Patents by Inventor Dieter Biller

Dieter Biller 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: 7080801
    Abstract: A belt retractor for a vehicle safety belt comprises a rotatably mounted belt spool, a drive wheel coupled coaxially with the belt spool, an electric motor which can drive the drive wheel at a variable drive force, and an electronic control unit which can control the electric motor. The belt spool is rotatable to a limited extent with respect to the drive wheel and a sensor is provided that on rotation of the belt spool relative to the drive wheel generates a signal which is representative of the belt force acting in the safety belt and is supplied to the electronic control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2006
    Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Prokscha, Dieter Biller
  • Patent number: 6921041
    Abstract: A seat-belt retractor is provided wherein no further belt retraction is necessary to unlock the belt spool following a tensioning of the belt webbing. Specifically, the seat-belt retractor has a belt spool that is rotatably mounted in a frame and a coupling pawl that is pivotally mounted on one face of the belt spool. The drive wheel is mounted in the frame co-axially with the belt spool. The drive wheel has an annular internal toothing extending around the coupling pawl. The coupling pawl has a free end shaped with a coupling tooth or a pair of coupling teeth and is movable, in a tension-released condition of belt webbing, from an engagement position where the coupling tooth or teeth is or are engaged in a tooth gap or two adjacent tooth gaps of the internal toothing, to a release position disengaged from the internal toothing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Dieter Biller
  • Publication number: 20050011980
    Abstract: A belt retractor for a vehicle safety belt comprises a rotatably mounted belt spool, a drive wheel coupled coaxially with the belt spool, an electric motor which can drive the drive wheel at a variable drive force, and an electronic control unit which can control the electric motor. The belt spool is rotatable to a limited extent with respect to the drive wheel and a sensor is provided that on rotation of the belt spool relative to the drive wheel generates a signal which is representative of the belt force acting in the safety belt and is supplied to the electronic control unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2004
    Publication date: January 20, 2005
    Inventors: Martin Prokscha, Dieter Biller
  • Publication number: 20030209624
    Abstract: A seat-belt retractor is provided wherein no further belt retraction is necessary to unlock the belt spool following a tensioning of the belt webbing. Specifically, the seat-belt retractor has a belt spool that is rotatably mounted in a frame and a coupling pawl that is pivotally mounted on one face of the belt spool. The drive wheel is mounted in the frame co-axially with the belt spool. The drive wheel has an annular internal toothing extending around the coupling pawl. The coupling pawl has a free end shaped with a coupling tooth or a pair of coupling teeth and is movable, in a tension-released condition of belt webbing, from an engagement position where the coupling tooth or teeth is or are engaged in a tooth gap or two adjacent tooth gaps of the internal toothing, to a release position disengaged from the internal toothing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2003
    Publication date: November 13, 2003
    Applicant: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Dieter Biller
  • Patent number: 6099040
    Abstract: An adjustment device for a deflection fitting of a vehicle safety belt system comprises a vehicle-fixed rail having a base provided with detent means and at least one front part extending opposite the base. It further comprises a sliding carriage displaceable in the rail, the sliding carriage being provided for an attachment of the deflection fitting. It is further provided a manually releasable detent mechanism able to cooperate with the detent means and able to arrest the sliding carriage in the rail. The detent means each have at least one projecting detent tooth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Dieter Biller
  • Patent number: 5934759
    Abstract: A means for moving a fitting part with an insertion tongue of a vehicle seat belt from a resting position, suitable for a vehicle occupant getting in and out of the vehicle, into an ergonomically favorable presentation position in which the occupant is easily able to grasp the fitting part, includes a stirrup handle gripping the seat belt, a swivel arm to which the stirrup handle is applied and a drive for moving the swivel arm between the resting position and the presentation position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1999
    Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Joachim Paschek, Dieter Biller, Jurgen Petzi
  • Patent number: 5906396
    Abstract: A vertical adjuster for a deflection fitting of a vehicle safety belt includes a rail with a base part. The rail has at least one fastening screw for being fastened to a vehicle body. The rail further includes a deformation element allowing a displacement of said rail relative to the fastening screw. The deformation element is arranged on a side of the base part which is facing away from the vehicle body when the rail is mounted thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1999
    Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Dieter Biller
  • Patent number: 5857704
    Abstract: An adjusting device for a deflection fitting of a vehicle safety belt system includes a rail provided with catch openings, and a slider mounted displaceably in the rail. The slider is adapted for connection to the deflection fitting and is provided with a detent mechanism for cooperation with the catch openings. The slider is further provided with a locking element which is functionally independent of the detent mechanism. The locking element is mounted at the slider pivotally between a neutral position in which it does not engage the rail, and a locking position in which it engages the rail and locks the slider in place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1999
    Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Dieter Biller
  • Patent number: 5142749
    Abstract: A buckle for vehicle safety belt systems equipped with a belt pretensioner engaging on the buckle is provided. The buckle has a release button with a cutout wherein a pushbutton is slidably received. The release button carries a two-armed blocking lever pivotally mounted thereon. In normal use, the blocking lever, when the pushbutton is depressed, is pivoted away from a stop member on the buckle housing to permit the release button to be moved until the buckle opens. When after activation of the belt pretensioner the buckle has reached the end of its stroke the release button tends to continue its movement, but the two-armed lever will hit on the stop member to prevent the release button from moving towards its release position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1992
    Assignee: TRW Repa GmbH
    Inventor: Dieter Biller
  • Patent number: 4872704
    Abstract: The device for vertical adjustment of a safety belt fitting consists of a load-receiving guide rail and an anchoring element which is vertically displaceable in said rail and to which the safety belt fitting is anchored. Said anchoring element carries a load-receiving stop portion which cooperates with spring-loaded pawls which project into the linear path of movement of said rigid stop portion unless they are pressed by a release element into their release position. Said release position comprises apart from an actuating extension a blocking extension which in the actuated state of the release element projects into the path of movement of the rigid stop portion and consequently also cooperates with the pawls. Unintentional skipping of the respective next lower detent position is made impossible by this construction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 10, 1989
    Assignee: TRW Repa GmbH
    Inventors: Dieter Biller, Joachim Biller
  • Patent number: 4652012
    Abstract: Fitting for a safety belt for motor vehicles. The fitting is mounted on an adjustment element which is vertically adjustable by displacement in a guide rail secured to the vehicle and adapted to be locked to the guide rail at different vertical positions. In this manner an adaptation of the support or deflection point to the size of the vehicle occupant is possible. According to the invention the adjustment element is in connection with a spring force accumulator tensioned with respect to said element and the guide rail, by which accumulator the displacement movement to be made by hand is aided upwardly and the forces originating from the belt and the weight of the adjustment element overcome, and the displacement movement downwardly is loaded, thus compensating for the aforementioned forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1987
    Assignee: TRW Repa GmbH
    Inventors: Dieter Biller, Michael Stutz
  • Patent number: 4487454
    Abstract: Anchorage for the belt latch of a safety belt arranged in vehicles, especially motor vehicles, with a lock fitting which is connected to the height-adjustable seat. A frame fitting, relative to which the lock fitting can slide in a guide. A locking part for connecting the above-mentioned fittings upon the action of a pulling force cancels the holding force of a connecting element on the belt. The locking part designed as a rocking lever is pivoted on the one side at the height-adjustable seat and on the other side at the lock fitting. The locking part has a detent serration which in normal operation is held by the connecting element (shearing pin) at a distance from a detent element of the frame fitting and is swung, after the holding force is overcome, and is detented by the detent element forming a lock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 11, 1984
    Assignee: REPA Feinstanzwerk, GmbH
    Inventor: Dieter Biller
  • Patent number: 4208771
    Abstract: A lock for safety belts in motor vehicles having a base body with a lock latch for insertion and locking a plug-in blade and a closing and ejection spring which acts to hold the lock latch in closed position and to eject the plug-in blade upon unlocking. There is provided in the lock of the invention, a rotatably supported ejection lever in the path of insertion of the plug-in blade and movable by it, and a closing and ejection, spirally-shaped spring having one end acting on the lock latch to hold it in closed position and the other end of the spring acting on the rotatably supported ejection lever to eject the plug-in blade upon unlocking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1978
    Date of Patent: June 24, 1980
    Assignee: Repa Feinstanzwerk GmbH
    Inventor: Dieter Biller