Patents Assigned to Preh GmbH
  • Patent number: 10345908
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an input device, including: a base part, a support, a handle mounted to the support in a pivotably movable manner, a detector for detecting the position of the handle and at least one magnet pair of one first magnet associated with the handle means and a second magnet associated with the base part, wherein the first magnet and the second magnet, at least in one position of the handle, are disposed spaced apart over an air gap (d) and opposite to each other, in order to cause a haptic feedback and/or a returning action during the operation of the handle, wherein adapting means are provided for adapting the clear distance between the first magnet and the second magnet of the magnet pair by adapting the adapting means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: PREH GMBH
    Inventor: Martin Geis
  • Publication number: 20190179473
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a touch-sensitive input device, including: a support; a touch-sensitive input part; and a supplementary body that is rigidly connected to the input part that is jointly mounted by means of first bearing means on the support so as to be movable in at least one deflection direction; a damper body that is mounted on the support by means of second bearing means so as to be movable at least in the deflection direction; an actuator acting between the damper body and the combination of input part and supplementary body, having an effective axis in order to cause a movement of the input part substantially counter to the damper body to generate haptic feedback; wherein the input part and the supplementary body define a hollow volume in which at least the actuator is arranged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Applicant: PREH GMBH
    Inventor: Jochen EHRENBERG
  • Publication number: 20190152388
    Abstract: A multifunction operating device includes a carrier; an input part which has an input surface comprising an array of operating surfaces and which is to be mounted so as to be able to move relatively to the carrier; a touch sensor system which is designed to detect a touching of the input surface by an operating member of an operator, which touching is spatially resolved on the different operating surfaces, and to provide it as a touch detection result; a control unit electrically connected to the touch sensor system; an actuator electrically connected to the control unit and having an effective direction (W) for driving the input part so as to move it relatively to the carrier in order to generate an active haptic; the control unit is designed to trigger the active haptic depending on the touch detection result; an electromechanical switching element electrically connected to the control unit and arranged between the input part and the carrier in order to detect an actuation exerting a minimum actuating force
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Applicant: PREH GMBH
    Inventors: Markus FREY, Martin SCHÄFER
  • Publication number: 20190126819
    Abstract: A device including: a rotary actuator; an electronic pixel matrix display comprising a transparent outer layer; wherein the rotary actuator comprises an actuating part and a detector configured to detect rotational position, wherein the actuating part is rotationally mounted by a bearing so that it can rotate about an axis of rotation along a rotation direction, and the rotary actuator is arranged on the transparent layer; and wherein the rotary actuator also comprises a light guide designed to guide light of several pixels of the pixel matrix display from a light inlet surface of the light guide to a light outlet surface of the light guide either in the direction of or into an illumination surface of at least one of the rotary actuator and the actuating part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2017
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Applicant: PREH GMBH
    Inventors: Michael SCHUBERT, Haiko GLIENICKE
  • Patent number: 10254468
    Abstract: A display device is provided. The display device comprises a display surface with several segments that can be backlit, which are configured in such a way that, if subsets of the segments are backlit together, a different one of several symbols is in each case depicted by the display surface, a number of light sources corresponding to the number of symbols, a layer structure of several flat light transmitting layers made of a transparent or translucent material, preferably plastic, wherein the light transmitting layers are stacked with the main surfaces facing each other and are in each case configured in such a way that, primarily, light of exactly one of the light sources is transmitted from a narrow side of the light transmitting layer provided for light entrance to another narrow side of the light transmitting layer as a light exit to at least one segment of the associated symbol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Preh GmbH
    Inventor: Andreas Kramlich
  • Patent number: 10248252
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a control element, comprising a carrier, an actuating member defining a touch-sensitive input surface, whereby the actuating member is movably installed on the carrier substantially parallel to the plane formed by the touch-sensitive input surface in a movement direction; an actuator to provide a movement from a resting position in movement direction of the actuating member relative to the carrier for providing a haptic feedback, whereby furthermore at least one permanent-magnet pair is arranged between the carrier and the actuating member to guide, in particular to stabilize the movement of the actuating member and/or the return of the actuating member into the resting position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: PREH GMBH
    Inventor: Steffen Neubauer
  • Patent number: 10236881
    Abstract: An input device includes a first component with an actuating layer and a first electrode arranged adjacent thereto, a second component with a carrier and a second electrode, and a device which electrically contacts the first and second electrodes. The first and second electrodes face each other with an air gap therebetween. The first electrode, under an influence of an actuating force acting on the actuating surface undergoes, upon an actuation, a displacement so as to move the first electrode closer to the second electrode against an elastic restoring force. A detection and evaluation device applies a measuring capacitance to the first and second electrodes and detects a change in the measuring capacitance dependent on the displacement moving the first and second electrodes closer to each other in order to associate the actuation with a switching or controlling function after detecting a predetermined change in the measuring capacitance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: PREH GMBH
    Inventors: Juergen Nauth, Sara Hofmann, Jochen Schlereth
  • Patent number: 10177762
    Abstract: A control element comprising a support; a control part which defines at least one operating surface, which is movable or elastically yielding if an operating force F acts upon the operating surface; a layer structure that is disposed between the control part and the support and that is elastically deformed if an operating force F acts on the operating surface. The layer structure has at least one first electrode associated with the support and a second electrode, which is associated with the control part and disposed underneath the operating surface, for the definition of a measuring capacity varying in accordance with the operating force. The layer structure further has an intermediate layer having a recess which is disposed between the first and second electrodes for defining a hollow chamber; and means for venting the hollow chamber. The means for venting is integrated at least partially into the intermediate layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Preh GmbH
    Inventors: Alain Dani, Xiaoxi Li, Jochen Schlereth, Tobias Bodenstein
  • Patent number: 10161860
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a fog detection method in a vehicle comprising the steps of: providing a first fog sensor with a first transmitter emitting a first encoded optical signal into a vehicle's surroundings, and an associated first receiver for receiving an optical signal reflected from the vehicle's surroundings, and a first analyzing unit for decoding, analyzing and providing a first detection result related to the reception, wherein, for encoding, a code is selected among a plurality of possible codes (A,B,C) by the first transmitter in a code selection, and the code selection is communicated from the first transmitter to the first receiver and/or the analyzing unit, wherein, upon analyzing the signal received from the first receiver by the first analyzing unit, the code selection is used for identifying the first encoded optical signal in the received signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: PREH GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas Kleffel, Norbert Bauer
  • Publication number: 20180368291
    Abstract: An automotive power electronics assembly, including: a cover plate, a cooling pipe received in a groove extending along a first surface of the cover plate, a plurality of metallic heat sink bodies provided on a second, opposite surface of the cover plate wherein first end faces of the hear sink bodies are in heat conducting contact with the cover plate, each heat sink body carrying on a side surface at least one semiconductor component to be cooled, and a printed circuit board providing electronic contacts to the semiconductor components, where the printed circuit board is in contact with second end faces of the heat sink bodies. Each heat sink body tapers from the first end face to the second end face such that the contact area with the cover plate is larger than the contact area with the printed circuit board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Applicant: PREH GMBH
    Inventor: Adam THEANDER
  • Publication number: 20180314357
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an operating assembly consisting of a carrier, an actuating element that is mounted movably relative to the carrier and so as to return into a rest position and which defines an input surface and has a detector for detecting a touch occurring on the input surface, and of at least one rotary adjuster, which is disposed on the input surface and is mounted rotatably relative to the input surface, and of a matrix of force sensors between the carrier and the actuating element, and of an evaluator, which is configured for carrying out a positional determination of a touch that has occurred on the input surface from the signal obtained by the detector, and for identifying at least one action of the actuating force on the rotary adjuster based on the signals of the matrix of force sensors by a comparison with predetermined values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2016
    Publication date: November 1, 2018
    Applicant: PREH GMBH
    Inventors: Markus KLEIN, Michael SCHUBERT, Benedikt SCHMIDT
  • Publication number: 20180264794
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for the full-surface connection of contact surfaces, which form a cavity between them and extend in an antiparallel manner, of a first, transparent joining partner and a second joining partner, comprising the steps of: providing and arranging the first joining partner, the second joining partner and a blank made of an elastic material, such that the blank is disposed in the cavity formed between the contact surfaces extending in an antiparallel manner, and wherein the blank has an outer adhesive layer; heating the blank by irradiation with microwave radiation and/or infrared radiation (IR); curing or cross-linking the adhesive layer of the blank in order to form a layer structure of the first joining partner, the blank and the second joining partner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Applicant: PREH GMBH
    Inventor: Michael MARTIN
  • Publication number: 20180261386
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a forming method for producing a composite part for an operating member, the method comprising the steps: disposing at least one permanent magnet in an injection-molding tool, which defines a mold cavity, and a heat-conducting reinforcement, which extends along the permanent magnet and is in touching contact with the injection-molding tool, in each case at a predefined position of the mold cavity; overmolding the permanent magnet with molding material by introducing molding material into the mold cavity; forming the composite part having the at least one permanent magnet, the heat-conducting reinforcement and the molding material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Applicant: PREH GMBH
    Inventors: René KIRSCH, Kai LANG
  • Publication number: 20180260027
    Abstract: The present disclosure is a touch-sensitive input detector having an operating unit with an input surface; a support; a fastener for mounting the operating unit to the support in a vibration direction so as to be displaceable from a resting position and elastically restorable; and an actuator for stimulating the operating unit to vibrate in the direction of vibration for a haptic feedback; wherein the fastener for attaching the operating unit includes leaf spring elements, which each form a first section for attaching to the support and a second section for attaching to the operating unit, and an intermediate middle section, so that the operating unit is mounted on the support in an elastically vibratable manner, and which are arranged at a distance from each other by the middle section, wherein at least one section from first section and second section is attached by a form-fit seat, such as overmolding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2018
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Applicant: PREH GMBH
    Inventors: Benedikt SCHMIDT, Kai LANG, Mario SCHMITT
  • Publication number: 20180253119
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a display adjuster including a rotary adjuster; and an electronic display including a transparent outer layer, wherein the rotary adjuster includes an actuation member and a rotational detection means, wherein the actuation member is rotatably mounted about a rotational axis mounted with bearing means, and the rotary adjuster is arranged on the transparent layer; and the display adjuster also includes a surrounding wall on the transparent layer that surrounds at least the bearing means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2016
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Applicant: PREH GMBH
    Inventors: Benedikt SCHMIDT, Michael SCHUBERT, Markus KLEIN, Heiko GLIENICKE
  • Publication number: 20180246571
    Abstract: A device and method for an operator controlled element with haptic feedback dependent on the detection direction are provided. The device includes a base; an actuating part movably supported on the base; an electrical actuator which is attached to the base and acts on the actuating part in order to drive in a moving manner the actuating part in an excitation direction by means of an electrical excitation signal for generating a haptic feedback; a means for detecting an actuation of the actuating part in two detection directions which in each case include a different angular amount with the excitation direction; an evaluation unit, which is configured, if an actuation in one of the two detection directions is detected, to drive the actuator with a specific electrical excitation signal, depending on the result relating to in which of the two detection directions the actuation was carried out.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2016
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Applicant: PREH GMBH
    Inventors: Martin JEITNER, Markus KLEIN, Andreas KRAMLICH, Matthias LUST, Benedikt SCHMIDT
  • Publication number: 20180240613
    Abstract: An input device for generating improved haptic feedback. The input device includes a housing and an input component that defines a control surface and is movably supported on the housing with at least two degrees of freedom and associated mechanical natural frequencies. The input device is designed to assign a switching or controlling function to an operator touching or pressing the control surface, where the input device further has mechanical restoring means for restoring the input component into a rest position and an electromechanical actuator, where the actuator is designed to drive the input component along the at least two degrees of freedom and optionally decelerate the input component, counteracting the restoring force caused by the mechanical restoring means, in order to generate haptic feedback characterized in that the mechanical natural frequencies of the at least two degrees of freedom have a maximum deviation of less than 100 Hz.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2018
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Applicant: PREH GMBH
    Inventors: Tobias BODENSTEIN, Frederik PÜSCHEL, Karl GÖB
  • Publication number: 20180224372
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a fog detection method in a vehicle comprising the steps of: providing a first fog sensor with a first transmitter emitting a first encoded optical signal into a vehicle's surroundings, and an associated first receiver for receiving an optical signal reflected from the vehicle's surroundings, and a first analyzing unit for decoding, analyzing and providing a first detection result related to the reception, wherein, for encoding, a code is selected among a plurality of possible codes (A,B,C) by the first transmitter in a code selection, and the code selection is communicated from the first transmitter to the first receiver and/or the analyzing unit, wherein, upon analyzing the signal received from the first receiver by the first analyzing unit, the code selection is used for identifying the first encoded optical signal in the received signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2018
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Applicant: PREH GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas KLEFFEL, Norbert BAUER
  • Publication number: 20180195912
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a capacitive force sensor. The capacitive force sensor includes a planar base body, a supported membrane body, two spacers disposed spaced apart to each other, where the membrane body abuts the planar base body via the spacers, and wherein a cavity is formed between the membrane body and the planar base body to allow displacement or deflection of the membrane body under a force onto the membrane body in the area between the spacers. The membrane body forms a first electrode and, a second electrode is provided on the planar base body, wherein the first and second electrode define a first precision capacitor with changing measuring capacity depending on the force. An electrical bracket extends from each of the spacers for electrically contacting the first electrode and forms a bend between each of the associated spacer and a bottom of the base body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Applicant: PREH GMBH
    Inventors: Benedikt SCHMIDT, Thomas ZIRKELBACH, Harald MENT, Jürgen NAUTH, Thilo SCHULTHEIS, Sara HOFMANN, Matthias MÜLLER
  • Publication number: 20180173310
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an input device, including: a base part, a support, a handle mounted to the support in a pivotably movable manner, a detector for detecting the position of the handle and at least one magnet pair of one first magnet associated with the handle means and a second magnet associated with the base part, wherein the first magnet and the second magnet, at least in one position of the handle, are disposed spaced apart over an air gap (d) and opposite to each other, in order to cause a haptic feedback and/or a returning action during the operation of the handle, wherein adapting means are provided for adapting the clear distance between the first magnet and the second magnet of the magnet pair by adapting the adapting means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2017
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Applicant: PREH GMBH
    Inventor: Martin GEIS