Patents Assigned to Mannesmann VDO AG
  • Patent number: 6762696
    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: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Jürgen Hulverscheidt, Joachim Schott
  • Patent number: 6756878
    Abstract: An invention relates to an apparatus for activating and/or deactivating a security device, particularly an entry device for a motor vehicle, having a portable transmitter unit for wirelessly transmitting a coded information item which is received by a receiver apparatus and is compared with a prescribed coded information item, the receiver apparatus being capable of outputting an actuation signal to the security device if the two information items match, and the receiver apparatus being connected to a mechanical device for operating the security device. In an apparatus in which unauthorized deactivation of the security device is reliably prevented, the receiver apparatus is disabled for the reception and/or evaluation of the coded information items and/or for the output of the actuation signal to the security device after the security device has been mechanically activated, the block being lifted after the security device has been mechanically deactivated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Hans-Peter Lässle, Dietmar Schmid
  • Publication number: 20040107567
    Abstract: Method for producing an electrical connection between a first and a second contact partner, provision being made, according to the invention, for the two contact partners to be led together as a plug-in connection and then non-detachably connected to each other in an integral or quasi-integral manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2003
    Publication date: June 10, 2004
    Applicant: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Gunther Bender
  • Patent number: 6741660
    Abstract: In a method for modulation of a basic clock for digital circuits, in which the intervals between adjacent switching edges are varied, with the basic clock being split into equidistant sections, and the intervals between adjacent switching edges being varied as a function of cyclically recurring random numbers, the position of a switching edge (ai+1) following a switching edge (a1) to be calculated as follows: a i + 1 = ( a 1 + p - ( N - 1 2 - Z i + 1 ) ) ⁢   ⁢ m
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignees: Mannesmann VDO AG, Fujitsu Microelectronics Europe GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Sattler, Walter Klumb
  • Patent number: 6727962
    Abstract: In a combination instrument for a motor vehicle, in particular for a utility vehicle or a bus, having an LC display (1), a light-guiding plate (4) is provided, into which ambient light is injected from inside or from outside the motor vehicle, in which the injected ambient light is guided by total reflection at the side of the LC display (1) facing away from the viewer and which has, at the side of the LC display (1) facing away from the viewer, a coating (11) or a structure (13) for extracting the ambient light out of the light-guiding plate (4) there and for injecting the ambient light into the LC display (1). This measure backlights the LC display (1), leading to a significant increase in the contrast for information displayed on the LC display (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Jürgen Adams
  • Patent number: 6722225
    Abstract: A pedal lever (2) for actuation with the foot is connected to an actuating element (18) by a spring element (12) in such a manner that an actuating force is introduced directly or by a component (13), but the restoring force introduced into the pedal lever (2) by a restoring spring element (6) is transmitted only up to a maximum permitted value. As soon as this value is exceeded, the spring element (12) absorbs the force exceeding it. As a result, the actuating element (18) is protected against damage caused by excessive introduction of force during the restoring movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Jan Martinovsky
  • Patent number: 6720937
    Abstract: In order to improve the readability of analog or digital display units (2a, 2b, 3) arranged in a combination instrument, 1 that either at least one of the display units (2a, 2b, 3) can be pivoted about at least one spatial axis (X, X1, X2, X′, Y, Y1, Y2, Y′) by a drive arranged in the combination instrument (1), 2 or that at least the front side of the housing of the combination instrument (1) is subdivided into a plurality of subregions (A, B, C), and that at least one of these subregions (A, B or C) can be pivoted together with the display units (2a, 2b, 3) integrated in it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Elmar Neugart, Gerhard Over
  • Publication number: 20040060601
    Abstract: A valve for a fuel delivery unit has a counterholder pressed into a housing. A spring is supported on the counterholder and is intended for prestressing a closing part against a valve seat. The valve according to the invention can be fitted in a particularly simple manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2003
    Publication date: April 1, 2004
    Applicant: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Peter Marx, Wilfried Moller, Jurgen Schaffert, Johannes Deichmann, Jorg Deubner
  • Patent number: 6708898
    Abstract: In the case of a fluidic nozzle (12) a nozzle body (13) is fixed in a housing (17) by a form-locking latching connection (18). For this purpose, an elastically deformable latching body (14) engages in a recess (16) of the housing (17). The operational position of the nozzle body (13) is thereby defined with high accuracy, with the result that an undesirable escape of the liquid between the nozzle body (13) and the housing (17) is prevented. Furthermore, at the same time the contact surface can be reduced here to a section (20) which is inclined toward an outlet opening (19) of the fluidic nozzle (12) and has a correspondingly improved sealing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Bernd Hoffmann, Jürgen Hofmann
  • Patent number: 6710488
    Abstract: An electric motor having a stator and a rotor, with the rotor having at least one permanent magnet and one rotor shaft and with the stator having at least two coils which produce a rotating magnetic field when alternating currents flow through them, by which the rotor can be driven, and wherein the rotor shaft is mounted radially and axially. The rotor (4) is mounted by at least one elastic thrust ring (1a, 1b), with one thrust ring (1a) being arranged axially on one side of the rotor (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Klaus Kronenberg, Frank Jansa, Klaus Kriessler, Heinrich-Jochen Blume, Henry Strobel, Albert Stolzlechner
  • Patent number: 6710322
    Abstract: A invention relates to a device for detecting the position of a selector lever, in which the selector lever is connected to a switching device that transmits a signal to an evaluation device for a desired position of the selector lever. In a a device for detecting the position of a selector lever which operates reliably over its entire service life and can be produced at reasonable cost, the selector lever (1) is connected to a diaphragm (2, 3) arranged in the beam path between an optical transmitter (18) and an optical receiver (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14), the diaphragm (2, 3), which follows the movement of the selector lever (1), being designed in such a way as to be optically transparent in the desired position of the selector lever (1), as a result of which the optical receiver (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14) receives the signal from the optical transmitter (18) and transmits it to the evaluation device (15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Andreas Baltes
  • Patent number: 6692144
    Abstract: A method and measuring device intended for a window-cleaning system of a motor vehicle, wherein the freezing temperature is determined by continuous cooling of a representative partial volume of the liquid inside a chamber. For this purpose, measurements are made of the temperature while the liquid is cooled, which first drops in accordance with the heat dissipation until the start of the phase change initiating the freezing, and in the process leads the heat of solidification released to a temporary temperature plateau. The freezing temperature can be reliably determined in this way for each chemical composition of the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2004
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Rainer Kober, Sven Petzold
  • Patent number: 6693523
    Abstract: In an instrument cluster for motor vehicles with a variable-color display, with which at least two different measured variables and/or operating states of the motor vehicle can be represented in analog and/or digital form, when a value of a measured variable is overshot or a certain operating state of the motor vehicle is entered, the color and/or brightness of representation of more than one measured value displayed and/or operating state displayed are changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2004
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Heinz-Bernhard Abel, Heinrich Noll
  • Patent number: 6681104
    Abstract: A built-in appliance for a motor vehicle, wherein the appliance is designed as a radio telephone, comprising an introduction orifice for a storage card arranged on a front side of the built-in appliance. The introduction orifice is capable of being closed by a cover which serves at the same time as an operating element. As a result, the available space on the front side is not reduced, as compared with conventional built-in appliances. At the same time, it is easy for a user to extract the storage card which, moreover, is protected against environmental influences by the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Wilfried Scheuer, Stephen Lauth
  • Patent number: 6676186
    Abstract: A vehicle with a tailgate (5) or the like, the vehicle being defined in that the tailgate (5) has a sensor for sensing objects at least during the opening operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Thomas Greif
  • Patent number: 6678033
    Abstract: A display device, in particular for a vehicle, having a screen which has a liquid crystal cell, with the liquid crystal cell having a front and a rear cell wall and a liquid crystal substance arranged in the cell space between these cell walls, and having a heating apparatus by which the display device can be heated. In order to ensure reliable operation of the display device even at low temperatures, the heating apparatus is arranged in the cell space of the liquid crystal cell directly or indirectly on the front and/or, on the rear cell wall, and that the heating apparatus is operated with a pure AC voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Peter Brandt, Dietmar Tippl
  • Patent number: 6674182
    Abstract: A wiring harness for use with an emergency vehicle. The wiring harness can be an independent wiring harness added after the vehicle has been manufactured or it can be included in the original equipment manufacturer's wiring harness. The wiring harness permits the addition of emergency vehicle equipment, such as two-way radios, computers, radar guns, etc., without splicing into the original equipment manufacturer's wiring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Lyman B. Maynard, Tom Forsythe
  • Patent number: 6674497
    Abstract: A display device, in particular for a motor vehicle, having a pointer, a scale and an electrooptic display, it being possible to represent measured values on the scale in an analog fashion using the pointer, and at least one area of the electrooptic display being arranged along the movement path of the pointer. In order to provide a high level of information density while simultaneously making the display easy to read, the electrooptic display has a first display field which runs along at least one section of the movement path of the pointer and has display segments which can be actuated, and a second display field which can be actuated in an unrestricted way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Peter Brandt
  • Patent number: 6668657
    Abstract: A pressure sensor for a motor vehicle includes a sensor housing and a base. A pressure bore through the base leads to a pressure space delimited on one side by the base and on the opposite side by a diaphragm connected sealingly to the base. An actuating element is carried on a side of the diaphragm facing away from the pressure space. The actuating element actuates a sensor element in the sensor housing via a non-contact actuation. For protection against leakage due to a break in the diaphragm, a sealing cap surrounds the diaphragm and the actuating element and is sealingly connected to the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Norbert Schmidt, Joachim Acht
  • Patent number: 6662608
    Abstract: A central locking drive (10) serves for the actuation of various locking functions of a door lock, especially in motor vehicles' and has two drive members (18, 20, 22, 24), which are each adjustable between an inoperative position and an activated position. In order to be able to actuate additional locking functions' such as child safety for example, automatically, an additional drive member or expensive detection of intermediate positions of the two drive members has hitherto been necessary. In order to avoid this expense there is provided an operating element (26), which is moveable between a neutral position and at least one operating position, the attainment of a particular operating position of the operating element (26) being dependent upon the order in which the two drive members (18, 22) are activated. The operating element is displaced, for example, by interacting cam elements on the operating element (26) and the drive members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Theo Baukholt