Abstract: The invention relates to a sub-miniature switch including a housing, an actuator and terminals. The actuator protrudes from the housing at a position offset from the center of the housing. The terminals are electrically conductively coupled with fixed contacts (positioned within the housing). A contact maker is moved via the actuator and held in a first or second switching position by means of a bistable spring arrangement. An additional component, a separator or auxiliary actuator, is in snap-fit engagement with or clamped or glued in the cover of the housing and is pushed through by the actuator as the switch is operated. According to the present invention, the contact point of the fixed contacts is on a side of the housing which is opposite the actuator. The separator or auxiliary actuator is moved in the direction of the contact position by the actuator. Thus a structurally simple forced-opening capability is provided for the sub-miniature switch.

Abstract: An inductive sensor for detecting the position of a vehicle seat or for a gate shifting unit of an automatic transmission is described. The inductive sensor unit has a plurality of sensor coils that are disposed in planar fashion on a printed circuit board A conductive actuation element is guided, spaced apart, in a path over the sensor coils and an electrical evaluation circuit detects changes in inductance of the sensor coils in accordance with the path position of the actuation element and converts the changes into electrical signals corresponding to seat position signals on gear shifting signals. The actuation element is guided along the sensor coils with conductive bottom faces that are staggered in the direction of the path.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a system and method for simplified retrieval of data objects using a computer in a network. The activation of a key of an input device is detected by a program for detecting input, and a secondary network address associated with the activated key is transmitted to a network access program. This program loads a data object containing the network address of a primary data object from the secondary network address, which may be accessed by the user.

Abstract: A gate change unit for generating gate-changing signals for an automatic gearbox comprises a cover, a gate which is located in the cover and which permits displacement movements and/or pivoting movements in a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction in the plane of the gate change unit, a gear change lever which is guided in the gate and can be displaced and/or pivoted in the longitudinal direction and/or the transverse direction, a housing or carrier part which is connected to the cover, and electrical switch elements, the electrical switch elements generating electrical gear change signals in accordance with the displacement of the gear change lever, which signals are used to control the automatic gearbox. The electrical switch elements are arranged directly on a conductive element, in the form of a printed circuit board or a conductive foil, which is connected to the housing or to the carrier part.

Abstract: A switching device, in particular a position sensing switching device, generates switching signals. The position sensing switching device comprises at least one switching unit and at least one activation unit, the switching unit reacting to a relative spacial displacement of the switching unit and the activation unit with respect to one another by outputting appropriate switching signals. The switching unit is embodied as an inductive switching unit and the activation unit is embodied as an inductive damping unit. The position sensing switching device according to the invention is preferably applied in gear-speed-changing units for automatic gearboxes.

Abstract: The invention provides an electrical connection arrangement comprising an electrical conductor track element having at least one connection portion electrically connected to a connection zone of an electrical component, wherein a wall is provided in a vicinity of said connection portion and said connection zone, such that a basin is formed and a molding mass is distributed in said basin. Thereby, the connection portion and the connection zone are protected from external influences such as humidity and temperature.

Abstract: The invention provides a carrier housing assembly holding a flexible foil having conductive tracks in which the housing assembly has a plurality of parts each having a respective securing mechanism, the securing mechanisms being mutually engageable to provide a predetermined spatial relationship between the part, thereby providing the flexible foil with a predetermined spatial arrangement. The housing assembly is particularly relevant to component housing assemblies where electrical components are held in place and connected to connecter pins via the flexible foil. In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided methods for manufacturing a foil carrier housing assembly out of a flexible foil comprising conductive tracks at least one electrical component, at least one electrical contact element, at least one component housing and a carrier housing.

Abstract: The invention relates to a circuit substrate assembly comprising a left-hand (1) and a right-hand (1′) circuit substrate mirror-symmetrical thereto, each including electrical and/or electronic and/or electromechanical components (2-6 or 2′-6′) and circuitry (7 or 7′) electrical connecting said components. All components (2-6) are positioned symmetrically mirrored on the left-hand (1) and right-hand (1′) circuit substrate respectively when the left-hand (1) and right-hand (1′) circuit substrate is oriented mirror-symmetrical along a mirror plane (P). However, the circuit functional plug assignments (A-F) of at least one circuit functional mirror-invariant component 2 or 2′) on the left-hand (1) and on the right-hand (1′) circuit substrate are not mirror-symmetrical to each other.

Abstract: A method of making a microswitch module which comprises the steps of: charging a molten resin onto a loading surface of a microswitch; disposing an actuator element onto the molten resin charged onto the loading surface of the microswitch; and ensuring that the actuator element remains fixed while at least part of the the molten resin hardens into a layer of resilient material thereby providing a microswitch module wherein the actuator element is adapted to transmit a mechanical switching force to the loading surface of the microswitch through the layer of resilient material for actuating the micro switch. Additionally, a micro switch module comprises a micro switch; a layer of resilient material disposed on a loading surface of the microswitch; and an actuator element disposed on the layer of resilient material for transmitting a mechanical switching force therethrough to the loading surface of the microswitch for actuating the microswitch.

Abstract: A position sensor for determining a set position thereof is disclosed. The sensor comprises a time-varying magnetic field generator. A movable electrically conductive element is positioned such that the time-varying magnetic field generates eddy currents therein. At least one pick-up is provided for generating a signal in response to the time-varying magnetic field. Movement of the conductive element relative to the pick-up alters the magnetic coupling between the magnetic field generator and the pick-up allowing the set position to be determined unambiguously.

Abstract: A system for detecting the presence of a cooking vessel positioned over a heating element of a cooking hob comprises a drive loop for generating a time varying magnetic field upon the application of an alternating current thereto a sensor loop proximal to said drive loop wherein in the absence of a cooking vessel said time varying magnetic field generates a sensor signal in said sensor loop and said sensor signal is reduced in magnitude when a metallic cooking vessel is placed vicinal to said drive loop; a current supply for supplying said alternating current to said drive loop; and a controller connected to said current supply and said sensor loop for monitoring said sensor signal to determine the presence of said cooking vessel and for controlling said heating element in response thereto, said drive loop and said sensor loop being electrically connected to each other. Drive loops and sensor loops of more than one detection element may also be connected together by a common connection.

Abstract: In an arrangement for limiting the temperature of a glass-ceramic cooking zone including a cooking zone control unit which controls the electric power supply to the heating elements of the cooking zones by way of an impulse width control arrangement with a cycling relay, an additional module with a signal processing unit is provided with temperature sensors for sensing the cooking zone temperatures so as to provide temperature signals to an evaluation circuit which compares the temperature values with a maximum temperature value and keeps the cycling relay in an open position when the temperature values reach the maximum temperature to thereby interrupt the power supply to the heating elements and the signal processing unit and opens a main power supply if the temperature still rises after having reached the maximum value.