Abstract: Silane-containing polymers are prepared by the polymerization of one or more ethylenically unsaturated monomers in the presence of a silane-containing aldehyde, hemiacetal, or acetal as a regulator, optionally with further regulators as well. The silane-containing regulators produce polymers with superior properties and with improved polymerization parameters as compared to the conventional mercaptosilane regulators.

Abstract: A quality control method for two-dimensional matrix codes on metallic workpieces, the codes being in the form of stamped marking dots is disclosed. The stamping process for the marking dots is carried out by a marking tool (17) with the aid of predetermined digital positional data. The corresponding image data is then recorded for analysis by an image processing device (22), exclusively at the locations that have been predetermined by the positional data, or additional image data that has been previously generated is also used for the analysis, to establish whether a correct marking dot with the required quality characteristics is present.

Abstract: A covering apparatus protects motor vehicle occupants from an openable roof of the vehicle in which the roof is movable along an enveloping surface between a stored position in which the roof is opened and a closed position in which the roof is closed. The apparatus includes a cover movable between a rest position in which the cover is stowed and a protecting position in which the cover is extended, wherein the cover moves between the rest position and the protecting position without intersecting the enveloping surface of the roof prior to or during movement of the roof between the stored and closed positions of the roof. In the resting position, the cover is located between the vehicle interior and the enveloping surface formed by the opening and closing motion of the roof.

Abstract: A roof assembly for a vehicle includes a roof having roof parts. A rod kinematic system is connected to the roof parts to move the roof parts between a closed position of the roof in which the roof parts adjoin one another along a planar level to thereby cover the vehicle interior and a stored position of the roof in which the roof parts stack on top of one another to thereby expose the vehicle interior. First and second locking devices are associated with the roof parts. The locking devices have locking elements which engage one another to lock the stacked roof parts together when the roof is in the stored position.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a roof having roof parts, a roof kinematic system, and a transmission kinematic system. The roof parts are movable between a closed position covering the vehicle interior and a stored position exposing the vehicle interior. The roof kinematics system has a guide rod pivotably supported about a vehicle body-side rotary joint and pivotably supported to a roof part to movably connect the roof part to the vehicle such that upon actuation of the rod the roof kinematic system moves the roof part. The transmission kinematic system has a spring and a displaceable tensioning lever. The spring is connected to the rod and the lever. When the spring is pretensioned the spring acts upon the rod with a swivel torque about the rotary joint to actuate the rod to move the roof part. The lever places the spring under pretension upon being displaced.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a laser including a laser amplifier and a laser resonator. The laser amplifier includes a disk-shaped active medium having a reflector. The active medium rests on a cooling means for cooling said active medium and said reflector. The reflector embodies a mirror of said laser resonator. The laser amplifier includes an optical means for refocusing a pumping light configured for repeatedly deviating said pumping light and refocusing said pumping light onto the active medium for causing a multiple passage of said pumping light through said active medium. Such a thin-disk laser is not prone to thermal lensing. According to the invention, the laser resonator is formed as a ring resonator. Two optical waves can travel around within the ring resonator in different directions. An optical selection means is provided for giving preference to propagation of one of the both optical waves traveling around that can be coupled out as an output laser beam.

Abstract: The invention concerns an apparatus and a method for inspection of a wafer. The apparatus encompasses at least one stroboscopic incident-light illumination device for emitting a pulsed illuminating light beam onto a surface of the wafer and for illuminating a region on the surface of the wafer; and having [sic] at least one image acquisition device for acquiring an image of the respectively illuminated region on the surface of the wafer. The apparatus is characterized, according to the present invention, in that by at least one photodetection device for sensing light of the respective illuminating light beam, and a control device for controlling an image acquisition operation on the basis of the light sensed by the photodetection device, are provided. Intensity fluctuations of the light flashes of the incident-light illumination device are compensated for either by normalizing image data of the illuminated region or by controlling the duration of the light flashes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a vehicle communication system comprising a plurality of microphones adapted to detect speech signals of different vehicle passengers, a mixer combining the audio signal components of the different microphones to a resulting speech output signal, a weighting unit determining the weighting of the audio signal components for the resulting speech output signal, where the weighting unit determines the weighting of the signal components based upon non-acoustical information about the presence of a vehicle passenger.

Abstract: A connecting device for a plug-and-socket connection containing two connectors that includes a first part (1) with a first connector (2) and a second part (3) with a second connector (4). The first part (1) is equipped with an axle pin (5), and the second part (3) is equipped an axle bearing (6) for the axle pin (5), wherein the second part (3) is pivotable from a release position to a closed position about an axis of rotation (7) defined by the axle bearing (6), wherein the distance d1 of the center axis (16) of the first connector (2) from the axis of rotation (8) is equal to the distance d2 of the center axis (17) of the second connector (4) from the axis of rotation (8).

Abstract: A motor vehicle entertainment system includes a radio receiver and a control unit. The control unit receives a first status signal indicative of whether or not a motor vehicle door has been unlocked and initiates the application of power to the radio receiver upon the first status signal indicating that the door has been unlocked. Upon the application of power to the radio receiver, the radio receiver scans through a selected frequency spectrum to identify valid frequencies and their associated broadcast identifying information and stores a list of the valid frequencies and their associated broadcast identifying information in a memory device associated with the radio receiver. The radio receiver acquires and records information on a plurality of transmitters initially in a standby mode before it switches over to an operating mode. The radio receiver has a device for receiving an ON command from the user and switches from the standby mode to the operating mode when the ON command is received.

Abstract: A system for forming a hollow body may include at least one closing unit positioned beneath the die of a tube extrusion device. The closing unit may include a first vertical closing plate and second vertical closing plate. Specifically, an upper horizontal closing plate is cantilevered to the first vertical closing plate carrying an upper mold half, while a lower horizontal supporting plate is cantilevered to the second vertical closing plate carrying a lower mold half. At least one hydraulic cylinder may connect to the horizontal supporting plate and be adapted to vertically displace the lower horizontal closing plate. The closing unit is configured in such a way that when the vertical closing plates are moved toward each other, the upper horizontal closing plate and the lower horizontal supporting plate interlock. The system can be configured to produce oblong hollow bodies requiring a horizontal mold parting plane.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electromagnetic driver comprising a soft magnetic core in the form of an E with three legs and a back, an alternating field driver, magnetically coupled to the soft magnetic core, for generating an alternating magnetic field in the soft magnetic core, depending upon a sound signal, a constant field driver magnetically coupled to the soft magnetic core for generation of a constant magnetic field in the soft magnetic core, a soft magnetic element for coupling to the plate of the planar diaphragm loudspeaker, lying opposite the back and magnetically closing the legs across at least one small induction gap, whereby the constant field and the alternating field are asymmetrically superimposed such that a resulting force, or a resulting torque on the soft magnetic element, is proportional to the sound signal.

Abstract: An audio enhancement system for compensating for ambient noise in a listening environment, comprises an audio system that produces an electrical sound signal and generates a sound output from the electrical sound signal. A sensor (e.g., a microphone) senses a total sound signal representative of the total sound level in the listening environment, including the sound output from the audio system and the ambient noise within the listening environment. A processing unit responsive to the total sound signal and the electrical sound signal extracts from the total sound signal an ambient noise signal representative of the ambient noise in the listening environment. A controller responsive to the ambient noise signal performs a linear predictive coding (LPC) analysis and generates a control signal, which is input to an equalizer to adjust the sound output of the audio system in order to compensate for the ambient noise level.

Abstract: A display module that includes a minimum of free space, and can pivot and remain stable at every pivot angle is presented. The display module generally includes a frame, a display unit, and a bearing. The bearing pivotably mounts the display unit to the frame and includes a first component that is provided with the display unit and a second component that is provided with the frame. One of the first and second components includes a channel, and the other of the first and second components includes at least one protrusion that moves in the channel. The protrusion may include or be arranged along a shape, such as a ring-segment shape. The channel may also include a shape, such as a ring-segment shape.

Abstract: Described is a multi-layer body having two laser-sensitive layers 4, 32. The multi-layer body is a body laminated from the overlay films 30, 32, the inlets 90, 90 and the further overlay films 30, 30. At its underside the upper overlay film 30 has a layer structure applied there, by the application of a hot stamping film. The layer structure comprises a lacquer layer 50, a reflection layer 5r, a laser-sensitive layer 4, a background layer 5 and an adhesive layer 6. A diffraction and/or hologram structure 5b is provided in the lacquer layer 5c, the reflection layer 5r and the laser-sensitive layer 4. The second laser-sensitive layer is formed by the carbon-doped overlay film 32. By means of laser treatment, it is possible to produce a laser-induced, preferably colored image component in the upper laser-sensitive layer 4 and a further laser-sensitive image component, preferably in the form of a gray scale image, in the subjacent carbon-doped laser-sensitive layer 32.

Abstract: The invention concerns an arrangement for ultrasound cleaning of several strandlike articles (4) traveling next to each other, such as, e.g., wires, profiles and pipes, by means of a liquid excited by ultrasound in a borehole (3), which is only slightly, i.e., around 5-50%, larger than the diameter of the article being cleaned, wherein the cleaning liquid is supplied to the boreholes (3) in such a way that it fills them completely.

Abstract: A method for the high-precision measurement of coordinates on a substrate is disclosed. The substrate is placed on a stage moveable in X/Y coordinate directions. First, a plurality of images of a structure on a substrate are imaged by means of a 2-dimensional detector during the relative movement of a measuring objective in Z coordinate direction and the simultaneous movement of the stage in X and Y coordinate directions.

Abstract: A method for the high-precision measurement of coordinates of at least one structure on a substrate. A stage traversable in X/Y coordinate directions is provided, which is placed in an interferometric-optical measuring system. The structure on the substrate is imaged on at least one detector (34) via a measuring objective (21) having its optical axis (20) aligned in the Z coordinate direction. The structure is imaged with the so-called Dual Scan. Systematic errors can thereby be eliminated.

Abstract: In order to provide an easy-to-assemble drier (100) for drying surface-treated workpieces, in particular vehicle bodies (110), which are each disposed on a respective workpiece carrier (109), comprising a drier housing (102) having a drier tunnel (108), through which the workpieces are moved along a conveying direction (112) and which is delimited in a downward direction by a drier floor (116) comprising a plurality of floor elements (118), and a conveying device (138) that conveys the workpieces through the drier tunnel (108), it is proposed that the conveying device (138) comprises a plurality of carrying roller units (140), which are disposed successively in the conveying direction (112) and each comprise at least one carrying roller (142), on which the workpiece carriers (109) rest as they are conveyed through the drier tunnel (108), wherein the carrying roller units (140) are each mountable separately on a respective floor element (118) of the drier floor (116).

Abstract: A centrifugal pump (1) is proposed, in particular for household appliances, such as washing machines or dishwashers, which comprises a pump housing (2) having an axial inlet (11), an outlet (12) and a heating element, wherein the pump housing (2) incorporates a rotatably mounted impeller (4) and a flow channel (15) enveloping the impeller (4) and heating element. The centrifugal pump (1) according to the invention is intended to have improved efficiency. This is achieved by having the flow cross-section of the flow channel (15) increase along the periphery toward the outlet (12).