Patents by Inventor Thomas Aumann

Thomas Aumann 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: 12330406
    Abstract: A method for heat-setting and laminating a 3D knitted fabric, which fabric has hot-melt adhesive yarn, on a carrier device for an interior component of a motor vehicle, includes the following steps: arranging the 3D knitted fabric on the carrier device in a laminating apparatus; activating the hot-melt adhesive yarn by way of the laminating apparatus for the heat-setting of the 3D knitted fabric; laminating the heat-set 3D knitted fabric on the carrier device by way of the laminating apparatus. A laminating apparatus for performing the heat-setting and laminating of the 3D knitted fabric on the carrier device is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Aumann, Florian Dechant, Johann Gasslhuber
  • Publication number: 20250170798
    Abstract: An interior component of a motor vehicle includes a carrier element and a textile top layer arranged on the carrier element. The textile top layer is an interlooped material. The textile top layer includes at least one elastic stretching portion including an elastic loop construction. The textile top layer is arranged and/or fixed on the carrier element such that the elastic stretching portion of the textile top layer is elastically stretchable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2024
    Publication date: May 29, 2025
    Inventors: Thomas AUMANN, Florian DECHANT, Johann GASSLHUBER
  • Patent number: 12311864
    Abstract: A decorative layer for an interior trim part for covering and/or receiving an airbag in a motor vehicle is able to be arranged in a detachable and/or position-adjustable manner on a carrier element of the interior trim part. The decorative layer has a predetermined breaking point region for arrangement on at least one predetermined breaking point line of the carrier element, through which predetermined breaking point region the airbag can be unfolded in a triggered state. The predetermined breaking point region has at least one means for weakening, in particular of a material, of the decorative layer. An interior trim part for covering an airbag in a motor vehicle includes a carrier element and the decorative layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2024
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Aumann, Florian Dechant, Maike Dieckmann, Johann Gasslhuber
  • Publication number: 20250153476
    Abstract: An interior component of a motor vehicle includes a carrier element and an upper textile layer. The upper textile layer has fibers and the carrier element and the fibers of the upper textile layer are formed from a same base material. Thus, an interior component is provided where reuse of the materials and quality of the reused materials is optimized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2024
    Publication date: May 15, 2025
    Inventors: Thomas AUMANN, Florian DECHANT, Maike DIECKMANN, Johann GASSLHUBER
  • Publication number: 20250153446
    Abstract: An apparatus for producing an interior component from a carrier element and a top layer includes a handling device, a component support for receiving the carrier element and the top layer, where the component support has a fixing device for temporarily fixing the carrier element and the top layer on the component support, a welding head, and a sewing head. A control unit controls the handling device where a data set for controlling at least the handling device in a manner dependent on a material of the top layer is stored in the control unit and where the handling device is controllable depending on the material of the top layer by the control unit such that, to connect the top layer to the carrier element, the top layer and the carrier element are welded by the welding head or sewn by the sewing head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2024
    Publication date: May 15, 2025
    Inventors: Thomas AUMANN, Florian DECHANT, Johann GASSLHUBER
  • Patent number: 12208751
    Abstract: A method for producing a trim part includes generating a surface covering, wherein the surface covering is generated by a knitting method and fastening elements are disposed on the surface covering. The carrier part is covered with the generated surface covering. Fixing elements are disposed on the carrier part. The fastening elements of the surface covering are connected in a form-fitting manner to the fixing elements of the carrier part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Aumann, Florian Dechant, Johann Gasslhuber
  • Publication number: 20240336209
    Abstract: A decorative covering for an interior trim part includes at least two decorative parts, which are each realized in the form of a cloth-like sheet material with a plastics content, a first connecting end portion of the first decorative part and a second connecting end portion of the second decorative part being integrally bonded to one another in a connecting portion of the decorative covering. A method is provided for producing the decorative covering.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2024
    Publication date: October 10, 2024
    Inventors: Thomas AUMANN, Florian Dechant, Johann Gasslhuber
  • Publication number: 20240336216
    Abstract: A decorative layer for an interior trim part for covering and/or receiving an airbag in a motor vehicle is able to be arranged in a detachable and/or position-adjustable manner on a carrier element of the interior trim part. The decorative layer has a predetermined breaking point region for arrangement on at least one predetermined breaking point line of the carrier element, through which predetermined breaking point region the airbag can be unfolded in a triggered state. The predetermined breaking point region has at least one means for weakening, in particular of a material, of the decorative layer. An interior trim part for covering an airbag in a motor vehicle includes a carrier element and the decorative layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2024
    Publication date: October 10, 2024
    Inventors: Thomas AUMANN, Florian Dechant, Maike Dieckmann, Johann Gasslhuber
  • Publication number: 20240328043
    Abstract: A surface textile for an interior component of a motor vehicle has a front side and a rear side. The rear side is able to be coupled to a carrier for forming the interior component of the motor vehicle. The rear side has at least a slip-resisting property. The front side and the rear side differ from one another in terms of their textile structure and/or in terms of their textile composition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2024
    Publication date: October 3, 2024
    Inventors: Thomas AUMANN, Florian DECHANT, Johann GASSLHUBER
  • Patent number: 11931948
    Abstract: A device for thermosetting a knitted fabric includes a first tool half and a second tool half. The first tool half and the second tool half in a closed position enclose a cavity in which the knitted fabric is receivable. Each of the first tool half and the second tool half have a respective shape-imparting effective surface by way of which an external form of the knitted fabric is determinable. The device further includes a heating installation where thermal energy is introducible into the knitted fabric via the heating installation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Aumann, Florian Dechant, Johann Gasslhuber
  • Patent number: 11932177
    Abstract: A cladding part has a carrier part and a surface covering, which is arranged on a side of the carrier part that faces the surface covering. The surface covering is made of an intrinsically stiff knitted-fabric material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Aumann, Florian Dechant, Johann Gasslhuber, Dienhung Huynh
  • Patent number: 11905632
    Abstract: A method for producing a trim part includes the following steps: generating a surface covering, wherein a knitted semi-finished product is generated on a flat knitting machine; the knitted semi-finished product is washed; the washed knitted semi-finished product is heat set; and laminating, in particular press-laminating or compression-laminating, the generated surface covering onto a carrier part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Aumann, Florian Dechant, Johann Gasslhuber
  • Publication number: 20230415671
    Abstract: An interior part for a vehicle includes a decorative part composed of a textile material that has a fold section where the fold section is a portion of the textile material that has a changed material property. A method for producing an interior part for a vehicle includes providing a decorative part composed of a textile material and producing a fold section in the decorative part by changing a material property of the textile material along a line and/or in a region by an input of thermal energy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Inventors: Thomas AUMANN, Florian DECHANT, Johann GASSLHUBER
  • Publication number: 20230365076
    Abstract: A cladding part has a carrier part. A surface of the carrier part is at least in sections covered by a surface cover of knitted material. A predetermined breaking point is configured in the surface cover. A method is provided for producing the cladding part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2023
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventors: Thomas AUMANN, Florian DECHANT, Johann GASSLHUBER
  • Publication number: 20230322169
    Abstract: A cladding part has a textile covering, wherein the covering forms a visible surface of a wall. At least one wall portion of the covering is transferable into a position in which the wall portion forms at least one outer wall region of a receptacle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2023
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Inventors: Thomas AUMANN, Florian DECHANT, Johann GASSLHUBER, Dienhung HUYNH
  • Publication number: 20230264637
    Abstract: A trim part has a carrier part and a surface cover which is disposed on a side of the carrier part that faces the surface cover. The surface cover is made from an inherently stiff knitted fabric material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2023
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Inventors: Thomas AUMANN, Florian DECHANT, Johann GASSLHUBER
  • Publication number: 20230264638
    Abstract: A cladding part has a carrier part and a surface covering, which is arranged on a side of the carrier part that faces the surface covering. The surface covering is made of an intrinsically stiff knitted-fabric material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2023
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Inventors: Thomas AUMANN, Florian DECHANT, Johann GASSLHUBER, Dienhung HUYNH
  • Publication number: 20230124099
    Abstract: A method for heat-setting and laminating a 3D knitted fabric, which fabric has hot-melt adhesive yarn, on a carrier device for an interior component of a motor vehicle, includes the following steps: arranging the 3D knitted fabric on the carrier device in a laminating apparatus; activating the hot-melt adhesive yarn by way of the laminating apparatus for the heat-setting of the 3D knitted fabric; laminating the heat-set 3D knitted fabric on the carrier device by way of the laminating apparatus. A laminating apparatus for performing the heat-setting and laminating of the 3D knitted fabric on the carrier device is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2022
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Inventors: Thomas AUMANN, Florian DECHANT, Johann GASSLHUBER
  • Publication number: 20220355746
    Abstract: A method for producing a trim part includes generating a surface covering, wherein the surface covering is generated by a knitting method and fastening elements are disposed on the surface covering. The carrier part is covered with the generated surface covering. Fixing elements are disposed on the carrier part. The fastening elements of the surface covering are connected in a form-fitting manner to the fixing elements of the carrier part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Inventors: Thomas AUMANN, Florian DECHANT, Johann GASSLHUBER
  • Publication number: 20220154373
    Abstract: A method for producing a trim part includes the following steps: generating a surface covering, wherein a knitted semi-finished product is generated on a flat knitting machine; the knitted semi-finished product is washed; the washed knitted semi-finished product is heat set; and laminating, in particular press-laminating or compression-laminating, the generated surface covering onto a carrier part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2021
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Inventors: Thomas AUMANN, Florian Dechant, Johann Gasslhuber