Patents by Inventor Dirk Hellmich

Dirk Hellmich 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: 9845631
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a drive arrangement for motor-operated adjustment of a closure element in a motor vehicle having at least one drive with a drive motor, and a drive controller. The closure element can be driven in the motor-operated adjustment mode by the drive motor in the closing direction and in the opening direction between a closed and an open position. The drive is non-self-locking and has a sensor, in particular a Hall sensor, for sensing the drive movement. The drive controller monitors the sensor signals for a fault state, and when a fault state is sensed initiates an emergency braking and/or stop mode. The drive arrangement comprises two drives each with a sensor for determining the respective drive movement. To detect drive-fault-induced slamming shut of the closure element, the drive controller correlates the sensor signals of the two sensors, in particular compares said sensor signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Brose Schliesssysteme GmbH & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft
    Inventors: Jürgen Eggeling, Dirk Hellmich, Klaus Dünne
  • Patent number: 9577553
    Abstract: The invention relates to a drive arrangement for the motor-operated adjustment of an adjusting element in a motor vehicle, wherein the drive arrangement comprises two electrical drives having in each case a drive motor and a control device, wherein in the assembled state the drives act in the same manner on the adjusting element and are embodied in an essentially identical manner apart from deviations that are a result of tolerances, wherein the control device influences the two drive motors by a pulse width modulation voltage (“PWM” voltage). It is proposed that the control device influences the two drive motors by PWM voltages having PWM switching frequencies that vary continuously during the adjustment process in such a manner that the PWM switching frequencies that are allocated to the two drive motors are different from each other at least for periods of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG, Hallstadt
    Inventors: Juergen Eggeling, Dirk Hellmich, Klaus Duenne
  • Patent number: 9404304
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a flap arrangement of a motor vehicle, wherein the flap arrangement has a flap wing and a control arrangement, wherein a flap drive which is assigned to the flap wing and by which the flap wing can be adjusted between a closed position and an open position in an adjustment process is provided, wherein at least one predetermined flap operator control event is detected by means of the control arrangement and the flap drive is actuated as a technical control reaction to a flap operator control event. It is proposed that by means of the control arrangement the technical control reaction of stopping or continuing an adjustment process, which is due to two successive flap operator control events, is suppressed if at least one suppression condition is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG, Hallstadt
    Inventors: Dirk Hellmich, Juergen Eggeling, Klaus Duenne
  • Patent number: 9061571
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling a motorized flap, wherein the flap arrangement comprises a flap which may be a pivotable flap, a drive arrangement associated with the flap and a control arrangement associated with the drive arrangement, wherein the deflection of the flap is limited in at least one first direction of movement, by a mechanical end stop on the motor vehicle side, wherein the motorized flap movement in the first direction of movement is limited by means of the control arrangement by an end stop provided by control technology, in order to prevent the flap from running in a motorized manner in the first direction of movement into the mechanical end stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: BROSE FAHRZEUGTEILE GMBH & CO. KG, HALLSTADT
    Inventors: Christian Groewe, Dirk Hellmich, Juergen Eggeling, Klaus Duenne
  • Patent number: 9045921
    Abstract: Described herein is a method for operating a hatch arrangement of a motor vehicle wherein a motor vehicle lock is controlled by means of a control arrangement in a relatch routine in such a way that a renewed latch state (a relatch state) is avoided or cancelled within a predetermined relatch time interval after the releasing process, and wherein in a relatch monitoring process the control arrangement monitors whether a relatch indication, in particular a relatch state, occurs within the predetermined relatch time interval after the releasing process and only then is the relatch routine triggered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: BROSE FAHRZEUGTEILE GMBH & CO. KG, HALLSTADT
    Inventors: Juergen Eggeling, Dirk Hellmich, Klaus Duenne
  • Patent number: 9026313
    Abstract: The invention relates to a drive arrangement for the motorized adjustment of a flap arrangement for a motor vehicle, with a drive controller for producing a desired flap adjustment by means of at least one drive, wherein the flap arrangement is configured with two flap wings, wherein the two flap wings are each substantially pivotable about a respective spaced-apart, parallel pivot axis and, in the closed state, are in engagement with each other via a respective free wing end opposite the respective pivot axis. The two flap wings are assigned collision pivoting regions which are mounted upstream of the respective closed position and in which the movement regions of the flap wings overlap in such a manner that a predetermined opening and closing sequence has to be observed there in order to avoid collisions between the free wing ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG, Hallstadt
    Inventors: Juergen Eggeling, Klaus Duenne, Dirk Hellmich
  • Publication number: 20140188349
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a flap arrangement of a motor vehicle, wherein the flap arrangement has a flap wing and a control arrangement, wherein a flap drive which is assigned to the flap wing and by which the flap wing can be adjusted between a closed position and an open position in an adjustment process is provided, wherein at least one predetermined flap operator control event is detected by means of the control arrangement and the flap drive is actuated as a technical control reaction to a flap operator control event. It is proposed that by means of the control arrangement the technical control reaction of stopping or continuing an adjustment process, which is due to two successive flap operator control events, is suppressed if at least one suppression condition is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG, Hallstadt
    Inventors: Dirk Hellmich, Juergen Eggeling, Klaus Duenne
  • Patent number: 8766563
    Abstract: Described herein is a drive arrangement for the motor-driven adjustment of an adjustable element in a motor vehicle, the drive arrangement having two electrical drives and a control device, the drives, in the fitted state, acting in the same way on the adjustable element and having a substantially identical configuration, apart from tolerance-related discrepancies. The control device has a power controller which, in the fitted state, during the motor-driven adjustment of the adjustable element, subjects the electrical power that is output respectively to the two drives to closed-loop control, for the purpose of compensating for the tolerance-related discrepancies, in such a way that an identical electrical power consumption is established for both drives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG, Hallstadt
    Inventors: Jürgen Eggeling, Klaus Dünne, Dirk Hellmich
  • Publication number: 20140049194
    Abstract: The invention relates to a drive arrangement for the motor-operated adjustment of an adjusting element in a motor vehicle, wherein the drive arrangement comprises two electrical drives having in each case a drive motor and a control device, wherein in the assembled state the drives act in the same manner on the adjusting element and are embodied in an essentially identical manner apart from deviations that are a result of tolerances, wherein the control device influences the two drive motors by a pulse width modulation voltage (“PWM” voltage). It is proposed that the control device influences the two drive motors by PWM voltages having PWM switching frequencies that vary continuously during the adjustment process in such a manner that the PWM switching frequencies that are allocated to the two drive motors are different from each other at least for periods of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Applicant: BROSE FAHRZEUGTEILE GMBH & CO. KG, HALLSTADT
    Inventors: Juergen Eggeling, Dirk Hellmich, Klaus Duenne
  • Publication number: 20140025262
    Abstract: The invention relates to a drive arrangement for the motorized adjustment of a flap arrangement for a motor vehicle, with a drive controller for producing a desired flap adjustment by means of at least one drive, wherein the flap arrangement is configured with two flap wings, wherein the two flap wings are each substantially pivotable about a respective spaced-apart, parallel pivot axis and, in the closed state, are in engagement with each other via a respective free wing end opposite the respective pivot axis. The two flap wings are assigned collision pivoting regions which are mounted upstream of the respective closed position and in which the movement regions of the flap wings overlap in such a manner that a predetermined opening and closing sequence has to be observed there in order to avoid collisions between the free wing ends.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: BROSE FAHRZEUGTEILE GMBH & CO. KG, HALLSTADT
    Inventors: Juergen Eggeling, Klaus Duenne, Dirk Hellmich
  • Publication number: 20140000166
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling a motorized flap, wherein the flap arrangement comprises a flap which may be a pivotable flap, a drive arrangement associated with the flap and a control arrangement associated with the drive arrangement, wherein the deflection of the flap is limited in at least one first direction of movement, by a mechanical end stop on the motor vehicle side, wherein the motorized flap movement in the first direction of movement is limited by means of the control arrangement by an end stop provided by control technology, in order to prevent the flap from running in a motorized manner in the first direction of movement into the mechanical end stop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Inventors: Christian Groewe, Dirk Hellmich, Juergen Eggeling, Klaus Duenne
  • Publication number: 20120285087
    Abstract: Described herein is a method for operating a hatch arrangement of a motor vehicle wherein a motor vehicle lock is controlled by means of a control arrangement in a relatch routine in such a way that a renewed latch state (a relatch state) is avoided or cancelled within a predetermined relatch time interval after the releasing process, and wherein in a relatch monitoring process the control arrangement monitors whether a relatch indication, in particular a relatch state, occurs within the predetermined relatch time interval after the releasing process and only then is the relatch routine triggered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: BROSE FAHRZEUGTEILE GMBH & CO. KG, HALLSTADT
    Inventors: Juergen Eggeling, Dirk Hellmich, Klaus Duenne
  • Publication number: 20120146556
    Abstract: Described herein is a drive arrangement for the motor-driven adjustment of an adjustable element in a motor vehicle, the drive arrangement having two electrical drives and a control device, the drives, in the fitted state, acting in the same way on the adjustable element and having a substantially identical configuration, apart from tolerance-related discrepancies. The control device has a power controller which, in the fitted state, during the motor-driven adjustment of the adjustable element, subjects the electrical power that is output respectively to the two drives to closed-loop control, for the purpose of compensating for the tolerance-related discrepancies, in such a way that an identical electrical power consumption is established for both drives.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2009
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG, Hallstadt
    Inventors: Jürgen Eggeling, Klaus Dünne, Dirk Hellmich
  • Publication number: 20110271595
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a drive arrangement for motor-operated adjustment of a closure element in a motor vehicle having at least one drive with a drive motor, and a drive controller. The closure element can be driven in the motor-operated adjustment mode by the drive motor in the closing direction and in the opening direction between a closed and an open position. The drive is non-self-locking and has a sensor, in particular a Hall sensor, for sensing the drive movement. The drive controller monitors the sensor signals for a fault state, and when a fault state is sensed initiates an emergency braking and/or stop mode. The drive arrangement comprises two drives each with a sensor for determining the respective drive movement. To detect fault-induced slamming shut of the closure element, the drive controller correlates the sensor signals of the two sensors, in particular compares said sensor signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2009
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Inventors: Jürgen Eggeling, Dirk Hellmich, Klaus Dünne