Patents Assigned to Gebr. Happich GmbH
  • Patent number: 5642915
    Abstract: A roof hatch for the roof of a vehicle, such as a large capacity vehicle. The roof hatch includes a rectangular shaped outer hatch frame, a rectangular shaped inner hatch frame received at the outer hatch frame, a rectangular hatch cover of glass over the open area defined by the hatch frames, a sealing frame between the outer hatch frame and the hatch cover. The hatch cover is mounted on the outer hatch frame by one of adapter angles, or manually adjustable or electromotively adjustable adjusters, with the adjustable adjusters allowing the hatch cover to be opened with reference to the outer frame. The choice of the ways for attaching the hatch cover to the outer hatch frame enable the roof hatch of the invention to be supplied in modules with the user selecting a particular version. In addition, where the hatch cover is openable with reference to the outer frame, a lock can prevent such opening, handles on the lock can open the lock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1997
    Assignee: Gebr. Happich GmbH
    Inventors: Werner Ackermann, Hans-Herward Romer
  • Patent number: 5626381
    Abstract: A sun-visor for motor vehicles is described which has a flat, elongated sun-visor body which can be flipped from a position of non-use above a vehicle windshield into a position of use in front of the vehicle windshield. The sun-visor body carries a plate at one end region of its lengthwise direction. The plate can be swung out around a hinge on the visor body when the sun-visor body is in its position of use in order to impart the sun-visor body the normal size which protects against glare and can be swung inward in order to shorten the length of the sun-visor body before it is swung into the position of non-use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 6, 1997
    Assignee: Gebr. Happich GmbH
    Inventors: Pascal Gervasoni, Rene Lecorvaisier, Patrick Sauder, Didier Weiss
  • Patent number: 5601766
    Abstract: A sun visor has a generally board shaped body of dark colored polypropylene particle foam with a depression in a main surface thereof. A shaped light colored body is inserted into the depression and is pressed against the bottom of the depression through simultaneous application of heat and pressure, for compacting and reshaping the shaped body to form a reflector. A mirror assembly is disposed over the reflector, and an illuminating device may be disposed there. Fastening pins and openings on the reflector in the mirror assembly and the illuminating device hold them together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1997
    Assignee: Gebr. Happich GmbH
    Inventors: Lothar Viertel, Patrick Welter
  • Patent number: 5577791
    Abstract: A sun visor for a motor vehicle has a mirror housing disposed in a depression in a surface of the sun visor body. A mirror is supported in the mirror housing. A sliding cover over the mirror is slidable to cover or expose the mirror. The visor body has a covering section over the sliding cover when it has moved to expose the mirror to view. The cover is automatically operable by a spring connected between the mirror housing and the cover for moving the cover to the mirror exposed position. The cover is locked against opening by a push button operated unlocking mechanism which normally locks the cover closed and which opens it upon the push button being operated. A card or ticket holder is held in a separate depression in the covering section of the visor body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1996
    Assignee: Gebr. Happich GmbH
    Inventors: Lothar Viertel, Patrick Welter
  • Patent number: 5565053
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a plastic molding having a web of decorative material as a covering. The web is larger than the molding in at least one direction defining a protrusion beyond at least one edge of the molding to be made. A plasticized plastic composition is fed in plasticized condition to an open mold cavity of a mold consisting of lower and upper mold halves. The web is placed over the composition in the mold. The molding is compressed into shape by closing the mold over the composition and against the web of decorative material arranged between the mold halves. Over the protrusion, the mold defines a skin of the plastic. The plasticized plastic composition is compression molded, at least in regions also against the protrusion of the web of decorative material, forming the skin. The protrusion is turned around the edges of the molding after the hardening thereof, and the protrusion with its skin is heat welded to the edge or rear of the molding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1996
    Assignee: Gebr. Happich GmbH
    Inventor: Otto Happich
  • Patent number: 5556155
    Abstract: A bearing device for a swivelable sun visor used in a vehicle, wherein the sun visor body is supported by a bearing shaft, one end of which is received in the sun visor body and the other end of which is mounted in the vehicle. The bearing body for the shaft in the sun visor body is molded along with a reinforcement frame embedded in the sun visor body. The bearing body includes a bearing bore defined by two rows of generally semicircularly shaped ribs and the ribs on one side are interleaved with the ribs from the other side to define the bearing opening for the shaft. The bearing shaft inserted in the bearing body includes a groove which receives a U-shaped spring therein which presses against the walls of the groove and is pressed against the insides of the ribs for holding the swivel position of the bearing body and the visor body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1996
    Assignee: Gebr. Happich GmbH
    Inventor: Patrick Welter
  • Patent number: 5556154
    Abstract: A visor has a core formed of two halves which are bonded together to form the core. Each of the two halves is formed of a thermoplastic material by an injection molding process. Each is formed with aligning members on a respective interior or facing surface. The aligning members of the two core halves cooperate to align the two halves and then the two halves are bonded together. The aligning members are located along substantially the entire surface of the two core halves to provide accurate alignment between the two core halves. Each of the two core halves is covered with a cloth layer before the two core halves are bonded together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1996
    Assignee: Gebr. Happich GmbH
    Inventor: Francis Vaxelaire
  • Patent number: 5533772
    Abstract: A combined ashtray and container, e.g., beverage can, holder for use in a motor vehicle. An ashtray housing has an ashtray cup movable into and out of the housing. An additional housing attached at the ashtray housing provides a container, e.g., beverage can holder. The beverage can holder has a support for the container or beverage can. Spaced up from the support is a holding element which grips at least partially around the container. Both the support and the holding element are arranged parallel to each other and spaced from each other in their open condition. Both the holding element and the support are foldable inward into a trough in the additional housing. The support provides a covering flap over the holding element when they are pivoted into the trough in the additional housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1996
    Assignee: Gebr. Happich GmbH
    Inventors: Jan Volkers, Volkhard Wick, Volker Dabringhaus
  • Patent number: 5533776
    Abstract: The sun visor has a sun-visor body which is swingable around and longitudinally displaceable on a shaft. A detent device prevents unintended axial displacement. There are two contact springs which are insulated from each other and are connected with electric wires leading to an illuminating device arranged in the sun-visor body. One of the contact springs snaps into an indentation on the contact sleeve and the other one snaps into an indentation in the shaft. The shaft (connected at one end to the contact sleeve), consists of a metal tube serving as ground connector through which an electric conductor is conducted. The contact sleeve is by an insulating sleeve. The detent device serves not only for the detent engagement of the sun-visor body but also to supply current to the illuminating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1996
    Assignee: Gebr. Happich GmbH
    Inventors: Marc Agro, Wolfgang Auer, Gerard Hilt, Henning Peters, Sabine Rust
  • Patent number: 5510791
    Abstract: A remote control unit for controlling a plurality of automatic devices for opening and closing a plurality of garage doors, parking garage gates, private residence fences, and the like is located on the ceiling of a vehicle at the sun visor. The remote control unit has switches for activating each of the plurality of automatic opening and closing devices. The remote control unit may be accommodated in a recess formed in the vehicle ceiling or in a recess formed in the visor connected to the vehicle ceiling when the visor is in its non-use position. Alternatively, the remote control unit may be shaped so as to correspond to a shape of a portion of the visor and be attached to the vehicle ceiling so that the remote control unit surrounds a periphery of the visor portion. In addition, the remote control unit may be formed integrally with or adapted to receive a visor support bracket which is attached to the vehicle ceiling. The remote control unit may be powered by the vehicle electric system or by a battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 23, 1996
    Assignee: Gebr. Happich GmbH
    Inventors: Lothar Viertel, Karl-Heinz Pompino, Patrick Welter, Didier Cauchois
  • Patent number: 5498056
    Abstract: A sun visor has a sun visor body and an L-shaped visor body support shaft. A first arm of the shaft is received in a bearing bracket. A second arm of the shaft extends along a first longitudinal edge of the visor body. The first longitudinal edge of the body has a step shaped offset defining a free space at the end thereof toward the first support shaft arm. The support shaft second arm is perpendicular to the first arm and extending across the free space. The second arm has a free end region which extends into a mounting hole defined in the visor body and toward one longitudinal end. In the free space defined by the step shaped offset and into the first longitudinal edge of the visor body, an illuminating device is supported by a housing attached to the second shaft arm. The second shaft arm extends across the free space and into the mounting hole in the visor body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1996
    Assignee: Gebr. Happich GmbH
    Inventors: Lothar Viertel, Patrick Welter
  • Patent number: 5492258
    Abstract: A cross support for extending between the roof rails on a motor vehicle roof, and having a detachable clamping device for clamping to the railing tube. The clamping device includes a stationary resting jaw and a clamping jaw movable toward the resting jaw. The clamping jaw has a yoke for engaging the railing tube and has an attack surface on the opposite side of the pivot from the yoke. A swing lever is pivotably supported on the cross support and is swingable between positions where it locks the clamping jaw in the clamping position and where it releases the clamping jaw. The clamping jaw and the swing lever are on respective spaced apart pivots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1996
    Assignee: Gebr. Happich GmbH
    Inventor: Harald Brunner
  • Patent number: 5486033
    Abstract: An L-shaped support shaft for a sun visor body including a first support arm received in a mounting bracket on the vehicle body and a second longer support arm that extends into a mounting housing of a sun visor body and is held there by detent spring. The support shaft may comprise a metal or steel tube. A flat on the longer second arm receives the detent spring of the mounting housing. The free end region of the first short arm has a smaller diameter than the rest of the support shaft. A sprayed on plastic body over the bend of the L-shaped support shaft and extending up both of the arms, toward but not over the free end region of the first arm and toward but not over the flat of the second arm. At the first arm, the plastic body defines a mounting shank terminating in a mushroom head toward the free end. Electrical connection contacts are disposed over the long arm. A conductor wire extends through the support shaft from the free end region of the first arm to the contact on the second arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 23, 1996
    Assignee: Gebr. Happich GmbH
    Inventors: Rene Lecorvaisier, Christian Buchheit
  • Patent number: 5477429
    Abstract: A sun visor has a generally flat board shaped body comprised of dark colored polypropylene particle foam with a depression in a main surface thereof. A shaped light colored body is inserted into the depression and is pressed against the bottom of the depression through simultaneous application of heat and pressure, for compacting and reshaping the shaped body to form a reflector. A mirror assembly is disposed over the reflector, and an illuminating device may be disposed there. Fastening pins and openings on the reflector in the mirror assembly and the illuminating device hold them together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 19, 1995
    Assignee: Gebr. Happich GmbH
    Inventors: Lothar Viertel, Patrick Welter
  • Patent number: 5468041
    Abstract: The swivel-bearing bracket of plastic has a base body, a rear support dome on its rear side and a passage hole for a sun-visor shaft. For the attachment without screws of the swivel-bearing bracket to the ceiling of the vehicle, two fastening elements, with cross member and oppositely directed hooks, are spaced from the supporting dome and are formed on the rear side of the base body. The hooks can be inserted through openings in the ceiling and can be engaged behind the ceiling by the turning the base body. For locking in the fastening elements, pins are introduced into the openings in the ceiling and are engaged with the cross members. The pins are on respective caps over window openings in the base body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1995
    Assignee: Gebr. Happich GmbH
    Inventors: Lothar Viertel, Patrick Welter
  • Patent number: 5462422
    Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a plastic molded part. A plasticized plastic composition is fed to the open mold cavity defined between a lower and an upper mold half. At least one web and perhaps two webs of decorative material to be applied to the molded part extend across the mold cavity. The closing of the mold halves presses the plastic composition against the web or webs. There is at least one two-part clamping frame for resiliently holding the web of decorative material by clamping it outside the mold cavity, so that the web can slip with respect to the composition as the mold halves move together. One clamping frame half is developed with an immersion edge which defines a side edge of the mold cavity and with a cutting plane spaced from the immersion edge a distance sufficient that the frame half also serves as an ejector for the molded part from the mold cavity as the mold halves open apart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1995
    Assignee: Gebr. Happich GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Gustavel, Ralf Horstkotter, Rolf Schlenz, Harald Strunk
  • Patent number: 5454617
    Abstract: A mounting device, particularly for swingably mounted sun visors of motor vehicles. The visor has a shaft with one end section attached to the vehicle and is swingable between first and second end positions around the other end section of the sun visor body which can be inserted into a mounting member of the sun visor body. A detent device is provided with a spring which engages the sun visor body in force locked manner with the shaft in at least one position of the range of swing of the visor body and produces within its range of displacement a moment to be overcome upon a displacement. The mounting member has a mounting hole with at least one radially widened, axially extending groove. The end section of the shaft, which is inserted into the mounting hole, is developed with an axially extending groove with closed ends and outwardly diverging groove walls. A spring, which is adapted in length to the groove, is inserted with initial tension in the groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 3, 1995
    Assignee: Gebr. Happich GmbH
    Inventor: Patrick Welter
  • Patent number: 5449215
    Abstract: A vehicle sun visor includes a plastic foam body molded around a stiffening wire frame. The wire frame is a single wire that is bent to define two spaced apart wire eyes oriented to receive the visor mounting shaft through them, and to define a cross piece extending between and connecting the eyes. A visor shaft clamping spring is fastened to the cross piece between the wire eyes. The ends of the bent wire frame are overlapped, enclosed in a plastic enclosure and are located at the visor body to define the outer support pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 12, 1995
    Assignee: Gebr. Happich GmbH
    Inventors: Lothar Viertel, Patrick Welter
  • Patent number: 5442530
    Abstract: A mirror (14) borne by a cover (34) and an illuminating device (8, 11) are arranged in a shallow housing (1). When mirror (14) is in its position of non-use, cover (34) extends parallel to the main wall of the housing (1). Cover (34) has a U-shaped recess extending from a longitudinal edge to provide clearance for passage of diffusion screen (8) and light rays projecting therethrough. Screen (8) is developed in the shape of a quarter circle corresponding to the dimensions of the recess. The edge region of cover (34) having the recess is articulated to the housing (1). In the bottom of the housing (1) is mounting opening (31) for the individual parts of the illuminating device, and housing (1) is provided with an electric circuit and switch (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1995
    Assignee: Gebr. Happich GmbH
    Inventors: Lothar Viertel, Patrick Welter
  • Patent number: 5429407
    Abstract: A sun visor body for a vehicle is comprised of polypropylene particle foam, having a depression on one broad side into which a mirror which is held by a frame is inserted. The frame is an injection molding comprised of polypropylene. The free end region or edge of the insertable web of the frame is integrally fused to the bottom of the depression in the sun visor body due to initial heating of the free end region. The resulting deformation of the web also securely holds the edge of the mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Assignee: Gebr. Happich GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Buchheit, Rene Lecorvaisier