Patents by Inventor Thomas A. Kraus

Thomas A. Kraus 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: 10028580
    Abstract: A glass-ceramic cooktop is provided that is made of glass-ceramic material with a flat upper side and an underside. The glass-ceramic material has transmittance values of greater than 0.1% in the visible light range in the total wavelength region greater than 420 nm, a light transmittance in the visible range of 0.8-2.5%, and a transmittance of 0-85% in the infrared at 1600 nm, and wherein the glass-ceramic material has high quartz mixed crystals as the prevalent crystal phase. The underside is flat, unstructured, and coplanar with the upper side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: SCHOTT AG
    Inventors: Birgit Doerk, Evelin Weiss, Thomas Zenker, Ulf Hoffmann, Silke Knoche, Martin Taplan, Friedrich Siebers, Thomas Kraus, Lutz Klippe, Wolfgang Schmidbauer
  • Publication number: 20170321757
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a first drivetrain component and a second drivetrain component. The first drivetrain component defines a splined orifice. The second drivetrain component has a shaft that includes splines that are configured to clearance-fit the splined orifice upon engagement up to a first length and interference-fit the splined orifice upon engagement beyond the first length. Engagement of the splines and the splined orifice at substantially the first length counteracts loads perpendicular to an axis of the shaft preventing disengagement of the first and second drivetrain components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2016
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Inventors: Robert Thomas KRAUS, Scott David BEIRING, Kurt STECKER, Peter SCHEUER
  • Patent number: 9766157
    Abstract: The present invention in one or more embodiments provides a device to measure backlash of an equipment powertrain, where the device includes a head to attach to the equipment powertrain, and a body to support the head, the body including a first connector via which a predetermined amount of torque is to be applied to the equipment powertrain through the body and the head, and a positional change of the equipment powertrain in response to the predetermined amount of torque being indicative of a backlash measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Verbie Gene England, Jr., Michael James Carter, Robert Thomas Kraus
  • Publication number: 20170067795
    Abstract: The present invention in one or more embodiments provides a device to measure backlash of an equipment powertrain, where the device includes a head to attach to the equipment powertrain, and a body to support the head, the body including a first connector via which a predetermined amount of torque is to be applied to the equipment powertrain through the body and the head, and a positional change of the equipment powertrain in response to the predetermined amount of torque being indicative of a backlash measurement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Inventors: VERBIE GENE ENGLAND, JR., MICHAEL JAMES CARTER, ROBERT THOMAS KRAUS
  • Patent number: 8728171
    Abstract: The invention relates to an orthopedic foot device with a connection part for the lower leg, a swivel joint (5) acting as an ankle joint (7) by means of which a foot part (10) is rotatably connected in the direction of dorsiflexion and the direction of plantar flexion to the connection part, with a damping arrangement (17) influencing the rotational movement about the swivel joint (5), with a sensor arrangement for detecting action states of the orthopedic foot part, and with a control unit connected to the sensor arrangement which controls the damping arrangement (17). The object is achieved by the fact that the sensor arrangement has an ankle-angle sensor which measures the angle between the connection part and the foot part (10), an absolute-angle sensor (20) relating to the plumb line and a moments sensor (21) for determining the torque on the ankle joint (7) or a force effecting a torque on the ankle joint (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Otto Bock HealthCare GmbH
    Inventors: Sven Kaltenborn, Felix Reuss, Sven Zarling, Bernhard Bischof, Thomas Kraus
  • Publication number: 20130140293
    Abstract: A glass-ceramic cooktop is provided that is made of glass-ceramic material with a flat upper side and an underside. The glass-ceramic material has transmittance values of greater than 0.1% in the visible light range in the total wavelength region greater than 420 nm, a light transmittance in the visible range of 0.8-2.5%, and a transmittance of 0-85% in the infrared at 1600 nm, and wherein the glass-ceramic material has high quartz mixed crystals as the prevalent crystal phase. The underside is flat, unstructured, and coplanar with the upper side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: SCHOTT AG
    Inventors: Birgit DOERK, Evelin WEISS, Thomas ZENKER, Ulf HOFFMANN, Silke KNOCHE, Martin TAPLAN, Friedrich SIEBERS, Thomas KRAUS, Lutz KLIPPE, Wolfgang SCHMIDBAUER
  • Patent number: 8340249
    Abstract: Real-Time Dosimetry System, RTDS, is dose measurement system consisting of an ionization chamber and electrometer with the ability to measure, record, and display the high radiation doses required to meet approved standards for sterilization of medical, industrial and food products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Best Medical International
    Inventors: Thomas Kraus, Steve Szeglin
  • Patent number: 8298294
    Abstract: The invention relates to an orthopedic foot device with a connection part for the lower leg, a swivel joint (5) acting as an ankle joint (7) by means of which a foot part (10) is rotatably connected in the direction of dorsiflexion and the direction of plantar flexion to the connection part, with a damping arrangement (17) influencing the rotational movement about the swivel joint (5), with a sensor arrangement for detecting action states of the orthopedic foot part, and with a control unit connected to the sensor arrangement which controls the damping arrangement (17). The object is achieved by the fact that the sensor arrangement has an ankle-angle sensor which measures the angle between the connection part and the foot part (10), an absolute-angle sensor (20) relating to the plumb line and a moments sensor (21) for determining the torque on the ankle joint (7) or a force effecting a torque on the ankle joint (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Otto Bock HealthCare GmbH
    Inventors: Sven Kaltenborn, Felix Ruess, Sven Zarling, Bernhard Bischof, Thomas Kraus
  • Publication number: 20120177184
    Abstract: Real-Time Dosimetry System, RTDS, is dose measurement system consisting of an ionization chamber and electrometer with the ability to measure, record, and display the high radiation doses required to meet approved standards for sterilization of medical, industrial and food products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2010
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: BEST MEDICAL INTERNATIONAL
    Inventors: Thomas Kraus, Steve Szeglin
  • Patent number: 8164032
    Abstract: A cooktop has a plurality of reflection-sensitive infrared sensors. A plurality of IR receiving elements is arranged along an operating line having a density such that an operator's finger placed on the operating line necessarily covers at least one of the IR receiving elements. A smaller number of IR transmitter diodes is arranged in correspondingly lower density next to the operating line. In the setting process, two effects are used on the operating line, specifically both the radiation of the optical transmitter reflected by the finger and also the radiation of the ambient light that is thrown into shadow by the finger. The resultant signal distribution on the optical receivers can be used for reliable evaluation of the finger's position in nearly all environmental conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Frank Schaffer, Thomas Kraus
  • Patent number: 8033052
    Abstract: The invention relates to an anti-jamming device in the field of motor vehicles, which is used for preventing an object from getting caught. Said anti-jamming device comprises an actuating means (1) which can be coupled to a body part (3) of a vehicle and can be moved relative to said body part (3) by resting the same against the object, and an apparatus for detecting a relative movement between the actuating means (1) and the body part (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Webasto AG
    Inventors: Thomas Kraus, Jurgen Klingenberg, Josef Appel
  • Patent number: 7725927
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for conducting secured communications with a client device in a network are disclosed. The method includes receiving at the server a request message from the client device, wherein the request message comprises a nonce, a nonce count and an encrypted request, determining whether the client device has permission to access the server using the nonce and the nonce count, forming an encrypted server response message in response to the encrypted request and the client device has permission to access the server, and issuing the encrypted server response message from the server to the client device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Lie Yang, Thomas Kraus, Markus Meyer, Venkatachary Srinivasan
  • Publication number: 20100119299
    Abstract: A tubular composite member with two ends for connecting ceramic components made of a composite of an inorganic matrix reinforced with inorganic fibers is formed with an at least partially threaded internal surface and an external surface. A ceramic member has at least one surface formed with one or more annular grooves with an inner shell surface, an outer shell surface, and a root. The inner shell surface is at least partially threaded. A resulting ceramic member assembly includes at least two ceramic members connected by at least one tubular composite member. The ends of the tubular composite member are screwed into the corresponding annular groove of two adjacent ceramic members. The such fastened/joined ceramic members can be operated at high temperatures especially under thermal cycling and/or thermal shock conditions as well as dynamic mechanical load in different directions. Methods to manufacture tubular composite members according to this invention are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Applicant: SGL CARBON SE
    Inventors: John Montminy, Karl Hingst, Thomas Kraus, Christian Klotz
  • Publication number: 20090265989
    Abstract: A device for opening and/or closing a pivoting body piece (14), especially a rear hatch, of a motor vehicle (10). The device has an electric motor drive (20) which drives a motor shaft which drives the pivotable body piece (14) via a gearing (22). In order to enable the device to have a clutch-free structure, the electric motor drive (20) is provided, in accordance with the invention, with an electronic isolation means (24) which can be activated depending on a signal from a sensor means (30) which recognizes manual actuation of the pivoting body piece (14).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2005
    Publication date: October 29, 2009
    Applicant: WEBASTO AG
    Inventors: Tobias Mueller, Anton Joehl, Josef Appel, Thomas Kraus
  • Publication number: 20090204230
    Abstract: The invention relates to an orthopedic foot device with a connection part for the lower leg, a swivel joint (5) acting as an ankle joint (7) by means of which a foot part (10) is rotatably connected in the direction of dorsiflexion and the direction of plantar flexion to the connection part, with a damping arrangement (17) influencing the rotational movement about the swivel joint (5), with a sensor arrangement for detecting action states of the orthopedic foot part, and with a control unit connected to the sensor arrangement which controls the damping arrangement (17). The object is achieved by the fact that the sensor arrangement has an ankle-angle sensor which measures the angle between the connection part and the foot part (10), an absolute-angle sensor (20) relating to the plumb line and a moments sensor (21) for determining the torque on the ankle joint (7) or a force effecting a torque on the ankle joint (7).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Inventors: Sven Kaltenborn, Felix Ruess, Sven Zarling, Bernhard Bischof, Thomas Kraus
  • Publication number: 20090171537
    Abstract: The invention relates to a sensor-controlled anti jamming device for preventing jamming of an object, in particular in or for a motor vehicle. Said device comprises a body part and a motor-actuatable component which is connected in a pivotable manner to the body part, at least one support element which, when the component is in the open state, supports the component against the body part, and at least one capacitive sensor element which is arranged, when the component is open, between said component and the body part, and is configured such that in a closing step, an object can be detected in a predefined jamming area between the component and the body part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2007
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Inventors: Thomas Kraus, Josef Appel, Anton Dietmar Jöhl
  • Publication number: 20080236044
    Abstract: The invention relates to an anti-jamming device in the field of motor vehicles, which is used for preventing an object from getting caught. Said anti-jamming device comprises an actuating means (1) which can be coupled to a body part (3) of a vehicle and can be moved relative to said body part (3) by resting the same against the object, and an apparatus for detecting a relative movement between the actuating means (1) and the body part (3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2006
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Inventors: Thomas Kraus, Jurgen Klingenberg, Josef Appel
  • Publication number: 20080221735
    Abstract: A cooktop has a plurality of reflection-sensitive infrared sensors. A plurality of IR receiving elements is arranged along an operating line having a density such that an operator's finger placed on the operating line necessarily covers at least one of the IR receiving elements. A smaller number of IR transmitter diodes is arranged in correspondingly lower density next to the operating line. In the setting process, two effects are used on the operating line, specifically both the radiation of the optical transmitter reflected by the finger and also the radiation of the ambient light that is thrown into shadow by the finger. The resultant signal distribution on the optical receivers can be used for reliable evaluation of the finger's position in nearly all environmental conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2007
    Publication date: September 11, 2008
    Inventors: Frank Schaffer, Thomas Kraus
  • Publication number: 20080199622
    Abstract: A transparent, colorless glass or glass-ceramic panel has a visually dense, high-temperature-stable coating having an organic/inorganic network structure containing filling material particles and a color-imparting pigment. The mechanically stable, visually dense coating has no melt-reaction zone at the surface of the panel, which is coated with the coating, so that it does not impair the panel strength. The inorganic network structure can be made from a SiO2-based sol. The coating is made by introducing the color-imparting pigment and the filling material particles into a reactive organic/inorganic network structure; applying the resulting organic/inorganic network structure containing the pigment and the filling material particles to the panel to coat the panel and then burning-in the organic/inorganic network structure with the pigment and the filling material particles under thermal conditions to form the coating with no melt-reaction zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2008
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Inventors: Gabriele Roemer-Scheuermann, Andrea Anton, Harald Striegler, Thomas Kraus, Gerhard Weber, Lutz Klippe, Veit Luther, Petra Grewer
  • Patent number: 7361405
    Abstract: A transparent, colorless glass or glass-ceramic panel has a visually dense, high-temperature-stable coating having an organic/inorganic network structure containing filling material particles and a color-imparting pigment. The mechanically stable, visually dense coating has no melt-reaction zone at the surface of the panel, which is coated with the coating, so that it does not impair the panel strength. The inorganic network structure can be made from a SiO2-based sol. The coating is made by introducing the color-imparting pigment and the filling material particles into a reactive organic/inorganic network structure; applying the resulting organic/inorganic network structure containing the pigment and the filling material particles to the panel to coat the panel and then burning-in the organic/inorganic network structure with the pigment and the filling material particles under thermal conditions to form the coating with no melt-reaction zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Schott AG
    Inventors: Gabriele Roemer-Scheuermann, Andrea Anton, Harald Striegler, Thomas Kraus, Gerhard Weber, Lutz Klippe, Veit Luther, Petra Grewer