Patents by Inventor Julian KNOEPFLE

Julian KNOEPFLE 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: 20240010058
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2021
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Ulrich SCHREIBER, Julian KNÖPFLE, Maciej KACZMAREK, Moritz PRADELLA, Johann LANG
  • Publication number: 20240010059
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2021
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Julian KNÖPFLE, Ulrich SCHREIBER, Maciej KACZMAREK, Moritz PRADELLA, Johann LANG
  • Publication number: 20230406080
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: Julian KNÖPFLE, Ulrich SCHREIBER, Maciej KACZMAREK, Moritz PRADELLA, Johann LANG
  • Publication number: 20230406075
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2021
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: Julian KNÖPFLE, Ulrich SCHREIBER, Maciej KACZMAREK, Moritz PRADELLA, Johann LANG
  • Publication number: 20230406081
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2021
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: Ulrich SCHREIBER, Julian KNÖPFLE, Maciej KACZMAREK, Moritz PRADELLA, Johann LANG
  • Publication number: 20230391175
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2021
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Inventors: Ulrich SCHREIBER, Julian KNÖPFLE, Maciej KACZMAREK, Moritz PRADELLA, Johann LANG
  • Publication number: 20230030114
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2020
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Inventor: Julian Knöpfle
  • Publication number: 20230008758
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Publication date: January 12, 2023
    Inventor: Julian KNÖPFLE
  • Patent number: 11485205
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: WEBASTO SE
    Inventors: Julian Knoepfle, Engelbert Hirschvogel
  • Publication number: 20210370749
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Inventors: Julian Knoepfle, Engelbert Hirschvogel
  • Patent number: 10792986
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: WEBASTO SE
    Inventors: Julian Knöpfle, Sebastian Gering
  • Publication number: 20200130484
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2018
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventors: Julian KNÖPFLE, Sebastian GERING
  • Patent number: 10023032
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: WEBASTO SE
    Inventors: Julian Knoepfle, Peter Reihl
  • Publication number: 20170267076
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Julian KNOEPFLE, Peter REIHL