Patents by Inventor Franz-Ulrich Brockhoff

Franz-Ulrich Brockhoff 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).

  • Publication number: 20080203758
    Abstract: The invention relates to a cabriolet vehicle (1) comprising a roof which can be stowed away in the rear of the vehicle, wherein, when the roof is closed, an area which, in the direction of travel (F), is considered as the rear roof part (7) and an area below a rear window (4) is at least partially covered by a rear-window shelf-type cover (8), said cover being lowered when the roof is opened. According to the invention, the cover (8), relative to the vehicle cross-direction, has an intermediate part (9) and lateral outer parts (10) which are folded in, when the roof is closed, relative to the intermediate part (9) into an at least approximately opposite position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2005
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: WILHELM KARMANN GMBH
    Inventor: Franz-Ulrich Brockhoff
  • Publication number: 20080197666
    Abstract: A convertible vehicle has a roof that is movable between a closed position extending over the passenger compartment and an opened position stowed in a rearward storage region. A movable cover has a closed position wherein the cover covers the rearward storage area and is movable to a first opened position to provide a passage opening for the roof and to a second opened position to provide a loading opening for baggage. A cover extension has an extended position wherein the cover extension at least partially covers an opening between the movable cover and the passenger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2006
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Inventor: Franz-Ulrich Brockhoff
  • Patent number: 7404587
    Abstract: A motor vehicle includes a roof having at least one part which can be moved as a whole between an opened position and a closed position and which, in the closed position, extends between an area near a wind shield frame and a rear rigid roof part. The rear rigid roof part includes two lateral tips which, when the roof is closed, are overlapped on their upper side by frame parts which can be moved upward to create an opening for the passage of the movable roof part. The roof has a rear window which is mounted relatively far towards the front so that the rear window is not window is not moved upwardly when the frame parts are moved upwardly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: Wilhelm Karmann GmbH
    Inventor: Franz-Ulrich Brockhoff
  • Publication number: 20070187992
    Abstract: A B-pillar segment (24) for a convertible vehicle (10) comprises a stationary lower part (30) and an upper part (28) displaceable relative to the stationary part (28), wherein the upper part (28) is insertable into the lower part (30) when the side windows (18, 20) of the vehicle (10) are opened.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2007
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Applicant: Wilhelm Karmann GmbH
    Inventor: Franz-Ulrich Brockhoff
  • Publication number: 20070187984
    Abstract: A convertible vehicle is provided with a rear windshield and a rear roof element that laterally comprises C pillars that are at least substantially located next to the rear windshield, adjoining which is at least one front roof element, arranged upstream thereof in the direction of travel when the roof is closed. In order to open the roof the rear roof element can move rearward and downward, and the front roof element can swivel toward the rear roof element. When the roof is open, the C pillars can be swiveled inward in relation to a center section comprising the windshield about axes into a position lying above the center position when the roof is open, and the axes when the roof is closed have at least one component in the direction of travel and one upwardly directed component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2005
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Applicant: WILHELM KARMANN GMBH
    Inventor: Franz-Ulrich Brockhoff
  • Publication number: 20070132271
    Abstract: In a convertible vehicle having a folding convertible top (16), whose rear side is affixed to a tensioning bow (20) laterally supported relative to the vehicle, and a rear trunk lid (14) laterally supported relative to the vehicle, wherein its front side is arranged in the vicinity of the tensioning bow in its closed state, the tensioning bow (20) can be brought into an upwardly pivoted position during the opening of the rear trunk lid (14) or when the rear trunk lid is opened, so that an opening for loading of a luggage compartment, which is arranged underneath the rear trunk lid and underneath the tensioning bow at least when the folding convertible top is closed, is enlarged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2004
    Publication date: June 14, 2007
    Inventors: Franz-Ulrich Brockhoff, Winfried Bunsmann, Siegfried Licher
  • Patent number: 7204541
    Abstract: The invention relates a motor vehicle (1) comprising a roof (2) consisting of at least one part (3) which is completely displaceable between open and closed positions. In the closed position, said part of the roof is arranged between an area near a windscreen frame (4) and the rigid rear part of the roof (5, 5a). The inventive motor vehicle is constructed in such a way that the movable part of the roof (3) is divided into several adjacent sectors (15, 16) in order to enable a reduced width to pass to a normal width and vice versa by displacing said sectors and to move between the open and closed positions thereof when the width is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: Wilhelm Karmann GmbH
    Inventor: Franz-Ulrich Brockhoff
  • Publication number: 20060279108
    Abstract: In a motor vehicle having a tail gate (10) affixed to a lateral, rear pillar of the vehicle structure by means of at least one hinge so as to be pivotable about a substantially vertical axis (A-A), a hinge part that swings out together with the tail gate is located in an area of a lateral tail light (18) of the vehicle when the tail gate (10) is closed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2006
    Publication date: December 14, 2006
    Applicant: Wilhelm Karmann GmbH
    Inventors: Franz-Ulrich Brockhoff, Winfried Bunsmann, Jochen Klein, Wolfgang Nentwig, Markus Grave
  • Publication number: 20060131919
    Abstract: The invention relates a motor vehicle (1) comprising a roof (2) consisting of at least one part (3) which is completely displaceable between open and closed positions. In the closed position, said part of the roof is arranged between an area near a windscreen frame (4) and the rigid rear part of the roof (5, 5a). The inventive motor vehicle is constructed in such a way that the movable part of the roof (3) is divided into several adjacent sectors (15, 16) in order to enable a reduced width to pass to a normal width and vice versa by displacing said sectors and to move between the open and closed positions thereof when the width is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2003
    Publication date: June 22, 2006
    Inventor: Franz-Ulrich Brockhoff
  • Publication number: 20060125281
    Abstract: Disclosed is a motor vehicle (1) comprising a roof (2) that is provided with at least one roof part (3) which is movable as a whole between an open position and a closed position. Said roof part (3) extends between an area located close to a windshield frame (4) and a rear, especially stiff roof part (5) in the closed position. The inventive motor vehicle is embodied such that the rear roof part (5) comprises two lateral tips (7) called fins which extend in the direction of the tail. Frame parts (31) which can be raised so as to unblock a passage for the movable roof part (3) engage over the top side of said lateral tips (7) when the roof (2) is closed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2003
    Publication date: June 15, 2006
    Inventor: Franz-Ulrich Brockhoff