Patents by Inventor Horst Brackmann
Horst Brackmann 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: 6824177Abstract: A motor-vehicle door latch has a latch mechanism, a locking lever movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, a motor drive, and a blocking lever engageable with the locking lever. The locking lever can be decoupled from the blocking lever during fast unlocking so that the locking lever can move into its unlocked position. A spring-loaded force-transmitting lever is coupled to the drive so as to, when displaced thereby in one direction, entrain the locking lever for fast unlocking and so as to, when displaced by the drive in an opposite direction, deflect.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2002Date of Patent: November 30, 2004Assignee: Kiekert AGInventors: Ulrich Nass, Alexander Buschmann, Andreas Beck, Dominik Scholz, Horst Brackmann
-
Patent number: 6375234Abstract: A latch is mounted between the inside and outside of a motor-vehicle door provided with a plurality of actuating elements and respective links extending from the elements and each having a respective movable part. The latch has latching and locking mechanism, a closed housing enclosing the mechanism and formed with a respective openings receiving free ends of the links, and seals in the openings engaged hermetically around the link free ends. The free ends are connected inside the housing to the mechanism. The housing includes a pair of housing parts that are hermetically joined to each other and the mechanism includes locking and latching elements received in the respective parts. The holes are all formed in one of the parts.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2000Date of Patent: April 23, 2002Assignee: Kiekert AGInventors: Horst Brackmann, Frank Kleefeldt, Volker Westerwick
-
Patent number: 5961163Abstract: A motor-vehicle door latch has a latching fork and a release pawl engageable with the fork and pivotal between a latched position retaining the fork in a latched position engaged around a bolt and an unlatched position in which the fork can release the bolt. A coupling lever is pivotal between a coupling position connecting an actuating lever to the release pawl for actuation of the release pawl by the actuating lever and a decoupling position in which movement of the actuating lever does not move the release pawl. An inside locking lever pivotal between a locked and unlocked position is connected by a coupling to a central-locking lever also pivotal for joint synchronous pivoting thereof. A spring engaged between the locking lever and the coupling lever normally moves the coupling lever into its decoupling position on movement of the locking lever into its locked position.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 1997Date of Patent: October 5, 1999Assignee: Kiekert AGInventors: Horst Brackmann, Klaus Feist, Armin Handke, Rainer Kipka
-
Patent number: 5921595Abstract: A motor-vehicle door latch has a housing, a latching fork pivotal on the housing, and a release pawl pivotal on the housing between a latched position retaining the fork in a latched position engaged around a bolt and securing a motor-vehicle door closed and an unlatched position in which the fork can release the bolt and allow the door to open. An inside door handle can move between a center rest position, an end open position, and an end lock position. A bowden cable has a sheath fixed to the housing and a core having a pair of ends one of which is attached to the handle for displacement of another end of the core jointly with the door handle. A locking lever can pivot between a locked position and an unlocked position.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 1997Date of Patent: July 13, 1999Assignee: Kiekert AGInventors: Horst Brackmann, Michael Strathmann
-
Patent number: 5868444Abstract: A latch has a bolt mounted a trunk lid, a housing mounted on a motor-vehicle body and having a notch in which the bolt is receivable, and a fork pivotal on the housing about a main axis and displaceable between a closed and an open position. A plate pivoted on the housing at the main axis carries a pawl pivoted on the plate about a pawl axis offset from the main axis and displaceable between a holding position engaging the fork and, in the locked position of same, retaining the fork in the locked position and a releasing position clear of the fork and permitting same to pivot freely. An opening lever pivotal on the plate about a lever axis offset from the main axis is engageable with the pawl and formed with an actuating formation engageable with a formation of a link member displaceable relative to the housing.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 1997Date of Patent: February 9, 1999Assignee: Kiekert AGInventors: Horst Brackmann, Bernhard Funk
-
Patent number: 5853206Abstract: A motor-vehicle door latch has a housing and a locking mechanism in the housing having an inside locking lever displaceable between a locked position in which the latch is locked and an unlocked position in which the latch is unlocked. An output element rotatable about an axis on the housing is formed with a spiral main groove having a pair of ends and with a transverse connecting groove extending between the ends. A pin mounted directly on the locking lever rides directly in the spiral groove. A reversible electric motor can rotate the output element so that the pin travels between the ends of the spiral groove for displacing the locking lever into the locked position when the pin engages one of the groove ends and for displacing the locking lever into the unlocked position when the pin engages the other of the groove ends. A locking element connected to the inside locking lever displaces same manually between its positions with movement of the pin along the connecting groove between the spiral groove ends.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 1996Date of Patent: December 29, 1998Assignee: Kiekert AktiengesellschaftInventors: Frank Kleefeldt, Peter Bartel, Horst Brackmann, Theodor Menke
-
Patent number: 5810423Abstract: A motor vehicle has a body, a door movable on the body between an open and a closed position. and a body-mounted roof channel fixedly mounted on the body adjacent and above the door. A window is displaceable in the door between a down position below and clear of the channel and an up position fitting in the closed position of the door in the roof channel. A drive including a motor in the door displaces the window between its up and down positions. A latch has a bolt on the frame, a retaining element on the door engageable in the closed position of the door with the bolt and movable between a latched position capturing the bolt and retaining the door in the closed position and an unlatched position releasing the bolt and allowing the door to moved between the closed and open positions, and a mechanism in the door coupled to the retaining element and displaceable between an actuated position freeing the element to move into the freeing position and an unactuated position.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 1996Date of Patent: September 22, 1998Assignee: Kiekert AGInventors: Horst Brackmann, Kurt Raffelsiefer, Clemens Tantow
-
Patent number: 5667263Abstract: A motor-vehicle door latch has a housing and a locking mechanism in the housing having an inside locking lever displaceable between a locked position in which the latch is locked and unlocked position in which the latch is unlocked. An output element rotatable about an axis on the housing is formed with a spiral main groove having a pair of ends and with a transverse connecting groove extending between the ends. A pin mounted directly on the locking lever rides directly in the spiral groove. A reversible electric motor can rotate the output element so that the pin travels between the ends of the spiral groove for displacing the locking lever into the locked position when the pin engages one of the groove ends and for displacing the locking lever into the unlocked position when the pin engages the other of the groove ends. A locking element connected to the inside locking lever displaces same manually between its positions with movement of the pin along the connecting groove between the spiral groove ends.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 1995Date of Patent: September 16, 1997Assignee: Kiekert AktiengesellshaftInventors: Frank Kleefeldt, Peter Bartel, Horst Brackmann, Theodor Menke
-
Patent number: 5653484Abstract: A motor-vehicle door latch has a pivotal latching fork, a release pawl engageable with the fork and displaceable between latched and unlatched positions, and a release lever engageable with the pawl for displacing same between its positions and formed with an elongated slot. An outside actuating lever is provided with an entrainment nose aligned with an end of the release-lever slot. Separate inside and outside locking levers are coupled via a spring to a main locking lever displaceable by the inside and outside levers between a locked and an unlocked position. A link lever pivoted on the main locking lever carries a coupling pin projecting through the slot and engageable with the entrainment nose in the unlocked position of the main locking lever and unengageable with the entrainment nose in the locked position of the main locking lever.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 1996Date of Patent: August 5, 1997Assignee: Kiekert AGInventors: Horst Brackmann, Rainer Kipka
-
Patent number: 5474340Abstract: A motor-vehicle door latch has a latch fork pivotal on a housing between a holding position in which it is adapted to retain a door of the vehicle closed and a releasing position in which it allows the vehicle door to be opened. A latch pawl is pivotal on the housing between a retaining position engaging the fork and retaining it in the holding position and a freeing position out of engagement with the fork and permitting it to move into the releasing position. A door handle and lock mechanism in the housing are connected to the pawl for moving the pawl into the freeing position on actuation of the handle. A locking lever connected to the mechanism is displaceable between a locked position in which it disconnects the mechanism from the pawl and prevents the mechanism from moving the pawl into the freeing position and an unlocked position in which it permits the mechanism to move the pawl into the freeing position.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 1993Date of Patent: December 12, 1995Assignee: Kiekert GmbH & Co. KGInventors: Horst Brackmann, Rainer Kipka
-
Patent number: 5419597Abstract: A motor-vehicle door latch has inside and outside locking elements and an actuator having an electric motor having a threaded output spindle and a drive nut threaded directly on the spindle and displaceable by the motor between unlocked, locked, and antitheft positions. An inside lever assembly includes a first inside lever pivoted on the housing and connected directly to the inside locking element for displacement jointly with the inside locking element between locked and unlocked positions and a second inside lever pivoted on the first inside lever and coupled to the actuator drive nut for pivotal displacement jointly therewith between unlocked, locked, and antitheft positions. A spring braced between the first and second levers urges abutments on them into engagement with each other so that when the abutments are spaced apart the spring is loaded.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 1994Date of Patent: May 30, 1995Assignee: Kiekert GmbH & Co. KGInventors: Horst Brackmann, Peter Bartel, Frank Kleefeldt
-
Patent number: 5074603Abstract: A motor-vehicle door latch for securing together two relatively movable body parts has a housing mounted on one of the parts, a bolt mounted on the other part and engageable in the housing, a fork pivotal in the housing between a locked position engaging around the bolt when therein and an unlocked position permitting the bolt to enter and exit the housing, a pawl pivotal in the housing between a holding position retaining the fork in the locked position and a freeing position permitting the fork to move between its positions, and an actuating lever engageable with the pawl and pivotal in the housing between a holding position holding the pawl in its freeing position and a freeing position in which it does not impede movement of the pawl between its position. A position-holding element engageable in the housing with the lever is movable between a blocking position preventing movement of the lever of the freeing position and an unblocking position permitting movement of the lever between its positions.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 1990Date of Patent: December 24, 1991Assignee: Kiekert GmbH & Co. KGInventor: Horst Brackmann
-
Patent number: 5071179Abstract: A motor-vehicle door latch for mounting in a door having an outside panel has a housing fixed in the door, a latching fork pivotal in the housing, and a latching pawl pivotal in the housing and engageable with the fork. An outside door handle is displaceable on the outside door panel between an outer actuating position and an inner rest position. A linkage includes an outside-handle lever coupled to the outside door handle and movable thereby, a latch lever pivoted on the outside-handle lever and engageable with the pawl to operate same and release the fork, and a releasable coupler including a bolt for coupling the outside-handle and latch levers together for joint pivoting and for decoupling them for relative pivoting. Thus when these levers are decoupled the outside-handle lever can move between an operating position and an installation position.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 1990Date of Patent: December 10, 1991Assignee: Kiekert GmbH & Co. KommanditgesellschaftInventor: Horst Brackmann
-
Patent number: 4911488Abstract: A motor-vehicle door-latch assembly for securing a door to a doorpost invention has a latch fork pivoted on the door, a support mounted on a doorpost, and a bolt projecting from the support and engageable by the fork to retain the door against the doorpost. An electric switch mounted on the support adjacent the bolt is operated by an actuating element engageable by the fork on closing of the door to actuate the switch. Thus the switch can be tucked out of the way inside the post-mounted bolt assembly where it is not exposed to the elements. In addition according to this invention the fork has a curved camming edge which slides over the actuating element. As a result the switch is actuated gently even if the door is slammed, since the camming edge, which typically extends as a spiral centered on the rotation axis of the fork, can reduce a substantial travel of the door to a small travel of the actuating element.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 1988Date of Patent: March 27, 1990Assignee: Kiekert GMBH & Co. KommanditgesellschaftInventors: Horst Brackmann, Peter Barte
-
Patent number: 4837567Abstract: A security system has a key including a transmitter for emitting a coded signal and a receiver for the signal and connected to a latch of the vehicle for unlocking a door secured by the latch only when the coded signal is received. A column bolt is displaceable in a housing fixed around the steering column between a locking position preventing the column from rotating and a freeing position. A barrel rotatable in the housing is formed with an axially open pocket generally complementary to the key. A switch is actuatable in one end position of the barrel for starting the vehicle and a locking pin is displaceable in the barrel and engageable into the pocket and into a lateral recess of the key when same is fitted in the pocket. A lever can engage in the recess of the barrel in the other of the end positions and can also engage in this other end position with the pin to push same into the pocket and into the recess of the key therein.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 1987Date of Patent: June 6, 1989Assignee: Kiekert GmbH & Co. KommanditgesellschaftInventors: Frank Kleefeldt, Horst Brackmann, Peter Bartel
-
Patent number: 4357815Abstract: A lock assembly has a tubular secondary lock housing having an inner wall generally centered on an axis and formed with an axially extending and inwardly open groove. A core plug is rotatable in this housing and has a central axially extending and open key-receiving passage. Axially spaced tumblers are exposed at this passage in the plug and are diametrally displaceable therein along a diametral plane between outer positions projecting radially beyond the outer surface and inner positions lying radially within the outer surface. These tumblers are only displaceable into the outer positions when they are radially aligned with the groove and when they are in the outer position and engaged in the groove they block the core from rotating in the housing. The tumblers have respective control edges subdivided at the diametral plane into first edge regions and second edge regions which are out of line with each other.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 1980Date of Patent: November 9, 1982Assignee: Kiekert GmbH & Co. KommanditgesellschaftInventors: Frank Kleefeldt, Horst Brackmann
-
Patent number: 4320639Abstract: A tubular lock housing receives a core plug which is rotatable in the housing about an axis between a pair of angularly offset unlock and antitheft positions and through an intermediate lock position. Pluralities of first and second tumblers are exposed at the key-receiving passage of the plug and are diametrally displaceable therein between outer positions lying radially within the outer surface of the core. Differently bitted first and second keys are engageable in the key-receiving passage with the respective tumblers to displace them into the inner positions. At least one inwardly open first recess is formed in the inner wall of the tubular lock housing in radial alignment with the first tumblers only in one end position of the plug, so that these tumblers engage in the first recess when in the outer positions and thereby prevent angular displacement of the plug from the unlocked position.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 1980Date of Patent: March 23, 1982Assignee: Kiekert GmbH & Co. KommanditgesellschaftInventors: Frank Kleefeldt, Horst Brackmann