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).

  • Patent number: 11930893
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: ZF AUTOMOTIVE GERMANY GMBH
    Inventors: Ralf Knoedl, Dominik Seitzer, Hans-Peter Betz
  • Publication number: 20220132998
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2020
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventors: Ralf KNOEDL, Dominik SEITZER, Hans-Peter BETZ
  • Patent number: 10631597
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: TRW AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Hans-Peter Betz, Peter Haas, Jörg Meyer, Ralf Knoedl
  • Patent number: 10315616
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: TRW AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Hans-Peter Betz, Ralf Knoedl
  • Patent number: 10285473
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Ralf Knoedl
  • Patent number: 10182622
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Ralf Knoedl
  • Publication number: 20170355349
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Inventors: Hans-Peter BETZ, Ralf KNOEDL
  • Publication number: 20170127765
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2015
    Publication date: May 11, 2017
    Inventors: Hans-Peter Betz, Peter Haas, Jörg Meyer, Ralf Knoedl
  • Publication number: 20170055643
    Abstract: 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 position
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventor: Ralf Knoedl
  • Publication number: 20160000190
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2014
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Inventor: Ralf Knoedl
  • Publication number: 20140268844
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2012
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: TRW Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Ralf Knoedl
  • Patent number: 7997657
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Haas, Ralf Knoedl
  • Publication number: 20080136156
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2007
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Inventors: Peter Haas, Ralf Knoedl