Patents by Inventor Walter Voll

Walter Voll 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: 6180901
    Abstract: An electrical rotary switch for several switch positions having a control knob mounted in a housing supported on first, second and third ball bearings that, guided by a cage disk, roll in a housing groove formed by an axial wall and a radial wall against which the ball bearings are loaded under an applied force of a conical bearing surface of the control knob. Axial and radial wall bearing surfaces respectively have first and second contact segments and first, second and third contact bands thereon that extend out of the housing via terminal lugs, the first contact segment and first contact band being shorted by the first ball bearing in predetermined switch positions. In a last switch position, contact occurs between the second contact segment (19) and the second and third contact bands (20, 21) through the second and third ball bearings (6, 7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: Preh-Werke GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Karl-Heinz Bauer, Ulrich Brueggemann, Joachim Storath, Walter Voll
  • Patent number: 6105461
    Abstract: A control unit for adjusting heating, air conditioning, and/or ventilation equipment in motor vehicles has turning knobs (5, 6) and the cam wheels (13, 14) which are connected together. There are adjusting levers (10, 11, 12), with each being mounted by means of two bearing pins (15, 16) in a base part (3), and each adjusting arm (10, 11, 12) being structured as a two-armed lever with one lever arm (17, 18, 19) engaging in a three-dimensional cam plate (20, 21, 22) of the cam wheel (13, 14) in a swivel plane E. Between the lever arm (17, 18, 19) and the three-dimensional cam plate (20, 21, 22), a barrel-shaped or spherical follower element (23) is positioned that cooperates with radial motion-causing walls (24, 25) of the three-dimensional cam plate (20, 21, 22). A control unit of this invention is structured to be space saving, easier and less expensive to produce, and to function in an improved manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: Preh-Werke GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Karl-Heinz Bauer, Joachim Storath, Walter Voll
  • Patent number: 5959269
    Abstract: A rotary switch has a control knob (3) that is mounted on at least three balls (6) that move, guided by a cage disk (7), in a housing groove (8) formed by a radial wall (9) and an axial wall (10), against which the balls (6) are urged by an outward or inward conical bearing surface (11) or (12). The radial and axial wall bearing surfaces have contact segments and contact paths (13, 14) that are shorted by at least one of the balls (6). The control knob has a stop lug (15), an operational adjustment angle (4) of which is limited by housing lugs (16) and which, during operational adjustment, contacts at least one of two stop lugs (17) of the cage disk, which are positioned at an angle that corresponds approximately to one-half the maximum operational adjustment angle (4) and to a maximum contact adjustment angle (5). This structure results in reduced cost and functional improvement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: Preh-Werke GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Karl-Heinz Bauer, Ulrich Brueggemann, Walter Voll
  • Patent number: 5803412
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a plurality of control elements (3) on a dashboard (1) of a motor vehicle which are framed and covered by face plates (6) which are mounted after the control elements are mounted. Control element bodies of the control elements (3), are resiliently held relative to fixed attaching eyes (7), and spacings between control element bodies of individual control elements (3) and control element bodies and framing edges of the dashboard (1) are set by spacers (10) on the face plates (6). This arrangement achieves an uncomplicated mounting and a pleasing visual appearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Assignee: Preh-Werke GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Joachim Storath, Walter Voll, Karl-Heinz Bauer
  • Patent number: 5402257
    Abstract: In this method and apparatus for the wireless control of a lift device and, in particular, of a traveling crane, a plurality of transmitting units communicate by infrared transmission of data telegrams to a receiving unit associated with the crane. The data telegrams include an integrated address signal that is unique to each transmitting unit and is stored in a memory module of the transmitting unit. The receiving unit decodes the data telegram and, if the crane is not then in use, stores the address signal in a comparison circuit of the receiving unit. Only subsequently-received data telegrams incorporating the stored address signal are passed to the crane for controlling the crane, thereby assuring that a user not then in control of a crane operation cannot interfere with its operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1995
    Assignee: Mannesmann Aktiengessellschaft
    Inventors: Heinz Hasselmann, Anton Munzebrock, Peter Stehr, Walter Voll
  • Patent number: 5268542
    Abstract: A multi-step switch includes a resilient or resiliently mounted push button. In a first stage of the pressed-in state, the push button presses a contact surface against an at least partially resiliently constructed printed circuit board, which, on the upper side thereof, is provided with conductors. In a second stage of the pressed-in state of the switch, the push button and, in turn, the printed circuit board press with the aid of a resilient push element against additional conductors arranged underneath the printed circuit board. The multi-step switch is suitable for low switching capacities, particularly for use in hand-held control transmitters of remote controls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1993
    Assignee: Mannesmann Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Walter Voll
  • Patent number: 4385258
    Abstract: A delay circuit for the interior light of a motor vehicle and adapted to be actuated by a vehicle door contacts connected in series with the interior light is disclosed. The circuit has an R.C. network for determining a time delay between opening the door contacts and extinguishing the interior light, an electronic switching amplifier arranged to be connected in series with the interior light and arranged to be switched by the R.C. network, a discriminator stage having a threshold voltage and through which the electronic switching amplifier is arranged to be switched by the R-C network, elements to connect the R-C network and the electronic amplifier in parallel with the door contacts, and elements to provide a residual voltage which is applied across the electronic switching amplifier on opening the door contacts and which charge the capacitor of the R-C network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1980
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1983
    Inventor: Walter Voll
  • Patent number: 4249627
    Abstract: A chassis and suspension arrangement for a front engine and rear driven motor vehicle which has a flexurally and torsionally stiff tubular member surrounding the driveshaft and connected rigidly at its front end to the engine and transmission unit and its rear end to a differential and pivotably mounted about a longitudinal axis to the rear axle crossmember through two longitudinally spaced elastomeric elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1979
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1981
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Walter Voll, Anton Matheis
  • Patent number: 4232286
    Abstract: Apparatus mounted on a vehicle is arranged to provide a signal indicative of the spacing between the vehicle and a metal article being less than a predetermined amount, the predetermined amount being small compared with the length of the vehicle. The apparatus in combination with the vehicle comprises a plurality of sensor units mounted externally of the vehicle and each comprising a coil, the sensor units being arranged electrically in parallel to each other. A respective oscillator circuit is coupled to each coil to generate a respective electromagnetic field, and to provide an output signal in response to any disturbance of a respective one of the electromagnetic fields as a result of the spacing between the vehicle and the metal article being less than the predetermined amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1978
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1980
    Inventor: Walter Voll
  • Patent number: 4204160
    Abstract: A metal detector is disclosed. The detector comprises oscillator circuit means comprising a first transistor, a second transistor, adjustable resistor means coupled to the emitter of the first transistor, and inductor means arranged to control the conductive state of the second transistor. The oscillator circuit means is arranged to generate an electromagnetic field and the second transistor is arranged to provide an output signal in response to and corresponding to any disturbance of the electromagnetic field caused by the presence of a metal article in the electromagnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1978
    Date of Patent: May 20, 1980
    Inventor: Walter Voll
  • Patent number: 4084838
    Abstract: According to this disclosure, a suspension system for a motor vehicle having a pair of rear wheel rotatably supported by a solid rear axle comprises upper and lower pairs of suspension arms pivotally connected to the vehicle frame and the axle. In the preferred embodiment, a leaf spring extends in a generally transverse direction and has its ends rigidly secured to two of the suspension arms. The leaf spring provides lateral stability to the vehicle suspension and resiliently resists angular displacement of the vehicle body about a longitudinal roll axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1976
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1978
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Rolf VOR DER Bruck, Walter Voll
  • Patent number: D440217
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Assignee: Mannesmann AG
    Inventors: Heinz Hasselmann, Anton Münzebrock, Peter Stehr, Walter Voll
  • Patent number: D465206
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Heinz Hasselmann, Anton Münzebrock, Peter Stehr, Walter Voll