Abstract: The invention relates to a sputtering target, a coating system, and a coating method for same. The sputtering target comprises a base plate with a target plate which is secured thereon and which is made of a first sputtering material with a surface and a plurality of recesses formed therein. A plurality of inserts are arranged in the recesses. At least some of the inserts are made of a second sputtering material, wherein the second sputtering material has a higher sputter yield than the first sputtering material. The aim of the invention is to achieve especially uniform coatings. This is achieved in that the inserts made of the second sputtering material are shaped such that the extent D1, D2 of the inserts, measured in a measuring direction parallel to the surface, increases from the surface to the base plate in a depth direction T.

Abstract: The invention relates to a coating method and to a coating device for coating a body. A magnetron cathode having a target is arranged in the vacuum chamber. Electrical power is supplied to the magnetron cathode such that a plasma is generated and the target is sputtered in order to deposit a coating on the body. The electrical power is periodically supplied within a period duration T according to the HIPIMS method as cathode pulses, wherein each cathode pulse comprises at least two cathode sub-pulses and an intervening cathode sub-pulse break. In order to be able to deposit coatings having favorable properties in a particularly favorable manner by using the chopped HIPIMS method, a bias voltage is applied to the substrate to be coated with bias voltage pulses, wherein each bias voltage pulse comprises at least two bias sub-pulses and an intervening bias sub-pulse break.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device to for applying a layer 64 to a body 60, 62, and to a coated body 60. The body 60, 62 is disposed in a vacuum chamber 12 and process gas is supplied. A plasma is generated in the vacuum chamber 12 by operating a cathode 30 by applying a cathode voltage VP with cathode pulses and by sputtering a target 32. A bias voltage VB is applied to the body 60, 62 so that charge carriers of the plasma are accelerated into the direction of the body 60, 62 and attached to its surface. In order to achieve favorable properties of the coating 64 in a controlled way, the time course of the bias voltage VB is varied during the coating duration D. In the coating 64 of the body 60, 62, the material of the layer 64 comprises proportions of a noble gas, the concentration of which in the layer 64 varies over the layer thickness.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for coating a substrate 40, a coating system for carrying out the method, and a coated body. In a first method step 62, the substrate 40 is to pretreated in a ion etching process. In a second method step 64, a first coating layer 56a with a thickness of 0.1 ?m to 6 ?m is deposited on the substrate 40 by means of a PVD process. In order to achieve a particularly high-quality and durable coating 50, the surface of the first coating layer 56a is treated by means of an ion etching process in a third method step 66, and an additional coating layer 56b with a thickness of 0.1 ?m to 6 ?m is deposited on the first coating layer 56a by means of a PVD process in a fourth method step 68. The coated body comprises at least two coating layers 56a, 56b, 56c, 56d with a thickness of 0.1 ?m to 6 ?m on a substrate 40, wherein an interface region formed by ion etching is arranged between the coating layers 56a, 56b, 56c, 56d.

Abstract: An inductive power transfer unit includes a winding unit for inductive power transfer during a power transfer operation, a flux guide, and an antenna. The antenna is arranged with the flux guide for generating or receiving an antenna signal during an auxiliary operation, wherein a compensation winding is arranged, such that the compensation winding compensates for an induced voltage and/or induced current in the antenna guide during the power transfer operation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a coated body and to a method for coating a body. The coated body comprises at least a substrate (22), a diamond layer (24) having a thickness of 1-40 ?m, and a hard material layer (26), which is arranged farther outside on the body (10) than the diamond layer (24). The hard material layer (26) comprises at least one metal element and at least one non-metal element. An adhesive layer (32) having a thickness of 2-80 nm is provided between the diamond layer (24) and the hard material layer (26). The adhesive layer (32) contains carbon and at least one metal element. The diamond layer (24) can be applied by means of a CVD method. The hard material layer can be applied by means of a PVD method.

Abstract: A circuit configuration for inductively heating at least one fuel injection valve includes a power-transistor full-bridge circuit which acts as a driver for operating a series resonant circuit at an alternating voltage at or near the resonant frequency. The series resonant circuit includes a heater coil on which the resulting voltage can be significantly higher than the supply voltage. The power that can be fed to the heater coil can be modified or controlled by changing the frequency or the duty factor of the control signals of the switching elements of the bridge circuit. A fuel injection valve and methods for operating the circuit configuration are also provided.

Abstract: The invention relates to a coated body and to a method for coating a body. The coated body comprises at least a substrate (22), a diamond layer (24) having a thickness of 1-40 ?m, and a hard material layer (26), which is arranged farther outside on the body (10) than the diamond layer (24). The hard material layer (26) comprises at least one metal element and at least one non-metal element. An adhesive layer (32) having a thickness of 2-80 nm is provided between the diamond layer (24) and the hard material layer (26). The adhesive layer (32) contains carbon and at least one metal element. The diamond layer (24) can be applied by means of a CVD method. The hard material layer can be applied by means of a PVD method.

Abstract: An inductive power transfer unit includes a winding unit for inductive power transfer during a power transfer operation, a flux guide, and an antenna. The antenna is arranged with the flux guide for generating or receiving an antenna signal during an auxiliary operation, wherein a compensation winding is arranged, such that the compensation winding compensates for an induced voltage and/or induced current in the antenna guide during the power transfer operation.

Abstract: A circuit configuration for inductively heating a fuel injector, includes an injection valve heater coil having connections forming first and second nodes, a capacitor connected parallel to the heater coil, a first inductor connected between a positive pole of a supply voltage and the first node, a second inductor connected between the positive pole of the supply voltage and the second node, a first controllable switching element connected between the first node and a negative pole of the supply voltage, a second controllable switching element connected between the second node and the negative pole of the supply voltage, and a control unit connected to control inputs of the switching elements for applying a switch-on level to the control inputs when the voltage at the respective node connected to a switching element becomes 0 and for dimensioning a switch-on duration of the switching element according to a preset heating power.

Abstract: An apparatus operates at least one light-emitting diode in the form of a laser diode. The light-emitting diode is interconnected in series with the load section of a controllable semiconductor element and a current measuring resistor between a first supply voltage terminal and a second supply voltage terminal. The supply voltage terminals are the output connections of a voltage-regulating circuit in the form of a DC voltage boost converter which provides a supply voltage), and wherein a current-regulating circuit is provided for the current through the at least one light-emitting diode, whose actuator is the controllable semiconductor element.

Abstract: A method for determining the quantity of fuel flowing through a fuel injector. The fuel injector has an electric heating device for heating the fuel and a temperature-measuring device for measuring the temperature of the heated fuel. The method includes (a) applying a predetermined electrical heating power to the electric heating device, (b) measuring an increase in the temperature of the fuel as a consequence of the heating power, and (c) determining the quantity of fuel flowing through the fuel injector on the basis of the applied electrical heating power and the measured increase in the temperature. A method for equalizing the fuel feed at at least two cylinders of an internal combustion engine utilizes the method for determining the quantity of fuel flowing through a fuel injector. An engine controller and a computer program carry out the specified methods.

Abstract: An actuator unit for injecting fuel into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine includes an electrically conductive excitation winding, a ferromagnetic circuit having a ferromagnetic return, and a moveable armature. The armature is held in an idle position by a holding force of a spring element. A current flowing through the excitation winding produces (a) a magnetic holding force acting on the armature in the same direction as the spring holding force provided by the spring element, and (b) a magnetic motive force acting on the armature in the opposite direction as the magnetic holding force and spring holding force. The armature can be moved to a working position in which the armature adjoins the ferromagnetic return by increasing the current through the excitation winding above a predetermined value that results in the magnetic motive force exceeding the magnetic holding force combined with the spring holding force.

Abstract: A process and a device for coating a substrate (22) are described. In a vacuum chamber (10), a first magnetron cathode (24) is provided with a sputtering target (28) of a first metal composition comprising predominantly aluminium. A second magnetron cathode (26) is provided with a sputtering target (30) of a second metal composition comprising at least 50 at-% of a second metal selected from groups IVA-VIA of the periodic table. In order to obtain coatings with improved properties, electrical power is supplied to the cathodes (24, 26) such that the targets (28, 30) are sputtered, where electrical power is supplied to the first cathode (24) as pulsed electrical power according to high power impulse magnetron sputtering with a first peak current density, and to the second cathode (26) with a second peak current density lower than the first peak current density. The substrate (22) is arranged within the vacuum chamber such that particles from the plasma deposit onto the substrate forming a coating.

Abstract: An arrangement includes a ferromagnetic work piece and a heating winding arranged around at least a segment of the work piece for inductively heating the work piece. A layer of highly conductive material is arranged between the work piece and the heating winding. In a further development, the heating winding can be surrounded by a ferromagnetic material on the sides of the heating winding not facing the work piece. The ferromagnetic material is in contact with the work piece in the region of the ends of the heating winding and has at least one continuous interruption in a longitudinal direction of the heating winding.

Abstract: An ignition device for an internal combustion engine includes an ignition coil designed as a transformer, the secondary winding thereof being designed to connect to a spark plug, an actuatable switch element connected in series with the primary winding of the ignition coil, and a controller connected to the primary winding of the ignition coil and the control input of the switching element. The controller has a voltage converter which provides a supply voltage for the ignition coil at the output thereof and which can be connected to a motor vehicle electrical system voltage, a controllable changeover switch for applying the supply voltage at either positive or negative polarity to the series circuit of the primary winding of the ignition coil and the switching element, depending on a control signal, and a control circuit which generates the control signal based on a phase of the ignition process.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for operating an ignition device for an internal combustion engine, said device having an ignition coil designed as a transformer, an igniter plug connected to the ignition coil secondary winding, a controllable switching element connected in series to the ignition coil primary winding and a control unit connected to the ignition coil primary winding and the control input of the switching element, wherein the control unit provides a supply voltage for the ignition coil and a control signal for the switching element depending upon the flows through the ignition coil primary and secondary winding and the voltage between the connection point of the ignition coil primary winding to the switching element and the negative terminal of the supply voltage, to provide an adjustable alternating current for the igniter plug, to provide a targeted supply of power distributed over the ignition time interval.

Abstract: An ignition apparatus has an ignition transformer that has a primary winding and a secondary winding. The transformer has a first primary winding connection for connection to a first supply voltage potential and a second primary winding connection for connection to a second supply voltage potential via a controllable switching element. Accordingly a first capacitor is connected up between the first primary winding connection and the second supply voltage potential and a second capacitor is connected up between the second primary winding connection and the second supply voltage potential.

Abstract: A circuit configuration for inductively heating a fuel injector, includes an injection valve heater coil having connections forming first and second nodes, a capacitor connected parallel to the heater coil, a first inductor connected between a positive pole of a supply voltage and the first node, a second inductor connected between the positive pole of the supply voltage and the second node, a first controllable switching element connected between the first node and a negative pole of the supply voltage, a second controllable switching element connected between the second node and the negative pole of the supply voltage, and a control unit connected to control inputs of the switching elements for applying a switch-on level to the control inputs when the voltage at the respective node connected to a switching element becomes 0 and for dimensioning a switch-on duration of the switching element according to a preset heating power.

Abstract: A circuit configuration for inductively heating at least one fuel injection valve includes a power-transistor full-bridge circuit which acts as a driver for operating a series resonant circuit at an alternating voltage at or near the resonant frequency. The series resonant circuit includes a heater coil on which the resulting voltage can be significantly higher than the supply voltage. The power that can be fed to the heater coil can be modified or controlled by changing the frequency or the duty factor of the control signals of the switching elements of the bridge circuit. A fuel injection valve and methods for operating the circuit configuration are also provided.