Patents by Inventor Thomas SCHNAUFER

Thomas SCHNAUFER 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: 11858323
    Abstract: A convertible top element for a convertible vehicle has, in sequence: an outer cover layer, a coupling layer, a convertible top bow, an absorber layer and an inner cover layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Steffen Borchert, Peter Holler, Ralf Mehling, Thomas Schnaufer, Daniel Seiboth, Christian Spickermann
  • Publication number: 20210086599
    Abstract: A convertible top element for a convertible vehicle has, in sequence: an outer cover layer, a coupling layer, a convertible top bow, an absorber layer and an inner cover layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventors: Steffen BORCHERT, Peter HOLLER, Ralf MEHLING, Thomas SCHNAUFER, Daniel SEIBOTH, Christian SPICKERMANN
  • Patent number: 10876564
    Abstract: A blind rivet nut for connecting two components by means of a screw connection includes a rivet shank. The rivet shank has an internal thread, at the axial first end of which a deformation portion configured to produce the riveted joint is arranged. At the axial second end of the rivet shank there is arranged a rivet head with a contact face that allows an adjacent component face to lie against. The supporting surface has a radial extent which is greater than or equal to 1.5 times and less than or equal to 2 times the radial extent of the rivet shank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Schnaufer, Andreas Beil, Simon Spitzer, Christian Berthold, Robert Weinmann
  • Patent number: 10336383
    Abstract: A component, in particular a body component, for a vehicle, has at least one test section which is arranged in a predetermined area of the component and which is connected in one piece to the rest of the component by way of at least one connecting element. The connecting element is embodied as predetermined breaking point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Schnaufer, Jan Jaap Timmerman, Peter Jahnke, Andre Koch
  • Publication number: 20190040893
    Abstract: A blind rivet nut for connecting two components by means of a screw connection includes a rivet shank. The rivet shank has an internal thread, at the axial first end of which a deformation portion configured to produce the riveted joint is arranged. At the axial second end of the rivet shank there is arranged a rivet head with a contact face that allows an adjacent component face to lie against. The supporting surface has a radial extent which is greater than or equal to 1.5 times and less than or equal to 2 times the radial extent of the rivet shank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Inventors: Thomas SCHNAUFER, Andreas BEIL, Simon SPITZER, Christian BERTHOLD, Robert WEINMANN
  • Patent number: 10029740
    Abstract: A component arrangement having a first component and a second component is provided. At least one component has a plurality of preforms, wherein the plurality of preforms of the first component overlap a preform of a second component in the connecting region of the two components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Schnaufer, Andreas Beil, Simon Spitzer
  • Patent number: 9919744
    Abstract: The invention relates to a shell structure having a force transmission point, wherein a force transmission structure is provided on the force transmission point, wherein the force transmission structure has a fitting element comprising a fastening element, wherein the fitting element is connected to the shell structure. According to the invention, the fitting element has a contact surface having the shell structure and the contact surface can be clamped with or is clamped with the shell structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Mihaly Gonda, Thomas Schnaufer, Juergen Lenz, Andreas Beil
  • Patent number: 9873464
    Abstract: A vehicle body includes a first body component made of fiber-reinforced plastic and a second body component made of fiber-reinforced plastic. The body components are adhesively bonded to each other by an adhesive layer and are subjected to shearing load and/or tensile stress in a main stress plane, wherein the adhesive layer is shaped by way of an adhesive flange, on which the adhesive layer is oriented obliquely to the main loading plane at an angle between 30° and 60°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Schnaufer, Andreas Beil, Juergen Lenz, Lorenz Schmid, Martin Eis, Torsten Fleischer
  • Patent number: 9834252
    Abstract: A profile strip of a vehicle body is provided, wherein the profile strip is configured with at least one shell component made of fiber-reinforced plastic material and with at least one pultrusion component. The profile strip is subjected to bending in a bending direction and the pultrusion component is arranged alongside the shell component, as seen in the bending direction. The pultrusion component is configured with an outer shell and with at least one inner crosspiece, which is coupled to the inside of the outer shell. The at least one inner crosspiece extends in the bending direction and the at least one shell component has additional inner ribs, which extend likewise in the bending direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Schnaufer, Andre Koch
  • Publication number: 20160311482
    Abstract: A component, in particular a body component, for a vehicle, has at least one test section which is arranged in a predetermined area of the component and which is connected in one piece to the rest of the component by way of at least one connecting element. The connecting element is embodied as predetermined breaking point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2016
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Inventors: Thomas SCHNAUFER, Jan Jaap TIMMERMAN, Peter JAHNKE, Andre KOCH
  • Publication number: 20160229466
    Abstract: A component arrangement having a first component and a second component is provided. At least one component has a plurality of preforms, wherein the plurality of preforms of the first component overlap a preform of a second component in the connecting region of the two components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Inventors: Thomas SCHNAUFER, Andreas BEIL, Simon SPITZER
  • Publication number: 20160214333
    Abstract: A method is provided for producing a reinforced fiber composite component. The method includes the following acts: providing a reinforcing profile, enclosing the reinforcing profile with a core element, producing a sheath for the core element by braiding it with endless fibers, and impregnating the braided core element with a matrix. A reinforced fiber composite component provided in this manner includes a core element which is braided with a sheath, the core element enclosing a reinforcing profile that is arranged inside the core element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Inventors: Thomas SCHNAUFER, Andreas BEIL, Simon SPITZER
  • Publication number: 20160144899
    Abstract: A profile strip of a vehicle body is provided, wherein the profile strip is configured with at least one shell component made of fiber-reinforced plastic material and with at least one pultrusion component. The profile strip is subjected to bending in a bending direction and the pultrusion component is arranged alongside the shell component, as seen in the bending direction. The pultrusion component is configured with an outer shell and with at least one inner crosspiece, which is coupled to the inside of the outer shell. The at least one inner crosspiece extends in the bending direction and the at least one shell component has additional inner ribs, which extend likewise in the bending direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Inventors: Thomas SCHNAUFER, Andre KOCH
  • Publication number: 20160129948
    Abstract: A vehicle body includes a first body component made of fiber-reinforced plastic and a second body component made of fiber-reinforced plastic. The body components are adhesively bonded to each other by an adhesive layer and are subjected to shearing load and/or tensile stress in a main stress plane, wherein the adhesive layer is shaped by way of an adhesive flange, on which the adhesive layer is oriented obliquely to the main loading plane at an angle between 30° and 60°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2016
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Inventors: Thomas SCHNAUFER, Andreas BEIL, Juergen LENZ, Lorenz SCHMID, Martin EIS, Torsten FLEISCHER
  • Publication number: 20160040703
    Abstract: A blind rivet nut for connecting two components via a screw connection is provided. The blind rivet nut includes a rivet shaft with an internal thread, on the axial first end of which shaft a deformation portion for producing the rivet connection is arranged, wherein a rivet head with a bearing surface for bearing an adjacent component surface is arranged on the axial second end of the rivet shaft. The bearing surface has a radial extent which is designed to be greater than or equal to 1.2 times the radial extent of the rivet shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: Thomas SCHNAUFER, Andreas BEIL, Simon SPITZER, Christian BERTHOLD, Robert WEINMANN
  • Publication number: 20160016613
    Abstract: The invention relates to a shell structure having a force transmission point, wherein a force transmission structure is provided on the force transmission point, wherein the force transmission structure has a fitting element comprising a fastening element, wherein the fitting element is connected to the shell structure. According to the invention, the fitting element has a contact surface having the shell structure and the contact surface can be clamped with or is clamped with the shell structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2015
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Inventors: Mihaly GONDA, Thomas SCHNAUFER, Juergen LENZ, Andreas BEIL
  • Patent number: 8714630
    Abstract: A flat vehicle body component made of a carbon fiber reinforced plastic has at least one interconnecting web that protrudes from the flat vehicle body component and that is made entirely of the matrix material epoxy resin. A mounting part at least partially envelops the interconnecting web in a force locking manner, so that the mounting part is clamped securely on the interconnecting web. The mounting part has at least one hole that can be used for fastening another component. An additional component may be fastened in the hole in a conventional manner, so that the carbon fiber reinforced plastic component does not need corresponding holes. The interconnecting web may be integrally molded on the vehicle body component during its manufacture so that practically no additional engineering effort is needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Philipp Schmied, Carsten Mueller, Rastislav Takacs, Thomas Schnaufer, Siegfried Stoeckl
  • Publication number: 20120248821
    Abstract: A flat vehicle body component made of a carbon fiber reinforced plastic has at least one interconnecting web that protrudes from the flat vehicle body component and that is made entirely of the matrix material epoxy resin. A mounting part at least partially envelops the interconnecting web in a force locking manner, so that the mounting part is clamped securely on the interconnecting web. The mounting part has at least one hole that can be used for fastening another component. An additional component may be fastened in the hole in a conventional manner, so that the carbon fiber reinforced plastic component does not need corresponding holes. The interconnecting web may be integrally molded on the vehicle body component during its manufacture so that practically no additional engineering effort is needed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Philipp SCHMIED, Carsten MUELLER, Rastislav TAKACS, Thomas SCHNAUFER, Siegfried STOECKL