Patents Assigned to Mannesmann VDO AG
  • Patent number: 6655003
    Abstract: A method for assembling an electric motor (10) having a stator (34) and a rotor (32). It is endeavored to keep the air gap (38) as narrow as possible, in order to achieve good efficiency of the motor (10). However, component tolerances and assembly errors require generous dimensioning in order to avoid possible contact between the stator (34) and the rotor (32). To improve the accuracy of assembly, is proposed, during the insertion into one another of the rotor (32) and the stator (34), a centering aid (40, 42) is introduced into the air gap (38) at at least three points, the rotor (32) and the stator (34) are subsequently fixed in relation to one another and finally the centering aid (40, 42) is pulled out through openings (48) in the motor housing (20, 30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Otmar Ganser
  • Patent number: 6654024
    Abstract: In a method for displaying primary and secondary information in a motor vehicle by reproducing symbols on a display, the symbols are shown with different brightnesses according to their importance. Their brightness is changed as the importance of the information changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Andreas Völkel
  • Patent number: 6653567
    Abstract: The invention relates to an indicating instrument, in particular for a motor vehicle, having a housing with a front frame holding a cover pane, and an elastic spacing element arranged between the cover pane and front frame, and to a method for connecting the cover pane to the front frame. In order to ensure a reliable connection between the cover pane and front frame which is without play, the invention proposes the spacing element be placed in an axial cutout which is arranged in the region of the circumference of the front frame and faces the cover pane, and in which the cover pane can engage. The method consists in that in a first step the spacing element is inserted into the axial cutout in the front frame, and in a second step the cover pane is pressed into the axial cutout against the spacing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Thomas Ritter, Manfred Zeiss, Harald Ehmes
  • Patent number: 6650994
    Abstract: A method for check the phase adjustment of a camshaft, in which the present phase angle of a variable phase camshaft can be detected reliably. A first value which corresponds to the actual noise level of the internal combustion engine is determined during a predetermined evaluation window and is compared with a second value, which corresponds to the actual noise level after phase adjustment of the camshaft, with the operation of the phase adjustment of the camshaft being assessed as a function of this comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Stefan Mühlberger, Ralf Koch, Christoph Steimel
  • Patent number: 6649111
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a housing (12) for a throttle valve connection piece (10), which housing is to have particularly high dimensional stability. For this purpose, the housing (12), which has a throttle orifice (16) for a throttle valve (20), is produced from plastic (14) by the injection molding method, plastic (14) being partially injected around a metal cylinder (28) which, at least in the region of the throttle valve (20), forms the throttle orifice (16). In this case, before the injection molding method, an expanding mandrel (50) is expanded against the inner face (33) of the metal cylinder (28). During the injection molding method, the inner face (33) of the metal cylinder (28) is supported at least partially by the expanding mandrel (50). After the injection molding method, a reduction in the outer circumference (80) of the expanding mandrel (50) is carried out in order to remove the expanding mandrel (50) from the interior (70) of the metal cylinder (28).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Thomas Hannewald, Armin Seeger, Rolf Oppermann, Michael Haede, Rüdiger Mörbe, Carlos Backes, Horst Schäfer
  • Patent number: 6645006
    Abstract: An electrical connector having a housing, a plurality of conductive terminals supported within the housing, and a flange extending outward from the housing is disclosed. The flange has a single mounting notch therein that is formed during the manufacturing process to adapt the connector for use in a particular angular mounting position. A method of manufacturing such an electrical connector is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignees: Mannesmann VDO AG, Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter John Crisanti, Erich Ruman, David Edward Dowden, Donald George Witzel
  • Patent number: 6646622
    Abstract: A combination instrument has a base body (9) which is split into display areas oriented at different angles relative to one another. An additional printed circuit (1) extending over a plurality of display areas is arranged on the front of the base body (9). This additional printed circuit comprises rigid printed circuit parts (2, 3, 4) which have flexible connecting regions (5, 6) with conductor tracks in the junction region of the display areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Hartmut Kronenberg, Ernst-Ulrich Simon
  • Patent number: 6646395
    Abstract: A invention relates to a throttle body which has at least one housing (14) and an actuator (18), which is arranged in the housing (14) and drives a moving element (6). The outlay on the production and assembly of the throttle body is particularly low while, at the same time, particularly severe heating of the actuator (18) is reliably avoided during operation of the actuator (18) wherein, the housing (14) is manufactured from plastic (K), and functional elements of the actuator (18) are arranged in the housing (14) and are at least partially surrounded by plastic (K). The moving element (6) is surrounded by a stub pipe (4), a functional element of the actuator (18) and the stub pipe (4) being connected to one another in a heat-conducting manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Christian Reimann
  • Patent number: 6642850
    Abstract: In an indicating instrument, especially in a motor vehicle, having a cover glass (4) that appears dark and, under incident light, prevents any view of a dial (3) arranged at a distance behind it, and having at least one light source (8) arranged behind the dial (3) to transilluminate said dial (3) and therefore render the dial (3) visible through the cover glass (4). In order to prevent the dial (3) becoming visible when there is only incident light, the transmission of the dial (3) is matched to the transmission of the cover glass (4). To this end, in particular, the dial (3) is provided with a low transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Heinrich Noll, Helmut Wolf, Thorsten Wend, Matthias Rein
  • Patent number: 6640831
    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: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Peter Marx, Wilfried Möller, Jürgen Schaffert, Johannes Deichmann, Jörg Deubner
  • Patent number: 6636427
    Abstract: The housing, which is to accommodate a rotary switch arranged on a printed circuit board, is provided with a threaded projection which can be used to fasten it to a wall through which a setting stem, which is assigned to the rotary switch, reaches. The housing is designed in two parts in such a manner that one half (19, 20) of the threaded projection is integrally formed on each housing component (9, 10). The two housing components (9, 10) are joined together by means of latching connection means (11, 12, 13, 14) and hooks (one of which is denoted by 16) engaging in eyelets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Christian Dörrie
  • Patent number: 6633813
    Abstract: The invention relates to a navigation system for a land vehicle having a measuring arrangement for supplying position, direction and/or distance data, having a data source arrangement for supplying navigation data, having an input arrangement at least for inputting a destination, having a control arrangement at least for determining a route, and having at least one display apparatus for outputting navigation instructions. To free the driver from other actions diverting his attention from the traffic, the control arrangement determines a direction from the calculated position of the land vehicle and a stored position for a prescribed place. The display apparatus additionally displays the direction ascertained by the control arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Frank Deworetzki
  • Patent number: 6629457
    Abstract: A device for measuring a fill level of liquid in a container includes a measuring tube arranged inside the container and an ultrasonic sensor arranged outside the container such that a portion of the wall of the container is arranged between the measuring tube and the ultrasonic sensor. The ultrasonic sensor therefore has no contact with the liquid located in the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Dieter Keller
  • Patent number: 6626377
    Abstract: A window/lens cleaning device (1), in particular for a motor vehicle, having a nozzle appliance (2) for spraying cleaning fluid, the nozzle appliance being mounted in an adjustable manner on a holding part (3). The holding part is formed as a nozzle cap (3) which surrounds the nozzle appliance (2) multilaterally and within which the nozzle appliance (2) can be adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Gerhard Vogt
  • Patent number: 6624749
    Abstract: In an indicating instrument (1) intended for a motor vehicle, a plurality of display levels (2, 3, 4) partially superposed on one another permit a display at staggered depths. As a result, not only three-dimensional forms of display but also a preferred arrangement of the essential information according to the operating conditions can be provided on the first display level (2). For unproblematical exchange or later retrofitting, the display levels (2, 3, 4) fixed in a housing of the display instrument (1) a plug-in connection (11). The indicating instrument (1) can consequently be adapted to individual requirement in a simple way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Horst Winterkorn
  • Patent number: 6622071
    Abstract: An acceleration monitoring method for a longitudinal dynamics open-loop or closed-loop controller in motor vehicles, in which an actual acceleration value is compared with a desired acceleration value, a defective operating condition of the motor vehicle being detected when the actual acceleration value is situated outside an error corridor including the desired acceleration value. In a method in which Critical driving situations can be detected as quickly as possible, wherein the error corridor is set in a variable fashion as a function of the current handling performance of the motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Hagen Reuter
  • Patent number: 6614016
    Abstract: A method for optically determining the position of a movement element optically includes introducing the light emitted by a light source into an optical conductor which causes attenuation of the light. A light output coupler that moves in accordance with the position of the movement element couples out the light from the optical conductor and feeds the attenuated light to a light detector. Using the ratio of the light intensity emitted by the light source and that registered by the light detector, the attenuation of the light is determined and the position of the movement element inferred therefrom. The sensor is usable in an aggressive environment or one susceptible to interference because of the light source and the light detector may be arranged remote from the movement element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Martin Degen
  • Patent number: 6606961
    Abstract: In a pointer-type instrument (1) having a pointer with a pointer shaft (5) that deflects a pointer vane (2), power is supplied to a light source (3), which is connected to the pointer for rotation in common, by a flexible, spiral film (11) provided with conductor tracks (12, 13). For this purpose, the pointer shaft (5) has an enlargement (9), which supports the film (11) and secures it against sliding off axially. As a result, the film (11) can be made particularly thin, thereby making it possible to reduce the driving torque required to deflect the pointer shaft (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Heinrich Noll, Frank Jansa, Helmut Olbrich, Michael Vogel
  • Patent number: 6604727
    Abstract: A pressure compensating element (8) for a control valve (3) for controlling an overflow of a medium from a first pressure space (1) into a second pressure space (2) has a diaphragm (9) separating the pressure space (1, 2) from one another. The pressure compensating element (8) compensates forces acting on a valve body (5) of the control valve (3) and generated by pressure differences in the pressure spaces (1, 2). However, an overflow of a medium from one pressure space (1) into the other pressure space (2) takes place solely in the region of the control valve (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Nouhad Bachnak
  • Patent number: 6601532
    Abstract: An indicating instrument has a pointer (1) driven by a measuring mechanism by a pointer spindle (3). The pointer has a region (10) on the pointer hub side which in cross section has the form of an H. This H is formed by a horizontal bar (20) and two outer bars (21, 22). Ribs (23, 24) extending in zigzag form above and below the horizontal bar (20) increase the rigidity of the region (10) on the pointer hub side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Helmut Olbrich