Patents by Inventor Thomas Heckmann

Thomas Heckmann 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: 7581785
    Abstract: A vehicle seat has a backrest with a vertically adjustable headrest, and a device for warming the nape and head area of a seat occupant with warm air. The device comprises an electric heating unit and an air vent which is arranged in an intermediate space between the backrest and head cushion of the headrest. In order to obtain a warm air heating device which i) is of low overall volume, ii) can be integrated satisfactorily into the seat, iii) is efficient and iv) does not disrupt the esthetics of the vehicle seat and/or of the passenger cell, the electric heating unit, and preferably also a blower, are integrated in the air vent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Thomas Heckmann, Karl Pfahler
  • Patent number: 7533934
    Abstract: A vehicle seat includes a seat cushion having seat upholstery and a seat back having a seat back upholstery which are held in a seat framework that is anchored to a vehicle floor in a longitudinally shiftable manner, and includes at least one swivelable holding bracket, for the detachable fastening of a child's seat, set upon the seat cushion, on the seat framework, which is swivelable from a covered, non-use position into a functional position, in which it is accessible, all the way through, between seat back upholstery and seat upholstery. For the creation of a vehicle seat, e.g., having electromotive seat adjustment for longitudinal seat adjustment, seat cushion vertical setting and seat cushion depth setting, in a longitudinal shifting position of the seat upholstery which is determined so that the seat upholstery is moved out of the swivel path of the holding bracket, the swivel motion of the holding bracket is derived from the vertical adjustment motion of the seat cushion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Daimlerchrysler AG
    Inventors: Thomas Foelster, Thomas Heckmann, Marcus Scheu, Juergen Schrader, Peter Scott
  • Publication number: 20080315640
    Abstract: In a vehicle seat with a backrest arranged on a mount and on which at least one head restraint is arranged, an intermediate space formed between a lower delimitation of the head restraint and an upper delimitation the backrest can be covered by a cover device. To reduce a disadvantageous effect on exchangeability, the novel cover device is to be as universally useable as possible and is to readily follow the vertical movement of the head restraint. Accordingly, the present cover device is firstly connected in terms of action to the head restraint and secondly to the backrest in such a manner that, upon a height adjustment of the backrest and/or of the head restraint, an adjustment of the cover device takes place.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2006
    Publication date: December 25, 2008
    Applicant: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Claudio Bargheer, Thomas Heckmann, Juergen Schrader
  • Publication number: 20080290703
    Abstract: The invention relates to a motor vehicle seat comprising a back rest (11), a height-adjustable head rest (12), and an aeration device (13) that is integrated into the back rest and comprises a blow opening (16) arranged in the upper side (111) of the back rest (11) and used to blow out hot air. The aim of the invention is to improve the aeration device by reducing the aeration noises and generating a comfortable warm feeling for the user of the seat, in the head, neck and shoulder region. To this end, a diffuser (19) is arranged in the intermediate space between the back rest (11) and the head padding (15) of the head rest (12), said diffuser being embodied and oriented in relation to the blow opening in such a way that the hot air flow through the blow opening towards the head padding is deflected into a wide, diffuse hot air flow flowing around the head, neck and shoulder area of a user (10).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2004
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Applicant: DAIMLERCHRYSLER AG
    Inventors: Claudio Bargheer, Thomas Heckmann, Karl Pfahler
  • Publication number: 20080036249
    Abstract: A vehicle seat has a backrest with a vertically adjustable headrest, and a device for warming the nape and head area of a seat occupant with warm air. The device comprises an electric heating unit and an air vent which is arranged in an intermediate space between the backrest and head cushion of the headrest. In order to obtain a warm air heating device which i) is of low overall volume, ii) can be integrated satisfactorily into the seat, iii) is efficient and iv) does not disrupt the esthetics of the vehicle seat and/or of the passenger cell, the electric heating unit, and preferably also a blower, are integrated in the air vent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2005
    Publication date: February 14, 2008
    Applicant: Daimler Chrysler AG
    Inventors: Thomas Heckmann, Karl Pfahler
  • Publication number: 20080012403
    Abstract: A vehicle seat includes a seat cushion having seat upholstery and a seat back having a seat back upholstery which are held in a seat framework that is anchored to a vehicle floor in a longitudinally shiftable manner, and includes at least one swivelable holding bracket, for the detachable fastening of a child's seat, set upon the seat cushion, on the seat framework, which is swivelable from a covered, non-use position into a functional position, in which it is accessible, all the way through, between seat back upholstery and seat upholstery. For the creation of a vehicle seat, e.g., having electromotive seat adjustment for longitudinal seat adjustment, seat cushion vertical setting and seat cushion depth setting, in a longitudinal shifting position of the seat upholstery which is determined so that the seat upholstery is moved out of the swivel path of the holding bracket, the swivel motion of the holding bracket is derived from the vertical adjustment motion of the seat cushion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2007
    Publication date: January 17, 2008
    Inventors: Thomas Foelster, Thomas Heckmann, Marcus Scheu, Juergen Schrader, Peter Scott
  • Publication number: 20070278835
    Abstract: A vehicle seat with a back rest, a height-adjustable head restraint with a head cushion, and a heating device for heating the neck and head region of a seat occupant with hot air. The heating device has an air-guiding duct that is arranged in the head cushion and has a hot air outlet opening and on the lower side of the head cushion. The intermediate space between the lower side of the head cushion and the upper side of the back rest is shielded to the rear by a covering.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2005
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Applicant: DAIMLERCHRYSTER AG
    Inventors: Claudio Bargheer, Thomas Heckmann, Karl Pfahler
  • Publication number: 20070252423
    Abstract: Provided is a trim panel suitable for attachment to a displaceable seat, and a seat. The seat has a seat substructure with a first part and a second part and a seat component. The seat component is moveable with the first part in a horizontal direction relative to the second part of the seat substructure and displaceable relative to the first part in a second direction. The trim panel is configured to be attached to the seat component and to be displaceable with the seat component for concealing parts of the seat substructure from normal viewing angle by a user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2004
    Publication date: November 1, 2007
    Applicant: JOHNSON CONTROLS GMBH
    Inventors: Volkmar Schulz, Thomas Folster, Thorsten Helbig, Thomas Heckmann
  • Patent number: 7178873
    Abstract: A motor vehicle seat with a seat cushion and a backrest has a fixing bracket for a child's seat placed on the seat cushion. The fixing bracket can be swiveled out of a covered out-of-use position into a functioning position arranged between a seat cushion and a backrest through a swiveling device. In order to attain a secure mounting of the child's seat and at the same time require the least amount of space possible, the fixing bracket can be swiveled into the functioning position or back into the out-of-use position through a swiveling device that has a four arm linkage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Thomas Foelster, Thomas Heckmann
  • Publication number: 20060113809
    Abstract: A device for partitioning off a trunk space, in particular of a convertible, which has a folding top (11) which can be retracted below a trunk lid (12). The device includes a fixed partition element (10), which can be displaced by means of at least one lever between an upper position for loading the trunk space, and a lower position for putting the folding top away. The partition element (10) can be removed from the trunk space (13) without any tools.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2005
    Publication date: June 1, 2006
    Applicant: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Thomas Heckmann, Juergen Schrader
  • Publication number: 20050046251
    Abstract: A motor vehicle seat with a seat cushion and a backrest has a fixing bracket for a child's seat placed on the seat cushion. The fixing bracket can be swiveled out of a covered out-of-use position into a functioning position arranged between a seat cushion and a backrest through a swiveling device. In order to attain a secure mounting of the child's seat and at the same time require the least amount of space possible, the fixing bracket can be swiveled into the functioning position or back into the out-of-use position through a swiveling device that has a four arm linkage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2004
    Publication date: March 3, 2005
    Inventors: Thomas Foelster, Thomas Heckmann
  • Patent number: 6827216
    Abstract: A first-aid device for motor vehicles which has an elastic unrollable mat which is used as a carrier for items of first-aid equipment and has an essentially rectangular shape. In order to use existing storage space effectively and, in particular, to obtain a compact structural shape, the mat has a fastener on two longitudinal edges, so that it can be folded-up to form a flexible container. In the process, the fastener connects the longitudinal edges of the mat to form a stable, cylindrical container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Thomas Foelster, Thomas Heckmann
  • Publication number: 20020189968
    Abstract: A first-aid device for motor vehicles which has an elastic unrollable mat which is used as a carrier for items of first-aid equipment and has an essentially rectangular shape. In order to use existing storage space effectively and, in particular, to obtain a compact structural shape, the mat has a fastener on two longitudinal edges, so that it can be folded-up to form a flexible container. In the process, the fastener connects the longitudinal edges of the mat to form a stable, cylindrical container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2002
    Publication date: December 19, 2002
    Inventors: Thomas Foelster, Thomas Heckmann
  • Patent number: 6427956
    Abstract: An armrest for a motor vehicle seat that can be attached by a bearing device and is pivotable about a pivot axis between two latching locations of a bearing device that delimit the pivoting range. A stop that moves with the armrest is associated with these latching locations. The bearing device has two assembled parts and has a flexible sliding element that brakes the pivoting movement of the armrest and latches the end positions of the armrest. The flexible sliding element is integrated in one piece into one part of the bearing device, and this one part consists of a one-piece molded plastic part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Thomas Heckmann, Holger Hoerner, Franz Krischen, Christian Wobst
  • Patent number: 6079776
    Abstract: A vehicle seat has a supporting bow which can be fixed on the seat side and has a head cushion which is arranged on the end of the supporting bow away from the seat and which can be adjusted in its inclination as desired by the seat user. For securing the inclination adjustment of the head cushion in the event of a crash, an air-filled, volume-variable hollow body is supported between the supporting bow and a cushion support held on the supporting bow by way of a swivel bearing. The hollow body is provided with a throttle opening which counters a shock-type air discharge with an extremely high flow resistance and an air passage of a low flow rate with only a small flow resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Roland Breitner, Thomas Heckmann