Patents Assigned to STEMCO KAISER INCORPORATED
  • Patent number: 9694640
    Abstract: The present invention reveals a distance sensor comprising: a signal receiving unit, an electromagnetic wave transmitting unit, and a magnetic signal transmitting unit; wherein the signal transmitting unit is adapted to transmit to the signal receiving unit a sensed distance between the signal receiving unit and the magnetic signal transmitting unit, wherein the magnetic signal transmitting unit further comprises an electromagnetic wave receiving unit and an electromagnetic wave-to-electric power converter, and wherein the electromagnetic wave receiving unit receives electromagnetic waves transmitted from the electromagnetic wave transmitting unit to operate the magnetic signal transmitting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: STEMCO KAISER INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Lutz May
  • Patent number: 9683870
    Abstract: The subject invention relates to an air spring height measurement arrangement comprising a magnetic field transmitting arrangement (110) and a magnetic field receiving arrangement (120). The magnetic field transmitting arrangement is adapted to adopt a first state and a second state with regard to the magnetic field receiving arrangement. One of the magnetic field transmitting arrangement (110) and the magnetic field receiving arrangement (120) comprises a first coil (141) and a second coil and the other comprises a third coil (143). A first central axis (161) of the first coil and a second central axis (162) of the second coil enclose a first angle (171) and, in the first state, a third central axis (163) of the third coil (143) and the first central axis enclose a second angle (172), which first and second angle cannot be 0°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: STEMCO KAISER INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Lutz May
  • Patent number: 9631694
    Abstract: An air spring height sensor (100) is provided which comprises a receiver (101) for receiving a height signal and an evaluation unit (200). The receiver is adapted for being mounted to an air spring so as to sense a height signal with respect to said air spring. The evaluation unit comprises an input terminal (201), a multiplexer (240), a first signal branch (210) starting from the input terminal and terminating at a first multiplexer input (241), and a second signal branch (220) starting from the input terminal and terminating at a second multiplexer input (242). The first signal branch includes a first amplitude limiter (211) being adapted to cut off the amplitude above a predetermined first threshold value. The multiplexer is adapted to select a measurement signal from one of the inputs of the multiplexer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: STEMCO KAISER INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Lutz May
  • Patent number: 9634543
    Abstract: The subject invention relates to an air spring (1) with a distance measurement sensor (100), an energy transforming unit (200), a first mounting element (10) being adapted for being mounted to a first vehicle portion (2) and a second mounting element (20) being adapted for being mounted to a second vehicle portion (3). An air volume (50) is arranged between the first mounting element and the second mounting element. The energy transforming unit is adapted to transform a transition of the air spring from a first state (s1) of the air spring to a second state (s2) of the air spring into electrical energy and to provide the generated electrical energy to the distance measurement sensor. The energy transforming unit is arranged in the air volume (50) of the air spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: STEMCO KAISER INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Lutz May
  • Patent number: 9562758
    Abstract: The subject invention reveals a distance measuring device comprising: a sensing module, a target module, and an evaluating module, wherein the sensing module and the target module are mountable so as to execute a movement with respect to each other along a movement trajectory, wherein the target module comprises a magnetic field generating element having a magnetic pole axis, wherein the sensing module comprises a first magnetic field sensing array being arranged distant to the movement trajectory. The sensing module and the target module can advantageously be situated within the pressurizable chamber of an air spring which is defined by (contained within) a first mounting plate, a second mounting plate, and a flexible member of the air spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: STEMCO KAISER INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Lutz May
  • Patent number: 9388876
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an air spring comprising a piston, a top plate, a clamp ring, a snap ring, and a flexible member which is affixed to the piston and the top plate, wherein the piston, the top plate and the flexible member define a pressurizable chamber, wherein the snap ring is affixed to the clamp ring, wherein the clamp ring affixes an upper portion of the flexible member to the top plate, wherein the clamp ring affixes the snap ring to the top plate, and wherein the top plate is affixed between the snap ring and the flexible member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: STEMCO KAISER INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Mark G. Trowbridge, David A. Palky, David J. Maguire
  • Patent number: 9349281
    Abstract: The subject invention relates to an air spring height sensor comprising a transmitter unit (102) for transmitting a height measuring signal, a receiver unit (101) for sensing a height signal, a carrier frequency switching unit (103), and an evaluation unit (200). The receiver unit and the transmitter unit are adapted for being mounted to opposing mounting elements (10, 20) of an air spring (1). The transmitter unit is switchable between different carrier frequencies (121, 122) of a height measuring signal. The evaluation unit comprises a frequency filter (213) being switchable between different carrier frequencies, wherein the carrier frequency switching unit is adapted for switching the carrier frequency of the frequency filter at a predetermined first point of time and the corresponding carrier frequency of the transmitter unit at a predetermined second point of time, wherein the first point of time is prior to the second point of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: STEMCO KAISER INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Lutz May
  • Patent number: 9327572
    Abstract: An air spring (100) for a vehicle is provided. The air spring comprises a first mounting element (110) for being fixed to a vehicle's chassis (210), a second mounting element (120) for being fixed to a movable part (220) of a vehicle being movable with respect to the chassis, a bellow (130) extending from the first mounting element to the second mounting element and including an air volume (140), and a sensor arrangement (150) being arranged within the air volume. The sensor arrangement is adapted for sensing at least one of a road condition, a vehicle condition and a pay load condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: STEMCO Kaiser Incorporated
    Inventor: Lutz May
  • Patent number: 9211776
    Abstract: The subject invention reveals an air spring arrangement comprising: a first mounting member, a second mounting member, an air spring volume, a height sensor, a controllable valve, a position controllable drive, wherein the first mounting member and the second mounting member are arranged so as to mount the air spring volume to corresponding vehicle members, wherein the height sensor is arranged so as to sense a distance between the first mounting member and the second mounting member, wherein the controllable valve is arranged so as to connect the inside of the air spring volume with the outside of the air spring volume, wherein the position controllable drive is arranged so as to drive the controllable valve with respect to an opening grade of the controllable valve, and wherein the position controllable drive is controlled based on the sensed distance between the first mounting member and the second mounting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: STEMCO KAISER INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Lutz May
  • Patent number: 9163924
    Abstract: The subject invention relates to an air spring height measurement arrangement comprising a magnetic field transmitting arrangement (110) and a magnetic field receiving arrangement (120). The magnetic field transmitting arrangement is adapted to adopt a first state and a second state with regard to the magnetic field receiving arrangement. One of the magnetic field transmitting arrangement (110) and the magnetic field receiving arrangement (120) comprises a first coil (141) and a second coil and the other comprises a third coil (143). A first central axis (161) of the first coil and a second central axis (162) of the second coil enclose a first angle (171) and, in the first state, a third central axis (163) of the third coil (143) and the first central axis enclose a second angle (172), which first and second angle cannot be 0°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: STEMCO KAISER INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Lutz May