Patents by Inventor Thomas Ofenhitzer

Thomas Ofenhitzer 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: 12097764
    Abstract: An operating member including a support; an actuating part mounted on the support by a mount, to be movable relative to the support, by manual actuation against a resetting force to carry out an actuating movement from a rest position into a depressed position; and a detector, having at least one force sensor, adapted to detect at least one position of the actuating part is presented. The mount includes a guidance mechanism having at least one pair of coupled levers, wherein the levers are each pivotably mounted on the support by a first pivot joint defining at least one first pivot axis and on the actuating part by a second pivot joint defining at least one second pivot axis to cause a pivoting movement of the levers by the actuating movement. The guidance mechanism further includes at least one coupling rod to couple the pivoting movement of the levers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Assignee: Preh GmbH
    Inventors: Arthur Klossek, Thomas Ofenhitzer, Thilo Schultheis, Andreas Hofmann
  • Patent number: 11869731
    Abstract: An operating member includes: a support; an actuating part, which defines an actuating surface is mounted on the support by a mount to be movable relative to the support, by manual actuation against a resetting force, while carrying out an actuating movement from a rest position into a depressed position; a detector having at least one force sensor, wherein the detector is adapted to detect at least one position of the actuating part; wherein the mount includes a guidance mechanism having at least one pair of coupled levers, wherein the levers are each pivotably mounted on the support by a first pivot joint and on the actuating part—by a second pivot joint to cause a pivoting movement of the at least one pair of coupled levers by the actuating movement, wherein the guidance mechanism further includes at least one coupling rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: PREH GMBH
    Inventors: Arthur Klossek, Thomas Ofenhitzer, Thilo Schultheis, Andreas Hofmann
  • Publication number: 20230079883
    Abstract: An operating member including a support; an actuating part mounted on the support by a mount, to be movable relative to the support, by manual actuation against a resetting force to carry out an actuating movement from a rest position into a depressed position; and a detector, having at least one force sensor, adapted to detect at least one position of the actuating part is presented. The mount includes a guidance mechanism having at least one pair of coupled levers, wherein the levers are each pivotably mounted on the support by a first pivot joint defining at least one first pivot axis and on the actuating part by a second pivot joint defining at least one second pivot axis to cause a pivoting movement of the levers by the actuating movement. The guidance mechanism further includes at least one coupling rod to couple the pivoting movement of the levers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2022
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Applicant: Preh GmbH
    Inventors: Arthur KLOSSEK, Thomas OFENHITZER, Thilo SCHULTHEIS, Andreas HOFMANN
  • Publication number: 20220285108
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an operating member including: a support; an actuating part, which defines an actuating surface is mounted on the support by a mount to be movable relative to the support, by manual actuation against a resetting force, while carrying out an actuating movement from a rest position into a depressed position; a detector having at least one force sensor, wherein the detector is adapted to detect at least one position of the actuating part; wherein the mount includes a guidance mechanism having at least one pair of coupled levers, wherein the levers are each pivotably mounted on the support by a first pivot joint and on the actuating part—by a second pivot joint to cause a pivoting movement of the at least one pair of coupled levers by the actuating movement, wherein the guidance mechanism further includes at least one coupling rod.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Applicant: Preh GmbH
    Inventors: Arthur Klossek, Thomas Ofenhitzer, Thilo Schultheis, Andreas Hofmann
  • Patent number: 7546766
    Abstract: A sensor arrangement is provided in a motor vehicle for determining solar radiation incident on the motor vehicle, having at least one electro-optic component that is fastened to a one-piece or multi-piece support using MID technology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2009
    Assignee: Preh GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Jeitner, Thomas Ofenhitzer
  • Publication number: 20080087079
    Abstract: A sensor arrangement is provided in a motor vehicle for determining solar radiation incident on the motor vehicle, having at least one electro-optic component that is fastened to a one-piece or multi-piece support using MID technology.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2007
    Publication date: April 17, 2008
    Inventors: Martin Jeitner, Thomas Ofenhitzer
  • Patent number: 7345273
    Abstract: A rotary switch including a control element, a light-emitting device arranged on a printed circuit board and configured to emit light, and at least two receivers arranged on the printed circuit board in correspondence with the light-emitting device and configured to detect switching positions of the rotary switch. Further, the light-emitting device is mounted radially at an outside portion of inside of a hollow cylindrical extension of the control element, and wherein on level with the light-emitting device, the extension includes orifices evenly distributed around a periphery of the extension, and that opposite the light-emitting device, on an exterior side of the extension, the at least two receivers are arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Preh GmbH
    Inventors: Anton Rüttiger, Markus Peschel, Thomas Ofenhitzer
  • Publication number: 20060202114
    Abstract: A rotary switch including a control element, a light-emitting device arranged on a printed circuit board and configured to emit light, and at least two receivers arranged on the printed circuit board in correspondence with the light-emitting device and configured to detect switching positions of the rotary switch. Further, the light-emitting device is mounted radially at an outside portion of inside of a hollow cylindrical extension of the control element, and wherein on level with the light-emitting device, the extension includes orifices evenly distributed around a periphery of the extension, and that opposite the light-emitting device, on an exterior side of the extension, the at least two receivers are arranged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2006
    Publication date: September 14, 2006
    Applicant: PREH GMBH
    Inventors: Anton Ruttiger, Markus Peschel, Thomas Ofenhitzer
  • Patent number: 6864442
    Abstract: An operational control is provided for setting an actuating variable, more particularly a set point for a motor vehicle air conditioner, having a rotary knob, having at least two contact tracks and one elastic wiper contact element that is in contact by means of at least one wiper contact with a contact track, wherein the contact tracks are joined to the rotary knob so as to be nonrotatable with respect thereto and in that the wiper contact elements are provided with an additional elastic wiper contact facing the printed circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Preh GmbH
    Inventors: Oliver Zegula, Thomas Ofenhitzer, Gerold Eckert, Joachim Storath
  • Publication number: 20040105246
    Abstract: It is proposed to divide a preferably stationary optical light guide into two regions by an annular slot into which an operating panel projects. The inner region is to be visible to a user and represents a corona, which has an illuminated night design. The outer region is covered by the panel and illuminates the scale that includes various symbols and surrounds the rotary knob.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2003
    Publication date: June 3, 2004
    Inventors: Heiko Glienicke, Thomas Ofenhitzer
  • Patent number: 6244966
    Abstract: A torsionally-rigid compensating coupling between first and second shaft ends has a ball bearing element positioned on the first shaft end and a ball socket element with grooves positioned on the second shaft end, with the ball bearing element including a ball bearing and a drive pin extending through the ball bearing. Pin ends of the drive pin extend out of the ball bearing into the grooves of the ball socket element. The grooves and ball socket of the ball socket element, in a longitudinal direction of the second shaft end, open out into a cylindrical recess that has a guide chamfer. The ball bearing element includes an elastic-force creating member and stops, with the elastic-force creating member driving the drive pin against the stops to fix the drive pin in its working position by elastic force, the drive pin being moveable against the elastic force in a longitudinal direction of the second shaft end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2001
    Assignee: Preh-Werke GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Thomas Ofenhitzer, Oliver Zegula