Patents by Inventor Peter Apel

Peter Apel 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: 7026910
    Abstract: So that the parts and connections of a component, particularly a Giant Magneto-Resistor, may withstand external forces, a meander group (13M, 14M) with at least one meander element (13.1, . . . , 13.n, 14.1, . . . , 14.n) is positioned in both connection elements (13, 14) between a component cell (1) and the straight functional connection element (13A, 14A). A capacitor unit (2) is mounted on the meander group (13M) of the first connection element (13) and on the meander group (14M; of the second connection element (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: AB Electronik GmbH
    Inventor: Peter Apel
  • Patent number: 6927566
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for the contact-free measurement of rotary and/or linear movements of components moving in relation to one another; and a device for the contact-free measurement of rotary and/or linear movements of components moving in relation to one another utilizing a Giant Magnetic Resistor (GMR) cell and at least one magnetic element, and an evaluation unit, in which two delivery voltages with mirror-image profiles are generated by the magnet element, moved in relation to said GMR cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: AB Eletronik GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Apel, Klaus Wilczek
  • Patent number: 6851333
    Abstract: An accelerator pedal device includes at least one pedal element that can be moved about the center of rotation of a gas pedal, opposite a base element, and which has at least one retraction element, and at least one damper element to dampen the pedal actuation movement and the pedal retraction movement of the pedal element. A control unit is provided, connected to a sensor element, which controls the motor unit as follows: a) sensing, through the control sensor element, a condition that deviates from the prescribed normal condition; b) switching on the motor unit that generates a motor counterforce that acts upon the pedal element in addition to the damping force of the damper element; and c) switching off the motor unit when the prescribed normal condition is sensed by the control sensor element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: AB Elektronik GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Apel, Klaus Wilczek
  • Patent number: 6806701
    Abstract: A rotation angle sensor for use in a throttle adjustment device is disclosed, which includes a stator unit having at least two stator part elements positioned relative to each other leaving a spacer recess therebetween; a Hall sensor positioned in the spacer recess; a rotor unit having a magnetic element having a connector element molded into the rotor unit; a plug unit; and a housing unit adapted to partially house the stator unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: AB Elektronik GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Apel, Klaus Wilczek
  • Patent number: 6779775
    Abstract: The invention relates to an air flap supply device for the controlled supply of burner air to a combustion engine, wherein a damper flap element, within a damper flap housing element, and connected to a damper flap shaft element can be adjusted by a positioning movement using at least one retraction unit designed as a magnetically homo-polar counter movement unit, wherein, at least two magnet elements with the same magnetic polarity (N, S) are located opposite to one another, and moveable in relation to each other, preferably in a rotary fashion to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: AB Elektronik GmbH
    Inventor: Peter Apel
  • Patent number: 6689016
    Abstract: In order to configure the downshift method, and to create signals for an automobile automatic transmission more conveniently, a tilting device of a multi-function device with at least one moveable magnet element as a downshift sensor device is used. When a pedal element causes actuation of a magnet element, a downshift characteristic curve (KL3) is generated with a curve-shaped increase and a maximum followed by a curve decrease (KLS) that ends in a stop window (60). A downshift point (KP) is determined using a tolerance window (59) with a path width, which corresponds to a downshift signal (KS) on a characteristic motion curve (AS) of a motion sensor element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: AB Elektronik GmbH
    Inventor: Peter Apel
  • Publication number: 20040021106
    Abstract: The invention relates to an air flap supply device for the controlled supply of burner air to a combustion engine, wherein a damper flap element, within a damper flap housing element, and connected to a damper flap shaft element can be adjusted by a positioning movement using at least one retraction unit designed as a magnetically homo-polar counter movement unit, wherein, at least two magnet elements with the same magnetic polarity (N, S) are located opposite to one another, and moveable in relation to each other, preferably in a rotary fashion to one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2003
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Inventor: Peter Apel
  • Patent number: 6681631
    Abstract: A piezoelectric sensor includes a carrier, a piezoelectric measurement sensing element arranged on the carrier, a covering layer covering the measurement sensing element and an electronic evaluation unit. The measurement sensing element is formed by a piezoelectric layer. The carrier has a first contact layer electrically connected to the piezoelectric layer and the covering layer has a second contact layer electrically connected to the piezoelectric layer. The electronic evaluation unit is able to determine a mechanical loading of the piezoelectric layer by evaluating the difference of electrical potential between the first contact layer and the second contact layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Inventor: Peter Apel
  • Publication number: 20030218840
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for the contact-free measurement of rotary and/or linear movements of components moving in relation to one another; and a device for the contact-free measurement of rotary and/or linear movements of components moving in relation to one another utilizing a Giant Magnetic Resistor (GMR) cell and at least one magnetic element, and an evaluation unit, in which two delivery voltages with mirror-image profiles are generated by the magnet element, moved in relation to said GMR cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2003
    Publication date: November 27, 2003
    Inventors: Peter Apel, Klaus Wilczek
  • Publication number: 20030172767
    Abstract: An accelerator pedal device includes at least one pedal element that can be moved about the center of rotation of a gas pedal, opposite a base element, and which has at least one retraction element, and at least one damper element to dampen the pedal actuation movement and the pedal retraction movement of the pedal element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2003
    Publication date: September 18, 2003
    Inventors: Peter Apel, Klaus Wilczek
  • Publication number: 20030165719
    Abstract: So that the parts and connections of a component, particularly a Giant Magneto-Resistor, may withstand external forces, a meander group (13M, 14M) with at least one meander element (13.1, . . . , 13.n, 14.1, . . . , 14.n) is positioned in both connection elements (13, 14) between a component cell (1) and the straight functional connection element (13A, 14A). A capacitor unit (2) is mounted on the meander group (13M) of the first connection element (13) and on the meander group (14M; of the second connection element (14).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2002
    Publication date: September 4, 2003
    Inventor: Peter Apel
  • Publication number: 20030164046
    Abstract: A piezoelectric sensor includes a carrier, a piezoelectric measurement sensing element arranged on the carrier, a covering layer covering the measurement sensing element and an electronic evaluation unit. The measurement sensing element is formed by a piezoelectric layer. The carrier has a first contact layer electrically connected to the piezoelectric layer and the covering layer has a second contact layer electrically connected to the piezoelectric layer. The electronic evaluation unit is able to determine a mechanical loading of the piezoelectric layer by evaluating the difference of electrical potential between the first contact layer and the second contact layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2003
    Publication date: September 4, 2003
    Inventor: Peter Apel
  • Publication number: 20030076088
    Abstract: A rotation angle sensor for use in a throttle adjustment device is disclosed, which includes a stator unit having at least two stator part elements positioned relative to each other leaving a spacer recess therebetween; a Hall sensor positioned in the spacer recess; a rotor unit having a magnetic element having a connector element molded into the rotor unit; a plug unit; and a housing unit adapted to partially house the stator unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2002
    Publication date: April 24, 2003
    Inventors: Peter Apel, Klaus Wilczek
  • Patent number: 6518753
    Abstract: To make it possible for a rotation angle sensor to be manufactured and assembled more easily and more accurately, the part components of a stator element (21) made of a ferritic material are held in a sintered stator body, made by a sintering technique, by at least one holding element in a holding recess of a base element made of a non-magnetizable material. A magnetic holding device (26, 27) is a holding element made by a metal injection molding (MIM) technique with an at least partly formed magnetic isolation zone and at least one recess. An annular magnetic element (24) is attached inside the MIM holding device by means of at least one slit-shaped recess and at least one compatible linking element, and positioned at a given angle &agr; in relation to a gap, between the sintered stator bodies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: AB Eletronik GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Apel, Marion Hauschopp
  • Patent number: 6498481
    Abstract: In order to simplify the installation of an angle-of-rotation sensor and to prevent destruction or function impairment caused by temperature variations, a stamped lead assembly (25) is at least partially embedded into a shaped holding bracket (24) forming a holder unit (23) which holds a stator unit (2), a sensor element (4, 5) and an output unit (26, 51). An expansion unit (30) is positioned on the lead lines of the stamped lead assembly (25) and at least partially positioned in the shaped holding bracket (24). The expansion unit (30) consists of lead lines exposed through a window of the shaped holding bracket (24). The window is limited by at least one shaped holder strip. At least one expansion notch is incorporated into the lead lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Assignee: AB Eletronik GmbH
    Inventor: Peter Apel
  • Patent number: 6491019
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a position device that includes an angular rotation sensor for use in connection with a throttle valve assembly. The rotation sensor consists of a stationary and rotating unit provided in an enclosed cap element. The present invention also includes an adjusting device having an angular rotation sensor and a throttle unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2002
    Assignee: AB Elektronik GmbH
    Inventor: Peter Apel
  • Patent number: 6400141
    Abstract: A Hall-effect angular rotation sensor device for a throttle valve unit. The sensor includes a housing unit, a stationary unit, and a moving unit moveable relative to the stationary unit. The stationary and the moving units are at least partially enclosed by the housing unit. The stationary unit includes a first and a second partial ring stator segment that are at least partially retained in the housing unit, leaving a stator distancing gap in which at least one Hall-effect IC switch is positioned. The moving unit includes (a) a partial ring magnet segment that is at least partially distanced from the first and the second partial ring stator segments by an air gap and (b) a third partial ring stator segment positioned behind and opposite the air gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: AB Elektronik GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Apel, Klaus Wilczek
  • Patent number: 6380733
    Abstract: So that a device for producing selector positions is easy to operate, the stop positions of which can be taken in securely and largely free of mechanical wear, and so that it is easily adaptable, in particular to the respective operating conditions, a position transmitter unit (1) is provided which is movable along a longitudinal axis, and thereby its position transmitter teeth can be fixed with respect to the teeth of a first position detector element (6.1., . . . 6.n). The position transmitter unit (1) can be shifted with a finger body along the longitudinal axis into a recess, and thereby a second rotation body can be placed on a second position selector unit, and this position can be detected by a second position detector element (57). The position transmitter unit (1) can be moved with a moving device (32.1, . . . 32.n) via a second position selector unit two dimensionally with respect to a base body (4), and this position can be detected by third position detector elements (8.1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: AB Elektronik GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Apel, Klaus Fallak
  • Publication number: 20020047704
    Abstract: In order to simplify the installation of an angle-of-rotation sensor and to prevent destruction or function impairment caused by temperature variations, a stamped lead assembly (25) is at least partially embedded into a shaped holding bracket (24) forming a holder unit (23) which holds a stator unit (2), a sensor element (4, 5) and an output unit (26, 51). An expansion unit (30) is positioned on the lead lines of the stamped lead assembly (25) and at least partially positioned in the shaped holding bracket (24). The expansion unit (30) consists of lead lines exposed through a window of the shaped holding bracket (24). The window is limited by at least one shaped holder strip. At least one expansion notch is incorporated into the lead lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2001
    Publication date: April 25, 2002
    Inventor: Peter Apel
  • Publication number: 20020046616
    Abstract: In order to configure the downshift method, and to create signals for an automobile automatic transmission more conveniently, a tilting device of a multi-function device with at least one moveable magnet element as a downshift sensor device is used. When a pedal element causes actuation of a magnet element, a downshift characteristic curve (KL3) is generated with a curve-shaped increase and a maximum followed by a curve decrease (KLS) that ends in a stop window (60). A downshift point (KP) is determined using a tolerance window (59) with a path width, which corresponds to a downshift signal (KS) on a characteristic motion curve (AS) of a motion sensor element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Publication date: April 25, 2002
    Inventor: Peter Apel