Patents by Inventor Reiner Haeufele

Reiner Haeufele 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: 7021669
    Abstract: A coupling part for a fluid coupling device, especially a hose coupling, which has a looking device switchable between two positions. The locking device has locking elements mounted on a base body, and a socket-shaped actuating element that interacts with the locking elements. The coupling part is switchable between a retaining and releasing positions by an axial releasing movement of the actuating element. In the retaining position, the locking elements hold the counterpart of the coupling, e.g. a hose stem, to prevents it from being pulled out and, in the releasing position, the locking elements release the same in order to disengage the coupling. The actuating element can be moved from the retaining position into a locking position, prohibiting a releasing movement, by rotating the actuating element in a limited manner around the longitudinal axis of the coupling. As a result, the coupling is prevented from being unintentionally disengaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Gardena Manufacturing GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Lindermeir, Ulrich Schaub, Reiner Haeufele
  • Publication number: 20050097875
    Abstract: The invention relates to a soil cultivation appliance, especially a lawnmower (1), which can be motor-driven or manually driven. Said appliance is provided with a steering shaft (8) and a steering frame (7) or wheel for the operator. Said steering device enables the soil cultivation appliance to change direction due to the fact that torque is introduced into the housing (2) of the soil cultivation appliance by means of the steering shaft (8), said torque being then used to change the direction of the advancing movement, to the left or to the right, without needing to steer the wheels. An advantage of the novel embodiment is that, when the steering shaft (8) is arranged on the housing (2) in a continuously pivotable manner, the position of the operator is independent from a thrust frame or the like, by which means the soil cultivation appliance must be mechanically guided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2002
    Publication date: May 12, 2005
    Inventors: Reiner Haeufele, Wolfgang Lindermeir, Ulrich Schaub
  • Patent number: 6423218
    Abstract: A pond insert more particularly intended for insertion in a garden pond is described and which has at least one electromotively driven pump (2) The pump has an inlet connection and two intercommunicating outlet connections (5, 6), whereof one is preferably oriented horizontally and one vertically. The pump can be fixed in a basket-like container (3), which can be filled with a weighting material such as gravel or the like for improving the stability of the pond insert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Assignee: Gardena Kress + Kastner GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Lindermeir, Reiner Haeufele
  • Patent number: 6365908
    Abstract: A description is given of a rain indicator (1), which has a light source in the form of a light emitting diode (36) and a light detector in the form of a photodiode (37). There is a light guide (20) made from a material transparent to the light of the light source and e.g. glass, which has at least one surface portion (45, 46) exposed to the precipitation and which is so positioned relative to the light source that the light source light is totally reflectable towards the light detector on the surface portion. When the surface portion is dry light passes by total reflection to the light detector. In the case of precipitation a gap (43, 44) adjacent to the surface portion fills with liquid and the light intensity is substantially coupled out of the light guide (20) and no light passes to the light detector. Total reflection again occurs when the gap dries out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: Gardena Kress + Kastner GmbH
    Inventors: Hans Waigel, Reiner Haeufele