Patents by Inventor Thomas Birmanns
Thomas Birmanns 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).
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Patent number: 12622827Abstract: A wheelchair having at least one force element that is elastically deformable, wherein deformation of the at least one force element becomes more and more intense with the application of increasing force, resulting in natural damping of the coupled-in force, which may be detected by a sensor such that the wheelchair according to the invention may be controlled in a targeted manner for fine movements as well as for faster, coarser movements.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2023Date of Patent: May 12, 2026Assignee: Motion Advantage Verwaltungs-GmbHInventors: Harald Kauffmann, Thomas Birmanns
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Patent number: 12553481Abstract: A brake device including a brake unit; a contact device engageable by the brake unit and movable relative to the brake unit, wherein the brake unit includes at least one activation device and at least one brake member that includes a transmission member and a brake shoe that is pivotably supported in a pivot bearing at an end of the at least one brake member, wherein the at least one activation device engages the transmission member to move the at least one brake member towards the contact device until the brake shoe contacts the contact device in an activation position of the at least one brake member and the brake shoe, wherein the pivot bearing is arranged at the at least one brake member so that the pivot bearing is movable towards the contact device together with the transmission member.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2021Date of Patent: February 17, 2026Inventor: Thomas Birmanns
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Publication number: 20240099913Abstract: It is already known in the prior art to provide muscle-powered wheelchairs with an auxiliary drive, which in the event of a force stress is switched on as needed, and the coupled-in muscular power is increased. Thus far, however, it has not been possible to control the application of the force, which in each case is coupled in intermittently, in such a way that it may be applied in different magnitudes. If a sensor system has sufficient sensitivity to fine movements, the detection for coarse movements is too imprecise, and for a more precise detection of coarse movements, fine movements become overly intensified. The invention therefore provides that at least one force element that is elastically deformable is associated with the wheelchair. Since the deformation becomes more and more intense with increasing force, this results in natural damping of the coupled-in force, which may be detected by a sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2023Publication date: March 28, 2024Inventors: Harald Kauffmann, Thomas Birmanns
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Publication number: 20220056967Abstract: A brake device including a brake unit; a contact device engageable by the brake unit and movable relative to the brake unit, wherein the brake unit includes at least one activation device and at least one brake member that includes a transmission member and a brake shoe that is pivotably supported in a pivot bearing at an end of the at least one brake member, wherein the at least one activation device engages the transmission member to move the at least one brake member towards the contact device until the brake shoe contacts the contact device in an activation position of the at least one brake member and the brake shoe, wherein the pivot bearing is arranged at the at least one brake member so that the pivot bearing is movable towards the contact device together with the transmission member.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 16, 2021Publication date: February 24, 2022Inventor: Thomas Birmanns
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Patent number: 8641070Abstract: A drive assistance device for a wheelchair includes a drive motor, a running wheel and a sensor device which is adapted to determine a driving force manually induced into the running wheel; and a control unit which is adapted to control the drive motor for driving the running wheel depending on the driving force manually induced by the user into the running wheel. The control unit of the drive assistance device includes a user force analysis operational mode which is adapted to determine data concerning physical efficiency and capacity of the user. These include a maximum force of the user as well as the maximum speed which can be reached with purely manual drive.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2011Date of Patent: February 4, 2014Assignee: Ulrich Alber GmbHInventors: Thomas Birmanns, Ralf Ledda, Bernd Engels, Paul-Gerhard Bitzer
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Publication number: 20120067662Abstract: A drive assistance device for a wheelchair having a drive motor, a running wheel and a sensor device which is adapted to detect a driving force manually induced into the running wheel. A control unit which is adapted to control the drive motor for driving the running wheel depending on a driving force manually induced by the user into the running wheel has a user force determination operational mode in which the maximum force of the user can be determined.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 7, 2011Publication date: March 22, 2012Applicant: Ulrich Alber GmbHInventors: Thomas Birmanns, Ralf Ledda, Bernd Engels, Paul-Gerhard Bitzer
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Publication number: 20120068435Abstract: A drive assistance device for a wheelchair includes a drive motor, a running wheel and a sensor device which is adapted to determine a driving force manually induced into the running wheel; and a control unit which is adapted to control the drive motor for driving the running wheel depending on the driving force manually induced by the user into the running wheel. The control unit of the drive assistance device includes a user force analysis operational mode which is adapted to determine data concerning physical efficiency and capacity of the user. These include a maximum force of the user as well as the maximum speed which can be reached with purely manual drive.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 7, 2011Publication date: March 22, 2012Applicant: Ulrich Alber GmbHInventors: Thomas Birmanns, Ralf Ledda, Bernd Engels, Paul-Gerhard Bitzer
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Publication number: 20070062743Abstract: The invention relates to a small vehicle, particularly a wheel chair, having a modular structure including a main component, at least one pivotable wheel which is adapted to be detachably mounted at said main component via a quick release device, at least one driving wheel adapted to be detachably mounted at said main component via a quick release device and a seat component which is adapted to be detachably mounted at said main component via a quick release device. The main component comprises a main body to which four arms for supporting the wheels are springably coupled. The quick release devices between said main component and said wheels are disposed between said arms and said wheels, respectively.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2006Publication date: March 22, 2007Inventors: Bernd Engels, Ralf Ledda, Marc Binder, Thomas Birmanns
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Patent number: 7100716Abstract: The invention relates to a small vehicle, particularly a wheel chair, having a modular structure including a main component, at least one pivotable wheel which is adapted to be detachably mounted at said main component via a quick release device, at least one driving wheel adapted to be detachably mounted at said main component via a quick release device and a seat component which is adapted to be detachably mounted at said main component via a quick release device. The main component comprises a main body to which four arms for supporting the wheels are springably coupled. The quick release devices between said main component and said wheels are disposed between said arms and said wheels, respectively.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2002Date of Patent: September 5, 2006Assignee: Ulrich Alber GmbHInventors: Bernd Engels, Ralf Ledda, Marc Binder, Thomas Birmanns
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Publication number: 20030122332Abstract: The invention relates to a small vehicle, particularly a wheel chair, comprising a chassis having a monocoque-type main body to which arms for supporting wheels are coupled and at which a seat component can be attached. The main body is designed as a monolith and preferably is manufactured from an extruded profile of aluminium or an aluminium alloy, or is made of wound sheet metal or of plastic. Four arms for two freely pivotable supporting wheels and two driving wheels are springably coupled to said main body.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 25, 2002Publication date: July 3, 2003Inventors: Bernd Engels, Stefan Lippert, Jorg Sattele, Thomas Birmanns
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Publication number: 20030030243Abstract: The invention relates to a small vehicle, particularly a wheel chair, having a modular structure including a main component, at least one pivotable wheel which is adapted to be detachably mounted at said main component via a quick release device, at least one driving wheel adapted to be detachably mounted at said main component via a quick release device and a seat component which is adapted to be detachably mounted at said main component via a quick release device. The main component comprises a main body to which four arms for supporting the wheels are springably coupled. The quick release devices between said main component and said wheels are disposed between said arms and said wheels, respectively.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 24, 2002Publication date: February 13, 2003Inventors: Bernd Engels, Ralf Ledda, Marc Binder, Thomas Birmanns
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Publication number: 20020036105Abstract: A vehicle, particularly a wheelchair, comprises a wheelchair frame, an electronic control unit and at least two driving wheels, wherein at least the first driving wheel includes a device for manually applying a drive force and at least the second driving wheel is adapted to be driven via a drive unit having an electric motor. The electronic control unit is adapted to detect the distance covered by the first driving wheel due to rotation of said first driving wheel and to drive the drive unit having an electric motor of the second driving wheel depending on the distance covered by the first driving wheel for turning the second driving wheel.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2001Publication date: March 28, 2002Inventors: Thomas Birmanns, Johannes Dorndorfer
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Patent number: 5717753Abstract: A handset for telephone and radio systems usually consists of a casing which contains a microphone, a loudspeaker, a printed circuit board carrying the electronic components, and normally also a switching mat made of a rubber type material (e.g. silicone), which switching mat is integrated into a keypad such that the keys of the keypad act on this switching mat to close switching contacts. According to the invention, the switching mat comprises a cavity corresponding to the external shape of the loudspeaker such that the loudspeaker can be introduced into this cavity either from the rear or from one of the adjacent front ends of the switching mat. This results in a significant simplification of the assembly process, as well as a major improvement in shock and vibration protection.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 1995Date of Patent: February 10, 1998Assignee: Temic Telefunken microelectronic GmbhInventor: Thomas Birmanns
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Patent number: D375951Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 1995Date of Patent: November 26, 1996Assignee: Temic Telefunken Microelectronic GmbHInventor: Thomas Birmanns