Patents by Inventor Norbert Schaefer

Norbert Schaefer 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: 20240115367
    Abstract: An oral care device attachment for being coupled to a drive shaft of an oral care device handle, the attachment including: an outer attachment tube having a coupling end that is intended for being secured at the oral care device handle; a carrier mounted for driven motion at the outer attachment tube; a motion transmitter disposed inside of the outer attachment tube; where a spring is arranged that the motion transmitter is biased into a position towards the coupling end of the outer attachment tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Inventor: Norbert SCHAEFER
  • Patent number: 11942844
    Abstract: A tooth-wound coil of a stator or of a stator segment of a dynamo-electric machine having two straight sections spaced apart from each other and running substantially parallel. Two 180° curves are located on the ends thereof, wherein the straight sections have an active part area, the axial extend of which is less than or equal to that of the straight section. The tooth-wound coil has a symmetrical extension plane running in the longitudinal direction. An insulation material is provided around the straight sections of the tooth-wound coil. The material effects groove isolation and/or phase isolation in the stator or stator segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Flender GmbH
    Inventors: Kevin Bodensiek, Robin Brenner, Klaus Schäfer, Norbert Schönbauer, Michael Weger
  • Publication number: 20230363522
    Abstract: A personal hygiene device has a handle and a treatment head pivotably connected with the handle. Applying a treatment force against the treatment head causes a pivoting of the treatment head relative to the handle. A sensor, such as, e.g., a Hall sensor, fixedly secured with respect to one of the handle and the treatment head, measures a measurement variable. A sensor cooperation unit defines or influences the measurement variable in dependence on the relative position of the sensor and the sensor cooperation unit, such e.g., as a sensor permanent magnet, fixedly secured relative to one of the handle and the treatment head. A spring unit defines a rest position of the treatment head when no treatment force is applied. The spring unit has a first spring constant in the treatment direction and a second spring constant in a lateral direction, the second spring constant being at least about two times higher than the first spring constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2023
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventors: Norbert SCHAEFER, Thomas FRITSCH, Andreas KRAMP, Andreas LARSCHEID, Marc KUNZ, Robert SCHÄFER
  • Publication number: 20230366422
    Abstract: A method of gluing a first metal part to a second part includes the steps of providing a first metal part such as a steel part, and the second part such as a second metal part, treating a surface portion of the first metal part intended for being glued to the second part with laser pulses so that a surface layer of the first metal part across the surface portion is removed, preferably by ablation, while applying laser pulses to the surface portion of the first metal part also applying a pressurized air or gas stream to the surface portion, applying an adhesive to at least the surface portion of the first metal part and/or to a surface of the second part, and gluing the first metal part and the second part together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2023
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventors: Dieter Heinz Josef GROSS, Marcel KNORR, Marko LIMPERT-KIESEL, Florian BAIER, Thomas RUEPPEL, Norbert SCHAEFER, Eric Edgar LATZA
  • Patent number: 11793619
    Abstract: A personal hygiene device has a drive unit having a support, a stator fixedly mounted at the support, and an armature spring-mounted at the support for driven linear oscillating motion along a first longitudinal direction parallel to or coinciding with an x-axis of an x-y-z coordinate system. The armature has a center of gravity located in rest at a coordinate [xa, ya, za], and a drive shaft fixedly coupled with the armature and having a center of gravity located in rest at a coordinate [xd, yd, zd]. A first treatment head assembly, detachably connected to the drive shaft, has a center of gravity located in rest at a coordinate [xt1, yt1, zt1]. A secondary mass element, spring-mounted at the support for essentially linear oscillating motion along the first longitudinal direction, has a center of gravity located in rest at a coordinate [xm, ym, zm].
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Braun GmbH
    Inventors: Norbert Schaefer, Uwe Schober, Robert Schäfer, Matthias Paschold, Tobias Schwarz
  • Patent number: 11751678
    Abstract: A personal hygiene device has a handle and a treatment head pivotably connected with the handle. Applying a treatment force against the treatment head causes a pivoting of the treatment head relative to the handle. A sensor, such as, e.g., a Hall sensor, fixedly secured with respect to one of the handle and the treatment head, measures a measurement variable. A sensor cooperation unit defines or influences the measurement variable in dependence on the relative position of the sensor and the sensor cooperation unit, such e.g., as a sensor permanent magnet, fixedly secured relative to one of the handle and the treatment head. A spring unit defines a rest position of the treatment head when no treatment force is applied. The spring unit has a first spring constant in the treatment direction and a second spring constant in a lateral direction, the second spring constant being at least about two times higher than the first spring constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Braun GmbH
    Inventors: Norbert Schaefer, Thomas Fritsch, Andreas Kramp, Andreas Larscheid, Marc Kunz, Robert Schäfer
  • Publication number: 20230240823
    Abstract: An oral care device attachment for being coupled to an oral care device handle having an essentially cylindrical drive shaft coupling end. The attachment has an outer attachment tube having a coupling end for being detachably secured at a housing of the device handle. A carrier is mounted for driven motion at the outer attachment tube. A motion transmitter is disposed inside the outer attachment tube and has a first end coupled with the carrier and a second end arranged for coupling with the essentially cylindrical drive shaft coupling end. The second end has a coupling unit having a top plate and at least one at least partly deformable and essentially cylindrical wall element extending from the top plate, or at least two elastic or deflectable wall elements extending from the top plate, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2023
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Inventor: Norbert SCHAEFER
  • Publication number: 20210112964
    Abstract: A personal hygiene device has a handle and a treatment head pivotably connected with the handle. Applying a treatment force against the treatment head causes a pivoting of the treatment head relative to the handle. A sensor, such as, e.g., a Hall sensor, fixedly secured with respect to one of the handle and the treatment head, measures a measurement variable. A sensor cooperation unit defines or influences the measurement variable in dependence on the relative position of the sensor and the sensor cooperation unit, such e.g., as a sensor permanent magnet, fixedly secured relative to one of the handle and the treatment head. A spring unit defines a rest position of the treatment head when no treatment force is applied. The spring unit has a first spring constant in the treatment direction and a second spring constant in a lateral direction, the second spring constant being at least about two times higher than the first spring constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Inventors: Norbert SCHAEFER, Thomas FRITSCH, Andreas KRAMP, Andreas LARSCHEID, Marc KUNZ, Robert SCHÄFER
  • Patent number: 10893746
    Abstract: A personal hygiene device has a handle and a treatment head pivotably connected with the handle. Applying a treatment force against the treatment head causes a pivoting of the treatment head relative to the handle. A sensor, such as, e.g., a Hall sensor, fixedly secured with respect to one of the handle and the treatment head, measures a measurement variable. A sensor cooperation unit defines or influences the measurement variable in dependence on the relative position of the sensor and the sensor cooperation unit, such e.g., as a sensor permanent magnet, fixedly secured relative to one of the handle and the treatment head. A spring unit defines a rest position of the treatment head when no treatment force is applied. The spring unit has a first spring constant in the treatment direction and a second spring constant in a lateral direction, the second spring constant being at least about two times higher than the first spring constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Braun GmbH
    Inventors: Norbert Schaefer, Thomas Fritsch, Andreas Kramp, Andreas Larscheid, Marc Kunz, Robert Schäfer
  • Patent number: 10881193
    Abstract: A personal hygiene device has a handle, a treatment head, and a motor carrier disposed in the handle. The motor is pivot-mounted against at least one spring element arranged between the handle and the motor carrier. The motor has a stator portion fixedly mounted at the motor carrier and an armature portion spring mounted at the motor carrier to allow a motion relative to the motor carrier. The armature portion is coupled with a drive shaft connected with the treatment head for transferring motion thereto, wherein an external treatment force acting on the brush head leads to pivoting of the motor carrier relative to the handle. The motor has a motor permanent magnet and a coil for providing an alternating electromagnetic field interacting therewith to excite an oscillating motion of the drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Braun GmbH
    Inventors: Norbert Schaefer, Martin Haas, Andreas Kramp, Robert Schäfer
  • Publication number: 20200367638
    Abstract: An electric toothbrush having bristle driven pulsation includes a brush head having a bristle holder and bristle tufts attached to the bristle holder. The bristle tufts and corresponding bristles are disposed at a perpendicular and/or a non-perpendicular angle with respect to a mounting surface of the brush head. The electric toothbrush also includes an electric toothbrush handle removably attached to the brush head. The electric toothbrush handle includes a linear motor configured to drive the bristle holder via a gearing structure coupled to the linear motor and the bristle holder. The linear motor causes the bristle holder to rotate clockwise and counterclockwise at a rotation frequency which exceeds a rotation frequency threshold (e.g., 100 Hz, 120 Hz, etc.). The linear motor also causes the brush head to vibrate in a direction toward and away from a contact surface in synchronization with the rotation of the bristles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Karen Lynn CLAIRE-ZIMMET, Niclas ALTMANN, Thomas FRITSCH, Norbert SCHAEFER
  • Publication number: 20200368003
    Abstract: An electric toothbrush having bristle driven pulsation includes a brush head having a bristle holder and bristle tufts attached to the bristle holder. The bristle tufts and corresponding bristles are disposed at a perpendicular and/or a non-perpendicular angle with respect to a mounting surface of the brush head. The electric toothbrush also includes an electric toothbrush handle removably attached to the brush head. The electric toothbrush handle includes a linear motor configured to drive the bristle holder via a gearing structure coupled to the linear motor and the bristle holder. The linear motor causes the bristle holder to rotate clockwise and counterclockwise at a rotation frequency which exceeds a rotation frequency threshold (e.g., 100 Hz, 120 Hz, etc.). The linear motor also causes the brush head to vibrate in a direction toward and away from a contact surface in synchronization with the rotation of the bristles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Karen Lynn CLAIRE-ZIMMET, Niclas ALTMANN, Thomas FRITSCH, Norbert SCHAEFER
  • Patent number: 10840767
    Abstract: An electrically driven device includes an electric motor with a drive shaft having a first rotary axis and a drive pin eccentrically thereto, and a driven shaft having a second rotary axis and mounted for pivoting motion. The driven shaft is coupled to the drive shaft by a scotch yoke mechanism, converting a rotary motion of the drive shaft into a reciprocating pivoting motion of the driven shaft. The scotch yoke mechanism includes a cross slider having a sliding support extending perpendicular to the first rotary axis and receiving the drive pin either directly or by a sliding block having a bearing receiving the pin. The cross slider is axially guided to move in an axial direction perpendicular to the first rotary axis and to the extension of the sliding support. The driven shaft is coupled to the cross slider by a pivotable crank arm, thereby converting a rotary motion of the drive shaft into a reciprocating motion of the driven shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Braun GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Fritsch, Andreas Kramp, Norbert Schaefer
  • Publication number: 20200345130
    Abstract: A personal hygiene device has a drive unit having a support, a stator fixedly mounted at the support, and an armature spring-mounted at the support for driven linear oscillating motion along a first longitudinal direction parallel to or coinciding with an x-axis of an x-y-z coordinate system. The armature has a center of gravity located in rest at a coordinate [xa, ya, za], and a drive shaft fixedly coupled with the armature and having a center of gravity located in rest at a coordinate [xd, yd, zd]. A first treatment head assembly, detachably connected to the drive shaft, has a center of gravity located in rest at a coordinate [xt1, yt1, zt1]. A secondary mass element, spring-mounted at the support for essentially linear oscillating motion along the first longitudinal direction, has a center of gravity located in rest at a coordinate [xm, ym, zm].
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2020
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Inventors: Norbert SCHAEFER, Uwe SCHOBER, Robert SCHÄFER, Matthias PASCHOLD, Tobias SCHWARZ
  • Patent number: 10808810
    Abstract: An electrically driven device includes a housing, an electric motor with a drive shaft having a first rotary axis and a drive pin eccentrically connected to the drive shaft, and a driven shaft having a second rotary axis and mounted in the housing for a pivoting movement. The driven shaft is coupled to the drive pin by a gear mechanism converting a rotary motion of the drive shaft into the reciprocating pivoting of the driven shaft. The gear mechanism has first and second transmission stages, the former including a cross slider, and the latter an elastically deformable transmission member. The cross slider has a sliding support extending perpendicular to the first rotary axis and receiving the drive pin. The cross slider is axially guided in the housing to move in an axial direction perpendicular to the first rotary axis and perpendicular to the extension of the sliding support. A link, offset relative to the second rotary axis, connects the cross slider to the elastically deformable transmission member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Braun GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Kramp, Thomas Fritsch, Norbert Schaefer
  • Patent number: 10704660
    Abstract: An electrically driven device includes a housing, an electric motor with a drive shaft having a first rotary axis and a drive pin connected to the drive shaft eccentrically with respect to the rotary axis, and a driven shaft having a second rotary axis and mounted in the housing for performing a pivoting about the second rotary axis. The driven shaft is coupled to the drive shaft by a gear mechanism having a scotch yoke mechanism converting a rotary motion of the drive shaft into a reciprocating pivoting motion of the driven shaft. The scotch yoke mechanism includes a cross slider receiving the drive pin and having a sliding support extending perpendicular to the first rotary axis. The cross slider is guided in the housing by at least two elastically deformable elements. The driven shaft is coupled to the cross slider by a pivotable crank arm, converting a rotary motion of the drive shaft into a reciprocating of the driven shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: BRAUN GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas Fritsch, Andreas Kramp, Norbert Schaefer
  • Patent number: 10675132
    Abstract: An oral hygiene implement has a neck section extending along a longitudinal direction and a head section having a through hole therein extending through the head section along a through hole direction having an angle with respect to the longitudinal direction and having a head section housing surrounding the through hole. The neck section has a neck section housing surrounding a neck section cavity. The through hole defines a first and a second opening in the head section housing. A cap element, separately made from the head section housing, is connected with the head section housing to essentially cover the first opening. A carrier element, separately made from the head section housing, is arranged to cover the second opening. Between an edge of the first opening and an edge of the cap there is a circumferential gap that allows water, saliva, or toothpaste to escape an interior of the head section during use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: BRAUN GMBH
    Inventors: Norbert Schaefer, Thomas Fritsch, Joern Utsch, Wolfgang Stegmann
  • Patent number: 10660733
    Abstract: The present disclosure is concerned with an oral hygiene implement having a longitudinal axis, a carrier element mounted for driven movement, a motion transmitter that has a first end for transferring a drive force to the carrier element, which first end is provided at a position being offset from the longitudinal axis, and the motion transmitter has a second end positioned essentially on on the longitudinal axis or is arranged for being positioned essentially on the longitudinal axis during operation, wherein the motion transmitter has a first coupling part comprising the first end, which first coupling part essentially extends along a centre axis arranged at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis, and a second coupling part comprising the second end, which first coupling part is fixedly connected with a first connecting portion of an elastic pivot element that allows that the first coupling part and the second coupling part can pivot with respect to each other at least in a first pivoting plane span
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: BRAUN GMBH
    Inventors: Norbert Schaefer, Jörn Utsch, Thomas Fritsch
  • Patent number: 10624726
    Abstract: An oral-care implement having a housing extending along a longitudinal-extension direction, a functional element mounted at the housing for driven motion relative to the housing, a motion-transmitter element disposed within the housing and extending along the longitudinal-extension direction. The motion-transmitter element has a first coupling portion coupled with the functional element. The motion-transmitter element has a metal-sheet portion made from a punched and bent metal sheet. The metal-sheet portion can have at least one section having a non-flat cross-sectional shape in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal-extension direction, such as an L-shape, or U-shape, or S-shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: BRAUN GMBH
    Inventors: Norbert Schaefer, Joern Utsch
  • Patent number: 10622866
    Abstract: An electrically driven device includes a housing, an electric motor with a drive shaft having a first rotary axis and a drive pin connected to the drive shaft eccentrically with respect to the rotary axis, and a driven shaft having a second rotary axis and mounted in the housing for a pivoting about the second rotary axis. The driven shaft is indirectly coupled to the drive shaft by a gear mechanism converting a rotary motion of the drive shaft into a reciprocating pivoting motion of the driven shaft. The gear mechanism includes a cross slider having a sliding support extending perpendicular to the first rotary axis and receiving the drive pin. The cross slider is guided in the housing by a parallel lever in the form of a parallelogram by at least two pivotable links. The driven shaft is coupled to the cross slider by one of the said links, thereby converting a rotary motion of the drive shaft into a reciprocating pivoting of the driven shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: BRAUN GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas Fritsch, Andreas Kramp, Norbert Schaefer