Patents by Inventor Gerd Hickmann
Gerd Hickmann has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
-
Patent number: 5168850Abstract: A load adjustment device is provided with a throttle valve (9) which determines the output power of an internal combustion engine and is connected, fixed for rotation, to a throttle-valve shaft (32) which is mounted in the throttle valve housing (30). The throttle-valve shaft (32) has an accelerator-pedal-side, mechanical articulation side and a setting-motor-articulation-side, with which there is associated a coupling element for the mechanical uncoupling of the throttle valve from an electric motor (14), as well as means for reporting the instantaneous position of a throttle-valve lever (21) arranged on the throttle-valve shaft (32) and of a driver element (25) to an electronic control device (17).Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 1991Date of Patent: December 8, 1992Assignee: VDO Adolf Schindling AGInventors: Matthias Zentgraf, Gerd Hickmann
-
Patent number: 5161508Abstract: A load adjustment device is provided with a throttle valve (9) which determines the output of an internal combustion engine and is fastened, fixed for rotation, to a throttle-valve shaft (32), which is mounted in a throttle-valve housing (30). In idle operation, the throttle-valve shaft (32) is adjusted by an electric motor (14) and a four-link gearing (16) connected behind it. This includes a pinion (14) which is arranged on an output shaft of the electric motor (14) and meshes with a gear segment (50) which is connected for drive via a second link (53) to a rotor (54) which drives the throttle-valve shaft (32). Due to the advantageous arrangement of the four-link gearing (16), a very large transmission ratio can be achieved between the output shaft (40) of the electric motor 14 and the throttle-valve shaft (32), so that a very small, cost-efficient electric motor is sufficient.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 1991Date of Patent: November 10, 1992Assignee: VDO Adolf Schindling AGInventors: Matthias Zentgraf, Gerd Hickmann, Peter Volz
-
Patent number: 5148790Abstract: A load adjustment device has a throttle valve 9 which determines the output power of an internal combustion engine and is connected, fixed for rotation, with a throttle-valve shaft mounted in a throttle-valve housing. A control element 8a cooperates with a driver 4 coupled to an accelerator pedal 1, and acts on the throttle-valve shaft. A setting path of the driver 4 is limited by a stop (LL.sub.max). Upon a resting of the driver 4 against the idle stop (LL.sub.max), the control element 8a is moveable by means of the electric motor 14 in the idle control range relative to the driver 4. The control element 8a can be brought via a coupling member against a moveable stop 75 so that the setting lever 71, together with the throttle valve 9, is displaceable only via the electric motor 14 into a minimum idle position.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 1991Date of Patent: September 22, 1992Assignee: VDO Adolf Schindling AGInventors: Gerd Hickmann, Manfred Pfalzgraf
-
Patent number: 5141070Abstract: A load-adjustment device having a control element which can act on a throttle valve (e.g.) of an internal combustion engine and which is connected to a driver which is coupled to an accelerator pedal and, in addition, can be moved by means of an electric setting drive, having a desired-value-detection element associated with the driver and an actual-value detection element which cooperates with the desired-value detection element and acts on the electric setting drive, the electric setting drive being controllable as a function of the detected values of an electronic control device. The driver, the control element, the desired-value detection element, the actual-value detection element and the setting drive are arranged in the throttle-valve housing, the driver and the control element being coupled by means of a coupling spring and the control element being urged in the direction towards a stop of the driver.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 1990Date of Patent: August 25, 1992Assignee: VDO Adolf Schindling AGInventors: Gerd Hickmann, Manfred Pfalzgraf, Milan Hrusovsky, Peter Volz
-
Patent number: 5036813Abstract: A load-shifting device has a control element (8a, 8b) which acts on a setting member 9 which determines the output of an internal combustion engine. A control element cooperates with a driver (4) which is coupled to an accelerator (1). The driver is controllable in addition by means of an electrical setting drive 14 which cooperates with an electronic controller (17). In the load-shifting device, a setting path of the driver in idling direction is limited by an idling stop (LL). Upon application of the driver against the idling stop, the control element is movable in its idling control range relative to the driver by means of the electric setting drive. With a simple structural development the load-shifting device makes it possible to control the internal combustion engine over its entire load range and, in particular, by means of the electrical setting drive, over its idling range.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 1989Date of Patent: August 6, 1991Assignee: VDO Adolf Schindling AGInventors: Manfred Pfalzgraf, Gerd Hickmann, Eberhard Mausner
-
Patent number: 5035213Abstract: A load-shifting device has a control element (4a, 4b) which acts on a setting member (7,9) which determines the output of an internal combustion engine. The control element is adapted to be connected to an accelerator (1) and is controllable by an electric setting drive (10) which cooperates with an electronic controller (12). The load-shifting device provides that the setting member includes a main setting member (7) with which there is associated a first control-element part 4a which is coupled with the accelerator. The setting member further includes an auxiliary setting member (9) with which there is associated a second control-element part (4b). The setting path of the first control-element part is limited in idling direction by an idle stop (LL). The second control-element part can, upon application of the first control-eleemnt part against the idling stop, be moved within its idling control range relative to the first control-element part by the electric setting drive.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 1989Date of Patent: July 30, 1991Assignee: VDO Adolf Schindling AGInventors: Manfred Pfalzgraf, Gerd Hickmann, Eberhard Mausner
-
Patent number: 5027766Abstract: A load adjustment device is provided having a throttle valve which determines the output of an internal combustion engine and is connected, fixed for rotation, to a throttle-valve shaft (32) which is mounted in a throttle-valve-shaft housing (30). The shaft has an acceleration-pedal side mechanical articulation side (33) and a setting-motor articulation side (34) with which there is associated a coupling element (45) for the mechanical uncoupling of the throttle-valve shaft from the setting motor within a defined angular region of the throttle valve; furthermore, a device is provided for reporting the instantaneous position of the coupling element to an electronic control device.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 1990Date of Patent: July 2, 1991Assignee: VDO Adolf Schindling AGInventors: Matthias Zentgraf, Gerd Hickmann
-
Patent number: 4953529Abstract: A load-shifting device having a regulating element (11) which can act on a setting member (16) which determines the power of an internal combustion engine, which regulating element is connected to a driver (4) coupled with an accelerator pedal (1). In addition, the regulating element can be moved by means of an electric setting drive (9), having a desired-value detection element (7) associated with the driver (4), and an actual-value detection element (12) cooperating with the driver and acting on the electric setting drive (9). The electric setting drive (9) is adjustable as a function of the detected values by an electronic control device (22). Between the driver (4) and the regulating element (11), a space-monitoring device (15) is provided which, upon a deviation of driver (4) and regulating element (11) from a predetermined spacing established by the control device (22), feeds a signal for the purpose of plausibility testing.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 1989Date of Patent: September 4, 1990Assignee: VDO Adolf Schindling AGInventors: Manfred Pfalzgraf, Gerd Hickmann, Eberhard Mausner
-
Patent number: 4896640Abstract: A load setting device having a control element (11) which acts on a setting member (16) which determines the power of an internal combustion engine, which control element is connected to a driver (4) coupled to an accelerator pedal (1) and in addition can be moved by means of an electric actuator (9), having a desired-value detection element (7) associated with the driver (4), an actual-value detection element (12) cooperating with said desired-value detection element and acting on the electric actuator (9), the electric actuator (9) being controllable as a function of the detected values by an electronic control device (22). The driver (4) and the control element (11) are coupled by means of a coupling spring (13) and the control element (11) is urged in the direction towards a stop (14) of the driver (4).Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 1988Date of Patent: January 30, 1990Assignee: VDO Adolf Schindling AGInventors: Manfred Pfalzgraf, Gerd Hickmann
-
Patent number: 4848297Abstract: In an arrangement for an automotive vehicle for intervention into the connection between an operating member and a control member which determines the power of the internal combustion engine of the automotive vehicle, the operating member being connected with a first driver and the control member with a second driver, and between the first and second drivers there acts a coupling spring the force of which acts against a first stop being present between the first and second drivers. A third driver is connected to a setting member. The third driver is operatively connected via a second stop with the second driver, a movement of the setting member in the direction towards reducing the power acting against the second stop.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 1987Date of Patent: July 18, 1989Assignee: VDO Adolf Schindling AGInventors: Gerd Hickmann, Manfred Pfalzgraf