Patents by Inventor Thomas Zapp

Thomas Zapp 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: 6340093
    Abstract: A fuel tank (1) possesses, for the introduction of fuel, a filler pipe (5) which is led through an orifice (6) of the fuel tank (1) with all-round clearance. The orifice (6) is sealingly closed by means of a sleeve (4) bearing against the fuel tank (1) and against the filler pipe (5). The orifice (6) can thereby be made relatively large, so that it can be additionally used also as a service or assembly orifice after the sleeve (4) has been removed. The number of orifices necessary on the fuel tank (1) can be reduced as a result, so that both the maximum filling quantity and the permeation tightness can be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Thomas Zapp
  • Publication number: 20020000439
    Abstract: A plastic container comprising two half-shells which are produced by means of injection molding and have parts of the components integrally formed on them during the injection molding. This does away with the need for fastening said components in the plastic container, with the result that the installation process is simplified to a considerable extent. At the same time, installation errors are largely ruled out.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 1999
    Publication date: January 3, 2002
    Inventors: PETER ANDREAS LOW, CHRISTIAN KOCHSMEIER, DR.THOMAS ZAPP, WOLFGANG PFAHL, DR.JEROME COULTON
  • Publication number: 20010042750
    Abstract: Filler neck for a fuel tank of a motor vehicle Filler necks have, as well as the filler pipe, additional lines for venting, valves and compensating reservoirs. Due to the multiplicity of individual parts and connections, filler necks involve a high outlay in terms of assembly and, because of the connections, have high fuel permeation. The new filler neck is to be easily mountable and have low permeation values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 1999
    Publication date: November 22, 2001
    Inventors: PETER ANDREAS LOW, CHRISTIAN KOCHSMEIER, THOMAS ZAPP, WOLFGANG PFAHL
  • Patent number: 6318423
    Abstract: A plug neck for a filler neck of a motor vehicle has exchanging means for refueling-venting adaptation to different refueling devices. In the case of a refueling device which removes gases from a refueling channel by suction, a compensation chamber is connected permanently to the refueling channel via a connecting channel. For adaptation to a refueling device without suction removal, the connecting channel is closed and the vent valve is provided with a cap which has a connection neck for a line leading to an activated carbon filter. This allows tool costs for producing the plug neck to be kept particularly low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Thomas Zapp, Frank Reiter
  • Publication number: 20010035168
    Abstract: The invention relates to a ventilation device for fuel tanks, wherein the ventilation device comprises a compensator reservoir arranged in the interior of the fuel tank and at least two ventilation lines. The ventilation lines run from below the upper tank wall to the compensator reservoir and extend in the latter toward an opposite tank wall. The apparatus according to the invention is particularly well suited under all static and dynamic stresses for ventilating fuel tanks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2001
    Publication date: November 1, 2001
    Inventors: Knut Meyer, Stefan Fuhling, Thomas Zapp, Markus Distelhoff
  • Publication number: 20010010874
    Abstract: A fuel cell system which has a fuel cell is described. Also provided is a device for producing/preparing the fuel, for example hydrogen, which is connected on its outlet side to a fuel supply line and on its inlet side to a device for supplying fuel. The device for supplying fuel has a dual pump, in which a starting material for the fuel, stored in the motor-fuel tank, and water fed in via a water supply line, which is for example process water produced during the fuel cell process, are mixed to form a fuel/water mixture. This fuel/water mixture is intermediately stored in an intermediate tank before it is fed to the device for producing/preparing the fuel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2000
    Publication date: August 2, 2001
    Applicant: Atecs Mannesmann AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Herdeg, Holger Klos, Martin Sattler, Franz Reichenbach, Sabine Hess, Hans-Dieter Wilhelm, J?uuml;rgen Habrich, Karl Eck, Thomas Zapp
  • Patent number: 6158485
    Abstract: In the case of a filling device for a motor vehicle fuel tank, a distributing element extends from a filling nozzle to an anti-surge tower of the motor vehicle. When there is a low volume flow of fuel in the filling nozzle, the distributing element supplies all of the fuel to the anti-surge tower. When there is a large volume flow, the greater part of the fuel passes directly into the fuel tank. It is thereby ensured that during an initial filling or emergency filling with a jerrycan, virtually all of the fuel passes into the anti-surge tower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2000
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventors: Knut Meyer, Peter Andreas Low, Thomas Zapp, Christian Kochsmeier