Patents by Inventor Claus Töpfer

Claus Töpfer 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: 9528301
    Abstract: The invention relates to a motor vehicle door lock equipped with a locking mechanism (1, 2, 3), an actuation lever unit (6, 7) acting on the locking mechanism (1, 2, 3), and a catch lever (12). The catch lever (12) blocks the locking mechanism (1, 2, 3) at least when acceleration forces of a given magnitude occur, e.g. in case of an accident (crash), rendering the locking mechanism ineffective. According to the invention, the catch lever (12) acts upon a pawl (3) of the locking mechanism (1, 2, 3) in the direction of the blocking position of the pawl during normal operation and in the event of a crash while allowing the pawl (3) and thus the locking mechanism (1, 2, 3) to be in the releasing position only during normal opening operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Kiekert Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thorsten Bendel, Claus Töpfer
  • Patent number: 9316027
    Abstract: The invention relates to a motor vehicle door lock equipped with a locking mechanism, an actuation lever unit acting on the locking mechanism, and a catch lever. The catch lever blocks the locking mechanism at least when acceleration forces of a given magnitude occur, e.g. in case of an accident (crash), rendering the locking mechanism ineffective. According to the invention, the catch lever acts upon a rotary latch of the locking mechanism in the direction of the blocking position of the rotary latch during normal operation and in the event of a crash while allowing the rotary latch and thus the locking mechanism to be in the releasing position only during normal opening operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Kiekert Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thorsten Bendel, Claus Töpfer
  • Patent number: 9243429
    Abstract: The invention relates to a motor vehicle door lock equipped with a locking mechanism (1, 2, 3), an actuation lever unit that acts on the locking mechanism (1, 2, 3) and includes a release lever (4), and a catch lever (10). The catch lever (10) blocks the locking mechanism (1, 2, 3) at least when acceleration forces of a given magnitude occur, e.g. in case of an accident (crash). According to the invention, the catch lever (10) blocks the locking mechanism (1, 2, 3) in the event of a crash while releasing the locking mechanism (1, 2, 3) only for normal opening operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Kiekert Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thorsten Bendel, Claus Töpfer
  • Patent number: 9106114
    Abstract: A drive component for a motor vehicle unit, in particular a motor vehicle door unit, especially a closing/opening device (1) in or on a motor vehicle door lock (2), comprising at least one motor (3) and at least one rubber-elastic bearing (4) for fixing the motor (3) on a base (5), wherein the bearing (4) has different spring rates (D1, D2) in the axial direction (A) and/or the radial direction (R).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: KIEKERT AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Thorsten Bendel, Claus Töpfer
  • Patent number: 8955889
    Abstract: The invention relates to a lock for a motor vehicle with a locking mechanism including a catch and a pawl. The object of the invention is to simplify the locking of a lock of the type mentioned above. To achieve the object of the invention, a catch of the claimed lock comprises a stop projecting upwards, e.g., in the form of a pin extending from the catch. Furthermore, a bracket is provided, which can be moved against the stop by means of a motor such that the catch is moved in this way from the first position and into the primary position. It is thus possible to move from the first position to the primary position in a motorized manner, which makes it easier to close the vehicle door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Kiekert AG
    Inventors: Thorsten Bendel, Karsten Barth, Serkan Gülkan, Ulrich Weichsel, Claus Töpfer
  • Publication number: 20140312630
    Abstract: The invention relates to an actuation device for a motor vehicle door lock (1), comprising a handle (7), and a locking lever (10) which renders the handle (7) inactive when accelerating forces (a) of a predetermined magnitude occur, for example, in the event of an accident. In the normal operation, the locking lever (10) is displaced when impinged upon by the handle (7) and the handle (7) is simply rendered inactive in the locked operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2012
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Inventors: Thorsten Bendel, Claus Toepfer
  • Publication number: 20140292005
    Abstract: The invention relates to an actuation device for a motor vehicle door lock (1), comprising a handle (7), and a locking lever (10) which renders the handle (7) inactive when accelerating forces of a predetermined magnitude occur, for example, in the event of an accident. In the normal operation, the locking lever (10) is displaced when impinged upon by the handle (7) and the handle (7) is simply rendered inactive in the locked operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2012
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Inventors: Thorsten Bendel, Claus Toepfer
  • Publication number: 20140217748
    Abstract: The subject matter of the present invention is an actuator unit for motor vehicle applications, in particular motor vehicle door locks (1). This actuator unit has in its basic design a housing (8a, 8b), in addition a drive (2) which is arranged in the housing (8a, 8b), an actuator element (3, 4) which can be acted on by the drive (2), and at least one rubber bearing (10) for the drive (2). According to the invention, the housing (8a, 8b) is equipped with mounting projections (15) which are arranged distributed on the circumference of the rubber bearing (10), in the region of a rubber bearing mount (16).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: KIEKERT AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Frank Blumenthal, Winfried Schlabs, Claus Töpfer
  • Publication number: 20140132008
    Abstract: The invention relates to a motor vehicle door lock equipped with a locking mechanism (1, 2, 3), an actuation lever unit (6, 7) acting on the locking mechanism (1, 2, 3), and a catch lever (12). The catch lever (12) blocks the locking mechanism (1, 2, 3) at least when acceleration forces of a given magnitude occur, e.g. in case of an accident (crash), rendering the locking mechanism ineffective. According to the invention, the catch lever (12) acts upon a pawl (3) of the locking mechanism (1, 2, 3) in the direction of the blocking position of the pawl during normal operation and in the event of a crash while allowing the pawl (3) and thus the locking mechanism (1, 2, 3) to be in the releasing position only during normal opening operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Inventors: Thorsten BENDEL, Claus TÖPFER
  • Publication number: 20140035295
    Abstract: The invention relates to a motor vehicle door lock equipped with a locking mechanism (1, 2, 3), an actuation lever unit that acts on the locking mechanism (1, 2, 3) and includes a release lever (4), and a catch lever (10). The catch lever (10) blocks the locking mechanism (1, 2, 3) at least when acceleration forces of a given magnitude occur, e.g. in case of an accident (crash). According to the invention, the catch lever (10) blocks the locking mechanism (1, 2, 3) in the event of a crash while releasing the locking mechanism (1, 2, 3) only for normal opening operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: Kiekert Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thorsten Bendel, Claus Töpfer
  • Publication number: 20140028035
    Abstract: The invention relates to a motor vehicle door lock equipped with a locking mechanism, an actuation lever unit acting on the locking mechanism, and a catch lever. The catch lever blocks the locking mechanism at least when acceleration forces of a given magnitude occur, e.g. in case of an accident (crash), rendering the locking mechanism ineffective. According to the invention, the catch lever acts upon a rotary latch of the locking mechanism in the direction of the blocking position of the rotary latch during normal operation and in the event of a crash while allowing the rotary latch and thus the locking mechanism to be in the releasing position only during normal opening operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Inventors: Thorsten Bendel, Claus Töpfer
  • Publication number: 20140001774
    Abstract: The invention relates to a motor vehicle door lock equipped with a locking mechanism (1, 2, 15), an actuation lever unit (3, 4) acting on the locking mechanism (1, 2, 15), and a catch lever (10). The catch lever (10) renders the actuation lever unit (3, 4) ineffective, at least when acceleration forces of a given magnitude occur, e.g. in case of an accident (crash). According to the invention, the catch lever (10) blocks the actuation lever unit (3, 4) during non-deflected normal operation and in the event of a crash while releasing the actuation lever unit (3, 4) only for deflected normal operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Inventors: Thorsten Bendel, Claus Töpfer
  • Publication number: 20120068479
    Abstract: The invention relates to a lock for a motor vehicle with a locking mechanism including a catch and a pawl. The object of the invention is to simplify the locking of a lock of the type mentioned above. To achieve the object of the invention, a catch of the claimed lock comprises a stop projecting upwards, e.g., in the form of a pin extending from the catch. Furthermore, a bracket is provided, which can be moved against the stop by means of a motor such that the catch is moved in this way from the first position and into the primary position. It is thus possible to move from the first position to the primary position in a motorized manner, which makes it easier to close the vehicle door.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2010
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: KIEKERT AG
    Inventors: Thorsten Bendel, Karsten Barth, Serkan Gülkan, Ulrich Weichsel, Claus Töpfer