Patents by Inventor Lothar Renner

Lothar Renner 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: 20060261645
    Abstract: An air supply device for a vehicle seat has an air channel arranged on the pressure side of a blower. The channel comprises at least one air discharge opening provided in the upper region of the seat for supplying the head, shoulder and neck area of an occupant of the seat with an adjustable airflow. A heating element is arranged in the air channel between the blower and the air discharge opening. In order to provide the air supply device with an airflow of which feels more comfortable to the occupant of the seat, a grid element is arranged inside the air channel between the air discharge opening and the heating element. As a result, the airflow emerging from the air discharge opening is homogenized and slowed down, and this slowing-down allows more heat to be transferred to the airflow from the heating element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2004
    Publication date: November 23, 2006
    Inventors: Claudio Bargheer, Dietmar Hartmann, Lothar Renner
  • Publication number: 20060219699
    Abstract: In a method for adjusting the temperature of a motor vehicle seat, which includes a seat ventilating system and a seat heater, to a predetermined desired value, in which the temperature of the seat is detected in the region of a seat surface by a first temperature sensor and the outside temperature is detected by a second temperature sensor, the seat ventilating system is switched off below a first temperature threshold for the outside temperature, and the seat heater is switched off above a second temperature threshold for the outside temperature. By these measures, an occupant may be provided with a comfortable micro-climate in the seat region for his/her well-being.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2003
    Publication date: October 5, 2006
    Inventors: Thomas Geisel, Achim Gottmann, Vasilios Orizaris, Karl Pfahler, Lothar Renner, Bernd Schmidt, Dietmar Zwoelfer
  • Patent number: 7075034
    Abstract: An air supply device is provided for a vehicle seat of an open-top motor vehicle having at least one air outflow opening which is provided in the upper region of the vehicle seat and via which an airstream can be applied to the head area, shoulder area and nape area of the sitting vehicle occupant in order to reduce undesired draft phenomenon. The airstream can be regulated by way of a control device. In order to provide improved comfort for the sitting vehicle occupant when driving with the top open, the airstream is adjusted, when the air supply device is switched on, by way of the control device as a function of an automatically sensed external parameter value or of a predefined value selectable by the sitting vehicle occupant, to an assigned basic value, starting from which the further adjustment of the airstream is carried out as a function of an automatically sensed further parameter value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Claudio Bargheer, Dietmar Hartmann, Karl Pfahler, Lothar Renner
  • Publication number: 20060138811
    Abstract: A cushion has a cushion core, particularly made of a foam material, and an air-permeable and moisture-permeable covering layer that covers the core. To improve the climate comfort by ensuring good removal of moisture from the area between covering layer and cushion core, longitudinal and transverse grooves, spaced apart from one another, are formed in the surface of the cushion core covered by the covering layer. These grooves are open toward the covering layer and intersect one another. In addition, the cushion core is provided with channels which pass through the entire thickness of the core and which, at one end, open out at the points of intersection of the longitudinal and transverse grooves and, at the other end, open freely to the outside of the cushion core.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2003
    Publication date: June 29, 2006
    Inventors: Karl Pfahler, Lothar Renner, Gerd Urban, Manfred Ziemann
  • Publication number: 20050238339
    Abstract: Air supply device is provided for a vehicle seat of an open-top motor vehicle having at least one air outflow opening which is provided in the upper region of the vehicle seat and via which an airstream can be applied to the head area, shoulder area and nape area of the sitting vehicle occupant in order to reduce undesired draught phenomenon. The airstream can be regulated by means of a control device. In order to provide improved comfort for the sitting vehicle occupant when driving with the top open, the airstream is adjusted, when the air supply device is switched on, by means of the control device as a function of an automatically sensed external parameter value or of a predefined value selectable by the sitting vehicle occupant, to an assigned basic value, starting from which the further adjustment of the airstream is carried out as a function of an automatically sensed further parameter value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2003
    Publication date: October 27, 2005
    Applicant: DAIMLER CHRYSLER AG
    Inventors: Claudio Bargheer, Dietmar Hartmann, Karl Pfahler, Lothar Renner
  • Publication number: 20050091817
    Abstract: A method for determining an evaluation number which is representative of the quality of the dynamic sitting comfort of upholstered seat elements of a vehicle seat. A flexible measuring mat is applied to the upholstered seat element in a defined position and a matrix, which covers the surface, of force measuring sensors which operate without hysteresis is integrated into said measuring mat. A test person or a test body which behaves anthropomorphically in terms of oscillation is positioned on the vehicle seat. In order to carry out a measurement, this body/seat system is excited so as to oscillate, for example by traveling over a bad stretch of road. The signals supplied by the force measuring sensors are added with the same phase to form a composite signal. The frequency response of the body/seat system is determined from this composite signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2002
    Publication date: May 5, 2005
    Inventors: Michael Eger, Lothar Kassing, Karl Pfahler, Lothar Renner
  • Patent number: 6817675
    Abstract: A motor vehicle seat includes padding which is assigned to a backrest or a seat cushion and includes a lower padding part, a ventilation layer which rests on the lower padding part and through which air may flow, and an air-permeable, upper padding layer arranged above the latter, the padding covered by upholstery and provided with stitching along which the upholstery is connected to the upper padding layer via fastening device(s), and the ventilation layer extending into side parts of the padding and having a virtually unchanged thickness in the region of the stitching. The upholstery and the upper padding layer are fastened to the lower padding part along the stitching via the fastening device(s) bridging the ventilation layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Henning Buss, Karl-Heinz Minuth, Karl Pfahler, Lothar Renner
  • Patent number: 6786545
    Abstract: A wind protection device for an open motor vehicle includes a passenger cell that has at least one car seat with a backrest. There is on a level with the top area of the backrest at least one air outflow opening of an air supply system. Thereby, the head, shoulder and neck area of the seat occupant is impinged on with an air stream that can be regulated to avoid an undesired air draft. The air supply system has at least one sensor to measure a parameter value, whereby the air stream, issuing from the air outflow opening, is regulated as a function of the parameter value by way of a regulating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Claudio Bargheer, Peter Nordberg, Vasilios Orizaris, Karl Pfahler, Lothar Renner
  • Patent number: 6761399
    Abstract: In a motor vehicle seat for an open motor vehicle, with an air supply device integrated in its backrest and/or head restraint, the device including an air outlet duct having an outlet opening arranged on the front side of the head restraint, for supplying the head, neck and shoulder region of the vehicle occupant with hot air, and an air inlet duct having an inlet opening, with a heating element being assigned to the air supply device. The inlet opening of the air supply device is arranged on the rear side of the backrest or of the head restraint and approximately level with or above a rear end wall edge of the motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Claudio Bargheer, Karl Pfahler, Lothar Renner
  • Publication number: 20030230913
    Abstract: A motor vehicle seat includes padding which is assigned to a backrest or a seat cushion and includes a lower padding part, a ventilation layer which rests on the lower padding part and through which air may flow, and an air-permeable, upper padding layer arranged above the latter, the padding covered by upholstery and provided with stitching along which the upholstery is connected to the upper padding layer via fastening device(s), and the ventilation layer extending into side parts of the padding and having a virtually unchanged thickness in the region of the stitching.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2003
    Publication date: December 18, 2003
    Inventors: Henning Buss, Karl-Heinz Minuth, Karl Pfahler, Lothar Renner
  • Patent number: 6644735
    Abstract: An automobile seat for a convertible motor vehicle has a seat back with an appropriate headrest. At least one air outflow opening of an air supply system is arranged in an upper area of the seat back in order to reduce undesirable drafts. At least one additional air outflow opening of the air supply system is provided in the seat surface facing the seat occupant for seat ventilation and/or seat heating purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Claudio Bargheer, Peter Nordberg, Vasilios Orizaris, Karl Pfahler, Lothar Renner
  • Patent number: 6629725
    Abstract: A seat part for a vehicle seat having a seat cushion which is covered over by an air-permeable cushion cover, can be actively ventilated and on the top surface of which there are formed, by stitched-down seams, a central and a front level seat surface and two border beads which bound the level seat surfaces laterally. The seat having a heating mat which is arranged between the seat cushion and cushion cover and belongs to an electric seat heater. In order to ensure that the seat cushion has good through-ventilation and is dimensionally stable over a long period of time, the heating mat is perforated, and the perforations of the heating mat are designed to be considerably sparser in the region of the central level seat surface than in the region of the front level seat surface and the border beads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2003
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Joachim Kunkel, Karl Pfahler, Lothar Renner
  • Publication number: 20030132650
    Abstract: In a motor vehicle seat for an open motor vehicle, with an air supply device integrated in its backrest and/or head restraint, the device including an air outlet duct having an outlet opening arranged on the front side of the head restraint, for supplying the head, neck and shoulder region of the vehicle occupant with hot air, and an air inlet duct having an inlet opening, with a heating element being assigned to the air supply device. The inlet opening of the air supply device is arranged on the rear side of the backrest or of the head restraint and approximately level with or above a rear end wall edge of the motor vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2002
    Publication date: July 17, 2003
    Inventors: Claudio Bargheer, Karl Pfahler, Lothar Renner
  • Patent number: 6541737
    Abstract: A temperature detector for an air-conditioned vehicle seat with seat heating and/or seat ventilation is disclosed. To ensure accurate temperature measurement for regulation purposes close to the surface of the seat cushion while eliminating purely local temperature peaks, the temperature detector is provided with a flat, extended heat absorption surface, which is preferably formed by a thin, flexible layer of good thermal conductivity in which a temperature sensor in button or disc form is firmly embedded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Harun Eksin, Johannes Hummel, Karl Pfahler, Lothar Renner
  • Publication number: 20020063451
    Abstract: An automobile seat for a convertible motor vehicle has a seat back with an appropriate headrest. At least one air outflow opening of an air supply system is arranged in an upper area of the seat back in order to reduce undesirable drafts. At least one additional air outflow opening of the air supply system is provided in the seat surface facing the seat occupant for seat ventilation and/or seat heating purposes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2001
    Publication date: May 30, 2002
    Inventors: Claudio Bargheer, Peter Nordberg, Vasilios Orizaris, Karl Pfahler, Lothar Renner
  • Publication number: 20020057005
    Abstract: A wind protection device for an open motor vehicle includes a passenger cell that has at least one car seat with a backrest. There is on a level with the top area of the backrest at least one air outflow opening of an air supply system. Thereby, the head, shoulder and neck area of the seat occupant is impinged on with an air stream that can be regulated to avoid an undesired air draft. The air supply system has at least one sensor to measure a parameter value, whereby the air stream, issuing from the air outflow opening, is regulated as a function of the parameter value by way of a regulating unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2001
    Publication date: May 16, 2002
    Inventors: Claudio Bargheer, Peter Nordberg, Vasilios Orizaris, Karl Pfahler, Lothar Renner
  • Patent number: 6019420
    Abstract: A vehicle seat has a cushion integrated in a seat part and/or a backrest, which cushion has a ventilation layer, through which air can flow, and an air-permeable cushion cover spanning the cushion surface. The seat also has at least one ventilator arranged below the cushion for blowing air into the ventilation layer. In order to provide a ventilated vehicle seat construction at reasonable cost for vehicles of the medium to lower price range, the ventilation layer is constructed as an air-permeable cushion support which rests on a cushion carrier only by way of intermediate placement of an air-impermeable pressure distribution layer. The pressure distribution layer has at least one inflow opening for the ventilation air on which the ventilator is arranged below the air distribution layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Eberhard Faust, Karl Pfahler, Lothar Renner