Apparatus for identifying the position of an element, in particular a lock bolt of a motor vehicle lock, which can be moved between two end positions, and a method of driving the apparatus

US6115229A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Uwe Ahlig · Maxhütte-Haidhof, DE
• Reiner Buchner · Sinzing, DE
• Manfred Glehr · Eggenfelden, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 28, 1999
• Grant date: Sep 5, 2000
• Expiry date: Jan 28, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC E): Fixed Constructions
• CPC primary: E05B2047/0069
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

In order to identify the position of a movable element, such as a lock bolt, a resonant circuit is subjected to the element or a part that moves with the element. The resonant circuit is thereby damped by the element in a position-dependent manner and oscillates in one end position of the element but is damped too greatly in the other end position. A microprocessor controls the switching on and the respective operating point of a transistor in such a way that switching hysteresis is obtained. The operating point can be automatically readjusted in an adaptation phase.