Abstract: A commercial vehicle having a driver's cab, a chassis and a transport container. The transport container holds cargo, which is movably disposed therein. The transport container is fastened at a distance behind the driver's cab in the driving direction via impact-energy-absorbing bearings mounted on the chassis. The bearings are constructed and arranged to absorb impact energy particularly in the driving direction. The impact-energy-absorbing bearings prevent an uncontrolled impact of the transport container onto the driver's cab in the case of a collision.

Abstract: In a venting arrangement for an internal combustion engine having a cylinder head with an intake duct structure consisting of plastic material and including intake passages, an inlet stub for connection to a vent pipe, and an outlet for communication with the intake passages, the intake duct structure includes a passage with a metal sleeve and a bolt extending through the metal sleeve for mounting the intake duct structure to the cylinder head while firmly engaging the metal sleeve with the cylinder head and a throttle structure which limits the vent flow from the inlet stub to the outlet intake ducts is formed in the passage adjacent the metal sleeve so as to be heated by the metal sleeve.

Abstract: Longitudinal diode-pumped solid-state lasers currently have maximum power outputs of no more than a few watts. By using resonators with several reflection sites inside the active medium, the output power of these lasers can be boosted accordingly. The configuration proposed here differs from known designs in being far easier to handle and less costly to manufacture.

Abstract: A catalyst and a process for producing the catalyst are provided. For the catalytic reduction of NO.sub.x and for the oxidation of hydrocarbons, the catalyst contains a spinel containing the metals copper, zinc and aluminum.

Abstract: A vehicle steering system has an electronic control system for coupling a steering device and the steered wheels of the vehicle, with the steering angle setpoint signal passing though a filter before a setpoint/actual value comparison is made. The filter passes essentially only those frequencies below an adjustable transition frequency. A switch is made to a low transition frequency when there is to be a direct translation between the steering device and the steered wheels of the vehicle.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for removing NO.sub.x from the exhaust of internal combustion engines. The apparatus has a porous absorbent body saturated with a liquid alkaline electrolyte for absorption of NO.sub.x as nitrate and nitrite, in which body electrodes are distributed pairwise for electrochemical decomposition of the nitrate and nitrite to form nitrogen. The method uses the apparatus of the invention to decompose nitrates and nitrites into diatomic nitrogen.

Abstract: In a fuel injection system for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine with magnetic valve controlled direct injection fuel injectors of which each includes a housing having an injection nozzle with a nozzle needle biased into a closed position by a spring disposed in a spring chamber, and a magnetic valve controlled control piston having a valve structure at one end for controlling high pressure fuel admission to a fuel supply passage leading to the needle nozzle, the spring chamber is in communication with the fuel supply passage by a communication passage including a throttle structure permitting limited fuel flow to the spring chamber such that, upon failure of the injector resulting in a continuous pressurization of the fuel supply passage, the pressure in the spring chamber builds up to seat the nozzle needle thereby interrupting fuel ejection from the injector.

Abstract: In a method for detecting and tracking objects by stereo image evaluation a part of structure class images is initially generated from a recorded stereo image pair. Differences in brightness of selected pixels in the environment are determined for each pixel as digital values, which are combined to form a digital value group, with identical groups defining their own structure classes. Structure classes which lack a brightness change along the epipolar line are discarded. Corresponding disparity values are then determined for the pixels in the other structure classes and are collected in a disparity histogram with a given frequency increment. The pixel group that belongs to a given grouping point area of the histogram is then interpreted as an object to be detected.

Abstract: An impact absorbing outer body structure of a motor vehicle including an outer panel with a deformable impact region. For the protection of a person or object making impact on the outer-panel, the deformable impact region can be displaced outwardly toward said person or object. The outer panel is provided with at least one plastically deformable impact region which is weakened in relation to the rest of the outer panel, and a supporting shell is firmly connected to the outer panel on an inner side. The supporting shell has at least the stability of the rest of the outer panel, enclosing the impact region and forming, along with the outer panel, a closed cavity. In the event of an impact load, the plastically deformable impact region can be expanded rapidly outward by means of a high-pressure charge, such as a pyrotechnical propellant charge, to provide a deformation area to absorb the energy of the impact. The impact absorbing structure is particularly used in hoods and doors of motor vehicles.

Abstract: A floor structure for a self-supporting motor vehicle body is provided which has a down and up open central tunnel and a power unit crossmember extending under the central tunnel. Two mutually opposite supporting profiles are secured in a force-transmitting manner on the power-unit crossmember. Each supporting profile has a dimensionally rigid supporting leg which extends along a lateral tunnel wall of the tunnel arrangement and is arranged parallel to said tunnel wall at a small distance therefrom. In relation to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle the supporting profiles extend at least over part of the length of the power-unit crossmember.

Abstract: In a reforming reactor suitable particularly for the water vapor reforming of methanol in mobile applications such as vehicles, a reaction space is filled with a catalyst pellet fill and has a movable reaction space wall which exerts a position-fixing pressure onto the catalyst pellet fill. According to the invention, a filling device is provided through which catalyst material can be filled from the outside into the reaction space through a passage opening formed in one of the reaction space walls.

Abstract: In a support arrangement for a steered vehicle wheel mounted on a wheel carrier which is supported by a transverse link by way of a ball joint with a flange pivotally supported and mounted on the transverse link by clamping screws extending through spaced mounting holes in the transverse link and the mounting flange, the mounting holes in one of the transverse link and mounting flange is formed by at least three different receiving bores disposed at different distances from the pivot point of the flange for receiving the clamping screws and the mounting holes in the other are holes elongated along a line extending through the pivot point between the transverse link and the flange and forming jointly with the screws stops which provide for positive engagement between the transverse link and the flange in each of the different relative pivot positions between the two.

Abstract: A self-supporting body for an automobile with mixed construction is disclosed with an area of the body support structure associated with a set area for an engine assembly and other heavy vehicle assemblies, as well as the body parts of the body cladding surrounding this area are made asymmetric with respect to the longitudinal center of gravity of the vehicle and at least partially of a material whose weight is reduced by comparison with the rest of the body support structure and with respect to the rest of the body cladding.

Abstract: In a valve for the dosed discharge of fluids particularly a fuel injection valve for fuel injection systems of internal combustion engines, the valve includes in an valve housing at the front end of an injector housing a valve structure at a fluid discharge end of the valve housing and a stack of piezo elements disposed in the opposite end of the injector housing and a high pressure fluid passages leads to the fluid discharge end which is isolated from the area in which the stack of piezo elements is disposed and which is in communication with a low pressure drain passage such that the piezo elements are not exposed to the high pressure fluid. Isolation is obtained by a compensation cylinder movably disposed in an annular space between, and in sealing relationship with, the valve housing, the piezo stack being enclosed in a piezo guide tube which is sealingly connected to the valve housing.

Abstract: A reforming reactor has three serially arranged reactors stages, each of which is charged with a catalyst material. A heating device is assigned only to the center reactor stage, and the inlet-side reactor stage has a heat exchange connection with the outlet-side reactor stage.

Abstract: The invention relates to platelet-shaped interference pigments for effect paints for painting objects of daily use, especially vehicle bodies, with the interference pigments including liquid crystal polymers (LCP) with main and/or side groups--mesogens--which are arranged at least approximately chirally-nematically or the like. In order to be able to paint different colored backgrounds in a covering fashion using the transparent interference pigments, the interference pigments are built up in several layers and also have at least one and preferably two interfering layer(s) of liquid crystal polymers and even of a single, preferably centrally located, light-absorbent layer, with the light-absorbent layer absorbing at least a portion of the visible light spectrum. Advantageously the light-absorbent layer can absorb light in the entire visible light spectrum, in other words appear black.

Abstract: A reforming reactor system for water vapor reforming of methanol in fuel-cell operated motor vehicles has a reactor unit with a catalyst-filled reaction space and a particle filter which is arranged in a reformate gas pipe downstream of the reactor unit. The catalyst material is carried in the reaction space by a sieve below which a metallic nonwoven for catching sieved-out fragments and dust particles of the catalyst fill is situated. The particle filter contains a spun steel wool netting and/or several filter steps serially connected behind one another. The particle filter may be arranged to be exchangeable without interrupting the operation of the system. Specifically, a particle filter which has a filter body which can be changed in a gas-tight manner transversely to the gas flow and/or a cyclone filter can be used which has a closing device for the purpose of an emptying of a particle collecting pot which does not interrupt the operation.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for reducing the nitrogen oxide content in oxygen-containing emissions is provided, particularly for internal-combustion engines, particularly of diesel engines and directly injecting Otto engines for motor vehicles. The nitrogen oxides contained in the exhaust gas are reduced by a suitable reducing agent, such as hydrogen or hydrocarbons, on a DENOX catalyst. For achieving an improved conversion rate for the nitrogen oxides, a combination of hydrogen and hydrocarbons are used as reducing agents. In different operating ranges of the internal-combustion engine only hydrogen, only hydrocarbons, or hydrogen and hydrocarbons are added. Preferably, for this purpose, the quantity of supplied hydrogen or hydrocarbons is reduced or increased with an increasing engine load and/or catalyst temperature and/or rotational engine speed.