Patents Assigned to Mannesmann VDO AG
  • Indicating instrument with an illuminated pointer disposed behind the dial
    Patent number: 6379015
    Abstract: In an indicating instrument (1) with a translucent dial (8), an illuminated pointer (4) is arranged, out of the viewing direction of a viewer, behind the dial (8) on its rear, inner side (7). The surface of the outer side and/or of the inner side of the dial is reflection-reducing so as to enable the dial to serve the function of a covering glass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Heinz Günther Wilhelm, Michael Döbler, Benoit Bauer, Heinz Turck, Helmut Wolf, Frank Pöhlmann, Stephan Zech
  • Device for connecting an electric motor
    Publication number: 20020047366
    Abstract: A suppressor for a device for connecting an electric motor has a varistor and a capacitor connected in parallel for providing suppression for the electric motor. The suppressor has particularly small dimensions compared with a capacitor exhibiting a comparable suppression strength. For the purposes of providing suppression for electric motors used for fuel pumps, the dimensions of the suppressor are fundamentally independent of its power and the level of design complexity required for mounting suppressors on the electric motor with a different power is particularly low.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2001
    Publication date: April 25, 2002
    Applicant: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Uwe Allendorf, Jurgen Zoll
  • Drive device having an actuating drive
    Patent number: 6377005
    Abstract: A drive device, in particular a locking device, having an actuating drive for driving a moving element as well as a position detection device for detecting the position of the moving element, in which case the invention provides that the position detection device has a magnet element which is fitted to the moving element, as well as a Hall element which is arranged in the vicinity of the magnet element, in which case the Hall element is integrated in an electronic module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Albert Zintler, Wolfgang Mücke, Reinhard Stalter
  • Electric connector
    Patent number: 6373212
    Abstract: An electrical connection between a potentiometer, an actuating motor and control electronics for controlling an actuating element has heretofore been composed of electrical cables, so that a large number of contact points were necessary overall, whereby however, each additional contact point increased the risk of a fault and made the assembly process more expensive. In order to reduce the number of contact points, the base substrate of the potentiometer and the contact board of the motor are in the form of an integral board, and at least some of the electrical connections comprise conductor tracks embedded in the substrate. Electrical components, such as a motor inductor for radio interference suppression, may also be mounted on the board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Günther Bender
  • Method of using memories in aid of vehicle navigation
    Patent number: 6374175
    Abstract: A vehicle navigation system includes a message transmitter/receiver capable of holding a dialog with a central database under the control of a processor to request and obtain information signals. Messages are received in the form of a cession of reference numbers, and the processor searches its local database for intelligible data corresponding to each reference number. Since the local database contains a limited capacity, for certain reference numbers the corresponding intelligible data will not be in the memory. The processor then begins a dialog by means of the transmitter/receiver, between itself and a central database, so as to obtain the lacking data that corresponds to a received reference number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Serge Verron, Bernhardt Klein, Thomas Konrad
  • Method for driving the interior lighting of vehicles
    Patent number: 6369457
    Abstract: A vehicle having a central locking system for doors, tailgates or the like, as well as a device for illuminating an interior space of the vehicle, wherein the central locking system has a central control unit (1), and the central control unit (1) has an output (7) both for at least one actuating drive (2) and for the device for illuminating the interior space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Martin Meyer, Axel Schäfer
  • Electronic central locking system
    Patent number: 6369458
    Abstract: The security to prevent theft of a central locking system for motor vehicles is improved by arranging a switch 34, 340, which can be switched by a coded signal, in the supply voltage lines 31 and/or 310 and/or 32 for driving an-actuating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Albert Zintler, Dieter Busch
  • Plastic container and method for using the same
    Patent number: 6367503
    Abstract: A plastic tank comprises a line which is connected at least in certain sections to its wall and is formed in one piece with the plastic tank. For its production, the plastic tank is injection-moulded between a hollow mould and an inner mould inserted into the latter, the mould having a recess, in which a sprue body is formed as the starting material for the line. Before this sprue body can solidify completely, material is blown out from it by means of the internal gas pressure or pressure blowing technique via channels provided in the mould, so that the required line is created there. The lines may be arranged on the outside and/or inside and parallel and/or at an angle to the tank walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Dieter Keller, Martin Maasz, Karl Eck, Christian Kochsmeier
  • Circuit arrangement for testing the connection of a sound reproducing device to a sound signal source
    Patent number: 6370252
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement for testing the connection of a sound reproducing device to a sound signal source including a power control device for controlling the sound signal power supplied to the sound reproducing device, a voltage measurement device for measuring the supply voltage supplied by the power supply, and a comparison device for comparing the measured values of the supply voltage for two different given values of the sound signal power and for producing a fault signal if the measured values of the supply voltage do not differ from one another by a given amount thus enabling a simple fault diagnosis for the connection of the sound reproducing device and for the device itself to be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Heinz Lünter
  • Closing device, particularly for the trunk of a motor vehicle
    Patent number: 6364380
    Abstract: A closing device, in particular for the trunk of a motor vehicle, having a closure bolt (2) arranged on a support (1) and guide elements (3) to receive a lock mechanism, the guide elements (3) being, movable on the support (1), in particular swingable around an axis of rotation (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Erhard Franz
  • Additional heating system for a motor vehicle
    Patent number: 6363732
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for implementing an additional heating system for a motor vehicle, having a heating/air-conditioning unit of a motor vehicle, which has a compressor that is driven by an electric motor and is arranged in a compression-type refrigerating circuit. In order to achieve additional heating of the motor vehicle in a simple manner while nevertheless obtaining the possibility of heating the motor vehicle rapidly and reliably, the electric motor (17) and/or at least the power components (30) of engine electronics (29) controlling the electric motor (17) are arranged in such a way that the waste heat of the electric motor (17) and/or the power components (30) is dissipated by a refrigerant or a heating agent of the heating/air-conditioning unit (1), which releases the heat absorbed to the interior of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Klaus-Jürgen Bluhm
  • Method for navigating a vehicle
    Patent number: 6366850
    Abstract: The invention specifies a method for navigating a vehicle, in which a change in the vehicle's direction is ascertained by integration of a signal indicating a speed of change in direction. To this end, the result of the integration is corrected by the following steps: a) The absolute direction of the vehicle at a first instant is determined using external auxiliary means; b) The absolute direction of the vehicle at a second instant is determined using external auxiliary means; c) The difference between the absolute directions is ascertained; and d) The result of the integration is normalized to this difference. The method enables the determination of directions more accurately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Cornelis Dick de Jong
  • Load setting device
    Patent number: 6360718
    Abstract: A load adjustment apparatus for a final control element (4) which determines the power of an internal combustion engine and is arranged on an actuating shaft (2) has a torsion spring (18) which is stressed by a minimum-load gear between a minimum-load position and an emergency-running position and is stressed by an actuating gear (5) between a full-load position and the emergency-running position. The minimum-load gear has a dog (10) which can be pivoted in the same sense as a gearwheel (9) arranged on an intermediate gearwheel (8) and serves to take along one end (12) of the torsion spring (18), the end resting against a stop (13) in the emergency-running position. The torsion spring (18) loads the actuating part (4) and hence the actuating shaft (2) continuously into the emergency-running position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Herbert Wicker
  • Routing display for navigation systems
    Publication number: 20020032524
    Abstract: A routing display for a navigation system in a road vehicle in the form of an electro-optical display can be driven by a routing computer and uses symbols to display a direction of current travel and a direction which is to be taken after a turn-off point relative to one another. The sizes of the two symbols relative to one another is changed such that the relative size of the symbol marking the direction which is to be taken after the turn-off point increases as the turn-off point is approached. Accordingly, when the driver looks at the routing display, he is given the visual impression that he is approaching the turn-off point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2001
    Publication date: March 14, 2002
    Applicant: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Jurgen Hulverscheidt, Joachim Schott
  • System for determining relative air humidity
    Patent number: 6356087
    Abstract: An arrangement for determining relative atmospheric humidity and temperature by means of a capacitive atmospheric humidity sensor and associated sensor evaluation electronics. The capacitive atmospheric humidity sensor has a polymer layer as a dielectric and two electrically conductive electrodes. For the temporary heating up of the capacitive atmospheric humidity sensor, one of the electrically conductive electrodes is designed as a laminar heating resistor with at least two power terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Werner Wallrafen
  • Torque sensor and method of producing a torque-dependent signal
    Patent number: 6354156
    Abstract: A torque sensor has a first signal generator whose output signal changes as a function of a torque, a second signal generator whose output signal changes in the opposite direction as a function of the torque, and a circuit which has a difference-forming unit and a summing device. The output signal of each signal generator passes through an amplifier whose gain is controlled and identical for both output signals and the amplified output signals are present on the difference-forming unit and on the summing device the output of the summing device being connected to a controller which controls the gain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Porth, Lother Gier
  • Illuminating device for a display
    Patent number: 6352356
    Abstract: An electric heating element (4) designed for heating a fluorescent lamp (2) of an illuminating device for a display is arranged on a printed circuit board (5) at only a small spacing from the flourescent lamp (2). As a result, the fluorescent lamp (2) can be specifically heated in the predetermined regions, the production being simplified at the same time. At the same time, the mounting of the heating element (4) can be performed independently of the flourescent lamp (2), and an adaptation to fluorescent lamps (2) of arbitrary configuration can be undertaken without difficulty.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Heinrich Noll
  • Butterfly valve body
    Patent number: 6352241
    Abstract: A throttle body (1) which has a throttle housing (2) made of plastic, a throttle butterfly (5) being pivotably mounted in a conduit section (3) of the throttle housing (2), wherein, a metal cylinder (12) is provided in the conduit section (3) over at least part of the pivoting range of the throttle butterfly (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Thomas Hannewald, Armin Seeger, Wilhelm Bock
  • Combination instrument
    Patent number: 6352003
    Abstract: A combination instrument (1) has an instrument carrier which is designed as a tubular, transparent hollow body (2) which is closed off at its ends by means of two side parts (3, 4). A plurality of display instruments (6, 7, 8, 9) arranged on a common circuit board (5) can in this way be inserted without difficulty into the hollow body (2). The combination instrument (1) is in this way optimally protected against environmental influences while at the same time allowing simple adaptation to different applications by cutting the hollow body (2) to length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Thomas Erben
  • Display having at least one hand, in particular for timepieces
    Patent number: 6351435
    Abstract: A display having at least one hand which can be driven by an electric drive, it being possible for the hand or the hands to execute rotations of more than 360° in a first direction, wherein it is provided that the hand or the hands (Z) can be rotated in a second direction (CCW) which is counter to the first direction (CW), that the hand or one of the hands (Z) can be rotated in the second direction(CCW) only up to a certain position (P) and, in this position, assumes a reference position, and that there is a detecting device (V) which detects the inability of the hand (Z) to rotate further in the second direction (CCW).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Klaus Kronenberg, Walter Rüb, Peter Schäfer, Erwin Sedlaczek, Mike Theis