Patents by Inventor Kurt Niederer

Kurt Niederer 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: 20240133535
    Abstract: An optical device usable as a headlight of a motor vehicle has an optical system in the form of a lens and/or a light source which is surrounded by a housing and which is covered by a translucent, in particular transparent, cover which is connected to the housing. To increase the functionality of the optical device, a PTC heating assembly is configured to heat a space between the housing and the cover. The PTC heating assembly includes at least one PTC element and strip conductors that are connected electrically to the PTC element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventors: Michael Niederer, Peter Scholz, Kurt Walz, Ralf Lothar Weinand
  • Patent number: 11965675
    Abstract: An electric heating device includes at least two hollow profile elements which form a fluid channel for a fluid to be heated and, opposite the fluid channel, a heating chamber which is bounded by opposite contact surfaces against which at least one PTC element abuts in a heat-conducting manner. A scalable and easier to assemble electric heating device is achieved by connecting the hollow profile elements to one another by complementary form-fit segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Eberspächer catem GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Kurt Walz, Michael Niederer
  • Patent number: 11943846
    Abstract: A method for the production of a heat-generating element includes placing in which at least two electrical conductor elements, provided with through holes, onto a film provided with an adhesive mass, pressing the conductor elements against the films such that the mass is forced into the through holes. At least one PTC element is subsequently placed onto one of the conductor elements, and then the other of the conductor elements, together with the film adhering thereto, is placed opposite to the one of the conductor elements onto the PTC element. The invention further relates to a heat-generating element with a PTC element and electrical conductor elements connected thereto in an electrically conductive manner for energizing the PTC element with a different polarity and an electrical insulation that is provided on the outer side thereof with a film and an adhesive mass applied thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Eberspächer catem GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Kurt Walz, Michael Niederer
  • Patent number: 11913676
    Abstract: A PTC heating element has a casing that joins as a unit at least one PTC element, conductor paths electrically connected to the PTC element, and insulating layers bearing, in a heat-conductive manner against the PTC element. The PTC heating element also has contact strips which project over itself and which are electrically conductively connected to the conductor paths for energizing the PTC element with different polarities. The casing forms a receptacle space that receives the PTC element, the conductor paths, and the insulating layers. In order to improve heat decoupling from the PTC element, the receptacle, in a cross-sectional view, is defined by two oppositely disposed inner surfaces covering the PTC element and concave cavities, adjoining the inner surfaces and forming the longitudinal edges of the casing, the diameter of which is greater than the distance between the inner surfaces. The electric heating device has at least one PTC heating element arranged in a circulation chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Eberspächer catem GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Kurt Walz, Michael Niederer, Rüdiger Freitag
  • Patent number: 11912106
    Abstract: An electric heating device, in particular for a motor vehicle, includes a housing which has an inlet and outlet opening for a medium to be heated and which encloses a layered structure. The layered stricture comprises at least one PTC element which is electrically conductively connected to conducting elements leading to connections of different polarity, and heat-emitting elements that are conductively connected on both sides to the PTC element. In order to provide improved heat dissipation, the heat-emitting elements include a panel element that is provided with perforations and that is made of a heat-conducting material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Eberspächer catem GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Kurt Walz, Michael Niederer, Ahmad Asafi, Patrick Kachelhoffer
  • Patent number: 10094042
    Abstract: A growing single crystal is supported in the region of a conical section of the single crystal via a supporting body during crystallization of the single crystal by the FZ method. The method comprises pressing the supporting body against the conical section of the growing single crystal at a temperature at which a first material of the supporting body becomes soft, and continuing pressing the supporting body against the conical section of the growing single crystal until the first material and a second material of the supporting body that remains hard at the cited temperature touch the conical section of the growing single crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: SILTRONIC AG
    Inventors: Kurt Niederer, Helmut Teroerde, Josef Berger, Goetz Meisterernst, Frank Muemmler, Simon Zitzelsberger
  • Patent number: 9937405
    Abstract: A mouth-guard to be worn by a user includes a main body including a channel, one or more gum protrusions, and a slot; and an insert configured to be inserted into the slot. The insert for the mouth-guard includes one or more liquid chambers and one or more initial orifices on the surface of the insert where each initial orifice is configured to transport liquid from the one or more liquid chambers to an orifice of the main body such that the liquid passes through the orifice of the main body into a user's mouth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: THNK, INC.
    Inventors: Trafton Rodgers, Kurt Niederer
  • Publication number: 20160060786
    Abstract: A growing single crystal is supported in the region of a conical section of the single crystal via a supporting body during crystallization of the single crystal by the FZ method. The method comprises pressing the supporting body against the conical section of the growing single crystal at a temperature at which a first material of the supporting body becomes soft, and continuing pressing the supporting body against the conical section of the growing single crystal until the first material and a second material of the supporting body that remains hard at the cited temperature touch the conical section of the growing single crystal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Inventors: Kurt Niederer, Helmut Teroerde, Josef Berger, Goetz Meisterernst, Frank Muemmler, Simon Zitzelsberger
  • Publication number: 20150258417
    Abstract: A mouth-guard to be worn by a user includes a main body including a channel, one or more gum protrusions, and a slot; and an insert configured to be inserted into the slot. The insert for the mouth-guard includes one or more liquid chambers and one or more initial orifices on the surface of the insert where each initial orifice is configured to transport liquid from the one or more liquid chambers to an orifice of the main body such that the liquid passes through the orifice of the main body into a user's mouth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Applicant: THNK, INC.
    Inventors: Trafton Rodgers, Kurt Niederer
  • Publication number: 20060081731
    Abstract: A spool (1) mounted on a rotating shaft (2) with a brake drum (3) attached to it is mounted onto a swing lever (4). The swing lever is hinged on a creel channel (6). A loading-force is pushing the brake drum against a fixed brake shoe (9) which is located at such an angle to the swing lever that the tension in the withdrawn strand (10) is not dependant on the diameter of the spool but is constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2005
    Publication date: April 20, 2006
    Inventor: Kurt Niederer
  • Publication number: 20050224625
    Abstract: An improved tension controller for a strand to achieve constant downstream tension regardless of tension variation in the upstream strand has a pair of tensioning plates (9, 10) between which the strand upstream (3), downstream (5) is compressed, generating frictional force for added tension. A selectable loading force is applied to the controller in the opposite direction to the movement of the strand. This loading force acts on a wedge between a movable tensioning plate and a fixed plate (9). The angle between the fixed plate (9) and the strand between the tensioning plates generates a compression force at a right angle toward the compressed strand for added tension. The incoming strand is deflected before it reaches its compressed stage between the tensioning plates. This strand deflection generates a force-component in the direction of the strand movement and reduces the loading force correspondingly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2003
    Publication date: October 13, 2005
    Inventor: Kurt Niederer
  • Patent number: 6504795
    Abstract: The damping of membranes of ultrasound transducers in an arrangement occurs at the front side directly on the membranes by applying a polymer layer, whereby the working temperature dependent on the operating frequency of the ultrasound transducer lies within the glass transition range of the polymer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Kurt Niederer, Peter-Christian Eccardt, Celine Merel
  • Patent number: 6426582
    Abstract: A micromechanical, capacitative ultrasound transducer having a planar membrane is adapted such for manufacturing an air gap between membrane and cooperating electrode that the membrane collapses. The width of the air gap is thereby defined by nubs located on the membrane that lie against the cooperating electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2002
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Kurt Niederer, Peter-Christian Eccardt, Dieter Maier-Schneider
  • Patent number: 6320239
    Abstract: A spacer layer (7) with a cavity (8) etched out therein and a diaphragm (2) arranged thereabove on the spacer layer are located on a silicon substrate (1) with a doped region (5) formed therein, whereby the doped region and the diaphragm are electrically connected via terminal contacts (4, 6) to electronic components (13) that are likewise integrated in the substrate (1). The electronic component are a component part of the operating circuit that can also be used for the drive of the diaphragm and for evaluating the diaphragm oscillations. The integration makes it possible to arrange the micromachined transducer components as array that can be electronically driven as phased array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Peter-Christian Eccardt, Kurt Niederer, Thomas Scheiter, Martin Vossiek, Thomas Kölpin
  • Patent number: 4810270
    Abstract: A separator for separating fibers from fines in a flow of gas includes an enclosed housing which includes a cylindrical upper section and a lower section. A screen basket is fixedly mounted in the housing, and this basket defines a screened cylindrical wall, a closed bottom, and an open top. The screen basket is positioned in the housing to define an annular chamber between the upper section of the housing and the screened cylindrical wall of the basket. A first duct is mounted to pass a first flow of gas, fibers and fines into an upper portion of the annular chamber, and is oriented tangentially to cause the first flow to swirl around the screened cylindrical wall. A second duct is mounted to remove gas and fines which have passed through the screened cylindrical wall, and a third duct is mounted to remove gas and fibers which have passed to the lower section of the housing from the lower section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1989
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Corporation
    Inventors: Byron R. Terry, Kurt Niederer