486results about How to "Spend less" patented technology

An inventory management system utilizes unattended facilities remote from a central warehouse for service parts logistics. Items are placed in inventory in secure enclosures at the unattended facilities by the inventory management service. The unattended facilities may be located near one or more customers to reduce a service technician's travel time and customers' inventory costs. A service technician utilizes a passcode to retrieve needed items. The service technician may order items that are not kept in the inventory of the unattended facility in which case the items may be delivered to the unattended facility and the service technician may receive a notification related to all the items that comprise an order that the order is ready for pick up at an unattended facility. Unused, used or damaged parts may be returned by a technician to a remote secure enclosure where such returned parts may be retrieved and disposed of, repaired or placed back into inventory if not damaged or after repair, and the processing of such returned parts begins by information entered into a data entry device at the remote secure enclosure location. Return items that are not damaged may be included in the inventory of an unattended facility.

A stereo camera system in a motor vehicle, in particular for classifying objects and determining distance. In order to ensure secure installation and precise positioning of the camera system, in particular fixing of its lateral position, the camera system is provided with at least two camera modules, and a mount, in which camera modules are installed at a specified lateral distance apart, the mount being cemented to the inside of the windshield.

PCT No. PCT/EP98/01655 Sec. 371 Date May 13, 1999 Sec. 102(e) Date May 13, 1999 PCT Filed Mar. 21, 1998 PCT Pub. No. WO98/45138 PCT Pub. Date Oct. 15, 1998A lumbar support for seat backs, in particular of motor vehicle seats, has a forward-bowed support plate (1) that is adjustable in its curvature. The support plate (1is mounted at one horizontal end region (1a) on laterally spaced guide elements that are parallel to one another and fixed with respect to the seat back so that it is vertically movable. The vertical guide elements consist of ribs (2) of a guide plate (3) that is fixed with respect to the seat back. The guide plate (3) has openings (4), which possess vertical guide edges (4a) that are parallel to one another. Through the guide edges (4a) pass, from the front, end-mounted brackets (1b) of the support plate (1). The brackets (1b) have necks (1c) corresponding to the spacing of the guide edges (4a), and widen again on the back of the guide plate (3).

An elevator car position measuring system includes a strip having a code mark pattern mounted near the elevator car and parallel to a travel direction, a code reading device mounted on the elevator car for contactless scanning of the code mark pattern and an evaluating unit connected to the code reading device for evaluating the scanned code mark pattern. A code word is formed by “n” successive code marks of the code mark pattern, a plurality of different ones of the code words are unambiguously arranged in an n-digit pseudo random sequence, the code words form a single-track of the code mark pattern and each of the code words represents an absolute car position. A floor sensor mounted on the elevator car detects position markings at floor levels along the travel direction and is connected to the evaluating units for evaluating the detected position markings against said scanned code words.

The invention relates to a process for producing metal foam and to a metal body produced using this process. The object is achieved by a process for producing metal foam by adding a blowing agent to a metal melt, wherein the metal melt is introduced into the die cavity of a metal die-casting machine and is foamed using a blowing agent which releases gases and is solid at room temperature.

A method for operating a sensor element having two contact terminal pairs, comprises steps of providing a first measurement value by applying a first controlled variable having a first polarity between the first terminal pair, and coupling the second terminal pair with output terminals; providing a second measurement value by applying a second controlled variable, having an opposed polarity, between the first terminal pair, and coupling the second terminal pair to the output terminals; providing a third measurement value by applying the first variable between the second terminal pair, and coupling the first terminal pair with the output terminals, providing a fourth measurement value by applying the second variable between the second terminal pair, and coupling the first terminal pair with the output terminals; and determining a sensor signal on the basis of a difference between the first and second values and a difference between the third and fourth values.

A method and a device for measuring humidity may be suitable for determining the relative humidity in the high-humidity range. The device includes a sensor device, as well as sequential electronics post-connected to the same. The sensor device includes a capacitive humidity-sensor element, a temperature-sensor element, and a heating element, the humidity-sensor element being heated in at least one part of the humidity-measuring range. The ambient temperature is further ascertained by the sequential electronics, from the heating power required in the heating mode, as well as from the measured, local sensor device temperature, in order to further determine the relative humidity.

An inverter (1) for a grounded direct voltage source, in particular for a photovoltaic generator (2), a battery or a fuel cell, for converting the direct voltage into an alternative voltage with a DC-DC converter (3) and a pulse inverter that is supplied by said DC-DC converter (3), said DC-DC converter (3) being configured to be an oscillating circuit inverter and comprising a series resonant oscillating circuit, said DC-DC converter (3), which is configured to be an oscillating circuit inverter, being configured to be a series-compensated oscillating circuit inverter with a choke (L1) and a series-mounted capacitor array consisting of two or several oscillating circuit capacitors, a rectifier bridge branch including 2 diodes (D3, D4; D5, D6, . . . ), being connected to each of the partial oscillating circuit capacitors, said rectifier bridge branch being connected with its positive or its negative pole to output side intermediate circuit capacitors which are preferably connected in series so that said DC-DC converter (3) delivers at least two bipolar output voltages and is combined with the pulse inverter (4) with a divided voltage intermediate circuit that is supplied from the oscillating circuit inverter.

A hand-guided grinding device (1) carries out a planar grinding motion and is mounted on a motor-driven grinding disk (2). The grinding disk (2) is mounted on a shaft, extending outwardly from a central housing (4) of the device, located axially above the grinding disk (2) and serving to accommodate a transmission unit and a motor. The grinding device (1) has a main handle (6) and an additional handle (8) for the two-handed operation of the device (1), and the handles (6, 8) project essentially laterally from the central housing (4) of the device at two mutually opposite sides of the central housing (4) of the device. The central housing (4) of the device has a housing section (9), which axially adjoins the grinding disk (2), and projects laterally outwardly from the central housing (4) of the device at least in certain regions and is equipped with a gripping surface (10) for one-handed operation.

A sensor system and an evaluation method for monitoring surroundings on a mechanical component, having at least one capacitive sensor element that is attachable on the surface of machines or machine parts, in which at least one sensor element is made up of a layered structure of flexible, electrically conductive and electrically insulating layers, electrically conductive surfaces of one layer being positioned with lateral spacing above insulating layers lying between them in such a way that electrical field lines form between the conductive surfaces, which change measurably upon approach to and/or contact with a body or object.

The invention pertains to an image processing device, in particular a device for stereoscopic image processing, and to a coherence detector used thereon. The image processing device can process stereoscopic images in real time and can be implemented with simple means and low expense. Two alternative embodiments of the coherence detector are disclosed. The image signals can be processed at the speed that they are supplied by image receivers, and thus image data processing is possible to attain depth information with little expense and in real time.

Scalable compact static mixer comprising a rotationally symmetrical cascaded mixing structure.

A household appliance, particularly a dishwasher or washing machine, having a height-adjusting device for an appliance pedestal. The height-adjusting device may include at least one drive gear engaged with a transmission drive converting the rotary motion of the drive gear into a lift motion of the appliance pedestal. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the drive gear includes a torque-limiting element operable to enable a deflecting motion of the drive gear from an operating position when a limit torque is exceeded, and which releases the engagement between the drive gear and the transmission drive.