Abstract: A project management and activity recording system defines project tasks, project positions, and assigns personnel to the project positions. As the assigned personnel perform project tasks from a remote location, they may periodically record their activities in the project software. The recorded activity information is used to update the project to keep records such as time, cost, expenses, and task completion current, even when offsite personnel or contractors are used. A reporting user interface may be selected based on the reporting device, and data entry may be performed by updating historical or default values.

Abstract: An optical waveguide is described which has a core and a sheath, each of which is made of a fully fluorinated fluorocarbon material. In particular, a fully fluorinated Teflon material such as Teflon AF 1600 or Teflon AF 2400, or a mixture thereof, is suitable as the fully fluorinated fluorocarbon. The optical waveguide is optically transparent around the 1300 nm and/or 1550 nm wave band. Furthermore, the core of the optical waveguide may have a refractive index that is higher than the refractive index of the sheath. The optical waveguide is suitable for use as, for example, an integrated optical waveguide for transmitting information in optical telecommunications.

Abstract: A device and method for determining at least one parameter of a flowing gas-liquid mixture, including parameters of the intake air of internal combustion engines, uses a condensation trap to protect a measuring element from back flowing liquids, downstream from the measuring element.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a bridge igniter 1 having: a resistance layer 3 which has a given electrical resistance and which can be heated by an electrical current; an electrical insulating layer 4 that is disposed on the resistance layer 3 and has a given thermal conductivity; a reactive layer that is disposed on the insulating layer, the insulating layer 4 transmitting the heat that is produced in the resistance layer 3 to the reactive layer 5, thereby causing the latter to undergo an exothermic reaction; and a pyrotechnic layer 7 that is disposed on or above the reactive layer 5 and that may be set off by the exothermic reaction of the reactive layer 5.

Abstract: A method and a system for detecting the spatial movement state of moving objects, e.g., vehicles. Due to a, for example, non-cartesian arrangement of four rotational rate sensors and/or acceleration sensors, it is also possible to obtain a redundant signal in addition to the desired useful signal indicating the spatial movement state, e.g., the rotational movement and/or acceleration in space; if this redundant signal is large enough in comparison with the rotational rate actually applied, it may be used for detection of the size of the error and the defective sensor. The four sensors are mounted, for example, on a sensor platform forming a three-sided truncated pyramid so that all possible three-way combinations of sensors are mutually linearly independent. The accuracy about the vertical axis is defined by the angle of inclination of the side faces of the truncated pyramid.

Abstract: A filling level gage operating with microwaves, for measuring a filling level of a filling material (5) in a container (1), is provided which functions with a single antenna (7) constructed as simply as possible, and in which a minimum distance required for measurement between the filling material (5) and the antenna (7) is as small as possible, having a microwave generator (9), and an antenna (7) with planar antenna structure, which is used to transmit the microwaves in the direction of the filling material (5) and to receive microwaves reflected from a filling material surface, in which the planar antenna structure has at least two transmission and/or reception elements (11, 13, 33, 35, 37, S, E).

Abstract: A device is described having a capacitor (200) with alterable capacitance C(U) for changing the impedance of a section of a coplanar waveguide, which may be used in particular as a high-frequency microswitch. A ground lead (110, 111) and a signal lead (120) interrupted by an electroconductive connection (121) which is self-supporting at least in some areas are provided, the capacitor (200) including the electroconductive connection (121) and an additional electroconductive connection (130) connected to the ground lead (110, 111). In addition a structure (150) connected to the electroconductive connection (121) is provided, which is designed in such a way that it reduces mechanical stresses which occur in the electroconductive connection (121).

Abstract: A device including a capacitor system for varying the impedance of a section of a coplanar waveguide. The capacitance of the capacitor system is variable. The capacitor system includes a first electrically conductive connection, a second electrically conductive connection, and a third electrically conductive connection at least partially. The signal line of the section of the waveguide is interrupted over a predetermined length, the first connection connecting the ground lines of the waveguide, the second connection connecting the ground lines of the waveguide, and the third connection connecting the two parts of the interrupted signal line.

Abstract: The steam generating device (1) is used to heat and/or froth liquids, especially milk. It includes an electrically driven pump (3) supplied with water from a water source (2), which pump delivers water in a controlled fashion to a continuous flow heater (6) heated by an electrically operated heating (22) by way of a conduit (13). The continuous flow heater (6) heats the water it receives in its steam pipe (18) to steam that is subsequently supplied to a steam tapping point, preferably a steam nozzle (7), where the steam exits under pressure. An intermediate tank (5) with an overflow chamber (53) which stores a defined quantity of water is provided in the conduit (13) between the pump (3) and the steam pipe (18).

Abstract: A device having a capacitor (200) for changing the impedance of a section of a coplanar waveguide is proposed, the capacitance of the capacitor (200) being changeable, the signal line (120) of the section of the waveguide being interrupted for a predefined length (122), a first connection (130) connecting the ground lines (110, 111) of the waveguide, and the second connection (121) connecting both parts of the interrupted signal line (120).

Abstract: A controllable damping member has a substrate with a semiconductor material; a coplanar conductor applied on the substrate and having a metalization; and a control voltage applied between the metalization of the coplanar conductor and the semiconductor material of the substrate and determining a damping of the coplanar conductor.

Abstract: A device for determining at least one parameter of a flowing gas-liquid mixture, according to the related art has the disadvantage that it is not protected against liquids moving against the main flow direction.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the highly accurate determination of the filling level (q) of a product (4) in a container (2), measuring signals being transmitted in the direction of the surface (5) of the filled product (4) and reflected at the surface (5) as echo signals and the filling level (q) in the container (2) being determined by evaluation of the amplitude values (A) and phase values (&psgr;) of the reflected echo signals by means of a pulse delay-time method. Furthermore, an apparatus suitable for carrying out the method is proposed. The invention is based on the object of proposing a method and an apparatus which permit highly accurate filling level measurements in containers (2), even if multipath propagation or multimode propagation occurs.

Abstract: The optical signal transmission system includes one or more optical wave guide switches (11 to 15) for switching between transmission paths for transmission of light signals and an optical level adjusting device (16 to 24) connected with the one or more optical wave guide switches in at least one of the transmission paths. The optical level adjusting device (16 to 24) controls its own light transmittance with a thermooptic device (22,24) and the one or more optical wave guide switches (11 to 15) switch between transmission paths by a similar thermooptic device (14,15). The one or more optical wave guide switches and the optical level adjusting device are arranged in an integrated thermooptic circuit in a common substrate.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a locally reinforced metallic microfeature on a substrate provided preferably with an electrical contacting or a driving circuit, and on an organic, patterned sacrificial layer, which is removed after the metallic microfeature is applied, is described. In fabricating the local reinforcement of the microfeature, at least one further organic layer, formed as a mask, is deposited, which is likewise removed following pattern delineation of the metallic layer.

Abstract: In known devices for testing vehicle shock absorbers, the tires, which have a dampening effect, are not taken into account, so that the measurement results may be falsified by up to about 30%, depending on the tire pressure. In addition, when the wheels are mounted on the vehicle, no shock absorber characteristic curve may be measured, only individual values. In the disclosed device, the actuating variable “tire” is eliminated by a regulation process that consists in normalizing the resonance amplitude, a considerably more accurate measurement being thus obtained. In addition, the spring constant of the wheel suspension is determined before actually testing the shock absorbers, allowing defective springs to be detected. Finally, car body oscillations may also be determined, causing an additional precision gain. For the first time it becomes possible to determine a shock absorber characteristic curve without having to dismount the shock absorbers.

Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle testing device for carrying out various tests on a vehicle, with the tires of the vehicle being respectively placed on two driveable rotatable rollers. Known vehicle testing devices have a need for substantial space and incur high production costs. Object of the invention is to enable a less expensive and more compact inspection of the vehicle. According to the invention, this is attained by placing a shock absorber testing device in the area of both rollers. The additional axial displacement of the rollers and provision of a third roller disposed in parallel relationship thereto and also shiftable in axial direction enables a testing of brakes, tracking, steering play, joint play as well as shock absorbers in a smallest space.

Abstract: The thermooptic modulator includes a wave guide (1) having a switching section (4), a refracting section (5) bordering the switching section (4) and extending transversely to a signal propagation direction (14) in the wave guide and a first heating element (8) extending on the refracting section (5) along a boundary (6) between the wave guide (1) and the refracting section (5). In order to improve signal suppression when the modulator is switched to an impermable state, a second heating element (9) is provided extending on the wave guide (1) along the boundary (6).

Abstract: A combination B-pillar molding and belt-line window molding for a motor vehicle door, and method for manufacturing the same. The molding comprises a main body including a window sealing structure and a mounting structure. The sealing structure is formed from a resilient material constructed and arranged to seal a belt-line gap between a motor vehicle door and a motor vehicle window. The mounting structure is constructed and arranged to mount the main body on a belt-line region of the motor vehicle door. The molding further includes a metal cover member having an elongate first portion with a channel configuration The channel configuration of the first portion is flexible outwardly to receive a portion of the main body and flexible inwardly to grippingly engage the portion of the main body in secured relation. The metal cover member has an elongate second portion integrally formed with the first portion and extends laterally from the first portion.

Abstract: The invention relates to the new bacterial strain Corynebacterium sp. K2-17 and to a process for the microbial decontamination of materials polluted with compounds from the production of phenoxyalkanoic acid herbicides, such as 2,4-dichlorophenoxybutyric acid (DCPB), 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxybutyric acid (MCPB), 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA), 2,4-dichlorophenol (DCP), and 4-chloro-2-methylphenol (MCP) in a pH range of from slightly acidic to strongly alkaline.