Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Mayer, Brown & Platt
  • Patent number: 6279972
    Abstract: The invention relates to a closing device for a movable element, in particular for a door, a flap or the like, of a vehicle, having a rotary latch which arrests or releases a closing bolt, it being possible for the rotary latch to be arrested by a detent pawl to effect a closed position of the element and it being possible for the detent pawl to be driven by an actuating drive for the purpose of releasing the rotary latch to effect an opening position of the element, the invention making provision for means which control the actuating drive in such a manner that after the actuating drive has been driven from a rest position in the direction of a working position for the purpose of releasing the rotary latch it is returned in a controlled manner from the working position into the rest position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Sigmar Brill, Reinhard Stalter, Gerhard Menz, Klaus Rathmann, Axel Schäfer
  • Patent number: 6279544
    Abstract: In a pressure-maintaining device for a fuel supply system of an internal combustion engine (1) of a motor vehicle, a pressure reservoir (5) is arranged in a supply line (7) leading to the internal combustion engine (1). The pressure reservior (5) has a pressure chamber (13), which is bounded by a movable wall (14) that is pretensioned by a compression spring (15). The position of the movable wall (14) is registered by a displacement transducer (18) and forwarded to a regulating device (12). The regulating device (12) regulates the rotational speed of a fuel pump (3) as a function of the position of the movable wall (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Bernd Rumpf
  • Patent number: 6276201
    Abstract: In a fuel tank (1) for a motor vehicle, a carrier (12) of a fuel level sensor (8) is manufactured in one piece with a wall of the baffle (4). As a result, the fuel tank (1) is composed of a very small number of components and can be mounted in a particularly simple way. In the region of a mounting for a lever arm (9) carrying a float (10), the carrier (12) is spaced from the baffle (4). The lever arm (9) can thereby engage round the mounting. The filling level sensor (8) has high stability as a result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Christophe Gette, Stéphane Bouton, Otto Korst
  • Patent number: 6275995
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a hand covering and a membrane. The hand covering has a first side, a second side, and an opening into which a hand can be removably inserted. The membrane has a first side and a second side. The first side and the second side of the membrane include a surface adapted for cleaning. The membrane is fixedly attached to a portion of said hand covering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: Sweports Limited
    Inventors: Brian E. Le Gette, Ronald L. Wilson, George G. Clarke
  • Patent number: 6276229
    Abstract: A gas-pedal module has a gas pedal (12) which is mounted pivotably in a housing and can be actuated, counter to a restoring spring, with pedal-force-dependent hysteresis, a pedal-position sensor producing an electric signal corresponding to the pedal position. In view of the high pedal forces, precise and expensive bearings are necessary in order to avoid jamming of the gas pedal (12). In order to reduce the production costs arid nevertheless reliably to prevent jamming, it is proposed to mount the gas pedal (12) in a floating manner in a bearing element (28) which has play in the upward direction. Specific selection of the coefficient of friction on the contact surface (30) between the bearing journal (18) and the bearing element (28) makes it possible to achieve a hysteresis as is desired in the case of such gas-pedal modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Frank Göhring, Armin Wendling
  • Patent number: 6276342
    Abstract: A fuel supply system for a motor vehicle has two feed units arranged in a fuel tank. The feed units in each case feed fuel out of baffles to an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle and to suction jet pumps. This ensures a reliable supply of fuel to the internal combustion engine, even in the case of a very high fuel requirement and in the case of an angled design of the fuel tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Sinz, Karl Eck, Michael Teichert
  • Patent number: 6275025
    Abstract: The invention relates to a magnetic position sensor in which at least two stator elements are arranged in a magnetic field, a magnetic field probe being located in the air gap between the stator elements, a means that follows the movement of an object being arranged parallel to the plane spanned by the stator elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Peter Wiese
  • Patent number: 6269534
    Abstract: A method for producing an electric resistor, in particular a resistance strain gauge, in which an insulating layer and a resistive layer are sequentially applied to a carrier element. The insulating layer or the resistive layer is applied to a backing sheet, the side of the backing sheet carrying the insulating or resistive layer being covered with a flexible film layer whose adhesion to the insulating layer or resistive layer is stronger than the adhesion of the backing sheet to the insulating layer or resistive layer. The film layer with the insulating or resistive layer is peeled off of the adhesive backing sheet and applied to a carrier element, which is heated to burn off the film layer and sinter on the insulating or resistive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Erich Mattmann, Klaus Weber
  • Patent number: 6269851
    Abstract: In the case of a filling pipe for a fuel tank a branching element is arranged in a section of the filling pipe. The flow of the inflowing fuel preferably runs along an outer wall of the filling pipe, so that a subflow is in each case conducted directly to the antisurge tower through a lower cross-sectional area. Larger volume flows, which completely fill the cross section, pass for the most part directly into the fuel tank. By this means, a sufficient basic supply of the antisurge tower is ensured irrespective of the volume flow produced during filling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Knut Meyer, Peter Andreas Löw
  • Patent number: 6269835
    Abstract: In a pressure-regulating arrangement between a pump and a load, in particular between a fuel pump and an internal combustion engine, in which, if the flow from the pump exceeds a predetermined pressure, a cutoff quantity is branched off and fed back into a storage container, according to the invention the pressure regulator (9), together with the cutoff line (14), is combined with a filter (2) in one structural unit. All three connections (feed (4), flow (7) and cutoff connection (15)) are preferably arranged on the same side of a common housing (1). In a particularly advantageous embodiment, all three connections are arranged coaxially with one another, so that if an appropriate connecting piece is used, installation faults can be ruled out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Christian Kochsmeier
  • Patent number: 6270291
    Abstract: A method for applying liquid plastic polymers to soil surfaces in order to form a continuous membrane film for soil mulch. The plastic mulch is useful for enhancing crop production, disinfestation of soil by solarization and prevention of soil erosion. Additionally, the invention includes procedures for applying and spraying the liquid plastic polymers to form an effective and economic film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: State of Israel Ministry of Agriculture
    Inventors: Avraham Gamliel, Eliezer Becker
  • Patent number: 6267007
    Abstract: A filling level sensor has a carrier part (1) having a lever wire (3) which is attached to a bracket (2) and is axially guided by a bar-shaped apron (11). The bracket (2) has webs (9, 10) which protrude radially with respect to its pivotable and axially nondisplaceable bearing and over which flange elements (7, 8) of the carrier part (1) engage. As a result, the bracket (2) is at a constant distance from the carrier part (1) and is additionally of particularly simple design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Klaus-Peter Günther
  • Patent number: 6267078
    Abstract: A portable cat litter box and travel case wherein the portable box is comprised of two separate side compartments. One of the side compartments defines the litter box, and the second side defines a compartment within which various items necessary for proper pet care may be stored. The litter box has a substantially air tight sealing member removably secured to the top sidewall around its perimeter. Folding flanges are used to prevent a cat from inadvertently removing litter from the box upon exiting the litter box. Items which may be stored in the travel case include things such as extra food, spare liners for the litter box, a feeding bowl, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Inventor: Servando Ronald Pina
  • Patent number: D445783
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Christian Bouchard
  • Patent number: D446044
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: L. R. Nelson Corporation
    Inventor: Joyce Thomas
  • Patent number: D446116
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: L. R. Nelson Corporation
    Inventor: Robert Nytko
  • Patent number: D446548
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Inventor: Richard Green
  • Patent number: D446663
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: L. R. Nelson Corporation
    Inventor: Joyce Thomas
  • Patent number: D447004
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Inventor: Richard Green
  • Patent number: D447216
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: L. R. Helson
    Inventors: Lawrence P. Heren, Scott Jacobs