Patents by Inventor Engerbert Van Pelt

Engerbert Van Pelt 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: 5621178
    Abstract: A piezoelectric sensor system according to the invention employs a piezoelectric actuator relay (20) having a piezoelectric element displaceable in response to an actuation voltage and contacts (23, 24) which open or close in accordance with the displacement of the element, wherein the actuator relay (20) is adapted to receive a force (L) to be measured against the displacement. This piezoelectric actuator relay (20) is supplied, by a driver circuit (60), with a varying voltage as the actuation voltage. The relation between the forces (L) and the activation voltages necessary for opening or closing the contacts (23, 24) has been stored in a memory (70). A processor (50) obtains a value of the force (L) based on a value of the actuation voltage at the instant of the opening or closure of the contacts (23, 24) and the relation stored in the memory (70).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 15, 1997
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Engerbert Van Pelt, Wouter Taen