Patents by Inventor Thomas Schonenberg

Thomas Schonenberg 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: 11933079
    Abstract: A door lock, in particular a motor vehicle door lock, comprising a locking mechanism consisting substantially of a catch and at least one pawl. Each locking mechanism component is mounted on a base in a rotatable manner about an axis. Additionally, a fixed support body is provided for at least one locking mechanism component. According to the invention, the locking mechanism component is designed to be rotatable about a bearing pin at a distance from the support body during a normal operation and comes into contact with the support body solely in the event of a crash with a simultaneous deformation of the bearing pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Kiekert AG
    Inventors: Holger Schiffer, Michael Scholz, Thomas Schönenberg, Ömer Inan, Peter Szegeny
  • Publication number: 20230374829
    Abstract: A motor vehicle having a motor vehicle lock which is paired with a movable door element and which comprises a locking mechanism consisting of a rotary latch and at least one pawl. In an open position of the locking mechanism, at least one part of an inlet region for a lock holder can be released. The motor vehicle also has an actuation means which is arranged in the free inlet region, wherein the actuation means forms at least one part of an energy power supply of the motor vehicle lock.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Applicant: Kiekert AG
    Inventors: Holger SCHIFFER, Peter SZEGENY, Ömer INAN, Michael SCHOLZ, Andreas SCHMITZ, Thomas SCHÖNENBERG, Michael HERRMANN
  • Publication number: 20220364396
    Abstract: The invention relates to a motor vehicle door lock which is equipped with a locking mechanism (1, 2) that consists essentially of a rotary latch (1) and a pawl (2). Furthermore, an electrical drive (3, 4) for the locking mechanism (1, 2) is provided. Moreover, an actuating lever chain (5, 6, 7) is implemented between the electrical drive (3, 4) and the locking mechanism (1, 2), wherein a coupling element (7) of the actuating lever chain (5, 6, 7) can at least be decoupled with the aid of an emergency actuating element (9, 10) that can be acted on manually. According to the invention, the emergency actuating element (9, 10) acts on the coupling element (7) predominantly in a linear manner in relation to a link (8).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Inventors: Ömer INAN, Holger SCHIFFER, Thomas SCHÖNENBERG, Michael SCHOLZ, Thorsten BENDEL
  • Publication number: 20220220780
    Abstract: A door lock, in particular a motor vehicle door lock, comprising a locking mechanism consisting substantially of a catch and at least one pawl. Each locking mechanism component is mounted on a base in a rotatable manner about an axis. Additionally, a fixed support body is provided for at least one locking mechanism component. According to the invention, the locking mechanism component is designed to be rotatable about a bearing pin at a distance from the support body during a normal operation and comes into contact with the support body solely in the event of a crash with a simultaneous deformation of the bearing pin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2020
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Inventors: Holger Schiffer, Michael Scholz, Thomas Schönenberg, Ömer Inan, Peter Szegeny
  • Publication number: 20220127883
    Abstract: A door lock, in particular a motor vehicle door lock, which is equipped with a locking mechanism that substantially consists of a rotary latch and at least one pawl. Each of the two locking mechanism parts rotatably supported on a base about a respective axis. For this purpose, a bearing surface of each locking mechanism part slides along a fixed support body. According to the invention, the support body is provided with an open bearing trough for receiving the bearing surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Inventors: Ömer INAN, Holger SCHIFFER, Michael SCHOLZ, Peter SZEGENY, Thomas SCHÖNENBERG
  • Patent number: 11214995
    Abstract: A safety device for a motor vehicle, having a lock holder, a pawl and a rotary latch, wherein the rotary latch has a load arm, a catch arm, an opening direction of rotation, a closing direction of rotation, a pre-latching position and a main latching position, wherein the pawl is latched in on the catch arm in the pre-latching position and is latched in on the load arm in the main latching position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Kiekert AG
    Inventors: Holger Schiffer, Michael Scholz, Thomas Schönenberg, Ömer Inan
  • Patent number: 11162276
    Abstract: A safety device for a motor vehicle, which has a striker, a pawl, an ejection spring ejecting the striker, and a rotary latch, wherein the rotary latch has an opening direction of rotation, a closing direction of rotation an open position, and a main locking position, wherein the ejection spring has a leg and the leg lies directly against the striker in the main locking position of the rotary latch and the leg lies directly against the rotary latch in at least one intermediate position of the rotary latch, in which the rotary latch is between the main locking position and the open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Kiekert AG
    Inventors: Ömer Inan, Michael Scholz, Holger Schiffer, Thomas Schönenberg
  • Patent number: 10781614
    Abstract: A safety device for a motor vehicle, which has a striker, a pawl, a rotary latch having an opening direction of rotation, a closing direction of rotation, and a main locking position, and preferably a front hood, wherein the safety device has a blocking element, which has a blockage position and a release position, and the rotary latch is blocked in the closing direction of rotation in the blockage position of the blocking element, wherein the rotary latch is released in the closing direction of rotation by the blocking element in the release position of the blocking element and lowering of the striker is enabled in the main locking position of the rotary latch and movement of the blocking element from the release position to the blockage position is controlled by means of the pawl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Kiekert AG
    Inventors: Ömer Inan, Holger Schiffer, Michael Scholz, Thomas Schönenberg
  • Publication number: 20190017291
    Abstract: A safety device for a motor vehicle, which has a striker, a pawl, an ejection spring ejecting the striker, and a rotary latch, wherein the rotary latch has an opening direction of rotation, a closing direction of rotation an open position, and a main locking position, wherein the ejection spring has a leg and the leg lies directly against the striker in the main locking position of the rotary latch and the leg lies directly against the rotary latch in at least one intermediate position of the rotary latch, in which the rotary latch is between the main locking position and the open position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Publication date: January 17, 2019
    Inventors: Ömer Inan, Michael Scholz, Holger Schiffer, Thomas Schönenberg
  • Publication number: 20190003217
    Abstract: A safety device for a motor vehicle, having a lock holder, a pawl and a rotary latch, wherein the rotary latch has a load arm, a catch arm, an opening direction of rotation, a closing direction of rotation, a pre-latching position and a main latching position, wherein the pawl is latched in on the catch arm in the pre-latching position and is latched in on the load arm in the main latching position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2016
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Inventors: Holger Schiffer, Michael Scholz, Thomas Schönenberg, Ömer Inan
  • Publication number: 20180371804
    Abstract: A safety device for a motor vehicle, which has a striker, a pawl, a rotary latch having an opening direction of rotation, a closing direction of rotation, and a main locking position, and preferably a front hood, wherein the safety device has a blocking element, which has a blockage position and a release position, and the rotary latch is blocked in the closing direction of rotation in the blockage position of the blocking element, wherein the rotary latch is released in the closing direction of rotation by the blocking element in the release position of the blocking element and lowering of the striker is enabled in the main locking position of the rotary latch and movement of the blocking element from the release position to the blockage position is controlled by means of the pawl.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: Ömer Inan, Holger Schiffer, Michael Scholz, Thomas Schönenberg
  • Patent number: 9371670
    Abstract: The invention relates to a locking system, in particular motor vehicle door lock, with at least one lever (1), and with a position-securing unit (5, 6, 7, 8) for the lever (1), wherein the position-securing unit (5, 6, 7, 8) has at least one spring element (5) and is designed for defining at least one stable position (E) of the lever (1), wherein the spring element (5) reaches through the lever (1) in the region of an opening (8), and wherein the opening (8) permits pivoting movements of the lever (1) in relation to the spring element (5) within a predetermined pivoting angle range (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Kiekert Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Schönenberg, Hendrik Wahmann
  • Publication number: 20060049639
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is a vehicle door including a vehicle door latch (1) with a housing (2, 3) and with at least one additional assembly (4) According to the invention, the additional assembly (4) is connected to the housing (2, 3) of the vehicle door latch (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2003
    Publication date: March 9, 2006
    Inventors: Johannes-Theodor Menke, Ulrich Nass, Gerhard Zimmerman, Carsten Baumchen, Michael Herrmann, Andreas Kasper, Stefan Armbruster, Jorg Axmann, Christian Johiel, Jurgen Kill, Thomas Schonenberg
  • Patent number: 6308998
    Abstract: A motor-vehicle door holding a lock provided with actuating elements operable to lock the door has an actuating system having an outside opening handle displaceable on the door, a pivot on the door, a first compensating lever pivotable on the pivot and having an outer end forming a seat, and a first rod part having an outer end connected to the handle and an inner end bearing on the seat in a predetermined direction. A second rod part having an outer end connected to the lock actuating elements and an inner end connected to an outer end of a second compensating lever pivotable on the pivot. A spring braced between the levers urges their outer ends angularly apart with the outer end of the first compensating lever bearing against the predetermined direction on the first rod-part inner end. A screw engaged between the levers offset from the pivot can releasably fix the levers together for joint pivoting. This screw is loosenable for relative pivoting of the levers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2001
    Assignee: Kiekert AG
    Inventors: Stefan Armbruster, Johannes-Theodor Menke, Thomas Schönenberg
  • Patent number: 5876087
    Abstract: A motor vehicle has a body provided with at least one generally horizontal rail having a bent end portion and along which a sliding door is displaceable between a closed position in against the body and an open position out from the body. A sliding-door assembly has a door drive on the body including a flexible toothed belt extending along the rail and having an end and a link assembly fixed to the door, riding along the rail, connected to the belt end, and engaged in the bent end portion of the rail in the closed position of the door. A guide extends along the rail and laterally confines the belt so an actuator on the body can displacing the belt in one sense and thereby tension the belt and move the door in one direction and displace the belt in the opposite sense and thereby longitudinally compress the belt and move the door in the opposite direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: Kiekert AG
    Inventors: Frank Kleefeldt, Damien Labonde, Johannes-Theodor Menke, Stefan Armbruster, Thomas Schonenberg
  • Patent number: 5836639
    Abstract: A motor vehicle has a body, a door movable on the body between a closed position and an open position, an electric power source mounted in the body, and a latch having interengageable parts on the vehicle body and on the door engageable in a latched position to retain the door in the closed position, and an electrical actuator energizable to put the latch in an unlatched position. A drive on the body connected to the door is energizable from the source for moving the door between the open and closed positions and a battery is provided in the door separate from the body-mounted power source. An electronic controller in the door powered by the battery is connected to the latch actuator for operating same to unlatch the door and to a transmitter for transmitting a signal indicating the position of the door and of the latch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Kiekert AG
    Inventors: Frank Kleefeldt, Damien Labonde, Johannes-Theodor Menke, Stefan Armbruster, Thomas Schonenberg
  • Patent number: 5808375
    Abstract: An electrical control system for an automotive vehicle can be switched to a service facility operating mode in which locks for the glove compartment, a storage console and the trunk can be inactivated in their closed position while other electrically-operated vehicle locks remain operable by actuators of the control system to prevent access to personal belongings by service personnel. Restoration to the normal operating mode can be effected automatically upon lapse of a time period programmed into the central unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1998
    Assignee: Kiekert AG
    Inventors: Stefan Armbruster, Bettina Gottwald nee Heinze, Achim Jahrsetz, Wilfried Ostermann, Thomas Schonenberg, Fred Welskopf
  • Patent number: 5785364
    Abstract: A motor-vehicle door latch has a door-mounted fork displaceable between an open and a fully latched position and through an intermediate semilatched position and a body-mounted door bolt engageable with the fork and retainable thereby only in the semilatched and fully latched positions. A door-mounted pawl can pivot about a pawl axis between a holding position engaging and retaining the fork in the fully latched and semilatched positions and a freeing position permitting the fork to move freely between its positions. A controller is connected to a servomotor in turn coupled to the door bolt for displacing same between an outer and an inner position so that, when the bolt is engaged with the fork in the fully latched position, movement of the bolt into the inner position pulls a door carrying the latch tightly closed. A switch lever can pivot about the pawl axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignee: Kiekert AG
    Inventors: Frank Kleefeldt, Damien Labonde, Johannes-Theodor Menke, Stefan Armbruster, Thomas Schonenberg