Abstract: A valve assembly (10) for controlling a pneumatic brake booster comprises a valve housing (16) with a first and a second valve seat (18, 20) as well as with a valve body (26) adapted to be applied to both valve seats (18, 20). In one position of an operating member (24) the valve body (26) is lifted off the first valve seat (18) only, while in another position of the operating member (24) it is lifted off the second valve seat (20). Radially outside the valve housing (16) an annular third valve seat (64) and a control sleeve (60) surrounding the valve housing are arranged, which as an additional valve body can be axially moved by means of the operating member (24) relative to the valve housing (16).

Abstract: A pressure regulation valve is disclosed which comprises a housing including first and second ports, a support for slidably supporting a tubular member defining a valve seat against which a valve element is engageable. The tubular member and valve element are spring biased into engagement with one another. In use, the application of pressurized fuel to the first port pushes the tubular member against the stop, the valve element being able to leave the valve seat in order to permit fuel flow through the valve. If the second port is at a higher pressure than the first port, the valve element moves into engagement with the valve seat, the application of a high pressure resulting in the valve element and tubular member moving until the valve element engages the support, further movement of the tubular member permitting fuel flow through the valve from the second port to the first port.

Abstract: A brake cylinder means (1) for a motor vehicle, comprises a cylinder/piston means (2) adapted to be operated by a brake pedal means for generating pressure in a hydraulic brake system of the motor vehicle, characterized in that the cylinder/piston means (2) is provided in an outer cylinder means (3) in an axially movable manner, a spring means is provided to resiliantly bias said cylinder/piston means (2) against said outer cylinder (3), in an normal actuation position said cylinder (2a) of said cylinder/piston means (2) being essentially non-movable with respect to the piston (2b) of said cylinder/piston means (2), such that the cylinder/piston means (2) being movable against the spring forces of said spring means (4) in said outer cylinder (3).

Abstract: A measuring system for linear and angular movements with a first length or angle sensor (3) which operates in accordance with a first measuring method and which converts an input value (s, alpha) in the form of a linear or angular movement into an electrically processible first output value (UPOT) is further developed to increase the functional reliability and to avoid "coomon model" errors in such a manner that a second length or angle sensor (1) which is mechanically coupled with the first length or angle sensor (3) is provided which operates to a measuring method that is different from the first measuring method, and which converts the linear and angular movement (s, alpha) into an electrically processible second output value (UPULS), with the first and second output value (UPOT, UPULS) being available for subsequent processing and evaluation.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the brake pressure in a vehicle brake system equipped with an electronically adjustable brake booster (10), comprising an actuator (22) which transmits the actuating movement of the brake pedal to a master brake cylinder and has assigned a path limiting element (80) which limits the axial actuating movement of the actuator (22) in that it is received between abutments (90, 92), the apparatus being characterized in that a switch is actuated by the path limiting element (80) together with one of the abutments (90), said switch supplying a signal to the brake booster when the path limiting element (80) abuts the one abutment (90).

Abstract: The invention relates to a hydraulic power unit for a vehicle braking system comprising an electronic controller (22, 24) arranged in a housing (12), a valve block (14) for accommodating electromagnetic valves for the control of hydraulic fluid in the braking system, and a pump motor (16) for a pump delivering a hydraulic fluid, with the housing (12) of the controller (22, 24) being connected with the valve block (14) and the pump motor (16) and is characterized in that a wall (12a) of the housing (12) at its outer surface (12a') facing the valve block (14) carries at least one solenoid (20) for the electromagnetic valves in the valve block (14).

Abstract: In order to improve an electrically actuatable automotive parking brake with mechanical emergency actuation, the brake pads (52, 54) of the parking brake, which may be either a disk brake or a drum brake, can be applied or released via gear arrangement (100) arranged within or at the brake. The gear arrangement (100) has one power input and one power output, with the power input being coupled with the one end of a flexible shaft, the other end of which being arranged remote from the brake can be coupled with a manual crank, in order to be able to actuate the parking brake mechanically in the case of a failure of the electric actuation.

Abstract: A cruise control system for a road vehicle having means for the establishment of a number of interlock conditions which, if broken, cause the cruise control system to adopt an intermediate condition wherein, if the vehicle is still moving, the cruise control system is arranged to be disabled, and, if the vehicle is stationary, the cruise control system is arranged to hold the vehicle at rest until either overridden by the driver or positively reselected by the driver.

Abstract: A rotary electrical connector comprising first and second relatively rotatable housing parts, a spacer provided between the housing parts and rotatable with respect thereto, an elongate conductor carried, at one end, by the first housing part and, at the other end, by the second housing part, the conductor defining a first coiled portion between the spacer and the first housing part and a second coiled portion between the spacer and the second housing part, the first and second coiled portions being wound in opposite directions, and a bearing locating the spacer for rotational movement within the housing defined by the first and second housing parts.

Abstract: A video camera or equivalent sensor is mounted on a vehicle and used to detect the lane markings on the road (usually the white painted lines). An associated signal processor (11) estimates the vehicle's lateral position in relation to the lane markings. An electric motor (4) coupled to the steering mechanism (1) is used to provide a torque input to the steering which may either assist or oppose the steering torque from the driver. The processor (11) is designed to assist the driver to maintain the vehicle's lane position by holding the vehicle at a set-point using a biasing torque. This simulates the effect of the lane being cambered upwards towards the lane edges. However the driver is able to override or cancel the effect if the driver applied steering torque exceeds a prescribed torque threshold.

Abstract: A cruise control system arranged to determine whether the closest targeted vehicle ahead of a vehicle being controlled is running in its lane or an adjacent lane and if it is determined that the closest vehicle is running in an adjacent slower lane, allowing the controlled vehicle to overtake the closest vehicle if the way ahead is clear, and if it is determined that the closest vehicle is running in an adjacent faster lane, selecting that closest vehicle as a prime target to control the acceleration of the controlled vehicle unless there is another vehicle running in the same lane as the controlled vehicle which requires deceleration of the controlled vehicle, in which case the vehicle running in the same lane is selected as the prime target.

Abstract: A valve arrangement, particularly for a fluid brake circuit with anti-slip control, comprising a first, a second and a third fluid connection (16, 20, 46) of respective, predetermined flow cross-sections, at least one valve element (44) which is biased by a first spring arrangement (106) in a first position in which the first and second fluid connection (16, 20) are communicating via a flow path and the third fluid connection (46) is closed, and a valve actuating means (42) by which the valve element (44) can be moved in order to assume a second position in which the first and third fluid connection (16, 46) are communicating via a flow path and the second fluid connection (20) is closed, with the bias of the first spring arrangement (106), the force that can be applied to the valve element (44) by the valve actuating means (42), and the flow cross-sections of the fluid connections (16, 20, 46) being so dimensioned that with a predetermined fluid pressure at the second fluid connection (20), the valve element

Abstract: An AICC cruise control system which operates in accordance with a driver's headway request given in terms of a desired time interval between the controlled vehicle and the preceding (target) vehicle, wherein, upon slowing of the target vehicle towards zero velocity, the calculated station of the controlled vehicle behind the target is changed from being a pure time-based interval into a time interval which is calculated to include a proportion of a desired residual range at standstill, the proportion being dependent upon the velocity of the controlled vehicle.

Abstract: A fuel supply apparatus for supplying fuel to a compression ignition engine comprising a rotary distributor member having a delivery passage which can register in turn with outlet ports connected to the injection nozzles of the engine. Fuel is supplied to the delivery passage from an accumulator under the control of a valve. The accumulator is charged with fuel by means of a high pressure pump which is a cam actuated pump and fuel is supplied to the high pressure pump by a low pressure pump. A valve is provided to control the output pressure of the low pressure pump so that the amount of fuel supplied to the high pressure pump can be varied for the purpose of controlling the fuel pressure within the accumulator. This pressure is sensed by a transducer which supplies a signal to a control system which controls the flow of electric current in the valve.

Abstract: A pneumatic brake booster (10) and a hydraulic master cylinder (60) are arranged in a series along a common axis (A) to form an assembly which includes a booster housing (12), a power input member (30) and a power output member (40). A mechanical power transmitter (32) is arranged between the power input member (30) and the power output member (40). A sleeve (50) is rigidly attached at a valve housing (22) to enclose a portion of the power output member (40). At the booster housing (12) a master cylinder housing (62) is attached which has a guide (68) facing the power transmitter (32). A primary piston (70) is guided in the master cylinder housing (62) and includes a support (72) for the power output member (40) as well as an extension (74) which extends towards the power transmitter (32) and is guided in the guide (68). The sleeve (50) extends to near this support (72) and is provided with a head portion (52) which bears against the master cylinder (60) via the guide (68) in a radial direction.

Abstract: An electronically controlled brake booster for a road vehicle brake system having a housing comprises a vacuum chamber (16) and a servo chamber (14) separated from said vacuum chamber (16) by a movable wall (18), an electromagnetically operatable control valve device (20) which is coupled to said movable wall (18) for common relative movement with respect to the housing of the brake booster and a sensor (32) which, for an electronic control device (ECU), senses operating conditions of the road vehicle brake system and produces signals characteristic for these operating conditions which signals are evaluated by said control device (ECU) for producing drive signals (S.sub.1a, S.sub.1b) for said control valve device (20), wherein the sensor is formed as a pressure sensor (32) and senses at least the pressure (p.sub.AK) prevailing in said servo chamber (14).

Abstract: An electronically controlled brake booster for a road vehicle brake system having a housing comprises a vacuum chamber (16) and a servo chamber (14) separated from said vacuum chamber (16) by a movable wall (18), an electromagnetically operatable control valve device (20) which is coupled to said movable wall (18) for common relative movement with respect to the housing of the brake booster and a sensor (32) which, for an electronic control device (ECU), senses operating conditions of the road vehicle brake system and produces signals characteristic for these operating conditions which signals are evaluated by said control device (ECU) for producing drive signals (S.sub.1a, S.sub.1b) for said control valve device (20), wherein the sensor is formed as a pressure sensor (32) and senses at least the pressure (p.sub.AK) prevailing in said servo chamber (14).

Abstract: A vehicle braking system with an electronically controllable brake servo unit which comprises a first pneumatic working chamber (13) and a second pneumatic working chamber (14) which are separated from each other by a movable wall (11), wherein a travel sensor (20) is provided for the detection of displacements of the movable wall (11) relative to a stationary wall (5b) of at least one of the two working chambers (13, 14) is improved to simplify assembly and adjustment of the travel sensor in such a manner that a wall (11) is provided with an opening (19) through which a measuring element (10) being connected with another wall (5b) is projecting, and that the travel sensor (20) converts a relative movement between the measuring element (10) and the travel sensor (20) in the direction of the movement of the movable wall (11) into a signal used for controlling the brake servo unit.

Abstract: A system for measuring loads in a vehicle comprising strain and/or displacement sensing elements and a local electronic interface which are adapted to be linked to a main electronic unit in a vehicle with which the load measuring system is associated. The load measuring system comprises an internal micro-controller within the interface which is adapted to receive signals from the main electronic unit to switch elements of the load measuring system into both zero setting and calibration modes. The micro-controller has electrically alterable, non-volatile memory which is adapted to store zero setting and calibration data for subsequent use in a normal operating, load measurement mode of the system.

Abstract: An injector is described which includes a holder having an inlet, and a passage for supplying fuel from the inlet to a valve needle seating, an adjustable spring abutment plate being located between the inlet and passage. Adjustment of the position of the plate adjusts the compression of a spring arranged to bias a valve needle into engagement with the seating, hence adjusting the fuel pressure necessary to lift the needle from the seating. The plate is provided with an opening whereby the inlet communicates with the passage.