Patents by Inventor Uwe Heimann

Uwe Heimann 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: 9973190
    Abstract: A capacitive proximity and/or contact switch includes a cover plate having an upper side and an underside. The upper side provides a sensitive area of the switch and the cover plate, at least in the region of the sensitive area, is at least partially non-conductive. A conductive sensor face is disposed at a distance from the underside of the cover plate. The dielectric system of this capacitive proximity and/or contact switch is formed of the cover plate, at least one non-conductive element facing towards the sensor face and at least one conductive element between the cover plate and the non-conductive element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Diehl AKO Stiftung & Co. KG
    Inventors: Charles Hahs, Dirk Golz, Bernd Theobold, Uwe Heimann
  • Patent number: 9966950
    Abstract: A contact and/or proximity-sensitive input device has a cover plate with a light-transmissive control section facing a user of the input device and forming a control field for the user. A light-transmissive sensor film has at least one capacitive sensor field. A carrier plate carries at least one lighting device. The input device also has a light-transmissive decorative film with at least one decorative element. The film is a separate component from the sensor film so that the decorative film can be produced independently of the sensor film and can be adapted simply to desired variants of the input device. The carrier plate, decorative film, sensor film and cover plate are arranged successively in such a way that the light emitted by the lighting device passes through the decorative film, sensor film and control section of the cover plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Diehl AKO Stiftung & Co. KG
    Inventors: Uwe Heimann, Michael Prinz
  • Patent number: 9954525
    Abstract: A touch- and/or proximity-sensitive input device has a cover plate with a control section. The side of the control section facing a user forms a control field for the user and a side facing away from the user forms a sensor plane. A sensor film has at least one capacitive sensor field within the control section of the cover plate. A carrier plate has at least one electric contact field. The cover plate has a contacting section next to the control section and the side facing away from the user forms a contacting plane. The sensor film has an electric contact field next to the sensor field. At least one electric contact element connects the electric contact field of the sensor film electrically conductively to the at least one electric contact field of the carrier plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Diehl AKO Stiftung & Co. KG
    Inventors: Uwe Heimann, Michael Prinz
  • Publication number: 20160301411
    Abstract: A contact and/or proximity-sensitive input device has a cover plate with a light-transmissive control section facing toward a user of the input device and forming a control field for the user. A light-transmissive sensor film has at least one capacitive sensor field. A carrier plate carries at least one lighting device. The input device also has a light-transmissive decorative film with at least one decorative element. The film is a separate component from the sensor film so that the decorative film can be produced independently of the sensor film and in this way can be adapted simply to desired variants of the input device. The carrier plate, the decorative film, the sensor film and the cover plate are arranged successively in such a way that the light emitted by the lighting device passes through the decorative film, the sensor film and the control section of the cover plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Inventors: UWE HEIMANN, MICHAEL PRINZ
  • Patent number: 9466446
    Abstract: A rotary knob operator control apparatus for an electrical domestic appliance has a mounting board on a side of an operator control panel facing away from a user, a first electrode configuration on the mounting board and a substantially annular operator control element on a side of the operator control panel facing toward the user. The operator control element has a second electrode configuration and a holding device for the operator control element on the operator control panel. The operator control element rotates about an axis perpendicular to the operator control panel. The operator control element is latched relative to the operator control panel in predefined rotary positions by a latching device, so the second electrode configuration on the operator control element is oriented in a predefined manner relative to the first electrode configuration. An electrical domestic appliance having at least one rotary knob operator control apparatus is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Diehl AKO Stiftung & Co. KG
    Inventors: Uwe Heimann, Michael Prinz
  • Publication number: 20160149571
    Abstract: A touch- and/or proximity-sensitive input device has a cover plate with a control section. The side of the control section facing a user forms a control field for the user and a side facing away from the user forms a sensor plane. A sensor film has at least one capacitive sensor field within the control section of the cover plate. A carrier plate has at least one electric contact field. The cover plate has a contacting section next to the control section and the side facing away from the user forms a contacting plane. The sensor film has an electric contact field next to the sensor field. At least one electric contact element connects the electric contact field of the sensor film electrically conductively to the at least one electric contact field of the carrier plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Inventors: Uwe HEIMANN, Michael PRINZ
  • Patent number: 8937261
    Abstract: An operator control apparatus for an electrical household appliance has an operator control panel on that side of the operator control apparatus that faces a user and defines an operator control area. A functional assembly is arranged on that face of the operator control panel that is averted from the user. The functional assembly has touch- and/or proximity-sensitive touch-operated switch. The at least one touch-operated switch of the functional assembly is positioned so as to correspond to operator control area of the operator control panel. A connecting apparatus is permanently connected to the operator control panel and releasably connected to the functional assembly, or in the alternative it is permanently connected to the functional assembly while it is releasably connected to the operator control panel. In this way, the functional assembly is releasably attached to the operator control panel but without play.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Diehl AKO Stiftung & Co. KG
    Inventors: Uwe Heimann, Michael Prinz
  • Publication number: 20140021024
    Abstract: A rotary knob operator control apparatus for an electrical domestic appliance has a mounting board on a side of an operator control panel facing away from a user, a first electrode configuration on the mounting board and a substantially annular operator control element on a side of the operator control panel facing toward the user. The operator control element has a second electrode configuration and a holding device for the operator control element on the operator control panel. The operator control element rotates about an axis perpendicular to the operator control panel. The operator control element is latched relative to the operator control panel in predefined rotary positions by a latching device, so the second electrode configuration on the operator control element is oriented in a predefined manner relative to the first electrode configuration. An electrical domestic appliance having at least one rotary knob operator control apparatus is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: DIEHL AKO STIFTUNG & CO KG
    Inventors: UWE HEIMANN, MICHAEL PRINZ
  • Publication number: 20130292239
    Abstract: A capacitive proximity and/or contact switch includes a cover plate having an upper side and an underside. The upper side provides a sensitive area of the switch and the cover plate, at least in the region of the sensitive area, is at least partially non-conductive. A conductive sensor face is disposed at a distance from the underside of the cover plate. The dielectric system of this capacitive proximity and/or contact switch is formed of the cover plate, at least one non-conductive element facing towards the sensor face and at least one conductive element between the cover plate and the non-conductive element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: DIEHL AKO STIFTLING & CO. KG
    Inventors: CHARLES HAHS, DIRK GOLZ, BERND THEOBOLD, UWE HEIMANN
  • Publication number: 20120112818
    Abstract: An operator control apparatus for an electrical household appliance has an operator control panel on that side of the operator control apparatus that faces a user and defines an operator control area. A functional assembly is arranged on that face of the operator control panel that is averted from the user. The functional assembly has touch- and/or proximity-sensitive touch-operated switch. The at least one touch-operated switch of the functional assembly is positioned so as to correspond to operator control area of the operator control panel. A connecting apparatus is permanently connected to the operator control panel and releasably connected to the functional assembly, or in the alternative it is permanently connected to the functional assembly while it is releasably connected to the operator control panel. In this way, the functional assembly is releasably attached to the operator control panel but without play.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: DIEHL AKO STIFTUNG & CO. KG
    Inventors: UWE HEIMANN, MICHAEL PRINZ
  • Patent number: 8168908
    Abstract: A capacitive touch switch for an operator control panel of an electrical domestic appliance includes a panel, a sensor area disposed in the panel, a printed circuit board disposed at a distance behind the panel, and a capacitive sensor element which is disposed between the panel and the printed circuit board, is in electrically conductive contact with the printed circuit board and is associated with the sensor area in the panel at a distance from the sensor area. The sensor area is formed by a plate of metal material, and a non-conductive insulating body is disposed between the plate and the capacitive sensor element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Diehl AKO Stiftung & Co. KG
    Inventor: Uwe Heimann
  • Publication number: 20100149000
    Abstract: An operator control apparatus has at least one pushbutton switch, and can be used, for example, in an operator control panel for an electronic domestic appliance. The operator control apparatus further has a support element, a pressure-sensitive transmission element with at least one sensor area which corresponds to the at least one pushbutton switch and is connected to the support element by a first adhesive layer, and a covering layer which faces the user side. The covering layer is connected to the transmission element by a second adhesive layer, with the second adhesive layer being soft and having an adhesive layer region in the region of the at least one sensor area of the transmission element. The adhesive layer region is smaller than the sensor area and is at least partially separated from the rest of the second adhesive layer by at least one cutout.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2009
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Applicant: DIEHL AKO STIFTUNG & CO. KG
    Inventor: Uwe Heimann
  • Publication number: 20090128375
    Abstract: A control apparatus having at least one pushbutton switch can be used, for example, in a control panel of an electronic domestic appliance. The control apparatus includes a mount element, a piezo-film having at least one sensor field corresponding to the at least one pushbutton switch, a first adhesive layer connecting the piezo-film to the mount element, a cover layer facing a user side, a second adhesive layer connecting the cover layer to the piezo-film, and at least one attachment element for attachment of the control apparatus to the control panel. An electronic domestic appliance having a control apparatus is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2008
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Applicant: DIEHL AKO STIFTUNG & CO. KG
    Inventors: Uwe Heimann, Klaus-Peter Koch, Michael Prinz
  • Publication number: 20090107829
    Abstract: A capacitive touch switch for an operator control panel of an electrical domestic appliance includes a panel, a sensor area disposed in the panel, a printed circuit board disposed at a distance behind the panel, and a capacitive sensor element which is disposed between the panel and the printed circuit board, is in electrically conductive contact with the printed circuit board and is associated with the sensor area in the panel at a distance from the sensor area. The sensor area is formed by a plate of metal material, and a non-conductive insulating body is disposed between the plate and the capacitive sensor element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Applicant: DIEHL AKO STIFTUNG & CO. KG
    Inventor: Uwe Heimann
  • Publication number: 20090027356
    Abstract: A capacitive touch switch has a touch panel with a top side and an underside. A circuit board is arranged at a spacing under the underside of the touch panel. A capacitive sensor element which is arranged at the underside of the touch panel and which is in electrically conductive contact with the circuit board is disposed or formed on a circuit carrier that is flexible and three-dimensionally deformable for adaptation to the freely shaped underside of the touch panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2008
    Publication date: January 29, 2009
    Applicant: DIEHL AKO STIFTUNG & CO. KG
    Inventors: Uwe Heimann, Michael Prinz
  • Patent number: 7232973
    Abstract: A capacitive touch switch includes a sensor button which is disposed between a circuit board and a cover plate and which forms a terminal of a capacitor that is variable in its capacitance by an approach. The sensor button includes a body of a flexible material, which body can be adapted to the cover plate and is embraced by a conductive net.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignee: Diehl AKO Stiftung & Co. KG
    Inventors: Werner Kaps, Uwe Heimann
  • Publication number: 20070103451
    Abstract: A capacitive touch switch, for a control panel of a domestic electrical appliance, includes a touch panel having an upper side and an underside. A printed circuit board is disposed at a distance below the underside of the touch panel. A sensor element is disposed between the underside of the touch panel and the printed circuit board and is in electrically conductive contact with the printed circuit board. The capacitive sensor element has a compression spring formed of an electrically conductive material and a contact element formed of an electrically conductive material, which is disposed on that side of the compression spring which faces the touch panel and which is in electrically conductive contact with the compression spring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2006
    Publication date: May 10, 2007
    Inventors: Uwe Heimann, Michael Prinz
  • Publication number: 20060131159
    Abstract: A capacitive touch switch includes a sensor button which is disposed between a circuit board and a cover plate and which forms a terminal of a capacitor that is variable in its capacitance by an approach. The sensor button includes a body of a flexible material, which body can be adapted to the cover plate and is embraced by a conductive net.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2005
    Publication date: June 22, 2006
    Inventors: Werner Kaps, Uwe Heimann