Abstract: Fatty acid derivatives based on epoxidized unsaturated fatty acid esters or triglycerides and reacted with amines such as hydroxy- and/or amino-substituted hydrophilic amines or amino acids and/or with alkanols or with water on the epoxy group and/or the carboxylic ester groups are described. These fatty amides are suitable as surfactants in detergents and cleaners.

Abstract: In order to secure a circuit board or the like in a housing, the board is provided with a through-hole, and the housing is provided with a mounting stud that protrudes into the housing from an outer wall thereof. A securing pin simultaneously passes through the through-hole of the board and into a hollow space or bore of the mounting stud. The securing pin is preferably conically tapered so that it exerts a wedging and spreading force radially outwardly against the inner surface of the hollow bore of the securing stud, and directly or indirectly against the inner surface of the through-hole of the board. Thereby, the board is securely fastened to the stud, and the pin is secured in the stud, by the wedging effect. An end portion of the stud may also be received in the through-hole of the board, and the pin may be integrally formed as a protrusion of a lid for the housing.

Abstract: The invention concerns a process for triggering passenger protection systems in at least two different stages of an accident hazard and/or accident force, determined in accordance with sensor signals, with the passenger protection system being triggered directly at least when the second stage is reached.

Abstract: The invention relates to the use of crosslinked polyvinylpyrrolidone as an additive to compact, particulate detergents and cleansers for the purpose of increasing the rate of disintegration thereof when brought into contact with water, to the particles of crosslinked polyvinylpyrrolidone having a particle size of from 50 to 400 &mgr;m, to a process for the preparation of the compact, particulate detergents and cleansers, and also to the compact, particulate detergents and cleansers themselves.

Abstract: Fatty acid derivatives based on epoxidized unsaturated fatty acid esters or triglycerides and reacted with amines such as hydroxy- and/or amino-substituted hydrophilic amines or amino acids and/or with alkanols or with water on the epoxy group and/or the carboxylic ester groups are described. These fatty amides are suitable as surfactants in detergents and cleaners.

Abstract: In a method of operating a passive safety system, such as an airbag supplemental restraint system in a motor vehicle, the trigger threshold value for triggering the deployment of the airbag or the like is updated or changed over time as the vehicle deteriorates with age or operation. As a result of material fatigue, rust and the like, the vehicle chassis becomes less stiff with increased age and/or increased operation. Consequently, the crash behavior of a deteriorated vehicle differs from that of a new vehicle of the same type. Namely, the deceleration during a crash will be less abrupt.

Abstract: The safety of occupants in a vehicle is increased by avoiding an unnecessary deployment of a safety device, such as an air bag in the vehicle. For this purpose the trigger signal for deploying the safety device is generated either in response to a vehicle motion signal exceeding a high threshold level or in response to the vehicle motion signal exceeding a low threshold level as determined by a precrash signal (S1) followed by a crash signal (S2) preferably within a limited time duration (TMAX). For this purpose the signals (S1) and (S2) are logically linked and the resulting signal at the output of an AND-gate or at the output of a timing circuit determines whether the vehicle motion signal is compared with the high threshold level or with the low threshold level for generating the trigger or deployment signal (DS). Only when this double condition occurs, is the trigger threshold lowered for deploying the safety device. An optical sensor is preferably used as the crash signal generator.

Abstract: Phosphonomethylated poly-vinylamines which contain as characteristic structural elements units of the formula where R1 is hydrogen, C1-C6-alkyl or and X is hydrogen, an alkali metal, ammonium or one equivalent of an alkaline earth metal, are obtainable by phosphonomethylation of polymers which contain N-vinyl-amide or vinylamine groups and are useful as detergent additives and water treatment agents.

Abstract: A solid textile detergent formulation comprises (A) from 1 to 30% by weight of inorganic builders based on carbonates, (B) from 0 to 12% by weight of inorganic builders based on crystalline or amorphous alumosilicates and/or crystalline or amorphous silicates, (C) from 0 to 5% by weight of inorganic builders based on phosphates, (D) from 1 to 40% by weight of one or more glycine-N,N-diacetic acid derivatives I where R is an organic radical and M is hydrogen or a cation, as organic builder component, (E) from 0 to 40% by weight of anionic surfactants and (F) from 0.5 to 50% by weight of nonionic surfactants.

Abstract: A subassembly, intended for use in motor vehicles in particular, consisting of a one-piece or multi-part housing, a plug unit with connecting pins formed integrally with the housing, and a circuit board to accommodate components, wherein the circuit board is configured and arranged in such a way that the connecting pins of the plug unit are guided directly onto or into the circuit board.

Abstract: The invention relates to a solid textile detergent formulation containing (A) 1-60 wt. % inorganic builders based on crystalline or amorphous aluminosilicates, crystalline or amorphous silicates, carbonates and/or phosphates, (B) 1-40 wt. % of one or several glycin-N, N-diacetic acid derivatives of formula (I), wherein R stands for an organic radical and M means hydrogen or a cation, (C) 0-6 wt. % anionic surfactants with one or several sulphate groups, one or several sulphate groups or one or two carboxylate groups and (D) 0.5-50 wt. % non ionic surfactants.

Abstract: Fatty acid derivatives based on epoxidized unsaturated fatty acid esters or triglycerides and reacted with amines such as hydroxy- and/or amino-substituted hydrophilic amines or amino acids and/or with alkanols or with water on the epoxy group and/or the carboxylic ester groups are described. These fatty amides are suitable as surfactants in detergents and cleaners.

Abstract: An assembly is mounted and secured on a support by at least one securing bolt that is pre-installed in the assembly and engages a keyhole-shaped opening provided in the support. The head of the bolt is inserted through the larger portion of the keyhole opening and then slidingly displaced so the bolt shaft is engaged in the narrower portion of the keyhole opening and the bolt head is secured behind the support. A safety cap is initially mounted on the bolt to cover the tool engagement surfaces of the bolt, and the cap is inserted in the opening together with the bolt. As the assembly is slidingly displaced relative to the support, the safety cap is pushed off the bolt to expose the tool engagement surfaces, by contact of stop surfaces of the safety cap with stop surfaces of the support. The safety cap thereby prevents engagement of a tightening tool with the bolt, until the bolt has surely reached its proper securing position.

Abstract: As, with plastic housings, there is no direct electrical connection between the housing and a metal carrier body, an electrical connection has been made initially to a plug device in the plastic housing in extremely complex fashion, electrical connection to chassis ground being provided outside the plastic housing via a lead to the carrier body. With plastic housings metal inserts are used for mechanically fixing the mounting flange. According to the present invention said inserts can also be electrically connected to an electrical printed circuit board terminal very simply by means of an electrically conducting connecting device.

Abstract: A contact bridge arrangement in a housing of an electronic assembly provides a simplified electrical interconnection of circuit boards while avoiding the need of electrical plugs, sockets and connector cables for connecting the circuit boards. The contact bridge includes an insulating block provided on the floor of the housing, and a plurality of conducting connectors embedded in the insulating block. First electrical contacts, such as contact pads with holes therein, are provided on the circuit boards, and engage the second electrical contacts in the form of contact pins provided by the free ends of the conducting connectors protruding from the insulating block. Assembling the arrangement simply requires pressing the circuit boards onto the contact pins of the contact bridge. The insulating block of the contact bridge may have a step configuration providing two offset flat support surfaces on which two circuit boards may be supported one above the other with a spacing therebetween.

Abstract: The invention relates to a housing for an electric or an electronic component, in particular a motor vehicle control unit, for which the housing parts or housing connections are designed such that the electric or electronic components are sealed watertight and airtight. Such housings, which are composed if only in part of a thermoplastic synthetic material, are provided with a pressure compensation feature. As a result, the pressure inside the housing is constantly adapted to the outside pressure. With this type of pressure adaptation, it is not possible for gases, particularly water vapor, to permeate the synthetic housing under pressure and reach the electric or electronic components. As a result, damage caused by humidity is greatly reduced and the service life is increased.

Abstract: A mixture comprising (a) from 0.1 to 99% by weight of at least one polycarboxylate having at least 3 carboxyls, (b) from 0.1 to 99% by weight of at least one amine having a pKa value of more than 9, and (c) from 0.1 to 99% by weight of at least one acid selected from the group consisting of mineral acids and organic acids having one or two carboxyls and not more than 10 carbons, with the proviso that the mixture contains less than 24% by weight of triphosphates, is used in detergent and rinse aid formulations.

Abstract: An arrangement of electronic components in a housing includes a housing, at least one circuit board arranged in the housing with electronic components of a first type (such as SMDs) mounted thereon, at least one electronic component of a second type (such as a non-SMD coil or capacitor) that is not arranged on the circuit board but rather is mounted on a mounting surface in the housing, and an electrical connection established between the second electronic component and the circuit board. The electrical connection may be established by a connector member having two connecting shanks connected to the wires of the second component and two mounting shanks that are press-fit into contact holes of the circuit board. Alternatively, the electrical connection may be established by respective contact clips electrically and mechanically clamped onto the wires of the second component, whereby the contact clips have contact pins that plug into contact holes in the circuit board.

Abstract: In a method of labeling housings of electronic assemblies, and especially electronic assemblies used in motor vehicle systems, at least some of the identifying indicia are applied directly as a deformation on or in the outer surface of a wall of the housing. The identifying indicia can be formed by laser etching of the housing surface, stamping of the housing surface, or forming the identifying indicia directly in the injection or casting mold used for molding the housing. The security and reliability of the labeling is improved because the identifying indicia cannot become detached from the housing as in the case when all of the identifying indicia are provided on a separate label plate or sticker. Additional identifying indicia, such as an optically scannable bar code, are printed on an adhesive label including a peel-off strip, and the adhesive label is affixed onto the outer surface of the housing.

Abstract: A plug-and-socket connector having a conductor track structure provided with electrical components, and a method of producing the same.Known plug-and-socket connectors in which a conductor track structure is formed from a metal band can only be embodied with a space-saving design at high cost, and nevertheless have a large structural height. It is very costly to provide such a plug-and-socket connector with components for realizing electrical functions. A design that saves more space, and a smaller structural height, are possible with a plug-and-socket connector having a conductor track structure that is planar and has a window-shaped opening, which is adjoined perpendicularly in one direction by a plug region that receives both the first plug and the second plug inserted from the opposite direction through the window-shaped opening of the conductor track structure.