Patents by Inventor Rainer Grimm
Rainer Grimm 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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Patent number: 6390541Abstract: A sun visor arrangement is proposed whose bearing elements, consisting of a swivel/rotary bearing and a removable swivel bearing, are foamed into or onto an inner shell, formed from a foamed plastics material, of a motor vehicle roof module with their component parts on the roof side at the same time as the inner shell is foam molded, so that the sun visors can be preassembled at the inner shell of the roof module, wherein the swivel/rotary bearing is constructed for fastening the sun visors and the inner shell to a body frame.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2000Date of Patent: May 21, 2002Assignee: Meritor Automotive GmbHInventors: Rainer Grimm, Horst Böhm
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Patent number: 6386622Abstract: A vehicle pick-up bed with fenders is disclosed that can be folded into shape by hand. The component includes a generally flat sheet of colored material and a generally flat sheet of reinforced polymeric material. Preferably, the sheet of colored material is placed in the mold and the reinforced polymeric material is injected into the mold, onto the back of the sheet of colored material. During the molding process, the reinforced polymeric material and the colored material are molded into a single, generally flat, solid component. The sheet of colored material adheres to the reinforced polymeric material. Once molded, the sides of the pick-up bed and fenders are folded into shape along hinge edges. The side walls are connected to stay in place. Hinge edges could be formed by locating few or no reinforcing fibers in the reinforced polymeric material in the desired location of the hinge edges. The colored material is preferably a paintless polymer film.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2000Date of Patent: May 14, 2002Assignee: Meritor Light Vehicle Systems, Inc.Inventors: Rainer Grimm, Holly Giangrande, Roch Tolinski, Carmelo Mondello, Steven Foster, Charlie Hopson, Laurent Arquevaux, Nick Kalageros
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Patent number: 6378936Abstract: A vehicle roof intended in particular for motor vehicles and in particular a roof module (1) to be made separately from the bodywork (5) and to be combined with the bodywork, consisting essentially of a rigid roof skin, where appropriate with an applied foamed inner skin (3) made from plastics foam, and a decorative headliner (12) made from plastics foam. The roof module can be fitted with an integral sliding roof unit. The characteristic feature is that the headliner (12) is made separately from the roof module (1) and can be locked into place on to or released from the inner skin (3) or where appropriate the sliding roof frame of the sliding roof unit by means of complementary exactly fitted interlocking elements (9, 16), i.e. it can be exchanged.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2000Date of Patent: April 30, 2002Assignee: Meritor Automotive GmbHInventors: Rainer Grimm, Carmelo Mondello
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Patent number: 6367872Abstract: A vehicle roof includes a preformed inner shell forming the roof lining. The lining is larger than the inside dimensions of the body opening bounded by the rails or sections of the closed body frame. The roof lining is flexible or elastic on the protruding areas, so that it is bendable for passage through the body opening bordered by the vehicle frame, with partial folding in the corner areas downward without permanent deformation and is designed to cover the vehicle frame. The protruding areas of the roof lining therefore form the coverings for the roof frame sections so that additional cover strips and cover sections are not required, even in the corners.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 1999Date of Patent: April 9, 2002Assignee: Meritor Automotive GmbHInventors: Horst Böhm, Rainer Grimm, Thomas Becher
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Patent number: 6367871Abstract: A roof module for a motor vehicle, with an inner shell molded out of plastic foam which, in the vicinity of its support on the body framework, is divided into an upper layer which can be supported on the body framework and a lower layer that serves to line the body framework. Sun visors and handholds are pre-assembled on the lower layer. In order to improve and simplify assembly of the roof module on the vehicle body, it is envisaged that the upper layer, and thus the roof module as a whole, can be securely fixed to the body framework using just the fixing screws for the sun visors and the handholds. Preferably, captive fixing screws on the bearing elements of the sun visors and the handholds should also be able to be pre-assembled on the lower layer of the inner shell.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2000Date of Patent: April 9, 2002Assignee: Meritor Automotive GmbHInventors: Rainer Grimm, Horst Böhm
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Publication number: 20020021028Abstract: A vehicle roof module with integrated lighting system for the interior lighting has several light-conducting rods, preferably made from glass, and a light source is foam-molded into an inner shell of the roof interior, molded from foamed plastic and forming the roof module, so that only the light outlet surfaces of the light-emitting ends of the light-conducting rods are disposed in the visible surface of the roof interior. By a suitable choice of the number of light-conducting rods and the distribution pattern of the corresponding light outlet surfaces, both a uniform interior lighting and special lighting effects can be achieved.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 3, 2001Publication date: February 21, 2002Inventor: Rainer Grimm
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Publication number: 20020021029Abstract: A vehicle roof module is proposed, consisting of a transparent roof skin, constituting the outer shell of a sandwich structure, and of an inner shell of the sandwich structure, the special feature thereof being that the inner shell is molded in the manner of a frame and is provided only in the edge area of the outer shell, thereby forming a panoramic transparent surface, a sun-blind being arranged beneath the transparent surface, which is held on the inner shell by means of elements foamed into the frame-type inner shell.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2001Publication date: February 21, 2002Inventors: Horst Bohm, Thomas Becher, Rainer Grimm
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Publication number: 20020021019Abstract: A subassembly element in the form of an intermediate product for a multipart cover element for motor vehicles contains at least two subassembly parts, e.g., for a multipart sunroof or sliding roof cover or for a multipart loading zone or cargo space cover, containing edge regions on the adjacent edges of the subassembly parts which are correspondingly shaped such that they had least partially overlap in the closed position. All subassembly parts are present in the form of one connected-together part and are shaped in accordance with the predetermined contour of the cover element. A channel-shaped depression is arranged at least in the outer side of the subassembly element in the edge region in which two respective subassembly parts adjoin one another. The contour of the channel-shaped depression is comprised of the desired contours of the edge regions of adjacent subassembly parts of the respective cover element.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 16, 2001Publication date: February 21, 2002Inventors: Horst Bohm, Rainer Grimm
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Publication number: 20010050498Abstract: A sun visor arrangement is proposed whose bearing elements, consisting of a swivel/rotary bearing and a removable swivel bearing, are foamed into or onto an inner shell, formed from a foamed plastics material, of a motor vehicle roof module with their component parts on the roof side at the same time as the inner shell is foam molded, so that the sun visors can be preassembled at the inner shell of the roof module, wherein the swivel/rotary bearing is constructed for fastening the sun visors and the inner shell to a body frame.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 6, 2000Publication date: December 13, 2001Inventors: Rainer Grimm, Horst Bohm
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Patent number: 6328366Abstract: A vehicle body includes an undercarriage storage compartment for storing items such as a spare tire, tools and/or other types of equipment underneath a pick-up truck bed. The vehicle body includes a generally flat truck bed bottom member that extends in a longitudinal direction along the vehicle. The bottom member is mounted to a vehicle structure such as, a vehicle frame, chassis, or unibody member. The storage compartment has a support surface extending underneath the bottom member for supporting items such as the spare tire and associated tools. The storage compartment slides to an open position to allow access to the spare tire and tools and is then returned to a closed position to store the tire and tools within the storage compartment. In one embodiment, the support surface is tiltable to allow ramp access to the truck bed.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2000Date of Patent: December 11, 2001Assignee: Meritor Heavy Vehicle Systems, LLCInventors: Steven Foster, Holly Giangrande, Roch Tolinski, Charlie Hopson, Nicholas Kalargeros, Rainer Grimm, Carmelo Mondello, Laurent Arquevaux
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Patent number: 6318797Abstract: For a motor vehicle roof module, preferably of sandwich construction comprising a rigid roof skin and an inner shell of PUR plastic applied as a foam to its inner surface, it is proposed to form recesses in the single layer area of the inner shell when applying the foam, in which functional components, such as loudspeakers, can be placed without a housing and can be secured by catches.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2000Date of Patent: November 20, 2001Assignee: Meritor Automotive GmbHInventors: Horst Böhm, Thomas Becher, Rainer Grimm
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Publication number: 20010003400Abstract: A roof module for a motor vehicle, with an inner shell molded out of plastic foam which, in the vicinity of its support on the body framework, is divided into an upper layer which can be supported on the body framework and a lower layer that serves to line the body framework. Sun visors and handholds are pre-assembled on the lower layer. In order to improve and simplify assembly of the roof module on the vehicle body, it is envisaged that the upper layer, and thus the roof module as a whole, can be securely fixed to the body framework using just the fixing screws for the sun visors and the handholds. Preferably, captive fixing screws on the bearing elements of the sun visors and the handholds should also be able to be pre-assembled on the lower layer of the inner shell.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2000Publication date: June 14, 2001Inventors: Rainer Grimm, Horst Bohm
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Patent number: 6179373Abstract: In a sun blind for a vehicle roof a sun blind is situated below a panel which is displaceably associated with a roof opening, this blind, when not in use, automatically being wound up on a spool (9) which is mounted roof-side. The blind sheet (8) of the sun blind is guided in a sliding manner using its side edges along guide rails (15) attached laterally in the roof opening. The guide rails (15) and the side edges of the blind sheet (8) are formed in such a manner and engage with one another such that the side edges can be slid easily in the guide rails in the course of opening and closing movements of the sun blind, but cannot be pulled out of the guide rails in a transverse direction to the direction of movement of the blind, whereby the edge areas of the blind sheet are secured against fluttering and vibration movements.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 1998Date of Patent: January 30, 2001Assignee: Meritor Automotive GmbHInventors: Horst Bohm, Thomas Becher, Rainer Grimm
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Patent number: 5409290Abstract: In a glass lid (1) for a vehicle roof opening, the glass pane (2) is provided in its edge zone all around with a cast-on or foamed-on plastics border (3). At least at the longer sides of the glass pane (2), curved correspondingly to the roof curvature, stiffening profiles (4, 5) of steel, supporting the glass pane from below, are embedded into the border (3). The stiffening profiles (4, 5) have, before embedding, a curvature different from that of the glass pane and, in the completed lid (1), are elastically bent corresponding to the curvature of the glass pane so that they are embedded with prestress in the border (3), in order to counteract uplift forces acting upon the lid (1) while the vehicle is travelling, in the sense of maintaining the shape of the lid (1).Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 1993Date of Patent: April 25, 1995Assignee: Rockwell Golde GmbHInventors: Rainer Grimm, Horst Bohm
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Patent number: 5407044Abstract: A device for limiting the number of revolutions of a shaft for rotary drives of sliding roofs or sliding-lifting roofs or automobiles. The shaft is rotationally blocked in the closed position and in defined intermediate positions of the sliding lid by the cooperation of an actuating element, controlled by the pivotal movements of the crank arm, with a spring-loaded blocking pin.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 1993Date of Patent: April 18, 1995Assignee: Rockwell Golde GmbHInventors: Rainer Grimm, Jurgen Deckardt, Kai Stehning
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Patent number: 5203605Abstract: In a folding roof for an automobile, a front hood bar is moved by entraining elements driven by cables, which entraining elements can travel in curved transitions of lateral guide rails and simultaneously in curved control slits of control plates, slidable transversely on the front hood bar. The control slits run partly ascending towards the closure position, in order to create a downward displacement of the front hood bar as the roof is closed and an upward displacement of the hood bar as the roof is opened. The closing of the roof takes place with a continually decreasing speed of movement and continually increasing closure force, without any noticeable feedback effect upon the actuating force to be applied.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 1991Date of Patent: April 20, 1993Assignees: Rockwell Golde GmbH, Rockwell Golde GmbHInventors: Rainer Grimm, Horst Bohm
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Patent number: 5108147Abstract: A device for fastening a rigid preformed headliner (13) to horizontal flanges (12) of the roof frame (4) of a sliding or sliding/lifting roof construction by means of a clamping section (10). As a result of its special construction and attachment, the clamping section (10) allows a simple installation of the headliner (13) at the roof frame (4) so as not to be visible from the vehicle interior.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 1990Date of Patent: April 28, 1992Assignee: Rockwell Golde GmbHInventors: Rainer Grimm, Karl Schmidhuber
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Patent number: 5050928Abstract: A rigid cover assembly for a vehicle roof opening which includes a cover plate, a reinforcement frame supporting a lower peripheral edge of the cover plate, and a plastic frame surrounding the cover plate and enclosing the reinforcement frame. A sealing strip is provided on the outer peripheral edge of the plastic frame and includes a slot receiving a rib and fixing elements projecting from an outer edge of the plastic frame. A metal gap compensating element is embedded in the sealing strip outward of the plastic frame and is capable of being permanently deformed in a transverse direction. The sealing strip has a section between the metal gap compensating element and the slot and an outer edge section that is substantially more capable of deformation than the section between the metal gap compensating element and the slot.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 1990Date of Patent: September 24, 1991Assignee: Rockwell-Golde G.m.b.H.Inventors: Horst Bohm, Rainer Grimm
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Patent number: 5020849Abstract: A sliding-lifting roof for an automobile of a very low overall height has, in addition to guide links fixed to the side edges of a lid, control links, which are disposed on each side of the lid and each rigidly connect the front sliding element with a guide element, disposed behind the rear sliding element. The sliding elements and the guide element are slidably guided on the same guide rail. A two-armed control lever is disposed on each side of the lid, which lever engages with a central control pin into the control link, engages at its outer end by a guide pin into the guide link and is articulated at its inner end to the rear sliding element. The lid movements are achieved by a sliding drive of the rear sliding element.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 1990Date of Patent: June 4, 1991Assignee: Rockwell-Golde GmbHInventors: Albert Schlapp, Rainer Grimm, Horst Bohm
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Patent number: 4971386Abstract: In a sliding lifting roof for motor vehicles a water trapping strip is resiliently fixed to a water deflector underpinning the rear marginal gap between a trailing edge of a sliding cover and the rear edge of the roof opening. The water trapping strip is biased by spring tension in the sense of an upward displacement, so that when the sliding cover is open it projects upwards over the rear edge of the roof opening with a splash guard. In the case of braking during forward travel and with the sliding cover open, splashed water from the surface of the rear, fixed vehicle roof is trapped by the splash guard and is passed by the water trapping strip to the underlying water deflector.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 1989Date of Patent: November 20, 1990Assignee: Rockwell-Golde G.m.b.H.Inventors: Horst Bohm, Rainer Grimm