Patents by Inventor Klaus Heckel

Klaus Heckel 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: 6939598
    Abstract: A floor covering made of an elastomer material having a relief-type patterned surface (2) which is provided with irregularly distributed indentations (3), which have an elongated shape, which partially contact and/or intersect each other, and which have a depth (T) of 0.02 mm to 0.2 mm, at a width (B) of 0.2 mm to 2.5 mm and a length (L) of 5 mm to 50 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Firma Carl Freudenberg
    Inventors: Klaus Heckel, Alfons Butscher, Peter Spissinger
  • Patent number: 6815042
    Abstract: A floor covering made up of at least two layers bonded to one another, including a bottom layer (2) of electrically conductive rubber arranged under a light-colored top layer (1) of rubber, where the top layer (1) is interrupted in partial areas distributed over its area in a pattern, and formed by electrically conductive rubber there. The top layer (1) is produced from a powder (1.1) of first particles (1.2) that are light in color and made of electrically insulating rubber, as well as second particles (1.3) embedded in it, which are made of electrically conductive, at least partially vulcanized rubber. The second particles (1.3) have a diameter D, determined by screen analysis, that is at least as great as the thickness D1 of the top layer and, for practical purposes, not greater than the total of the thicknesses of the top layer and the bottom layer D2. The first (1.2) and the second (1.3) particles are pressed together and to the bottom layer (2), without pores, and bonded by vulcanization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: Carl Freudenberg KG
    Inventors: Gerhard Graab, Klaus Heckel
  • Publication number: 20040161589
    Abstract: A web-type floor covering made of vulcanized rubber that includes an elastic rubber web, the top side of which forms a decorative surface, first decorative particles being at least partially embedded in the rubber web so that the first decorative particles are visible from the top side, a transparent coating, in particular made of epoxy resin, being applied to the first decorative particles on at least part of their contact surface with the rubber web, the first decorative particles being preferably made of a different material from that used for the rubber web.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2004
    Publication date: August 19, 2004
    Inventors: Gerhard Graab, Klaus Heckel, Dieter Rischer, Gerhard Heidecke
  • Patent number: 6709732
    Abstract: A web-type floor covering made of vulcanized rubber that includes an elastic rubber web, the top side of which forms a decorative surface, first decorative particles being at least partially embedded in the rubber web so that the first decorative particles are visible from the top side, a transparent coating, in particular made of epoxy resin, being applied to the first decorative particles on at least part of their contact surface with the rubber web, the first decorative particles being preferably made of a different material from that used for the rubber web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Firma Carl Freudenberg
    Inventors: Gerhard Graab, Klaus Heckel, Dieter Rischer, Gerhard Heidecke
  • Patent number: 6503424
    Abstract: A multicolored, patterned floor covering is disclosed along with a method for its manufacture. The floor covering is made of a sheeting which has a first color, and a granular material dyed differently from the sheeting which is embedded in the sheeting along at least in the area of the top side. The sheeting and the granular material consist of cross-linkable, elastomeric materials, the granular material comprising particles which have at least two subregions dyed differently from each other and from the sheeting. The quantity and color of the fractions of each component as selected so that the mixed color resulting from an homogeneous intermixing of all the components contained in the floor covering agrees with the first color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Firma Carl Freudenberg
    Inventors: Gerhard Graab, Klaus Heckel, Dieter Rischer, Thorsten Nahe, Helmut Grünhag
  • Publication number: 20020168500
    Abstract: A floor covering made up of at least two layers bonded to one another, including a bottom layer (2) of electrically conductive rubber arranged under a light-colored top layer (1) of rubber, where the top layer (1) is interrupted in partial areas distributed over its area in a pattern, and formed by electrically conductive rubber there. The top layer (1) is produced from a powder (1.1) of first particles (1.2) that are light in color and made of electrically insulating rubber, as well as second particles (1.3) embedded in it, which are made of electrically conductive, at least partially vulcanized rubber. The second particles (1.3) have a diameter D, determined by screen analysis, that is at least as great as the thickness D1 of the top layer and, for practical purposes, not greater than the total of the thicknesses of the top layer and the bottom layer D2. The first (1.2) and the second (1.3) particles are pressed together and to the bottom layer (2), without pores, and bonded by vulcanization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2002
    Publication date: November 14, 2002
    Inventors: Gerhard Graab, Klaus Heckel
  • Publication number: 20020037394
    Abstract: A floor covering made of an elastomer material having a relief-type patterned surface (2) which is provided with irregularly distributed indentations (3), which have an elongated shape, which partially contact and/or intersect each other, and which have a depth (T) of 0.02 mm to 0.2 mm, at a width (B) of 0.2 mm to 2.5 mm and a length (L) of 5 mm to 50 mm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2001
    Publication date: March 28, 2002
    Applicant: Firma Carl Freudenberg
    Inventors: Klaus Heckel, Alfons Butscher, Peter Spissinger
  • Publication number: 20020006499
    Abstract: A homogeneous floor covering composed of elastomer, varicolored granular particles contains 3 to 20 percent by weight of a copolymer of ethylene, including at least one comonomer of vinyl esters of saturated carboxylic acids having up to 4 C-atoms in the acid group, or including at least one unsaturated mono- or dicarboxylic acid, or including at least one ester of unsaturated mono- or dicarboxylic acids having up to 8 C-atoms in the alcohol portion. In this context, the ethylene content of the copolymer is 40 to 95% percent by weight, the rest is comonomer, and the melt-flow index of the copolymer must lie between 0.1 and 50. A corresponding manufacturing process is specified.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2001
    Publication date: January 17, 2002
    Inventors: Hans-Michael Kuhl, Gerhard Graab, Klaus Heckel
  • Publication number: 20010005542
    Abstract: A multicolored, patterned floor covering is disclosed along with a method for its manufacture. The floor covering is made of a sheeting which has a first color, and a granular material dyed differently from the sheeting which is embedded in the sheeting along at least in the area of the top side. The sheeting and the granular material consist of cross-linkable, elastomeric materials, the granular material comprising particles which have at least two subregions dyed differently from each other and from the sheeting. The quantity and color of the fractions of each component as selected so that the mixed color resulting from an homogeneous intermixing of all the components contained in the floor covering agrees with the first color.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: Gerhard Graab, Klaus Heckel, Dieter Rischer, Thorsten Nahe, Helmut Grunhag
  • Patent number: 6251321
    Abstract: A homogeneous floor covering composed of elastomer, varicolored granular particles contains 3 to 20 per cent by weight of a copolymer of ethylene, including at least one comonomer of vinyl esters of saturated carboxylic acids having up to 4 C-atoms in the acid group, or including at least one unsaturated mono- or dicarboxylic acid, or including at least one ester of unsaturated mono- or dicarboxylic acids having up to 8 C-atoms in the alcohol portion. In this context, the ethylene content of the copolymer is 40 to 95% per cent by weight, the rest is comonomer, and the melt-flow index of the copolymer must lie between 0.1 and 50. A corresponding manufacturing process is specified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: Carl Freudenberg
    Inventors: Hans-Michael Kühl, Gerhard Graab, Klaus Heckel
  • Patent number: 6221462
    Abstract: A multicolored, patterned floor covering is disclosed along with a method for its manufacture. The floor covering is made of a sheeting which has a first color, and a granular material dyed differently from the sheeting which is embedded in the sheeting along at least in the area of the top side. The sheeting and the granular material consist of cross-linkable, elastomeric materials, the granular material comprising particles which have at least two subregions dyed differently from each other and from the sheeting. The quantity and color of the fractions of each component as selected so that the mixed color resulting from an homogeneous intermixing of all the components contained in the floor covering agrees with the first color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Firma Carl Freudenberg
    Inventors: Gerhard Graab, Klaus Heckel, Dieter Rischer, Thorsten Nahe, Helmut Grünhag
  • Patent number: 5824735
    Abstract: A rubber moire floor covering is disclosed. The covering is produced by continuously feeding a screw-type short extruding machine having a length/diameter ratio of 6:1 with two or three varicolored strips of vulcanizable elastomeric material. The operating temperature is between 60.degree. C. to 100.degree. C. The elastomeric material leaves the extruder via a perforated disk having 200 to 600 cylindrical bore holes 3-5 mm in diameter. Each of the resulting strands is severed to produce segments that are 1 to 2 mm thick, the formed pieces are then cooled off on a section 4 meters to 6 meters long. Subsequently, the formed pieces are allowed to fall into the roll nip of a temperature controllable two-bowl calendar. The web of material leaving the calendar is fed to a continuous vulcanization installation and leaves it as finished floor covering. The material throughput rate in this continuous process may be varied from 700 kg/h up to 1300 kg/h.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1998
    Assignee: Firma Carl Freudenberg
    Inventors: Gerhard Graab, Klaus Heckel, Alfons Butscher, Torsten Nahe
  • Patent number: 5298210
    Abstract: The invention involves the use of about 1 to 4 %wt cured elastomer irregularly-shaped particles having a sieve size of about 0.7 mm +/-0.1 mm in uncured elastomer to suppress bubble formation without substantial loss of tensile strength, in calendered, cured elastomer products, such as, decorative or sealing sheet materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1994
    Assignee: Firma Carl Freudenberg
    Inventors: Klaus Heckel, Herbert Arnold, Gerhard Graab
  • Patent number: 5154868
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a randomly patterned floor covering having contrastingly-colored zones from a preform of rubber in which the preform is cut in pieces, each of which are molded into a blank having projections extending from a top side of the blank in relief-like fashion, solidified by vulcanization and then machined by cutting only in the region of the projections. The rubber forming the contrastingly-colored zones is mixed with contrastingly-colored particles in an amount of at least ten percent by weight. These particles are substantially free of flat surfaces and are in, at least, an advanced state of vulcanization. The particles located in the projections extending from the top side of the blank are exposed during the cutting step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1992
    Assignee: Firma Carl Freudenberg
    Inventors: Klaus Heckel, Herbert Arnold, Dieter Rischer
  • Patent number: 5049431
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a floor covering presses a bottom layer of a polymeric material into apertures in a top layer having a higher pressure-flow viscosity than the bottom layer. The pressure also joins the layers into the floor covering and forms a continuous pressure-vulcanization skin on the top thereof for more uniform soiling and wear characteristics. Selecting the size and arrangement of the apertures in the top layer produces a corresponding pattern of the bottom-layer material in the top of the joined layers which is independent of any surface configuration also imparted in the pressing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1991
    Assignee: Firma Carl Freudenberg
    Inventors: Klaus Heckel, Gerhard Graab, Hans-Michael Kuhl
  • Patent number: 4670075
    Abstract: A method of making an electrically-conductive floor covering presses a polymeric bottom layer into apertures in a top layer having a higher flow viscosity than the bottom layer, the pressure also bonding the layers together. The bottom layer contains from about 3% to about 80% by weight carbon black or graphite for electrical conduction; the top layer contains not more than about 0.5% thereof. The apertures in the top layer are at least 1 mm in diameter and regularly or irregularly spaced from the next adjacent aperture from about 2 mm to about 40 mm, the area of the apertures not exceeding 40% per unit area of the top layer. The dark color of the bottom layer resulting from its carbon black or graphite content therefore need not significantly affect the appearance of the top layer, but provides electrical conductivity through the apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1984
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1987
    Assignee: Firma Carl Freudenberg
    Inventors: Klaus Heckel, Gerhard Graab, Hans-Michael Kuhl
  • Patent number: 4271218
    Abstract: In a pipe insulating jacket comprising a hollow cylinder made of a soft foamed material and an outer sleeve with abutting edges parallel to the axis of the pipe, the improvement wherein the outer sleeve is formed by a metal foil carrying a heat-softenable coating on its inside, the inside of the metal foil being bonded throughout to the surface of the soft foamed material and in proximity to the abutting edges being welded to itself along its upwardly bent edges. Advantageously the foam is closed-cell crosslinked polyethylene of a bulk density of about 30 kg/m.sup.3, the coating is unfoamed uncrosslinked polyethylene about 30.mu. thick, and the metal foil is an aluminum foil about 18.mu. thick carrying on its outside a foil of heat-softenable polyester about 5 to 20.mu. thick.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1979
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1981
    Assignee: Firma Carl Freudenberg
    Inventors: Klaus Heckel, Friedemann Klaffke, Walter Umann, Volker Schwarz
  • Patent number: 4263727
    Abstract: In a sheet for the manufacture of cushioned insoles or of inner soles comprising a substrate and a foamed plastic layer the improvement wherein said substrate comprises a bonded fibrous web flame laminated to the foamed plastic layer which comprises a closed-cell crosslinked polyolefin foam. Advantageously a woven covering layer is flame laminated to the opposite surface of the polyolefin foam which comprises polyethylene and has a density of about 25 to 200 kg/m.sup.3 and a thickness of about 1.5 to 15 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1980
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1981
    Assignee: Firma Carl Freudenberg
    Inventors: Heinz Bender, Hans-Dietrich Krug, Klaus Heckel
  • Patent number: 4172168
    Abstract: A flat floor tile or slab, especially for use outdoors, comprising a bottom layer of a closed-cell soft foam having openings geometrically distributed over its area and, bonded thereto, a water-permeable covering layer of resiliently cemented-together granules. Advantageously the tile is provided on its periphery with projections and corresponding recesses, whereby said slab can be interlocked with adjacent slabs. The openings in the tile are formed by slits of about 25 mm arranged in parallel straight lines, slits in each line being spaced about 6 mm apart and adjacent lines being spaced less than about 8 mm from one another, the bottom layer comprising a polyethylene foam of a density of about 90 Kp/m.sup.3 and a thickness of about 10 mm, the covering layer being about 7 mm thick and comprising irregularly structured granules of an average diameter of about 1 to 5 mm and comprising a mixture of mineral particles and rubber particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1978
    Date of Patent: October 23, 1979
    Assignee: Firma Carl Freudenberg
    Inventors: Friedemann Klaffke, Klaus Heckel
  • Patent number: 4147828
    Abstract: A lightweight exercise and tumbling mat comprises a core composed of a closed-cell foamed synthetic material with soft elastic properties. A textile sheet and/or film is disposed on the top surface of the core and a nonskid sheeting of rubber or synthetic material is disposed on the underside of the core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 3, 1979
    Assignee: Firma Carl Freudenberg
    Inventors: Klaus Heckel, Friedemann Klaffke, Walter Umann