Patents Assigned to Webasto Karosseriesysteme GmbH
  • Patent number: 6679548
    Abstract: A transparent roof module for a motor vehicle roof where the transparent roof module includes a transparent pane for covering a roof opening, the cover including a nonviewing area and a viewing area through which objects are viewable through the cover, a transmission reducing layer provided on the viewing area of the transparent pane for reducing transmission of at least one of infrared and visible spectral range through the viewing area and solar cells provided at the nonviewing area of the transparent pane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: Webasto Karosseriesysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Teschner, Werner Pätz, Reinhard Wecker
  • Patent number: 6457771
    Abstract: The invention relates to a motor vehicle roof with a series of cover elements (louvers 10a-d) for selectively closing and at least partially exposing a roof opening (13) in a fixed roof surface (11), the cover elements bordering one another in the closed position to form a flat panel system, each louver on its narrow end being connected to a pivoting fastening element (20a-d) which is guided along a roof-mounted guideway (75). The flat panel system is pushed together by pushing on the front and/or the back end to form a bundle of swung-out cover elements and it can also be moved as a bundle. At least some of all fully swung-out fastening elements (20a-d) are securely engaged to a common coupling element which can move along the roof-mounted guideway or can be fixed relative to it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Webasto Karosseriesysteme GmbH
    Inventor: Manfred Färber
  • Patent number: 6439654
    Abstract: A motor vehicle roof including a front roof opening and a rear roof opening, a movable front cover for covering the front roof opening, the movable front cover being movably guided on a frame member and substantially transparent with a nonviewing area and a viewing area to allow viewing of objects through the front cover, a stationary rear cover for covering the rear roof opening, the stationary rear roof cover being supported on the frame and substantially transparent with a nonviewing area and a viewing area to allow viewing of objects through the stationary rear cover, and solar cells provided proximate to at least one of the nonviewing area of the movable front cover and the nonviewing area of the stationary rear cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: Webasto Karosseriesysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Teschner, Walter Schåtzler, Hans Jardin, Manfred Pfalzgraf
  • Patent number: 6409261
    Abstract: A switching element for actuating an openable motor vehicle roof in which at least one outer cover part can be actuated for closing or at least partially exposing of a roof opening (3) with a first drive (13) and in which at least one inner cover part (sliding inside roof lining 5) can be actuated with a second drive (18), actuation of the outer cover part (cover 4) being assigned to a first control (28) and actuation of the inner cover part (sliding inside roof lining 5) being assigned to a second control (29). For purposes of ease of operator control and economical production, the first control (28) and the second control (29) are combined in a single switching element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Webasto Karosseriesysteme Gmbh
    Inventors: Franz Lindinger, Frank Wätzig
  • Patent number: 6369537
    Abstract: A device for displacement of a movable part on motor vehicles such as sliding roofs, windows or the like including an electrical servomotor permanently mechanically coupled to the movable part and a supply circuit adapted to operate the electrical servomotor and to brake the electrical servomotor by short circuiting the electrical servomotor when the movable part reaches a desired position, where the supply circuit includes an isolating device for breaking the supply circuit to prevent short circuit braking of the electrical servomotor thereby allowing manual displacement of the movable part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Webasto Karosseriesysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Claus Vordermaier, Bernd Bauer
  • Patent number: 6361103
    Abstract: An openable motor vehicle roof with a circular roof opening, a circular disk-shaped cover (1) which is located in the roof opening, and an actuating mechanism (20) for moving the cover (1) between a position which closes the roof opening and a tilted position which creates a ventilation gap in its edge area. The cover (1) is attached via the actuating mechanism (20) to a rotary frame (2) which mounted to rotate on a circular guide frame (9) which is attached permanently to the roof in the area of the roof opening edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Webasto Karosseriesysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Gerald Schneider, Christoph Lante, Bernhard Wingen
  • Patent number: 6332645
    Abstract: Sealing arrangement for a gap (3) between adjacent cover edges of two adjustable cover elements (1, 2) which lie behind one another in their closed position, i.e., cover elements of a motor vehicle sliding roof, sliding and lifting roof, spoiler roof, louvered roof or the like. In the gap area, at least one sealing element (6, 7) which is elastic at least in areas is attached to each of the two cover elements (1, 2) or to the frame parts (13 and 14) which are associated therewith. The two sealing elements (6, 7) are arranged symmetrically along the cover edges of the two cover elements (1, 2), and the two sealing elements overlap one another with sealing lips (11, 12) to form a seal in the gap area in the closed position of the cover elements (1, 2). The elasticity and shape of the sealing elements are such that the sealing elements allow mutual tilting and/or vertical adjustment movements of the two cover elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Webasto Karosseriesysteme GmbH
    Inventor: Markus Schwarz
  • Patent number: 6290593
    Abstract: A circuit for power supply of a ventilation fan for cooling the interior of a motor vehicle and/or a motor vehicle battery by means of solar cells, with a manually actuated switch for switching the solar cell power supply to the ventilation fan or battery. An automatic control provides a fully automatic mode for automatic switching of the solar cell power supply depending on the temperature in the motor vehicle interior and/or the battery charging state which can be overridden by activating an actuating element of a manually activated switch in a semiautomatic mode. Furthermore, there is an optical display for indicating which of the automatic and semiautomatic mode is activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Webasto Karosseriesysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Alfons Weissbrich, Thomas Ganz
  • Patent number: 6283543
    Abstract: An improved motor vehicle roof is provided which includes a roof opening provided in a fixed roof surface, at least one closing element for selectively at least partially closing the roof opening, an electrical adjusting drive for driving the closing element and a sensor engineering system for detecting a situation which adversely affects the safety of the passengers and for producing a corresponding danger signal. Importantly, the roof includes a quick-action closing device coupled to the sensor engineering system which causes the closing element to close from its open or partially open position when a danger signal is present. The closing device includes means for producing an electrical voltage which exceeds the normal feed voltage (rated voltage) of the adjusting drive by several times, and for applying the voltage to the electric adjusting drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: Webasto Karosseriesysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Ferdinand Hahn, Thomas Ganz, Thomas Kraus, Horst Schulz
  • Patent number: 6261024
    Abstract: A rocker device for an openable motor vehicle roof, with support element (14), rocker element (12) and spring (30) has the rocker element (12) connected to pivot relative to the support element (14) via an axle (10). The spring (30) is located between the rocker element and support element such that it applies a pre-stressing force to the rocker element (12) with respect to the direction of pivoting motion. Furthermore, the spring is a helical spring arranged and formed such that it provides pre-stressing force between the rocker element and support element in an axial direction. The axle is stationary with respect to one element and is guided in the other element through a corresponding axial opening (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Webasto Karosseriesysteme GmbH
    Inventor: Manfred Färber
  • Patent number: 6252382
    Abstract: An arrangement for supplying power to a motor vehicle electrical system (3) by means of a motor driven vehicle generator (1) and a solar generator (2). To efficiently save fuel, for power generation the arrangement compares the output or energy balance of the solar generator (2) relative to the vehicle generator (1) and reduces the vehicle generator output in proportion to the solar current supplied when a positive energy balance exist in favor of the vehicle generator (1) and separates the vehicle generator (1) from the vehicle engine (13) when a positive energy balance exists in favor of the solar generator (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: Webasto Karosseriesysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Ganz, Josef Appel
  • Patent number: 6224147
    Abstract: A sliding roof with at least one slidable and optionally also raisable rigid cover element for selectively closing or at least partially exposing a roof opening of a motor vehicle in which the cover element is guided along at least one roof-mounted guide for a sliding motion between an open position and a closed position and is equipped with a brake mechanism which takes effect only in case of a crash, the brake mechanism remaining inactive during normal movements of the cover element between the open and closed position, and braking the cover element over a path which has a length which is dependent on the acceleration forces which occur during a crash.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Webasto Karosseriesysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Manfred Färber, Wolfgang Ettl, Jadi Karami-Malamiri, Wolfgang Dittrich, Andreas Engl
  • Patent number: 6189963
    Abstract: A guide crank for the cover of an openable motor vehicle roof comprises a crank body connected to the cover and including at least one slotted opening. The opening itself either forms a guideway or is used as the receiver of a guide body which has a guideway. At least one stiffening element is provided for bridging the opening at least in one partial area and joining the material areas of the crank body to one another on either side of the opening. The stiffening element makes the guide crank economical with high stiffness and with low material thickness and narrow crosspieces above and below the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Webasto Karosseriesysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Staltmayer, Roland Wittal, Günther Schwanitz
  • Patent number: 6186586
    Abstract: A motor vehicle roof including a roof panel with a roof opening, at least partially transparent cover which covers the roof opening and being selectively movable to at least partially clear the roof opening, a headliner positioned underneath the roof opening and being selectively movable to at least partially clear the roof opening, a sealing element mounted to the roof panel in a manner that the sealing element adjoins the cover from underneath the cover to seal the motor vehicle roof when the cover is in a closed position, and a sensor provided in the sealing element for sensing application of force in excess of a threshold value which is indicative of an object being pinched between a front edge of the roof opening and at least one of the cover and/or the headliner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: Webasto Karosseriesysteme GmbH
    Inventor: Franz Lindinger
  • Patent number: 6186587
    Abstract: In a blind arrangement with a blind web (10) which can be unwound from a winding roller (12), in order to at least partially cover an opening in a roof relative to the interior of a vehicle, especially a motor vehicle, and which can be wound onto the winding roller (12) for at least partially covering and exposing the roof opening, the blind web (10) is provided with transversely extending arches (16) and has a tension arch (18) on its front end, the arches (16 and 18) each being guided laterally in the guideways (28), to provide convexity of the blind web (10) in the transverse direction, between at least one hook-out guide (30) is provided which runs essentially parallel to the guideways (28) at a distance and which is arranged such that the blind web (10) is curved in the transverse direction when the arches (16) engage the hook-out guide (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: Webasto Karosseriesysteme GmbH
    Inventor: Karin Entenmann
  • Patent number: 6174024
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for actuating a lifting and sliding roof with a cover (13) which is joined to a cover rocker arm (4) which has at least one guideway (6A; 6B) and into which a raising mechanism for lifting the rear edge (13B) of the cover fits, and which can be displaced by means of a rack/pinion connection to the rear over the fixed roof (14) of a motor vehicle. For stabile, rattle-free guidance of the cover (13), the raising mechanism is provided with a raising lever (3), one end of which is supported with a pivot axle (2) to pivot on a roof-mounted part (1) and on its other end there are two guide elements (3A, 3B) which are at different distances from the pivot axle (2) and which each fit into a guideway (6A, 6B) of the cover rocker arm (4), the guideways being of different slopes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2001
    Assignee: Webasto Karosseriesysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Robert Kronseder, Stefan Miklosi, J{umlaut over (u)}rgen Stenvers
  • Patent number: 6158803
    Abstract: A vehicle sun roof with a cover (3) intended to cover a roof opening (5) when in the closed position and to be both pushed upwards at its rear edge so as to be at least in the aeration position, and elevated relative to its closed position so as to be at least in the open position. Furthermore, the vehicle roof has a cover elevating and displacing device (3) along at least one guide integrated to the roof, which has also a bearing device extending from the rear edge area of the cover. In order for the roof to have a more stable bearing when in the open position and to keep, at the same time, the same smooth appearance as in the closed position, a bearing device (43) is provided which has an inactive position at or below the cover level (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2000
    Assignee: Webasto Karosseriesysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Reihl, Bernhard Wingen, Walter Schatzler, Francois De Gaillard, Erwin Kohout, Wolfgang Liebhart
  • Patent number: 6135544
    Abstract: Motor vehicle roof with at least one roof opening (11) which can be selectively closed or at least partially exposed by means of an sliding cover (12) which can be displaced by a cover A drive (20), and with a wind deflector (14) which is located along the front edge (13) of the roof opening and which can be operated by a wind deflector actuating mechanism (23) depending on the movements of the sliding cover or the cover drive, between a working position with the roof (10) at least partially opened and a rest position with the roof closed. To suppress wind deflector whistling noises, the wind deflector actuating mechanism is coupled to the cover drive or the sliding cover itself such that, when the roof is opened, the wind deflector is raised into the working position on a delayed basis, after the sliding cover is first moved a predetermined distance (S) in the opening direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: Webasto Karosseriesysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Georg Kohlpaintner, Thomas Staltmayer, Engelbert Hirschvogel, Gunther Schwanitz
  • Patent number: 6076886
    Abstract: A cover (2) of an openable motor vehicle roof (1) has a cover plate (3) which is surrounded in at least one edge area by a foamed-on or injected-on plastic frame (4) which, at the same time, is used to connect at least one attachment part (inside cover sheet 6) of the cover. At least one sensor element (8) is integrated into the plastic frame (4) and it signals pinching of a body part or an article (11) by means of partial deformation of the plastic frame (4) when cover (2) is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignees: IEE International Electronics & Engineering S.A.R.L., Webasto Karosseriesysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Volker Petri, Reinhold Mickeler, Werner Herlemann, Hans Benda, Hans Gunter Lehnen, Roland Lorig, Stefan Schmitt, Johann Hertel, Walter Schatzler, Hans Brandner, Thomas Schroferl
  • Patent number: 6036259
    Abstract: A motor vehicle roof with movable cover element (13) which can close or selectively at least partially expose a roof opening (12) in a fixed roof surface (11). There is an electrical cable connection between the cover element (13) and the fixed roof surface (11). The cable connection is attached at one point to, cover element (13) and at a different point securely to the roof. The electrical connection is formed of a ribbon cable which is bent in a U shape in its longitudinal direction between the attachment points (21, 27) and is essentially planar in its transverse direction between the attachment points (21 and 27). The ribbon cable (20) peals off of the contact surface (23) provided on cover element (13) and/or the roof contact surface (26) when the cover element (13) is moved and is reapplied in an opposite direction of movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Assignee: Webasto Karosseriesysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Johann Hertel, Walter Schatzler