Patents by Inventor Thomas Hofler

Thomas Hofler 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: 20230382290
    Abstract: Adjustment device for a motor vehicle headlight for adjusting at least one optically relevant unit (ORU) of the motor vehicle headlight. The adjustment device includes (i) a base body fixedly arranged with respect to the ORU, (ii) a sliding body, displaceably mounted along a displacement axis on the base body and designed to engage the ORU, (iii) a drive device, fixedly arranged with respect to the ORU, preferably on the base body, and designed to engage the sliding body and displace it along the displacement axis such that during a displacement movement of the sliding body by the drive device, the ORU is moved. The sliding body is mounted on the base body by a guide device designed to guide the sliding body driven by the drive device along the displacement axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Inventors: Thomas HÖFLER, Leopold PRITZL, Martin ARTNER, Thomas PETZOLD
  • Patent number: 7150932
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a composite system comprising an electrode and a membrane, which can be used as a fuel cell element or an ion-exchange membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2006
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Höfler, Norbert Stroh
  • Patent number: 6887304
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a hollow fiber membrane module or a capillary membrane module as well as a device having such a module. In the method, hollow fibers or capillaries are placed, in an unsintered state, in a mold structured for receiving the hollow fibers or capillaries and are sintered once inside the mold. Subsequently or simultaneously, the fibers are potted in the mold. The method permits producing hollow fiber membrane modules or capillary membrane modules in a simple manner with little risk of breakage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der angewandten
    Inventors: Norbert Stroh, Katja Stein-Roeder, Thomas Höfler, Uwe Herterich
  • Publication number: 20040144712
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a hollow fiber membrane module or a capillary membrane module as well as a device having such a module. In the method, hollow fibers or capillaries (3) are placed, in an unsintered state, in a mold (1) structured for receiving the hollow fibers or capillaries (3) and are sintered once inside the mold (1). Subsequently or simultaneously, the fibers are potted in the mold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2003
    Publication date: July 29, 2004
    Inventors: Norbert Stroh, Katja Stein, Thomas Hofler, Uwe Herterich
  • Patent number: 6677132
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device and a method for determining the concentration of organisms in a fluid, where metabolite parameters are recorded by means of a data acquisition unit and subsequently converted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Angewandten-Forschung E.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Hofler, Peter Holzhauer, Eckehard Walitza
  • Patent number: 5042157
    Abstract: A sensor provides remote angular orientation sensing. A rotational signal transmitted to a rotatable input shaft mounted in an encoder body causes the shaft to rotate. Light signals are transmitted through a digital code wheel mounted to the shaft. As the code wheel and shaft rotate, the light signals passing through the code wheel are superimposed with light pulses corresponding to incremental and directional changes of angular position of the code wheel with respect to the encoder body. The light signals are propagated through an optical fiber to a remote combination digital and analog circuit which converts them into a digital representation of the angular position of the code wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1991
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Steven L. Garrett, Michael R. Brininstool, Jeffrey T. Newmaster, Thomas Hofler
  • Patent number: 4958072
    Abstract: A method for remotely detecting the angular position of a rotatable code wheel is provided by generating two sine wave modulated light beams which are orthogonally polarized with respect to each other. The beams are combined and then directed through a polarization filter mounted on the code wheel. The combined beam incurs a phase shift with respect to a reference signal which depends upon the position of the code wheel. The combined polarized beam provides angular position resolution between zero and ninety degrees, but lacks quadrant resolution. Two other light beams are directed to a two channel digital mask pattern imprinted on the code wheel. The mask pattern encodes these latter beams with "on" or "off" pulses to provide quadrant resolution. The beams are converted to digital electric signals which are received by a programmable read oly memory (PROM). The PROM provides an output corresponding to the angular position of the code wheel to a display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 18, 1990
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Thomas Hofler, Michael R. Brininstool, Jeffrey T. Newmaster, Steven L. Garrett