Abstract: In a shifting device comprising a shiftable double member arrangement and a shifting element for shifting the double member arrangement, the shifting element is arranged at least partially at a side of and next to, the double member arrangement.

Abstract: In a rigid vehicle axle comprising an axle beam with axle journals forming wheel carriers arranged at the ends thereof, and at least two trailing arms rigidly fixed to the axle beam, each half of the rigid vehicle axle comprises an axle beam section, a trailing arm section and a wheel head section arranged adjacent one after another and the ends of the axle tube sections overlap with the adjoining ends of the trailing arm sections and their end faces are congruent with the respectively adjoining end faces of the wheel head sections, at least in some areas, and the adjoining sections are welded together.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for actuating a reversible vehicle occupant protection means in a motor vehicle having a driving state sensor system and a reversible vehicle occupant protection means. The reversible vehicle occupant protection means can be triggered before the collision time and as a result moved into an effective position. For this purpose, the driving state data are monitored with respect to a state of emergency braking, and when the state of emergency braking is detected the vehicle occupant protection system is actuated. In addition, a state of oversteering and a state of understeering are determined by the data processing device. The reversible vehicle occupant protection system is actuated when the data processing device detects the state of emergency braking and/or the state of oversteering and/or the state of understeering.

Abstract: A fuel cell includes an electrolyte electrode assembly having a cathode disposed on a first side and an anode disposed on a second side of the electrolyte electrode assembly, a first flow module disposed adjacent the cathode, and a second flow module disposed adjacent the anode. At least one of the first and second flow modules includes a material suitable for exothermal hydride formation. In addition, a method for cold-starting a such fuel cell that includes at least one of the first and second flow modules with a hydrogen-containing gas so as to induce the exothermic hydride formation and release heat; and heating the fuel cell using the heat.

Abstract: In a vehicle headlight system with a light source (2) and at least one reflector (1) for shaping the light emitted by the light source into a high beam and a low beam, and with a shield (7) adjustable via an actuating element (9) between a position in which the light from the light source (2) is blocked across a maximum cross section and an essentially transmissive position in which this light is substantially allowed to pass through, the actuating element (9) adapted for adjusting the shield (7) in a plurality of intermediate positions between the maximal blocking and the essentially transmissive position in which intermediate position the blocked cross section is less than the maximal cross section.

Abstract: The first commercially-available driver assist systems required a compromise between the resolution of the scanning and the extent of the scanned region, according to application. Conventional video-based systems have a good compromise between resolution and recording range, however do not generally provide direct distance information. According to the new arrangement of the object of the invention, it is possible to achieve a system, which, on installation in a road vehicle, can record complex dynamic scenes, for example the lateral 3D geometry to the road edge from the point of view of the dynamically operating vehicle and use the same to advantage on parking. According to the invention, the monitoring and measuring of the lateral environment of a vehicle is displayed on the one hand by means of a camera with the digital images and on the other hand with a computer unit which serves to provide the images with a time stamp and to buffer the same.

Abstract: A moisture exchange module has a bundle of moisture-permeable hollow fiber membranes and at least one line element for supplying a gas stream that flows through the hollow fibers in an inner flow. The at least one line element opens out into an inflow region, which is of at least approximately the same cross section as the bundle of hollow fiber membranes. According to the present invention, the at least one line element opens out into the inflow region at an angle of from 60° to 120° with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bundle of hollow fiber membranes without the longitudinal axes of the one line element and of the bundle of hollow fiber membranes intersecting one another. An annular diverter means for diverting the gas flow are provided between the cross section of the line elements through which gas can flow and the inflow region.

Abstract: An exhaust gas turbocharger for an internal combustion engine has an exhaust gas turbine in the exhaust gas train and a compressor in the intake tract, whereby an adjustable throttle device is provided upstream from the compressor wheel, for regulating the air mass stream to be supplied. The throttle device comprises a first guide grid and a second guide grid in the inflow region to the compressor wheel. Each guide grid possesses an adjustable grid geometry.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method and apparatus for production of a hollow section (1) in which a coiled pre-shape of the hollow section (1) is deep drawn from a sheet part, which is pre-bent after a trimming process and coiled into the final shape of hollow section (1). The edges (45) of hollow section (1) lying in the peripheral direction are then joined together in the contact region. In order to improve the joining capability of hollow section (1) to other components in simple fashion, it is proposed that before the coiling process at least one flat site (35) for joining to another component be embossed before the coiling process in a pre-bent region of the hollow section (1).

Abstract: Internal combustion engine with bearing shells, which are formed essentially by thermal sprayed bearing layers, wherein the thermal sprayed bearing layers are formed by at least two slide bearing materials with different hardness, which are spatially separated from each other and are provided on the outer surface of the bearing shell, as well as process for production of bearing shells for internal combustion engines including the steps: mechanical conditioning of the bearing surface coating of the bearing surface with the materials of the bearing shell by thermal spray processes finishing flattening processing of the applied layer wherein as bearing shell at least two slide bearing materials with different hardness were deposited separated spatially from each other, wherein the materials are in contact with each other via interlayers or joint layers.

Abstract: An electromechanical transmission includes a motor/generator having a stator and a rotor and including a structural support member that supports the stator in fixed relation thereto and the rotor in rotational relation thereto. By supporting both the stator and the rotor, the structural support member substantially controls a spatial relationship (i.e., the gap in which a magnetic field is created) between the stator and rotor.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for predicting the voltage of a battery, in particular a vehicle battery. The method according to the invention makes it possible to predict a voltage drop before it actually occurs as a result of a load. For this purpose, a filtered battery voltage and a filtered battery current are first of all determined from battery data, such as the battery voltage, the battery current, the battery temperature and the dynamic internal resistance. The resistive voltage drop across the dynamic internal resistance is determined from the difference current between the filtered battery current and the predetermined load current. Furthermore, a polarization voltage is calculated as a function of the filtered battery current, and is then filtered. The predicted battery voltage is calculated from the filtered battery voltage, minus the resistive voltage drop and the filtered polarization voltage. A decision on further measures can be made on the basis of this predicted battery voltage.

Abstract: The present invention relates to control of a fan during which the power of the fan is determined from the characteristic curves of the fan motor, the operating parameters of the cooling system and the reference variables which are predefined in the form of temperature levels. The various temperature levels which are to be set have different associated characteristic curves for actuating the fan motor. If the reference variable for the control changes, this also means a change in the characteristic curves for actuating the fan motor. In order to prevent the fan motor from whining, the operation of the fan motor is kept constant for a settable minimum waiting time when the reference variable for the control of the fan changes.