in the button, movably mounting a second electrical contactor with second electrical contacts thereon in the housing, the first and second electrical contacts being co-planarly aligned, mounting a circuit board with conductive tracings in the housing such that the first and second contacts slidably engage the conductive tracings and complete circuits therebetween depending upon the position of the first and second electrical contacts, mounting the second electrical contactor on a movable carrier in the housing, biasingly mounting a detent paw on the carrier, aligning an arm mounted on the hub and having first and second spaced detents and an angular ramp extending from the second detent with the detent paw for selective engagement of the detent paw with the first and second detents and for movement along the annular ramp as the carrier undergoes user generated movement, and forming the conductive tracings at discrete timed intervals with respect to the position of the first and second electrical contacts.

4947893, Aug 14, 1990

Feb 5, 1990

7/474251

Ellsworth S. Miller - Rochester Hills MI
Michael Slavin - Caseville MI
Ching C. Ling - Plymouth MI

Lectron Products, Inc. - Rochester Hills MI

F15B 13044

13762565

A variable force solenoid valve assembly is provided for use in an automatic transmission controller for controllably reducing a fluid inlet pressure to a desired outlet control pressure. The invention includes a variable force solenoid assembly secured to a valve body assembly. The valve body assembly includes a spool valve having three radially extending lands which translates within a valve body central bore in response to movement of an armature assembly provided in the solenoid assembly. Movement of the spool valve generates first and second flow restriction for controllably regulating the reduction of inlet pressure to control pressure. In addition, various improvements in spool valve design are described including a design which provides positive damping of the spool valve so as to attenuate "self-excited" oscillation thereof.

4038743, Aug 2, 1977

Oct 24, 1972

5/299752

Gideon A. DuRocher - Mount Clemens MI
Ellsworth S. Miller - Mount Clemens MI

Essex International, Inc. - Fort Wayne IN

H01R 4300

29628

An individual metallic, electrical conductor is terminated by heating one end thereof to form an enlarged molten mass, followed by cooling and subsequent shaping of the mass to form a terminal. Multiple conductors are spliced by heating adjacent ends thereof to form an enlarged, common molten mass at the end of each conductor. Alternatively, adjacent ends of multiple metallic conductors may be spliced by heating the ends thereof to form a molten mass at the end of each conductor followed by plunging the molten masses into one another.

5473809, Dec 12, 1995

Sep 21, 1993

8/124667

Daniel J. DuRocher - Leonard MI
Ellsworth S. Miller - Rochester Hills MI

ITT Corporation - New York NY

H01H 1100

29622

A method of manufacturing a steering column stalk switch apparatus includes the steps of fixedly engaging a hub attached to an elongated shaft to one end of a hollow housing having apertures formed at opposite ends, movably mounting a button in one of the apertures in the housing, the button being movable between first and second positions and biased to the first position, mounting a first electrical contactor having first electrical contacts thereon in the button, movably mounting a second electrical contactor with second electrical contacts thereon in the housing, the first and second electrical contacts being co-planarly aligned, mounting a circuit board with conductive tracings in the housing such that the first and second contacts slidably engage the conductive tracings and complete circuits therebetween depending upon the position of the first and second electrical contacts, mounting the second electrical contactor on a movable carrier in the housing, biasingly mounting a detent paw on the carrier, aligning an arm mounted on the hub and having first and second spaced detents and an angular ramp extending from the second detent with the detent paw for selective engagement of the detent paw with the first and second detents and for movement along the annular ramp as the carrier undergoes user generated movement, and forming the conductive tracings at discrete timed intervals with respect to the position of the first and second electrical contacts.