Abstract: A brake (10) for a hydraulic vehicle brake system has a housing (14) with a bore (18) which is formed therein and in which a brake piston (20) is received in a sealingly and slideably displaceable manner. The brake piston (20) is adapted to press a brake lining (32) against a brake disk (12) by way of hydraulic pressure. For sealing, the brake piston (20) is sealed off relative to the bore (18) by a sealing ring (26) made of elastic material. In order to optimize the adhesive and sliding properties between the sealing ring (26) and brake piston (20), the sealing ring (26) and/or at least that outer surface of the brake piston (20) which cooperates with the sealing ring (26) is coated with a lacquer which contains an organic binder and a solid lubricant.

Abstract: The invention relates to a brake arrangement for a land vehicle comprising the following characteristics: an electric motor with a downstream connected (reduction) gear which acts on the friction pads of a brake arrangement, with the gear being designed self-locking, and an actuation mechanism by means of which the self-locking function can be cancelled or established.

Abstract: A printed circuit device comprising, a printed circuit board having an electrically conductive heat plane associated with a surface thereof, the circuit board having an opening formed therein which exposes a ground layer or track of the circuit board, a wall defining the opening being provided with an electrically conductive coating which is electrically connected to the ground layer or track, the heat plane being provided with a cut-out defining a projection which is bent to extend into the opening, the projection being secured to said coating electrically to connect the coating and the ground layer or track to the heat plane. The invention also resides in a method of manufacturing a printed circuit device and in a heat plane for use in such a device.

Abstract: The invention utilizes the finding that a pressure variation or pressure difference between two chambers of a brake booster is a parameter of considerable influence on the behavior of a brake booster control valve arrangement in the operation of the brake booster. Starting from a holding position for the control valve arrangement, pressure levels related to changeovers from the holding position to a first pressure changing position and a second pressure changing position, respectively, are determined. Depending on the thus determined pressure level differences, current values for an actuation of the control valve arrangement defining upper and lower limits for the holding position are adjusted.

Abstract: In an electronically controllable brake booster a value is sensed which is characteristic for the actual pressure characteristic in the pressure chamber. The actual pressure characteristic is checked for the existence of periodic oscillation components of a predetermined frequency band with a predetermined minimum amplitude. Upon the existence of such periodic oscillation components, the current flowing through an electromagnetic actuator for a control valve arrangement of the brake booster is decreased by a first predetermined value for a first pressure changing position. Further, the current for a second pressure changing position is decreased by second predetermined value.

Abstract: The invention relates to an actuator assembly for a vehicle brake with a drive which is connected with an input side of a transmission. An output side of the transmission is adapted for the actuation of at least one friction element of the vehicle brake, with the transmission being a knee lever arrangement with two arms.

Abstract: A fuel control system for an engine, having a pump operable to supply an output flow of fuel, engine fuel flow regulation means operable to regulate the pump output flow, and pump control means operable to vary an output rate of the pump according to an operational condition of the engine fuel flow regulation means.

Abstract: A fuel injector comprising a valve needle, engagable with the seating to control fuel flow through a fuel outlet, the valve needle having a thrust surface oriented such that the application of fuel under pressure thereto applies a force to the valve needle urging the valve needle away from the seating. The fuel injector also comprises a valve member for controlling fuel pressure within a control chamber and a piston member slidable within a bore and defining, with the bore, the control chamber. The piston member is exposed to fuel pressure within the control chamber and is arranged to transmit a force applied by the fuel pressure to the valve needle. The piston member has an effective surface area exposed to the fuel pressure which is greater than that of the thrust surface so as to urge the valve needle towards the seating.

Abstract: An actuator having a piston member slideable within a cylinder, the piston member defining with the cylinder a first chamber and a second chamber, the effective cross-sectional of the piston member exposed to the fluid pressure within the first chamber being greater than that exposed to the fluid pressure within the second chamber. The actuator further has first and second ports through which fluid can be supplied to the first and second chambers, respectively, and a third port located intermediate the first and second ports. The piston member and the third port are cooperable to throttle the rate at which fluid is able to escape from the first and second chambers through the third port, in use.

Abstract: A cruise controller (2) with a set speed and/or acceleration limit reduction facility is provided. If the controlled vehicle becomes slowed due to the presence of a slower moving vehicle in front of it, the set speed and/or acceleration limit is reduced in order to prevent rapid acceleration from occurring if the target vehicle suddenly moves out of the way.

Abstract: Solid state switching devices, such as power IGBT's, are used to switch a load from one AC generator to another. The switching is controlled to occur only when the phase and voltage of the two generator outputs are within acceptable limited, thus minimising voltage and current transients.

Abstract: A screw actuator comprising first and second relatively rotatable members, a screw thread formation in the first member including a helical groove, spherical elements carried by the second member and in rolling engagement in the helical groove to form a ball screw coupling between the first and second members, the groove being of sufficient width to allow the spherical elements to move laterally within the groove, and a brake member carried by the second member and defining a screw thread formation which is received in the groove of the screw thread formation of the first member, the brake member being angularly moveable relative to the second member by rotation of the first member relative to the second member, between a first angular position in which the screw thread formation of the brake member is cooperable with that of the first member, and a second angular position in which the screw thread formation of the brake member is not cooperable with that of the first member.

Abstract: A piston and cylinder assembly is described having a piston which partially defines a fluid chamber in the cylinder from which fluid is expelled through an outlet port of the cylinder by movement of the piston along the cylinder, the assembly including a flow restrictor providing a first restricted flow path between the chamber and port, and also providing an auxiliary restricted flow path of which a first portion communicates with the chamber and of which a second portion extends between the first portion and the port.

Abstract: An electro-hydraulic braking system of the type capable of operating in a brake-by-wire mode wherein hydraulic pressure is applied to braking devices at the vehicle wheels in proportion to the driver's braking demand as sensed electronically at a brake pedal, wherein when it is detected that there exists within the system a prescribed category of non safety-critical fault, it is arranged that the driver is caused to experience a modified, different to usual, travel/force behaviour characteristic through the braking pedal when braking.

Abstract: A hydraulic vehicle brake (10) has a hydraulic chamber (16) which sealingly accommodates a brake piston (18) which can slide along an axis (A). The brake piston (18) acts upon a friction member and can be moved by means of hydraulic pressure which is supplied to the hydraulic chamber (16) into an actuating position in which it presses the friction member against a rotor (brake disk, brake drum, etc.). In order to be able to use the vehicle brake (10) besides its function as a hydraulic service brake also as a parking brake, a spindle/nut arrangement (24) is provided which is driven by an electric motor (42) and arranged coaxial to the axis (A) of the brake piston (18), the nut (30) of which arrangement (24) is secured against rotation, and by rotation of the spindle (26) as a function of the sense of rotation can either be moved into contact with the brake piston (18) or be moved away from the brake piston (18) translatorily along the axis (A).

Abstract: The invention relates to an actuator subassembly for a vehicle brake with a drive, which is connected to an input side of a lever arrangement, wherein an output side of the lever arrangement is adapted to operate at least one friction element of the vehicle brake. If a vehicle brake of this kind is used as a parking brake, static preloading forces occur at the friction element. In order that these forces may still be taken up within the actuator subassembly, it is proposed that the lever arrangement be changed over from a service brake region, in which it is self-releasing, beyond its force reversal point into a parking brake position, in which it is self-locking. Various operating possibilities for an actuator subassembly of this kind and the use thereof in a vehicle brake are described.

Abstract: A detection apparatus for use with a system having a plurality of moveable surfaces, the apparatus comprising a signal transmission apparatus extending across each surface, a signal generator and a signal receiver. The apparatus further comprises a signal interrupter associated with adjacent ones of the surfaces and arranged to interrupt the transmission of a signal along the signal transmission apparatus upon relative movement of the adjacent ones of the surfaces occurring. The invention also relates to a leading edge high lift system of an aircraft wing having a plurality of moveable leading edge high lift surfaces.

Abstract: A data integrity checking apparatus including an array of n latch circuits, each latch circuit having an input terminal and an output terminal, an array of n exclusive OR (XOR) gates, each XOR gate having two inputs and an output, the output terminals of the XOR gates are connected to the input terminals of respective ones of the latch circuits, the XOR gates receiving as one input bit-rotated words from the outputs of the latch circuits and as another input successive words of the data to be checked.

Abstract: An actuating piston (10) of a hydraulically and mechanically actuable, spot-type disk brake for motor vehicles, which is disposed in a sealing and displaceable manner in a cylinder bore of the disk brake is provided with an axial-force-transmitting conical surface (18) cooperating with a corresponding conical surface of a mechanical actuating device of the disk brake. To make the actuating piston (10) lighter in weight but nevertheless to withstand greater stress, the part of the actuating piston (10) comprising the axial-force-transmitting conical surface (18) consists of steel and the part of the actuating piston (10) cooperating with the cylinder bore of the disk brake is made of light metal or of plastics material, said components of the actuating piston being constructed as a single-piece composite component.

Abstract: A control system is provided for use in controlling fuel supply to at least two sets of burners of an engine. The control system comprises two or more fuel pumps, each of the pumps being driven, in use, by a respective variable-speed motor. A control arrangement is provided for controlling the speed of the motors so as to regulate the rate of flow of fuel to each of the sets of burners.