Patents by Inventor Frank Zoller

Frank Zoller 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: 11882976
    Abstract: A liquid distributor for a liquid-transfer system of a conveyor dishwasher has first, second and third connections. The liquid sprayed in at least one final-rinse zone of the conveyor dishwasher can be fed to the liquid distributor via the first connection, wherein some of the liquid fed to the liquid distributor can be discharged, via the second connection, to a line system which can be connected to the second connection, and wherein the rest of the liquid fed to the liquid distributor can be discharged, via the third connection, to at least one line system which can be connected to the third connection. The liquid distributor has an interchangeable aperture component, which defines the fraction of liquid which is fed to the liquid distributor via its first connection and is to be discharged, via the second connection, to the line system which can be connected to the second connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Frank Zoller, Matthias Lange, Gerhard Frei
  • Publication number: 20230371777
    Abstract: A conveyor for transporting dishes, in particular drinking containers, through at least one treatment zone of a dishwasher and/or for feeding dishes to the dishwasher. The conveyor includes a circulating conveyor system, a plurality of retaining elements connected to the circulating conveyor system and configured in order to releasably receive and/or releasably retain drinking containers, in particular in a positively locking manner and preferably at least in a sectionally or partially positively locking manner, and a support system for at least partially and/or sectionally supporting the drinking containers, received by the retaining elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2023
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Inventors: Harald DISCH, Martin SCHREMPP, Benjamin FRANZ, Björn BRODOWSKI, Adrian BOLDT, Norbert LITTERST, Harry BRAUN, Frank ZOLLER
  • Publication number: 20210161357
    Abstract: A system for monitoring the operation of a commercial dishwasher (2), which is embodied as a box-type dishwasher or as a conveyor dishwasher, includes at least one temperature sensor (60) designed to record a temperature profile with respect to time which corresponds to the temperature profile with respect to time to which an item of washware is subjected when it is treated in the dishwasher (2). The system further includes an evaluation device (62) designed to receive and to evaluate the temperature profile recorded by the at least one temperature sensor (60), wherein the evaluation device (62) is further designed to ascertain a value of a notional unit of quantity of heat from the temperature profile recorded by the temperature sensor (60). A dishwasher (2) including a corresponding monitoring system and a method for monitoring the operation of a dishwasher (2) are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2019
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventor: Frank ZOLLER
  • Publication number: 20200229674
    Abstract: A liquid distributor for a liquid-transfer system of a conveyor dishwasher has first, second and third connections. The liquid sprayed in at least one final-rinse zone of the conveyor dishwasher can be fed to the liquid distributor via the first connection, wherein some of the liquid fed to the liquid distributor can be discharged, via the second connection, to a line system which can be connected to the second connection, and wherein the rest of the liquid fed to the liquid distributor can be discharged, via the third connection, to at least one line system which can be connected to the third connection. The liquid distributor has an interchangeable aperture component, which defines the fraction of liquid which is fed to the liquid distributor via its first connection and is to be discharged, via the second connection, to the line system which can be connected to the second connection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Inventors: Frank ZOLLER, Matthias LANGE, Gerhard FREI
  • Patent number: 10555659
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a conveyor dishwasher—with at least one final rinse zone with at least one final rinse nozzle for spraying final rinse liquid onto washware, and wherein a metering device associated with the final rinse zone is provided for adding a disinfectant to the final rinse liquid in a metered manner. A sensor device is configured to detect the concentration of disinfectant in the final rinse liquid which is sprayed in the final rinse zone. Furthermore, a control device is configured to compare the value of the concentration of disinfectant which is detected by the sensor device with predefinable concentration values and, in the event of excessively high deviations of the concentration of disinfectant from the predefinable concentration values, to interrupt the dishwashing process or to output a warning signal to an operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Björn Himmelsbach, Frank Zoller, Harald Disch, Klaus Padtberg
  • Patent number: 9944466
    Abstract: The invention relates to a conveying apparatus (200, 200?, 200?, 200??) for feeding washware (100, 101) to at least one conveyor belt (50, 51, 52) of a commercial conveyor warewasher (1), with a conveying system (201) for conveying the washware (100, 101), in particular for feeding trays or tray-like washware (100), of cutlery and/or of other washware (101). The invention is characterized by an unloading station (202, 202?, 202?, 202??) for automatically unloading the washware (100, 101) from the conveying apparatus (200, 200?, 200?, 200??) transversely to the conveying direction of the conveying system (201), in which the trays (100), with or without cutlery (103) lying on them, can be oriented on edge and parallel to the transport direction of the conveying system (201), so as to be capable of being placed onto a conveyor belt (50) of the conveyor warewasher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: PREMARK FEG L.L.C.
    Inventors: Harald Disch, Klaus Padtberg, Frank Zoller
  • Publication number: 20170065146
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a conveyor dishwasher—with at least one final rinse zone with at least one final rinse nozzle for spraying final rinse liquid onto washware, and wherein a metering device associated with the final rinse zone is provided for adding a disinfectant to the final rinse liquid in a metered manner. A sensor device is configured to detect the concentration of disinfectant in the final rinse liquid which is sprayed in the final rinse zone. Furthermore, a control device is configured to compare the value of the concentration of disinfectant which is detected by the sensor device with predefinable concentration values and, in the event of excessively high deviations of the concentration of disinfectant from the predefinable concentration values, to interrupt the dishwashing process or to output a warning signal to an operator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2015
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Applicant: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Björn HIMMELSBACH, Frank ZOLLER, Harald DISCH, Klaus PADTBERG
  • Publication number: 20160250761
    Abstract: A two-sided razor for shaving includes a first shaving side for shaving shorter and/or finer hair and a second shaving side for shaving longer and/or coarser hair. The razor includes a gap on the second shaving side approximately between fifty percent (50%) and one hundred fifty percent (150%) larger than a gap on the first shaving side. The razor includes a double-edged razor blade between a top portion and a bottom portion including a first chute aligned with the first shaving side and a second chute aligned with the second shaving side and wherein the second chute is sized approximately between fifty percent (50%) and one hundred fifty percent (150%) larger than the first chute on the first shaving side of the razor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Inventors: Carl Frank Zoller, Ryan Davis
  • Publication number: 20130319828
    Abstract: The invention relates to a conveying apparatus (200, 200?, 200?, 200??) for feeding washware (100, 101) to at least one conveyor belt (50, 51, 52) of a commercial conveyor warewasher (1), with a conveying system (201) for conveying the washware (100, 101), in particular for feeding trays or tray-like washware (100), of cutlery and/or of other washware (101). The invention is characterized by an unloading station (202, 202?, 202?, 202??) for automatically unloading the washware (100, 101) from the conveying apparatus (200, 200?, 200?, 200??) transversely to the conveying direction of the conveying system (201), in which the trays (100), with or without cutlery (103) lying on them, can be oriented on edge and parallel to the transport direction of the conveying system (201), so as to be capable of being placed onto a conveyor belt (50) of the conveyor warewasher.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: PREMARK FEG L.L.C.
    Inventors: Harald Disch, Klaus Padtberg, Frank Zoller
  • Publication number: 20130240001
    Abstract: A conveyor dishwasher (1) having at least one wash zone (10, 11.1, 11.2, 12) and at least one final rinse zone (13) and also having a conveyor apparatus (2) for conveying washware (100, 101, 102, 103) through the at least one wash zone (10, 11.1, 11.2, 12) and the at least one final rinse zone (13). In order to make the entire washing and rinsing process more efficient, provision is made for the conveyor apparatus (2) to have a first conveyor belt (50) for trays or tray-like washware (100) and a second conveyor belt (51), which runs parallel to the first conveyor belt (50), for other washware (101, 102, 103), with the first conveyor belt (50) having a width which is reduced in comparison to the second conveyor belt (51) in such a way that a tray or a tray-like item (100) of washware can be held by the first conveyor belt (50) only when it is in a state in which it is placed on edge and is oriented parallel to the conveying direction (T).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: PREMARK FEG L.L.C.
    Inventors: Klaus Padtberg, Harald Disch, Frank Zoller