Patents by Inventor Karlheinz Bill

Karlheinz Bill 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: 6554373
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a brake system for automotive vehicles including a vacuum brake power booster which is operable preferably by a solenoid irrespective of the actuation by the driver. In order to sense the actuating speed during actuation introduced at a brake pedal by the driver, the present invention provides a travel sensor of proportional operation which is operable by the axial movement of the movable wall of the vacuum brake power booster, and the output signal of the travel sensor is directly proportional to the actuating travel of the movable wall and is subjected to a time differentiation processing operation in an electronic control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Karlheinz Bill
  • Patent number: 6279694
    Abstract: There is the problem of adjusting a clearance in electromechanically or electromotively operated brakes because automatic resetting means, which are provided for hydraulic brakes, cannot be used in brakes of the above type. Initially, it is necessary to determine a neutral position of the motor which is defined by the friction elements just abutting the brake disc in this position. This situation is determined by a detection device which exhibits the following operation in one preferred embodiment. The motor is driven from an unknown position by a constant motor torque so that the friction linings are moved towards the brake disc. The motor will speed up because the resistances remain constant in the starting stroke. An abrupt deceleration of the motor will be caused when the friction linings are applied to the brake disc. The zero passage of the angular acceleration can be sensed and interpreted as an application of the friction linings on the brake disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Jürgen Böhm, Martin Semsch, Jürgen Balz, Karlheinz Bill, Peter Scheerer
  • Patent number: 6158558
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an electromechanically operated disc brake for motor vehicles, which consists of a floating-type brake caliper as well as an actuating unit arranged on the caliper. The actuating unit exhibits an electric motor which adjusts an actuating element via a reducing gear. The actuating element in turn causes one of two friction linings provided in the brake caliper in a displaceable manner to be brought into engagement with a brake disc. In order to be able to maintain high clamping forces with very low electric power, the present invention proposes that means (20 or 21,22) be provided to prevent reverse rotation of the rotor (10) of the electric motor (6) when the current supplied to the electric motor (6) is switched off after said electric motor (6) was activated. At the same time, this measure minimizes heating of the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2000
    Assignee: Continental Teaves AG & Co. OHG
    Inventors: Karlheinz Bill, Jurgen Balz, Vladimir Dusil
  • Patent number: 6142271
    Abstract: A servo friction brake which includes a carrier, and at least one friction lining which is supported on the carrier and interacts with at least one friction surface, and at least one device for actuating the friction lining. In order to considerably reduce the sensitivity of the friction brake to coefficient of friction and to achieve high servo effect values, especially in the range close to the locking limit, a mechanism which permits varying the servo effect during operation of the brake.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2000
    Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Karlheinz Bill, Vladimir Dusil, Matthias Leber
  • Patent number: 6019440
    Abstract: A device and method of adjusting a variable boosting factor of a brake power booster is provided. A variable boosting factor is achieved by constructively defining a basic boosting factor of a brake power booster that may be overridden by electronic independent activation. In a preferred embodiment, the driver's pedal force is measured either directly at the brake pedal, or after the pedal force is boosted by the brake pedal on the piston rod of the brake power booster by means of a force. A nominal pressure specification is generated from this quantity by way of a variable amplifier and an electrical signal-adapting unit. The braking pressure which is produced from the driver's pedal force and the basic boosting factor of the brake power booster can be overridden by this independent activation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Scherer, Jurgen Balz, Martin Semsch, Jurgen Bohm, Karlheinz Bill
  • Patent number: 5991681
    Abstract: In a brake system, the actuating force of a pneumatic brake power booster, which is adapted to be independently activated, is indirectly determined. For this purpose, there is provided a pressure sensor which senses hydraulic pressure introduced into a master brake cylinder connected downstream of the brake power booster, and a differential pressure sensor which senses the pneumatic differential pressure which prevails in the housing of the brake power booster. An electronic controller calculates from both sensor signals the actuating force acting at an actuating pedal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises Inc.
    Inventors: Karlheinz Bill, Christof Klesen, Martin Semsch
  • Patent number: 5829557
    Abstract: An electromechanically actuated disc brake system for motor vehicles comprising a floating caliper and an actuating unit mounted with the caliper. The actuating unit is an electric motor which, by interpolation of a reducing gear, powers an actuating element, which in turn controls one of two sliding friction linings mounted inside the brake caliper, to interact with the disc brake. With the intent to reduce axial dimensions of the actuating unit, the present invention includes an electric motor with a rotor of ring-shaped design to radially surround the reducing gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignee: ITT Automotive Europe GmbH
    Inventors: Georg Halasy-Wimmer, Karlheinz Bill, Jurgen Balz, Lothar Kunze, Stefan Schmitt
  • Patent number: 5605088
    Abstract: A vacuum brake power booster for automotive vehicles includes a booster housing whose interior is subdivided into a vacuum chamber and a working chamber by a moveable wall. A control housing carries the moveable wall and accommodates a control valve which controls a pressure differential acting upon the moveable wall. The control valve has at least two sealing seats cooperating with an elastic valve member and is operable by an actuating rod. One of the sealing seats is operable, irrespective of the actuating rod, by an electromagnet whose armature is in force-transmitting interaction with one of the sealing seats. An electrical switching apparatus is also included, the control signals of which influence the current supply of the electromagnet thereby enabling its deactivation. The switching apparatus are operable by a relative movement between a valve piston and the control housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1997
    Assignee: ITT Automotive Europe, GmbH
    Inventors: Jurgen Balz, Karlheinz Bill, Horst Kramer, Peter Drott, Jurgen Bauer, Heinz Zingel, Holger Von Havn, Ralf Harth, Jurgen Schonlau, Wolfgang Ritter
  • Patent number: 5551764
    Abstract: A brake system for automotive vehicles with electric drive is operable by an actuating pedal and uses hydraulic friction brakes to augment the braking effect generated by the electric drive motors. The coaction of the drive motors with the hydraulic friction brakes is controlled by an electronic controller. In order to largely conform the pedal characteristics of the mentioned brake system to that of a standard passenger car, an actuating pedal (5) is in force-transmitting and travel-transmitting connection with a spring (8) exhibiting a predetermined characteristic curve, and the master brake cylinder (11), uncoupled from the actuating pedal (5), is operable by an electromagnet (9) which is responsive to the controller (70). If the master brake cylinder accommodates two pressure cheers, a single valve is arranged in or on the master cylinder housing, and acts as both a bypass valve and a differential-pressure valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Assignee: ITT Automotive Europe GmbH
    Inventors: Dieter Kircher, Peter E. Rieth, Karlheinz Bill, Juergen Balz, Lothar Kunze, Georg Halasy-Wimmer
  • Patent number: 5460074
    Abstract: A vacuum brake power booster for automotive vehicles having control valve which is operable, irrespective of an actuating rod displacing a valve piston (9), by an electromagnet which actuates a third sealing seat thereby ventilating the working chamber. To minimize the independent actuating force generated by the electromagnet the electromagnet, of the present invention, is rigidly connected to the valve piston, and is arranged to be slidable in the control housing so that the third sealing seat is synchronously movable with the valve piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1995
    Assignee: ITT Automotive Europe GmbH
    Inventors: Jurgen Balz, Karlheinz Bill, Horst Kramer, Peter Drott, Jurgen Bauer, Heinz Zingel, Holger Von Hayn, Ralf Harth, Jurgen Schonlau, Wolfgang Ritter