Patents by Inventor Peter Apel

Peter Apel 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).

  • Publication number: 20010030534
    Abstract: A rotation angle sensor for use in a throttle adjustment device is disclosed, which includes a stator unit having at least two stator part elements positioned relative to each other leaving a spacer recess therebetween; a Hall sensor positioned in the spacer recess; a rotor unit having a magnetic element having a connector element molded into the rotor unit; a plug unit; and a housing unit adapted to partially house the stator unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2001
    Publication date: October 18, 2001
    Inventor: Peter Apel
  • Patent number: 6283150
    Abstract: A Hall-effect angular rotation sensor device for a throttle valve unit. The sensor includes a housing unit, a stationary unit, and a moving unit moveable relative to the stationary unit. The stationary and the moving units are at least partially enclosed by the housing unit. The stationary unit includes a first and a second partial ring stator segment that are at least partially retained in the housing unit, leaving a stator distancing gap in which at least one Hall-effect IC switch is positioned. The moving unit includes (a) a partial ring magnet segment that is at least partially distanced from the first and the second partial ring stator segments by an air gap and (b) a third partial ring stator segment positioned behind and opposite the air gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: AB Elektronik GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Apel, Klaus Wilczek
  • Publication number: 20010002599
    Abstract: A Hall-effect angular rotation sensor device for a throttle valve unit. The sensor includes a housing unit, a stationary unit, and a moving unit moveable relative to the stationary unit. The stationary and the moving units are at least partially enclosed by the housing unit. The stationary unit includes a first and a second partial ring stator segment that are at least partially retained in the housing unit, leaving a stator distancing gap in which at least one Hall-effect IC switch is positioned. The moving unit includes (a) a partial ring magnet segment that is at least partially distanced from the first and the second partial ring stator segments by an air gap and (b) a third partial ring stator segment positioned behind and opposite the air gap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2001
    Publication date: June 7, 2001
    Applicant: AB Elektronik GMBH
    Inventors: Peter Apel, Klaus Wilczek
  • Patent number: 6201389
    Abstract: In order to improve the measurement possibilities with regard to a rotating shaft, including the whole angle area (0 to 360°), a rotation angle sensor is mounted that is provided with a radial-bipolar ring-shaped magnetic element (3), three air gaps (5, 6, 7, 8) displaced by an equal angle (&phgr;) being connected with said shaft, and with a stator element (4) of a magnetoconductive material, while a Hall integrated circuit element (1, 2) is inserted in at least two adjacent air gaps (5, 6, 7, 8). The two Hall integrated circuit elements (1, 2) can be connected to an evaluation unit (9) which records a voltage curve of the measured circuit for each circuit element (1, 2), assigns each flow voltage measure to a position angle on the Hall integrated circuit voltage curves, calculates from the position angles assigned to the flow voltage values the actual position angle and gives it as the start signal (A1, A2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: AB Eletronik GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Apel, Klaus Wilczek
  • Patent number: 6194894
    Abstract: To make it possible for a rotation angle sensor to be manufactured and assembled more easily and more accurately, the part components of a stator element (21) made of a ferritic material are held in a sintered stator body, made by a sintering technique, by at least one holding element in a holding recess of a base element made of a non-magnetizable material. A magnetic holding device (26, 27) is a holding element made by a metal injection moulding (MIM) technique with an at least partly formed magnetic isolation zone and at least one recess. An annular magnetic element (24) is attached inside the MIM holding device by means of at least one slit-shaped recess and at least one compatible linking element, and positioned at a given angle (&agr;) in relation to a gap, between the sintered stator bodies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: AB Eletronik GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Apel, Marion Hauschopp
  • Patent number: 5881695
    Abstract: A throttle valve system comprising at least: a throttle valve housing component (98); a throttle valve spindle component (99), on which a throttle valve component (100) is arranged and which is fitted so as to move at least in a gas mixture cavity (103) in the throttle valve housing component; a throttle valve drive unit (91) and an angle sensor unit (93), which are connected at least partially with the throttle valve spindle component (99), and an electronic control unit (7,8), which are enclosed, by the throttle valve housing component (98); a temperature sensor unit (94); and a valve unit (95). The valve unit (95), the throttle valve drive unit (91), the angle sensor unit (93) and the electronic control unit (7,8) are enclosed by the throttle valve housing component (98). The valve unit (95) is connected to the gas mixture cavity (103) via a fuel vapor recess (102) passing through the throttle valve housing component (98).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: AB Elektronik GmbH
    Inventor: Peter Apel
  • Patent number: 5752484
    Abstract: The invention relates to a throttle valve device including a housing (4; 54; 54'; 98), a throttle valve spindle (3; 53; 53'; 99) on which a throttle valve (2; 52; 52'; 100) movable in the housing (4; 54; 54'; 98) between a first air passage chamber (62; 62'; 92) and a second such chamber (63; 63'; 103) leading to the vehicle engine is held in at least one closed position (DS), an idling position (MS) and a full-throttle position (VS) and a control unit (11; 61; 61'; 107) having at least one control motor unit (5; 55; 55'; 91) and connected to the throttle valve spindle (3; 53; 53'; 99). The second air passage chamber (63; 63'; 103) is connected to a back-up air control device (2, 3, 8, 9, 10, LHP1; 52, 55, 58, LHP2; 52', 55', 58', LHP3; 95, 102) by which enough air can be fed to the engine in the event of the breakdown of the control motor unit (5; 55; 55'; 91) to allow the vehicle movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignees: AB Elektronik GmbH, Bocar S.A. C.V.
    Inventors: Peter Apel, Klaus Wilczek, Dirk Wuestenbecker, Georg Habel, Ottmar Kappes, Sergio Hector Rangel Cruz
  • Patent number: 5609184
    Abstract: The proposed device is intended for use in motor vehicles and permits a high level of accuracy in measurement and simple and cost-effective manufacture. It comprises a shaft component (12) arranged adjustably in a housing element (21) and a rotating unit (20') of a rotation angle sensor (2) which can move in relation to the fixed unit (20). The stator element (21) consists of two rounded cusp-shaped subcomponents held with a bracing unit and secured in a stator mount (23). There is a clearance recess between the subcomponents of the stator element. The rotating unit (20') is a ring-shaped magnet element (24) held by a magnet holder (26,27) connected to the shaft element (12); this arrangement allows the magnet element (24) to move around the stator element subcomponents leaving an air gap (25). The housing element (13) can be constructed in many parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 11, 1997
    Assignee: AB Elektronik GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Apel, Marion Hauschopp, Klaus Wilczek