Patents by Inventor Michael Bolz

Michael Bolz 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: 7272303
    Abstract: An electric motor drives a belt spool of a seatbelt retractor in a vehicle using a micro-controller and a drive circuit that drives the electric motor. A plurality of PWM control signal sources are provided each of which has a trigger input and a control signal output. Each control signal source, upon application of a trigger pulse to its trigger input, provides on its control signal output a control pulse of a duration different from durations of control pulses of all other control signal sources. A set of motor control programs are permanently stored in the micro-controller. A program selection signal is sent to the micro-controller from a central sensor unit in the vehicle. Trigger pulses are sent by the micro-controller to the trigger inputs of the control signal sources. Particular ones of the control signal sources are selected for application of their signal outputs to the drive circuit in a control sequence defined by a selected control program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Bolz, Martin Prokscha
  • Publication number: 20060227490
    Abstract: An electronic drive circuit for an impulse-controlled actor (10) comprises a first capacitor and a first thyristor (24). The first thyristor (24), after its ignition, permits a discharging of the first capacitor (18) via the actor (10).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2006
    Publication date: October 12, 2006
    Inventors: Michael Bolz, Martin Prokscha
  • Publication number: 20060072911
    Abstract: An electric motor drives a belt spool of a seatbelt retractor in a vehicle using a micro-controller and a drive circuit that drives the electric motor. A plurality of PWM control signal sources are provided each of which has a trigger input and a control signal output. Each control signal source, upon application of a trigger pulse to its trigger input, provides on its control signal output a control pulse of a duration different from durations of control pulses of all other control signal sources. A set of motor control programs are permanently stored in the micro-controller. A program selection signal is sent to the micro-controller from a central sensor unit in the vehicle. Trigger pulses are sent by the micro-controller to the trigger inputs of the control signal sources. Particular ones of the control signal sources are selected for application of their signal outputs to the drive circuit in a control sequence defined by a selected control program.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2005
    Publication date: April 6, 2006
    Inventors: Michael Bolz, Martin Prokscha
  • Patent number: 7003385
    Abstract: A method for vehicle-sensitive actuation of a locking mechanism for a seatbelt retractor in a vehicle by means of a actuation signal that is generated by a control unit equipped with a microcontroller. Measured signals are transmitted to the control unit from several sensors that detect the vehicle situation. The actuation signal is suppressed when a suppression algorithm in the control unit determines that the seatbelt is not in use, that the vehicle is standing still, that the vehicle speed is not above a certain limit value, or that only the vehicle acceleration measured in the vertical direction exceeds a certain triggering limit value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Bolz, Uwe Class, Arnold Herberg
  • Publication number: 20050247814
    Abstract: A belt retractor includes a belt spool and an electric motor (19) for adjusting the belt band withdrawal force. The electric motor is coupled to the belt spool by a gear. The gear includes a first gear part (18; 42) providing a limited free-running operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2005
    Publication date: November 10, 2005
    Inventors: Martin Prokscha, Michael Bolz
  • Publication number: 20050107932
    Abstract: A method for vehicle-sensitive actuation of a locking mechanism for a seatbelt retractor in a vehicle by means of a actuation signal that is generated by a control unit equipped with a microcontroller. Measured signals are transmitted to the control unit from several sensors that detect the vehicle situation. The actuation signal is suppressed when a suppression algorithm in the control unit determines that the seatbelt is not in use, that the vehicle is standing still, that the vehicle speed is not above a certain limit value, or that only the vehicle acceleration measured in the vertical direction exceeds a certain triggering limit value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2004
    Publication date: May 19, 2005
    Inventors: Michael Bolz, Uwe Class, Arnold Herberg
  • Patent number: 6656338
    Abstract: For dosing lithium in cooling water containing cationic impurities or for reducing cationic impurities, the invention guides cooling water cycle through a first side of an electrodialysis unit and guides a concentration cycle through a second side of the electrodialysis unit. Cationic impurities are filtered out of the medium of the concentration cycle with a selective ion exchanger that is disposed in the concentration cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignees: Framatome ANP GmbH, ENBW Kraftwerke AG
    Inventors: Manfred Meintker, Michael Bolz, Günther Enkler, Wilfried Rühle
  • Publication number: 20030000849
    Abstract: For dosing lithium in cooling water containing cationic impurities or for reducing cationic impurities, the invention guides cooling water cycle through a first side of an electrodialysis unit and guides a concentration cycle through a second side of the electrodialysis unit. Cationic impurities are filtered out of the medium of the concentration cycle with a selective ion exchanger that is disposed in the concentration cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2002
    Publication date: January 2, 2003
    Inventors: Manfred Meintker, Michael Bolz, Gunther Enkler, Wilfried Ruhle