Patents by Inventor Ulrich Kinle

Ulrich Kinle 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: 11548016
    Abstract: A shower head including a base body, a jet disc held on a shower jet discharge side of the base body and including at least one jet discharge opening, and a jet disc holding device for fixing the jet disc on a jet disc holding region of the base body. Illustratively, the jet disk holding device includes a plurality of plug connector pins and associated pin through-passage openings, across which a respective one of the plug connector pins is passed through, wherein the respective pin through-passage opening is provided on the jet disk holding region of the base body or on the jet disk, and wherein the plug connector pins and the pin through-passage openings are configured for latched retaining of the plug connector pins within the pin through-passage openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Hansgrohe SE
    Inventors: Ulrich Kinle, Fabian Melle
  • Publication number: 20220395843
    Abstract: A shower jet outlet nozzle includes a hollow chamber (1), a lateral wall (2) delimiting the hollow chamber transversely to a nozzle longitudinal axis (DL), and a bottom (3) delimiting the hollow chamber in the direction of the nozzle longitudinal axis on an outlet side, which bottom is made of an elastic material and in which a jet outlet opening structure (4S) including one or a plurality of jet outlet openings (4) and having an open initial configuration, wherein the bottom is configured with the jet outlet opening structure thereof, under the effect of a shower fluid operating pressure in the hollow chamber, to deform in an elastically resilient manner and thereby to steadily increase an opening cross-section of the jet outlet opening structure with increasing shower fluid operating pressure within a normal operating pressure range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2022
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Inventors: Marcel Bilger, Ulrich Kinle, Markus Wõhrle, Pascal Jonat
  • Patent number: 11014102
    Abstract: A shower jet generating device for a shower head, illustratively for a sanitary shower head, including a shower jet disk delimiting a fluid chamber on an outlet side and including at least one jet outlet opening leading out of the fluid chamber and at least one overpressure valve opening, and comprising at least one overpressure valve disposed on the overpressure valve opening. The overpressure valve illustratively includes an overpressure outlet opening leading out of the fluid chamber, an immobile valve seat and a valve body capable of movement controlled by a fluid pressure in the fluid chamber and interacting with the valve seat, which valve body, in a normal pressure position, rests against the valve seat, thereby closing the overpressure outlet opening, and, in an overpressure position, is lifted off the valve seat, thereby exposing the overpressure outlet opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Hansgrohe SE
    Inventors: Klaus Butzke, Marc Kalmbach, Ulrich Kinle
  • Patent number: 10871236
    Abstract: A fluid switch-over device illustratively for use in a sanitary shower device, including at least one fluid inlet, at least two fluid outlets, and a movable switch-over body for controlling fluid connections of the at least two fluid outlets to the at least one fluid inlet. The switch-over body is switchable between at least three different operating positions. An actuation device is configured for sequential and bidirectional switching-over actuation of the switch-over body both in a forward switch-over direction and in a backward switch-over direction inverse to the forward switch-over direction. The actuation device illustratively includes a first actuation unit for sequential switching-over actuation of the switch-over body in the forward switch-over direction and a second actuation unit for sequential switching-over actuation of the switch-over body in the backward switch-over direction, wherein the two actuation units comprise operating elements that are user-operable independently of each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Hansgrohe SE
    Inventors: Ulrich Kinle, Fabian Melle, Markus Schultis
  • Patent number: 10822777
    Abstract: A sanitary fitting including a water conduit channel. The sanitary fitting illustratively further includes an insertion duct extending into the water conduit channel and including a user-accessible insertion opening, and an insertion plate including at least one sanitary utility element and exhibiting, in a flow-through region in which the plate has flow-through capability from its one plate main side (H1) to its other plate main side (H2), a smaller plate thickness (PD) as compared to its lateral plate dimension (PL), the insertion plate being insertable in a lateral insertion direction (SL) into the insertion duct via the insertion opening and extractable from the insertion duct counter the insertion direction. The insertion duct remains stationary in an operating position, when the insertion plate is inserted or extracted, and the insertion opening remains user-accessible in the stationary operating position of the insertion duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Hansgrohe SE
    Inventors: Daniel Philipp Dieterle, Ulrich Kinle, Fabian Melle, Michael Skrypski, Markus Wöhrle
  • Publication number: 20200206756
    Abstract: A shower head including a base body, a jet disc held on a shower jet discharge side of the base body and including at least one jet discharge opening, and a jet disc holding device for fixing the jet disc on a jet disc holding region of the base body. Illustratively, the jet disk holding device includes a plurality of plug connector pins and associated pin through-passage openings, across which a respective one of the plug connector pins is passed through, wherein the respective pin through-passage opening is provided on the jet disk holding region of the base body or on the jet disk, and wherein the plug connector pins and the pin through-passage openings are configured for latched retaining of the plug connector pins within the pin through-passage openings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Ulrich Kinle, Fabian Melle
  • Publication number: 20190224697
    Abstract: A shower jet generating device for a shower head, illustratively for a sanitary shower head, including a shower jet disk delimiting a fluid chamber on an outlet side and including at least one jet outlet opening leading out of the fluid chamber and at least one overpressure valve opening, and comprising at least one overpressure valve disposed on the overpressure valve opening. The overpressure valve illustratively includes an overpressure outlet opening leading out of the fluid chamber, an immobile valve seat and a valve body capable of movement controlled by a fluid pressure in the fluid chamber and interacting with the valve seat, which valve body, in a normal pressure position, rests against the valve seat, thereby closing the overpressure outlet opening, and, in an overpressure position, is lifted off the valve seat, thereby exposing the overpressure outlet opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2019
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Inventors: Klaus Butzke, Marc Kalmbach, Ulrich Kinle
  • Publication number: 20190085990
    Abstract: A fluid switch-over device illustratively for use in a sanitary shower device, including at least one fluid inlet, at least two fluid outlets, and a movable switch-over body for controlling fluid connections of the at least two fluid outlets to the at least one fluid inlet. The switch-over body is switchable between at least three different operating positions. An actuation device is configured for sequential and bidirectional switching-over actuation of the switch-over body both in a forward switch-over direction and in a backward switch-over direction inverse to the forward switch-over direction. The actuation device illustratively includes a first actuation unit for sequential switching-over actuation of the switch-over body in the forward switch-over direction and a second actuation unit for sequential switching-over actuation of the switch-over body in the backward switch-over direction, wherein the two actuation units comprise operating elements that are user-operable independently of each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Inventors: Ulrich Kinle, Fabian Melle, Markus Schultis
  • Publication number: 20190055721
    Abstract: A sanitary fitting including a water conduit channel. The sanitary fitting illustratively further includes an insertion duct extending into the water conduit channel and including a user-accessible insertion opening, and an insertion plate including at least one sanitary utility element and exhibiting, in a flow-through region in which the plate has flow-through capability from its one plate main side (H1) to its other plate main side (H2), a smaller plate thickness (PD) as compared to its lateral plate dimension (PL), the insertion plate being insertable in a lateral insertion direction (SL) into the insertion duct via the insertion opening and extractable from the insertion duct counter the insertion direction. The insertion duct remains stationary in an operating position, when the insertion plate is inserted or extracted, and the insertion opening remains user-accessible in the stationary operating position of the insertion duct.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2018
    Publication date: February 21, 2019
    Inventors: Joachim Dieterle, Ulrich Kinle, Fabian Melle, Michael Skrypski, Markus Wöhrle
  • Patent number: 9863127
    Abstract: A sanitary fitting having an outlet contains an outlet end which is formed in a substantially tubular manner. In this tubular end there is arranged a shut-off valve having a cartridge, water flowing through the center of said shut-off valve. A rotary shaft serves to rotate and thus actuate the valve cartridge. The rotary shaft is arranged and mounted inside a mounting sleeve which contains an outlet element at its outlet-side end. An external sleeve, which forms a flush continuation of the fitting housing, serves to rotate the rotary shaft. The sleeve is connected to the rotary shaft by a radial pin which engages through an arcuate slot that extends in the circumferential direction. When the sleeve is rotated, the position and setting of the outlet element remains the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Hansgrohe SE
    Inventors: Matthias Balkau, Joachim Blattner, Ulrich Kinle, Marcus Wöhrle
  • Publication number: 20170159272
    Abstract: The invention relates to a sanitary fitting, in particular a washstand faucet or a kitchen faucet, comprising a faucet housing (2) including a water inlet and a water outlet. The sanitary fitting according to the invention comprises a jet selector device (7) which is displaceably held downstream of the water outlet of the faucet housing and includes at least two different jet-forming bodies (6a, 6b, 6c) which are capable of being transferred selectively into or off a fluid communication with the water outlet by an actuation move of the jet selector device. Use for kitchen sink showers, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Inventors: Klaus Butzke, Daniel Philipp Dieterle, Ulrich Kinle, Sven Kleinwaechter, Markus Woehrle
  • Patent number: 9656281
    Abstract: A shower head jet disk (4) has inlet and outlet openings (8, 9) on opposite sides, with a passage duct (10a, 10b) fluidically connecting each outlet to at least one inlet. An upstream control disk (2) is rotatable relative to the jet disk and has a control slot pattern (131, 134) opening the inlets depending on the rotational position of the control disk. The control slot pattern and the inlets are coordinated such that two adjacent inlet openings (8a, 8b) that correspond with a common outlet opening (9) via two passage ducts (10a, 10b) with non-parallel side walls (12a, 12b) provide different jet outlet directions (Sa, Sb), or two regions of an inlet opening that corresponds with an outlet opening via a passage duct with non-parallel side wall regions provide different jet directions, or two adjacent inlet openings that correspond with two adjacent outlet openings are opened, in alternating fashion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: HANSGROHE SE
    Inventor: Ulrich Kinle
  • Publication number: 20160107175
    Abstract: A shower head jet disk (4) has inlet and outlet openings (8, 9) on opposite sides, with a passage duct (10a, 10b) fluidically connecting each outlet to at least one inlet. An upstream control disk (2) is rotatable relative to the jet disk and has a control slot pattern (131, 134) opening the inlets depending on the rotational position of the control disk. The control slot pattern and the inlets are coordinated such that two adjacent inlet openings (8a, 8b) that correspond with a common outlet opening (9) via two passage ducts (10a, 10b) with non-parallel side walls (12a, 12b) provide different jet outlet directions (Sa, Sb), or two regions of an inlet opening that corresponds with an outlet opening via a passage duct with non-parallel side wall regions provide different jet directions, or two adjacent inlet openings that correspond with two adjacent outlet openings are opened, in alternating fashion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventor: Ulrich KINLE
  • Patent number: 9295996
    Abstract: A shower head has a jet disc having fluid passage channels and a control disc arranged so as to be rotatably movable relative to the jet disc. The control disc has a control slot pattern by which the fluid passage channels are opened up or blocked individually or group-wise depending on the control disc rotary position. The control slot pattern and the fluid passage channels are matched to one another such that, in the event of rotation of the control disc, successively at least two different jet patterns are obtained for a fluid jet exiting from the jet disc. A manually operable blocking mechanism can selectively enable or block the control disc rotary movement in at least one blocking position which corresponds to an associated jet pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Hansgrohe SE
    Inventor: Ulrich Kinle
  • Patent number: 9290918
    Abstract: An outlet fitting for discharging a fed liquid, in particular a sanitary water supply fitting, has a basic body with a connection for connecting to a liquid supply, and an outlet body connected to the basic body. The disclosure concerns a basic body for use with an outlet body, an outlet body for use with a basic body, as well as their combination in an outlet fitting wherein the outlet body forms a liquid container that is removable from the basic body and can be mounted, for example, on a washbasin or sink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Hansgrohe SE
    Inventors: Stefan Armbruster, Joachim Blattner, Ulrich Kinle, Hubert Moosmann
  • Publication number: 20140319248
    Abstract: A shower head has a jet disc having fluid passage channels and a control disc arranged so as to be rotatably movable relative to the jet disc. The control disc has a control slot pattern by which the fluid passage channels are opened up or blocked individually or group-wise depending on the control disc rotary position. The control slot pattern and the fluid passage channels are matched to one another such that, in the event of rotation of the control disc, successively at least two different jet patterns are obtained for a fluid jet exiting from the jet disc. A manually operable blocking mechanism can selectively enable or block the control disc rotary movement in at least one blocking position which corresponds to an associated jet pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: Hansgrohe SE
    Inventor: Ulrich Kinle
  • Patent number: 8807461
    Abstract: A showerhead contains a chamber in connection with a connecting nozzle, said chamber from which the water is discharged from plurality of nipples formed on a membrane formed out of elastomeric material. The nipples feature a duct for the shower water. The nipples penetrate through openings of a perforated disc through the openings slightly larger than the outside diameter of the nipple. By shifting the perforated disc in a plane parallel to the membrane featuring the nipples, the direction of the nipple and thus the direction of the water jets discharged from the nipples will be changed. This adjustment can occur in two directions that are perpendicular to one another. The membrane is preferably approximately plane in shape, so that a front surface of the showerhead is likewise plane in shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Hansgrohe SE
    Inventors: Joachim Blattner, Ulrich Kinle
  • Publication number: 20140076442
    Abstract: An outlet fitting for discharging a fed liquid, in particular a sanitary water supply fitting, has a basic body with a connection for connecting to a liquid supply, and an outlet body connected to the basic body. The disclosure concerns a basic body for use with an outlet body, an outlet body for use with a basic body, as well as their combination in an outlet fitting wherein the outlet body forms a liquid container that is removable from the basic body and can be mounted, for example, on a washbasin or sink.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: Hansgrohe SE
    Inventors: Stefan Armbruster, Joachim Blattner, Ulrich Kinle, Hubert Moosmann
  • Patent number: 8534325
    Abstract: The invention relates to a ventilation device for ventilating shower streams that is configured as an insert, and that may be utilized in a connection of a sanitary fitting, particularly in the connection of a shower head housing. The insert contains at least one water throughput channel connected to a ventilation channel such that air is suctioned in through the ventilation channel when a flow passes through the water throughput channel, ventilating the water stream. The insert may have a receptacle for a flow restrictor. A backflow preventer may be provided in order to prevent water leakage from the exterior end of the ventilation channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Hansgrohe SE
    Inventors: Fabian Melle, Ulrich Kinle
  • Patent number: 8534576
    Abstract: A shower head for a hand-held shower attachment, an overhead shower attachment or a side shower attachment contains, in its shower-head housing, a vortex chamber which is of funnel shape with the side wall curved. The funnel begins, at the location of the largest diameter, in a radial plane and then decreases in diameter along a curved contour to an exit, where the walls of the funnel run in the axial direction. At the location of the largest diameter of the vortex chamber, upstream of this tapering region, the water is let in tangentially in the circumferential direction and in the axial direction. The vortex which is generated by virtue of the water being let in tangentially accelerates its speed of rotation in the direction of the spray disc. Arranged at the end of the tapering region is a jet-outlet chamber which is very flat, but is of large diameter in relation to the vortex chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Hansgrohe SE
    Inventors: Klaus Grohe, Hubert Moosmann, Ulrich Kinle, Markus Woehrle