Patents by Inventor Tim Sonnenschein
Tim Sonnenschein 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).
-
Publication number: 20240001782Abstract: An electromotive locking unit for an electrical charging device of a motor vehicle, in particular an electric or hybrid motor vehicle. The locking unit is equipped with an electric motor and a transmission connected downstream thereof and furthermore with a locking element, which can be linearly applied by the transmission, for detachably locking a charging plug in a charging socket of the electrical charging device. In addition, at least one stop for the locking element is provided. According to the invention, the stop for the locking element is designed as an elastic end stop buffer which is held in a recess of the locking element.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 2, 2021Publication date: January 4, 2024Applicant: Kiekert AGInventors: Benjamin DJEDOVIC, Tim SONNENSCHEIN
-
Patent number: 11566691Abstract: An electromotive drive for motor vehicle applications. In particular, the electromotive drive is part of a locking device of an electric connection device for electric or hybrid motor vehicles. For this purpose, an electric motor and a multistage transmission which is arranged downstream of the electric motor are provided as drive elements for acting on an actuating element, and a drive housing which houses drive elements is also provided. The actuating element is a locking element of the locking device for example. The drive housing is equipped with inner and/or edge-side protrusions. The protrusions have direct bearing points for individual drive elements or all of the drive elements.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2018Date of Patent: January 31, 2023Assignee: Kiekert AGInventors: Benjamin Djedovic, Tim Sonnenschein, Winfried Schlabs, Claus Töpfer
-
Patent number: 11555539Abstract: An application, in particular for motor vehicle closing devices. The basic design of the motor vehicle has an electric motor and an actuating element which is acted upon by the electric motor directly or indirectly via a powertrain. The powertrain is provided with at least one Evoloid toothing. According to the invention, a drive shaft of the electric motor is equipped with an Evoloid pinion which meshes with an Evoloid output gear at the input of the powertrain, thereby directly producing the Evoloid toothing.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2018Date of Patent: January 17, 2023Assignee: Kiekert AGInventors: Claus Töpfer, Winfried Schlabs, Tim Sonnenschein, Benjamin Djedovic
-
Patent number: 11536057Abstract: A locking device for a motor vehicle includes an actuating lever, a lock and at least one Bowden cable, which is arranged between the actuating lever and the lock, wherein the lock can be actuated by means of the actuating lever and with the help of the Bowden cable and a functional unit, which is arranged on the Bowden cable and has an electric drive, and wherein the lock can be actuated by means of the functional unit at least in an assisting manner or an actuation can be prevented.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2017Date of Patent: December 27, 2022Assignee: Kiekert AGInventors: Claus Töpfer, Winfried Schlabs, Tim Sonnenschein, Inga Heinzen
-
Patent number: 11479996Abstract: A method for actuating a motor vehicle lock and a locking device for a motor vehicle includes an actuating lever, a lock and a Bowden cable arranged between the actuating lever and the lock, the lock can be actuated by means of the actuating lever and with the aid of the Bowden cable, and a functional unit arranged on the Bowden cable and comprising an electric drive.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2017Date of Patent: October 25, 2022Assignee: Kiekert AGInventors: Klaus Götzen, Christian Sturm, Claus Töpfer, Thorsten Bendel, Winfried Schlabs, Tim Sonnenschein
-
Patent number: 11325487Abstract: An electric connection device for electric or hybrid motor vehicles, said connection device being equipped with a charging plug socket, a charging plug, a movable locking element for releasably locking the charging plug in the charging plug socket, and a drive for moving the locking element, said drive having an electric motor and a multistage transmission for acting on the locking element. The multistage transmission has individual shafts, each of which is arranged parallel to the output shaft of the electric motor as part of the drive. The device may use gearing to actuate a sensor to determine how far one of the individual shafts has rotated. An emergency unlocking crank may be mounted to a separate shaft that is engageable with one of the individual shafts via a cam.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2018Date of Patent: May 10, 2022Assignee: Kiekert AGInventors: Benjamin Djedovic, Tim Sonnenschein, Winfried Schlabs, Claus Töpfer
-
Publication number: 20210180674Abstract: An application, in particular for motor vehicle closing devices. The basic design of the motor vehicle has an electric motor and an actuating element which is acted upon by the electric motor directly or indirectly via a powertrain. The powertrain is provided with at least one Evoloid toothing. According to the invention, a drive shaft of the electric motor is equipped with an Evoloid pinion which meshes with an Evoloid output gear at the input of the powertrain, thereby directly producing the Evoloid toothing.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 17, 2018Publication date: June 17, 2021Inventors: Claus TÖPFER, Winfried SCHLABS, Tim SONNENSCHEIN, Benjamin DJEDOVIC
-
Publication number: 20210008990Abstract: An electric connection device for electric or hybrid motor vehicles, said connection device being equipped with a charging plug socket, a charging plug, a movable locking element for releasably locking the charging plug in the charging plug socket, and a drive for moving the locking element, said drive having an electric motor and a multistage transmission for acting on the locking element. The multistage transmission has individual shafts, each of which is arranged parallel to the output shaft of the electric motor as part of the drive.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 19, 2018Publication date: January 14, 2021Inventors: Benjamin DJEDOVIC, Tim SONNENSCHEIN, Winfried SCHLABS, Claus TÖPFER
-
Publication number: 20210010572Abstract: An electromotive drive for motor vehicle applications. In particular, the electromotive drive is part of a locking device of an electric connection device for electric or hybrid motor vehicles. For this purpose, an electric motor and a multistage transmission which is arranged downstream of the electric motor are provided as drive elements for acting on an actuating element, and a drive housing which houses drive elements is also provided. The actuating element is a locking element of the locking device for example. The drive housing is equipped with inner and/or edge-side protrusions. The protrusions have direct bearing points for individual drive elements or all of the drive elements.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 19, 2018Publication date: January 14, 2021Inventors: Benjamin DJEDOVIC, Tim SONNENSCHEIN, Winfried SCHLABS, Claus TÖPFER
-
Patent number: 10829968Abstract: The invention relates to a motor-vehicle lock, in particular a motor-vehicle door lock. In order to provide a reliable assembly and a reliable operation for said lock, the drive housing 6 of the servo closing function 2 is designed to function simultaneously as a Bowden cable bearing 8 and as a receiving chamber or shaft 14 for the micro-switch 15. The drive housing 6 has a robust, compact design and allows the micro-switch 15 to be sited securely in the drive housing 6 always in the same place. This also remains the case as the securing cover 10 is fixed in the drive housing 6 by means of a clip 11.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2015Date of Patent: November 10, 2020Assignee: Kiekert AGInventors: Claus Topfer, Christian Sentzke, Winfried Schlabs, Tim Sonnenschein
-
Patent number: 10829963Abstract: The invention relates to an actuating device for opening a door or flap, comprising a movably supported inertial mass (7, 9) for avoiding unintentional opening of the door or flap in the event that a specified acceleration is exceeded. Levers are provided for moving the inertial mass (7, 9). When the inertial mass (7, 9) is moved out of an initial position of the inertial mass, the lever ratios change in such a way that the force progression is thereby promoted. In the event of a crash, the opening of a door or flap is avoided by means of the actuating device. The actuating device can nevertheless be actuated relatively comfortably with low expenditure of energy.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2015Date of Patent: November 10, 2020Assignee: Kiekert AGInventors: Claus Topfer, Tim Sonnenschein
-
Publication number: 20190316388Abstract: A method for actuating a motor vehicle lock and a locking device for a motor vehicle includes an actuating lever, a lock and a Bowden cable arranged between the actuating lever and the lock, the lock can be actuated by means of the actuating lever and with the aid of the Bowden cable, and a functional unit arranged on the Bowden cable and comprising an electric drive.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 7, 2017Publication date: October 17, 2019Inventors: Klaus Götzen, Christian Sturm, Claus Töpfer, Thorsten Bendel, Winfried Schlabs, Tim Sonnenschein
-
Publication number: 20190292816Abstract: A locking device for a motor vehicle includes an actuating lever, a lock and at least one Bowden cable, which is arranged between the actuating lever and the lock, wherein the lock can be actuated by means of the actuating lever and with the help of the Bowden cable and a functional unit, which is arranged on the Bowden cable and has an electric drive, and wherein the lock can be actuated by means of the functional unit at least in an assisting manner or an actuation can be prevented.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 7, 2017Publication date: September 26, 2019Inventors: Claus Töpfer, Winfried Schlabs, Tim Sonnenschein, Inga Heinzen
-
Patent number: 10337214Abstract: The invention relates to an activation device for a door or flap of a motor vehicle, comprising an external actuation lever (1), an actuation lever (10) for opening a lock, and a coupling lever (13) enabling the external actuation lever (1) and actuation lever (10) to be coupled together, and a control lever (10) which controls the coupling of the coupling lever (13) in accordance with the acceleration of the external actuation lever (1). An undesired opening of a door or flap can be prevented in the event of a crash, without the actuation device accepting excessive stresses.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2015Date of Patent: July 2, 2019Assignee: Kiekert AGInventors: Claus Topfer, Tim Sonnenschein
-
Publication number: 20170114574Abstract: The invention relates to an activation device for a door or flap of a motor vehicle, comprising an external actuation lever (1), an actuation lever (10) for opening a lock, and a coupling lever (13) enabling the external actuation lever (1) and actuation lever (10) to be coupled together, and a control lever (10) which controls the coupling of the coupling lever (13) in accordance with the acceleration of the external actuation lever (1). An undesired opening of a door or flap can be prevented in the event of a crash, without the actuation device accepting excessive stresses.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 26, 2015Publication date: April 27, 2017Inventors: Claus Topfer, Tim Sonnenschein
-
Publication number: 20170107743Abstract: The invention relates to an actuating device for opening a door or flap, comprising a movably supported inertial mass (7, 9) for avoiding unintentional opening of the door or flap in the event that a specified acceleration is exceeded. Levers are provided for moving the inertial mass (7, 9). When the inertial mass (7, 9) is moved out of an initial position of the inertial mass, the lever ratios change in such a way that the force progression is thereby promoted. In the event of a crash, the opening of a door or flap is avoided by means of the actuating device. The actuating device can nevertheless be actuated relatively comfortably with low expenditure of energy.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2015Publication date: April 20, 2017Applicant: Kiekert AktiengesellschaftInventors: Claus Topfer, Tim Sonnenschein
-
Publication number: 20170037664Abstract: The invention relates to a motor-vehicle lock, in particular a motor-vehicle door lock. In order to provide a reliable assembly and a reliable operation for said lock, the drive housing 6 of the servo closing function 2 is designed to function simultaneously as a Bowden cable bearing 8 and as a receiving chamber or shaft 14 for the micro-switch 15. The drive housing 6 has a robust, compact design and allows the micro-switch 15 to be sited securely in the drive housing 6 always in the same place. This also remains the case as the securing cover 10 is fixed in the drive housing 6 by means of a clip 11.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 5, 2015Publication date: February 9, 2017Inventors: Claus Topfer, Christian Sentzke, Winfried Schlabs, Tim Sonnenschein