The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 14, 1978
Filed:
Dec. 22, 1976
Walter Schatzler, Aufhausen, DT;
Webasto-Werk W. Baier GmbH & Co., Stockdorf, DT;
Abstract
A ratchet wheel and resiliently biased stop member arrangement is provided for limiting movement of a movable roof panel member as it travels between respective closed, tilted, and lowered slidably retracted positions. The ratchet wheel is provided with recesses disposed at respective circumferential positions corresponding to predetermined positions of the roof panel member. The resiliently biased members are engageable in these recesses to retain the ratchet wheel at respective predetermined positions such as corresponding to the closed position of the roof panel member, whereby the operator can easily sense the position of the roof member due to the increased resistance caused by the stop member. The stop members and their springs are configured so as to permit overriding of the stop member so that the operator can move the roof panel member away from the respective positions by merely applying additional force to overcome the spring force at the stop member. Preferred embodiments also include a stepping gear arrangement for optimizing the gear ratio in connection with the ratchet wheel while minimizing the forces applied thereto.