Patents by Inventor Bernd Falkenstein

Bernd Falkenstein 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: 8745817
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner has a lid that selectively opens or closes a filter bag compartment. A secondary motor protection filter is removably mounted in the lid by a frame of an elastic material that simultaneously seals the secondary filter element to the lid and seals the lid onto the bag compartment. An air passage flows between the secondary filter and the lid through a duct to the suction motor compartment. A perimeter groove in the lid receives a spline of the elastic frame of the filter element in a removable manner, while the opposite surface of the frame forms the seal surface relative to a housing rim around the bag compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Stein & Co. GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Stein, Bernd Falkenstein
  • Patent number: 8640302
    Abstract: A filter bag of a vacuum cleaner has a filter mounting plate that includes a generally strap-shaped securing element with pivot members on an end thereof. A housing of the vacuum cleaner defines a filter bag compartment therein and has pivot receivers into which the pivot members can be substantially vertically inserted. Then the filter mounting plate can be pivoted into a substantially horizontal installed position as the filter bag is inserted into the filter bag compartment. In the installed position, a first stop member of the filter mounting plate contacts and is stopped by a second stop member of the housing so as to prevent further pivoting and so as to properly position and hold the filter mounting plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Stein & Co. GmbH
    Inventors: Achim Liffers, Bernd Falkenstein
  • Patent number: 8272094
    Abstract: A floor care disk for a floor care machine such as a floor polishing machine includes a floor care pad mounted on a drive plate. The drive plate includes a stiff disk element and tongue-like tabs connected flexibly to a radially outer portion or rim of the disk element, and extending radially inwardly toward a radially inner portion or hub of the disk element. The radially inner free ends of the tongue-like tabs are free to flexibly deflect away from the plane of the disk element. The pad is mounted on the tabs and on the radially outer portion of the disk element. During rotational operation of the floor care disk, due to the arising centrifugal force acting on the center of mass of the rotating pad and tongue-like tabs, the pad and the tongue-like tabs are flexibly deflected away from the disk element and toward the floor surface, thereby deflecting the pad into osculating contact with the floor surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Stein & Co. GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Stein, Bernd Falkenstein
  • Patent number: 8070561
    Abstract: A floor care machine such as a floor polisher includes a machine frame carrying a motor coupled through a drive arrangement to a rotationally driven head on which a floor care disc such as a polishing pad is mounted. The drive arrangement includes a drive element rotationally driven by the motor, and a driven element that is connected to the driven head and is automatically height adjustable. The drive element includes a bearing hub, an outer ring and four uniformly rotationally offset spokes that carry first rolling guides extending along helical paths about the rotation axis. The driven element includes upper and lower partial elements that receive the spokes therebetween and carry second rolling guides arranged facing the first rolling guides along the helical paths, and roller bodies are interposed therebetween. Relative rotation between the drive element and the driven element causes an axial height adjustment of the driven head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Stein & Co. GmbH
    Inventors: Achim Liffers, Bernd Falkenstein
  • Publication number: 20110232024
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner has a lid that selectively opens or closes a filter bag compartment. A secondary motor protection filter is removably mounted in the lid by a frame of an elastic material that simultaneously seals the secondary filter element to the lid and seals the lid onto the bag compartment. An air passage flows between the secondary filter and the lid through a duct to the suction motor compartment. A perimeter groove in the lid receives a spline of the elastic frame of the filter element in a removable manner, while the opposite surface of the frame forms the seal surface relative to a housing rim around the bag compartment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Applicant: Stein & Co. GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas STEIN, Bernd FALKENSTEIN
  • Publication number: 20110232025
    Abstract: A filter bag of a vacuum cleaner has a filter mounting plate that includes a generally strap-shaped securing element with pivot members on an end thereof. A housing of the vacuum cleaner defines a filter bag compartment therein and has pivot receivers into which the pivot members can be substantially vertically inserted. Then the filter mounting plate can be pivoted into a substantially horizontal installed position as the filter bag is inserted into the filter bag compartment. In the installed position, a first stop member of the filter mounting plate contacts and is stopped by a second stop member of the housing so as to prevent further pivoting and so as to properly position and hold the filter mounting plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Applicant: Stein & Co. GmbH
    Inventors: Achim LIFFERS, Bernd Falkenstein
  • Publication number: 20100125966
    Abstract: A floor care disk for a floor care machine such as a floor polishing machine includes a floor care pad mounted on a drive plate. The drive plate includes a stiff disk element and tongue-like tabs connected flexibly to a radially outer portion or rim of the disk element, and extending radially inwardly toward a radially inner portion or hub of the disk element. The radially inner free ends of the tongue-like tabs are free to flexibly deflect away from the plane of the disk element. The pad is mounted on the tabs and on the radially outer portion of the disk element. During rotational operation of the floor care disk, due to the arising centrifugal force acting on the center of mass of the rotating pad and tongue-like tabs, the pad and the tongue-like tabs are flexibly deflected away from the disk element and toward the floor surface, thereby deflecting the pad into osculating contact with the floor surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Applicant: Stein & Co. GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Stein, Bernd Falkenstein
  • Patent number: 7637975
    Abstract: A filter bag arrangement for a vacuum cleaner includes a bag body of filter material, and a stiffening element in the form of a filter mounting plate with an inlet opening of the bag therein. The vacuum cleaner includes a housing defining a chamber into which the bag may be inserted, a lid to cover the chamber, and a filling pipe stub that is insertable into the inlet opening. Plural individual mounting elements are provided at the outer edge of the stiffening element and are inserted into corresponding individual receivers of the housing so as to spatially position and fix the inlet opening of the filter bag arrangement relative to the housing of the vacuum cleaner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: Stein & Co. GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Stein, Bernd Falkenstein
  • Patent number: 7481630
    Abstract: A housing for a hand held vacuum cleaner is so constructed that a suction motor mounting bracket which is enclosed by a lower housing section, is removably secured to an upper housing section. A suction coupling pipe section is either an integral part of or directly secured to the suction motor mounting bracket, so that forces introduced to a suction tool attached to the suction coupling pipe section are transmitted through the mounting bracket to the upper housing section thereby at least partly relieving the lower housing section from forces passing from the suction tool to the handle and vice versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: Stein & Co. GmbH
    Inventors: Achim Liffers, Bernd Falkenstein
  • Publication number: 20080268758
    Abstract: A floor care machine such as a floor polisher includes a machine frame carrying a motor coupled through a drive arrangement to a rotationally driven head on which a floor care disc such as a polishing pad is mounted. The drive arrangement includes a drive element rotationally driven by the motor, and a driven element that is connected to the driven head and is automatically height adjustable. The drive element includes a bearing hub, an outer ring and four uniformly rotationally offset spokes that carry first rolling guides extending along helical paths about the rotation axis. The driven element includes upper and lower partial elements that receive the spokes therebetween and carry second rolling guides arranged facing the first rolling guides along the helical paths, and roller bodies are interposed therebetween. Relative rotation between the drive element and the driven element causes an axial height adjustment of the driven head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Inventors: Achim Liffers, Bernd Falkenstein
  • Publication number: 20060064951
    Abstract: A filter bag arrangement for a vacuum cleaner includes a bag body of filter material, and a stiffening element in the form of a filter mounting plate with an inlet opening of the bag therein. The vacuum cleaner includes a housing defining a chamber into which the bag may be inserted, a lid to cover the chamber, and a filling pipe stub that is insertable into the inlet opening. Plural individual mounting elements are provided at the outer edge of the stiffening element and are inserted into corresponding individual receivers of the housing so as to spatially position and fix the inlet opening of the filter bag arrangement relative to the housing of the vacuum cleaner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2005
    Publication date: March 30, 2006
    Inventors: Thomas Stein, Bernd Falkenstein
  • Publication number: 20060067843
    Abstract: A housing for a hand held vacuum cleaner is so constructed that a suction motor mounting bracket which is enclosed by a lower housing section, is removably secured to an upper housing section. A suction coupling pipe section is either an integral part of or directly secured to the suction motor mounting bracket, so that forces introduced to a suction tool attached to the suction coupling pipe section are transmitted through the mounting bracket to the upper housing section thereby at least partly relieving the lower housing section from forces passing from the suction tool to the handle and vice versa.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2005
    Publication date: March 30, 2006
    Inventors: Achim Liffers, Bernd Falkenstein