Schott Ag

Schott Glas

Other

Harry Engelmann

Kurt Schaupert

Bernd Schultheis

Peter Nass

Clemens Ottermann

Inka Henze

Kurt Nattermann

Ingo Schwirtlich

Stefan Bauer

Roland Schnabel

Roland Dudek

Cora Krause

Gerhard Weber

Jörg Schuhmacher

Andreas Borrmann

Dieter Munkes

Irmgard Westenberger

Uwe Fliedner

Peter Zachmann

Gabriele RÖMER-Scheuermann

The construction principles according to the present invention make possible large sheet-like solar modules with low weight, which have great mechanical toughness, are inured to rough climatic environment influences and withstand thermal stress due to solar irradiation and shadowing effects. The solar modules have front and back panes, one of which has a thickness of at least 3 mm and the other of which has a thickness of at most 2 mm. The coefficient of thermal expansion of the thicker pane is preferably greater than that of the thinner pane. In preferred embodiments burling or a wavy structure is provided on one side of the front pane and/or the back pane.

Photovoltaic modules having reduced weight

A method for producing light-scattering structures on flat optical waveguides into which light can be coupled for making the light-scattering structures visible. The light-scattering structures are applied to a surface of the optical waveguide in accordance with a predetermined arrangement prescription. The light-scattering structures are applied directly to the optical waveguide with a non-impact method. The application of the light-scattering structures can occur by imprinting with a computer-controlled, contactless-operating print head or by electro-photographic coating.

Method for producing light-scattering structures on flat optical waveguides

The arrangement for illuminating at least one switch surface () provided on a transparent panel () has at least one light source () and a touch sensor switch () arranged behind the at least one switch surface (). The illumination should not interfere with the switching function and a touch sensor switch () does not need its own light source (). The light source () is spaced from the at least one switch surface () so that the at least one light source () radiates light into the transparent panel () or into an optical waveguide () arranged on the transparent panel (). The light of the at least one light source () is guided into the transparent panel or the optical waveguide toward the at least one switch surface () and conducted into a region between the at least one switch surface () and a sensor element () of the touch sensor switch ().

Arrangement for illuminating a switch surface for a touch sensor switch

The method for automatic determination of validity or invalidity of input from miniaturized keypads or keyboards, in which more than one key is operated at the same time, includes designating a number of keys as principal keys and assigning each key neighboring each principal key as nearest neighbor or next nearest neighbor and then testing each signal produced by key operation. The signal is valid if it is produced by operation of only one single key. However testing continues if two or more keys produce the signal. Then the signal is valid when the two or more keys are correlated in an unambiguous principal key-nearest neighbor key relationship. If not, testing continues further and the signal is valid if the plural keys are correlated in an unambiguous principal key-nearest neighbor key-next nearest neighbor key relationship. Otherwise the signal is an invalid key input.

Method for automatic determination of validity or invalidity of input from a keyboard or a keypad

A circuit arrangement for an electric appliance, having a control device and a power supply unit connected with an electric current supply connector for providing functional units, which are to be controlled, of the electric appliance with current. A switch is provided on the electric current supply connector for cutting off the power supply unit from the electric current supply connector on a primary side. The switch has a piezo switch which is open in the non-activated state. The circuit arrangement of this invention is used, for example, in connection with electronic household appliances.

Circuit arrangement for an electric appliance

A ceramic toner which is transferable to a high-temperature resistant glass, glass ceramic or ceramic substrate by electrophotographic printing and which can be fired in a subsequent temperature process, containing color pigment particles in addition to special glass flow particles. According to this invention, the ceramic toner has a thermoplastic synthetic matrix which melts in a homogeneous manner on the substrate within a temperature range of 100&#xb0; C.&#x2013;400&#xb0; C. and which, within the temperature range of 300&#xb0; C.&#x2013;500&#xb0; C., vaporizes in an almost residue-free manner and/or decomposes in order to obtain a toner which can be transferred especially in a direct printing mode and which has almost no synthetic matrix residue after firing.

Ceramic toner for electro-photographic printing

A contact switching arrangement with a flat electrically non-conducting cover which forms a switching area on a top facing the user, and has an underside facing away from the user, at which at least one electrode is arranged and is connected with a switching arrangement for triggering a contact signal when a finger of the user or a similar conducting body approaches. The cover has a light-reflecting, electrically non-conducting film, at least over portions, which acts as a non-conductor. The contact switching arrangement is for use in connection with control panels of electronic devices, for example.

Contact switching arrangement

A connection of an electrical terminal to a conductor track applied to a glass or glass ceramic plate is to be resistant to temperature change and traction and conductive. For this purpose an electrically conductive connecting element is ultrasonically welded to the composite consisting of the conductor track and plate . The connecting element extends to the terminal which is fastened to the plate

Connection of a junction to an electrical conductor track on a plate

The device for controlling a cooking area on a glass-ceramic cooking surface includes an inductive cooking utensil detection device for detecting a cooking utensil on the cooking area and a temperature measurement device for measuring a temperature of the cooking surface. The cooking utensil detection device includes an outer conductor track ( ) and an inner conductor track ( ) nested within said outer conductor track. The temperature measurement device also includes the same outer conductor track ( ) and the inner conductor track ( ), so that the total number of device components is minimized. The outer conductor track ( ) includes, or is supplemented by, a conductor track section ( ) extending from it into a center part of the cooking area ( ). The cooking utensil detection device and the temperature measurement device can operate utilizing the same outer and inner conductor tracks by time-lagged interrogation or with detection signals at different frequencies.

Device and method for controlling cooking areas with glass-ceramic cooking surfaces

The method for detecting a boil dry condition of a cooking utensil or vessel placed on a glass-ceramic cooking surface of a cooking unit having at least one cooking zone includes determination of definite criteria for occurrence of the boil dry condition based on the first and second derivatives of the cooking zone temperature, on detection of operation of the heating element power control device and the power input to the heating element in accordance with a three stage comparison of the cooking zone temperature and the shutoff temperature. When the measured cooking zone temperature is well below the shutoff temperature and after a predetermined time interval from last operation of the heating element control device by an operator, the occurrence of positive first and second derivatives signals the boil dry condition. The device for detecting a boil dry condition of a cooking utensil or vessel placed on a glass-ceramic cooking surface of a cooking unit having at least one cooking zone includes a cooking zone temperature sensor; signal generating devices for detecting operation of the heating element power control device, for energy input to the heating element and for the shutoff temperature and a control and analysis device for receiving these input signals and for generating a control signal indicative of the boil dry condition according to the above-described method using the input signals.

Method and device for detection of a boil dry condition of a utensil placed on a glass-ceramic cooking surface of a cooking unit

The cooktop has a cooking zone (,), at least one electric heating unit (,&prime;) assigned to the cooking zone (,) and a device for detecting a metal pot on the cooking zone (,) and determining its size when the metal pot is resting on the cooking zone (,). The device for detecting the presence and advantageously the size of the metal pot includes a measuring sensor (,) arranged near the cooking zone (,) and one or more evaluation devices (,&Prime;) communicating with the measuring sensor (,). The measuring sensor (,) includes a primary measuring coil (,) and one or more secondary measuring coils. The primary measuring coil terminals (,) are electrically connected with corresponding poles of an alternating voltage generator (,) for generating an alternating current in the measuring coil (,) and a magnetic alternating testing field that interacts with the one or more secondary measuring coils to induce a voltage in them. The respective evaluation devices (,&Prime;) include comparators (,&Prime;) for comparing the induced voltages in the corresponding secondary measuring coils (,) with voltage threshold values to detect the presence and advantageously the size of a metal pot placed on the cooking zone (,) as a result of eddy currents produced in the metal pot.

Cooktop with a non-metallic hotplate

Glass or glass-ceramic materials for a cooking surface of a modern cooking unit can only withstand a certain predetermined limited temperature/time load. In order to guarantee that the permissible temperature/time load is not exceeded during the guaranteed lifetime at a given &ldquo;standard&rdquo; usage frequency, a shut-off temperature must be determined by an operating temperature limiting device provided in the cooking unit. So that the full potential of the cooking unit in regard to the load that the cooking surface bears can be attained when the actual usage frequency is less than a nominal value or predetermined guideline, the method provides for a continuous measurement of the accumulated temperature/time load and for continuous determination of the shut-off temperature by comparison of the accumulated temperature/time load with the permissible load for the actual usage duration.

Method for adjusting a limiting value of an operating temperature of a cooking unit and device for performing said method

The method of calibrating temperature-measuring resistors on substrates made of glass, glass-ceramics or similar materials, especially conductor strip resistors on glass-ceramic cooking surfaces, includes measuring a temperature associated with a measured resistance value obtained using the temperature-measuring resistor by determining a temperature-dependent electrical resistance of the substrate material, in order to obtain a temperature-resistance characteristic curve for the temperature-measuring resistor.

Growing community of inventors

Ingelheim, Germany

Harry Engelmann