Abstract: The aim of the invention is to improve the diagnosis of motor vehicle systems comprising a plurality of functional components in a network. To this end, the individual status data of the control units (11, 12, 13, 14) is monitored in a central diagnostic control unit (15) using a mathematical model. Each control unit can also be provided with a self-diagnosis optionally based on a model. By calculating error or causes of error using a model, the control units do not need to be provided with large databases for the diagnosis of error.

Abstract: A control system for a motor vehicle comprises an output control unit for outputting data related to the operation of the motor vehicle and an operation control unit spatially separated from the output control unit for generating or providing data related to the operation of the motor vehicle. The output control unit comprises a data storage for storing data related to the operation of the motor vehicle and the data related to the operation of the motor vehicle can be read out of the data storage and outputted by the output control unit.

Abstract: An internal-combustion engine includes an engine block, a plurality of parallel cylinders and oil chambers defined in the engine block; intake valves, exhaust valves, overhead valve controls and crankshaft bearings supported in the engine block as well as a pump supported in the engine block for delivering oil through the oil chambers for cooling the engine. The engine block is a single-piece cast component in which the oil chambers extend adjacent and parallel to the cylinders and are accessible from opposite sides of the engine block where the crankshaft bearings and the valve controls are supported.

Abstract: A gear shift lever assembly, particularly for an automatic vehicle transmission, has a gear shift lever; a pivot shaft affixed to the gear shift lever and at least one clip bearing mounted on a carrier and supporting the pivot shaft for angular displacement about the axis, whereby the gear shift lever is pivotal in a plane.

Abstract: An unbalanced hydraulic valve assembly includes a first plunger element slidably and transversely displaceably received in a second plunger element wth a loose fit; a work chamber; a pressure supply conduit provided in the valve assembly for introducing pressurized hydraulic fluid thereinto; a control port arrangement in one of the plunger elements in an asymmetrical relationship relative to the circumference of the plunger elements. The control port arrangement permits or blocks flow from the pressure supply conduit to the work chamber dependent upon the relative axial position between the plunger elements. A force transmitting member is supported in the second plunger element for displacement transversely to the direction of relative axial motion between the plunger elements. The force transmitting member engages the first plunger element and is exposed to pressurized hydraulic fluid for pressing the first plunger element against an inner wall face of the axial bore provided in the second plunger element.

Abstract: An electronically controlled ignition system is provided in which the point in time at which the primary current flowing through the primary winding of the ignition coil starts, is controlled as a function of speed so that the said primary current only reaches the value required for ignition just before the ignition time and in which immediately before the ignition time, it is ascertained whether the primary current has reached the value required for ignition, wherein if there is no primary current or insufficient primary current to prevent ignition during periodic fluctuations in speed, the electronic control arrangement is switched off for a fixed period and the time at which the primary current is used is derived directly from the control signal of the ignition pulse generator and in which, once the switch off period has come to an end, continuous and automatic electronic control is reinstituted.

Abstract: A hydraulic brake system for a vehicle includes first and second brake lines communicating with first and second rear wheel brakes, respectively, for supplying hydraulic fluid under pressure thereto and first and second valves arranged in the first and second brake lines, respectively. Each valve has a deceleration and acceleration responsive movable valve member controlling, as a function of its position, the flow of hydraulic liquid through the brake line with which the movable valve member is associated and a guide track guiding the associated movable valve member with a single degree of freedom of motion. Each guide track slopes downwardly towards the vehicle rear at an angle .alpha. with respect to a horizontal plane and further, each guide track inclines away from the longitudinal vehicle axis outwardly towards the vehicle rear in the direction of the associated rear wheel brake at an angle .beta. which a vertical projection of each guide track onto a horizontal plane defines with the vehicle axis.

Abstract: A suspension spring assembly for a motor vehicle includes a helical spring having an end coil and a support of elastic material having a helically ascending seating face receiving the end coil. The slope of the ascending seating face at least equals that of the end coil in the unloaded state of the helical spring and further, the seating face is adjoined by a stepped portion for abruptly terminating the seating face.

Abstract: An intake manifold for a spark-ignited internal-combustion engine including a distributor body from which the intake pipes leading to the individual combustion chambers of the engine branch off in a sequence corresponding to the firing order. The individual intake pipes depart, via branch lines, from more than one location of the distributor body. Preferably, the locations of the distributor body associated with a respective intake pipe are arranged in symmetry with respect to an axis of the distributor body.

Abstract: An internal-combustion engine includes an oil reservoir, a lubricating oil circuit, a lubricating oil pump drawing oil from the oil reservoir and driving the oil in the lubricating oil circuit and a cooling oil circuit coupled to the lubricating oil circuit. There is further provided a cooling oil pump drawing oil from the oil reservoir and driving the oil in the cooling oil circuit. The cooling oil pump has a lower output pressure than the lubricating oil pump.

Abstract: A water-cooled internal combustion engine includes a die-cast, single-piece engine block encompassing a cylinder head, a cylinder block and one part of a crankcase and coolant passages in the cylinder head and the cylinder block. The coolant passages are constituted by spaces open outwardly towards respective adjacent ends of the engine block as cast, and closures fitted in the engine block for sealing the coolant passages fluid-tight towards the outside.

Abstract: In a fuel injection system including an injection distributor pump delivering fuel at a medium delivery pressure, a plurality of fuel injection valves each associated with a respective engine cylinder and each having a fuel injection opening for injecting fuel into its associated cylinder and a conduit leading to the injection opening, and a pressure booster associated with each valve and connected between the conduit of its associated valve and the pump for boosting the pressure at the opening from the medium pressure produced by the pump to a higher pressure required for fuel injection via the opening, the pressure booster associated with each valve being composed of a stepped piston having oppositely oriented end faces of unlike effective area, a housing in which the piston is slidably mounted and presenting a first working chamber associated with the larger end face of the piston and communicating with the pump, and a second working chamber associated with the smaller end face of the piston and communicat

Abstract: A longitudinally and angularly adjustable vehicle steering column has two telescopically coupled steering column parts. One part is secured to a vehicle frame for swinging motion about a horizontal axis while the other part carries the steering wheel. The steering column is supported by a two-part strut. One strut part is in engagement with the steering column and the other strut part is secured to the vehicle frame for swinging motion about a horizontal axis. The strut parts are bar-like components articulated to one another. One of the strut parts extends parallel to the steering column axis. A locking bar mounted on only one of the two said steering column parts extends substantially parallel to the column axis and projects into a clamping sleeve mounted on the other of the two steering column parts. The clamping sleeve also receives one of the strut parts. A tightening mechanism cooperates with the clamping sleeve for simultaneously immobilizing the locking bar and the strut part in the clamping sleeve.

Abstract: A hydraulic amplifier having a housing provided with pressure and return conduits, an amplifier piston, and a control slide. The piston is slidably arranged in an axial bore of the housing and itself has a blind axial bore within which the control slide is arranged. The piston and slide together constitute a unit which is free of pressure equalization and which is provided with two sets of passages for selectively placing the face of the piston in communication with the pressure and return conduits, respectively, depending on the axial position of the slide in the blind bore of the piston. The passages are asymmetrical with respect to the peripheral surface of the slide and are so constructed and arranged that whichever set of passages is closed, the slide is pressed radially against the closed passage under the influence of certain pressure differences which prevail in the hydraulic amplifier.

Abstract: A wind-up device for a vehicle safety belt, which device includes a housing, a winding system composed of a winding drum mounted in the housing for automatically winding up the belt so that a portion of the belt is wound around the drum, the drum being locked in the direction of unwinding when a given operating state occurs, and a belt braking device which includes a rotatably mounted brake roller partially surrounded by the belt and mounted for displacement between a normal position in which it is free to rotate and, when the winding drum is blocked, a braking position in which it opposes movement of the belt, movement into the braking position being effected by the tension forces acting on the belt, the braking device further including a bias spring mounted to urge the brake roller into its normal position and in which the brake roller is mounted to be displaced under the force of the belt tension to brakingly contact the outer turn of the belt portion wound on the drum.

Abstract: A drive aggregate for a heat pump includes a cylinder block defining cavities for forming at least one cylinder of an internal combustion engine and at least one cylinder of a compressor driven by the engine; a common crankshaft passing through the cylinder block for serving both the engine and the compressor; and a plurality of bearings mounted in the cylinder block and supporting the crankshaft. The cavities all have the same height dimension. There is further provided a valve plate sealingly secured in each cavity which forms a compressor cylinder. The valve plate which defines an end of the compressor cylinder formed by the respective cavity, is recessed with respect to the height of the cavity in which it is situated.

Abstract: A parallel-bivalent apparatus functioning as an absorber heat pump and as a boiler for heating a heat carrying medium, includes a condenser, an evaporator, an absorber and an expeller forming the boiler. The heat carrying medium is passed through the absorber. The apparatus further includes a heat exchanger for poor and rich solutions. The heat exchanger receives poor solution from the expeller and applies the poor solution to the absorber through an expansion valve. A bypass conduit circumvents the heat exchanger and is arranged for carrying one of the solutions between the expeller and the absorber. A valve is contained in the bypass conduit for opening the bypass conduit when the flow temperature of the heat carrying medium falls below a predetermined value. Further, heat exchanging surfaces in the absorber are so dimensioned as to effect thereon condensation of flash gas generated by expansion of the poor solution upon passage through the expansion valve.

Abstract: An oil separator in combination with an oil lubricated vacuum pump. The separator includes a hollow housing having one end disposed adjacent the suction opening of the pump and the other end adapted for attachment to a vacuum line. A valve seat comprises an internal surface of the housing, and a resilient elastic sealing element having a relatively low mass is positioned under tension on the valve seat between the seat and the suction opening. The sealing element permits a stream of air from the vacuum line to enter the suction opening of the pump while preventing oil from the pump from passing into the vacuum line.

Abstract: A drive aggregate for a heat pump includes a common cylinder block which combines a heat pump compressor and an internal combustion engine driving the compressor. Bearings mounted in the cylinder block support a common crankshaft which serves both the engine and the compressor and which is formed of a first crankshaft part and a second crankshaft part. The two crankshaft parts (engine-side and compressor-side crankshaft parts) have adjoining end portions which are mutually non-rotatably interconnected. The bearings comprise a first and a second end bearing. The second end bearing supports both adjoining end portions, whereas the first end bearing supports the other end of the first crankshaft part. Between the first and the second end bearings there is situated at least one intermediate bearing which is split for permitting lateral installation thereof on the first crankshaft part.

Abstract: A window crank assembly includes a stationarily supported cable drum having a core; a housing accommodating the cable drum and having a slot; a cable slung about the core and passing through the slot and being connected to the window pane; a drive for rotating the core, whereby a pulling force is exerted on the cable; a cable conduit accommodating a length portion of the cable as well as fittings supporting opposite ends of the cable conduit. At least one of the fittings is supported on a guide segment member in the vicinity of the cable drum at a predetermined distance from the core. This fitting is swingably arranged on the guide segment member for motion in a plane which is parallel to the slot provided in the housing.