Patents by Inventor Volker HARNICKELL

Volker HARNICKELL 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: 20230381866
    Abstract: A machining apparatus for machining optical lenses has a horizontally aligned conveyor section for transporting containers containing at least one optical lens, the conveyor section extending between an entry and opposite exit side of a module. The machining apparatus has a container buffer store and a container transport device, the latter being designed to retrieve containers from the conveyor section and to store said containers in the container buffer store and to transport containers back onto the conveyor section. A workpiece handling station having at least one parking space is provided for one container. The container transport device transports containers from the container buffer store to at least one parking space. A handling device of workpiece handling station retrieves optical lenses from a container standing on a parking spaces and transfers said container to a machining station. Moreover, the invention relates to a manufacturing system having two such machining apparatuses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Inventors: Volker HARNICKELL, Ernst Bracher
  • Patent number: 11535412
    Abstract: A method for unpacking a workpiece, in particular an optical lens or an optical lens blank, from a package, includes an automated cutting open step of a first package side of the package, and an automated sliding of the workpiece out of the package step on the first package side. An unpacking apparatus for unpacking a workpiece from a package, has a feed station for receiving a package in which a workpiece is arranged, a cutting-open station having a first cutting or sawing tool for the automated cutting open of a first package side of the package downstream of the feed station, and a slide-out station downstream of the cutting-open station. A relative movement can be produced between the package and the workpiece in an automated manner so that the workpiece slides out of the package on the first package side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: OptoTech AG
    Inventors: Benito Guldimann, Claude Volken, Ulrich Wyler, Stefan Anthamatten, Volker Harnickell
  • Publication number: 20210130026
    Abstract: A method for unpacking a workpiece, in particular an optical lens or an optical lens blank, from a package, includes an automated cutting open step of a first package side of the package, and an automated sliding of the workpiece out of the package step on the first package side. An unpacking apparatus for unpacking a workpiece from a package, has a feed station for receiving a package in which a workpiece is arranged, a cutting-open station having a first cutting or sawing tool for the automated cutting open of a first package side of the package downstream of the feed station, and a slide-out station downstream of the cutting-open station. A relative movement can be produced between the package and the workpiece in an automated manner so that the workpiece slides out of the package on the first package side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Inventors: Benito GULDIMANN, Claude VOLKEN, Ulrich WYLER, Stefan ANTHAMATTEN, Volker HARNICKELL