Patents by Inventor Zsolt WILKE

Zsolt WILKE 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: 11572909
    Abstract: A tolerance compensation fastening apparatus (1) for fastening a first vehicle component (200) to a second vehicle component (300) by way of a bolt (100), the fastening apparatus being set up to compensate for a tolerance within a tolerance compensation range. A fastening system including such a fastening apparatus, as well as to a method for fastening a first vehicle component to a second vehicle component by way of a bolt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Zsolt Wilke, Roland Och, Matthias Seubert, Johannes Karlein, Andreas Rudolf
  • Patent number: 11566455
    Abstract: A signal generator, in particular opening switch, for a vehicle door or flap, including an actuator, in particular an actuator which can be manually actuated and/or gripped by an operating person, furthermore including a plug housing (14) with a switch (22) which is received therein or arranged thereon and which has electrical contacts (20) which form part of a plug connection, and including an actuator housing (12) with the actuator (30), the actuator being mounted movably on the actuator housing (12) and acting on the switch (22), the actuator housing (12) and the plug housing (14) being positionally fixed relative to one another, wherein the electrical contacts (20) are electrically connected to the switch (22) by plugged-in conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Joachim Oberst, Stefan Zöller, Elmar Fries, Zsolt Wilke
  • Patent number: 11560739
    Abstract: A door handle arrangement for a vehicle, includes a housing and a handle lever which is mounted on the housing such that it can be moved between a rest position and an actuating position for unlocking and/or opening a vehicle door, it being possible for the housing to be oriented on a vehicle body outer part which forms a part of the outer surface of a vehicle body and has a handle cut-out for the handle lever, first positioning projections being provided on the housing, which first positioning projections are configured to bear against an angled-over edge of the vehicle body outer part, which angled-over edge delimits the handle cut-out of the vehicle body outer part at least in regions, and, as a result, to position the handle lever with the housing in at least one spatial direction in relation to the handle cut-out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Roland Och, Zsolt Wilke, Andreas Rudolf
  • Patent number: 11511664
    Abstract: An illumination module (1) for illuminating a region of a vehicle component (8), which includes a main body (9). The illumination module (1) includes a light source support (2) having at least one light source (3, 3?) and a housing half shell (4), which is connectable to a wall region of the main body (9) of the vehicle component (8) such that a housing defined by the housing half shell (4) of the illumination module, on the one hand, and by the wall region of the main body (9) of the vehicle component (8), on the other hand, is formed. The light source support (2) has the at least one light source received in the housing, at least in regions, and the housing includes at least one light outlet region (5, 5?), via which light emitted by the at least one light source can be decoupled from the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Zsolt Wilke, Steffen Kolb
  • Publication number: 20220185175
    Abstract: An illumination module (1) for illuminating a region of a vehicle component (8), which includes a main body (9). The illumination module (1) includes a light source support (2) having at least one light source (3, 3) and a housing half shell (4), which is connectable to a wall region of the main body (9) of the vehicle component (8) such that a housing defined by the housing half shell (4) of the illumination module, on the one hand, and by the wall region of the main body (9) of the vehicle component (8), on the other hand, is formed. The light source support (2) has the at least one light source received in the housing, at least in regions, and the housing includes at least one light outlet region (5, 5), via which light emitted by the at least one light source can be decoupled from the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Zsolt WILKE, Steffen KOLB
  • Publication number: 20220186530
    Abstract: A door handle assembly (1) for a vehicle, wherein the door handle assembly includes a handle support (2) and a grip (3) for opening a door or flap of the vehicle, wherein the door handle assembly is configured in order to be transferable between a mounting state and an operating state, wherein, in the mounting state of the door handle assembly, at least one first end region (4) of the grip (3) can be inserted or plugged into a receiving region (5) formed in the handle support (2) and in particular configured in order to be channel- or shaft-shaped, and wherein, in the operating state of the door handle assembly, the grip (3) is pivotably mounted relative to the handle support (2) via a pivot bearing formed during the change from the mounting state to the operating state about a pivot axis specified by the pivot bearing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2021
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventor: Zsolt WILKE
  • Publication number: 20220170298
    Abstract: An actuating apparatus for a door lock of a vehicle door, in particular as part of a door handle arrangement of a vehicle door, wherein the actuating apparatus has a handle part that is grippable by a hand and is configured in order to be transferable between a resting position and a ready position, and wherein the handle part is manually movable from the ready position into an actuating position and is in particular pivotably or linearly extendable, wherein the actuating apparatus is configured in order to actuate the door lock when the handle part reaches or has reached the actuating position. The actuating apparatus has a blocking and/or delay mechanism, which cooperates with the handle part such that the handle part is transferable from the ready position back into the resting position only with a time delay and/or only in an at least partially braked or dampened manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2021
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Inventors: Zsolt WILKE, Andreas RUDOLF, Roland OCH
  • Publication number: 20220074243
    Abstract: A door handle arrangement for a vehicle includes a housing which is fastenable to a body part of a vehicle body, and a handle lever which is mounted in a handle cutout of the housing so as to be movable between an inoperative position and an actuating position in order to unlock and/or open a vehicle door. The handle lever is mounted with play in the housing. At least one compensating element is provided which is designed to be fastened to at least one fastening portion of the body part. The compensating element forms at least one contact portion for the handle lever. The handle lever is pretensioned into its inoperative position against the at least one contact portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Inventors: Zsolt WILKE, Matthias SEUBERT, Roland OCH
  • Patent number: 11268307
    Abstract: An actuating device, for a motor vehicle door lock, having a handle part grippable by one hand and being movable by a mechanism from a rest position into a standby position, and being movable manually into an actuating position starting from the standby position, the actuating device configured to actuate the door lock if the handle part reaches the actuating position, the actuating device having a device for reducing a transverse play of the handle parts such that the transverse play in the standby position is reduced with respect to the transverse play in a position between the rest position and the standby position, the device for reducing the transverse play configured to completely or partially cancel again the reduction of the transverse play in the standby position if the handle part is moved from the standby position into the actuating position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Zsolt Wilke, Matthias Seubert
  • Publication number: 20220034146
    Abstract: A mechanism (1) for pivoting a charging or tank flap (2) on a charging or filler neck housing (3), which is accommodated or can be accommodated in a body component of a motor vehicle, wherein the mechanism (1) is configured, by superposing at least two at least temporarily simultaneous circular rotational movements having different rotation radii or at least one at least temporarily simultaneous circular rotational movement and at least one linear movement, to pivot the charging or tank flap (2) reversibly between a first orientation, in particular a closed position of the charging or tank flap (2), and a second orientation, in particular an open position of the charging or tank flap (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Andreas Rudolf, Zsolt Wilke, Matthias Hegwein
  • Publication number: 20220024299
    Abstract: A covering device (100) for a vehicle, includes: a cover (10); a drive element (40a, 40b) formed to enable a movement of the cover, wherein the drive element brings about a force which acts on the cover. The covering device has a force-limitation apparatus (30a, 30b) which limits the force brought about by the drive element to a limit force so that the covering device is protected in the event of an overload acting on the covering device and/or a user is protected when using the covering device. An actuator (200) has a drive apparatus (210) with a drive element (211); an output drive element (290); and a force-decoupling apparatus (230). The force-decoupling apparatus is formed so that it at least temporarily does not output a force taken up by the drive element or at least temporarily outputs it in a delayed manner to the output drive element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventors: Zsolt WILKE, Andreas RUDOLF, Christian BECK, Matthias HEGWEIN
  • Patent number: 11203887
    Abstract: A switch actuating device (1) for a vehicle door includes an actuating element (10) with an actuating surface (11), a mechanical switch (20) and a mechanism (30). The switch is secured on a first component/component group (31). A lever (32) is mounted for pivot in relation to the first component/component group (31). A first region (32.2) of the lever is connected to a first part of the actuating element (10) via a first articulation (10.1). A second part of the actuating element (10) is mounted on the first component/component group (31) via a second articulation (10.2). The actuating element (10) bends when the actuating surface (11) is subjected to manual pressure causing the distance between the first articulation (10.1) and the second articulation (10.2) to shorten, which causes the lever (32) to pivot toward the switch such that the switch is switched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Zsolt Wilke, Joachim Oberst, Andreas Rudolf, Matthias Seubert
  • Patent number: 11187018
    Abstract: A door handle assembly for a door of a vehicle includes a housing that is configured to form part of or otherwise connect to the door, and a handle moveably coupled to the housing. The handle includes a spherical member that is configured to move between a rest position and a blocking position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Andreas Rudolf, Zsolt Wilke
  • Publication number: 20210340793
    Abstract: A signal generator, in particular opening switch, for a vehicle door or flap, including an actuator, in particular an actuator which can be manually actuated and/or gripped by an operating person, furthermore including a plug housing (14) with a switch (22) which is received therein or arranged thereon and which has electrical contacts (20) which form part of a plug connection, and including an actuator housing (12) with the actuator (30), the actuator being mounted movably on the actuator housing (12) and acting on the switch (22), the actuator housing (12) and the plug housing (14) being positionally fixed relative to one another, wherein the electrical contacts (20) are electrically connected to the switch (22) by plugged-in conductors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Inventors: Joachim OBERST, Stefan ZÖLLER, Elmar FRIES, Zsolt WILKE
  • Patent number: 11136796
    Abstract: A door handle arrangement for a vehicle includes a housing which is fastenable to a body part of a vehicle body, and a handle lever which is mounted in a handle cutout of the housing so as to be movable between an inoperative position and an actuating position in order to unlock and/or open a vehicle door. The handle lever is mounted with play in the housing. At least one compensating element is provided which is designed to be fastened to at least one fastening portion of the body part. The compensating element forms at least one contact portion for the handle lever. The handle lever is pretensioned into its inoperative position against the at least one contact portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Zsolt Wilke, Matthias Seubert, Roland Och
  • Publication number: 20210300267
    Abstract: A fastening device for fastening an interior component of a vehicle to a body component. The fastening device includes a fastening clip, a bracket associated with said fastening clip, and a blocking device. The fastening device can be transferred from a pre-assembly state into an assembly state. In the pre-assembly state, the blocking device is deactivated and the fastening clip, together with the associated bracket, can be inserted at least partly into an opening formed in the body component. Further, the fastening clip or at least a portion of the fastening clip can be moved in a flexible manner relative to the associated bracket and in particular in an insertion direction and/or perpendicular to the insertion direction. In the assembly state, the blocking device is activated and a movement of the fastening clip or the portion of the fastening clip relative to the associated bracket is at least substantially blocked.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Marek Kukuczka, Adam Zawada, Zsolt Wilke
  • Publication number: 20210189771
    Abstract: The invention relates to a door handle for a car, wherein the door handle has a handle section to be gripped manually and a pivoting bearing section, by way of which the door handle can be mounted on a car door such that it can be pivoted about a pivot axis between a closed position and an open position which unlocks the car door, wherein a metal ball, in particular a steel ball, or a metal cylinder, in particular a steel cylinder, is fastened to the door handle, wherein, if a predefined transverse acceleration which acts on the door handle occurs, the metal ball or the metal cylinder counteracts, as a counterweight, an opening force which acts on the handle section on account of the transverse acceleration. Moreover, the invention relates to a corresponding method for producing a door handle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventors: Zsolt WILKE, Roland OCH, Elmar FRIES, Massimo TRISORIO
  • Patent number: 10927573
    Abstract: A door lock operator (1) for a motor vehicle door (100) includes a first switch (10) and a first pivot arm (30) mounted so as to be pivotable about a first rotation axis (21.1) of a first articulation (21) along a first degree of freedom (31), wherein the first pivot arm (30) has a further degree of freedom (32) which is substantially perpendicular to the first rotation axis (21.1), and the first switch (10) is operable by way of movement of the first pivot arm (30) along a first direction of the further degree of freedom (32), wherein the first switch (10) is provided to be connected by way of a signal line (110) to an electric door lock (120) such that the electric door lock (120) is operable by the first switch (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Roland Och, Zsolt Wilke, Andreas Rudolf, Martin Weid
  • Patent number: 10920465
    Abstract: A side door of a motor vehicle has a door lock actuator for a door lock, and a pivoting lever pivotable about a rotational axis of a joint. The pivoting lever has a coupling section coupled to a mechanical actuating member of the door lock in the installed state. An interior door pull handle has one or more fastening regions and at least one handle region having an axial extent. The pivoting lever is integrated into the handle region of the interior door pull handle. The rotational axis is oriented substantially transversely with respect to the axial extent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Zsolt Wilke, Roland Och, Matthias Seubert
  • Patent number: 10907387
    Abstract: Push button device for a motor vehicle, has: a mechanical and/or electric function controller with a first control state and a second control state; a push button element pressable from a disengaged state into a pressed state, wherein the function controller has the first control state when the push button element is in the disengaged state and the second control state when the push button element is in the pressed state, the push button element connected to the function controller by a first pivot arm mounted rotatably about a first axis of rotation and by a second pivot arm mounted rotatably about a different axis of rotation spaced apart from the first axis of rotation, wherein the first pivot arm and the second pivot arm are designed to be pivoted in an identical direction of rotation as a consequence of a movement of the push button element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Roland Och, Zsolt Wilke, Kai Hamacher