Patents by Inventor Thomas Engelhardt
Thomas Engelhardt 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).
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Patent number: 11312317Abstract: A headliner for use in a vehicle having a roof, the headliner including a sheet and a plurality of first snap portions adapted to couple with a plurality of corresponding second snap portions fixed to the vehicle roof to mount the sheet to an interior side the vehicle roof through the interaction of the plurality of first snap portions and the corresponding second snap portions. A method for installing a headliner on a vehicle roof structure includes providing a headliner comprising a sheet having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a plurality of first snap portions fixed to the sheet, and joining the plurality of first snap portions to a plurality of second snap portions fixed to the roof structure, the plurality of second snap portions adapted to couple with the plurality of first snap portions to mount the sheet to the interior side the vehicle roof structure.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2020Date of Patent: April 26, 2022Assignee: TEIJIN AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventor: Thomas A. Engelhardt
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Publication number: 20200377039Abstract: A headliner for use in a vehicle having a roof, the headliner including a sheet and a plurality of first snap portions adapted to couple with a plurality of corresponding second snap portions fixed to the vehicle roof to mount the sheet to an interior side the vehicle roof through the interaction of the plurality of first snap portions and the corresponding second snap portions. A method for installing a headliner on a vehicle roof structure includes providing a headliner comprising a sheet having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a plurality of first snap portions fixed to the sheet, and joining the plurality of first snap portions to a plurality of second snap portions fixed to the roof structure, the plurality of second snap portions adapted to couple with the plurality of first snap portions to mount the sheet to the interior side the vehicle roof structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 30, 2020Publication date: December 3, 2020Applicant: Continental Structural Plastics, Inc.Inventor: Thomas A. Engelhardt
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Patent number: 10637254Abstract: A switch mode power supply may utilize a switching signal to control one or more power switches in the switch mode power supply. A switch mode power supply controller may generate and/or control this switching signal. The controller may reduce the peak spectral noise of the switch mode power supply by varying the instantaneous switching frequency at a constant slew rate magnitude that changes sign at random times. The instantaneous switching frequency may be controlled by a signal that is generated by integrating a random bit stream. The stream may repeat at a sub-audio frequency. The integrator may be lossy, so that the output does not wonder off to an arbitrary value. The frequency modulation signal may be filtered by a low pass filter.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2015Date of Patent: April 28, 2020Assignee: Linear Technology CorporationInventor: Michael Thomas Engelhardt
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Patent number: 10218394Abstract: A method and system of providing an active differential resistor. The active differential resistor includes a diode having a first node and a second node. There is a capacitor coupled in series between the first node of the diode and an input of the active differential resistor. There is a current source coupled across the first node and the second node of the diode and configured to forward bias the diode such that a Johnson-Nyquist noise of the active differential resistor is replaced by a shot noise.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2017Date of Patent: February 26, 2019Assignee: LINEAR TECHNOLOGY CORPORATIONInventor: Michael Thomas Engelhardt
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Publication number: 20180102800Abstract: A method and system of providing an active differential resistor. The active differential resistor includes a diode having a first node and a second node. There is a capacitor coupled in series between the first node of the diode and an input of the active differential resistor. There is a current source coupled across the first node and the second node of the diode and configured to forward bias the diode such that a Johnson-Nyquist noise of the active differential resistor is replaced by a shot noise.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 6, 2017Publication date: April 12, 2018Inventor: Michael Thomas Engelhardt
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Patent number: 9866245Abstract: A method and system of providing an active differential resistor. The active differential resistor includes a diode having a first node and a second node. There is a capacitor coupled in series between the first node of the diode and an input of the active differential resistor. There is a current source coupled across the first node and the second node of the diode and configured to forward bias the diode such that a Johnson-Nyquist noise of the active differential resistor is replaced by a shot noise.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2016Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: LINEAR TECHNOLOGY CORPORATIONInventor: Michael Thomas Engelhardt
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Publication number: 20170141773Abstract: A method and system of providing an active differential resistor. The active differential resistor includes a diode having a first node and a second node. There is a capacitor coupled in series between the first node of the diode and an input of the active differential resistor. There is a current source coupled across the first node and the second node of the diode and configured to forward bias the diode such that a Johnson-Nyquist noise of the active differential resistor is replaced by a shot noise.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 12, 2016Publication date: May 18, 2017Inventor: Michael Thomas Engelhardt
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Publication number: 20160276839Abstract: A switch mode power supply may utilize a switching signal to control one or more power switches in the switch mode power supply. A switch mode power supply controller may generate and/or control this switching signal. The controller may reduce the peak spectral noise of the switch mode power supply by varying the instantaneous switching frequency at a constant slew rate magnitude that changes sign at random times. The instantaneous switching frequency may be controlled by a signal that is generated by integrating a random bit stream. The stream may repeat at a sub-audio frequency. The integrator may be lossy, so that the output does not wonder off to an arbitrary value. The frequency modulation signal may be filtered by a low pass filter.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2015Publication date: September 22, 2016Inventor: Michael Thomas Engelhardt
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Publication number: 20150321733Abstract: An article of manufacture for improving the safety on floating docks alongside fixed landing decks or piers with a barrier affixed to the edge of the landing deck, fastening mechanism to mount the barrier to the landing deck, weights affixed to, or embedded into, the bottom part of barrier to ensure contact with the floating dock, and a guiding mechanism such as ropes affixed to landing deck and floating dock to ensure that barrier will always reconnect with the floating dock in case of separation.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 7, 2014Publication date: November 12, 2015Inventors: Thomas Engelhardt, Gary Edward Drumheller
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Patent number: 8686702Abstract: Generated are an error signal representative of a difference between a signal representative of the output voltage of a current mode switching power supply and a reference voltage, and a peak current threshold signal that is indicative of a peak current that should be reached in an inductor within the power supply during each cycle of a periodic clock signal and that has a level that is based on the error signal. A switch control signal regulates the voltage output of the power supply by closing and then opening a power switch during each cycle of the periodic clock signal. Timing of opening is based on the peak current threshold signal. Negative slope compensation causes the switch control circuit to delay opening the power switch during each cycle of the periodic clock signal in an amount that decreases with increasing duty cycles of the switch control signal.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2012Date of Patent: April 1, 2014Assignee: Linear Technology CorporationInventor: Michael Thomas Engelhardt
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Publication number: 20130207629Abstract: Generated are an error signal representative of a difference between a signal representative of the output voltage of a current mode switching power supply and a reference voltage, and a peak current threshold signal that is indicative of a peak current that should be reached in an inductor within the power supply during each cycle of a periodic clock signal and that has a level that is based on the error signal. A switch control signal regulates the voltage output of the power supply by closing and then opening a power switch during each cycle of the periodic clock signal. Timing of opening is based on the peak current threshold signal. Negative slope compensation causes the switch control circuit to delay opening the power switch during each cycle of the periodic clock signal in an amount that decreases with increasing duty cycles of the switch control signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2012Publication date: August 15, 2013Inventor: Michael Thomas ENGELHARDT
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Patent number: 8274266Abstract: A power supply system has an inductive device, a plurality of switching devices for providing connection of the inductive device to input and output nodes and a ground node, and a switch driver circuit for driving the switching devices so as to enable the power supply to operate in a boost mode to increase the input voltage, in a buck mode to decrease the input voltage, and in a solid-state flyback mode to transfer between the boost mode and the buck mode. In the solid-state flyback mode, the switching devices are controlled to provide switching of the inductive device between an input state in which the inductive device is connected between the input node and the ground node, and an output state in which the inductive device is connected between the ground node and the output node.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2009Date of Patent: September 25, 2012Assignee: Linear Technology CorporationInventors: Michael Thomas Engelhardt, Randy Guy Flatness
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Publication number: 20110037446Abstract: A power supply system has an inductive device, a plurality of switching devices for providing connection of the inductive device to input and output nodes and a ground node, and a switch driver circuit for driving the switching devices so as to enable the power supply to operate in a boost mode to increase the input voltage, in a buck mode to decrease the input voltage, and in a solid-state flyback mode to transfer between the boost mode and the buck mode. In the solid-state flyback mode, the switching devices are controlled to provide switching of the inductive device between an input state in which the inductive device is connected between the input node and the ground node, and an output state in which the inductive device is connected between the ground node and the output node.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 14, 2009Publication date: February 17, 2011Inventors: Michael Thomas ENGELHARDT, Randy Guy Flatness
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Patent number: 7502723Abstract: The present disclosure relates to simulating inductors wound on a ferromagnetic core as the magnetic material saturates. In one application, the present disclosure is advantageously used to model the asymmetric minor hysteresis loops commonly traversed by the output inductor of a switch mode power supply. An advantage of the subject matter of the disclosure is that it allows practical nonlinear inductors to be modeled in a computationally lightweight manner without conventional non-physical behavior under asymmetric minor hysteresis loop traversals. The disclosure is also conveniently applicable to practical ferromagnetic core materials because, in one particular implementation, the input parameters to the model are the core's coercive force (Hc), remnant magnetization flux density (Br), and saturation flux density (Bs).Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 2005Date of Patent: March 10, 2009Assignee: Linear Technology CorporationInventor: Michael Thomas Engelhardt
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Patent number: 6750282Abstract: The invention relates to a flameproof, essentially halogen-free polymer composition, containing the following: a) 100 parts by weight of a thermoplastic, cross-linkable or cross-linked, elastomeric and/or duroplastic polymer; b) 10 to 200 parts by weight of magnesium, calcium, zink and/or aluminiumhydroxide and/or their double hydroxides; c) 1 to 50 parts by weight of an organic intercalated sheet silicate.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2003Date of Patent: June 15, 2004Assignee: Süd-Chemie AGInventors: Norbert Schall, Thomas Engelhardt, Hubert Simmler-Hübenthal, Günter Beyer
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Patent number: 6464832Abstract: A simplified method for the optical brightening of paper either in the pulp mass, the size or metering press or by coating by the use of a formulation of an optical brightening agent together with a swellable layered silicate.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2001Date of Patent: October 15, 2002Assignee: Ciba Specialty Chemicals CorporationInventors: Thomas Engelhardt, Peter Rohringer
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Publication number: 20020084049Abstract: A simplified method for the optical brightening of paper either in the pulp mass, the size or metering press or by coating by the use of a formulation of an optical brightening agent together with a swellable layered silicate.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2001Publication date: July 4, 2002Inventors: Thomas Engelhardt, Peter Rohringer
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Patent number: 6302999Abstract: A simplified method for the optical brightening of paper either in the pulp mass, the size or metering press or by coating by the use of a formulation of an optical brightening agent together with a swellable layered silicate.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 1998Date of Patent: October 16, 2001Assignee: Ciba Specialty Chemicals Corp.Inventors: Thomas Engelhardt, Peter Rohringer
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Patent number: 6166278Abstract: A catalyst for removing olefins from aromatic compounds or mixtures of aromatic compounds wherein the catalyst is a naturally acidic smectite clay containing exchangeable cations wherein the naturally acidic smectite clay has a cation exchange capacity of 40 to 80 meq./100 g. and wherein the exchangeable cations include 5 to 70 meq./100 g. of Al.sup.3+ cations, a process for the preparation of this catalyst including treating a naturally acidic smectite clay with an aluminum salt solution wherein the salt solution includes Al.sup.3+ ions at a concentration of at least 10 meq./100 g. of the catalyst, and a process for the removal of olefins from aromatic compounds or mixtures of aromatic compounds using the above-described catalyst.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 1997Date of Patent: December 26, 2000Assignee: Sud-Chemie A.G.Inventors: Thomas Engelhardt, Uwe Flessner, Reinhard Hahn, Werner Zschau
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Patent number: D972902Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2020Date of Patent: December 20, 2022Assignee: Sky Leap, LLCInventors: Thomas Engelhardt, Lili EngelHardt