Patents by Inventor Anke Nigrin

Anke Nigrin has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6976404
    Abstract: A steering wheel unit for a motor vehicle, in particular a passenger car, comprises a connection hub which may be non-rotatably connected with a steering shaft of a steering device, a steering wheel rim which is non-rotatably connected with the connection hub by spokes, and a central piece which is mounted by a spacer element to the connection hub so as to be rotatable relative to the steering shaft and the steering wheel rim. The steering wheel unit further comprises a coupling device which arrests the central piece with respect to a rotational movement of the steering wheel rim. The spacer element has a first end which is non-rotatably connected with the central piece, and has a second other end which is rotatably mounted to the connection hub and constructed as a crash element. The crash element fails after a predetermined failure value of a force driving the central piece towards the connection hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Kerner, Martin Kreuzer, Anke Nigrin
  • Patent number: 6561060
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle steering wheel attachment for detachably arresting a vehicle steering wheel on a vehicle steering shaft. The steering wheel attachment comprises a free end of a steering shaft which has a multiple-cornered profile, the free end further having a radial groove including a wedge surface. The attachment further comprises a hub portion on the side of the steering wheel, the hub portion including a recess corresponding to the multiple-cornered profile of the steering shaft and a radial guiding surface. A wedge is provided which can be moved along the radial guiding surface so as to be moved in and out of engagement with the groove. A drive screw is provided which is seated in a threaded bore in the hub portion and is rotatably coupled with the wedge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Anke Nigrin
  • Publication number: 20030075004
    Abstract: A steering wheel unit for a motor vehicle, in particular a passenger car, comprises a connection hub which may be non-rotatably connected with a steering shaft of a steering device, a steering wheel rim which is non-rotatably connected with the connection hub by means of spokes, and a central piece which is mounted by means of a spacer element to the connection hub so as to be rotatable relative to the steering shaft and the steering wheel rim. The steering wheel unit further comprises a coupling device which arrests the central piece with respect to a rotational movement of the steering wheel rim. The spacer element has a first end which is non-rotatably connected with the central piece, and has a second other end which is rotatably mounted to the connection hub and constructed as a crash element. The crash element fails after a predetermined failure value of a force driving the central piece towards the connection hub.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2002
    Publication date: April 24, 2003
    Applicant: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Kerner, Martin Kreuzer, Anke Nigrin
  • Patent number: 6508142
    Abstract: A steering wheel for vehicles is provided which comprises a hub for attachment on a steering column and a clamping screw. The hub has a central, substantially cylindrical passage for accommodation of an end section of the steering column and at least one slit extending parallel to the passage. Two hub sections are defined on opposite sides of the slit. The hub sections have aligned bores that extend substantially tangentially to the passage. A first one of these bores has an internal thread, and the clamping screw is adapted to extend through a second one of these bores and to be screwed into the first one of the bores, thereby clamping the hub on the steering column end section. A screw holder is attached to the hub for limited movement in an axial direction of the clamping screw against spring force. The screw holder has a recess for passage of the screw and simultaneous engagement into the thread of the screw. The screw holder is formed by a bracket of spring steel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Anke Nigrin
  • Patent number: 6494287
    Abstract: A steering device for a motor vehicle includes an actuating member for the introduction of the steering movement and a steering linkage to transfer the steering movement to the vehicle wheels. The actuating member consists of a steering wheel (1) which is rotatable about a small angle and of a measured value transmitter (2) to generate an electrical or electronic position signal. The steering linkage is actuated by an adjustment drive which is controllable by an electrical regulating device as a function of the position signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Anke Nigrin, Winfried Tschöp, Martin Kreuzer, Hans-Jürgen Bossler, Ulrich Randau
  • Publication number: 20010052270
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle steering wheel attachment for detachably arresting a vehicle steering wheel on a vehicle steering shaft. The steering wheel attachment comprises a free end of a steering shaft which has a multiple-cornered profile, the free end further having a radial groove including a wedge surface. The attachment further comprises a hub portion on the side of the steering wheel, the hub portion including a recess corresponding to the multiple-cornered profile of the steering shaft and a radial guiding surface. A wedge is provided which can be moved along the radial guiding surface so as to be moved in and out of engagement with the groove. A drive screw is provided which is seated in a threaded bore in the hub portion and is rotatably coupled with the wedge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2001
    Publication date: December 20, 2001
    Applicant: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Anke Nigrin
  • Patent number: 6311579
    Abstract: In an assembly comprised of a steering wheel and a steering shaft, the steering wheel has a holding surface and two tensioning pins. The steering shaft has a longitudinal axis and two detent hooks which are movable between a detent position in which they engage the holding surface of the steering wheel and fix the steering wheel in an axial direction with respect to the steering shaft, and a release position in which the steering wheel can be drawn off from the steering shaft. The tensioning pins engage at the detent hooks such that the detent hooks can be brought from the detent position into the release position by means of the tensioning pins. Each of the tensioning pins is accessible from outside of the steering wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Anke Nigrin
  • Publication number: 20010007294
    Abstract: A steering device for a motor vehicle is proposed, with an actuating member for the introduction of the steering movement and with a steering linkage to transfer the steering movement to the wheels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2001
    Publication date: July 12, 2001
    Applicant: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Anke Nigrin, Winfried Tschop, Martin Kreuzer, Hans-Jurgen Bossler, Ulrich Randau
  • Patent number: 6227327
    Abstract: A steering device for a motor vehicle, with an actuating member for the introduction of the steering movement and with a steering linkage to transfer the steering movement to the wheels. The device is characterized in that the actuating member consists of a “steering wheel” (1) which is rotatable about a small angle and of a measured value transmitter (2) to generate an electrical or electronic position signal, and that the steering linkage is actuated by an adjustment drive which is controllable by an electrical or electronic regulating device as a function of the position signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2001
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Anke Nigrin, Winfried Tschöp, Martin Kreuzer, Hans-Jürgen Bossler, Ulrich Randau
  • Patent number: 6176516
    Abstract: An airbag module for a vehicle steering wheel comprises a gas generator (1) with an igniter, a folded gas bag (2), an assembly plate (3), a housing (4) with an intermediate cover (5), an outer cover cap (6) optically and haptically adapted to the steering wheel environment, and a horn switch foil (7) to be actuated by pressure exerted on the cover cap (6). A planar actuating element (8) is provided between the horn switch foil (7) and the cover cap (6) and has a consistently defined spacing from the horn foil (7). Range spacers (9) in the form of pins, webs or similar are provided between the actuating element (8) and the cover cap (6) to provide an approximately constant separation distance between the actuating element (8) and the cover cap (6), at least across the entire actuating area of the cover cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2001
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Hans-J{umlaut over (u)}rgen Bobler, Stefan Gehlert, Anke Nigrin, Willi Wissel
  • Patent number: 6153996
    Abstract: A steering device for a motor vehicle is proposed, with an actuating member to introduce a steering movement and with a steering linkage to transfer the steering movement to the wheels.The steering device is characterized according to the invention in that the actuating member consists of a non-rotatable "steering wheel" (1), in the rim (2) of which a band-shaped or chain-like actuating ring (3), movable relative to the rim (2), and a measured value transmitter (4) for generating an electrical or electronic position signal for the actuating ring (3) are arranged, and that the steering linkage is actuated by an adjustment drive which is controllable by an electrical or electronic regulating device as a function of the position signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2000
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Anke Nigrin, Winfried Tschop, Martin Kreuzer, Hans-Jurgen Bossler, Ulrich Randau