Patents Assigned to ITW Automotive Products GmbH & Co. KG
  • Patent number: 8814232
    Abstract: An external, automobile door handle system including an elongated grip manually accessible from the door outside and fitted at its ends with support protrusions, a first support protrusion resting pivotably at a support connected to the door structure and the second support protrusion being operationally linked to a swivel lever, the swivel lever being connected by a linkage or a cable to a door lock in a manner that said lock shall be opened when the grip is pulled out of the rest position into an open position. The automobile door handle system also includes a centrifugal weight which is supported displaceably in a similarly direction as the grip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: ITW Automotive Products GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Angelo Bertolotti
  • Patent number: 8794863
    Abstract: A connector for joining a plastic, elongated component and a threaded rod insertable into a borehole of the elongated component, which in turn is guided within a stationary bush, includes a locking element for locking the threaded rod in the borehole. The elongated component has a slot between the borehole and its outer surface. The locking element includes a two-arm lever configured within the slot and has a first end which has an engagement portion that can engage in locking manner the thread of the threaded rod, and a second end projecting outward beyond the slot when the engagement portion engages the thread. The lever's first end is prestressed toward the borehole and the lever is dimensioned in a manner that the second end pivots into the slot as the component is being pushed into the bush, as a result of which the engagement portion leaves the borehole, whereas the lever pivots back when the component has been slipped so far into the bush that the second lever end is released from the bush.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: ITW Automotive Products GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Gerd Hohmann, Markus Ferdinand, Albert Spongk
  • Patent number: 8596315
    Abstract: A filling neck to feed fuel into a motor vehicle tank using a filling nozzle, exhibiting the following features: a slotted drive ring comprising an insertion portion conically tapering toward the vehicle fuel tank, the cross-sectional constriction being less than the filling nozzle's cross-section; the drive ring, facing the fuel tank comprises, on at least one side of said gap, a locking segment; the drive ring is configured in floating manner in a cup-shaped housing portion of the filling neck, the outside diameter of said ring being less than the inside diameter of the cup-shaped housing portion; a sealing element is associated with the distal end of the drive ring, blocking access to the tank in its closed position; the drive ring's locking segment engages and keeps the sealing element in the locked position, and moves into the open position when said drive ring is expanded by the filling nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: ITW Automotive Products GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Manfred Muller
  • Patent number: 8544932
    Abstract: An automobile fuel-tank tube comprising a tube body made of a first plastic and fitted at one end with means for its affixation to an automobile body opening, further comprising a base integrally shaped with said tube body and made of a second plastic softer than the first and including an aperture to receive in sealing manner a comparatively hard filling pipe, a reinforcing section being integrated into the base and also consists of the first plastic and counteracts radial and/or circumferential deformation of said base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: ITW Automotive Products GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Jurgen Herzig
  • Patent number: 8443493
    Abstract: A fastening device for attaching a structural member to a support member includes a lower portion having a shank portion attachable to the support member, and an upper portion having a radial flange at the outer side and an axial passage. The shank portion is insertable into the axial passage of the upper portion from one end thereof. At least one outer side of the shank portion has an axially parallel extending row of saw-tooth-shaped teeth, and a resilient pawl being formed at the axial passage for cooperating with the row of teeth in a ratchet manner, when the upper portion is pushed onto the shank portion in a first direction, to block a displacement of the upper and lower portions in a second, opposite direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: ITW Automotive Products GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Stefan Seidel
  • Patent number: 8348567
    Abstract: A molded plastic rivet for affixing two parts to each other when the rivet is inserted through two mutually aligned apertures in the parts. The rivet includes a pin having a pin head, a pin shank and first and second pin latching offsets at the distal end of the pin shank. The latching elements include at least first latching offsets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: ITW Automotive Products GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Nikolaus Schwarzkopf
  • Patent number: 8328609
    Abstract: A back-air blocking device to ventilate a motor vehicle's inside space includes a frame or housing made of a first plastic, and a valve flap, made of flexible material, connected in one zone to the frame and in other zones resting against a sealing surface of said frame when the flap is in its rest position. The flap detaches off the sealing surface when subjected to a pressure differential. The valve flap is a thin plate made of a closed-pore, foamed material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: ITW Automotive Products GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Daniel Schneider
  • Patent number: 8313148
    Abstract: A guide sleeve for support bar of a motor vehicle seatback headrest, comprising a hollow, plastic tube fitted with an axial passage and comprising at its upper end an integral flange segment through which runs the tube's axial passage, further a slider guided in sliding manner in a flange segment aperture perpendicularly to the axis of said passage, and fitted with an external grip and an axial continuous passage which can be aligned with the stem's axial passage respectively the flange segment's aperture, the slider moreover comprising a locking segment which may be made to engage with or disengage from a snap-in notch of the support bar as a function of slider position, further with spring elements acting on the slider and biasing it toward the snap-in notches, said spring elements being constituted by a resilient, integral slider segment resting against a wall segment of the aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: ITW Automotive Products GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Alberto Lardies, Olga Arenillas
  • Patent number: 8240622
    Abstract: The disclosure concerns a clip having a first shank including a distal end and a proximal end, a head attached to the distal end, a resilient flange attached to the first shank proximate to the proximal end, a second shank extending downwardly from the resilient flange, wherein the second shank includes a free end. A pair of spring members extending obliquely from the free end to the resilient flange, each of the pair of spring members being attached to the resilient flange by a snap-in shoulder, and a pair of longitudinal members extending from the free end and each having a securing element at an opposing end proximate to the resilient flange, wherein the pair of longitudinal members and the securing elements are movable inwardly and outwardly as a result of the pair of spring members flexing inwardly and outwardly, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: ITW Automotive Products GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Gerd Hohmann, Daniel Schneider, Markus Ferdinand
  • Patent number: 8205802
    Abstract: A premounted unit includes a pipe stub and a thermostatic valve. The pipe stub includes a valve seat mechanically biased by a valve spring against the valve seat and resting at its other end against a mating rest element. The unit further includes an expansible element which is configured between a segment of the pipe stub and the valve member and which opens the thermostatic valve as a function of temperature against the force of the valve spring. The unit further includes a U-shaped retention yoke of which the central strip rests against the mating rest element and the legs are connected to an annular cap element thereby recesses being constituted at mutually opposite sides at the inside of the annular cap element and the legs of the retention yoke being fitted at its ends with outwardly pointing hook elements that engage the recesses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: ITW Automotive Products GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Rolf Habermann
  • Patent number: 8177467
    Abstract: A fastening device having a fastening element includes a plug-in region and a contact area at a distance therefrom, and a shaft between the plug-in region and the contact area. The plug-in region is axially pressable through a through opening in a wall area in a plugged position of the fastening element, until the contact surface, or an intermediate part situated in between, presses against the wall area from one side and the shaft is radially centered in the through opening. The fastening element is connected to another component. The fastening element is located in its installed position after the fastening element is in its plugged position through the through opening and is then rotated around an axis of its shaft into an installed position delimited by a stop, in which at least one radial projection of the plug-in region engages behind an edge area of the through opening to fix the fastening element in the installed position and thus prevent axial displacement of the shaft out of the through opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignees: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft, ITW Automotive Products GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Angela Zoeller, Frank Eckstein, Albert Sbongk
  • Patent number: 8167342
    Abstract: An automobile outer door handle, comprising a lever-shaped handle portion which is manually gripped from the door's outer side and which is fitted with at least one bearing element resting in pivotably manner on a mating bearing element of the door and is coupled by a linkage to a door lock in a manner that, when this lock shall open when the handle portion is pivoted out of a rest position into an open position, an inertial mass being supported in excursion-limited manner in the region of the swivel bearing of the handle portion in a similar direction as the handle portion, said inertial mass locking in one limit position (blocked position) the handle portion into the rest position whereas releasing it in the other limit position (release position) and being moved into the blocked position when a predetermined transverse acceleration acts on the automobile to exert an opening force on the handle portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: ITW Automotive Products GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Angelo Bertolotti
  • Patent number: 8162579
    Abstract: A plastic, undetachable anchor (10) to affix a component (52) to a support (54), comprising a rectangular affixing aperture (56), the anchor comprising a resilient, flange-like head (12), a hollow shank (16) subtending an axis and connected at one end to the head (12) and receiving an affixation screw (20), further resilient detent arms (40,42) connected to the shank end away from the head (14), where the detent arms (40,42) running obliquely outward toward the head (14) are fitted at their free ends with a detent shoulder (44) engaging {in the assembled state—an edge of an affixation aperture (56) facing them in order to secure the anchor (10) against being pulled out of the affixation aperture (56).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: ITW Automotive Products GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Thomas Rueckel
  • Patent number: 8083432
    Abstract: A connection element includes first and second retaining elements adapted to be connected to be freely rotated relative to each other about 360°. The first retaining element has a first outer annular portion and a first inner annular portion concentric to the first outer annular portion. The first outer annular portion has an inner locking portion of limited length in the circumferential direction. The second retaining element has a second outer annular portion and a second inner annular portion concentric to the second outer annular portion. The second inner annular portion is matingly accommodated by the first inner annular portion. An annular circumferentially extending locking portion of the second outer annular portion is within the first outer annular portion gripping behind the inner locking portion when the retaining elements are plugged together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: ITW Automotive Products GmbH & Co., KG
    Inventor: Alexander Limpert
  • Patent number: 8075060
    Abstract: A plastic headrest sleeve receiving a headrest rod and comprising a tube fitted at its top end with a flange within which a slider is displaceably supported between a locked position, wherein it locks the headrest rod, and a release position, the wall of the said tube being fitted between its ends with at least one resilient clamping segment, a spring being mounted on the tube outside and biasing the resilient segment toward the tube inside, and a drive element displaceably resting on the tube, said drive element being operationally connected to the slider and the clamping segment in a manner that the spring's action on the clamping segment shall be reduced or eliminated when the slider is displaced into the release position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: ITW Automotive Products GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Matthias Gans
  • Patent number: 8070126
    Abstract: A valve operating device defined by the following features: a slider supported in axially displaceable manner in a housing and linked by an actuation segment to the valve, a first biasing spring configured in the housing and pre-stressing the slider against a first stop, an expansible element configured in the housing and being displaceably supported in approximately coaxial manner relative to the slider between a second and a third stop, a second biasing spring acting on the expansible element and pre-stressing the element against the second stop, the configuration allowing cooperation between the expansible element's drive pin and the slider, a heater associated to the expansible element, a heat dissipating element associated with the expansible element and cooling the expansible element when latter rests against the third stop, the force exerted by the first biasing spring being larger than that of the second biasing spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: ITW Automotive Products GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Torsten Hauk, Rolf Habermann, Carsten Heldberg
  • Patent number: 8070008
    Abstract: A plug to hermetically seal an aperture in a sheetmetal, or in the floor of a vehicle, comprising, a cap covering the aperture and comprising an external, circumferential flange resting on one side of the sheetmetal or of the floor and fitted with a first circumferential seal, an affixation portion entering said aperture and, a second circumferential seal configured at the cap or at the affixation portion and being a distance from the first seal and resting against the sheetmetal or the said floor, a cavity being subtended by the sheetmetal or said floor, the two seals and at least one wall of the plug, where said plug, includes a pressure-compensating chamber, which communicates with the cavity and, which compensates a change in pressure, caused by a change in temperature, inside the cavity, by changing the volume of the pressure-compensating chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: ITW Automotive Products GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Ulf Janke
  • Publication number: 20110290969
    Abstract: A plastic, integral clip to affix door seals in automotive door frames, comprising a head, further a resilient flange connected by a first shank segment to said head, a comparatively flat second shank segment which extends from the flange on the side opposite the head and tapers toward the free end and is fitted with a rounded end, further two spring elements connected at opposite sides to the free end of the second shank segment and running obliquely in the direction of the flange, the spring elements being fitted with a snap-in shoulder near the flange, characterized in that at least one securing element each near an external surface element of the second shank segment and near the flange is connected to the second shank segment and runs in the direction of the facing spring element, the outside diameter of the securing element approximately corresponding to the outside diameter of the external surface element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Applicant: ITW AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTS GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Gerd Hohmann, Daniel Schneider, Markus Ferdinand
  • Patent number: 8028926
    Abstract: A thermostat valve arrangement for the cooling circuit of an internal combustion engine includes a main valve member movably mounted in a housing adapted to be pressed against a main valve seat by a spring. The valve arrangement further includes a bypass valve member cooperating with a bypass valve seat in the housing. An expansion element has a first section cooperating with an abutment fixed to the housing and a second section cooperating with the main valve member and the bypass valve member such that the main valve or bypass valve is selectively closed and/or opened, in order to produce the cooling circuit of the internal combustion engine by means of a radiator or a bypass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: ITW Automotive Products GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Carsten Heldberg, Thomas Bäther
  • Patent number: 7998395
    Abstract: In an injection molding method to manufacture hollow plastic parts, at least one plastic part's hollow is shaped by evacuating an internal portion of the flowable material of an injection mold's cavity using a pressurized gas, and a gate of the mold and thereupon the molded article's aperture so made will be sealed off. After the flowable material has been moved from a blind duct into the gate and partly forced back into the hollow, the molded article will be ejected from the injection mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: ITW Automotive Products GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Elmar Fries