Patents by Inventor Claus Heid

Claus Heid 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).

  • Publication number: 20200031320
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a wheel washing apparatus for cleaning a wheel of a motor vehicle, comprising a brush device which includes or forms at least one brush that is placeable against the wheel, a drive device for rotatingly driving the at least one brush, and an advancing device with which the brush device is transferable from a rest position remote from the wheel into at least one use position near the wheel, wherein the brush device is lowerable by means of the advancing device upon moving in the direction of the wheel, wherein the brush device is moveable by means of the advancing device along a trajectory having at least one inflection point upon moving from the rest position into the at least one use position. The invention also relates to a vehicle washing installation and a method for cleaning a wheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventors: Claus Heid, Johannes Doebele, Michael Heinze
  • Patent number: 9604604
    Abstract: A vehicle washing installation having two stands on which a nozzle beam with a plurality of high-pressure nozzles is held so as be adjustable in height is provided. The nozzle beam is surrounded by a protective body extending along the nozzle beam and having at least one outlet opening for cleaning liquid, the protective body being adjustable in height together with the nozzle beam and being movable relative to the nozzle beam upon striking an obstacle, the movement of the protective body relative to the nozzle beam being detectable by a sensor assembly in order to provide a control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Alfred Kärcher GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Michael Heinze, Ingo Feistkorn, Yann Veitz, Claus Heid, André Speckmaier
  • Patent number: 8726442
    Abstract: A device for supporting a side washing brush of a vehicle washing system is provided, which brush is rotatable about a rotational axis, the device including a bearing apparatus for rotatably supporting a drive shaft, and a holding apparatus which is fixedly connected to the bearing apparatus and which is held on a frame by means of elastic cushioning elements arranged above and below the holding apparatus. To improve the device in such a way that the risk of damage to the cushioning elements is reduced, it is proposed that the holding apparatus can be acted on by the cushioning elements only by compressive forces aligned in the direction of the holding apparatus. A vehicle washing system is also proposed which has at least one device of this type, on which a side washing brush is mounted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Alfred Kärcher GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Claus Heid, Andre Speckmaier, Yann Veitz, Ingo Feistkorn, Bernd Knisel
  • Publication number: 20140130835
    Abstract: A vehicle washing installation having two stands on which a nozzle beam with a plurality of high-pressure nozzles is held so as be adjustable in height is provided. The nozzle beam is surrounded by a protective body extending along the nozzle beam and having at least one outlet opening for cleaning liquid, the protective body being adjustable in height together with the nozzle beam and being movable relative to the nozzle beam upon striking an obstacle, the movement of the protective body relative to the nozzle beam being detectable by a sensor assembly in order to provide a control signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2014
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: Alfred Kärcher GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Michael Heinze, Ingo Feistkorn, Yann Veitz, Claus Heid, André Speckmaier
  • Patent number: 8464385
    Abstract: A vehicle washing installation is provided having a first and a second support on which at least one treatment tool is mounted in a height-adjustable manner by means of a first and a second carrying means, and having a carrying means drive device from which the carrying means extend to the treatment tool via deflection elements situated on the top of the supports, one carrying means extending above the treatment tool from at least one deflection element situated on the first support to at least one deflection element situated on the second support. To improve the vehicle washing installation in such a way that it may be easily adapted to the height of a washing bay, it is proposed that the deflection elements are mounted on intermediate parts which are fixable to the supports at different vertical positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Alfred Kärcher GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Claus Heid, Andre Speckmaier, Yann Veitz, Ingo Feistkorn, Bernd Knisel
  • Publication number: 20130056609
    Abstract: A device for supporting a side washing brush of a vehicle washing system is provided, which brush is rotatable about a rotational axis, the device including a bearing apparatus for rotatably supporting a drive shaft, and a holding apparatus which is fixedly connected to the bearing apparatus and which is held on a frame by means of elastic cushioning elements arranged above and below the holding apparatus. To improve the device in such a way that the risk of damage to the cushioning elements is reduced, it is proposed that the holding apparatus can be acted on by the cushioning elements only by compressive forces aligned in the direction of the holding apparatus. A vehicle washing system is also proposed which has at least one device of this type, on which a side washing brush is mounted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Applicant: Alfred Karcher GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Claus Heid, Andre Speckmaier, Yann Veitz, Ingo Feistkorn, Bernd Knisel
  • Publication number: 20120060863
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for washing a vehicle at a vehicle wash facility. At least one wash tool is moved along the vehicle as a function of the contour of the vehicle. In order for effective cleaning of the vehicle to be achieved even if the latter has a complicated contour, the invention proposes that at least one wash tool be moved along the vehicle during a reference run, the movement of the wash tool being controlled manually along at least a partial area of the vehicle, and that the contour of at least the vehicle area in which the movement of the wash tool is controlled manually be stored in the form of contour data on a storage medium, and that the stored contour data be used in a subsequent washing operation in order to control the same vehicle wash facility or a vehicle wash facility of identical construction. Furthermore, a vehicle wash facility is proposed for carrying out the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2011
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: Alfred Kaercher GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: André Speckmaier, Claus Heid, Rainer Fischer, Bruno Mettang