Patents by Inventor Thomas Wikelski

Thomas Wikelski 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: 5709427
    Abstract: A vehicle roof with a roof panel (3) that can be pivoted to open, with a window shade (7) that is located under the roof panel (3) for alternately covering or at least partially uncovering the roof panel (3). The window shade (7) can be wound on a roller (8) and is connected to at least one rigid element (10, 24, 25) that runs crosswise to the direction of movement of the shade and is guided in longitudinally running lateral guide elements (11). To reduce the structural height of the vehicle roof or to increase the headroom for the passengers, guide elements (11) for the window shade are raised by a lifting mechanism (14) when window shade (7) is moved in a closing direction and are lowered when it is moved in an opening direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1998
    Assignee: Webasto Karosseriesysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Manfred Farber, Thomas Wikelski, Johann Mayer
  • Patent number: 5601330
    Abstract: A vehicle roof with two cover elements (2, 3) which selectively close or at least partially expose a roof opening. The front cover element is formed as a wind deflector strip (2) which can be pivot around a pivot axis forming pin (4) located near its front edge and which can be raised at its rear edge above the fixed vehicle roof (1). The rear cover element is designed as sliding cover (3) which can be lowered under the fixed vehicle roof (1) by means of a lowering mechanism and which can be moved under the fixed vehicle roof (1) on slide elements (20, 33) which can be moved along guide rails (18) which are secured to the roof. The wind deflector strip (2) and sliding cover (3) can be actuated by means of a common drive (drive cable 27). At each lateral side of the roof, the sliding cover (3) has front and rear slide elements (20, 33) to which the lowering mechanism is coupled for forced actuation of the two cover elements which, however, is independent of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1997
    Assignee: Webasto Karosseriesysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Ulbrich, Thomas Wikelski, Johann Mayer, Olaf Kraschienski, Christian Toduta