Robert Boschgmbh

Erich Rubel

Wolfgang Maisch

Ralf Noltemeyer

Karl-Heinz Haegele

Klaus Miekley

Klaus Gatter

Michael Panther

The sensor apparatus includes a sensor device having a control current (I.sub.H) flowing through it, a sensitivity and a temperature dependence of the control current characterized by a temperature coefficient, and a temperature compensating circuit for compensating temperature changes adversely effecting the sensitivity of the sensor device. The temperature compensating circuit includes a circuit portion which sets or adjusts the temperature coefficient of the control current(I.sub.H) according to changes in the temperature dependent internal resistance of the sensor device so that changes in negative temperature coefficients of other physical quantities determining the sensor sensitivity are compensated.

Sensor apparatus including compensating circuit for temperature effects

Semi-active suspension control

A damping device having a regulatable shock absorber functioning both passively and actively is proposed. The adjustment of the shock absorber is effected by the actuation of a control device, the deflection of which is varied by the control pressure in a control line. Depending upon the deflection of the control device, the shock absorber functions as a passive or an active damper. In passive damping, the size of the throttle cross sections between work chambers of the shock absorber is controlled. In active damping, damping fluid is delivered to or removed from one of the work chambers via the control line. The pump capacity necessary for bringing the control pressure to bear is designed to be so low that compensation for the internal friction in the damping device or in a vehicle suspension is assured. The components necessary for adjusting the control pressure can therefore be kept quite small in size, and in particular a low-capacity compression pump can be used.

Shock absorber having a throttle with a variable cross section

A motion-damping apparatus is proposed which has a shock absorber disposed between a vehicle axle and a vehicle body. A piston that is supported on the vehicle body via a piston rod is movably supported in an inner jacket tube of the shock absorber. The piston divides work chambers filled with an electrorheological fluid as a damping fluid. The work chambers communicate with one another via an overflow cross section, the size of which is defined by a control slide the position of which is determined by an axially movable sheath. The sheath forms a first electrode, while the walls of an annular conduit receiving the sheath form a second electrode. The intensity of an electrostatic field that can be developed between the electrodes has an influence on the magnitude of the shear stress of the damping fluid flowing in the annular conduit and hence on the deflection of the sheath. In this way, the damping of the shock absorber can be adjusted via the electrostatic field present at the electrodes.

Motion-damping apparatus for a vehicle

A vehicle suspension for motor vehicles in which a semi-active suspension is combined with an active suspension to make a novel suspension. The pump power of the active suspension, however, is designed merely for overcoming the necessary frictional forces. The advantage is that for such a vehicle suspension, a lightweight pump of low power, small diameter lines, and a small 4/3-way magnetic valve requiring little current can be used.

Vehicle suspension

In order to permit digital processing of the alternating signals induced in a pair of perpendicular detecting coils mounted on a trackless vehicle which is guided over a buried guide cable carrying alternating current, one of the induced signals is phase shifted and applied to one input of a comparator whose other input receives the other signal. At the same time, the other signal is also fed to a comparator which produces a rectangular output signal in phase with the original signal. The outputs of the two comparators are fed to a microprocessor which generates an error signal related to the time interval between the occurrence of periodic features of the two input signals. The error signal is used to engage the steering gear of the vehicle to return it to its path over the guide cable. In further embodiments, the frequency of the input signals is lowered to facilitate digital processing and a separate counter is used to uncouple the microprocessor from the detection apparatus, permitting it to process the data at a lower frequency of operation.

Apparatus for automatic guidance of a trackless vehicle

A pair of main coils are arranged with their axes horizontally located, for example between the wheels, and symmetrically with respect to a longitudinal vertical plane of symmetry of the vehicle; a pair of auxiliary coils are located adjacent the horizontal coils, symmetrical with respect to said plane and having axes located at least approximately in a common vertical plane transverse to the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the vehicle, the coils including with said longitudinal plane an acute angle to open outwardly in the downward direction towards the conductor, preferably in the range of between 10.degree. to 45.degree., for example about 20.degree.. The main coils are differentially connected, the auxiliary coils are additively connected, and the output signals are divided to form a proportional ratio which forms the error signal indicative of deviation of said longitudinal plane of symmetry, at the location of the coils, from the conductor.

Guidance system for guiding trackless vehicles along a path defined by

To prevent sudden and violent control swings in the guidance system of vehicles which are guided in a guide path by sensing an electrical or magnetic field derived from a guide track conductor, which sensed field is evaluated in a servo steering system to maintain a transducer at a given distance from the conductor, a limiter stage is provided to which the steering command signal is applied to limit the command signal to predetermine swings; preferably, a low pass filter is also connected to the transducer output to have the command signal applied thereto, the output of the low pass filter being connected to the limiter stage to permit wide, gradual control swings of the servo system while inhibiting wide, rapid swings.

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Ludwigsburg, Germany

Erich Rubel