Patents by Inventor Ralf Knoedl
Ralf Knoedl 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: 11930893Abstract: A plug-in tongue for a seatbelt includes a plug-in tongue component (10) and a clamping member (12) mounted thereto, wherein a belt guide passage (30) is delimited between the plug-in tongue component (10) and the clamping member (12), and the clamping member (12) comprises a center part (18) and two lateral parts (20) extending from the two ends of the center part (18) transversely to the latter. The plug-in tongue is characterized in that the center part (18) includes a central guide surface (32) located between the two lateral parts (20), and the two lateral parts (20) include lateral guide surfaces (34) facing each other, the guide surfaces (32, 34) constituting limitations of the belt guide passage (30).Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2020Date of Patent: March 19, 2024Assignee: ZF AUTOMOTIVE GERMANY GMBHInventors: Ralf Knoedl, Dominik Seitzer, Hans-Peter Betz
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Publication number: 20220132998Abstract: A plug-in tongue for a seatbelt includes a plug-in tongue component (10) and a clamping member (12) mounted thereto, wherein a belt guide passage (30) is delimited between the plug-in tongue component (10) and the clamping member (12), and the clamping member (12) comprises a center part (18) and two lateral parts (20) extending from the two ends of the center part (18) transversely to the latter. The plug-in tongue is characterized in that the center part (18) includes a central guide surface (32) located between the two lateral parts (20), and the two lateral parts (20) include lateral guide surfaces (34) facing each other, the guide surfaces (32, 34) constituting limitations of the belt guide passage (30).Type: ApplicationFiled: April 9, 2020Publication date: May 5, 2022Inventors: Ralf KNOEDL, Dominik SEITZER, Hans-Peter BETZ
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Patent number: 10631597Abstract: A belt buckle includes a casing (12) and an illumination system (24) present in the area of a locking tongue insertion opening (14). The illumination system (24) includes a lamp (32) and a light conductor (26; 26?) having a light emission area, and the light conductor (26; 26?) includes an annular portion (42; 42?) which surrounds at least a major part of the locking tongue insertion opening (14).Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2015Date of Patent: April 28, 2020Assignee: TRW AUTOMOTIVE GMBHInventors: Hans-Peter Betz, Peter Haas, Jörg Meyer, Ralf Knoedl
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Patent number: 10315616Abstract: In a locking tongue (10) for a seat belt comprising an inserting portion (12) adapted to be inserted in a belt buckle and a deflecting portion (14) for webbing, wherein the deflecting portion (14) includes a webbing passage (20) as well as a clamping element (22) for the webbing and the clamping element (22) is movable between a home position in which the webbing is freely movable and a blocking position in which the clamping element is moved against a wall of the webbing passage so that the webbing is clamped between the clamping element (22) and the wall of the webbing passage (20), and wherein at least one spring element (34) is provided for forcing the clamping element (22) into the home position, it is provided that the spring element (34) is formed integrally on the deflecting portion (14).Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2015Date of Patent: June 11, 2019Assignee: TRW AUTOMOTIVE GMBHInventors: Hans-Peter Betz, Ralf Knoedl
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Patent number: 10285473Abstract: A locking tongue for a seat belt has a deflecting portion for a webbing. The deflecting portion includes a webbing passage and a clamping element. The clamping element is displaceable between a home position in which the webbing is freely movable and a blocking position in which the clamping element is displaced against a wall of the webbing passage so that the webbing is clamped between the clamping element and the wall of the webbing passage. The clamping element includes a clamping surface which in the blocking position clamps the webbing against the wall of the webbing passage. The clamping element is guided along a curved guide path extending in an area of the blocking position substantially perpendicularly to the wall so that in the blocking position the clamping element is moved against the wall substantially perpendicularly with the clamping surface.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2015Date of Patent: May 14, 2019Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbHInventor: Ralf Knoedl
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Patent number: 10182622Abstract: A plug-in tongue (10) for a seat belt includes an inserting portion (12) adapted to be inserted in a belt buckle and a deflecting portion (14) for a webbing (16). The deflecting portion (14) includes a webbing passage (20) as well as a clamping element (22) for the webbing (16). The clamping element (22) can be displaced between a home position in which the webbing (16) is freely movable and a locking position in which the clamping element (22) is displaced against a wall (30) of the webbing passage (20) such that the webbing (16) is clamped between the clamping element (22) and the wall (30) of the webbing passage (20). The webbing passage (20) extends substantially in the longitudinal direction (L) or at an acute angle with the longitudinal direction (L) of the plug-in tongue (10). The clamping element (22) is displaceable at an acute angle with the webbing passage (20) and/or with the longitudinal direction (L) of the plug-in tongue (10) from the deflecting position into the locking position.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2014Date of Patent: January 22, 2019Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbHInventor: Ralf Knoedl
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Publication number: 20170355349Abstract: In a locking tongue (10) for a seat belt comprising an inserting portion (12) adapted to be inserted in a belt buckle and a deflecting portion (14) for webbing, wherein the deflecting portion (14) includes a webbing passage (20) as well as a damping element (22) for the webbing and the clamping element (22) is movable between a home position in which the webbing is freely movable and a blocking position in which the clamping element is moved against a wall of the webbing passage so that the webbing is clamped between the clamping element (22) and the wall of the webbing passage (20), and wherein at least one spring element (34) is provided for forcing the clamping element (22) into the home position, it is provided that the spring element (34) is formed integrally on the deflecting portion (14).Type: ApplicationFiled: November 17, 2015Publication date: December 14, 2017Inventors: Hans-Peter BETZ, Ralf KNOEDL
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Publication number: 20170127765Abstract: A belt buckle comprises a casing (12) and an illumination system (24) present in the area of a locking tongue insertion opening (14). The illumination system (24) comprises a lamp (32) and a light conductor (26; 26?) including a light emission area, and the light conductor (26; 26?) includes an annular portion (42; 42?) which surrounds at least a major part of the locking tongue insertion opening (14).Type: ApplicationFiled: July 15, 2015Publication date: May 11, 2017Inventors: Hans-Peter Betz, Peter Haas, Jörg Meyer, Ralf Knoedl
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Publication number: 20170055643Abstract: In a locking tongue (10) for a seat belt comprising an inserting portion (12) adapted to be inserted into a best buckle and a deflecting portion (14) for webbing (16), wherein the deflecting portion (14) includes a webbing passage (20) and a clamping element (22) for the webbing (16) and wherein the clamping element (22) is displaceable between a home position in which the webbing (16) is freely movable and a blocking position in which the clamping element (22) is displaced against a wall (36) of the webbing passage (20) so that the webbing (16) is clamped between the clamping element (22) and the wall (36) of the webbing passage (20), the clamping element (22) including a clamping surface (24) which in the blocking position clamps the webbing (16) against the wall (36) of the webbing passage (20), it is provided that the clamping element (22) is guided along a curved guide path (40) extending in the area of the blocking position substantially perpendicularly to the wall (36) so that in the blocking positionType: ApplicationFiled: May 12, 2015Publication date: March 2, 2017Inventor: Ralf Knoedl
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Publication number: 20160000190Abstract: A plug-in tongue (10) for a seat belt includes an inserting portion (12) adapted to be inserted in a belt buckle and a deflecting portion (14) for a webbing (16). The deflecting portion (14) includes a webbing passage (20) as well as a clamping element (22) for the webbing (16). The damping element (22) can be displaced between a home position in which the webbing (16) is freely movable and a locking position in which the damping element (22) is displaced against a wall (30) of the webbing passage (20) such that the webbing (16) is clamped between the clamping element (22) and the wall (30) of the webbing passage (20). The webbing passage (20) extends substantially in the longitudinal direction (L) or at an acute angle with the longitudinal direction (L) of the plug-in tongue (10), The damping element (22) is displaceable at an acute angle with the webbing passage (20) and/or with the longitudinal direction (L) of the plug-in tongue (10) from the deflecting position into the locking position.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2014Publication date: January 7, 2016Inventor: Ralf Knoedl
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Publication number: 20140268844Abstract: In a belt buckle assembly (8) comprising a belt buckle casing (10) and comprising a lighting device (26) provided at the belt buckle casing (10) for marking the insertion aperture (22) for the plug-in tongue the lighting device (26) includes a lamp (28), especially an LED, as well as a light conductor (32) being positioned at the belt buckle casing (10) in the area of the insertion aperture (22) and tapered in wedge shape toward the lamp (28), the light conductor absorbing and distributing the light emitted by the lamp (28).Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2012Publication date: September 18, 2014Applicant: TRW Automotive GmbHInventor: Ralf Knoedl
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Patent number: 7997657Abstract: An assembly to attach a belt buckle (12) to a vehicle, especially to a vehicle body part (16), has an attachment fitting (14) which is fixed in place directly at the belt buckle (12), is made in one piece, and is movable together with the belt buckle (12), the attachment fitting (14) being adapted to assume an initial position, an attachment member (22) and a spring member (28) which urges the attachment fitting (14) that is movable relative to the vehicle into the initial position. The attachment member (22) fixes the attachment fitting (14) in place directly at the vehicle body part (16).Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2007Date of Patent: August 16, 2011Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbHInventors: Peter Haas, Ralf Knoedl
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Publication number: 20080136156Abstract: An assembly to attach a belt buckle (12) to a vehicle, especially to a vehicle body part (16), has an attachment fitting (14) which is fixed in place directly at the belt buckle (12), is made in one piece, and is movable together with the belt buckle (12), the attachment fitting (14) being adapted to assume an initial position, an attachment member (22) and a spring member (28) which urges the attachment fitting (14) that is movable relative to the vehicle into the initial position. The attachment member (22) fixes the attachment fitting (14) in place directly at the vehicle body part (16).Type: ApplicationFiled: December 10, 2007Publication date: June 12, 2008Inventors: Peter Haas, Ralf Knoedl