Abstract: A screw (60) is provided, having a shaft (32) and a head (66), for fastening a component onto a substructure utilizing a tightly pressing conical sealing disk (50) against the component. The screw head (66) is configured at the bottom (64) thereof around the shaft (32) as a cone that is tapered in the direction of the top (68) of the screw head (66). The cone angle of the conical sealing disk (50) measured against a perpendicular line to the disk axis is equal to, or larger than the cone angle (alpha) of the screw head (66), which is measured against a perpendicular line to the screw axis. When the screw (60) is tightened, the conical bottom (64) of the screw head (66) and the conical top (58) of the sealing disk (50) are in mutual surface contact with each other. This maintains a sealing connection. Through the conical configuration of the bottom (64) of the screw head (66) the so-called “cupping” of the sealing disk (50) is prevented when the screw (60) is tightened.

Abstract: A method of controlling an automated stepped transmission disposed in a drive train of a motor vehicle in conjunction with a turbo-charged internal combustion engine. In which the control of start-up and shifting procedures depends on the response behavior of the internal combustion engine. In order to enable control of the start-up and shifting processes with considerably lower coordination effort, the actual response behavior of the internal combustion engine is taken from an engine dynamics characteristic map in which the immediately available maximum torque (Mmax) of the internal combustion engine is stored as a function of the current engine torque (MM) and the current engine speed (nM, thus (Mmax=f (MM, nM)).

Abstract: A method for operating a powertrain of a motor vehicle may comprise: providing a powertrain comprising an automatic transmission arranged between a drive unit and an axle drive, wherein an input shaft of the automatic transmission is connected with the drive unit by means of a controllable clutch and an output shaft is connected with the axle drive, and wherein the powertrain comprises also a gearbox-sided, transient auxiliary drive that is selectively connected for activating or engaging a gearbox-sided connecting point or disconnected for deactivating or disengaging from the connecting point; determining, when the gearbox-sided transient auxiliary output is activated or engaged, a load to be borne at the performance of a gearshift; and specifying, depending on the determined load, whether the gearshift is going to be performed and what synchronous elements of the powertrain are being used to perform the gearshift.

Abstract: A method of operating a powertrain may include providing an automatic transmission disposed between a drive unit and an axle drive. One input shaft of the automatic transmission is connected by means of an operable clutch to the drive unit and an output shaft of the automatic transmission is connected to the axle drive. A transmission-side, mobile auxiliary drive is configured to couple with a transmission-side connection. The transmission-side connection point for the auxiliary drive is decoupled from the axle drive and, at least partially from the drive unit. The rotational rate of the transmission-side connection point for the auxiliary drive and the auxiliary drive are synchronized, whereby the auxiliary drive is coupled to the connection point. The transmission-side connection point for the auxiliary drive, and thereby the auxiliary drive, is coupled to the drive unit as well as the axle drive.

Abstract: A method of operating a vehicle drive train (1) comprising a combustion engine (2), a turbo charger (22) assigned to the combustion engine, a mechanism for the injection of additional compressed air into an air intake system (8) of the combustion engine (2), a start and shift clutch (60), and a transmission (62). To optimally prepare and execute a start procedure of such an equipped vehicle, additional compressed air is only injected into the air intake system (8) of the combustion engine (2) if, depending upon the actual operating situation of the vehicle, the injection of additional compressed air benefits the safety of the driver, fuel consumption, drive comfort and/or the clutch wear.

Abstract: A method to operate a vehicle drive train comprising a combustion engine, a turbo charger assigned to the combustion engine, a mechanism for injecting additional compressed air into an air intake system of the combustion engine and a transmission. The method enables practical use of a compressed air injection mechanism, in the drive train, and comprises the step of controlling the time, the duration, the pressure and/or the volume of the additional compressed air, to be injected into the air intake system of the combustion engine, depending upon the performance request of the driver, the actual rotational speed and load condition of the combustion engine, the speed of the vehicle, and the procedures of the gear ratio change of the transmission.

Abstract: A method of determining an application point of an automatically actuated clutch of an automatic mechanical transmission. After pre-selecting a new gear, the clutch automatically separates, the activated gear disengages, the engine rotational speed is brought to a target value for the new gear and the clutch, with higher advancing speed, is advanced to an application point at which the transmission input shaft is precisely entrained. To determine the application point, the gradient of the time curve of the rotational speed of the transmission input shaft is monitored, an important change of the gradient, that adjusts itself when reaching the application point, is determined and the current position of the clutch is defined as the application point. The application point is determined during downshifts, the time rotational speed curve of the transmission input shaft is between slowdown and re-acceleration, which is easily and accurately determined.

Abstract: A threaded element (1) is provided having at least two slots (3), notches, grooves or the like that intersect the thread (2). The slots (3), notches, grooves or the like are configured in relation to the thread (2) so that they intersect the thread (2) to form a sharp cutting edge on the thread flanks (4), thus preventing reverse rotation. The slots, notches or grooves have no more than 25-times the pitch and the same rotational direction as the thread.

Abstract: A method for detecting fault in an actuator. By transmitting a control value, which is generated by a control unit, to an input of the actuator a signal for the measured actuator position is produced at the output of the actuator. The signal for the measured actuator position is sent to an input of a signal conditioning unit which determines from it a measure of actuator movement. The control value is also transmitted to an input of a modeling unit, which calculates from it an expected measure of actuator movement. These movements are sent to a computer unit, which produces a corresponding status signal for the functionality of the actuator and for the functionality of the sensor for determining the actuator position.

Abstract: A self-boring screw (2) having a boring section (6) attached to the free end of the screw shaft (4), two vanes (12) radially protruding from the boring section, the edges of the vanes facing toward the boring tip (8) of the boring section (6) being configured as boring blades (13). The boring section (6) includes a chip discharge zone (14) that is configured such that the edges of the vanes (12) facing toward the boring tip (8) forms a cutting point (S) with a boring radius (16), the cutting point having a distance (A) to the screw shaft (4) that is at least ? of the cutting edge length of the bore tip (8). The chip discharge zone (14) makes it possible that the chips produced by the boring blade (10) at the boring tip (8) can be discharged freely and without buildup.

Abstract: A method of controlling an automatic transmission of a vehicle in which a hold gear function is activated by a driver request and is deactivated independently of a return condition. To allow an effective, safe to operate, and comfortable use, the return condition depends on one of the following criteria or a useful combination of the same: a flexible time span, consideration of the vehicle stand still time; a rotational speed of the vehicle engine, or one or several parameters which correlate with the engine rotational speed, a new, the same, or a different drive request by the driver, a change in the operating condition of the vehicle, and a plausibility check occurring during the startup procedure.

Abstract: A method of controlling an automated variable-speed transmission in a drivetrain of a motor vehicle having all-wheel drive in which, during driving operation under difficult ground conditions, measures are provided for suppression of the automatic shift processes. To reliably prevent undesired automatic shift processes when the vehicle is in an all-wheel drive mode on difficult terrain, particularly also in combination with active differential locks, currently active traction-related mechanisms are evaluated by a plausibility check taking into account detection of wheel slippage, and the measures for suppressing automatic shift processes are carried out as a function of the evaluation.

Abstract: A method of operating an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle. The automatic transmission, when the motor vehicle is driven with an actuated accelerator and an engaged starting clutch, and then coasts with the accelerator not actuated and the starting clutch engaged, during coasting with the engaged starting clutch the transmission remaining in the gear in which it was previously driven with the gas pedal actuated. When the transmission input speed of the automatic transmission drops below a limit value, during coasting, the starting clutch is disengaged. During coasting with a disengaged starting clutch in the automatic transmission, a gear is shifted that matches the current speed of the motor vehicle so that, when the starting clutch is subsequently engaged, a gear is available that matches the speed of the motor vehicle prevailing at the time the starting clutch is subsequently engaged.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a transmission, especially an automatic transmission, comprising a dry starting clutch. Said starting clutch is especially configured as a friction clutch and a characteristic value is determined during operation in defined operating points, said value being indicative of the state of wear of the starting clutch. The method according to the invention is characterized by comparing a newly determined characteristic value with a characteristic value previously determined in a previous operating point. If the newly determined characteristic value deviates from the previously determined characteristic value to such an extent that it suggests a reduced wear of the starting clutch, it is assumed that the starting clutch has been replaced and a wear indicator of the starting clutch is reset in a defined manner.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating an automotive drive train comprising at least one automatic transmission and one drive unit. According to said method, a starting speed is determined during starting of the motor vehicle, a starting process being triggered using the determined starting speed by closing a starting element, especially a starting clutch. According to the invention, the starting speed can be individually adjusted by a driver in such a manner that when the automatic transmission is in the selector position neutral, the engine speed of the drive unit can be determined by the driver by actuating the gas pedal and that once the automatic transmission is transferred from neutral to a selector position corresponding to forward gear or reverse gear the engine speed of the drive unit prevailing during the transfer is used as the starting speed.

Abstract: In order to achieve a comfortable starting process with low wear, a braking torque, set by the driver by way of a brake pedal, an acceleration torque, requested by the driver via the accelerator pedal, and a holding torque, required for holding a motor vehicle on a gradient, are determined, and the engagement of the starting clutch, as well as the release of the service brake, are coordinated such that during the release of the service brake, the sum of the clutch torque and braking torque corresponds to the holding torque, and the clutch torque of the starting clutch is increased by the acceleration torque only when the service brake has been largely released.

Abstract: A screw (60) is provided, having a shaft (32) and a head (66), for fastening a component onto a substructure utilizing a tightly pressing conical sealing disk (50) against the component. The screw head (66) is configured at the bottom (64) thereof around the shaft (32) as a cone that is tapered in the direction of the top (68) of the screw head (66). The cone angle of the conical sealing disk (50) measured against a perpendicular line to the disk axis is equal to, or larger than the cone angle (alpha) of the screw head (66), which is measured against a perpendicular line to the screw axis. When the screw (60) is tightened, the conical bottom (64) of the screw head (66) and the conical top (58) of the sealing disk (50) are in mutual surface contact with each other. This maintains a sealing connection. Through the conical configuration of the bottom (64) of the screw head (66) the so-called “cupping” of the sealing disk (50) is prevented when the screw (60) is tightened.

Abstract: A method of controlling an automated friction clutch in a drivetrain of a motor vehicle between a drive motor and a manual transmission. During clutch actuation, at least one operating parameter of the friction clutch is detected by a sensor and from variation of the operating parameter at least one adaptation parameter is derived for correcting a control parameter of the associated clutch control element. To obtain information about variation of the clutch release force and to improve the control of an associated clutch control element, the friction clutch is fully disengaged with constant control or actuation of the clutch control element. During the disengagement process, the release travel path is determined as a function of release time, and from the time variation of the release travel path, a characteristic value is determined which is used to determine an adaptation parameter for correcting the control parameter of the clutch control element.

Abstract: A threaded element (1) is provided having at least two slots (3), notches, grooves or the like that intersect the thread (2). The slots (3), notches, grooves or the like are configured in relation to the thread (2) so that they intersect the thread (2) to form a sharp cutting edge on the thread flanks (4), thus preventing reverse rotation. The slots, notches or grooves have no more than 25-times the pitch and the same rotational direction as the thread.

Abstract: A device for controlling a fluid-actuated, double-action operating cylinder (2) having two cylinder chambers (6, 8) separated from one another by a piston (4). Each cylinder chamber (6, 8) communicates with a respective valve (12, 14) for controlling the flow of fluid in and out of the cylinder chamber (6, 8) and a pressure sensor (40) for detecting the fluid supply pressure. A control unit (20) is connected to the switching valves (12, 14) and the pressure sensor (40). To determine the actual control force of the operating cylinder (2), the pressure sensor (40) is arranged between the cylinder chambers (6, 8) and the control unit (20). The output from the pressure sensor (40) can be processed in the control unit (20) and used for actuating a pressure regulation valve (22) arranged in the pressure line (32).