Patents Assigned to Preh GmbH
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Patent number: 10572034Abstract: An input device includes a fingerprint sensor, an operating layer having a first operating surface, at least one force sensor, and an evaluation unit. The first operating surface has an acquisition surface which acquires a fingerprint of a finger of an operator via the fingerprint sensor. The at least one force sensor measures an operating force of the finger of the operator acting on the first operating surface. The evaluation unit is electrically conductively connected with the fingerprint sensor and with the at least one force sensor. The evaluation unit assigns at least one first switching function to the operating force applied on first operating surface of the operating layer if the operating force measured on the first operating surface exceeds a first threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2017Date of Patent: February 25, 2020Assignee: PREH GMBHInventors: Manuel Stotzem, Andreas Kail, Markus Klein
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Publication number: 20200052695Abstract: An input device is disclosed, including a capacitive force sensor, a capacitive touch sensor, and an evaluation unit, where the capacitive force sensor includes an operating surface and a first conductive electrode, and a second conductive electrode; wherein the evaluation unit is configured to detect an associated characteristic value of a touch on the operating surface during the operation, such as a location surface of action of the touch, by means of the capacitive touch sensor, and wherein the evaluation unit is further configured to detect a measured quantity changing with the operating force by generating a first measuring capacitance between the first and second electrodes and to assign a switching or controlling function to the operation in accordance with the characteristic value detected by the capacitive touch sensor and with the measured quantity detected in the operation-detection step.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 3, 2017Publication date: February 13, 2020Applicant: PREH GMBHInventors: Norbert BAUER, Thomas KLEFFEL, Jochen SCHLERETH, Florian SCHMITT
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Patent number: 10556414Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for the full-surface connection of contact surfaces, which form a cavity between them and extend in an antiparallel manner, of a first, transparent joining partner and a second joining partner, comprising the steps of: providing and arranging the first joining partner, the second joining partner and a blank made of an elastic material, such that the blank is disposed in the cavity formed between the contact surfaces extending in an antiparallel manner, and wherein the blank has an outer adhesive layer; heating the blank by irradiation with microwave radiation and/or infrared radiation (IR); curing or cross-linking the adhesive layer of the blank in order to form a layer structure of the first joining partner, the blank and the second joining partner.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2018Date of Patent: February 11, 2020Assignee: PREH GMBHInventor: Michael Martin
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Patent number: 10540012Abstract: An input device for generating improved haptic feedback. The input device includes a housing and an input component that defines a control surface and is movably supported on the housing with at least two degrees of freedom and associated mechanical natural frequencies. The input device is designed to assign a switching or controlling function to an operator touching or pressing the control surface, where the input device further has mechanical restoring means for restoring the input component into a rest position and an electromechanical actuator, where the actuator is designed to drive the input component along the at least two degrees of freedom and optionally decelerate the input component, counteracting the restoring force caused by the mechanical restoring means, in order to generate haptic feedback characterized in that the mechanical natural frequencies of the at least two degrees of freedom have a maximum deviation of less than 100 Hz.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2018Date of Patent: January 21, 2020Assignee: PREH GMBHInventors: Tobias Bodenstein, Frederik Püschel, Karl Göb
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Patent number: 10508955Abstract: A sensor device for measuring an interior temperature of a motor vehicle. The motor vehicle includes an inner trim which includes an aperture and latching springs. The sensor device includes a housing which is inserted in an insertion direction into the aperture of the inner trim of the motor vehicle, a circuit board arranged in the housing, at least one electrical temperature sensor element arranged on the circuit board, and latching lugs arranged on the housing which form an engagement with the latching springs formed on the inner trim. The engagement of the latching lugs with the latching springs forms a latching arrangement which fixes the housing when inserted into the aperture.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2017Date of Patent: December 17, 2019Assignee: PREH GMBHInventors: Stefan Weigand, Melitta Bott
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Patent number: 10481694Abstract: A touch-sensitive input device includes a support, an input part with a touch-sensitive input surface, an elastic device which bears the input part at the support, an electromagnetic actuator which acts between the input part and the support to produce a deflection of the input part out of a resting position, and control electronics. The electromagnetic actuator comprises a coil with a cavity, a core arranged at least in part in the cavity, and an armature arranged outside the cavity. The core generates a magnetic field defining a pole direction. The armature interacts with the magnetic field. The control electronics generate an electrical control signal for the coil to produce the deflection of the input part out of the resting position and to provide a maximum deflection of the input part. A duration of the electrical control signal is limited so as to provide, after the deflection, a haptic feedback.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2018Date of Patent: November 19, 2019Assignee: PREH GMBHInventor: Tobias Bodenstein
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Publication number: 20190332203Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an input device comprising a flat panel defining an array of control surfaces, a support disposed on a side of the panel, and a substantially flat film layer placed between the panel and the support defining an array of capacitive sensors, wherein each control surfaces comprises backlightable luminous surfaces and are disposed on a surface of the panel facing towards an operator, wherein each capacitive sensor forms a measuring capacitance assigned to one control surface, wherein the panel has a light-conducting layer covering the luminous surfaces, wherein a lighting means is provided for each control surface for backlighting the associated luminous surface of the control surface while transmitting light through the light-conducting layer, wherein the support forms a web which protrudes towards the panel and is connected to the panel in order to fix the film layer structure between the panel and the support.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 4, 2019Publication date: October 31, 2019Applicant: PREH GMBHInventors: David HEURICH, Matthias LEMBACH, Ronald SCHMIDT
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Publication number: 20190318889Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a switch assembly for a motor vehicle component, including: an electronic basic body for arranging a contact member; an actuating member for actuating the contact member; a web associated with the actuating member, including a web portion with a web stop; a flexible switching mat having a basic portion for arranging the actuating member and the web; an operating member having an operating portion with an operating stop and an operating counter-stop disposed opposite to the web stop; a support member connected to the basic body or the switching mat having a support portion with a support counter-stop that contacts the operating stop in a non-actuated state of the switch assembly; wherein the web provided on the basic portion is arranged to be spaced apart from the actuating member provided on the basic portion, wherein the web encloses the actuating member at least partially.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 3, 2019Publication date: October 17, 2019Applicant: PREH GMBHInventors: Dirk ERDLOFF, Sebastian SCHÄFER, Henry HINTERHOLZINGER
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Patent number: 10444087Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a capacitive force sensor. The capacitive force sensor includes a planar base body, a supported membrane body, two spacers disposed spaced apart to each other, where the membrane body abuts the planar base body via the spacers, and wherein a cavity is formed between the membrane body and the planar base body to allow displacement or deflection of the membrane body under a force onto the membrane body in the area between the spacers. The membrane body forms a first electrode and, a second electrode is provided on the planar base body, wherein the first and second electrode define a first precision capacitor with changing measuring capacity depending on the force. An electrical bracket extends from each of the spacers for electrically contacting the first electrode and forms a bend between each of the associated spacer and a bottom of the base body.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2018Date of Patent: October 15, 2019Assignee: PREH GMBHInventors: Benedikt Schmidt, Thomas Zirkelbach, Harald Ment, Jürgen Nauth, Thilo Schultheis, Sara Hofmann, Matthias Müller
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Publication number: 20190310708Abstract: A touch-sensitive input device includes a support, an input part with a touch-sensitive input surface, an elastic device which bears the input part at the support, an electromagnetic actuator which acts between the input part and the support to produce a deflection of the input part out of a resting position, and control electronics. The electromagnetic actuator comprises a coil with a cavity, a core arranged at least in part in the cavity, and an armature arranged outside the cavity. The core generates a magnetic field defining a pole direction. The armature interacts with the magnetic field. The control electronics generate an electrical control signal for the coil to produce the deflection of the input part out of the resting position and to provide a maximum deflection of the input part. A duration of the electrical control signal is limited so as to provide, after the deflection, a haptic feedback.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 14, 2018Publication date: October 10, 2019Applicant: PREH GMBHInventor: TOBIAS BODENSTEIN
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Publication number: 20190302888Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a touch-sensitive input device, including: a support; a touch-sensitive input component mounted on the support by a first spring means to elastically return along a deflection direction and is oscillation-capable; an absorber body mounted on the support by a second spring means to be movable along the deflection direction in an elastically returning and oscillation-capable manner; an actuating mechanism acting on the absorber body and the input component, with at least one direction of action having a component of the direction of action parallel to the deflection direction to cause a movement of the input component for generating haptic feedback along the deflection direction and cause movement of the absorber body in the direction opposite the movement of the input component; a mechanical trimming device for changing an effective spring length of a spring of the first spring means or the second spring means.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2019Publication date: October 3, 2019Applicant: PREH GMBHInventors: Tobias BODENSTEIN, Florian WILM
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Patent number: 10353382Abstract: An assembly consisting of a control member which comprises a carrier, an operating part movably supported on the carrier, an electromagnetic actuator comprising an armature and a coil for driving the operating part movingly relative to the carrier is provided.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2016Date of Patent: July 16, 2019Assignee: Preh GmbHInventor: Tobias Bodenstein
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Patent number: 10345908Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an input device, including: a base part, a support, a handle mounted to the support in a pivotably movable manner, a detector for detecting the position of the handle and at least one magnet pair of one first magnet associated with the handle means and a second magnet associated with the base part, wherein the first magnet and the second magnet, at least in one position of the handle, are disposed spaced apart over an air gap (d) and opposite to each other, in order to cause a haptic feedback and/or a returning action during the operation of the handle, wherein adapting means are provided for adapting the clear distance between the first magnet and the second magnet of the magnet pair by adapting the adapting means.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2017Date of Patent: July 9, 2019Assignee: PREH GMBHInventor: Martin Geis
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Publication number: 20190179473Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a touch-sensitive input device, including: a support; a touch-sensitive input part; and a supplementary body that is rigidly connected to the input part that is jointly mounted by means of first bearing means on the support so as to be movable in at least one deflection direction; a damper body that is mounted on the support by means of second bearing means so as to be movable at least in the deflection direction; an actuator acting between the damper body and the combination of input part and supplementary body, having an effective axis in order to cause a movement of the input part substantially counter to the damper body to generate haptic feedback; wherein the input part and the supplementary body define a hollow volume in which at least the actuator is arranged.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 27, 2017Publication date: June 13, 2019Applicant: PREH GMBHInventor: Jochen EHRENBERG
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Publication number: 20190152388Abstract: A multifunction operating device includes a carrier; an input part which has an input surface comprising an array of operating surfaces and which is to be mounted so as to be able to move relatively to the carrier; a touch sensor system which is designed to detect a touching of the input surface by an operating member of an operator, which touching is spatially resolved on the different operating surfaces, and to provide it as a touch detection result; a control unit electrically connected to the touch sensor system; an actuator electrically connected to the control unit and having an effective direction (W) for driving the input part so as to move it relatively to the carrier in order to generate an active haptic; the control unit is designed to trigger the active haptic depending on the touch detection result; an electromechanical switching element electrically connected to the control unit and arranged between the input part and the carrier in order to detect an actuation exerting a minimum actuating forceType: ApplicationFiled: November 2, 2018Publication date: May 23, 2019Applicant: PREH GMBHInventors: Markus FREY, Martin SCHÄFER
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Publication number: 20190126819Abstract: A device including: a rotary actuator; an electronic pixel matrix display comprising a transparent outer layer; wherein the rotary actuator comprises an actuating part and a detector configured to detect rotational position, wherein the actuating part is rotationally mounted by a bearing so that it can rotate about an axis of rotation along a rotation direction, and the rotary actuator is arranged on the transparent layer; and wherein the rotary actuator also comprises a light guide designed to guide light of several pixels of the pixel matrix display from a light inlet surface of the light guide to a light outlet surface of the light guide either in the direction of or into an illumination surface of at least one of the rotary actuator and the actuating part.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 26, 2017Publication date: May 2, 2019Applicant: PREH GMBHInventors: Michael SCHUBERT, Haiko GLIENICKE
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Patent number: 10254468Abstract: A display device is provided. The display device comprises a display surface with several segments that can be backlit, which are configured in such a way that, if subsets of the segments are backlit together, a different one of several symbols is in each case depicted by the display surface, a number of light sources corresponding to the number of symbols, a layer structure of several flat light transmitting layers made of a transparent or translucent material, preferably plastic, wherein the light transmitting layers are stacked with the main surfaces facing each other and are in each case configured in such a way that, primarily, light of exactly one of the light sources is transmitted from a narrow side of the light transmitting layer provided for light entrance to another narrow side of the light transmitting layer as a light exit to at least one segment of the associated symbol.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2016Date of Patent: April 9, 2019Assignee: Preh GmbHInventor: Andreas Kramlich
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Patent number: 10248252Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a control element, comprising a carrier, an actuating member defining a touch-sensitive input surface, whereby the actuating member is movably installed on the carrier substantially parallel to the plane formed by the touch-sensitive input surface in a movement direction; an actuator to provide a movement from a resting position in movement direction of the actuating member relative to the carrier for providing a haptic feedback, whereby furthermore at least one permanent-magnet pair is arranged between the carrier and the actuating member to guide, in particular to stabilize the movement of the actuating member and/or the return of the actuating member into the resting position.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2017Date of Patent: April 2, 2019Assignee: PREH GMBHInventor: Steffen Neubauer
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Input device with a two-part force sensor for actuation inputs and method for the production thereof
Patent number: 10236881Abstract: An input device includes a first component with an actuating layer and a first electrode arranged adjacent thereto, a second component with a carrier and a second electrode, and a device which electrically contacts the first and second electrodes. The first and second electrodes face each other with an air gap therebetween. The first electrode, under an influence of an actuating force acting on the actuating surface undergoes, upon an actuation, a displacement so as to move the first electrode closer to the second electrode against an elastic restoring force. A detection and evaluation device applies a measuring capacitance to the first and second electrodes and detects a change in the measuring capacitance dependent on the displacement moving the first and second electrodes closer to each other in order to associate the actuation with a switching or controlling function after detecting a predetermined change in the measuring capacitance.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2017Date of Patent: March 19, 2019Assignee: PREH GMBHInventors: Juergen Nauth, Sara Hofmann, Jochen Schlereth -
Patent number: 10177762Abstract: A control element comprising a support; a control part which defines at least one operating surface, which is movable or elastically yielding if an operating force F acts upon the operating surface; a layer structure that is disposed between the control part and the support and that is elastically deformed if an operating force F acts on the operating surface. The layer structure has at least one first electrode associated with the support and a second electrode, which is associated with the control part and disposed underneath the operating surface, for the definition of a measuring capacity varying in accordance with the operating force. The layer structure further has an intermediate layer having a recess which is disposed between the first and second electrodes for defining a hollow chamber; and means for venting the hollow chamber. The means for venting is integrated at least partially into the intermediate layer.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2016Date of Patent: January 8, 2019Assignee: Preh GmbHInventors: Alain Dani, Xiaoxi Li, Jochen Schlereth, Tobias Bodenstein