Patents by Inventor Christoph GRUNDHEBER

Christoph GRUNDHEBER 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: 11964603
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a foot support device for a footwell of a vehicle. The present disclosure includes a plurality of support elements arranged one behind the other and rotatably connected to one another. The plurality of support elements can each move from a rest position to an active position upon the detection of a predetermined driving situation. When set in the rest position, the plurality of support elements are each arranged parallel to the floor of the footwell, and when set in the active position, the plurality of support elements are each inclined with respect to the floor of the footwell to support at least one foot of an occupant. The foot support device includes a drive arrangement lifting at least a foremost support element to the active position, which causes movement of a subsequent support element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignees: AUDI AG, ZF Automotive Germany GmbH
    Inventors: Bernd Jakobs, Franz Fürst, Walter Krönes, Christoph Grundheber
  • Patent number: 11845394
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a leg protection device for an occupant protection system of a vehicle. The leg protection device includes an airbag module. The airbag module includes an airbag and a gas generator that inflates the airbag to a deployed state such that the airbag is disposed in the footwell and in front of a vehicle seat. The airbag includes a first chamber and a second chamber fluidically connected to the first chamber. The first chamber and the second chamber are deployed in the footwell to protect an occupant when the airbag is set in the deployed state. The first chamber is connected to the second chamber by a flexible connection region that diverts the airbag along the object in any spatial direction when the airbag encounters the object during deployment in the footwell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignees: AUDI AG, ZF Automotive Germany GmbH
    Inventors: Bernd Jakobs, Franz Fürst, Walter Krönes, Christoph Grundheber
  • Publication number: 20230311803
    Abstract: A motor vehicle and a method secure a passenger in the motor vehicle in a collision. The motor vehicle has a seat including a seat body, which forms a seat surface, and a backrest connected to the seat body. An inertial force acting on the passenger in a collision is transmitted by a seatbelt arrangement to the backrest in such a manner that the latter pivots forwards relative to the seat body counter to the restoring effect of an elastic and/or plastic deformation of at least part of the backrest. A force which counteracts the pivoting-forwards action is generated by a force generator, and transmitted to the backrest, and/or the maximum pivoting path of the backrest is limited by a limiting device in that, when a predetermined reference acceleration is present, a deviation between a present pivoting path of the backrest and a predetermined reference pivoting path is minimized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Applicants: AUDI AG, Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Bernd JAKOBS, Jörg HAESSER, Walter KRÖNES, Christoph GRUNDHEBER, Johann UNGER, Oliver ADOLPH, Marc SCHOCK
  • Publication number: 20230062639
    Abstract: An airbag for an airbag arrangement of a vehicle seat of vehicle includes an inflatable cover. The inflatable cover includes an upper part facing a seat surface, a lower part facing a vehicle floor, and a casing part interconnecting the upper part and the lower part. The inflatable cover folds during a standby state and inflates during an operational state. During the inflation process, the upper part of the inflatable cover applies a force against the thighs or the pelvic region of an occupant sitting on the vehicle seat to lift these the thighs or the pelvic region of the occupant. The inflatable cover includes at least one cutout to guide an air current through the airbag. The casing part is shaped during the inflation process to define a support surface for engaging the thighs or the pelvic region of the occupant sitting on the vehicle seat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Applicants: Audi AG, ZF Automotive Germany GmbH
    Inventors: Bernd JAKOBS, Franz FÜRST, Walter KRÖNES, Christoph GRUNDHEBER, Niko EDELMANN, Werner FREISLER, Benjamin WEIMER
  • Publication number: 20220340066
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a foot support device for a footwell of a vehicle. The present disclosure includes a plurality of support elements arranged one behind the other and rotatably connected to one another. The plurality of support elements can each move from a rest position to an active position upon the detection of a predetermined driving situation. When set in the rest position, the plurality of support elements are each arranged parallel to the floor of the footwell, and when set in the active position, the plurality of support elements are each inclined with respect to the floor of the footwell to support at least one foot of an occupant. The foot support device includes a drive arrangement lifting at least a foremost support element to the active position, which causes movement of a subsequent support element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2020
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Applicants: Audi AG, ZF Automotive Germany GmbH
    Inventors: Bernd JAKOBS, Franz FÜRST, Walter KRÖNES, Christoph GRUNDHEBER
  • Publication number: 20220266786
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a leg protection device for an occupant protection system of a vehicle. The leg protection device includes an airbag module. The airbag module includes an airbag and a gas generator that inflates the airbag to a deployed state such that the airbag is disposed in the footwell and in front of a vehicle seat. The airbag includes a first chamber and a second chamber fluidically connected to the first chamber. The first chamber and the second chamber are deployed in the footwell to protect an occupant when the airbag is set in the deployed state. The first chamber is connected to the second chamber by a flexible connection region that diverts the airbag along the object in any spatial direction when the airbag encounters the object during deployment in the footwell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2020
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Applicants: Audi AG, ZF Automotive Germany GmbH
    Inventors: Bernd JAKOBS, Franz FÜRST, Walter KRÖNES, Christoph GRUNDHEBER
  • Publication number: 20220001823
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for operating a restraint system having at least one airbag, wherein a head position of a vehicle occupant relative to a reference point in the vehicle is continuously defined. The distance between the head of the vehicle occupant and the at least one airbag in the idle state is determined from the defined head position of the vehicle occupant. The determined distance is evaluated by a comparison with stored reference values and at least one triggering size of the at least one airbag is determined on the basis of the comparison. When the restraint system is triggered, triggering signals corresponding to the at least one triggering size are transmitted to the at least one airbag, as well as to a corresponding restraint system for a vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Franz FÜRST, Christoph GRUNDHEBER, Walter KRÖNES, Bernd JAKOBS