Patents by Inventor Rüdiger Thomas

Rüdiger Thomas 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: 6860538
    Abstract: A rail assembly has an elongated upwardly open and elongated metal rail fixed to a car-body support and two confronting and inwardly concave flanges forming transversely inwardly directed faces and an elongated metal rail fixed to a motor-vehicle seat, captured between the flanges, and having two transversely outwardly directed faces generally complementary to and bearing with prestress outwardly on the inwardly directed faces. Respective friction-reducing layers on the faces allow the seat rail to slide smoothly in the body rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Assignee: Westfalia Profil/Technik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Torsten Müller, Rüdiger Thomas
  • Patent number: 6848760
    Abstract: A slide has a pair of identical longitudinally extending and profiled rails each having at least one flange forming two longitudinally extending tracks. The rails are interfitted with the tracks of one rail transversely confronting the tracks of the other rails. Respective longitudinally extending rows of balls engaged in the tracks between the rails.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Westfalia Profiltechnik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Rüdiger Thomas, Torsten Müller
  • Patent number: 6386659
    Abstract: A drawer slide has an outer rail forming a plurality of parallel and inwardly open tracks, an inner rail fitting in the outer rail and having a plurality of flat surfaces each confronting and extending parallel to a respective one of the tracks, and a respective row of balls in each of the tracks and riding on the respective inner-rail surface. The outer rail has a normally horizontal bight portion having outer edges, respective planar lower side portions extending upward from the outer edges and forming therewith corners in turn forming tracks, respective planar upper side portions extending upward from upper edges of the lower side portions, and respective planar upper end portions extending inward from upper edges of the upper side portions and forming therewith corners in turn forming tracks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: Westfalia Metallformtechnik GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Torsten Müller, Rüdiger Thomas