Patents by Inventor Dieter Federmann

Dieter Federmann 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: 6024404
    Abstract: A control configuration for a vehicle sunroof panel which is adjustable by means of drive cables, whereby the transmission of jolts and vibrations from the drive elements to the panel and vice versa is damped or prevented by the intermediate elastic damping element between the driver elements engaging with the drive cable and guide shoes controlling the movements of the panel. The elastic damping element preferably is a rubber block that is secured to the driver elements such that vibrations and jolts are at least partially absorbed by the rubber block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Meritor Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Stallfort, Rainer Hattass, Dieter Federmann
  • Patent number: 5609387
    Abstract: A lining panel for a vehicle sliding roof the panel being formed as two parts namely a lining frame covered with a flexible, air-permeable sheet material, and a stiff lining plate. The lining plate constructed basically as a closed spatial structure, is disposed underneath the covered lining frame and can have, on its lower face material structure and/or colour corresponding to that of the vehicles main roof lining. The lining frame and lining plate are mounted displaceable relative to each other, so that the lining plate can be slid open towards the rear to allow light entry through a closed glass sliding lid independently of the sunshield formed by the lining frame covered by the sheet material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 11, 1997
    Assignee: Rockwell International GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Stallfort, Rainer Hattass, Dieter Federmann
  • Patent number: 5516186
    Abstract: In a glass lid (3) for a vehicle roof, the lid plate (4) of which, of glass, is supported from beneath by a reinforcing frame (5), the reinforcing frame (5) projects with a flange (6) beyond the edge of the lid plate (4). Onto the flange (6) an edge gap sealing profile (7) with a clamping groove (8) is pushed. The gap-free sealing between the edge gap sealing profile (7) and the rounded lid plate edge (20) is provided by a specially shaped sealing lip (16) of the edge gap sealing profile, which is subdivided for this purpose into two arms (23, 24) which, when the edge gap sealing profile (7) is pushed onto the flange (6), are automatically pressed tightly and with elastic prestress against the lid plate edge (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1996
    Assignee: Rockwell International GmbH
    Inventors: Wilhelm Scherf, Dieter Federmann
  • Patent number: 5507547
    Abstract: A vehicle roof having a glass lid is framed by a two-part lid frame, a glass pane of which is coated on its lower face with a thin, lattice-like sunshield, preferably applied by the screen printing process. A multilayer closure plate, slidably guided at the lateral longitudinal members of the lid frame, bears from below against the sunshield, the thin closure plate layers of which possess a corresponding lattice-like structure. The closure plate layers are displaceable upon one another and can be displaced or set one after another to provide an infinitely variable cover or exposure of the light apertures of large area of the sunshield. A drive apparatus provides for a corresponding displacement drive of the individual closure plate layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 16, 1996
    Assignee: Rockwell Golde GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Hattass, Dieter Federmann
  • Patent number: 5234250
    Abstract: A rigid lid with edge gap seal for an automobile roof, which may be constructed either as a glass lid or as a sheet metal lid, comprising an edge gap sealing profile to be fixed directly to the lid for the purpose of compensating dimensional variations of the edge gap between automobile roof and lid, into which profile a gap compensating element, permanently deformable in the transverse direction, is moulded in. The gap compensating element is formed of a downwardly open U-profile, the inner flange of which is constructed non-deformable and is held to the outer periphery of the lid, and the outer flange of which is flexible for the purpose of dimensional change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1993
    Assignee: Rockwell Golde GmbH - Federal Rep. of Germany
    Inventors: Rainer Hattass, Dieter Federmann
  • Patent number: 5048889
    Abstract: A mounting unit for providing a complete sliding roof assembly to a motor vehicle roof having an opening therein. The mounting unit includes an assembly frame adapted to be seated on an external peripheral edge of the vehicle roof surrounding the opening and providing a guide rail at each side of the opening, at least one sliding element in each of the guide rails, a cover for closing the roof opening, pivot means mounting a leading edge of the cover for pivoting movement, and a pivotally mounted opening lever in each guide rail and connected to the cover for supporting the cover when it is raised. Swivel bearings are provided for connecting one side of the frame assembly to the vehicle roof, and a locking mechanism is also provided. The frame assembly, guide rails, cover and opening levers are mountable to the vehicle roof from above as a unit, and the assembly frame may be pivoted about the swivel bearings to pivot the mounting unit away from the roof opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1991
    Assignee: Rockwell-Golde G.m.b.H.
    Inventors: Rainer Hattass, Dieter Federmann
  • Patent number: 5039161
    Abstract: In a sliding or sliding-lifting roof for a car, a lid, associated with a roof opening for the purpose of completely closing it, has a front edge which is wedge-shaped in cross-section. A sealing profile, sealingly filling the gap between the fixed vehicle roof and the lid when the lid is closed, is pushed from below onto a downward flange of the fixed vehicle roof and is deformable to form a trough, generally complementary in shape to the wedge shape. The wedge-shaped front edge here engages generally form-fittingly and force-transmittingly into the sealing profile, so that the lid, at its front edge due its engagement with the sealing profile, is reliably secured against high uplift forces, such as occur at high speeds of travel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1991
    Assignee: Rockwell-Golde GmbH
    Inventors: Karl Schmidhuber, Dieter Federmann, Horst Bohm
  • Patent number: 4971387
    Abstract: An air guide device, which is suitable both for sliding roofs and for sliding-lifting roofs, comprises a wind deflector plate, pivotally journalled by hinge assemblies beneath a front, fixed automobile roof, the pivotal movements of which deflector plate are controlled by control members, displaceably driven by the drive system of the sliding lid, which control members for this purpose bear from above on control surfaces formed on the wind deflector plate. The control members do not release the control surfaces until, in the opening displacement of the sliding lid, the latter has opened sufficiently far for the wind deflector plate, subject to the action of springs acting in the upward pivoting direction, to pivot upwards beyond the automobile roof without striking the slid lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 20, 1990
    Assignee: Rockwell-Golde G.m.b.H.
    Inventors: Horst Bohm, Dieter Federmann, Albert Schlapp
  • Patent number: 4811985
    Abstract: In an automobile roof constructed, for example, as a sliding-lifting roof, and having a rigid lid, a sliding liner displaceable on lateral guide rails is provided, which is displaceable by motor operation or by hand by actuating elements connected only with it, independently of the setting of the rigid lid, and which possesses no entraining coupling with the lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1989
    Assignee: Rockwell-Golde G.m.b.H.
    Inventors: Peter Kruger, Dieter Federmann
  • Patent number: 4765676
    Abstract: In a rigid lid for an automobile roof which, in its closed position, sealingly closes a roof opening out of which it can be displaced to at least partly expose it, a translucent or transparent lid plate is carried by an inner frame placed beneath it in its edge region, which inner frame projects beyond the edge of the lid plate and terminates there in a raised rim, onto which an edge gap sealing strip is pushed. For achieving a low overall depth of the lid accompanied by simple assembly and dismantling, a clamping bar is fixed to the inner frame, with which clamping bar an upper border frame is releasably engaged, which border frame securely holds, on the one hand the sealing strip in a manner preventing stripping-off and on the other hand the lid plate with respect to the inner frame. A further simplification of dismantling is achieved, according to a second form of embodiment, in that the inner frame is connected to the upper edge frame releasably by fixing screws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1988
    Assignee: Rockwell-Golde GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Grimm, Horst Bohm, Albert Schlapp, Rainer Hattass, Dieter Federmann
  • Patent number: 4752099
    Abstract: A cable guide for automobile sliding roofs comprising an upwardly open profile cavity, which communicates with cable guide channels and guide channels for guide shoes of forward and rear guide elements guiding a sliding lid, a flexible cover element is provided, which engages slidably into the cavity and closes the top of this cavity. The flexible cover element participates in the sliding movements of the sliding lid and ensures that, in every slid-open position of the lid, no portion of the cavity is upwardly open, so that dirt and other foreign matter cannot penetrate into the cavity and thereby into the cable guide channels and the guide channels for the guide shoes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 21, 1988
    Assignee: Rockwell-Golde GmbH
    Inventors: Rudolf Roos, Dieter Federmann
  • Patent number: 4707022
    Abstract: In a sliding roof for an automobile, a rigid sliding lid is slidably guided on lateral guide rails, a movable lid liner participating in the lid displacements being connected to the sliding lid, which liner is likewise displaceable on the guide rails. In order to achieve a step-free, flush joint of the lid liner, when the sliding lid is closed, with a surrounding fixed roof liner, and to avoid damage to the movable lid liner during sliding, the sliding lid and lid liner are connected to each other by guide elements, positively controlled by the lifting movements of the sliding lid, which guide elements during lowering movements of the sliding lid simultaneously raise the lid liner and, during raising of the sliding lid into its closed position, simultaneously lower the lid liner until it lies flush with the fixed liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1987
    Assignee: Rockwell-Golde G.m.b.H.
    Inventors: Rudolf Roos, Albert Schlapp, Dieter Federmann
  • Patent number: 4447086
    Abstract: A wind deflector for sliding roofs, especially for use on automobiles, comprises a wind deflector plate (3) mounted pivotally on the forward roof frame cross-member. Two extend arms (4, 5) are pivotally attached at the two outer ends of the wind deflector plate. These arms are pivotally journaled on the roof frame longitudinal members. Also included is a device (11) which acts on the wind deflector plate for the pivoting path length compensation and rod-shaped extend springs (13) which are provided on each extend arm and are effective between the extend arms and the roof frame longitudinal member adjacent to each extend arm for the purpose of pivoting out the extend arms and wind deflector plate when the sliding cover is opened and for pivoting in the extend arms and the wind deflector plate by running the sliding cover onto the extend arms when the sliding cover is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1984
    Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
    Inventors: Rudolf Roos, Dieter Federmann
  • Patent number: 4038910
    Abstract: A ventilator is positioned in the opening in a motor vehicle roof so that it can be moved between a closed position sealing the opening and a number of different oblique opening positions. Levers attached to the roof and connected to a shaft pivotally mounted on the cover affect the pivotal movement of the cover at its rear end. A mechanism is provided to selectively disconnect those levers from the roof to enable the ventilator to be fully removed, with the links attached to the ventilator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1976
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1977
    Assignee: American Sunroof Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Max B. Kneusels, Dieter Federmann, Rainer Hattass