Patents by Inventor Thomas Schroeferl

Thomas Schroeferl 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: 11472072
    Abstract: A device for machining a cover for a motor vehicle may have a lower mold having a sealing element and a first recess and a second recess a distance from the first recess. The sealing element is arranged in part in the first recess of the lower mold so that the element extends with respect to a surface of the lower mold. The sealing element and the second recess of the lower mold are formed so as to define a cavity in a predefined manner in cooperation with a lower face of the cover. The device further may have a counter bearing which is designed, when forming the cavity on the lower face of the cover, to exert a counter force on an upper face of the cover towards the lower mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: WEBASTO SE
    Inventors: Thomas Schröferl, Bernhard Harnischfeger
  • Patent number: 11247547
    Abstract: A cover for closing a vehicle surface opening is provided which has a frame part secured to the underside of the cover on one side at a frame part securing section by an application of plastic foam on the cover, and which contacts the underside of the cover on the other side at a free section of the frame part via at least one spacer. The frame part may also include at least one filling opening on the free section thereof for introducing a reactive plastic material forming the spacer, and the plastic material introduced through the filling opening into a gap between the free section of the frame part secured to the cover and the underside of the cover retains the free section of the frame on the underside of the cover in a positioned and/or fixed manner as a spacer after reacting or curing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: WEBASTO SE
    Inventors: Thomas Schröferl, Marcel Mihál
  • Publication number: 20210031607
    Abstract: A cover for closing a vehicle surface opening is provided which has a frame part secured to the underside of the cover on one side at a frame part securing section by an application of plastic foam on the cover, and which contacts the underside of the cover on the other side at a free section of the frame part via at least one spacer. The frame part may also include at least one filling opening on the free section thereof for introducing a reactive plastic material forming the spacer, and the plastic material introduced through the filling opening into a gap between the free section of the frame part secured to the cover and the underside of the cover retains the free section of the frame on the underside of the cover in a positioned and/or fixed manner as a spacer after reacting or curing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Inventors: Thomas SCHRÖFERL, Marcel MIHÁL
  • Publication number: 20190275713
    Abstract: A device for machining a cover for a motor vehicle may have a lower mold having a sealing element and a first recess and a second recess a distance from the first recess. The sealing element is arranged in part in the first recess of the lower mold so that the element extends with respect to a surface of the lower mold. The sealing element and the second recess of the lower mold are formed so as to define a cavity in a predefined manner in cooperation with a lower face of the cover. The device further may have a counter bearing which is designed, when forming the cavity on the lower face of the cover, to exert a counter force on an upper face of the cover towards the lower mold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Inventors: Thomas SCHRÖFERL, Bernhard Harnischfeger
  • Patent number: 8807638
    Abstract: A roof arrangement comprising a cover for closing the opening of a vehicle roof, and fastening plate that is connected to the cover in the edge areas thereof, the cover being height-adjustable relative to the vehicle roof. The roof arrangement can have a sealing lip foamed to the fastening plate for sealing at least some sections of the fastening plate relative to the vehicle roof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Webasto SE
    Inventor: Thomas Schröferl
  • Patent number: 8727430
    Abstract: The invention relates to a roof arrangement having a cover for closing the opening in a vehicle roof, a fixing plate, which is connected to the cover for fixing the cover to the vehicle roof, wherein the fixing plate is partially insert molded with a plastic material, so that the plastic material forms a water channel on the upper side of the plate. According to the invention it is characterized in that an injection-molded masking piece is formed on the underside of the fixing plate and the fixing plate in the area of the masking piece has at least one aperture, through which the plastic material of the water channel and of the masking piece can be connected to one another. The invention also relates to a suitable method for producing such a roof arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Webasto SE
    Inventor: Thomas Schröferl
  • Publication number: 20130187413
    Abstract: A roof arrangement comprising a cover for closing the opening of a vehicle roof, and fastening plate that is connected to the cover in the edge areas thereof, the cover being height-adjustable relative to the vehicle roof. The roof arrangement can have a sealing lip foamed to the fastening plate for sealing at least some sections of the fastening plate relative to the vehicle roof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: WEBASTO SE
    Inventor: Thomas Schröferl
  • Publication number: 20130038091
    Abstract: The invention relates to a roof arrangement having a cover for closing the opening in a vehicle roof, a fixing plate, which is connected to the cover for fixing the cover to the vehicle roof, wherein the fixing plate is partially insert molded with a plastic material, so that the plastic material forms a water channel on the upper side of the plate. According to the invention it is characterized in that an injection-molded masking piece is formed on the underside of the fixing plate and the fixing plate in the area of the masking piece has at least one aperture, through which the plastic material of the water channel and of the masking piece can be connected to one another. The invention also relates to a suitable method for producing such a roof arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: Webasto SE
    Inventor: Thomas Schröferl
  • Patent number: 7063378
    Abstract: A cover for an opening in the roof surface of a motor vehicle including a glass pane which is provided with peripheral foam at its bottom surface in the edge area at least over a part of the periphery. On the edge of the peripheral foam which points toward the middle of the glass pane, an undercut is formed between the bottom surface of the glass pane and the peripheral foam, the undercut extending at least 3 mm into the peripheral foam. A method for manufacturing such a cover is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Webasto AG
    Inventors: Guido Bott, Thomas Schroeferl, Michael Wallisch, Karl Stangl
  • Publication number: 20050073176
    Abstract: A cover for an opening in the roof surface of a motor vehicle including a glass pane which is provided with peripheral foam at its bottom surface in the edge area at least over a part of the periphery. On the edge of the peripheral foam which points toward the middle of the glass pane, an undercut is formed between the bottom surface of the glass pane and the peripheral foam, the undercut extending at least 3 mm into the peripheral foam. A method for manufacturing such a cover is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2004
    Publication date: April 7, 2005
    Applicant: Webasto AG
    Inventors: Guido Bott, Thomas Schroeferl, Michael Wallisch, Karl Stangl
  • Patent number: 6773058
    Abstract: A cover (9) for a motor vehicle roof with a cover body (10) which is peripherally injected, especially peripherally foamed, in the area of its outside edge so as to form a plastic frame (31) with a metal insert (14). The metal insert (14) extends frame-like along essentially the entire periphery of the cover (9), but is made in several parts in the peripheral direction of the cover. The metal insert (14) is only partially encompassed by the plastic frame. According to the process for producing the cover (9), for peripheral foaming, the cover body (10) together with the multi-part metal insert (14) is inserted into a foaming tool. Then, the foam compound is introduced, and to limit penetration of the foam compound to the inside, a seal is inserted into the peripheral channel (23) of the metal insert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Webasto Vehicle Systems International GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Dünzinger, Thomas Schröferl