Patents by Inventor Christian RUDOLFI

Christian RUDOLFI 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: 11427063
    Abstract: A locking device for fixing a top of a convertible vehicle at a front header of a convertible vehicle, including an actuating portion and an engagement portion, said actuating portion having a locking hook that can be pivoted between a cleared position and a closed position in which it is engaged with the engagement portion. A securing element is provided that assumes a rest position during normal operation and is pretensioned in the direction of a blocked position using a spring and that is secured in the rest position using a retaining element that can be adjusted by way of a trigger element in such a manner that the securing element is released and that the spring shifts the securing element into its blocked position so that it secures the locking hook in the closed position thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: WEBASTO SE
    Inventors: Franz Haberl, Christian Rudolfi, Johannes Haidl
  • Patent number: 11358454
    Abstract: A locking device for a top of a convertible vehicle is proposed, comprising a locking support (22), a locking hook (28), which can be shifted in a translational and rotational manner so as to be displaced between a release position and a locked position, and a driving mechanism for the locking hook (28), said driving mechanism comprising a driving motor (64) and driving a slide (36) movable on the locking support (22). The slide (36) is connected to a driving section of the locking hook (28) via a pull-link arrangement (46) in such a manner that the locking hook (28) undergoes a pivoting movement when the slide (36) is moved. The locking support (22) has an insert having a guiding track for a guiding element which is arranged on the pull-link arrangement (46) or on the locking hook (28), and the guiding track defines a pivot position of the locking hook (28) with respect to the locking support (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: WEBASTO SE
    Inventors: Christian Rudolfi, Franz Haberl
  • Patent number: 10953733
    Abstract: The invention relates to a top for a convertible vehicle, comprising a top cover and a top linkage which is displaceable between a covering position, in which a vehicle interior is covered, and a storage position, in which the vehicle interior is uncovered, and which comprises a link assembly on either side of a vertical longitudinal center plane of the vehicle, each link assembly being pivotably mounted on a vehicle-attached main bearing and securable in at least two positions of the top linkage by means of a locking device comprising a lock element disposed on a first link of the link assembly, a first lock counterelement, and a second vehicle-attached lock counterelement. The first lock counterelement of each locking device is disposed on a second link of the respective link assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: WEBASTO SE
    Inventors: Christian Rudolfi, Magnus Sviberg
  • Publication number: 20200198452
    Abstract: A locking device for fixing a top of a convertible vehicle at a front header of a convertible vehicle, including an actuating portion and an engagement portion, said actuating portion having a locking hook that can be pivoted between a cleared position and a closed position in which it is engaged with the engagement portion. A securing element is provided that assumes a rest position during normal operation and is pretensioned in the direction of a blocked position using a spring and that is secured in the rest position using a retaining element that can be adjusted by way of a trigger element in such a manner that the securing element is released and that the spring shifts the securing element into its blocked position so that it secures the locking hook in the closed position thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventors: FRANZ HABERL, CHRISTIAN RUDOLFI, JOHANNES HAIDL
  • Patent number: 10639977
    Abstract: A convertible top, having a top linkage, and a roof tip which is fixed to a front cowl of the vehicle in the closed position, and a centering arrangement which defines the position of the roof tip in relation to the cowl in the transverse direction of the vehicle and in the vertical direction of the vehicle in the closed position and which comprises a centering pin which engages into a centering recess of a centering seat. An insert can be disposed in the centering recess having a contact side with which a front end of the centering pin is in contact when in the centering position and formed by an elastic element. Alternatively, an elastic element can be disposed on the front end of the centering pin, and in contact with a ground of the centering recess when the centering pin is in the centering position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: WEBASTO SE
    Inventors: Franz Haberl, Christian Rudolfi
  • Patent number: 10471812
    Abstract: A convertible top, having a linkage for displacing the top, a roof tip fixed to a front vehicle cowl in a closed position, a top lock which displacable between a locked and released position and secures the roof tip to the front cowl when the top is in the closed position and has a locking support having a pivotable locking hook and a locking counterpart which can be engaged with the locking hook, and a position detector which detects a relative position between the roof tip and the front cowl. The position detector has a sensor unit having at least two Hall-effect sensor elements, one of which switches at a first distance between the sensor unit and a magnetic element and the other one of which switches at a second distance between the sensor unit and the magnetic element, the second distance being different from the first distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Webasto SE
    Inventors: Christian Rudolfi, Franz Haberl
  • Patent number: 10391847
    Abstract: A locking device for a top of a convertible vehicle having a locking support, a locking hook, which can be shifted in a translational and rotational manner so as to be displaced between a release position and a locked position, and a driving mechanism for the locking hook, the driving mechanism comprising a driving wheel, which is driven by a driving motor and which drives a slide movable on the locking support, the slide being connected to the locking hook in such a manner that the locking hook undergoes a displacing movement when the slide is moved. A securing pin is arranged on a first component movable relative to the locking support, the securing pin engaging into a corresponding recess of a second component moveable relative to the locking support when the locking hook is in the locked position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: WEBASTO SE
    Inventors: Franz Haberl, Christian Rudolfi
  • Publication number: 20190241054
    Abstract: The invention relates to a top for a convertible vehicle, comprising a top cover and a top linkage which is displaceable between a covering position, in which a vehicle interior is covered, and a storage position, in which the vehicle interior is uncovered, and which comprises a link assembly on either side of a vertical longitudinal center plane of the vehicle, each link assembly being pivotably mounted on a vehicle-attached main bearing and securable in at least two positions of the top linkage by means of a locking device comprising a lock element disposed on a first link of the link assembly, a first lock counterelement, and a second vehicle-attached lock counterelement. The first lock counterelement of each locking device is disposed on a second link of the respective link assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Publication date: August 8, 2019
    Inventors: Christian RUDOLFI, Magnus SVIBERG
  • Patent number: 10266041
    Abstract: A locking device for a convertible vehicle is proposed, comprising a locking support, a locking hook, which can be shifted in a translational and/or rotational manner so as to be displaced between a release position and a locked position, and a driving mechanism for the locking hook, said driving mechanism comprising a driving element, which is driven by a driving motor and drives the locking hook, as well as a detection device for detecting a position of the driving element. The detection device is a sensor, which continuously detects the position of the driving element with respect to the locking support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: WEBASTO SE
    Inventors: Christian Rudolfi, Franz Haberl, Magnus Sviberg
  • Publication number: 20180304730
    Abstract: A convertible top, having a linkage for displacing the top, a roof tip fixed to a front vehicle cowl in a closed position, a top lock which displacable between a locked and released position and secures the roof tip to the front cowl when the top is in the closed position and has a locking support having a pivotable locking hook and a locking counterpart which can be engaged with the locking hook, and a position detector which detects a relative position between the roof tip and the front cowl. The position detector has a sensor unit having at least two Hall-effect sensor elements, one of which switches at a first distance between the sensor unit and a magnetic element and the other one of which switches at a second distance between the sensor unit and the magnetic element, the second distance being different from the first distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2018
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Inventors: Christian RUDOLFI, Franz HABERL
  • Publication number: 20180304729
    Abstract: A convertible top, having a top linkage, and a roof tip which is fixed to a front cowl of the vehicle in the closed position, and a centering arrangement which defines the position of the roof tip in relation to the cowl in the transverse direction of the vehicle and in the vertical direction of the vehicle in the closed position and which comprises a centering pin which engages into a centering recess of a centering seat. An insert is disposed in the centering recess having a contact side with which a front end of the centering pin is in contact when in the centering position and formed by an elastic element. Alternatively, an elastic element is disposed on the front end of the centering pin, and in contact with a ground of the centering recess when the centering pin is in the centering position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2018
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Inventors: Franz HABERL, Christian RUDOLFI
  • Publication number: 20180297458
    Abstract: A locking device for a top of a convertible vehicle is proposed, comprising a locking support (22), a locking hook (28), which can be shifted in a translational and rotational manner so as to be displaced between a release position and a locked position, and a driving mechanism for the locking hook (28), said driving mechanism comprising a driving motor (64) and driving a slide (36) movable on the locking support (22). The slide (36) is connected to a driving section of the locking hook (28) via a pull-link arrangement (46) in such a manner that the locking hook (28) undergoes a pivoting movement when the slide (36) is moved. The locking support (22) has an insert having a guiding track for a guiding element which is arranged on the pull-link arrangement (46) or on the locking hook (28), and the guiding track defines a pivot position of the locking hook (28) with respect to the locking support (22).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Inventors: Christian RUDOLFI, Franz HABERL
  • Publication number: 20180170158
    Abstract: A locking device for a top of a convertible vehicle having a locking support, a locking hook, which can be shifted in a translational and rotational manner so as to be displaced between a release position and a locked position, and a driving mechanism for the locking hook, said driving mechanism comprising a driving wheel, which is driven by a driving motor and which drives a slide movable on the locking support, the slide being connected to the locking hook in such a manner that the locking hook undergoes a displacing movement when the slide is moved. A securing pin is arranged on a first component movable relative to the locking support, said securing pin engaging into a corresponding recess of a second component moveable relative to the locking support when the locking hook is in the locked position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2017
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventors: Franz HABERL, Christian RUDOLFI
  • Publication number: 20180015813
    Abstract: A locking device for a convertible vehicle is proposed, comprising a locking support, a locking hook, which can be shifted in a translational and/or rotational manner so as to be displaced between a release position and a locked position, and a driving mechanism for the locking hook, said driving mechanism comprising a driving element, which is driven by a driving motor and drives the locking hook, as well as a detection device for detecting a position of the driving element. The detection device is a sensor, which continuously detects the position of the driving element with respect to the locking support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Publication date: January 18, 2018
    Inventors: Christian RUDOLFI, Franz HABERL, Magnus SVIBERG