Patents by Inventor Hilmar Fickert

Hilmar Fickert 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: 11518664
    Abstract: A filling device includes an evaluation device that is connected by a data line to pressure sensor and that detects an opening pressure of a keg or of a keg fitting, compares it with stored reference pressure data, and chooses, based on the result of the comparison, between allowing the keg to be filled and preventing the keg from being filled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: KHS GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Matheyka, Hilmar Fickert
  • Patent number: 11248731
    Abstract: A pressure-relief device includes a housing, a through-line, a feed-line connection, and a discharge-line connection. The housing comprises a housing wall that defines a chamber in an interior of the housing. The through-line, which extends, at least in sections, through the chamber and is configured for connection to the media line via the feed-line connection and the discharge-line connection, includes a through-wall that is formed, at least in part, from an elastically deformable material. A controller causes an inner pressure within the chamber to transition between a production pressure and a relief pressure that is less than the production pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: KHS GmbH
    Inventor: Hilmar Fickert
  • Publication number: 20210395065
    Abstract: A filling device includes an evaluation device that is connected by a data line to pressure sensor and that detects an opening pressure of a keg or of a keg fitting, compares it with stored reference pressure data, and chooses, based on the result of the comparison, between allowing the keg to be filled and preventing the keg from being filled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2019
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Inventors: Thomas Matheyka, Hilmar Fickert
  • Publication number: 20200256496
    Abstract: A pressure-relief device includes a housing, a through-line, a feed-line connection, and a discharge-line connection. The housing comprises a housing wall that defines a chamber in an interior of the housing. The through-line, which extends, at least in sections, through the chamber and is configured for connection to the media line via the feed-line connection and the discharge-line connection, includes a through-wall that is formed, at least in part, from an elastically deformable material. A controller causes an inner pressure within the chamber to transition between a production pressure and a relief pressure that is less than the production pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Inventor: Hilmar Fickert
  • Patent number: 10603697
    Abstract: An apparatus for treating a keg's interior comprises first and second tanks that maintain treatment medium at respective first and second temperatures, a first heat-exchanger, and a waste-air line. The first heat-exchanger is arranged upstream of a second-tank inlet for using heat recovered from the treatment medium through heat exchange with a heat-transfer medium to pre-heat treatment medium that is being conducted to the second tank. The heat-transfer medium includes any one or more of treatment medium conducted out of a keg interior after a treatment step, treatment medium in the first tank, and waste air in the waste-air line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: KHS GmbH
    Inventor: Hilmar Fickert
  • Patent number: 10569313
    Abstract: A treatment head for cleaning a container that has a valve arrangement that includes a tappet that is configured to move relative to the treatment head's housing to open the valve arrangement and fluid channels leading into the container. A first channel of the fluid channels has an annular fluid channel section and surrounds the second channel. A flow twister is disposed in either the first channel or in a line connected to the first fluid-channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: KHS GmbH
    Inventor: Hilmar Fickert
  • Patent number: 10266380
    Abstract: A treatment head for filling a container that has a valve arrangement having an external valve-part and a fastening region includes a housing, a plunger, first and second fluid-ducts, a seal, and a shielding section. The plunger is held so as to be displaced for opening said valve arrangement. The first fluid-duct feeds liquid into said container, and the second fluid-duct provides a path for discharging fluid from said container. The seal bears against the external valve-part. The shielding section shields at least the fastening region from fluid carried in the first fluid-duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: KHS GmbH
    Inventor: Hilmar Fickert
  • Patent number: 10131527
    Abstract: A method for filling containers simultaneously with the filling-material sealing the containers against filling heads at the filling positions, and using a filling-material volumetric-flow-rate controller common to all of the filling positions to control flow of filling-material as a function of a target filling-curve by executing a filling phase with intervals that have different flow rates and controlling transition times between these intervals to ensure that each container finishes the filling phase with the correct amount of filling-material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: KHS GmbH
    Inventor: Hilmar Fickert
  • Publication number: 20180043042
    Abstract: A pressurized phase for vapor treating a reusable metal keg includes filling the keg with pressurized water vapor through an inlet and then interrupting the connection, thus initiating a dwell time. During this dwell time, condensate forms on the inner surfaces of the keg. Meanwhile, one causes relative movement between the water vapor and the keg's inner walls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2016
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Inventor: Hilmar FICKERT
  • Publication number: 20180009012
    Abstract: A treatment head for cleaning a container that has a valve arrangement that includes a tappet that is configured to move relative to the treatment head's housing to open the valve arrangement and fluid channels leading into the container. A first channel of the fluid channels has an annular fluid channel section and surrounds the second channel. A flow twister is disposed in either the first channel or in a line connected to the first fluid-channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventor: Hilmar FICKERT
  • Publication number: 20170088408
    Abstract: A treatment head for filling a container that has a valve arrangement having an external valve-part and a fastening region includes a housing, a plunger, first and second fluid-ducts, a seal, and a shielding section. The plunger is held so as to be displaced for opening said valve arrangement. The first fluid-duct feeds liquid into said container, and the second fluid-duct provides a path for discharging fluid from said container. The seal bears against the external valve-part. The shielding section shields at least the fastening region from fluid carried in the first fluid-duct.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Inventor: Hilmar Fickert
  • Publication number: 20160368751
    Abstract: A method for filling containers simultaneously with the filling-material sealing the containers against filling heads at the filling positions, and using a filling-material volumetric-flow-rate controller common to all of the filling positions to control flow of filling-material as a function of a target filling-curve by executing a filling phase with intervals that have different flow rates and controlling transition times between these intervals to ensure that each container finishes the filling phase with the correct amount of filling-material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Applicant: KHS GMBH
    Inventor: Hilmar Fickert
  • Publication number: 20150352607
    Abstract: An apparatus for treating a keg's interior comprises first and second tanks that maintain treatment medium at respective first and second temperatures, a first heat-exchanger, and a waste-air line. The first heat-exchanger is arranged upstream of a second-tank inlet for using,at recovered from the treatment medium through heat exchange with a heat-transfer medium to pre-heat treatment medium that is being conducted to the second tank. The heat-transfer medium includes any one or more of treatment medium conducted out of a keg interior after a treatment step, treatment medium in the first tank, and waste air in the waste-air line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2014
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Inventor: Hilmar Fickert