Patents by Inventor Urban Knopfle
Urban Knopfle 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).
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Patent number: 7862119Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle seat with a back rest having a frame (2) and a lordosis support (6), with the following additional configuration: The lordosis support (6) comprises a pressure plate (9) that is essentially bend resistant in at least the transverse direction of the seat or the Y-direction, forms a supporting surface in the lordosis region of the back rest and is arranged between two side frame parts (3) of the frame (2); there is at least one holding element (5a, 5b) that extends between the side frame parts (3) with a length-variable adjustment section (21), which runs in the Y-direction and connects to the pressure plate (9), and is affixed there at fixing points (30) arranged opposite each other; in an inoperative position, the pressure plate (9) is arranged with a horizontal clearance (11) or a clearance in the X-direction behind the fixing points (30); there is a driving device with which the length of the adjustment section can be shortened as the horizontal clearance is reduced.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 2006Date of Patent: January 4, 2011Assignee: Alfmeier Prazision Ag Baugruppen und SystemlosungenInventors: Rolf Schäfer, Torsten Aeugle, Andrew Massara, Jürgen Hofmockel, Wolfram-H. Hofschulte, Urban Knöpfle, Michael Wöhrle
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Patent number: 7828662Abstract: A plastic slip clutch for an adjustable drive in an automobile includes a hub (3) which exhibits an inner profile (4), and a shaft (1) which exhibits an outer profile (2). For the purpose of transmitting torque, the shaft with the outer profile is introduced into the inner profile of the hub in form-fitting and force-fitting fashion. The inner profile (4) of the hub (3) exhibits plastic elements (5) for the transmission of force, such that the plastic elements (5) become elastically deformed under the effect of a force exceeding a given threshold force and thereby permit the outer profile (2) of the shaft (1) to slip through inside of the hub (3).Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2006Date of Patent: November 9, 2010Assignee: IMS GEAR GmbHInventors: Wolfram Hofschulte, Urban Knöpfle
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Patent number: 7802487Abstract: The invention relates to a gear for adjusting two parts (60, 61) that can be displaced in relation to each other, particularly vehicle parts of a seat adjustment device, of a window lifter or of a sliding roof, wherein the first one of the parts (60) comprises a non-rotatable spindle (62) or a fixed toothed rack. The gear comprises a worm wheel (4, 41), with a spindle nut (42) non-rotatable thereto for driving the spindle (62) or a worm non-rotatable thereto for driving the toothed rack, a drivable worm (3, 31) for transmitting a driving force to the worm wheel (4, 41) and a gear housing (1), which accommodates and supports the worm (3) and the worm wheel (4) and which can be non-rotatably connected to the second one of the parts (61) in the displacement direction thereof, the gear housing (1) being formed by a single-piece body with a worm bearing (14) and a worm wheel bearing (19).Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2006Date of Patent: September 28, 2010Assignee: IMS Gear GmbHInventors: Urban Knöpfle, Wolfram Hofschulte
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Patent number: 7712391Abstract: The invention relates to a gearing mechanism for the adjustment of two reciprocally adjustable parts (60, 61), especially vehicle parts of a seat adjustment device, a window lifter or a sunroof, wherein the first of the parts (60) has a nonrotating spindle (62) or a fixed tooth rack. The gearing mechanism is formed with a wormwheel (4, 41), which has a spindle nut (42) non-rotatingly connected thereto in order to drive the spindle (62) or a worm non-rotatingly connected thereto in order to drive the tooth rack, with a worm (3, 31) that can be driven so as to transfer a driving force to the wormwheel (4, 41), and with a gear housing (1), which houses the worm (3) and wormwheel (4) in a supporting manner, and which can be connected immovably with the second of the parts (61) in its adjusting direction, wherein the gear housing (1) is formed of a single-piece body with a worm support (14) and a wormwheel support (19).Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2005Date of Patent: May 11, 2010Assignee: IMS Gear GmbHInventors: Wolfram Hofschulte, Urban Knöpfle, Olav Schulte
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Publication number: 20080238123Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle seat with a back rest having a frame (2) and a lordosis support (6), with the following additional configuration: The lordosis support (6) comprises a pressure plate (9) that is essentially bend resistant in at least the transverse direction of the seat or the Y-direction, forms a supporting surface in the lordosis region of the back rest and is arranged between two side frame parts (3) of the frame (2); there is at least one holding element (5a, 5b) that extends between the side frame parts (3) with a length-variable adjustment section (21), which runs in the Y-direction and connects to the pressure plate (9), and is affixed there at fixing points (30) arranged opposite each other; in an inoperative position, the pressure plate (9) is arranged with a horizontal clearance (11) or a clearance in the X-direction behind the fixing points (30); there is a driving device with which the length of the adjustment section can be shortened as the horizontal clearance is reduced.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2006Publication date: October 2, 2008Applicants: Alfmeier Prazision AG Baugrupper Und SystemLosungen, IMS Gear GmbHInventors: Rolf Schafer, Torsten Aeugle, Andrew Massara, Jurgen Hofmockel, Wolfram-H. Hofschulte, Urban Knopfle, Michael Wohrle
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Publication number: 20070157752Abstract: The invention relates to a gear for adjusting two parts (60, 61) that can be displaced in relation to each other, particularly vehicle parts of a seat adjustment device, of a window lifter or of a sliding roof, wherein the first one of the parts (60) comprises a non-rotatable spindle (62) or a fixed toothed rack. The gear comprises a worm wheel (4, 41), with a spindle nut (42) non-rotatable thereto for driving the spindle (62) or a worm non-rotatable thereto for driving the toothed rack, a drivable worm (3, 31) for transmitting a driving force to the worm wheel (4, 41) and a gear housing (1), which accommodates and supports the worm (3) and the worm wheel (4) and which can be non-rotatably connected to the second one of the parts (61) in the displacement direction thereof, the gear housing (1) being formed by a single-piece body with a worm bearing (14) and a worm wheel bearing (19).Type: ApplicationFiled: December 14, 2006Publication date: July 12, 2007Applicant: IMS GEAR GmbHInventors: Urban Knopfle, Wolfram Hofschulte
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Publication number: 20060270479Abstract: A plastic slip clutch for an adjustable drive in an automobile with a hub (3) which exhibits an inner profile (4), and a shaft (1) which exhibits an outer profile (2), where for the purpose of transmitting torque the shaft with the outer profile is introduced into the inner profile of the hub in form-fitting and force-fitting fashion, and where the inner profile (4) of the hub (3) exhibits plastic elements (5) for the transmission of force, such that the plastic elements (5) become elastically deformed under the effect of a force exceeding a given threshold force and thereby permit the outer profile (2) of the shaft (1) to slip through inside of the hub (3).Type: ApplicationFiled: May 30, 2006Publication date: November 30, 2006Applicant: IMS GEAR GmbHInventors: Wolfram Hofschulte, Urban Knopfle
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Publication number: 20060060015Abstract: The invention relates to a gearing mechanism for the adjustment of two reciprocally adjustable parts (60, 61), especially vehicle parts of a seat adjustment device, a window lifter or a sunroof, wherein the first of the parts (60) has a nonrotating spindle (62) or a fixed tooth rack. The gearing mechanism is formed with a wormwheel (4, 41), which has a spindle nut (42) non-rotatingly connected thereto in order to drive the spindle (62) or a worm non-rotatingly connected thereto in order to drive the tooth rack, with a worm (3, 31) that can be driven so as to transfer a driving force to the wormwheel (4, 41), and with a gear housing (1), which houses the worm (3) and wormwheel (4) in a supporting manner, and which can be connected immovably with the second of the parts (61) in its adjusting direction, wherein the gear housing (1) is formed of a single-piece body with a worm support (14) and a wormwheel support (19).Type: ApplicationFiled: September 13, 2005Publication date: March 23, 2006Inventors: Wolfram Hofschulte, Urban Knopfle, Olav Schulte