Patents by Inventor Heinz Lefringhausen

Heinz Lefringhausen 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).

  • Apparatus and method for heating a steering wheel and for sensing contact with the steering wheel
    Patent number: 11192570
    Abstract: An apparatus for heating a steering wheel and for detecting a steering wheel contact comprises a steering wheel armature (10) made from electrically conductive material and an electric heating conductor (12) arranged outside of the steering wheel armature (10). The apparatus further comprises a control and evaluation device (18) connected to the steering wheel armature (10) and the electric heating conductor (10) by means of which control and evaluation device the electric heating conductor (12) is repeatedly operated temporarily during a heating operation as a heating element for heating the steering wheel and temporarily during a measuring operation as a sensor element for detecting a steering wheel contact. The control and evaluation device (18) is configured so as to maintain the steering wheel armature (10) on a predetermined and especially constant potential at least during each measuring operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: TRW AUTOMOTIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS GMBH
    Inventors: Guido Hirzmann, Alexander Lammers, Heinz Lefringhausen, Volker Stegmann
  • APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR HEATING A STEERING WHEEL AND FOR SENSING CONTACT WITH THE STEERING WHEEL
    Publication number: 20190193772
    Abstract: An apparatus for heating a steering wheel and for detecting a steering wheel contact comprises a steering wheel armature (10) made from electrically conductive material and an electric heating conductor (12) arranged outside of the steering wheel armature (10). The apparatus further comprises a control and evaluation device (18) connected to the steering wheel armature (10) and the electric heating conductor (10) by means of which control and evaluation device the electric heating conductor (12) is repeatedly operated temporarily during a heating operation as a heating element for heating the steering wheel and temporarily during a measuring operation as a sensor element for detecting a steering wheel contact. The control and evaluation device (18) is configured so as to maintain the steering wheel armature (10) on a predetermined and especially constant potential at least during each measuring operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2017
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Applicant: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Guido Hirzmann, Alexander Lammers, Heinz Lefringhausen, Volker Mann
  • Vehicle steering wheel with an airbag module
    Patent number: 7481450
    Abstract: A vehicle steering wheel (20) includes a movable airbag module (24) which can be depressed by a limited axial stroke for generating a horn signal. The vehicle steering wheel (20) further includes a sensor system (22a, 22b) operating in a contactless manner for determining the stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Guido Hirzmann, Lars Wuschik, Heinz Lefringhausen, Norbert Staudt, Klaus Weigand
  • Vehicle steering wheel with an airbag module
    Publication number: 20060113775
    Abstract: A vehicle steering wheel (20) includes a movable airbag module (24) which can be depressed by a limited axial stroke for generating a horn signal. The vehicle steering wheel (20) further includes a sensor system (22a, 22b) operating in a contactless manner for determining the stroke.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2005
    Publication date: June 1, 2006
    Inventors: Guido Hirzmann, Lars Wuschik, Heinz Lefringhausen, Norbert Staudt, Klaus Weigand