Patents by Inventor Thomas Stein

Thomas Stein 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: 9816566
    Abstract: A seal for a cross member unit for universal joints has a carrier ring to be inserted into a bearing cup of the cross member unit. The carrier ring has an L-shaped cross section with a cylindrical portion coaxial to a longitudinal axis and a flange portion extending form the cylindrical portion inwardly. An elastomeric sealing lip element is connected to the carrier ring. The sealing lip element has first engagement elements form fittingly engaging into first engagement apertures. The first engagement apertures extend through the flange portion of the carrier ring. The sealing lip element further has second engagement elements form fittingly engaging into second engagement apertures. The second engagement apertures extend through the cylindrical portion of the carrier ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Spicer Gelenkwellenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Tobias Hess, Thomas Stein, Stefan Buervenich
  • Patent number: 9737185
    Abstract: A brush vacuum cleaner having a floor brush set with a driven brush roller having an overload protection. The brush set has at least one electric motor for a suction fan and for the drive of the brush roller, which includes a torque detecting unit. A safety shutdown is accomplished via a switch arrangement above an overload torque threshold. A driven element of the torque detection unit is disposed in the drive train which, above the torque threshold, is coupled via a switchable coupling element to an eddy current disk made of electrically conductive material. The eddy current disk has at least one magnet pivotably positioned on a fixedly mounted movable support. An adjustment of the support is made by a magnetic field of the coupled eddy current disk formed by the generated eddy current. The support controls a corresponding circuit arrangement such as a switching element as safety cut-off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: STEIN & CO. GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Stein, Hartmut Boll
  • Patent number: 9700184
    Abstract: In a vacuum cleaner it is provided that a brush set can be connected via a pivotable connecting element in the form of a connecting piece for an attachable filter housing to a handle in the form of a hand grip. Here the brush set has an electric motor for a suction fan and for the drive of the brush roller. The pivotable connecting element of the brush set has an external connector plug for an electrical connection to an appliance coupling of a power line connection lead for connection to a power supply, for example, for connection to a wall socket and the like. As a result, the brush set with the integrated motor and a switch for operating control forms a functional electrical unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: STEIN & CO. GmbH
    Inventor: Thomas Stein
  • Publication number: 20170167528
    Abstract: A length adjustment for a drive shaft, wherein the length adjustment has the following: a first rotary element with a first longitudinal toothing and a second rotary element with a second longitudinal toothing. The first longitudinal toothing and the second longitudinal toothing mesh with each other and are axially displaceable to each other. In an end portion of the first rotary element a tooth gap between two longitudinal teeth of the first longitudinal toothing is obstructed. The radial height of a longitudinal tooth of the second longitudinal toothing is reduced relative to the residual longitudinal teeth such that only the longitudinal tooth reduced in radial height can be axially inserted into the obstructed tooth gap. The tooth gap is obstructed by a locking portion of the first rotary element, produced by forming or a material connection a pin resting in a bore of the first rotary element. The locking portion or the pin is arranged in the tooth gap or in axial extension to the tooth gap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Inventors: Thomas STEIN, Manfred MEINEKE, Hamed SARZAIEM
  • Patent number: 9615711
    Abstract: A brush vacuum cleaner having a safety shutdown of the drive via an overload brush roller torque detection. A mechanical triggering element via transmission elements actuates an electrical switch for the main switch to shut down the drive above a torque threshold. The switch is additionally connected in parallel by an external actuating element to an on and off position by a spring-loaded control element and a coupling element. Due to the control element, switching the switch into an off position due to overload is transmitted to the actuating element that can be adjusted into an off position. The control element is spring held in the on position in an arrangement for the engagement of the control element, where an unlocking can be set as off position by adjustment of the control element via the actuating element against the spring pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: STEIN & CO. GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Stein, Hartmut Boll
  • Patent number: 9615707
    Abstract: A floor care appliance having a height-adjustable brush set. A pushbutton of the brush set is actuatable for height adjustment via a manual suction tube of the floor care appliance. The pushbutton has a receptacle for receiving an edge region of a manual suction tube and/or for foot actuation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: STEIN & CO. GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Stein, Achim Liffers
  • Publication number: 20170082153
    Abstract: A seal for a cross member unit for universal joints has a carrier ring to be inserted into a bearing cup of the cross member unit. The carrier ring has an L-shaped cross section with a cylindrical portion coaxial to a longitudinal axis and a flange portion extending form the cylindrical portion inwardly. An elastomeric sealing lip element is connected to the carrier ring. The sealing lip element has first engagement elements form fittingly engaging into first engagement apertures. The first engagement apertures extend through the flange portion of the carrier ring. The sealing lip element further has second engagement elements form fittingly engaging into second engagement apertures. The second engagement apertures extend through the cylindrical portion of the carrier ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2015
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventors: Tobias HESS, Thomas STEIN, Stefan BUERVENICH
  • Patent number: 9596968
    Abstract: A brush vacuum cleaner having a brush set facing the floor with a driven brush roller, wherein the brush set can be connected via a pivotable connecting element in the form of a connecting piece for a filter housing attachable to a handle having a hand grip. The brush set accommodates an electric motor for a suction fan and for the drive of the brush roller. An electrical switch is provided for switching the electric motor on and off which is disposed on the side wall as a lateral flank of the brush set in the form of a foot operated switch. The switch with its external control surface projects outwards with respect to the side wall in the switched-off position whereas in the switched-on position the control surface ends with neighboring or adjacent surface sections of the side wall without overhang.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Stein & Co. GmbH
    Inventor: Thomas Stein
  • Patent number: 9565982
    Abstract: A brush vacuum cleaner having a brush set for receiving a driven brush roller, wherein at least one electric motor for a suction fan and for the drive of the brush roller is disposed in the brush set and wherein at least three air guiding channels are formed in a pivotable connecting element between the brush set and a filter housing. A supply of the dirt-laden suction air from the brush set to the filter housing takes place through the first air guiding channel, the filtered air is returned to the brush set through the second air guiding channel and through the third air guiding channel exhaust gas of the suction fan is returned to the filter housing to an air outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Stein & Co. GmbH
    Inventor: Thomas Stein
  • Patent number: 9560945
    Abstract: A floor care appliance in the form of a brush vacuum cleaner having a brush set facing the floor for receiving a driven brush roller with an overload protection. A drive disk is mounted rotatably on the shaft and the shaft has a torque-proof output element to the brush roller and the drive disk is coupled via a torsion spring to a coupling disk which is displaceable axially on the shaft and which is coupled in a torque-proof manner via cams to the shaft. Ramps are formed on the drive disk which, above a torque threshold, axially adjust the coupling disk with corresponding ramps by relative twisting. A safety shutdown can be controlled via the adjusting movement via a corresponding switching element of a circuit arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Stein & Co. GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Stein, Hartmut Boll
  • Patent number: 9515619
    Abstract: An amplifier arrangement for amplifying an audio input signal AES into an audio output signal AAS, having a conditioning apparatus for converting the audio input signal AES into a conditioned intermediate signal ZS. The conditioning apparatus includes an audio input interface for accepting the audio input signal and a digital data processing device. The amplifier arrangement also includes an amplifier apparatus for amplifying the intermediate signal ZS into the audio output signal AAS and the amplifier apparatus has at least one operating voltage BS. The amplifier arrangement also includes a limiting module for limiting the audio output signal AAS by changing a gain parameter VK.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Josef Plager, Patrick Engl, Thomas Stein
  • Patent number: 9515620
    Abstract: An amplifier arrangement for amplifying at least one first and one second audio input signal. In one embodiment, the arrangement includes a master amplifier designed as a class D amplifier. The first audio input signal is applied to the master audio input and a master audio output signal is applied to the master audio output. The arrangement also includes a master feedback loop; thus enabling the master amplifier to be designed as a self-oscillating class D amplifier having a master oscillation frequency, at least one slave amplifier, a slave feedback loop, wherein a slave audio output signal or signal portions thereof are fed back into a slave audio input, and a master-slave coupling loop, wherein the master audio output signal or signal portions thereof is coupled into the slave audio input, so that the slave amplifier has the master oscillation frequency as its oscillation frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Josef Plager, Patrick Engl, Thomas Stein
  • Patent number: 9496829
    Abstract: An amplifier arrangement with a Class D design is proposed which has a low-pass filter device comprising a first inductor and a second inductor The first inductor is arranged between a first load output and a load and the second inductor is arranged between a second load output and the load. The first and second inductors are coupled to one another so that the total inductance of the two inductors is greater than the sum of the individual inductances of the two inductors and also less than or equal to 1.95 times the sum of the individual inductances of the two inductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Josef Plager, Patrick Engl, Thomas Stein
  • Patent number: 9451857
    Abstract: A rotating brush roller for a floor cleaning device has its ends supported via a bearing in a support arrangement of a brush housing. A brush strip is received in a spiral groove in an outer circumferential surface of the brush roller. The support arrangement includes a stationary cover and defines an access opening. A removable cover is releasably secured to the brush housing by a catch element, and selectively covers or uncovers the access opening, allowing access to the brush strip at an end of the spiral groove. A first deflector element on the stationary cover and a second deflector element on the removable cover together form a thread deflector that cooperates with a counter element on the end of the brush roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: Stein & Co. GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Stein, Achim Liffers
  • Publication number: 20160213416
    Abstract: Disclosed is a high-frequency surgical appliance for cutting and/or coagulating biological tissue, having a high-frequency generator designed to produce a high-frequency alternating current during operation, and also a method for operating a high-frequency surgical appliance that involves a high-frequency alternating current produced by means of a high-frequency generator for of cutting and/or coagulating biological tissue. The high-frequency surgical appliance according to the invention has a power setting device that is arranged and designed to set or limit an output power of the high-frequency surgical appliance to a power value selected by a user. In addition, the high-frequency surgical appliance according to the invention has a spark control device that is arranged and designed to set or limit a spark voltage to a setpoint spark value, the spark control device also being designed to ascertain the setpoint spark value on the basis of the power value selected by a user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Applicant: OLYMPUS WINTER & IBE GMBH
    Inventor: Thomas STEIN
  • Publication number: 20150320277
    Abstract: A floor care appliance in the form of a brush vacuum cleaner having a brush set facing the floor for receiving a driven brush roller with an overload protection. A drive disk is mounted rotatably on the shaft and the shaft has a torque-proof output element to the brush roller and the drive disk is coupled via a torsion spring to a coupling disk which is displaceable axially on the shaft and which is coupled in a torque-proof manner via cams to the shaft. Ramps are formed on the drive disk which, above a torque threshold, axially adjust the coupling disk with corresponding ramps by relative twisting. A safety shutdown can be controlled via the adjusting movement via a corresponding switching element of a circuit arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2015
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Inventors: Thomas Stein, Hartmut Boll
  • Publication number: 20150320282
    Abstract: A brush vacuum cleaner having a safety shutdown of the drive via an overload brush roller torque detection. A mechanical triggering element via transmission elements actuates an electrical switch for the main switch to shut down the drive above a torque threshold. The switch is additionally connected in parallel by an external actuating element to an on and off position by a spring-loaded control element and a coupling element. Due to the control element, switching the switch into an off position due to overload is transmitted to the actuating element that can be adjusted into an off position. The control element is spring held in the on position in an arrangement for the engagement of the control element, where an unlocking can be set as off position by adjustment of the control element via the actuating element against the spring pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2015
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Inventors: Thomas Stein, Hartmut Boll
  • Publication number: 20150320276
    Abstract: A brush vacuum cleaner having a floor brush set with a driven brush roller having an overload protection. The brush set has at least one electric motor for a suction fan and for the drive of the brush roller, which includes a torque detecting unit. A safety shutdown is accomplished via a switch arrangement above an overload torque threshold. A driven element of the torque detection unit is disposed in the drive train which, above the torque threshold, is coupled via a switchable coupling element to an eddy current disk made of electrically conductive material. The eddy current disk has at least one magnet pivotably positioned on a fixedly mounted movable support. An adjustment of the support is made by a magnetic field of the coupled eddy current disk formed by the generated eddy current. The support controls a corresponding circuit arrangement such as a switching element as safety cut-off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2015
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Inventors: Thomas Stein, Hartmut Boll
  • Publication number: 20150313429
    Abstract: A brush vacuum cleaner having a brush set for receiving a driven brush roller, wherein at least one electric motor for a suction fan and for the drive of the brush roller is disposed in the brush set and wherein at least three air guiding channels are formed in a pivotable connecting element between the brush set and a filter housing. A supply of the dirt-laden suction air from the brush set to the filter housing takes place through the first air guiding channel, the filtered air is returned to the brush set through the second air guiding channel and through the third air guiding channel exhaust gas of the suction fan is returned to the filter housing to an air outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2015
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Inventor: Thomas Stein
  • Publication number: 20150313430
    Abstract: A floor care appliance having a height-adjustable brush set. A pushbutton of the brush set is actuatable for height adjustment via a manual suction tube of the floor care appliance. The pushbutton has a receptacle for receiving an edge region of a manual suction tube and/or for foot actuation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2015
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Inventors: Thomas Stein, Achim Liffers