Abstract: A measuring device for contactless determination of a rotary angle consists of a rotor (11) and a stator (10). Two ring magnets (21, 22) are disposed in the inner wall of the rotor (11), which have oppositely oriented magnetic polarities. A Hall element (16) is arranged in a slit-like air gap (14) in the stator (10). Furthermore, an additional magnet (17) is located in a second slit-like air gap (15), which creates a magnetic bias in the Hall element (16), so that the linear measuring area A does not have a change of sign.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine, for motor vehicles having a direct fuel injection and externally supplied ignition, which has at least one combustion chamber enclosed between a cylinder head and a reciprocating piston displaceable in a cylinder bore, the combustion chamber being closable by at least one inlet valve for air aspiration. To attain extensive homogeneity of the mixture formation in direct fuel injection that assures reliable, thorough combustion of the mixture, the combustion chamber is preceded at its upper end by a chamber, which opens toward the combustion chamber and has an inside cross section that is substantially smaller than the combustion chamber and increases steadily toward the combustion chamber. The injection and ignition take place in the chamber.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing chip stacks in which wafers are stacked one on top of the other. The wafer is provided with an adhesive foil on its bottom, and is subsequently cut into chips so that the adhesive foil remains intact and the chips adhering to the adhesive foil are stacked one on top of the other. A first layer of chips is reversibly attached to a baseplate, the adhesive foil is removed, the next layer of chips is attached to the bottom side of the chips already fastened to the baseplate, the adhesive foil is removed, and the last two steps are repeated until the desired number of chips is stacked one on top of the other.

Abstract: A spark plug having a tube-shaped, metal housing, an insulator which is retained by the housing, and an inner conductor arrangement embedded in the insulator, the inner conductor arrangement comprising one connection bolt, one burn-off resistor, one contact pin, and one platinum central electrode, and four ground electrodes, which are bent towards the central electrode and protrude beyond the insulator by the width of their thickness, being secured to the housing, the contact pin being coated and being shortened in its length such that the burn-off resistor is forward-positioned as far as possible towards the spark gap, and the platinum central electrode having a nail shape, whose rear part has a smaller diameter than its front part, which extends out of the insulator.

Abstract: A measuring device for contactless determination of relative angular position including a stator (10) provided with slotlike stator air gaps (14, 15), a rotor (12) rotatable relative to the stator with a main gap between it and the stator and a Hall element (16) arranged in at least one of the stator air gaps. Two ring magnets (21, 22) having magnetic polarities opposite to each other are provided in the interior wall of the stator (10). To measure a rotational angle of greater than .+-.75.degree. with a linear response measurement curve, the first ring magnet (15) extends around the rotor (11) over an angular range of greater than 180.degree.. When the null point of the magnetic induction B is shifted to the beginning of the linear range of the mechanical measuring range, particularly small rotation angles can be measured with a comparatively reduced measurement error.

Abstract: Process for controlling the warm-up in an internal combustion engine wherein the combustion chamber pressure is obtained and evaluated, so that, using the evaluation of the combustion chamber pressure signal, the combustion is controlled so that combustion is not completed at the time the exhaust valve opens during warm-up.

Abstract: An arrangement for switching a high-voltage switch by optical energy is proposed. The high-voltage switch comprises a number of controllable semiconductor elements, which switch through when illuminated with light. The light energy is transmitted via a light guide or optical fiber rod, and the angle between the light guide or optical fiber rod and the high-voltage switch is from 5.degree. to 20.degree., and the light guide or optical fiber rod is cut obliquely on its end toward the high-voltage switch, producing an elliptical cross section.

Abstract: An ignition device for internal combustion engines with stationary high-voltage distribution, having at least one ignition coil (11), wherein a controllable switch (12) is disposed in series with the primary winding (10) and is triggerable by a control unit (13), wherein at least one high-voltage break-over diode (HKD), which comprises a plurality of break-over diode chips, is disposed in each secondary-side ignition branch between the high-voltage-side end of the secondary winding (14) and a spark plug (ZK1, ZK2, . . . , ZKn). A switch triggered by the control unit during the ignition coil charging operation makes a conditioning flow possible through the high-voltage break-over diode (HKD), which current in the high-voltage break-over diode floods the blocking region with charge carriers (38) (FIG. 1).

Abstract: A spark plug (10), for example for an internal combustion engine, having at least one center electrode (11) (high-voltage electrode) and at least one earth electrode (12), and an insulating spark plug insulator (13) and a creepage spark gap (14) between the center electrode (11) and the earth electrode (12). The creepage spark gap (14) has a pattern of islands comprising electrically-conductive material (16) which are insulated with respect to one another and are located on the outer surface zone of the spark plug insulator (13) or on the surface zone of an insulating material wafer (17) attached to outer surface of the insulator (13) of the spark plug (10).

Abstract: In a process for controlling the warm-up in an internal combustion engine, the combustion chamber pressure is evaluated, so that the warm-up period is divided into first and second phases that are controlled differently.

Abstract: A high-voltage breakover diode is proposed, which takes on the function of an ignition voltage distributor of an internal combustion engine having solid-state highvoltage distribution. The high-voltage breakover diode comprises a cascade of breakover diode chips, a polyimide layer having recesses in the region of the cathode connection being provided between the individual breakover diode chips produced using planar technology, in each case on the top of the breakover diode chips, and the mechanical and electrical connection of the individual breakover diode chips being effected by means of a conductive adhesive (FIG. 3).

Abstract: The pressure sensor for a combustion chamber includes a housing; a membrane closing the housing on its combustion chamber side; a monocrystalline silicon chip inside the housing and including a sensor circuit device provided with a bridge circuit device including a piezoresistor producing an electrical signal in response to applied pressure and a plunger positioned between the membrane and the silicon chip to transmit a pressure in the combustion chamber to the piezoresistor. The bridge circuit device is connected to an amplifier circuit located on the silicon chip. The amplifier circuit includes amplifier resistors having resistance values determinative of the offset of the signal and sensor sensitivity. A network circuit for offset and sensitivity adjustments is provided on the silicon chip and includes four adjusting circuits for offset, sensor sensitivity, temperature compensation of offset and for temperature compensation of sensor sensitivity.

Abstract: A force sensor employing a silicon chip having a force application area on a top surface and attached to a support at a bottom surface. Piezoresistive elements are arranged on the silicon chip in areas of high mechanical tension and produce signals. Circuits, which receive the signals produced by the piezoresistive elements, are arranged on the silicon chip in areas of low mechanical tension. The areas of mechanical tension may be influenced by providing grooves and/or recesses in the bottom surface of the silicon chip and by providing grooves in the top surface of the silicon chip.

Abstract: A device for operating a gas-discharge lamp includes a starting member and a power member for supplying energy to the lamp. A switch is arranged between the lamp and the power member and connects the power member with the lamp subsequent to the initiation of the starting process.

Abstract: A high voltage switch can be used in an internal combustion engine ignition system to switch a high voltage through to a spark plug upon illumination of a light-sensitive portion of the switch. The high voltage switch includes two sub-stacks of break-over diodes, with the diodes of the two sub-stacks having different properties. The break-over diodes of a first, illuminated sub-stack of the high voltage switch have a break-over voltage with a low dependence on temperature, whereas the break-over diodes of a second, unilluminated sub-stack have a low break-over current with tight tolerances.

Abstract: In a pressure sensor, a force is transferred via a pressure plunger end made of relatively hard material onto a measurement element including a sensor membrane on a support. The sensor membrane is part of a micromechanical arrangement made of silicon. A metal structure made of a metal of lower hardness compared with the hardness of the material of the pressure plunger end is applied onto the sensor membrane. This metal structure can be impressed and plastically deformed with increased force by the contact surface of the pressure plunger end, in such a way that conforming contact of the contact surface is achieved, and potential angular errors are compensated for.

Abstract: In a pressure sensor, the force is introduced onto a piezoresistive measuring element via a diaphragm and a punch. Since no exact mechanical adjustment between the diaphragm and the measuring element is necessary, various relatively inexpensive forms of diaphragm with different measuring sensitivity can be used. The punch and the piezoresistive measuring element can be pushed through an opening in the housing and pressed onto the diaphragm so as to provide an interlocking frictional connection between the punch and the measuring element.

Abstract: The high-voltage semiconductor device includes a single chip having a plurality of semiconductor elements connected in series with each other which includes an insulating substrate (2); a monocrystalline semiconductor carrier (1) of a first conductivity type applied to the insulating substrate (2); at least two terminals (5,6) located on opposite sides of the chip; strip-like areas (3) of a second conductivity type formed in the monocrystalline semiconductor carrier (1), the strip-like areas (3) each extending across the semiconductor carrier (1) at right angles to a longitudinal direction between the at least two terminals, forming pn junctions in the semiconductor carrier (1), being spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction over the single chip and penetrating an entire thickness of the semiconductor carrier; at least one doped region (7) in the strip-like areas (3) forming an at least four layered component in the single chip; and a light responsive device for reducing a switching voltage of the

Abstract: An ignition system for internal combustion engines, has a plurality of spark plugs, an ignition coil provided for the spark plugs and having a secondary circuit, at least one trigger diode cascade formed as a high voltage semiconductor switch and connected in the secondary circuit of the ignition coil prior to each of the spark plugs so as to change suddenly from a blocking state to a conducting state at a preselected voltage for generating ignition sparks, and a capacitor connected parallel to the secondary winding of the ignition coil between the ignition coil and the trigger diode cascade.

Abstract: A connection part for an ignition device, arranged between an ignition coil and a spark plug for incorporating in a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine, has an isolation housing, a high voltage switching element located in the isolation housing and during application of a trigger voltage is transferred reversibly in an electrically jump-like fashion to an electrically conductive condition, a first junction element located at one end of the high voltage switching element and connected with one pole of the latter and also connectable with a high voltage terminal of the ignition coil which leads to an output voltage of the ignition coil, a second junction element provided at another end of the high voltage switching element and connected with another pole of the latter and provided for receiving a terminal pin of the spark plug, and an element associated with the isolation housing for increasing a capacity region between the high voltage switching element and the first junction element.