Continental Automotive Gmbh

Daimler Chrysler Ag

Conti Temic Microelectronic Gmbh

Conti Tech Microelectronic Gmbh

Martin Ebel

Michael Beuschel

Stefan Beck

Stefan Bauer

Mehmet Cini

Carsten Sensche

Josef Poeppel

Karl Krammel

A device for operating a plurality of containers fillable with a medium may include a plurality of container valves each connected to of one of the containers, and a filling channel arrangement connectable or connected at one end to a media pressure source and connected at the other end to the respective container valves. In order to simplify determination of the media pressure in the individual containers and, furthermore, to permit different filling speeds, an emptying channel arrangement is connected at one end to the container valves and connectable at the other end to an unpressurized media hollow via an emptying channel valve. The media pressure in one of the containers can be calculated using a mathematical model. A filling channel valve may be provided for selectively connecting the filling channel arrangement to the media pressure source either directly or via a throttle in order to permit different filling speeds.

Device and method for operating a plurality of fillable containers, in particular inflatable air cushions in a motor vehicle seat

The invention relates to a method and to a corresponding device for filling at least one seat cushion of a seat with, and emptying same of, a fluid, in which, during a filling or emptying operation, depending on a switching state of an actuating member designed for filling or emptying the at least one seat cushion, a first pressure value determined upstream of a throttle point through which the fluid flows, and a second pressure value determined downstream of the throttle point, are detected, and, depending on the first pressure value and the second pressure value, an estimated value of a mass of fluid supplied to or removed from the at least one seat cushion is determined.

Method and device for filling and emptying a seat cushion

A piezo valve is actuated by way of at least one actuator which is formed by a piezoelectric bender transducer () having two piezo actuators (). An actuating method has the steps of generating an actuator control signal (out), which can be output at either one of the two piezo actuators (), depending on at least one actuating control signal (in), of detecting an electric measurement quantity at one of the piezo actuators () which is currently not controlled (), and of generating a vibration damping signal (fb) on the basis of the detected measurement quantity and use thereof for active vibration damping for the currently controlled piezo actuator ().

Circuit arrangement and method for actuating a piezo valve

Disclosed is a method for measuring pressure in a container () filled or capable of being filled, using a pressure sensor () and a control unit (). The filling or emptying is carried out under the control of the control unit () which receives as input signal, in addition to the pressure value (Ps) measured by the pressure sensor (), a switching state () of a valve () controlled to fill or empty the container ().

Pressure measuring method and device

In an electromagnetically actuatable device, an electromagnet is driven with a controlled current progression so that the armature of the electromagnet can be actuated at the lowest possible current level while still achieving the most rapid overall increase of the actuating current from zero to maximum amperage. A first portion or range of the current increase is carried out with a steep or jump-like current increasing characteristic. A second portion or range of the current increase is carried out with a more gradual variation of the current. The current levels at the end points of the respective ranges are selected to ensure that the electromagnet is actuated during the second range in which the current varies more gradually. Preferably, two steep or jump-like current increase ranges are respectively provided before and after the second range having the gradual current increase. The armature of the electromagnet is thereby actuated with the lowest possible energy, and the lowest possible acceleration, so that noise and wear are reduced.

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Ingolstadt, Germany

Martin Ebel