Patents by Inventor Reiner Fank

Reiner Fank 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: 8631731
    Abstract: A knife holder device for a microtome having a blade guard constituted as a pivotable bow, wherein, in a protective position, the blade guard is disposed on the side of the knife facing away from the sample at a distance such that access to the cutting edge is not possible. The blade guard can be positioned in three different defined positions and is provided with elements that have the following effects depending on the position: in the upper, protective position, simultaneous fixing of the position of the knife holder in the guideway; in the central, knife-holder-sliding position, accessibility to the knife holder with simultaneous release of the position fixture of the knife holder in the guideway; and in the lower, knife-changing position, free accessibility to the knife holder with simultaneous fixture of the position of the knife holder in the guideway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Microm International GmbH
    Inventor: Reiner Fank
  • Publication number: 20110030523
    Abstract: A knife holder device for a microtome having a blade guard constituted as a pivotable bow, wherein, in a protective position, the blade guard is disposed on the side of the knife facing away from the sample at a distance such that access to the cutting edge is not possible. The operability is improved and simplified and therefore safe operation is adequately ensured. This is achieved by constituting the blade guard such that it can be positioned in three different defined positions and is provided with elements that have the following effects depending on the position: in the upper, protective position, simultaneous fixing of the position of the knife holder in the guideway; in the central, knife-holder-sliding position, accessibility to the knife holder with simultaneous release of the position fixture of the knife holder in the guideway; and in the lower, knife-changing position, free accessibility to the knife holder with simultaneous fixture of the position of the knife holder in the guideway.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Applicant: Microm International GmbH
    Inventor: Reiner Fank
  • Publication number: 20100000390
    Abstract: The invention relates to a rotary microtome (1) with a vertically guided object carriage (2) and a drive mechanism that converts the rotary movement into the linear movement (8) of the object carriage (2). Such a rotary microtome should be constituted such that it can be used for specimens of different size categories. Means are inventively provided that are used to set the length of the linear movement that is caused by rotation of a drive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2009
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Inventor: Reiner Fank
  • Patent number: 7210306
    Abstract: The invention relates to a tempering device (1) for objects (2) located on the object carrier (3) of a microtome (4) of a cryostat (5) comprising an operating means supply (6) connected to a cooling device or a cooling and heating device (7) arranged on the object carrier (3), and a temperature control system. According to the invention, one such tempering device (1) is embodied in such a way that the operating means supply (6) does not hinder the work carried out on the microtome (4), and the accuracy of the cut is affected as little as possible. To this end, the operating means supply (6) is displaceably positioned in a guiding element (12) which is arranged on the guiding carriage (8) for the advancing movement (9) and the cutting movement (10) of the object head (11) and is oriented parallel to the direction of advancement (9), in such a way that it can be guided away from the object head (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Microm International GmbH
    Inventors: Hans L. Heid, Dieter Teppke, Reiner Fank, Manfred Berleth
  • Publication number: 20060005562
    Abstract: The invention relates to a tempering device (1) for objects (2) located on the object carrier (3) of a microtome (4) of a cryostat (5) comprising an operating means supply (6) connected to a cooling device or a cooling and heating device (7) arranged on the object carrier (3), and a temperature control system. According to the invention, one such tempering device (1) is embodied in such a way that the operating means supply (6) does not hinder the work carried out on the microtome (4), and the accuracy of the cut is affected as little as possible. To this end, the operating means supply (6) is displaceably positioned in a guiding element (12) which is arranged on the guiding carriage (8) for the advancing movement (9) and the cutting movement (10) of the object head (11) and is oriented parallel to the direction of advancement (9), in such a way that it can be guided away from the object head (11).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2003
    Publication date: January 12, 2006
    Applicant: MICROM INTERNATIONAL GMBH
    Inventors: Hans Heid, Dieter Teppke, Reiner Fank, Manfred Berleth