Patents by Inventor Hans-Jürgen Knaup

Hans-Jürgen Knaup 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: 9248490
    Abstract: In a method of making a tubular structural part for a motor vehicle, a metal plate is contoured and preformed in at least one shaping step into a tubular body. Subsequently, the tubular body is end-formed into the structural part by internal high-pressure application while free contact regions snugly bear upon one another. The structural part is at least partially heated and quenched in a holding tool acted upon with a coolant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: BENTELER AUTOMOBILTECHNIK GMBH
    Inventors: Holger Diersmann, Hans-Jürgen Knaup, Rafael Garcia Gómez
  • Publication number: 20130020834
    Abstract: In a method of making a tubular structural part for a motor vehicle, a metal plate is contoured and preformed in at least one shaping step into a tubular body. Subsequently, the tubular body is end-formed into the structural part by internal high-pressure application while free contact regions snugly bear upon one another. The structural part is at least partially heated and quenched in a holding tool acted upon with a coolant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Applicant: Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Holger Diersmann, Hans-Jürgen Knaup, Rafael Garcia Gómez
  • Patent number: 8312629
    Abstract: In a method of making a tubular support bar for a dashboard support, a sheet metal blank is placed in a first forming tool and pressed in a first shaping step by a ram into a U-shaped cavity of a first bottom die to form a U-shaped member. While remaining in the first bottom die, the U-shaped member is provided with connecting elements in the form of weld nuts by a automated placement device. Subsequently, the U-shaped member is transferred to a second forming tool and undergoes a second shaping step between a top die and a second bottom die to form a slotted tube. The longitudinal edges of the slotted tube are then joined together to form the support bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Hitz, Hans-Jürgen Knaup
  • Patent number: 7748743
    Abstract: In a method of making a structural or chassis component for a motor vehicle, a blank is provided with at least one material supply in an outer region at a distance to the outer edge to serve as material reserve. The blank is placed in a press tool for shaping the blank into a structural or chassis component by displacing the material supply in a direction of the outer edge and pressing the outer region of the blank against a buttress of the press tool to thereby form the outer region in a recess of the press tool to produce bead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Hans-Jürgen Knaup
  • Patent number: 7654124
    Abstract: In a method of making a sheet metal part for motor vehicles, a blank is placed with its opposite length sides between outer lower forming jaws of a die. The blank is then clamped by moving the outer lower forming jaws toward one another. Outer upper forming jaws are then moved to their closed position so that the length sides of the blank are secured in place between the lower and upper forming jaws. The lower and upper forming jaws and a press tool are then moved toward one another, and the blank is shaped to its final configuration to produce a sheet metal part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Hans-Jürgen Knaup
  • Patent number: 7533553
    Abstract: A method of hot-shaping and hardening a hot steel workpiece that is at or above its AC3 temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Hans-Jürgen Knaup, Christian Hielscher
  • Patent number: 7513137
    Abstract: A shaped part is made by forming in a flat steel plate a thickness-reducing groove and hot-shaping and hardening the flat steel plate into a three-dimensional shape. Then the plate formed with the groove is cooled, and a piece is sheared off the cooled plate along a cut line in the groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Dirk Kröger, Hans-Jürgen Knaup
  • Patent number: 7448247
    Abstract: In a deep drawing method, a sheet metal blank is positioned between two dies of a deep drawing machine and then shaped into a hollow article, whereby the dies, at least during a partial stroke phase, undergo a controlled non-rectilinear relative movement and one of the dies is shifted by a transverse displacement mechanism in a direction transversely to a stroke direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Hans-Jürgen Knaup
  • Patent number: 7165434
    Abstract: The object of the invention is a hot-forming tool (1) having an upper die and a lower die (1a, 1b), the upper as well as the lower die (1a, 1b) each consisting of a base plate (2) having a forming cheek (3) fixed thereto and a core (4) which is also fixed to the base plate (2), and a duct system (5) for the guiding-through of a coolant being constructed between the core (4) and the backside of the forming cheek (3) facing the core (4). In this case, at least the forming cheeks (3) are constructed as cast parts. As a result of this manufacturing method relating to the forming cheeks (2) (3? translator), the manufacturing costs of the hot-forming tool (1) can be significantly lowered because a high-expenditure mechanical cutting machining of the forming cheeks is only still required in the area of the mounting surfaces (3a) as well as the mutually facing exterior sides (3b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Benteler Maschinenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Vinnen, Robert Stockter, Hans Jürgen Knaup
  • Patent number: 7082808
    Abstract: A method of making a part with regions of different thickness from a plate workpiece having a pair of substantially parallel plate faces. The workpiece is fitted between a surface of a die and a substantially parallel surface of a punch. The die is formed at its surface with an opening. Then the die and the punch are relatively shifted parallel to the surfaces and faces and so as to compress the workpiece parallel to its faces to extrude the workpiece transversely into the opening in the die surface, thereby creating a region of greater thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Benteler Automobil Technik Gmbh
    Inventor: Hans-Jürgen Knaup
  • Patent number: 7065850
    Abstract: A hardened metal part is created having a pair of opposite faces and a dimple open at one of the faces and forming a pocket. This hardened metal part is installed in a motor vehicle over an element of the vehicle with the one face turned toward and the dimple aligned with a specific region of the element. Then at a later date when the region needs to be accessed, the dimple is ground off so as to form the pocket into a throughgoing hole and thereby expose the region through the hole so that a tool can act on the region through the hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Hans-Jürgen Knaup
  • Patent number: 7004004
    Abstract: A hardened steel part of complex shape is made from a workpiece by first heating the workpiece to an annealing temperature. Then, while the workpiece is still at the annealing temperature, the workpiece is rapidly deformed by a machine into an intermediate shape. The deformed workpiece is then moved from the machine to a press, and, while the workpiece is still at the annealing temperature, it is deformed in the press to the complex shape and then held in the press to harden the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Wilhelm Arns, Hans-Jürgen Knaup
  • Patent number: 6663169
    Abstract: A side impact beam to be integrated in a motor vehicle includes at least one elongated bar, which has a trapezoidal cross section and terminates on both ends in ramp-like end portions, wherein the elongated bar has a central web, flanks diverging outwardly from the central web, and flanges connected to the extremities of the flanks, and terminal attachment zones. For manufacturing such a side impact beam, a semifinished flat blank is cut to size of constant width from a sheet metal material band of constant thickness and includes an elongated center portion of constant width and a length which is at least half a length of the blank, wherein the center portion terminates on opposite ends in tongue-shaped end portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Ludger Gehringhoff, Udo Klasfauseweh, Hans-Jürgen Knaup
  • Patent number: 6623055
    Abstract: A bumper for a motor vehicle, includes a cross member for attachment to longitudinal members of a vehicle chassis. The cross member is defined by a length and has a shell element extending over a major part of the length of the cross member, wherein the shell element has incorporated therein at least one deep-drawn reinforcement member of cup shape configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Hans-Jürgen Knaup, Oliver Müller, Hui Wang
  • Patent number: 6524404
    Abstract: A B-column comprises a component of a car body for a motor vehicle. The B-column constitutes a longitudinal steel profile. The invention provides that the longitudinal profile has a first longitudinal portion comprised of a martensitic material structure and a strength of more than 1400 N/mm2 and has a second longitudinal portion of higher ductility with a predominantly ferritic-perlitic material structure and a strength of below 850 N/mm2. The lower longitudinal portion is wider then the upper longitudinal portion and has an elongation at rupture which is below 25%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Benteler AG
    Inventors: Ludger Gehringhoff, Hans-Jürgen Knaup