Abstract: A method for determining the instantaneous fluid level of a tank includes the steps of: designating a beginning fluid-level of the tank as an input value during the starting of the engine; ascertaining a first fluid-level value from a fluid level measured by a fluid-level measuring device, and ascertaining a second fluid-level value and a window around the second fluid-level value from the consumption of the engine and from the input value; comparing the first fluid-level value to the window around the second fluid-level value; determining whether the first or the second fluid-level value should be a new input value; displaying the new input value as the fluid level; and terminating the method if the engine is switched off or repeating the method starting from the ascertaining step when the engine is running.

Abstract: A device for contactless measurement of a particle state variable of a flowing medium that contains electrically charged particles is disclosed, in which a sheet-like sensor element is disposed parallel to the particle flight direction, or at least two sensor elements, such as electrodes, are disposed in succession in the flow direction. At these electrodes, by means of the electrically charged particles flying past, charges are influenced, from which voltage signals can be generated with the aid of suitable amplifiers. To determine the particle concentration, the voltage alternation component is evaluated; to determine the particle velocity, the transport time &tgr; is evaluated; and to determine the particle throughput, both the signal height and the chronological displacement of the individual signals from one another are evaluated.

Abstract: A photovoltaic module that contains one or more layers of a multi layered composite film is disclosed. The multilayered film contains at least one layer of polycarbonate and at least one layer of fluorine-containing polymer. The photovoltaic module of the invention features improved printability and mechanical properties.

Abstract: The method for making the surface of a window or windshield of a vehicle hydrophilic improves visibility for the operator of the vehicle during rain or fog. The method includes exposing the window or windshield surface to a corona discharge from at least one moving electrode that passes over the surface, especially at least one electrode associated with the rubber wiper blade (22) of a wiper apparatus for the window or windshield. The degree of hydrophilization of the surface is controlled by adjusting the level and/or the frequency or the duration of the high-frequency alternating current voltage applied to the moving electrode to produce the corona discharge. Alternatively the degree of hydrophilization of the surface is controlled by adjusting the spacing (a) of the at least one electrode from the surface.

Abstract: A method for setting the torque in an internal combustion engine determines a set air mass and a corresponding throttle valve setting from a set torque in a control tract. An actual air mass allows the difference between a set air mass and the actual air mass to be determined by comparing a set value and the actual value. The controlling effort for setting a desired torque will be reduced. A correction value for the difference between the actual and set values of the air mass is calculated whereby an adaptation of the control tract to the difference is performed. Thereby, in the control tract, a correspondingly adapted throttle valve position will then be associated with a set torque that is to be established. A compensation of the previously determined difference between the set value and the actual value of the air mass is produced. An actual fuel mass fed to the combustion chambers can be utilized for determining the actual air mass, as can a fuel/air mass ratio of a mixture fed to the combustion chambers.

Abstract: The level measuring device (12) has a measuring tube (14) that is disposed in the fuel tank (10) and is filled by a partial flow of the fuel delivered to the injection system (44) of the engine (46) of the motor vehicle by a delivery unit (40) disposed in the fuel tank (10). On its one measurement input (26), a differential pressure sensor (24) is acted on by the hydrostatic pressure at the bottom end (30) of the measuring tube (14) and on its other measurement input (28), the sensor is acted on by the hydrostatic pressure at the bottom (16) of the fuel tank (10). When the delivery unit (40) is operating, a fuel column of a known height (lo) is produced in the measuring tube (14), so that the current level (h(t)) of the fuel tank (10) can be determined in an evaluation device (32) based on the output signal (u) of the differential pressure sensor (24).

Abstract: In a method for setting the output power of an internal combustion engine a resultant specified torque is determined from a driver-intended torque and at least tw o additional intended torques, and the resultant specified torque is set via a apparatus for adjusting torque. Each participant system, in addition to the intended torque, provides information regarding whether the intended constitutes a torque-increase or a torque-decrease. A processing block is provided for each participant system in which the particular intended torque is compared with the driver-intended torque and the resulting specified torque of the preceding participant system. From this, a resulting specified torque is determined. The priority of the particular torque requirement results from the sequence of the participant systems during processing.

Abstract: A method and a device for measuring the angle of a rotatable body, in particular a body rotatable by more than 360.degree., are described. In this case this rotatable body cooperates with at least two further rotatable bodies, for example gear wheels, whose angular positions are determined with the aid of two sensors. The angular position of the rotatable body is determined from the angular positions detected in this way. So that unequivocal statements can be made, it is necessary for all three rotatable bodies or gear wheels to have defined predetermined numbers of teeth. The method and the device can be used, for example, for determining the steering angle of a motor vehicle.

Abstract: In order to permit a purchaser to assemble a collapsible cage simply and without the need for special tools, the side walls (2 to 5), which are usually four in number, are connected to each other by sectional corner connectors (7 to 10). The sectional corner connectors are longitudinally divided into two parts and consist of an outer part (16) and an inner part (17). Both parts are undetachably connected via rotating parts (22). In one variant, spreader springs (35, 36) ensure that the parts (16, 17) of the sectional corner connectors are held apart in the untightened state so that the widest possible gap (33) is created for inserting the edge zones (19, 20) of the gratings. When the rotating parts (22) are rotated, for example through about 90.degree., this causes the inner part (17) of the sectional corner connector to move towards the outer part, while at the same time clamping the edge zones (19, 20) of the gratings.

Abstract: A device for measuring a force, a pressure or a torque transmitted in a force path between first and second apparatus components, includes at least three mutually spaced piezo-resistive resistor elements disposed in the force path between the first and second apparatus components such that the apparatus components orthogonally stress the resistor elements.

Abstract: In a method of providing a desired output torque for an internal-combustion engine a desired air mass-flow value or a desired load value is determined from a desired output torque value in dependence on the engine speed and the throttle-valve opening angle, and the measured actual value is adjusted to the respective desired value by control of the throttle-valve opening angle. A conversion between load and air mass flow takes place by means of a load filter which compensates for the deviations, occurring in dynamic operating states, of the measured air mass flow from the air mass flow actually flowing into the combustion chamber of the engine and a transition between the two regulating methods can take place continuously or in a switched manner.

Abstract: An angle sensor is proposed, preferably a no-contact angle sensor, particularly for use in motor vehicles, with the angle sensor including a component (10) that is carried along by the arrangement whose angular displacement is to be monitored, and a measuring device (12) for determining the rotational displacement angle (13, .PSI.). The measuring device (12, 14, 16) is hermetically encapsulated and includes a magnetic coupling (22, 24) between the carried-along component (10) and the measuring device (12, 14, 16).

Abstract: A device for evaluating periodic signals from inductive pick-ups compensates for the lag of the pick-up signal. This lag increases with increasing frequency as a consequence of the inductance of the pick-up, with respect to the position of a movable part that is to be scanned by the said pick-up. The relative time shift in the evaluation edge of the pick-up signal, which is phase-compensated via the frequency, is compensated for via changes in the amplitude of the pick-up signal.

Abstract: A capacitive difference sensor includes two sensor electrodes, each of which lies opposite a transmitting electrode fed by an electrical AC voltage source. A circuit arrangment connected to the two sensor electrodes for signal recovery generates a differential signal which corresponds to the difference between the displacement currents induced in the two sensor electrodes. The circuit arrangement includes a series resonance circuit comprising a coil and a capacitor, the resonance frequency of the series resonance circuit corresponding to the frequency of the AC voltage source. The two sensor electrodes are coupled via a transformer in opposite senses to the series resonance circuit and the differential signal is tapped off at the tap of the series resistance circuit formed by the connecting point between the coil and the capacitor.

Abstract: A cutting insert for use in internal and external chamfering of pipe ends. The cutting insert is capable of ready and insertion and replacement in a metal cutting tool and can be held firmly in the tool holder in a predetermined position.

Abstract: The arrangement for contactless measurement of the volume flow or mass flow of a moving medium comprises two transducers which furnish electrical signals into which inhomogeneities of the moving medium enter depending on their spatial position in accordance with different spatial weighting functions. The detecting regions of the two transducers are offset with respect to each other in the direction of movement of the medium but partially overlap in such a manner that the gradient of the spatial cross correlation function for the spatial displacement zero is different from the zero vector. A correlator forms the time cross correlation function of the two signals and an evaluation circuit derives the measured value for the volume flow or mass flow of the moving medium from the gradient of the time cross correlation function for the time displacement zero.

Abstract: An arrangement for generating mean-value-free binary signals includes a binarizing circuit which receives an analog signal to be binarized and binarizes said signal with respect to a binarizing threshold. Connected to the output of the binarizing circuit is a closed-loop control circuit which includes a differential integrator which receives at the one input the binary signal from the output of the binarizing circuit. Applied to the second input of the differential integrator is a desired value signal which corresponds to the mean value between the two signal levels of the binary signal. The differential integrator integrates the deviation between the binary signal and the desired value signal and furnishes a signal corresponding to the integrated deviation. By the signal corresponding to the integrated deviation the position of the analog signal relatively to the binarizing threshold is shifted in a sense such that the mean value of the deviation is regulated to zero.

Abstract: A metal cutting tool for turning, cutting off, grooving, chamfering and end facing operations. A cutting insert is clamped in a slot in a tool holder by a resiliently pivoting jaw. The tool and holder have complementary longitudinal keying ribs and grooves and a mating transverse projection and recess for resisting forces in both direction.

Abstract: A connecting element is provided for connecting together adjacent shuttering panels of the kind in which reinforcement strips with rows of holes provided therein are arranged at the edges of the shuttering panels and are dipsosed perpendicular thereto. The connecting element consists essentially of a curved lever arm (13) which tapers from a spigot part (17) to an end surface (18). The spigot part (17) adjoins a handle portion of the connecting element at a flange (16') defining an abutment edge (16). The handle portion is curved in essentially U-shaped manner and has a support surface (20) at the inside of its limb connected to the spigot portion (17). In operation the engagement end (18) of the lever arm is first introduced through two aligned holes in the adjacent reinforcement strips of two adjacent shuttering panels and the connecting element is then rotated about the abutment edge (16) so as to cause the spigot part (17) to enter into the two aligned bores.

Abstract: A digital correlator for determining the offset time between two random signals offset in time with respect to each other includes an analog signal processing arrangement and a digital signal processing unit. The analog signal processing arrangement generates by binarizing and periodic sampling of the random signals and their derivatives binary signals, each of which represents the polarity of one of the random signals or the derivative of a random signal at the sampling instants. The digital signal processing unit includes two delay circuits, each of which imparts to one of the binary signals a delay of an adjustable multiple of the sampling period.