Patents Assigned to Behr-Hella Thermocontrol GmbH
  • Patent number: 8785858
    Abstract: A solar sensor for the detection of the direction of incidence and the intensity of solar radiation comprises a housing (12) made of a plastic material that is permeable to at least some of the solar radiation, the housing (12) having a curved side (14) facing the incident solar radiation and the housing (12) optically acting as a lens and having an internal focal plane (26) defined by the lens characteristics thereof. At least two photosensors (16) are embedded in the plastic material of the housing (12), each photosensor (16) having a sensor area (18) sensitive to at least the part of the radiation to which the plastic material is permeable, and the sensor areas (18) of the photosensors (16) being arranged in a substantially common plane (19) located in front of or behind the focal plane (26), seen from side (14) facing the incident solar radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Behr-Hella Thermocontrol GmbH
    Inventors: Otto Knittel, Bernd Stich, Ralph Trapp, Dirk Nagel
  • Publication number: 20140027444
    Abstract: The invention relates to a heating device having a housing and having a fluid duct which is arranged in said housing and which has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, wherein, in the housing, there is provided an element which generates an alternating magnetic field and which is separated from the fluid duct in a sealed manner by at least one wall, wherein furthermore, at least one metallic areal heating element is provided which can be heated by the alternating magnetic field, wherein the at least one areal heating element is arranged in the fluid duct.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicants: Behr GmbH & Co., KG, Behr-Hella Thermocontrol GmbH, Behr France Rouffach SAS
    Inventors: Michael KOHL, Karl-Gerd KRUMBACH, Karl LOCHMAHR, Wolfgang SEEWALD, Olivier SCHUNCK, Dirk NAGEL, Lars HEEPER, Matthias STALLEIN, Michael STEINKAMP, Karsten MARQUAS, Volker DICKE
  • Patent number: 8528878
    Abstract: The rotary control unit to which the invention relates, in particular nominal value rotary control unit for a vehicle heating system and in particular vehicle air conditioning system, is provided with a rotatable rotary control element (14), an electric motor (16) with a driveshaft (17) which is mechanically coupled to the rotary control element (14), an control circuit (24) for supplying the electric motor (16) with power for the purpose of generating a holding moment in order to prevent undesired rotation of the rotary control element (14) and/or to build up a resistance as the rotary control element is rotated, and a sensor unit (22) for detecting a hand which is approaching the rotary control element (14) or is touching the rotary control element (14). The control circuit (24) for supplying power to the electric motor (16) can be activated if the sensor unit (22) detects a hand which is approaching the rotary control element (14) or is touching the rotary control element (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Behr-Hella Thermocontrol GmbH
    Inventor: Otto Knittel
  • Publication number: 20120267355
    Abstract: The electric heating system, in particular for a hybrid vehicle or electric vehicle, is provided with a heating module. The heating module is provided with an electrically insulating, heat conducting ceramic substrate which has a heating zone and a control zone which are spaced apart from one another. The heating module comprises an electrical resistance heating element which is arranged on the ceramic substrate, in the heating zone thereof, and which is embodied as a resistance heating conductor which is mounted on the ceramic substrate. Further, the heating module comprises a transistor for controlling the current through the resistance heating conductor, wherein the transistor and other optionally present electrical components and conductor tracks are arranged in the control zone on the ceramic substrate. The heating module is provided with a first cooling element which is thermally coupled to the heating zone of the ceramic substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: BEHR-HELLA THERMOCONTROL GMBH
    Inventors: Ralph Trapp, Hans-Dieter Röhling
  • Publication number: 20110240862
    Abstract: A solar sensor for the detection of the direction of incidence and the intensity of solar radiation comprises a housing (12) made of a plastic material that is permeable to at least some of the solar radiation, the housing (12) having a curved side (14) facing the incident solar radiation and the housing (12) optically acting as a lens and having an internal focal plane (26) defined by the lens characteristics thereof. At least two photosensors (16) are embedded in the plastic material of the housing (12), each photosensor (16) having a sensor area (18) sensitive to at least the part of the radiation to which the plastic material is permeable, and the sensor areas (18) of the photosensors (16) being arranged in a substantially common plane (19) located in front of or behind the focal plane (26), seen from side (14) facing the incident solar radiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: Behr-Hella Thermocontrol GmbH
    Inventors: Otto Knittel, Bernd Stich, Ralph Trapp, Dirk Nagel
  • Patent number: 7800321
    Abstract: In a method for the detection of the rotational position of the rotor of a DC motor with commutator by evaluating the time development of a rotor current signal of the DC motor, said signal comprising a periodic waviness around an average value and comprising current ripples generated by commutation which are superimposed to said waviness, the rotor current signal of a current ripple detector unit (30) is supplied for detecting the current ripples of the rotor current signal. The rotor current signal is further supplied to a waviness detector unit (34) for detecting a half or full wave of the rotor current signal. The current ripple detector unit (30) is arranged to output a current ripple pulse for each detected current ripple. The waviness detector unit (34) is arranged to output a waviness pulse for each period of the waviness. The output signals of both detector units (30,34) are supplied to a logic OR unit (38) for generating a logic signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Behr-Hella Thermocontrol GmbH
    Inventors: Otto Knittel, Michael Kriener
  • Publication number: 20080079380
    Abstract: In a method for the detection of the rotational position of the rotor of a DC motor with commutator by evaluating the time development of a rotor current signal of the DC motor, said signal comprising a periodic waviness around an average value and comprising current ripples generated by commutation which are superimposed to said waviness, the rotor current signal of a current ripple detector unit (30) is supplied for detecting the current ripples of the rotor current signal. The rotor current signal is further supplied to a waviness detector unit (34) for detecting a half or full wave of the rotor current signal. The current ripple detector unit (30) is arranged to output a current ripple pulse for each detected current ripple. The waviness detector unit (34) is arranged to output a waviness pulse for each period of the waviness. The output signals of both detector units (30,34) are supplied to a logic OR unit (38) for generating a logic signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2007
    Publication date: April 3, 2008
    Applicant: Behr-Hella Thermocontrol GmbH
    Inventors: Otto Knittel, Michael Kriener
  • Patent number: 6997605
    Abstract: The device for detection of the temperature in the interior of a vehicle, particularly for an air-conditioning system of a vehicle, is provided with an interior temperature sensor (28) arranged in a housing (18) arranged in or at a wall (12) adjacent to the interior (14) of the vehicle and being at least partially adjacent to the interior (14) of the vehicle, and a radiation sensor (30) detecting solar radiation leading to the heating of the housing (18) of the interior temperature sensor (28). Further, the device is provided with a compensation temperature sensor (36) arranged behind the wall (12) and such that it is thermally decoupled from the interior temperature sensor (28) and detecting the heat of air and/or assemblies behind the wall (12), which leads to a falsification of the measured value of the interior temperature sensor (28). The two temperature sensors (28,36) and the radiation sensor (30) are combined in a common assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Behr-Hella Thermocontrol GmbH
    Inventors: Ralph Trapp, Bernd Stich, Otto Knittel, Marwin Hamann
  • Publication number: 20040223534
    Abstract: The device for detection of the temperature in the interior of a vehicle, particularly for an air-conditioning system of a vehicle, is provided with an interior temperature sensor (28) arranged in a housing (18) arranged in or at a wall (12) adjacent to the interior (14) of the vehicle and being at least partially adjacent to the interior (14) of the vehicle, and a radiation sensor (30) detecting solar radiation leading to the heating of the housing (18) of the interior temperature sensor (28). Further, the device is provided with a compensation temperature sensor (36) arranged behind the wall (12) and such that it is thermally decoupled from the interior temperature sensor (28) and detecting the heat of air and/or assemblies behind the wall (12), which leads to a falsification of the measured value of the interior temperature sensor (28). The two temperature sensors (28,36) and the radiation sensor (30) are combined in a common assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Publication date: November 11, 2004
    Applicant: Behr-Hella Thermocontrol GmbH
    Inventors: Ralph Trapp, Bernd Stich, Otto Knittel, Marwin Hamann
  • Patent number: 6709155
    Abstract: A device for determining the temperature in the interior of a vehicle includes a temperature sensor for arrangement behind a wall adjacent the interior, and a processing unit receiving the measuring signal from the temperature sensor and outputting an output signal representing the temperature in the interior of the vehicle, and a thermal conductor for sensing the temperature of the air in the interior in the region close to the wall, the thermal conductor being in thermally conductive contact with the temperature sensor and being provided to extend up to or close to the wall or through an opening in the wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Behr-Hella Thermocontrol GmbH
    Inventors: Otto Knittel, Hans-Dieter Roehling, Bernd Stich
  • Patent number: D616461
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Behr-Hella Thermocontrol GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Dahm, Alexander Waldeyer