Patents by Inventor Klaus Drefahl

Klaus Drefahl 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: 6854356
    Abstract: The steering wheel for motor vehicles has a hub, a steering wheel rim and a plurality of spokes connecting the steering wheel rim with the hub. The hub comprises a hub core for fastening to a steering shaft and a base body which surrounds the hub core and is made of a fiber-reinforced plastic material. The spokes are integrally and continuously molded with the base body of the hub from a fiber-reinforced plastic material. The steering wheel rim is integrally and continuously molded with the spokes from a fiber-reinforced plastic material. In this arrangement, the base body together with the spokes and the steering wheel rim forms a self-supporting shaped body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Klaus Drefahl
  • Patent number: 6682682
    Abstract: The steering wheel for motor vehicles has a hub, a steering wheel rim and a plurality of spokes connecting the steering wheel rim with the hub. The hub comprises a hub core for fastening to a steering shaft and a base body which surrounds the hub core and is made of a fiber-reinforced plastic material. The spokes are integrally and continuously molded with the base body of the hub from a fiber-reinforced plastic material. The steering wheel rim is integrally and continuously molded with the spokes from a fiber-reinforced plastic material. In this arrangement, the base body together with the spokes and the steering wheel rim forms a self-supporting shaped body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Klaus Drefahl
  • Publication number: 20030101842
    Abstract: The steering wheel for motor vehicles has a hub, a steering wheel rim and a plurality of spokes connecting the steering wheel rim with the hub. The hub comprises a hub core for fastening to a steering shaft and a base body which surrounds the hub core and is made of a fiber-reinforced plastic material. The spokes are integrally and continuously molded with the base body. of the hub from a fiber-reinforced plastic material. The steering wheel rim is integrally and continuously molded with the spokes from a fiber-reinforced plastic material. In this arrangement, the base body together with the spokes and the steering wheel rim forms a self-supporting shaped body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2003
    Publication date: June 5, 2003
    Applicant: TRW AutomotiveSafety Systems GmbH& Co. KG
    Inventor: Klaus Drefahl
  • Publication number: 20030101841
    Abstract: The steering wheel for motor vehicles has a hub, a steering wheel rim and a plurality of spokes connecting the steering wheel rim with the hub. The hub comprises a hub core for fastening to a steering shaft and a base body which surrounds the hub core and is made of a fiber-reinforced plastic material. The spokes are integrally and continuously molded with the base body of the hub from a fiber-reinforced plastic material. The steering wheel rim is integrally and continuously molded with the spokes from a fiber-reinforced plastic material. In this arrangement, the base body together with the spokes and the steering wheel rim forms a self-supporting shaped body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2003
    Publication date: June 5, 2003
    Applicant: TRW AutomotiveSafety Systems GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Klaus Drefahl
  • Patent number: 6561059
    Abstract: The steering wheel for motor vehicles has a hub, a steering wheel rim and a plurality of spokes connecting the steering wheel rim with the hub. The hub comprises a hub core for fastening to a steering shaft and a base body which surrounds the hub core and is made of a fiber-reinforced plastic material. The spokes are integrally and continuously molded with the base body of the hub from a fiber-reinforced plastic material. The steering wheel rim is integrally and continuously molded with the spokes from a fiber-reinforced plastic material. In this arrangement, the base body together with the spokes and the steering wheel rim forms a self-supporting shaped body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Klaus Drefahl
  • Publication number: 20020100342
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle steering wheel comprising a skeleton made of die cast material, a reinforcement being embedded in the die cast material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2002
    Publication date: August 1, 2002
    Applicant: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Klaus Drefahl, Jupp Fleckenstein, Martin Kreuzer
  • Patent number: 5988014
    Abstract: A steering-wheel skeleton has a hub, spokes, and a rim made in one piece out of a single sheet-metal blank and provided with its final shape by separation and bending without machining. The hub is provided with a cone facing the vehicle. The spokes, which extend up and out, are provided with unthreaded bores, cutouts, or threaded bore for attaching an airbag module. A nut can, if necessary, be forced into one cutout. The hub can be reinforced by using two layers of the material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Udo Liesenfeld, Klaus Drefahl, Martin Kreuzer, Peter Hartmann, Heribert Werner
  • Patent number: 5957003
    Abstract: An armature for a motor-vehicle steering wheel. The hub, spokes, and rim are at least partly made out of a single sheet of metal. The metal is folded at the edge to produce a cross-section in the form of a U or L. The base of the section is essentially perpendicular to the axis of the steering wheel. The sides of the section essentially parallel that axis. The sides of the U or L are provided with an undulation as viewed longitudinally, that is almost non-existent in the vicinity of the base, and that increases continuously to a maximum as it approaches the edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: MST Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Drefahl, Martin Kreuzer
  • Patent number: 5672181
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a hardened lead storage battery electrode wherein fine, particulate solids, that are insoluble in lead, are incorporated into a lead matrix. The method includes the steps of incorporating solids, dissolved or suspended in an electrolyte, into a lead matrix such that shaping simultaneously occurs during the deposition of lead due to a suitable fashioning of a plurality of electrically conductive surface regions; vigorously agitating the electrolyte by introducing air through an apertured plate in the bottom of an electrolyte vessel providing an electro-chemical cell including a cathode and a Cu/Ta/Pt anode and an electrolyte solution including HBF.sub.4 and an electrolyte selected from PbO, Pb(OH).sub.2 and PbCO.sub.3 or including a graphite anode and an electrolyte solution of Fe(BF.sub.4).sub.2 and Fe(BF.sub.4).sub.3. The electrolyte is prepared from a raw material selected from lead, waste material containing lead and desulfured lead storage battery electrolyte paste.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 30, 1997
    Assignee: Hans Warlimont
    Inventors: Hans Warlimont, Marco Olper, Armin Ueberschaer, Klaus Drefahl
  • Patent number: 5097720
    Abstract: In order to have a sufficiently large elongation at fracture in conjunction with high strength values, a pressure-diecast steering wheel skeleton consists of an aluminum alloy which is composed of______________________________________ 2.5 to 3.5 % by weight magnesium 0.10 to 0.30 % by weight silicon 0.40 to 0.60 % by weight iron 0.25 to 0.45 % by weight manganese 0.015 to 0.05 % by weight copper 0.035 to 0.085 % by weight zinc balance aluminum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1992
    Assignee: Kolbenschmidt Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Klaus Drefahl
  • Patent number: 5040646
    Abstract: A component which is to be installed for an absorption of energy with an ideal displacement-compressive force characteristic consists of a prismatic straight metal rod, which is long relative to its transverse dimensions and is adapted to inelastically buckle in the direction of the axis of its larger principal moment of inertia under an axially acting compressive load and is provided with spur teeth, which extend transversely to the longitudinal direction and are provided on at least one of the broadsides, which extend at right angles to the axis of the larger principal moment of inertia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1991
    Assignee: Kolbenschmidt Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Klaus Drefahl
  • Patent number: 5005863
    Abstract: An installable component which serves to absorb energy and is intended to be used with steering wheels of motor vehicles having a steering wheel hub which is recessed from the rim of the steering wheel consists of a plurality of deformable metal rods, which have parallel axes and are arranged in a circle and at each end are firmly interconnected by a metal flange. In order to improve the energy absorption performance the metal rods are adapted to buckle in the direction of the larger principal moment of inertia under an axially acting pressure force, and at least one of the broadsides, which extend at right angles to the axis of the larger principal moment of inertia and include a right angle with the radius of the installable component, is provided with spur teeth, which extend transversely to the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1991
    Assignee: Kolbenschmidt Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Klaus Drefahl
  • Patent number: 4332294
    Abstract: A heat exchanger for the cooling of a gas, especially a gas containing SO.sub.2, comprises a tube bundle whose tubes, composed of lead, bridge a pair of tube sheets and can be provided with internal longitudinal ribs. According to the disclosure, the extruded cylindrical tubes are reshaped by indentations in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis. The indentations may be annular or staggered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 1979
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1982
    Assignee: Metallgesellschaft Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Klaus Drefahl, Helmut Gilles