Patents by Inventor Horst Bohm

Horst Bohm 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: 6513864
    Abstract: A vehicle roof module is proposed, consisting of a transparent roof skin, constituting the outer shell of a sandwich structure, and of an inner shell of the sandwich structure, the special feature thereof being that the inner shell is molded in the manner of a frame and is provided only in the edge area of the outer shell, thereby forming a panoramic transparent surface, a sun-blind being arranged beneath the transparent surface, which is held on the inner shell by elements foamed into the frame-type inner shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: ArvinMeritor GmbH
    Inventors: Horst Böhm, Thomas Becher, Rainer Grimm
  • Patent number: 6499797
    Abstract: A sandwich structure includes a deep-drawn outer skin and a plastic layer foamed onto the inner side of the outer skin. The plastic layer provides a decorative plastic film on its upper surface and a frame at its outer edge. An encircling canting about the plastic layer retains a sheathing that is provided over the entire flat area of the outer skin to increase the modulus of elasticity of the plastic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2002
    Assignee: Meritor Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Horst Böhm, Thomas Becher, Rainer Grimm
  • Patent number: 6491341
    Abstract: A composite assembly unit for closing an aperture in a vehicle body, in particular a glass cover for a sliding roof, comprises a flat base body, preferably a glass or plastic pane, having an outside face and an inside face, and a seal for sealing a gap between the composite assembly unit and the vehicle body. The seal has a sealing section and a fixing section, and being attached to the base body by means of plastic foam. The fixing section of the seal is pressed under elastic deformation by the plastic foam against the inside face of the base body so that the sealing section of the seal terminates substantially flush with the outside face of the base body. The result is a composite assembly unit in which a defined, in particular flush, relative position between the flat base body and the seal can be guaranteed in a simple way. A method and an apparatus for producing such a composite assembly unit in a simple way is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2002
    Assignee: ArvinMeritor GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Grimm, Horst Böhm
  • Publication number: 20020125743
    Abstract: A retractable roof for vehicles having at least one cover panel, selectively closing a roof opening. The cover panel can be displaced above the roof skin along guides which have extensions that extend beyond the rear edge of the roof opening. These extensions extend essentially below the roof skin of the fixed roof area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2001
    Publication date: September 12, 2002
    Applicant: Meritor Automotive GMBH
    Inventors: Horst Bohm, Rainer Grimm
  • Publication number: 20020113466
    Abstract: Assembly as an installation element for a vehicle body, in particular as a cover for a motor vehicle sliding roof, which consists of an outer plate or cover plate preferably injection-molded from a polycarbonate, and a supporting structure for this to which the plate/cover plate is connected in a particular manner at several fixing points. As the supporting structure is formed from a material which has a co-efficient of expansion different from that of polycarbonate, at the fixing points are arranged special connecting elements which, with simple design, allow stress-compensating, direction-defined and essentially free relative movements between the supporting structure and the plate/cover plate but nonetheless hold these two components firmly and reliably together under all operating conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2002
    Publication date: August 22, 2002
    Inventors: Horst Bohm, Rainer Grimm
  • Publication number: 20020105210
    Abstract: A composite assembly unit for closing an aperture in a vehicle body, in particular a glass cover for a sliding roof, comprises a flat base body, preferably a glass or plastic pane, having an outside face and an inside face, and a seal for sealing a gap between the composite assembly unit and the vehicle body. The seal has a sealing section and a fixing section, and being attached to the base body by means of plastic foam. The fixing section of the seal is pressed under elastic deformation by the plastic foam against the inside face of the base body so that the sealing section of the seal terminates substantially flush with the outside face of the base body. The result is a composite assembly unit in which a defined, in particular flush, relative position between the flat base body and the seal can be guaranteed in a simple way. A method and an apparatus for producing such a composite assembly unit in a simple way is also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2001
    Publication date: August 8, 2002
    Inventors: Rainer Grimm, Horst Bohm
  • Patent number: 6419134
    Abstract: A device for a detachable fastening of a load carrier (10) on a vehicle, in particular a roof rack, is disclosed, which has a carrier frame (18), on which two retaining elements (20, 22) are fitted, which are relatively mobile to one another when the load carrier (10) is in unfastened condition. When the load carrier (10) is in fastened condition the retaining elements (20, 22) engage in a gap (24) between a body frame on the vehicle side (26) and a flat body part (12) attached to this, where they interlock on a fastening element (28) on the body frame (26). The result is that the load carrier (10) can be fastened to the vehicle easily and securely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: Meritor Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Grimm, Horst Böhm
  • Patent number: 6409258
    Abstract: A vehicle roof module (2) with integral sunroof unit for mounting on a bodywork frame (16) is proposed, in which the sunroof frame (5) is attached to the inner shell (11) at a plurality of spaced points distributed around the roof opening (3) of the sunroof unit by means of elements (21) provided only at these points and connected firmly therewith. The inner shell (11) may be attached to the bodywork frame (16) in the same way as the sunroof frame (5) is attached to the inner shell (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Meritor Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Grimm, Horst Böhm
  • Patent number: 6409260
    Abstract: The invention relates to an adjusting device for a sunroof (11) of a vehicle. Said sunroof (11) is provided with at least two lamellae (12A, 12B, 12C). The roof opening (14) which is to be closed is defined by a base component (13) that is fixedly mounted to the vehicle and that has opposing side parts (18). The adjusting device comprises lamellae support elements (20A, 20B, 20C), a lamellae carrier slide (30A, 30B, 30C) and control means (26A, 28A; 26B, 28B; 26C, 28C). A drive slide (29) is provided which is displaceably arranged in the guiding element (32) in front of the lamellae carrier slide (30A, 30B, 30C). Pivoting means and coupling means are provided for pivoting a lamella and for connecting and separating two slides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Meritor Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Horst Bohm, Rainer Grimm
  • Patent number: 6390541
    Abstract: A sun visor arrangement is proposed whose bearing elements, consisting of a swivel/rotary bearing and a removable swivel bearing, are foamed into or onto an inner shell, formed from a foamed plastics material, of a motor vehicle roof module with their component parts on the roof side at the same time as the inner shell is foam molded, so that the sun visors can be preassembled at the inner shell of the roof module, wherein the swivel/rotary bearing is constructed for fastening the sun visors and the inner shell to a body frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Meritor Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Grimm, Horst Böhm
  • Patent number: 6367871
    Abstract: A roof module for a motor vehicle, with an inner shell molded out of plastic foam which, in the vicinity of its support on the body framework, is divided into an upper layer which can be supported on the body framework and a lower layer that serves to line the body framework. Sun visors and handholds are pre-assembled on the lower layer. In order to improve and simplify assembly of the roof module on the vehicle body, it is envisaged that the upper layer, and thus the roof module as a whole, can be securely fixed to the body framework using just the fixing screws for the sun visors and the handholds. Preferably, captive fixing screws on the bearing elements of the sun visors and the handholds should also be able to be pre-assembled on the lower layer of the inner shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Meritor Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Grimm, Horst Böhm
  • Patent number: 6367872
    Abstract: A vehicle roof includes a preformed inner shell forming the roof lining. The lining is larger than the inside dimensions of the body opening bounded by the rails or sections of the closed body frame. The roof lining is flexible or elastic on the protruding areas, so that it is bendable for passage through the body opening bordered by the vehicle frame, with partial folding in the corner areas downward without permanent deformation and is designed to cover the vehicle frame. The protruding areas of the roof lining therefore form the coverings for the roof frame sections so that additional cover strips and cover sections are not required, even in the corners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Meritor Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Horst Böhm, Rainer Grimm, Thomas Becher
  • Publication number: 20020021029
    Abstract: A vehicle roof module is proposed, consisting of a transparent roof skin, constituting the outer shell of a sandwich structure, and of an inner shell of the sandwich structure, the special feature thereof being that the inner shell is molded in the manner of a frame and is provided only in the edge area of the outer shell, thereby forming a panoramic transparent surface, a sun-blind being arranged beneath the transparent surface, which is held on the inner shell by means of elements foamed into the frame-type inner shell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2001
    Publication date: February 21, 2002
    Inventors: Horst Bohm, Thomas Becher, Rainer Grimm
  • Publication number: 20020021019
    Abstract: A subassembly element in the form of an intermediate product for a multipart cover element for motor vehicles contains at least two subassembly parts, e.g., for a multipart sunroof or sliding roof cover or for a multipart loading zone or cargo space cover, containing edge regions on the adjacent edges of the subassembly parts which are correspondingly shaped such that they had least partially overlap in the closed position. All subassembly parts are present in the form of one connected-together part and are shaped in accordance with the predetermined contour of the cover element. A channel-shaped depression is arranged at least in the outer side of the subassembly element in the edge region in which two respective subassembly parts adjoin one another. The contour of the channel-shaped depression is comprised of the desired contours of the edge regions of adjacent subassembly parts of the respective cover element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2001
    Publication date: February 21, 2002
    Inventors: Horst Bohm, Rainer Grimm
  • Publication number: 20010050498
    Abstract: A sun visor arrangement is proposed whose bearing elements, consisting of a swivel/rotary bearing and a removable swivel bearing, are foamed into or onto an inner shell, formed from a foamed plastics material, of a motor vehicle roof module with their component parts on the roof side at the same time as the inner shell is foam molded, so that the sun visors can be preassembled at the inner shell of the roof module, wherein the swivel/rotary bearing is constructed for fastening the sun visors and the inner shell to a body frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2000
    Publication date: December 13, 2001
    Inventors: Rainer Grimm, Horst Bohm
  • Patent number: 6318797
    Abstract: For a motor vehicle roof module, preferably of sandwich construction comprising a rigid roof skin and an inner shell of PUR plastic applied as a foam to its inner surface, it is proposed to form recesses in the single layer area of the inner shell when applying the foam, in which functional components, such as loudspeakers, can be placed without a housing and can be secured by catches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: Meritor Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Horst Böhm, Thomas Becher, Rainer Grimm
  • Publication number: 20010003400
    Abstract: A roof module for a motor vehicle, with an inner shell molded out of plastic foam which, in the vicinity of its support on the body framework, is divided into an upper layer which can be supported on the body framework and a lower layer that serves to line the body framework. Sun visors and handholds are pre-assembled on the lower layer. In order to improve and simplify assembly of the roof module on the vehicle body, it is envisaged that the upper layer, and thus the roof module as a whole, can be securely fixed to the body framework using just the fixing screws for the sun visors and the handholds. Preferably, captive fixing screws on the bearing elements of the sun visors and the handholds should also be able to be pre-assembled on the lower layer of the inner shell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2000
    Publication date: June 14, 2001
    Inventors: Rainer Grimm, Horst Bohm
  • Patent number: 6179373
    Abstract: In a sun blind for a vehicle roof a sun blind is situated below a panel which is displaceably associated with a roof opening, this blind, when not in use, automatically being wound up on a spool (9) which is mounted roof-side. The blind sheet (8) of the sun blind is guided in a sliding manner using its side edges along guide rails (15) attached laterally in the roof opening. The guide rails (15) and the side edges of the blind sheet (8) are formed in such a manner and engage with one another such that the side edges can be slid easily in the guide rails in the course of opening and closing movements of the sun blind, but cannot be pulled out of the guide rails in a transverse direction to the direction of movement of the blind, whereby the edge areas of the blind sheet are secured against fluttering and vibration movements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: Meritor Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Horst Bohm, Thomas Becher, Rainer Grimm
  • Patent number: 5409290
    Abstract: In a glass lid (1) for a vehicle roof opening, the glass pane (2) is provided in its edge zone all around with a cast-on or foamed-on plastics border (3). At least at the longer sides of the glass pane (2), curved correspondingly to the roof curvature, stiffening profiles (4, 5) of steel, supporting the glass pane from below, are embedded into the border (3). The stiffening profiles (4, 5) have, before embedding, a curvature different from that of the glass pane and, in the completed lid (1), are elastically bent corresponding to the curvature of the glass pane so that they are embedded with prestress in the border (3), in order to counteract uplift forces acting upon the lid (1) while the vehicle is travelling, in the sense of maintaining the shape of the lid (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1995
    Assignee: Rockwell Golde GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Grimm, Horst Bohm
  • Patent number: 5203605
    Abstract: In a folding roof for an automobile, a front hood bar is moved by entraining elements driven by cables, which entraining elements can travel in curved transitions of lateral guide rails and simultaneously in curved control slits of control plates, slidable transversely on the front hood bar. The control slits run partly ascending towards the closure position, in order to create a downward displacement of the front hood bar as the roof is closed and an upward displacement of the hood bar as the roof is opened. The closing of the roof takes place with a continually decreasing speed of movement and continually increasing closure force, without any noticeable feedback effect upon the actuating force to be applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1993
    Assignees: Rockwell Golde GmbH, Rockwell Golde GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Grimm, Horst Bohm