Patents by Inventor Robert Birkner

Robert Birkner 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: 12158170
    Abstract: A fitting part for tool-free fastening in a bore in a panel includes a radially outwardly expandable expansion sleeve for insertion into the bore and a fitting housing, which is mounted in the expansion sleeve so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation between a starting rotary position and a final rotary position, has a lever arm which is arranged outside the expansion sleeve and has a latching device, and has an expansion contour which is arranged inside the expansion sleeve and, upon rotation of the fitting housing in the expansion direction of rotation from the starting rotary position to the final rotary position, expands the expansion sleeve radially outwards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: Häfele Berlin GmbH & Co KG
    Inventor: Robert Birkner
  • Publication number: 20240247671
    Abstract: A fitting part of a connection fitting has a main body and at least one mounting face. A first mounting face is disposed on a first longitudinal end and is arranged parallel or at an angle to the fastening face and has a latching element. A second mounting face is disposed on a second longitudinal end and is arranged with respect to the fastening face at an inclination about the longitudinal axis or an axis extending parallel thereto, and has a latching element. A third mounting face is formed by a groove base of a transverse groove in the main body and is arranged parallel or at an angle to the fastening face and has a latching element. A fourth mounting face is formed on another longitudinal face of the main body, and is arranged parallel or perpendicular to the fastening face and has a comb-like surface profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2024
    Publication date: July 25, 2024
    Applicant: Häfele SE & Co KG
    Inventors: Robert Birkner, Lorenz Arnold
  • Publication number: 20240245215
    Abstract: A fitting for connecting two parts includes a first and second fitting part. The first fitting part has a first installation body, with a slider, movably guided against a restoring force from a front starting position. At least one front slider end has an undercut protruding out of the first installation body toward the front. The second fitting part has a second installation body for mounting on a second part to be connected. The second installation body has a keyhole with an insertion opening for inserting the front slider end and with a slotted opening, which adjoins the insertion opening and which is constricted in comparison with the insertion opening, for engaging behind the undercut of the front slider end. The slider has a gear rack and a gear rotatably mounted in the first installation body and meshes with the gear rack and can be manually rotated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2024
    Publication date: July 25, 2024
    Inventors: Robert Birkner, Gerd Sawatzki
  • Publication number: 20240237822
    Abstract: A fitting for connecting two parts includes a first and a second fitting part. The first fitting part has a first installation body and with a slider movably guided in the first installation body and can be moved against the action of a restoring force from a starting position. A front slider end protrudes out of the first installation body into a position in which the front slider end does not protrude out of the first installation body. The front slider end has a locking projection which extends transversely to the sliding direction in a direction. The second fitting part is in the form of a second installation body. The second installation body has an opening configured for inserting the front slider end and has an undercut, which is engaged from behind by the locking projection when the front slider end is inserted into the opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2024
    Publication date: July 18, 2024
    Applicant: Häfele Berlin GmbH & Co KG
    Inventors: Gerd Sawatzki, Robert Birkner
  • Publication number: 20230287918
    Abstract: A connector for connecting without tools two panels has a pot-like housing with a radially outwardly protruding expansion sleeve. A clamping lever supported in the housing pivots about a pivot axis between a non-tensioned starting position and a tensioned end position. A tensioning contour extends eccentrically with respect to the pivot axis. A tension bolt has a bolt shaft, with a first bolt end being a first bolt head which is thickened with respect to the bolt shaft and is in the expansion sleeve. A second bolt end being a second bolt head is thickened with respect to the bolt shaft and is arranged inside the housing. The second bolt head is engaged from behind by the eccentric tensioning contour of the clamping lever in the tensioned starting position and is pulled in the direction away from the expansion sleeve. The expansion sleeve is expanded by the first bolt head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Applicant: Häfele Berlin GmbH & Co KG
    Inventor: Robert Birkner
  • Publication number: 20230151838
    Abstract: A tightening element for the tool-free tightening of a clamping bolt includes a cylindrical pot-shaped housing having a pot opening. At the end side of the housing opposite the pot opening, at least one handle is pivotably supported about an axis which extends at right-angles to the center axis of the housing between a folded-up position which protrudes from the housing and a folded-down end position which rests against the end side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2022
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Applicant: Häfele Berlin GmbH & Co KG
    Inventors: Robert Birkner, Gerd Sawatzki
  • Patent number: 11652342
    Abstract: A device for the electrification of furniture includes at least a first furniture panel, which has, in one of its two panel sides, two parallel grooves and two exposed busbars laid respectively in the two grooves and at least one electric plug for connecting to the two busbars. The plug has two electrical contacts, which are formed as exposed collector contacts on a connecting side of the plug housing and as connection contacts on a front side of the plug housing. The plug is inserted into a bore, interrupting the two grooves, in the one panel side of the first furniture panel. The collector contacts each lie against the two busbars in an electrically conductive manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Häfele Berlin GmbH & Co KG
    Inventors: Michael Von Wilcke, Robert Birkner
  • Patent number: 11512727
    Abstract: A connecting bolt has a bolt shank and a bolt head which has a radially outwardly projecting bolt projection. The bolt head has a latching projection between the bolt shank and the bolt projection on the side opposite the bolt projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Häfele Berlin GmbH & Co KG
    Inventor: Robert Birkner
  • Publication number: 20220290709
    Abstract: A connecting bolt has a bolt shank and a bolt head which has a radially outwardly projecting bolt projection. The bolt head has a latching projection between the bolt shank and the bolt projection on the side opposite the bolt projection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2022
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Applicant: Häfele Berlin GmbH & Co KG
    Inventor: Robert Birkner
  • Publication number: 20220239087
    Abstract: A device for the electrification of furniture includes at least a first furniture panel, which has, in one of its two panel sides, two parallel grooves and two exposed busbars laid respectively in the two grooves and at least one electric plug for connecting to the two busbars. The plug has two electrical contacts, which are formed as exposed collector contacts on a connecting side of the plug housing and as connection contacts on a front side of the plug housing. The plug is inserted into a bore, interrupting the two grooves, in the one panel side of the first furniture panel. The collector contacts each lie against the two busbars in an electrically conductive manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Applicant: Häfele Berlin GmbH & Co KG
    Inventors: Michael Von Wilcke, Robert Birkner
  • Publication number: 20220003265
    Abstract: A fitting part for tool-free fastening in a bore in a panel includes a radially outwardly expandable expansion sleeve for insertion into the bore and a fitting housing, which is mounted in the expansion sleeve so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation between a starting rotary position and a final rotary position, has a lever arm which is arranged outside the expansion sleeve and has a latching device, and has an expansion contour which is arranged inside the expansion sleeve and, upon rotation of the fitting housing in the expansion direction of rotation from the starting rotary position to the final rotary position, expands the expansion sleeve radially outwards.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2021
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Applicant: Haefele Berlin GmbH & Co KG
    Inventor: Robert Birkner
  • Patent number: 10698318
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for characterizing a mask for microlithography. In a method according to the invention, structures of a mask intended for use in a lithography process in a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus are illuminated by an illumination optical unit, wherein the mask is imaged onto a detector unit by an imaging optical unit, wherein image data recorded by the detector unit are evaluated in an evaluation unit. In this case, for emulating an illumination setting predefined for the lithography process in the microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, the imaging of the mask onto the detector unit is carried out in a plurality of individual imagings which differ from one another with regard to the illumination setting set in the illumination optical unit or the polarization-influencing effect set in the imaging optical unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventors: Holger Seitz, Ute Buttgereit, Thomas Thaler, Thomas Frank, Ulrich Matejka, Markus Deguenther, Robert Birkner, Dominik Grau
  • Publication number: 20190011839
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for characterizing a mask for microlithography. In a method according to the invention, structures of a mask intended for use in a lithography process in a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus are illuminated by an illumination optical unit, wherein the mask is imaged onto a detector unit by an imaging optical unit, wherein image data recorded by the detector unit are evaluated in an evaluation unit. In this case, for emulating an illumination setting predefined for the lithography process in the microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, the imaging of the mask onto the detector unit is carried out in a plurality of individual imagings which differ from one another with regard to the illumination setting set in the illumination optical unit or the polarization-influencing effect set in the imaging optical unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2018
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Inventors: Holger Seitz, Ute Buttgereit, Thomas Thaler, Thomas Frank, Ulrich Matejka, Markus Deguenther, Robert Birkner, Dominik Grau