Patents by Inventor Herbert Hofmann

Herbert Hofmann 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: 11685415
    Abstract: A personal cart and method for using the personal cart. The personal cart has a platform support frame. Wheels are rotatably connected to the platform support frame. Handles are also attached to the platform support frame. A rectangular platform is rigidly connected to the platform support frame. The platform has a raised railing extending upwards along the outer perimeter of the platform. In a preferred embodiment the platform support frame is foldable. Also, in a preferred embodiment a plurality of tote bags is placed on the platform. Each tote bag laterally supports another tote bag and the plurality of tote bags is also laterally supported by the raised railing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Inventor: James Herbert Hofmann
  • Publication number: 20200406947
    Abstract: A personal cart and method for using the personal cart. The personal cart has a platform support frame. Wheels are rotatably connected to the platform support frame. Handles are also attached to the platform support frame. A rectangular platform is rigidly connected to the platform support frame. The platform has a raised railing extending upwards along the outer perimeter of the platform. In a preferred embodiment the platform support frame is foldable. Also, in a preferred embodiment a plurality of tote bags is placed on the platform. Each tote bag laterally supports another tote bag and the plurality of tote bags is also laterally supported by the raised railing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2020
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Inventor: James Herbert Hofmann
  • Patent number: 10717338
    Abstract: A heating and cooling module for controlling the temperature of at least two coolant circuits, having an evaporator region and a condenser region. The evaporator region has a first flow section through which a first coolant can flow, and the condenser region has a second flow section through which a second coolant can flow. The heating and cooling module has a third flow section through which a refrigerant can flow. The evaporator region and the condenser region are arranged on a common base plate which has the fluid inlets and the fluid outlets for the first coolant, the second coolant, and the refrigerant. The base plate has flow channels, through each of which one of the coolants or the refrigerant can flow. The evaporator region and the condenser region are fluidically connected to the respective fluid inlets and the respective fluid outlets of the base plate via the flow channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Gottfried Duerr, Joachim Michael Haug, Herbert Hofmann
  • Patent number: 10625572
    Abstract: A heating/cooling module having a condenser region, an evaporator region, and at least one fluid distribution region. The condenser region has a first flow section which can be flowed through by a refrigerant and a second flow section which can be flowed through by a coolant. The evaporator region has a third flow section which can be flowed through by a refrigerant and a fourth flow section which can be flowed through by a coolant. The flow sections are formed by a plurality of flow ducts which are configured between the individual disc elements which form the heating/cooling module. A first fluid inlet and a first fluid outlet are provided, via which the condenser region can be flowed through with a coolant. A second inlet and a second outlet are provided, via which the evaporator region can be flowed through with a coolant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Gottfried Duerr, Herbert Hofmann, Joachim Michael Haug
  • Patent number: 10627140
    Abstract: A receiver having a receiver housing that has a fluid-receiving chamber, a fluid inlet, and a fluid outlet. A drier is provided in the fluid-receiving chamber. The receiver is has an inlet channel protrudes into the fluid-receiving chamber, which inlet channel has a channel outlet in the fluid-receiving chamber and conducts fluid into the fluid-receiving chamber from the fluid inlet as a channel inlet, the inlet channel being shaped in such a way that the fluid flowing out of the channel outlet flows out in a lateral direction. A condenser having the receiver is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Kaspar, Herbert Hofmann, Uwe Foerster
  • Patent number: 10562366
    Abstract: A battery cooling device may include a refrigeration circuit configured to communicate a refrigerant in a flow direction. The refrigeration circuit may include a plurality of refrigerant paths configured to be flowed through in parallel by the refrigerant along the flow direction. The plurality of refrigerant paths may respectively include at least one of a cooling element and a cooling element section. The at least one of the cooling element and the cooling element section may be fluidically incorporated into the respective refrigerant paths and be thermally coupled in a heat-transmitting manner to at least one battery. A plurality of valve devices may be arranged in the respective refrigerant paths and be configured to control a throughflow of the refrigerant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Mahle Behr GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Matthias Seitz, Herbert Hofmann, Stefan Hirsch, Caroline Janzen
  • Patent number: 10386128
    Abstract: A collector for accommodating at least two flat tubes of a heat exchanger, which are disposed so as to be mutually parallel and each of which has a broad side and a narrow side, may include a first element and a second element. The first element may be configured as a metal strip, and the second element may be configured as one of an extruded section or a formed sheet-metal part. At least two punched through openings each configured as a passage for receiving one of the flat tubes may be provided in at least one of the first element and the second element. The at least two punched through openings may further be oriented parallel to a longitudinal axis of the collector by way of the broad side of the flat tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Mahle International GmbH
    Inventors: Herbert Hofmann, Matthias Seitz, Christian Wagner
  • Patent number: 10281223
    Abstract: A heat exchanger may include a heat exchanger block that may have a plurality of pipes and at least one collector. The at least one collector may include at least one pipe end that may accommodate the plurality of pipes in a leakproof manner at a longitudinal end thereof. The heat exchanger may include a terminal piece that may have a duct structure. The duct structure may include a plurality of webs that may separate a plurality of ducts situated between the plurality of webs from each other. The plurality of webs may include a web width bS of 1.0 mm<bS<5.0 mm. The plurality of webs may define a ratio between the web width bS and a duct width bK may be of bS/bK<4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Mahle Behr GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Herbert Hofmann, Dieter Reisinger, Christian Wagner
  • Patent number: 10240826
    Abstract: A heat exchanger is provided that includes a first tube/fin block, first headers arranged on both sides of the first tube/fin block, which first headers communicate with the tubes of the first tube/fin block, and a second tube/fin block having second headers arranged on both sides of the second tube/fin block, which second headers communicate with the tubes of the second tube/fin block, wherein the first tube/fin block having the corresponding first headers is an air-cooled low-temperature coolant cooler and the second tube/fin block having the corresponding second headers is an air-cooled refrigerant cooler, wherein the headers of the first tube/fin block arranged on a respective side of the tube-fin block and a header of the second tube/fin block are connected to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Johannes Diem, Uwe Foerster, Pedro Gonzalez Rechea, Klaus Haβdenteufel, Herbert Hofmann, Martin Kaspar
  • Patent number: 10107566
    Abstract: The invention relates to a condenser, in particular a condenser cooled by a coolant, said condenser consisting of at least one tube/fin block having several flat tubes, each flat tube having a plurality of flow channels that extend adjacent to one another in the tube transverse direction and define a refrigerant-side hydraulic diameter (Dh refrigerant). At least one respective intermediate element defining a coolant-side hydraulic diameter (Dh coolant) is arranged in the region of the flat tubes. The condenser is characterized in that the ratio of the two hydraulic diameters (Dh coolant) to (Dh refrigerant) is greater than (>) 1.3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: MAHLE INTERNATIONAL GMBH
    Inventors: Uwe Förster, Herbert Hofmann, Christoph Walter
  • Patent number: 10088204
    Abstract: The invention relates to a condenser of stacked-plate design, having a first flow duct for a refrigerant and having a second flow duct for a coolant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: MAHLE INTERNATIONAL GMBH
    Inventors: Helmut Eibner, Klaus Förster, Uwe Förster, Andreas Dränkow, Martin Kaspar, Christoph Kästle, Thomas Mager, Herbert Hofmann, Markus Pflieger, Holger Striege, Christoph Walter, David Mayor Tonda
  • Patent number: 10060658
    Abstract: The invention relates to a condenser of stacked plate design, having a first flow channel for a refrigerant and a second flow channel for a coolant, wherein a plurality of plate elements is provided, which form channels adjacent to each other between the plate elements when the plate elements are stacked on top of each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: MAHLE INTERNATIONAL GMBH
    Inventors: Herbert Hofmann, Martin Kaspar, Thomas Mager
  • Patent number: 10024604
    Abstract: The invention relates to a stacked plate heat exchanger, comprising a plurality of elongate plates which are stacked on one another and connected to one another and which have a corrugated profile, which plates have a cavity for leading through a medium to be cooled in the longitudinal direction of the plates and define a further cavity for leading through a coolant, wherein leadthrough openings for supplying or discharging the medium to be cooled or the coolant are formed approximately in the end regions of each elongate plate and each elongate plate is surrounded by a bent-off edge, wherein an nth corrugation of the corrugated profile of each plate is drawn close to the edge, preferably into the edge, whereas the other corrugations of the corrugated profile of the plate terminate before the edge, where n=2, 3, 4 etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: MAHLE INTERNATIONAL GMBH
    Inventors: Andreas Dränkow, Jens Richter, Herbert Hofmann
  • Patent number: 9970694
    Abstract: This application relates to a coolant condenser assembly for an air conditioning system for a motor vehicle. In a supercooling region, at least two cooling pipes, as the first supercooling parallel section, are acted upon in parallel by the coolant in a fluid-conducting manner, the coolant which flows out of the first supercooling parallel section flows into a first supercooling intermediate flow duct, and the first supercooling intermediate flow duct opens into at least two cooling pipes as the second supercooling parallel section, and the second supercooling parallel section opens into a second supercooling intermediate flow duct and the second supercooling intermediate flow duct opens into at least two cooling pipes as the third supercooling parallel section, such that the outlet opening is disposed on a second longitudinal side of the coolant condenser assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Guillaume David, Uwe Förster, Matthias Jung, Andreas Kemle, Christoph Walter, Herbert Hofmann
  • Patent number: 9945614
    Abstract: A heat exchanger is provided that includes a first flow channel for a refrigerant, a second flow channel for a refrigerant, and a third flow channel for a coolant, wherein the first flow channel has a first region for initial cooling of the refrigerant and a second region for further cooling of the refrigerant. The refrigerant can flow in a high-pressure phase in the first flow channel and the refrigerant can flow in a low-pressure phase in the second flow channel. A first heat exchange occurs between the refrigerant in the first region of the first flow channel and the coolant in the third flow channel and a second heat exchange occurs between the refrigerant in the second region of the first flow channel and the refrigerant in the second flow channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Uwe Foerster, Gottfried Duerr, Herbert Hofmann, Christoph Walter
  • Publication number: 20160375740
    Abstract: A heating and cooling module for controlling the temperature of at least two coolant circuits, having an evaporator region and a condenser region. The evaporator region has a first flow section through which a first coolant can flow, and the condenser region has a second flow section through which a second coolant can flow. The heating and cooling module has a third flow section through which a refrigerant can flow. The evaporator region and the condenser region are arranged on a common base plate which has the fluid inlets and the fluid outlets for the first coolant, the second coolant, and the refrigerant. The base plate has flow channels, through each of which one of the coolants or the refrigerant can flow. The evaporator region and the condenser region are fluidically connected to the respective fluid inlets and the respective fluid outlets of the base plate via the flow channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2016
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Applicant: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Gottfried DUERR, Joachim Michael HAUG, Herbert HOFMANN
  • Publication number: 20160375745
    Abstract: A heating/cooling module having a condenser region, an evaporator region, and at least one fluid distribution region. The condenser region has a first flow section which can be flowed through by a refrigerant and a second flow section which can be flowed through by a coolant. The evaporator region has a third flow section which can be flowed through by a refrigerant and a fourth flow section which can be flowed through by a coolant. The flow sections are formed by a plurality of flow ducts which are configured between the individual disc elements which form the heating/cooling module. A first fluid inlet and a first fluid outlet are provided, via which the condenser region can be flowed through with a coolant. A second inlet and a second outlet are provided, via which the evaporator region can be flowed through with a coolant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Applicant: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Gottfried DUERR, Herbert HOFMANN, Joachim Michael HAUG
  • Publication number: 20160161160
    Abstract: The invention relates to a condenser of stacked plate design, having a first flow channel for a refrigerant and a second flow channel for a coolant, wherein a plurality of plate elements is provided, which form channels adjacent to each other between the plate elements when the plate elements are stacked on top of each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2013
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Applicant: MAHLE INTERNATIONAL GMBH
    Inventors: Herbert HOFMANN, Martin KASPAR, Thomas MAGER
  • Publication number: 20160091252
    Abstract: A collector for accommodating at least two flat tubes of a heat exchanger, which are disposed so as to be mutually parallel and each of which has a broad side and a narrow side, may include a first element and a second element. The first element may be configured as a metal strip, and the second element may be configured as one of an extruded section or a formed sheet-metal part. At least two punched through openings each configured as a passage for receiving one of the flat tubes may be provided in at least one of the first element and the second element. The at least two punched through openings may further be oriented parallel to a longitudinal axis of the collector by way of the broad side of the flat tubes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventors: Herbert Hofmann, Matthias Seitz, Christian Wagner
  • Publication number: 20160010906
    Abstract: A receiver having a receiver housing that has a fluid-receiving chamber, a fluid inlet, and a fluid outlet. A drier is provided in the fluid-receiving chamber. The receiver is has an inlet channel protrudes into the fluid-receiving chamber, which inlet channel has a channel outlet in the fluid-receiving chamber and conducts fluid into the fluid-receiving chamber from the fluid inlet as a channel inlet, the inlet channel being shaped in such a way that the fluid flowing out of the channel outlet flows out in a lateral direction. A condenser having the receiver is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Applicant: MAHLE INTERNATIONAL GMBH
    Inventors: Martin KASPAR, Herbert HOFMANN, Uwe FOERSTER