Patents by Inventor Bernd Kiel

Bernd Kiel 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).

  • Publication number: 20050029859
    Abstract: A fluid-pressure brake system for a vehicle having a parking brake function in which, in response to actuation of an electrical parking brake signal transmitter, and without actuation of a brake pedal, at least one wheel brake of the brake system is actuated via an actuator to which the fluid is admitted. A parking brake module is provided in which there is integrated an electronic control unit as well as valve devices that are electrically actuatable by the electronic control unit. The electronic control unit actuates the parking brake function upon receiving from the parking brake signal transmitter an electrical actuating signal demanding actuation of the parking brake function and, as part of the parking brake function, the electronic control unit controls the admission of fluid to the actuator by means of the electrically actuatable valve devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2004
    Publication date: February 10, 2005
    Inventors: Uwe Bensch, Bernd Kiel, Hartmut Rosendahl, Henning Forster, Wilfried Menze, Otmar Struwe
  • Patent number: 6659129
    Abstract: A valve arrangement includes an operating valve arrangement in the form of a relay valve and a control valve arrangement. The control valve arrangement includes a controlled inlet valve and a controlled outlet valve. Solenoid valves are provided for selectively routing pressure medium. A first control piston and a second control piston, which can be subjected to pressure by a pressure medium via operation of the solenoid valves, control actuation of the inlet valve and the outlet valve of the control valve arrangement. The control valve arrangement is installed directly on the housing of the operating valve arrangement to achieve a compact structural unit and to reduce the amount of pressure medium channels and pressure medium connections required. The operating valve arrangement and the control valve arrangement are designed such that parts of the control valve arrangement are located in, or constituted by, the operating valve arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Wabco GmbH
    Inventors: Bernd Kiel, Georg Korpak, Wilfried Menze
  • Patent number: 6537111
    Abstract: An electric contact plug receives a tip jack input at a plug-in zone, and completes the electrical connection via a connection zone to an electronic component, such as a printed circuit board. The electric contact plug also includes an intermediate zone, connected between the plug-in zone and the connection zone. The intermediate zone is designed to deform mechanically when the plug-in zone is subjected to vibrational stresses, as typically occur in a motor vehicle. As a result, the tip jack is held securely within the plug-in zone, while the intermediate zone absorbs the effects of the vibrational stresses. Thus, the inventive electric contact plug avoids the problems of friction and corrosion within the plug-in zone. Moreover, this electric contact plug is compatible with thick-wire bonding, and can be manufactured economically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Wabco GmbH and Co. OHG
    Inventors: Christian Brammer, Peter Homann, Werner Dreyer, Bernd Kiel, Jens Gröger, Stefan Klik, Oliver Gründker, Stefan Knoke
  • Patent number: 6354671
    Abstract: A brake signal transmitter for an electronic braking system produces an electrical braking requirement signal as well as a mechanically produced pneumatic braking pressure. The electronic braking requirement signal is evaluated, together with other measured magnitudes which define the travel state, in an electronic vehicle control system, and a braking pressure is produced as a function of this evaluation by a braking pressure modulator. Following the principle of addition redundancy, the pressure produced mechanically by the brake signal transmitter is added to the pressure produced electrically by the brake modulator and the total pressure represents the braking pressure acting on the brake cylinders. In the event of failure of the electronic system, the mechanically produced pressure automatically becomes active as the braking pressure, and functions as the redundancy pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: WABCO GmbH
    Inventors: Joachim Feldmann, Bernd Kiel
  • Patent number: 5700063
    Abstract: A pressure medium actuated braking system comprises at least first and second braking circuits, and a multi-circuit braking power imparting device, such as a motorcar brake valve. The first braking circuit assigned to, e.g., the rear axle, has a first pressure medium storage container, at least one braking cylinder, and a first control valve system which connects the braking cylinder to the first pressure medium storage container or to a pressure medium sink (atmosphere) depending on a first control signal produced by the motorcar brake valve. The second braking circuit, assigned to, e.g., the front axle, has a second pressure medium storage container, first and second braking cylinders, and a second control valve system which connects the first and second braking cylinders to the second pressure medium storage container or to a pressure medium sink depending on a second control signal generated by the motorcar brake valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1997
    Assignees: Wabco GmbH, Mercedes-Benz AG
    Inventors: Bernd Kiel, Karl-Heinz Unser
  • Patent number: 5624163
    Abstract: A pressure medium actuated braking system comprises a first (rear axle) braking circuit, a second (front axle) braking circuit, and a multi-circuit braking power imparting device, such as a motorcar brake valve. The motorcar brake valve produces first and second control signals for the first and second braking circuits. The first braking circuit has a first pressure medium storage container assigned to it, at least one braking cylinder, and a first control valve system which connects the braking cylinder to the first pressure medium storage container or to a pressure medium sink (atmosphere) depending on the first control signal. The second braking circuit has a second pressure medium storage container, first and second braking cylinders, and a second control valve system. The second control valve system comprises first and second control valves assigned to the first and second brake cylinders respectively of the second braking circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 29, 1997
    Assignees: WABCO GmbH, Mercedes-Benz AG
    Inventors: Bernd Kiel, Karl-Heinz Unser
  • Patent number: 5277484
    Abstract: A relay valve arrangement useful in an ABS system comprises a relay valve, a source of control pressure, a control pressure circuit, a control chamber which receives the control pressure from the control pressure circuit and thereby determines the configuration of the relay valve, a control valve through which the control pressure is delivered to the control chamber, and a return valve connecting the control chamber to the control pressure circuit so as to by-pass the control valve to deaerate the control chamber when the control pressure in the control chamber is greater than the control pressure in the control pressure circuit. The control valve includes a solenoid-actuated inlet valve having an armature, and a solenoid-actuated outlet valve. The return valve is designed so that at least part of it constitutes an armature support for the armature of the solenoid-actuated inlet valve and is coaxial with this armature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 11, 1994
    Assignee: Wabco Standard GmbH
    Inventor: Bernd Kiel
  • Patent number: 4915458
    Abstract: A relay valve apparatus having two relay valves are located in a single housing with their longitudinal axes parallel to one another. The two relay valves each include a double seat valve and a relay piston. The two relay valves are located one behind the other in the direction along their longitudinal axes so that the two double seat valves are located between the relay pistons. An outlet chamber of the first double seat valve and an outlet chamber of a second double seat valve empty into a common fluid pressure outlet leading to the atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1990
    Assignee: WABCO Westinghouse Fahrzuegbremsen GmbH
    Inventors: Karl-Heinz Deike, Bernd Kiel
  • Patent number: 4817660
    Abstract: The present invention provides a pressure regulating valve which substantially avoids shutoff noises. The pressure regulating valve is designed such that the opening process of the shutoff valve proceeds in two steps. The two-step switching process is made possible by the provision of a seal ring which slides on an activating piston which activates the shutoff valve. This seal ring acts upon a housing mounted detent and an activating piston mounted additional detent, thus creating an automatically acting additional surface area for the activating piston. This design also makes it possible to increase the safety function of the pressure regulating valve, by increasing the pressure medium activated surface area of the valve body for the shutoff valve without incurring higher work forces at the activating piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1989
    Assignee: WABCO Westinghouse Fahrzeugbremsen GmbH
    Inventors: Karl-Heinz Deike, Bernd Kiel, Heinz-Werner Konig
  • Patent number: 4653811
    Abstract: A relay valve device which is actuated by the presence of a control signal pressure to a higher pressure supply into a consumer circuit than when the control signal pressure is not present. The relay valve device includes a first control surface and a second control surface, and includes a shut-off device disposed in the feed line of the control pressure to the second control surface. The shut-off device is opened when the control signal pressure is present and is closed when the control signal pressure is not present, and also causes the second control surface to be connected with atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1987
    Assignee: WABCO Westinghouse Fahrzeugbremsen GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Fauck, Karl-Heinz Deike, Bernd Kiel
  • Patent number: 4640556
    Abstract: The invention relates to a load-dependent brake pressure system for a pneumatically activated motor vehicle and/or motor vehicle trailer brake apparatus with an entrance device having an initial entrance phase in which the full control pressure is delivered to the cylinders of the wheel brakes. In an emergency situation, the supply pressure which is available on the vehicle must be able to be conveyed in a graduated and controlled manner as the brake pressure is applied to the wheel brakes. The present load-dependent brake pressure system which, in an emergency situation, makes possible the application of brake pressures which are higher than that corresponding to the control ratio up to the available delivery pressure, includes an entrance valve and piston, a control valve, a brake control piston, a relay valve, auxiliary valves, a control, delivery, brake pressure connections and chambers, and a valve tappet for controlling brake pressures in multiple phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1984
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1987
    Assignee: WABCO Westinghouse Fahrzeugbremsen GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Fauck, Bernd Kiel, Helmut Ulrich