Patents by Inventor Rene Berns

Rene Berns 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: 9216703
    Abstract: An arrangement for securing an inner panel to a vehicle substrate uses a securing clip mounted to a clip housing in an elongate hole with a closed end and an open end. The inner diameter of a securing region in the elongate hole is greater than the diameter of the shaft of the securing clip, allowing lateral shifting of the clip so that its shaft can realign during insertion into a corresponding mating hole in the substrate. The securing region of the elongate hole includes centering members constructed in such a manner that an inserted securing clip is retained in a centered position. Consequently, the tolerance compensation function of the clips is optimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Horst Lauxen, Volker Krolzig, René Berns
  • Publication number: 20140191526
    Abstract: An arrangement for securing an inner panel to a vehicle substrate uses a securing clip mounted to a clip housing in an elongate hole with a closed end and an open end. The inner diameter of a securing region in the elongate hole is greater than the diameter of the shaft of the securing clip, allowing lateral shifting of the clip so that its shaft can realign during insertion into a corresponding mating hole in the substrate. The securing region of the elongate hole includes centering members constructed in such a manner that an inserted securing clip is retained in a centered position. Consequently, the tolerance compensation function of the clips is optimized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Horst Lauxen, Volker Krolzig, René Berns
  • Patent number: 8297675
    Abstract: An interior trim part for a passenger compartment of a vehicle has a shaped part which has a front side which forms a decorative wear layer of the interior trim part, and having at least one carrier layer which forms a rear side of the interior trim part, at least one part region of the interior trim part being provided with at least one supporting structure which provides a pleasant tactile sensation at the surface of the part region, the shaped part having at least one connecting element which is attached to the carrier layer of the rear side of the internal trim part, and the supporting structure being formed as a separate supporting element and being held by the connecting element of the shaped part. Moreover, a method for producing an interior trim part for a passenger compartment of a vehicle is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Someschan, Rene Berns, Mark Drewe, Roger Kaufmann
  • Publication number: 20110068596
    Abstract: An interior trim part for a passenger compartment of a vehicle has a shaped part which has a front side which forms a decorative wear layer of the interior trim part, and having at least one carrier layer which forms a rear side of the interior trim part, at least one part region of the interior trim part being provided with at least one supporting structure which provides a pleasant tactile sensation at the surface of the part region, the shaped part having at least one connecting element which is attached to the carrier layer of the rear side of the internal trim part, and the supporting structure being formed as a separate supporting element and being held by the connecting element of the shaped part. Moreover, a method for producing an interior trim part for a passenger compartment of a vehicle is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2010
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Inventors: Robert Someschan, Rene Berns, Mark Drewe, Roger Kaufmann