Patents by Inventor Thomas Funke

Thomas Funke 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).

  • Publication number: 20260083241
    Abstract: A mounting device connects a pull-out device to a cover element of a piece of furniture, in particular a piece of sanitary furniture, having a mounting plate with two opposing surfaces. The mounting device includes a first surface and an opposing second surface. In a fixed state of the mounting plate, the first surface is connected to the cover element, and the second surface is connected to the pull-out device. The first surface has at least one fixing region that can be flat. The second surface has at least two fixing elements arranged to project from the second surface. In the mounted state of the mounting plate, at least two of the fixing elements are arranged horizontally and/or vertically offset from one another, in particular on horizontally different sides of the second surface. The at least two fixing elements are formed in one piece with the mounting plate. The mounting plate has at least one bore on different sides.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2023
    Publication date: March 26, 2026
    Applicant: BLANCO GMBH + CO KG
    Inventors: Thomas FUNKE, Mirko HAMANN, Tobias TACK
  • Publication number: 20250389109
    Abstract: An adapter for an accessory part of a sanitary basin, in particular for an accessory part of a sink, is provided comprising a holder to hold the accessory part and at least two shelves each having an extension for resting on and/or bearing against at least one sloped edge of the sanitary basin, whereby a maximum reach of at least one of the extensions defines a direction along which the reach of the at least one extension is smaller than the reach of the adapter in the same direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2025
    Publication date: December 25, 2025
    Applicant: BLANCO GMBH + CO KG
    Inventors: Mikhail Lebedkin, Jens Hütter, Marco Flaig, Georg Kahl-Marburger, Thomas Funke
  • Patent number: 12320106
    Abstract: A sanitary system includes a sanitary faucet and a control device. The sanitary faucet includes: (i) a first control element for setting a quantity of a liquid to be dispensed; (ii) a second control element for setting a type of the liquid to be dispensed; and (iii) a display device including optical display elements. The control device is connected to the first control element, the second control element and the display device. The control device is programmed to control the display device to display control element settings by separate actuation of the optical display elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2025
    Assignee: BLANCO GMBH + CO KG
    Inventors: Thomas Funke, Olaf Stenvers, Stefan Keller
  • Patent number: 12310500
    Abstract: A furniture system includes a sink, a frame element, a divider, a first module, and a second module. A cross section of the frame element is U-shaped or rectangular such that the frame element includes at least a horizontal extension and a vertical extension. Each of the first module and the second module is arranged along at least one of the horizontal extension or the vertical extension. A dimension of the second module along the at least one of the horizontal extension or the vertical extension is an integral multiple of a dimension of the first module along the at least one of the horizontal extension or the vertical extension. The divider is configured to be detachably secured in the frame element. A dimension of the divider corresponds to the dimension of the first module or the integral multiple of the dimension of the first module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Assignee: BLANCO GMBH + CO KG
    Inventors: Thomas Funke, Tobias Tack, Thordt Clausen
  • Patent number: 12312785
    Abstract: A sanitary system includes a sanitary faucet, and a control device. The sanitary faucet includes: (i) a first control element for setting at least one of a plurality of quantities of a liquid to be dispensed; and (ii) a second control element for setting at least one of a plurality of types of the liquid to be dispensed. At least one of the first control element or the second control element has a plurality of defined control positions. The control device is connected to the first control element and the second control element. The control device is programmed to assign at least one of the plurality of defined control positions so as to preconfigure or reconfigure: (i) the at least one of the plurality of quantities of the liquid to be dispensed; or (ii) the at least one of the plurality of types of the liquid to be dispensed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Assignee: BLANCO GMBH + CO KG
    Inventors: Thomas Funke, Olaf Stenvers, Stefan Keller
  • Publication number: 20250049211
    Abstract: The invention relates to a frame system for installation in a piece of work furniture, in particular a piece of sanitary work furniture, comprising a first frame module and a second frame module, wherein the first and the second frame module each have at least one insertion opening for inserting at least one pre-installed functional component for a user, wherein the respective insertion opening has a quadrangular cross-section, and wherein the first and second frame modules can be fixed to each other by means of a tool-free connection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2024
    Publication date: February 13, 2025
    Applicant: BLANCO GMBH + CO KG
    Inventors: Tobias TACK, Mirko HAMANN, Thomas FUNKE
  • Patent number: 12092149
    Abstract: An elastic connecting block with which, by receiving a connecting pin, at least two components can be connected together via a respective component opening. The connecting block, which is formed as a single piece, comprises a central bearing block with two mutually opposing bearing surfaces for the components to be connected. A locking flange, which can be engaged in a component opening, is provided on the first bearing surface. On the other bearing surface, a widening flange is provided, which can be expanded by a spherical head of the connecting pin such that the widening flange is held via an axial undercut in the second component opening of the second component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: Böllhoff Verbindungstechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Sandra Steffenfauseweh, Thomas Funke, Alexander Vorderwisch, Andreas Arndt
  • Patent number: 11933345
    Abstract: A tolerance compensation arrangement for fastening first and second components with tolerance compensation in the distance between the first and second component, has a base unit with a cage element, a base element, a nut in the cage element, and an adjustment unit having a threaded sleeve with an outer thread and a dragging element. The thread of the threaded sleeve forms with the nut a first thread pairing of a first direction. A fastening screw can be inserted through an opening of the base unit and the adjustment unit, and the fastening screw is screwable into the base element via a second thread pairing of a second thread direction and is connectable to the adjustment unit via the dragging element, so that, when the fastening screw is screwed in, the adjustment unit is co-rotated and thereby moved into abutment with the second component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Böllhoff Verbindungstechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Funke, Michael Kahre
  • Publication number: 20240026664
    Abstract: The invention relates to a sanitary fitting device, comprising a sanitary fitting for delivering a fluid, treatment equipment for providing at least one kind of treated fluid, wherein the treatment equipment comprises one or more treatment components, and a central distribution device, which is at least connected with the treatment equipment, comprising an energy distribution component, which is designed to provide electrical energy for at least one treatment component of the treatment device and wherein the distribution device is designed to regulate the electrical total power of the entire electrical energy emitted by means of the central distribution device under a specified maximum total power, and/or a fluid distribution component for distributing fluid to at least one of the treatment components of the treatment device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Applicant: BLANCO GMBH + CO KG
    Inventors: Tobias TACK, Thomas FUNKE, Dennis SPAETH, Mirko HAMANN, Hartmut KELLER
  • Publication number: 20230392626
    Abstract: A tolerance compensation arrangement for fastening first and second components with tolerance compensation in the distance between the first and second component, has a base unit with a cage element, a base element, a nut in the cage element, and an adjustment unit having a threaded sleeve with an outer thread and a dragging element. The thread of the threaded sleeve forms with the nut a first thread pairing of a first direction. A fastening screw can be inserted through an opening of the base unit and the adjustment unit, and the fastening screw is screwable into the base element via a second thread pairing of a second thread direction and is connectable to the adjustment unit via the dragging element, so that, when the fastening screw is screwed in, the adjustment unit is co-rotated and thereby moved into abutment with the second component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Inventors: Thomas Funke, Michael Kahre
  • Patent number: 11702329
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a sanitary fitting for dispensing prepared liquids, for example, for beverages. A disclosed system includes a first control element for setting a quantity of the prepared liquid to be dispensed and an actuating element for providing the quantity of prepared liquid set by means of the first control element, wherein at least one second control element is configured to select a type of preparation, for example, from at least two different types of preparation, of non-prepared liquid, wherein the first and the at least one second control element are actuatable independently of one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: BLANCO GMBH + CO KG
    Inventors: Thomas Funke, Özkan Kaya
  • Publication number: 20230134260
    Abstract: The invention relates to a sanitary fitting for dispensing treated liquids, comprising a first control element for setting a quantity of a liquid to be dispensed, a second control element for setting the type of liquid to be dispensed, a display device comprising a plurality of optical display elements, and a control device which is connected to the control elements and/or to a treatment device on the one hand, and on the other hand to the display device, such that control element settings and/or at least one state of the treatment device are displayed by means of separate actuation of the optical display elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2022
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Applicant: BLANCO GMBH + CO KG
    Inventors: Thomas FUNKE, Olaf STENVERS, Stefan KELLER
  • Publication number: 20230139384
    Abstract: The invention relates to a sanitary fitting for dispensing treated liquids, comprising a first control element for setting a quantity of a liquid to be dispensed, a second control element for setting the type of liquid to be dispensed, wherein at least one of the two control elements has several defined control positions, and a control device, which is connected to the control elements and which can be configured in such a way that the control device can be used to assign at least one defined actuator position to a configurable quantity of a type of liquid to be dispensed and/or a configurable type of liquid to be dispensed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2022
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Applicant: BLANCO GMBH + CO KG
    Inventors: Thomas FUNKE, Olaf STENVERS, Stefan KELLER
  • Publication number: 20230078470
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a sanitary fitting for dispensing prepared liquids, for example, for beverages. A disclosed system includes a first control element for setting a quantity of the prepared liquid to be dispensed and an actuating element for providing the quantity of prepared liquid set by means of the first control element, wherein at least one second control element is configured to select a type of preparation, for example, from at least two different types of preparation, of non-prepared liquid, wherein the first and the at least one second control element are actuatable independently of one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2022
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventors: Thomas FUNKE, Özkan KAYA
  • Patent number: D1020779
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: BLANCO GmbH + Co KG
    Inventor: Thomas Funke
  • Patent number: D1020793
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: BLANCO GmbH + Co KG
    Inventor: Thomas Funke
  • Tap
    Patent number: D1029996
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: BLANCO GmbH + Co KG
    Inventor: Thomas Funke
  • Tap
    Patent number: D1030963
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: BLANCO GmbH + Co KG
    Inventor: Thomas Funke
  • Patent number: D1037321
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: BLANCO GmbH + Co KG
    Inventor: Thomas Funke
  • Patent number: D1058745
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: BLANCO GmbH + Co KG
    Inventor: Thomas Funke