Patents by Inventor Walter Krauss

Walter Krauss 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: 11628800
    Abstract: The invention relates, inter alia, to a tensioner drive (11) for a seatbelt installation, having a tube (30), at least one piston (25) which within the tube (30) is displaceable along a propulsion direction (P2), and a gas generator (40) for generating a propulsion gas (G) and a propulsion pressure on a pressure-facing side of the piston (25).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: JOYSON SAFETY SYSTEMS GERMANY GMBH
    Inventor: Walter Krauss
  • Publication number: 20210213907
    Abstract: The invention relates, inter alia, to a tensioner drive (11) for a seatbelt installation, having a tube (30), at least one piston (25) which within the tube (30) is displaceable along a propulsion direction (P2), and a gas generator (40) for generating a propulsion gas (G) and a propulsion pressure on a pressure-facing side of the piston (25).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Applicant: Joyson Safety Systems Germany GmbH
    Inventor: Walter KRAUSS
  • Patent number: 9907366
    Abstract: A belt buckle for a vehicle safety belt, comprising a housing (3) which is formed by at least two housing shells (1,2) joined together and in which a locking mechanism (4) is arranged, and a pushbutton (22), provided on said housing, for operating the locking mechanism (4), wherein at least two housing shells (1,2) are joined together at their shell rims and that elongated cover strips (8,9) made of solid material and covering the mutually abutting rims (17,18) of the housing shells (1,2) are fixed to the joined housing shells (1,2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Walter Krauss, Thomas Schrott, Mark Seer, Michael Bär, Martin Specht
  • Publication number: 20150296928
    Abstract: A belt buckle for a vehicle safety belt, comprising a housing (3) which is formed by at least two housing shells (1,2) joined together and in which a locking mechanism (4) is arranged, and a pushbutton (22), provided on said housing, for operating the locking mechanism (4), wherein at least two housing shells (1,2) are joined together at their shell rims and that elongated cover strips (8,9) made of solid material and covering the mutually abutting rims (17,18) of the housing shells (1,2) are fixed to the joined housing shells (1,2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Inventors: Walter Krauss, Thomas Schrott, Mark Seer, Michael Bär, Martin Specht
  • Publication number: 20120198665
    Abstract: A seat belt buckle has a frame that forms an insertion path for a buckle tongue of a seat belt. The seat belt buckle includes a locking device having a locking member for locking the buckle tongue) in the locked state. A retaining member is tensioned by a spring for securing the locking member in a locked state. An ejector for the buckle tongue is tensioned by a spring that is provided with at least one damping device to reduce the noise generated when the seat belt buckle changes from a locking state to a released state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: KEY SAFETY SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Walter Krauss, Thomas Schrott
  • Patent number: 7793982
    Abstract: A device for tightening a seat belt has a piston (2) drivable linearly in a piston guide (1) by the gas pressure of a propellant gas. A gearing (3) is also caused to move by the piston (2), the gearing serving the transmission of the piston movement to a pinion (4). The pinion (4) is connected to, or configured to be connected to, a belt spool of a seat belt retractor (13) in a manner whereby rotation of the pinion causes rotation of the belt spool. The gearing (3) on associated with the piston (2) is mounted displaceable transversely to the piston's direction of movement and meshes with the pinion (4) as a result of gas pressure in an expandable bladder (24).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc
    Inventor: Walter Krauss
  • Publication number: 20090038126
    Abstract: A seat belt buckle has a frame that forms an insertion path for a buckle tongue of a seat belt. The seat belt buckle includes a locking device having a locking member for locking the buckle tongue) in the locked state. A retaining member is tensioned by a spring for securing the locking member in a locked state. An ejector for the buckle tongue is tensioned by a spring that is provided with at least one damping device to reduce the noise generated when the seat belt buckle changes from a locking state to a released state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Applicant: KEY SAFETY SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: WALTER KRAUSS, THOMAS SCHROTT
  • Publication number: 20090039634
    Abstract: A device for tightening a seat belt has a piston (2) drivable linearly in a piston guide (1) by the gas pressure of a propellant gas. A gearing (3) is also caused to move by the piston (2), the gearing serving the transmission of the piston movement to a pinion (4). The pinion (4) is connected to, or configured to be connected to, a belt spool of a seat belt retractor (13) in a manner whereby rotation of the pinion causes rotation of the belt spool. The gearing (3) on associated with the piston (2) is mounted displaceable transversely to the piston's direction of movement and meshes with the pinion (4) as a result of gas pressure in an expandable bladder (24).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2008
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Applicant: KEY SAFETY SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: WALTER KRAUSS
  • Patent number: 7387694
    Abstract: The method of making a hardened steel part or component includes making a semi-finished article of air-hardened steel; cold-forming the semi-finished article into a finished-shape part or component with a desired or predetermined finished shape and then hardening the finished-shape part or component with the finished shape by a heat treating process. The air-hardened steel particularly preferably contains about 0.67% by weight carbon, about 1.50 % by weight silicon, about 1.50% by weight manganese, about 1.00% by weight chromium, about 0.10% by weight nickel, about 0.25% by weight molybdenum, and a balance or remaining portion of iron with standard impurities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: Rexroth Star GmbH
    Inventors: Norbert Siebenlist, Walter Krauss
  • Publication number: 20040108027
    Abstract: The method of making a hardened steel part or component includes making a semi-finished article of air-hardened steel; cold-forming the semi-finished article into a finished-shape part or component with a desired or predetermined finished shape and then hardening the finished-shape part or component with the finished shape by a heat treating process. The air-hardened steel particularly preferably contains about 0.67% by weight carbon, about 1.50 % by weight silicon, about 1.50% by weight manganese, about 1.00% by weight chromium, about 0.10% by weight nickel, about 0.25% by weight molybdenum, and a balance or remaining portion of iron with standard impurities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2003
    Publication date: June 10, 2004
    Inventors: Norbert Siebenlist, Walter Krauss
  • Patent number: 6722697
    Abstract: An assembly of seat belt buckle and a seat belt tightener has a seat belt buckle that is connected to a seat belt tightener by a pulling element. The pulling element is firmly connected within a buckle casing to a buckle mechanism of the belt buckle. The pulling element, in a region directly adjacent to the buckle casing is at least partly enclosed by a cover. The cover has an exterior shape that is tapered towards a direction in which the buckle is pulled during a seat belt tightening process. The external dimensions of the cover in the region of its larger cross section approximate the external dimensions of the adjacent end of the buckle casing and in the external dimensions of the cover in the region of its smaller cross section approximate to the external dimensions of the pulling element. Put another way, the taper of the cover approximates a taper defined by the external dimensions of an adjacent end of the buckle casing and the external dimensions of the cable over the length of the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Walter Krauss, Stephan Schwald, Thomas Schrott
  • Patent number: 6705558
    Abstract: A seat belt retractor for a seat belt system in a motor vehicle has a belt reel for the winding and unwinding of seat belt webbing. At least one locking element can lock the belt reel against further rotation. Forces exerted by the seat belt webbing can be introduced into a frame connected to the vehicle. The locking device has at least one gear that can be locked by at least one lock operating device and also has at least one energy absorbing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Walter Krauss, Thomas Kilian
  • Patent number: 6682097
    Abstract: A device for the lateral outward guiding of an electric cable installed in a tube has a deflector is arranged inside the tube obliquely to the longitudinal direction of the tube. The electric cable is deflected by the deflector through a lateral opening in the casing of the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Walter Krauss, Stefan Schwald
  • Publication number: 20020180202
    Abstract: A device for the lateral outward guiding of an electric cable installed in a tube has a deflector is arranged inside the tube obliquely to the longitudinal direction of the tube. The electric cable is deflected by the deflector through a lateral opening in the casing of the tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2001
    Publication date: December 5, 2002
    Inventors: Walter Krauss, Stefan Schwald
  • Publication number: 20020145068
    Abstract: A seat belt retractor for a seat belt system in a motor vehicle has a belt reel for the winding and unwinding of seat belt webbing. At least one locking element can lock the belt reel against further rotation. Forces exerted by the seat belt webbing can be introduced into a frame connected to the vehicle. The locking device has at least one gear that can be locked by at least one lock operating device and also has at least one energy absorbing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2002
    Publication date: October 10, 2002
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Walter Krauss, Thomas Kilian
  • Publication number: 20020109346
    Abstract: An assembly of seat belt buckle and a seat belt tightener has a seat belt buckle that is connected to a seat belt tightener by a pulling element. The pulling element is firmly connected within a buckle casing to a buckle mechanism of the belt buckle. The pulling element, in a region directly adjacent to the buckle casing is at least partly enclosed by a cover. The cover has an exterior shape that is tapered towards a direction in which the buckle is pulled during a seat belt tightening process. The external dimensions of the cover in the region of its larger cross section approximate the external dimensions of the adjacent end of the buckle casing and in the external dimensions of the cover in the region of its smaller cross section approximate to the external dimensions of the pulling element. Put another way, the taper of the cover approximates a taper defined by the external dimensions of an adjacent end of the buckle casing and the external dimensions of the cable over the length of the cover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2001
    Publication date: August 15, 2002
    Inventors: Walter Krauss, Stephan Schwald, Thomas Schrott
  • Patent number: 6382674
    Abstract: An apparatus for tensioning a seatbelt has a piston that is driven in a guide tube and is connected to the belt webbing of the seatbelt via a traction cable and with a cable guide for the traction cable. The traction cable acts on one end of the belt webbing of the seatbelt and is looped around the cable guide 180°. The portion of traction cable extending between the cable guide and the belt webbing is guided substantially parallel to the axial direction of the guide tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Walter Krauss
  • Patent number: 6357795
    Abstract: A seat belt buckle carrier unit free from rattling noises having a connecting element held in a specific place by a fixing device. The fixing device can be formed by a spring steel wire which is fixed at one end and with its free end, exerts pressure on the connecting element. To ensure reliable contact between the spring steel wire and the connecting element, the spring steel wire can have, at its end exerting a pressure on the connecting element, a loop that surrounds the connecting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Walter Krauss, Thomas Schrott, Stephan Schwald
  • Patent number: 6290159
    Abstract: A seat belt retractor has a belt reel for the seat belt webbing. A load limiter allows limited extraction of the belt webbing with energy absorption when the belt reel is blocked. The absorption of energy is adjustable as a function of crash-related data and the rotating movement of the belt reel is scanned for this purpose when the extraction of the belt webbing is limited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Thomas Kilian, Walter Krauss
  • Patent number: 6266855
    Abstract: A seat belt buckle has a guide channel formed in a buckle frame into which a tongue connected to a seat belt can be inserted. An ejector, located in the guide channel acts, as an ejector spring in the ejection direction opposite to the insertion direction of the tongue. A locking element is mounted on the buckle frame and can be moved out of an unlocking position into a locking position in order to lock the tongue in the guide channel. A securing element is movable between a securing position for holding the locking element in the locking position and a release position for releasing the locking element. A blocking device is mounted on the securing element and is moved into a blocking position when the locking element is in the locking position. The securing element is held in the securing position against a movement into the release position, whereby the blocking device is held in the blocking position by the ejector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Walter Krauss, Stephan Schwald, Thomas Schrott