Patents by Inventor Thomas Fink

Thomas Fink 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: 8205554
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus, in particular a firing apparatus (1) for a pyrotechnic protection apparatus, in particular an airbag or belt pretensioner, comprising: a power leadthrough, in particular a metal fixing material leadthrough (2), comprising a base body (8) which is provided with a passage opening (7), and at least one metal pin (6) which is arranged in the passage opening (7) in the base body (8) in a fixing material (6); a housing part (19, 4) which at least partially accommodates the power leadthrough so as to form a space for accommodating a propellant charge (5); a casing (22) which at least partially surrounds the power leadthrough (2), the metal pin (6) and the housing part (19, 4); wherein the base body (8) has a thickness D in the range of from 2.0 mm to 0.1 mm, preferably in the range of from less than 1.0 mm to 0.1 mm, in particular less than 0.8 mm to 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Schott AG
    Inventor: Thomas Fink
  • Publication number: 20120129438
    Abstract: A ventilation system (10) for installation in an aircraft passenger cabin comprises an air supply pipe (12), which has a plurality of air outlet openings (14) disposed in a distributed manner along its longitudinal axis (L). An air chamber housing (16) is connectable to the air supply pipe (12) at various positions along the longitudinal axis (L) of the air supply pipe, such that air-conditioning air flowing through the air supply pipe (12) is supplyable, through an air outlet opening provided in the air supply pipe (12), into the air chamber housing (16). A connection device (34) is designed to connect the air chamber housing (16) to an air supply device (36) for supplying air-conditioning air into the aircraft passenger cabin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Inventors: Peter Grosse-Plankermann, Martin Paetz, Thomas Fink
  • Patent number: 8127681
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a metal-sealing material-feedthrough for igniters of airbags or belt tensioning devices, especially glass-metal-feedthrough, including at least one metal pin which is located in a feedthrough opening in the base body in a sealing material, wherein the base body has a front side and a back side. Structure is provided between the front and the back side in order to avoid a relative movement of sealing material in the direction toward the back relative to the inside circumference of the feedthrough opening. At least the feedthrough opening is punched out of the base body. The base body is configured so that the ratio of thickness (D) of the base body to the maximum dimension of the feedthrough opening vertical to the axis direction of the feedthrough opening is in the range of between and including 0.9 to 1.6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Schott AG
    Inventor: Thomas Fink
  • Patent number: 7886607
    Abstract: The invention relates to a package for a strain sensor. The package includes a base part (10) from a strain hardened material, a central part (20) from an annealed material which carries glass fritted leadthroughs, and a lid part (30), wherein the base part, the central part and the lid part are made from austenitic stainless steel AISI 304L as well as a method for producing such a package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Schott Ag
    Inventors: Thomas Fink, Raymond Lohr
  • Publication number: 20100229616
    Abstract: A glass-to-metal bushing for ignitors of airbags or belt tensioning pulleys. A metal pin is arranged in a slot in the base plate in the fixing material, the base plate being formed by one element whereby the base geometry describing the slot is produced by at least one separation process. Structure is provided between the front and rear of the base plate for preventing relative motion of the fixing material in the direction of the base plate rear portion across from the inner circumference of the slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicant: SCHOTT AG
    Inventors: Thomas Fink, Neil Heeke, Adolf Olzinger, Thomas Pfeiffer, Reinhard Ranftl, Richard Bender, Bartholomäus Forster
  • Publication number: 20100224149
    Abstract: The invention relates to a timing drive for an internal combustion engine, comprising a crankshaft, at least one camshaft, a driven gear that is connected to the crankshaft, at least one driving gear which drives the associated camshaft and a transmission that interconnects the driven gear and the at least one driving gear. An electric motor is provided which engages with the transmission in an offset manner relative to the crankshaft and the at least one camshaft as well as in an offset manner relative to the associated driven gear and the associated at least one driving gear by means of an intermediate gear. Furthermore, a control device is provided, with the aid of which the electric motor can be triggered in such a way that additional torque and/or an additional torque profile can be introduced into the transmission and/or can be tapped from the transmission based on at least one operational parameter and/or at least one operational situation of the transmission. Also disclosed is a corresponding method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicants: IWIS MOTORSYSTEME GMBH & CO. KG, COMPACT DYNAMICS GMBH
    Inventors: Volker Hirschmann, Bernhard Schachtner, Thomas Fink, Reinhard Rasch, Bernhard Hoffmann, Andreas Gründl
  • Publication number: 20100199872
    Abstract: A feed-through element of an ignition device for igniters of airbags or seatbelt tighteners is provided. The feed-through element has a metal support body, at least one first access opening in which a metal rod is arranged in an electrically insulating fixing material, and at least one second access opening in which a further metal rod is electrically conductively fixed to the support body by a soldered connection in this access opening. The support body and the access openings are configured as a shaped part. The feed-through element further includes a solder gap between the metal rod and the wall of the second access opening, where the solder gap has a small width.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Inventors: Thomas Fink, Reinhard Ranftl
  • Patent number: 7770520
    Abstract: An ignition device, which is simple and inexpensive to produce, for a pyrotechnic protection device, in particular an airbag or seatbelt tensioner is provided. The ignition device includes a base with a deformed metal carrier part having a current leadthrough for an electrical ignition and a cap connected to the base, a propellant charge being enclosed between the base and cap, and the metal carrier part of the base having a base body and a welding rim of reduced thickness compared to the base body, the cap being welded to the welding rim by way of an encircling weld seam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Schott AG
    Inventors: Thomas Fink, Thomas Pfeiffer
  • Publication number: 20100186501
    Abstract: A leadthrough with a sensor section comprising a component section or tube section with a component wall thickness or tube wall thickness and least one sensor section for accommodating a sensor with a sensor wall thickness. The leadthrough with a sensor section is characterized in that the sensor wall thickness is smaller than half the component wall thickness or the tube wall thickness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Applicant: Schott AG
    Inventor: Thomas Fink
  • Publication number: 20100064923
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus, in particular a firing apparatus (1) for a pyrotechnic protection apparatus, in particular an airbag or belt pretensioner, comprising: a power leadthrough, in particular a metal fixing material leadthrough (2), comprising a base body (8) which is provided with a passage opening (7), and at least one metal pin (6) which is arranged in the passage opening (7) in the base body (8) in a fixing material (6); a housing part (19, 4) which at least partially accommodates the power leadthrough so as to form a space for accommodating a propellant charge (5); a casing (22) which at least partially surrounds the power leadthrough (2), the metal pin (6) and the housing part (19, 4); wherein the base body (8) has a thickness D in the range of from 2.0 mm to 0.1 mm, preferably in the range of from less than 1.0 mm to 0.1 mm, in particular less than 0.8 mm to 0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Applicant: Schott AG
    Inventor: Thomas Fink
  • Publication number: 20090115010
    Abstract: The invention relates to a package for a strain sensor. The package includes a base part (10) from a strain hardened material, a central part (20) from an annealed material which carries glass fritted leadthroughs, and a lid part (30), wherein the base part, the central part and the lid part are made from austenitic stainless steel AISI 304L as well as a method for producing such a package.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2008
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Inventors: Thomas Fink, Raymond Lohr
  • Publication number: 20080250963
    Abstract: A glass-to-metal bushing for ignitors of airbags or belt tensioning pulleys. A metal pin is arranged in a slot in the base plate in the fixing material, the base plate being formed by one element whereby the base geometry describing the slot is produced by at least one separation process. Structure is provided between the front and rear of the base plate for preventing relative motion of the fixing material in the direction of the base plate rear portion across from the inner circumference of the slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2008
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Applicant: SCHOTT AG
    Inventors: Thomas Fink, Neil Heeke, Adolf Olzinger, Thomas Pfeiffer, Reinhard Ranftl, Richard Bender, Bartholomaus Forster
  • Publication number: 20070187934
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a metal-sealing material-feedthrough for igniters of airbags or belt tensioning devices, especially glass-metal-feedthrough, including at least one metal pin which is located in a feedthrough opening in the base body in a sealing material, wherein the base body has a front side and a back side. Structure is provided between the front and the back side in order to avoid a relative movement of sealing material in the direction toward the back relative to the inside circumference of the feedthrough opening. At least the feedthrough opening is punched out of the base body. The base body is configured so that the ratio of thickness (D) of the base body to the maximum dimension of the feedthrough opening vertical to the axis direction of the feedthrough opening is in the range of between and including 0.9 to 1.6.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2007
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Inventor: Thomas Fink
  • Publication number: 20070086635
    Abstract: A method of identifying pattern in a series of data, or curve, includes: first converting a curve to a permutation by relabelling the data points with their rank; second, segregating the set of all permutations into clusters of different sizes with respect to some map: permutations mapped to the same number are assigned to the same cluster. From this, one can write an alternative description of any curve, from which the original curve can be fully recovered. The length of this description is a bound on its AIC. The difference between this bound and the length of the original curve in bits, or Shannon information of the curve, is the number of bits k by which the curve can be compressed. The compression k is used to order a collection of curves in decreasing order of significance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2005
    Publication date: April 19, 2007
    Inventors: Thomas Fink, Sebastian Ahnert, Francis Brown, Karen Willbrand
  • Publication number: 20060222881
    Abstract: A glass-to-metal bushing for igniters of airbags or belt tensioning pulleys. A metal pin is arranged in a slot in the base plate in the fixing material, the base plate being formed by one element whereby the base geometry describing the slot is produced by at least one separation process. Structure is provided between the front and rear of the base plate for preventing relative motion of the fixing material in the direction of the base plate rear portion across from the inner circumference of the slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2006
    Publication date: October 5, 2006
    Applicant: SCHOTT AG
    Inventors: Thomas Fink, Neil Heeke, Adolf Olzinger, Thomas Pfeiffer, Reinhard Ranftl, Richard Bender, Bartholomaus Forster
  • Publication number: 20060207469
    Abstract: An ignition device, which is simple and inexpensive to produce, for a pyrotechnic protection device, in particular an airbag or seatbelt tensioner is provided. The ignition device includes a base with a deformed metal carrier part having a current leadthrough for an electrical ignition and a cap connected to the base, a propellant charge being enclosed between the base and cap, and the metal carrier part of the base having a base body and a welding rim of reduced thickness compared to the base body, the cap being welded to the welding rim by way of an encircling weld seam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2006
    Publication date: September 21, 2006
    Inventors: Thomas Fink, Thomas Pfeiffer
  • Publication number: 20060149174
    Abstract: A device 100 and associated system for facilitating convenient and effective back mobilization of a clothed person is disclosed. The device has a substantially cylindrical body 102 having two ends 104 and two cylindrical, radial surfaces 106, wherein the cylindrical, radial surfaces make substantially smooth transitions 108 into the ends proximate the cylindrical, radial surfaces; and a channel of reduced radius 110 approximately centered between the ends of the cylindrical body, wherein the cylindrical, radial surfaces make substantially smooth transitions 112 into the channel proximate the cylindrical, radial surfaces. The system further includes a clothing retainer 200 for retaining clothing proximate the body of the person. The person is able to mobilize the back while moving the back along the cylindrical, radial surfaces of the device causing the device to roll while the clothing retainer keeps the clothing from underneath the rolling device as it rolls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2005
    Publication date: July 6, 2006
    Inventor: Thomas Fink
  • Publication number: 20060079365
    Abstract: A roller chain of a metallic material, with alternating inner and outer chain links which are respectively joined together via a chain joint, whereby the outer chain links comprise two parallel outer plates, joined together by means of two parallel joint pins, and the inner chain links comprise two parallel inner plates, joined together by means of two parallel joint sleeves, a joint pin of an outer chain link extends in each case through a joint sleeve of an inner chain link to form a chain joint and a rotatable roller is arranged on the outer surface of the joint sleeve, whereby a size ratio of the height of the outer and inner plates to the external diameter of the roller is greater than 1.4, and a size ratio of the mean thickness of the inner plate to the mean thickness of the outer plate is greater than 1.1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2005
    Publication date: April 13, 2006
    Inventors: Thomas Fink, Michael Panas, Markus Aurnhammer, Holger Frank, Stefan Belmer
  • Publication number: 20050289257
    Abstract: Self-powered USB peripheral/slave devices can be reset using a hardware reset circuit associated with the USB power line of the device, even in circumstances where the controller of the self-powered USB device is unable to properly communicate with a USB host.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2004
    Publication date: December 29, 2005
    Inventor: Thomas Fink
  • Patent number: 6926093
    Abstract: A mechanism for mounting a soil leveling device to the mounting arm of a leveling attachment operates in either a fixed setting or a floating setting. The mechanism includes a rearwardly extending carrier arm which carries the soil leveling device at its distal end. The carrier arm is pivotably connected at its proximal end to the mounting arm of the leveling attachment for upward and downward movement. A connecting link is mounted to the mounting arm and a spring assembly extends between the link and the carrier arm. The connecting link is selectively operable in either a fixed setting or a released, floating setting. When the connecting link is in the fixed setting, the spring assembly biases the carrier arm and the leveling device with a downward force. When the connecting link is in the floating setting, the leveling device can move across a soil surface free of a downward bias from the spring assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: Krause Plow Corporation, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerome Thomas Fink, Rodney Lee Hagman