Patents by Inventor Julian KNÖPFLE
Julian KNÖPFLE 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).
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Publication number: 20250121660Abstract: An assembly for moving a vehicle roof cover having a deployment element having a twistable spring steel element that extends in an elongate manner along a longitudinal axis, wherein the spring steel element is coupleable, at a first end to a mechanical component, wherein the mechanical component is coupleable to the cover, a radially protruding locking protrusion is arranged at a second end of the spring steel element, the locking protrusion is rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the spring steel element, by the spring steel element being twisted, to be moved between a first state and a second state, wherein the spring steel element is displaceable in the longitudinal direction relative to a guide rail of the assembly in the first state and is locked so as to be unable to move in the longitudinal direction relative to the guide rail in the second state.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 7, 2023Publication date: April 17, 2025Inventors: Julian KNÖPFLE, Richard SEIDL
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Publication number: 20250100355Abstract: An assembly for moving a cover for a vehicle roof has —a guide rail which extends in a longitudinal direction, —a slotted-guide housing which has a slotted-guide portion that extends in an elongate manner in the longitudinal direction, wherein a locking slotted guide is formed in the slotted-guide portion, wherein the locking slotted guide has a helical shape, —a deployment element having a radially protruding locking protrusion which cooperates with the locking slotted guide in order to rotate the locking protrusion about the longitudinal direction during operation, wherein—the slotted-guide housing has a radially protruding region and the guide rail has a recess, and the protruding region is arranged in the recess in an assembled state.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 7, 2023Publication date: March 27, 2025Inventors: Julian KNÖPFLE, Maciej KACZMAREK
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Patent number: 12202403Abstract: A vehicle window pane includes a light guide layer and a lighting device which introduces light from a lamp into the light guide layer via a light-incoupling unit arranged on the light guide layer. The lamp is mounted on a support plate and a fastening device keeps the support plate fixed in such a position on the light-incoupling unit in which the lamp is correctly positioned to radiate light into the light-incoupling unit. The fastening device comprises at least one fastening dome which protrudes from the light-incoupling unit and projects into a fastening cutout in the support plate. The substantially deformation-resistant support plate comprises at least one soft region which delimits the fastening cutout. A spreading portion of the fastening dome spreads the fastening cutout by elastically deforming the soft region.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2024Date of Patent: January 21, 2025Assignee: Webasto SEInventor: Julian Knöpfle
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Patent number: 12162336Abstract: A vehicle roof has a roof opening system comprising a lid element displaceable between a closed and open position displacement kinematics for displacing the lid, each of the displacement kinematics comprising a guide rail, a first and second kinematic unit guided in a guide rail, and a set of drive cables for the kinematic units, the second kinematic unit comprising a tilting lever, to which a gliding element is pivotably connected on which a guide track of a lid carrier of the lid element is guided when the lid element is displaced. The first kinematic unit is driven via a first drive cable by a first drive motor and the second kinematic unit has a control rod which is hinged to the tilting lever and to a drive slide which is driven via a second drive cable by a second drive motor.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2020Date of Patent: December 10, 2024Assignee: WEBASTO SEInventor: Julian Knöpfle
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Publication number: 20240300218Abstract: A vehicle window pane includes a light guide layer and a lighting device which introduces light from a lamp into the light guide layer via a light-incoupling unit arranged on the light guide layer. The lamp is mounted on a support plate and a fastening device keeps the support plate positioned in such a position on the light-incoupling unit in which the lamp is correctly positioned to radiate light into the light-incoupling unit. A covering which covers the support plate is provided. The covering is kept in its covering position on the vehicle window pane by means of a holding device, and the covering comprises a pressing unit, which preloads the support plate against the light-incoupling unit, on its inner side that faces the support plate.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 6, 2024Publication date: September 12, 2024Inventor: Julian KNÖPFLE
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Publication number: 20240300409Abstract: A vehicle window pane includes a light guide layer and a lighting device which introduces light from a lamp into the light guide layer via a light-incoupling unit arranged on the light guide layer. The lamp is mounted on a support plate and a fastening device keeps the support plate fixed in such a position on the light-incoupling unit in which the lamp is correctly positioned to radiate light into the light-incoupling unit. The fastening device comprises at least one fastening dome which protrudes from the light-incoupling unit and projects into a fastening cutout in the support plate. The substantially deformation-resistant support plate comprises at least one soft region which delimits the fastening cutout. A spreading portion of the fastening dome spreads the fastening cutout by elastically deforming the soft region.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 6, 2024Publication date: September 12, 2024Inventor: Julian KNÖPFLE
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Publication number: 20240239161Abstract: A fixed roof element for a vehicle roof, said fixed roof element having a panel to the underside of which at least one guide rail of a shading system is joined via a plastic moulded portion. The plastic moulded portion receives a clamping unit, which keeps the guide rail at the panel and which is formed by at least one insert part of the plastic moulded portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 30, 2022Publication date: July 18, 2024Inventors: Ulrich SCHREIBER, Julian KNÖPFLE, Ludwig STIGLER, Johann LANG, Maciej KACZMAREK, Moritz PRADELLA, Eva HUTTNER
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Publication number: 20240010058Abstract: An assembly for a vehicle roof having a cover for forming a deployable for the roof, and an inner cover panel which is coupled to the cover. The assembly also has a cover frame configured for coupling the cover to a roof bodywork of the motor vehicle. The assembly also has a cover receiving unit configured for receiving the cover and coupling it to the cover frame; and a tilt mechanism which is coupled firstly to the inner cover panel and secondly to the cover frame, and which is configured for moving the cover between a first retracted position and a second deployed position. The assembly moreover has an electric drive unit coupled directly to the tilt mechanism so that the cover can be electrically moved between the first and second position by the tilt mechanism and the drive unit without the use of the drive cable.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 25, 2021Publication date: January 11, 2024Inventors: Ulrich SCHREIBER, Julian KNÖPFLE, Maciej KACZMAREK, Moritz PRADELLA, Johann LANG
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Publication number: 20240010059Abstract: An assembly for a vehicle roof has a deployable cover, a cover inside panel coupled to the cover and a cover frame configured to couple the cover to a roof of a vehicle. The assembly has a cover receptacle unit having a receptacle element with a receptacle opening and an insertion element, the insertion element and receptacle opening designed to match one another. One receptacle element and insertion element in terms of a longitudinal axis of the vehicle roof is coupled to the cover frame on a front cross strut of the latter and the other receptacle element and insertion element is coupled to the cover inside panel, so that the cover by inserting the insertion element into the receptacle opening can be coupled to the cover frame and an operationally ready state of the assembly is able to be configured on the front cross strut of the cover frame.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 13, 2021Publication date: January 11, 2024Inventors: Julian KNÖPFLE, Ulrich SCHREIBER, Maciej KACZMAREK, Moritz PRADELLA, Johann LANG
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Publication number: 20230406080Abstract: An assembly for vehicle roof has a deployable cover, a cover inside panel which is coupled to the cover, and a cover frame configured to couple the cover to the roof. The assembly has a cover receptacle unit to receive the cover and to couple the latter to the cover frame, and a cover centering unit with a centering lever and lever receptacle, configured to match one another. One centering lever and lever receptacle is coupled to the cover frame on a lateral longitudinal strut of the latter. The other of centering lever and lever receptacle is coupled to the cover inside panel so that the cover can be coupled to the cover frame by the cover receptacle unit and by inserting the centering lever is able to be centered in the lever receptacle in relation to a plane of main extent of the cover relative to the cover frame.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 21, 2021Publication date: December 21, 2023Inventors: Julian KNÖPFLE, Ulrich SCHREIBER, Maciej KACZMAREK, Moritz PRADELLA, Johann LANG
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Publication number: 20230406081Abstract: A cover system for a vehicle roof has a deployable and retractable first cover with a predefined stiffness and a fixed second cover with a predefined stiffness. The cover system has a cover frame coupled to the two covers. The cover system has a cross strut with a stiffness of predefined configuration. The cross strut is coupled to the cover frame on opposite sides and is disposed between a rear edge of the first cover and a front edge of the second cover. The cover system has a reinforcement assembly having a U-shaped reinforcement frame coupled to the first cover, the reinforcement frame and the stiffnesses of the two covers and the cross strut configured to be mutually adapted such that a movement of the covers in the vertical direction is permitted within a predefined tolerance range.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 2, 2021Publication date: December 21, 2023Inventors: Ulrich SCHREIBER, Julian KNÖPFLE, Maciej KACZMAREK, Moritz PRADELLA, Johann LANG
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Publication number: 20230406075Abstract: An assembly for a vehicle roof has a cover, a cover inside panel and a cover frame to couple the cover to the roof body. The assembly has a cover receptacle unit and a tilting mechanism having a deployment lever, a sliding guide and a slotted guide. The deployment lever is pivotably coupled to the sliding guide and pivotably coupled to the cover inside panel and having first and second pivot axis. The sliding guide by the slotted guide is coupled to the cover frame so the cover by the tilting mechanism is adjustable between a retracted and deployed position. The tilting mechanism is configured that the second pivot axis is fixed in position relative to the cover, and the first pivot axis when transferring the cover from the first to second position is displaceable, and when reaching the second position is fixed in position relative to the sliding guide.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 2, 2021Publication date: December 21, 2023Inventors: Julian KNÖPFLE, Ulrich SCHREIBER, Maciej KACZMAREK, Moritz PRADELLA, Johann LANG
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Publication number: 20230391175Abstract: An assembly for sealing an intermediate space between two covers for a vehicle roof has a cover frame which is configured to couple a deployable and retractable first cover and a fixed second cover to a roof body of the motor vehicle, and a cover seal which is configured to seal a space between the first cover and the cover frame. The assembly furthermore has an adhesive track which is configured to couple the second cover to the cover frame, and a cross strut which in terms of a longitudinal axis of the vehicle roof is coupled to the cover frame on opposite sides. The assembly further has a respective permanently plastic sealant element, which is disposed in a respective peripheral region of the cross strut and is coupled in a sealing manner to the latter and to the cover frame, the cover seal and the adhesive track.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 13, 2021Publication date: December 7, 2023Inventors: Ulrich SCHREIBER, Julian KNÖPFLE, Maciej KACZMAREK, Moritz PRADELLA, Johann LANG
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Publication number: 20230030114Abstract: A vehicle roof has a roof opening system comprising a lid element displaceable between a closed and open position displacement kinematics for displacing the lid, each of the displacement kinematics comprising a guide rail, a first and second kinematic unit guided in a guide rail, and a set of drive cables for the kinematic units, the second kinematic unit comprising a tilting lever, to which a gliding element is pivotably connected on which a guide track of a lid carrier of the lid element is guided when the lid element is displaced. The first kinematic unit is driven via a first drive cable by a first drive motor and the second kinematic unit has a control rod which is hinged to the tilting lever and to a drive slide which is driven via a second drive cable by a second drive motor.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 2, 2020Publication date: February 2, 2023Inventor: Julian Knöpfle
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Publication number: 20230008758Abstract: A vehicle roof having a roof opening system having a cover element which is displaceable between a closed position, in which a roof opening is closed, and an open position, in which the roof opening is open; displacement kinematics for displacing the cover element on either side of a vertical longitudinal center roof plane, each displacement kinematics may have a guide rail, a first kinematic unit guided in the guide rail, and a second kinematic unit guided in the guide rail; and a set of drive cables for the two kinematic units, the first kinematic unit may have a first deploying lever which is adjustable between a raised position and a lowered position, and the second kinematic unit may have a second deploying lever. The first kinematic unit has a securing slide which is guided in the guide rail and secures the first deploying lever in its lowered position.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 9, 2021Publication date: January 12, 2023Inventor: Julian KNÖPFLE
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Patent number: 11485205Abstract: A vehicle having a roof opening system having a lid element displaceable between a closed and opened position, displacement kinematics for displacing the lid element which are disposed on either side of a vertical longitudinal roof plane, each of the displacement kinematics having a guide rail, a front kinematic unit guided in the guide rail and a rear kinematic unit disposed in the guide rail, and a set of drive cables for the two kinematic units. The guide rail may have a first cable duct section for a first drive cable of the set of drive cables, the first drive cable being driven by a first drive motor and driving the front kinematic unit, and a second cable duct section for a second drive cable of the set of drive cables, the second drive cable being driven by a second drive motor and driving the rear kinematic unit.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2019Date of Patent: November 1, 2022Assignee: WEBASTO SEInventors: Julian Knoepfle, Engelbert Hirschvogel
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Publication number: 20210370749Abstract: A vehicle having a roof opening system having a lid element displaceable between a closed and opened position, displacement kinematics for displacing the lid element which are disposed on either side of a vertical longitudinal roof plane, each of the displacement kinematics having a guide rail, a front kinematic unit guided in the guide rail and a rear kinematic unit disposed in the guide rail, and a set of drive cables for the two kinematic units. The guide rail may have a first cable duct section for a first drive cable of the set of drive cables, the first drive cable being driven by a first drive motor and driving the front kinematic unit, and a second cable duct section for a second drive cable of the set of drive cables, the second drive cable being driven by a second drive motor and driving the rear kinematic unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2019Publication date: December 2, 2021Inventors: Julian Knoepfle, Engelbert Hirschvogel
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Patent number: 10792986Abstract: An arrangement with a cover for a vehicle roof is disclosed having a guide rail which extends along a vehicle longitudinal direction (X), a raising rod which is displaceable along the vehicle longitudinal direction (x) relative to the guide rail, a rear raising lever with respect to the vehicle longitudinal direction (X), which is coupled pivotably to the cover, and which—is guided with a first guide element in a first slotted link which is fixed in position with respect to the guide rail, is guided with a second guide element in a second slotted link which is fixed in position with respect to the guide rail, is guided with a third guide element in a third slotted link which is fixed in position with respect to the guide rail, and is coupled to the raising rod by means of a rotary bearing.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2018Date of Patent: October 6, 2020Assignee: WEBASTO SEInventors: Julian Knöpfle, Sebastian Gering
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Publication number: 20200130484Abstract: An arrangement with a cover for a vehicle roof is disclosed having a guide rail which extends along a vehicle longitudinal direction (X), a raising rod which is displaceable along the vehicle longitudinal direction (x) relative to the guide rail, a rear raising lever with respect to the vehicle longitudinal direction (X), which is coupled pivotably to the cover, and which—is guided with a first guide element in a first slotted link which is fixed in position with respect to the guide rail, is guided with a second guide element in a second slotted link which is fixed in position with respect to the guide rail, is guided with a third guide element in a third slotted link which is fixed in position with respect to the guide rail, and is coupled to the raising rod by means of a rotary bearing.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 7, 2018Publication date: April 30, 2020Inventors: Julian KNÖPFLE, Sebastian GERING
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Patent number: 10023032Abstract: A vehicle having a slider for guiding a displaceable element of the vehicle relative to a body of the vehicle, wherein the slider can be arranged so as to be movable along a guide element, and has a plastics region and a metal region. The slider may be embodied in one piece, wherein the metal region is at least partially overmolded with the plastics region. The slider may be configured such that at least one portion of the slider engages at least partially around the guide element.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2015Date of Patent: July 17, 2018Assignee: WEBASTO SEInventors: Julian Knoepfle, Peter Reihl