Patents by Inventor Thomas Abel

Thomas Abel 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: 12484752
    Abstract: A cleaning station for vacuum robots for cleaning floor surfaces, the cleaning station having a housing, the housing having an electrical interface, the interface being designed to contact a vacuum robot approaching the cleaning station for charging, the housing having a suction device, the suction device being designed to empty a vacuum robot approaching the cleaning station for emptying. The housing has at least one status display, the status display being designed to display an operating status of the interface and/or the suction device, wherein the status display comprises at least one projection apparatus. The projection apparatus is designed to project the operating status of the interface and/or the suction device onto the vacuum robot which has approached and/or onto the floor surface and/or onto a wall surface surrounding the cleaning station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2025
    Assignee: MIELE & CIE. KG
    Inventors: Marion Karoline Strauss, Carina Uphoff, Dominik Holz, Nicolas Stroop, Thomas Abel
  • Patent number: 12270538
    Abstract: A system for illuminating a surface has at least one lighting means and a housing. At least one lens is disposed within the housing. The at least one lens is supplied with light rays from the lighting means. The at least one lens for illuminating the surface is exchangeable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: Methode Electronics Malta Ltd.
    Inventors: Michael Geppert, Elie Assy, Thomas Abel
  • Publication number: 20240077186
    Abstract: A system for illuminating a surface has at least one lighting means and a housing. At least one lens is disposed within the housing. The at least one lens is supplied with light rays from the lighting means. The at least one lens for illuminating the surface is exchangeable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2023
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: Michael Geppert, Elie Assy, Thomas Abel
  • Publication number: 20230157503
    Abstract: A cleaning station for vacuum robots for cleaning floor surfaces, the cleaning station having a housing, the housing having an electrical interface, the interface being designed to contact a vacuum robot approaching the cleaning station for charging, the housing having a suction device, the suction device being designed to empty a vacuum robot approaching the cleaning station for emptying. The housing has at least one status display, the status display being designed to display an operating status of the interface and/or the suction device, wherein the status display comprises at least one projection apparatus. The projection apparatus is designed to project the operating status of the interface and/or the suction device onto the vacuum robot which has approached and/or onto the floor surface and/or onto a wall surface surrounding the cleaning station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2022
    Publication date: May 25, 2023
    Inventors: Marion Karoline Strauss, Carina Uphoff, Dominik Holz, Nicolas Stroop, Thomas Abel
  • Patent number: 11285869
    Abstract: A decorative part, in particular for a vehicle interior, having a decorative layer with a visible front surface, a support on a reverse side of the decorative layer and a light-conducting layer provided between the support and the decorative layer for backlighting at least part of the decorative layer, which is assigned a light-conducting element for generating light. For more uniform backlighting of the decorative layer, a light-conducting dome is provided on a reverse side of the light-conducting layer facing away from the decorative layer, which protrudes therefrom and is coupled in a light-conducting manner to the light-conducting layer and at its free end to the light element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Joysonquin Automotive Systems GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas Abel, Frank Huhnerbein, Ann-Kathrin Diehl, Steffen Daschner
  • Publication number: 20200368941
    Abstract: The invention relates to a shaping device (10), which comprises an inductor (14) and one or more shaping half-shells (12, 34), wherein at least one shaping half-shell (12, 34) comprises a bottom shaping element (16) produced from mineral material, and a top shaping element (17), wherein the top shaping element (17) is releasably connected to the bottom shaping element (16) or is formed integrally with it, covers at least parts of an inner surface (16a) of the bottom shaping element (16) and comprises an electrically conductive layer (18), and the inductor (14) is designed to induce eddy currents in the electrically conductive layer (18). The invention further relates to a shaping mould (40) with a part to be formed (38), as well as to a method for heating a shaping surface (17a) of a top shaping element (17) of a shaping half-shell (12, 34) or a shaping surface (38a) of a part to be formed (38).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Thomas Abel, Marc Dizdarevic, Gerd-Sebastian Beyerlein
  • Publication number: 20200247314
    Abstract: A decorative part, in particular for a vehicle interior, having a decorative layer with a visible front surface, a support on a reverse side of the decorative layer and a light-conducting layer provided between the support and the decorative layer for backlighting at least part of the decorative layer, which is assigned a light-conducting element for generating light. For more uniform backlighting of the decorative layer, a light-conducting dome is provided on a reverse side of the light-conducting layer facing away from the decorative layer, which protrudes therefrom and is coupled in a light-conducting manner to the light-conducting layer and at its free end to the light element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Inventors: Thomas ABEL, Frank HUHNERBEIN, Ann-Kathrin DIEHL, Steffen DASCHNER
  • Patent number: 7900532
    Abstract: An electric shifting device for a vehicle includes a shift lever, a gate channel, and a detent device. The detent device has a spring-loaded pin and a detent contour cooperating therewith. The detent contour includes first and second paths and a connection path therebetween. The detent contour is movable relative to the channel between a first position in which the first path is aligned with the channel and a second position in which the second path is aligned with the channel. The lever is connected to the pin such that the lever is movable within the channel along the first path when the detent contour is in the first position and within the channel along the second path when the detent contour is in the second position and such that the lever is movable along the connection path between the paths when the detent contour moves between the positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Leopold Kostal GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Thomas Abel, Ralf Boebel, Martin Deitmerg, Thomas Luksch, Knut Moldenhauer, Frank Blaesing, Dirk Bunselmeier, Klaus Hirschfeld, Bjorn Mans, Ralf Winkelmann, Michael Bleckmann, Rainer Buehlmann, Martin Kunze, Peter Molkow
  • Publication number: 20090320634
    Abstract: An electric shifting device for a vehicle includes a shift lever, a gate channel, and a detent device. The detent device has a spring-loaded pin and a detent contour cooperating therewith. The detent contour includes first and second paths and a connection path therebetween. The detent contour is movable relative to the channel between a first position in which the first path is aligned with the channel and a second position in which the second path is aligned with the channel. The lever is connected to the pin such that the lever is movable within the channel along the first path when the detent contour is in the first position and within the channel along the second path when the detent contour is in the second position and such that the lever is movable along the connection path between the paths when the detent contour moves between the positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2009
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicant: LEOPOLD KOSTAL GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Thomas Abel, Ralf Boebel, Martin Deitmerg, Thomas Luksch, Knut Moldenhauer, Frank Blaesing, Dirk Bunselmeier, Klaus Hirschfeld, Bjorn Mans, Ralf Winkelmann, Michael Bleckmann, Rainer Buehlmann, Martin Kunze, Peter Molkow
  • Patent number: 7185791
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for metering and dispensing powdered product into containers, including a storage chamber for receiving the product, an incrementally rotating filler wheel that has at least one metering opening, the filler wheel in a first position receiving product from the storage chamber and in a second position dispensing the received product to a container, and a closure element, which is disposed adjacent to the filler wheel and can be connected to the filler wheel in such a way that upon a motion of the filler wheel into its replacement position, the closure element is disposed below the storage chamber, to prevent the escape of product from the storage chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Markus Lasser, Thomas Abel, Friedrich Herrmann
  • Publication number: 20070007053
    Abstract: An off-road emergency vehicle includes an operator compartment with an environmentally controlled atmosphere and wireless communication devices. The modified, extended all-terrain vehicle frame supports an enclosed equipment compartment having a top and sides. The equipment compartment is large enough to enclose a full-length stretcher for someone in need of care in an off-road area. The equipment compartment also contains a bench for an emergency technician and storage. The vehicle includes a secondary power source used to supply power to the lighting system and equipment of the equipment compartment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2005
    Publication date: January 11, 2007
    Inventor: Thomas Abel
  • Publication number: 20040251281
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for metering and dispensing powdered product into containers, including a storage chamber for receiving the product, an incrementally rotating filler wheel that has at least one metering opening, the filler wheel in a first position receiving product from the storage chamber and in a second position dispensing the received product to a container, and a closure element, which is disposed adjacent to the filler wheel and can be connected to the filler wheel in such a way that upon a motion of the filler wheel into its replacement position, the closure element is disposed below the storage chamber, to prevent the escape of product from the storage chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2004
    Publication date: December 16, 2004
    Inventors: Markus Lasser, Thomas Abel, Friedrich Herrmann
  • Patent number: 5012056
    Abstract: A control device for an electrical switch is suggested, which is composed, among other things, of an actuation element (1) as well as at least one latching pin (3) that is under the effect of a compression spring (2) and a system having at least one latching track (4) interacting with the latching pin (3). In the latching track (4), at least one molded pathway (7) lying inclined to the actuation directions is present, which upon a displacement of the latching pin (3) in one of the actuation directions necessarily produces a simultaneous displacement of the latching pin (3) in the other actuation direction. The control device designed in such a way serves the purpose of realizing the functions of both angular and axial displacement and in addition, of insuring that the electrical switch can only be brought into permissible switching positions by movement of the actuation element (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 30, 1991
    Assignee: Firma Leopold Kostal GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Thomas Abel, Klaus Hirschfeld