Patents by Inventor Lothar Merkel

Lothar Merkel 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: 7624958
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fastening block for mounting objects on a profiled rail (12) having an at least approximately rectangular cross-section. The fastening block comprises a housing part (14) with at least one claw (26), which is fixed to the housing and reaches over the profiled rail (12) so that the housing part (14) rests against two faces of the profiled rail (12) via contact surfaces that are parallel to the profiled rail (12). The fastening block also comprises an L-shaped moving clamping part (28) which, with its first L-limb (30), is mounted on the housing part (14) in a manner that permits it to pivot about a first axis (32) that is parallel to the contact surfaces and which is pretensioned into a clamping position in which it reaches around the profiled rail (12) with its second L-limb (34) provided in the form of a claw. Lastly, the fastening block comprises a tightening device (40, 46, 72) for tightening and blocking the clamping part (28) in the clamping position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Maquet GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Frank Ropertz, Lothar Merkel, Reinhard Pfeuffer
  • Publication number: 20040144905
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fastening block for mounting objects on a profiled rail (12) having an at least approximately rectangular cross-section. The fastening block comprises a housing part (14) with at least one claw (26), which is fixed to the housing and reaches over the profiled rail (12) so that the housing part (14) rests against two faces of the profiled rail (12) via contact surfaces that are parallel to the profiled rail (12). The fastening block also comprises an L-shaped moving clamping part (28) which, with its first L-limb (30), is mounted on the housing part (14) in a manner that permits it to pivot about a first axis (32) that is parallel to the contact surfaces and which is pretensioned into a clamping position in which it reaches around the profiled rail (12) with its second L-limb (34) provided in the form of a claw. Lastly, the fastening block comprises a tightening device (40, 46, 72) for tightening and blocking the clamping part (28) in the clamping position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2003
    Publication date: July 29, 2004
    Inventors: Frank Ropertz, Lothar Merkel, Reinhard Pfeuffer