Patents by Inventor Werner Austermeier

Werner Austermeier 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: 20220169116
    Abstract: A pedal for a motor vehicle is provided, having a pedal arm with at least one first resetting spring and with a friction system comprising a separate friction element and a friction surface of the base part corresponding to the separate friction element. The friction system features a rocker arranged in a rotatable manner on the base part and the at least one first resetting spring is arranged between the separate friction element and the rocker. The separate friction element is connected in a pressure-transmitting manner with the pedal arm by the at least one first resetting spring and at least one connection element. At least one second resetting spring is arranged between one bearing part connected in a pressure-transmitting manner with the pedal arm by the at least one connection element and the base part or the rocker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2022
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Inventors: Werner Austermeier, Kerim Florian Huge, Andreas Mueller, Ralf Ridder, David Schliwa, Claus Viethen, Bernd Schmitt, Robert Schuermann
  • Patent number: 11292338
    Abstract: A pedal emulator (20, 100) is provided. The pedal emulator includes an emulator piston (28, 102) coupled to a damper (46, D1) that is contained within a housing (22, 104). The damper is surrounded by first (34, S1) and second (38, S2) springs that are carried by a lower spring seat (114), the lower spring seat being upwardly biased by a third spring (S3), for example a wave spring. The first and second springs and the third spring cooperate to provide a counter-force that is tailored to the desired feel of the pedal. First and second sensors measure travel (72, 74) and force in response to downward compression of the emulator piston, and the damper provides hysteresis upon return travel of the emulator piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Dennis Mark Burke, Kenneth James Nadeau, Werner Austermeier, Henning Irle, Marcus Irrgang
  • Publication number: 20220089135
    Abstract: A pedal emulator for a vehicle is provided comprising a base part for mounting the pedal emulator to a structure of the vehicle. A pedal lever is pivotable around a rotary axis of the base part. A force generation unit exerts a counterforce on the pedal lever by means of at least one coupling element for mechanically coupling the force generation unit with the pedal lever. The counterforce works counter to an actuating force exerted on the pedal lever. The force generation unit and the coupling element are designed and arranged in such a way that a progression of the counterforce along a pedal travel of the pedal lever (6) takes the form of a non-linear progression in a pedal travel-counterforce diagram.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Inventors: Werner Austermeier, Dennis Mark Burke, Kerim Florian Huge, Andreas Mueller, Ralf Ridder, Claus Viethen
  • Patent number: 11091032
    Abstract: In order to provide a pedal for a motor vehicle in which restoration of the pedal arm to its rest position is improved, it is proposed that a friction system has a rocker and the first return spring is disposed between the separate friction element and the rocker such that when the pedal arm moves in the direction of its maximum actuation position, the rocker is pressed against a friction surface of the separate friction elements in a friction force-generating manner, wherein the separate friction element is connected to the pedal arm in a compressive force-transmitting manner by means of the at least one first return spring, a bearing part for a second return spring, and a connecting element, and wherein the second return spring is disposed between the bearing part and the base part or the bearing part and the rocker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Hella GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Ralf Ridder, Claus Viethen, Werner Austermeier, Kerim Florian Huge, David Schliwa, Bernd Schmitt, Robert Schuermann, Andreas Mueller
  • Publication number: 20210016660
    Abstract: In order to provide a pedal for a motor vehicle in which restoration of the pedal arm to its rest position is improved, it is proposed that a friction system has a rocker and the first return spring is disposed between the separate friction element and the rocker such that when the pedal arm moves in the direction of its maximum actuation position, the rocker is pressed against a friction surface of the separate friction elements in a friction force-generating manner, wherein the separate friction element is connected to the pedal arm in a compressive force-transmitting manner by means of the at least one first return spring, a bearing part for a second return spring, and a connecting element, and wherein the second return spring is disposed between the bearing part and the base part or the bearing part and the rocker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2020
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Applicant: HELLA GMBH & CO. KGAA
    Inventors: Ralf RIDDER, Claus VIETHEN, Werner AUSTERMEIER, Kerim Florian HUGE, David SCHLIWA, Bernd SCHMITT, Robert SCHUERMANN, Andreas MUELLER
  • Publication number: 20200001711
    Abstract: A pedal emulator (20, 100) is provided. The pedal emulator includes an emulator piston (28, 102) coupled to a damper (46, D1) that is contained within a housing (22, 104). The damper is surrounded by first (34, S1) and second (38, S2) springs that are carried by a lower spring seat (114), the lower spring seat being upwardly biased by a third spring (S3), for example a wave spring. The first and second springs and the third spring cooperate to provide a counter-force that is tailored to the desired feel of the pedal. First and second sensors measure travel (72,74) and force in response to downward compression of the emulator piston, and the damper provides hysteresis upon return travel of the emulator piston.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: Dennis Mark Burke, Kenneth James Nadeau, Werner Austermeier, Henning Irle, Marcus Irrgang
  • Patent number: 9471085
    Abstract: A pedal system for the generation of a force path having hysteresis when a pedal is actuated. The system includes a pedal that is supported such that it can pivot between at least a first position and a second position. The pedal has a sliding element having a sliding surface, as well as a bearing device having at least one friction surface for supporting the sliding surface of the sliding element. The bearing device is supported such that it can pivot about a bearing axle. The friction surface and the sliding surface are in contact with one another in a first contact section when the pedal is in the first position, and are in contact with one another in a second contact section when the pedal is in the second position. The first contact section and the second contact section have different lever arms to the bearing axle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: HELLA KGAA HUECK & CO.
    Inventors: Claus Viethen, Werner Austermeier
  • Publication number: 20150277479
    Abstract: A pedal system for the generation of a force path having hysteresis when a pedal is actuated. The system includes a pedal that is supported such that it can pivot between at least a first position and a second position. The pedal has a sliding element having a sliding surface, as well as a bearing device having at least one friction surface for supporting the sliding surface of the sliding element. The bearing device is supported such that it can pivot about a bearing axle. The friction surface and the sliding surface are in contact with one another in a first contact section when the pedal is in the first position, and are in contact with one another in a second contact section when the pedal is in the second position. The first contact section and the second contact section have different lever arms to the bearing axle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2013
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Inventors: Claus Viethen, Werner Austermeier