Patents by Inventor Volker Reiffenrath

Volker Reiffenrath 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).

  • Liquid-crystalline medium
    Patent number: 7081280
    Abstract: A liquid-crystalline medium containing a mixture of polar compounds of positive dielectric anisotropy. The mixture contains one or more compounds of formula I in which: R is H, an alkyl or alkenyl radical having 1 to 15 carbon atoms which is unsubstituted, monosubstituted by CN or CF3 or at least monosubstituted by halogen, where one or more CH2 groups in these radicals are optionally, in each case independently of one another, replaced by —O—, —S—, —CO—, —CO—O—, —O—CO— or —O—CO—O in such a way that O atoms are not linked directly to one another; is a trans-1,4-cyclohexylene ring, in which one or two CH2 groups are optionally replaced by —O— and/or —S—, or a cyclohexenylene ring; Y is halogenated alkyl, halogenated alkenyl, halogenated alkoxy or halogenated alkenyloxy having 1 to 6 carbon atoms; Z is —OCH2—, —CH2CH2—, —CH?CH—, —CF2O—, —OCF2—, —C2F4— or a single bond; and n is 1 or 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2006
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Heckmeier, Brigitte Schuler, Kazuaki Tarumi, Peer Kirsch, Volker Reiffenrath
  • Liquid-crystalline medium
    Patent number: 7033652
    Abstract: Liquid-crystalline media comprising at least one compound of the formula I in which X, L1, L2 and L3 are as defined herein, are useful for use in electro-optical displays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Heckmeier, Martin Engel, Brigitte Schuler, Volker Reiffenrath
  • Liquid-crystalline medium
    Patent number: 7033654
    Abstract: A liquid-crystalline medium based on a mixture of polar compounds of positive dielectric anisotropy, which medium exhibits a birefringence value of ?0.065 and includes one or more compounds of formula Ia and at least one compound of the formula Xc or Xd: in which R, alkyl, alkenyl and alkenyl* are as defined in claim 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Heckmeier, Brigitte Schuler, Kazuaki Tarumi, Peer Kirsch, Volker Reiffenrath
  • Chiral dopants having a laterally alkylated phenyl structural element
    Publication number: 20060081813
    Abstract: The present invention relates to chiral dopants having a laterally alkylated phenyl unit of the general formula I: in which Q*, R, A, Z, V, W, X, Y and n are as defined in Claim 1, to the use thereof as components in liquid-crystalline mixtures, and to liquid-crystal and electro-optical display elements which contain the liquid-crystalline mixtures according to the invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2003
    Publication date: April 20, 2006
    Inventors: Volker Reiffenrath, Michael Heckmeiter
  • Liquid-crystalline medium
    Patent number: 7029731
    Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid-crystalline medium based on a mixture of polar compounds having positive dielectric anisotropy, characterized in that it comprises one or more compounds of the general formula I in which R, A1, Z1, Y and L are as defined in claim 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Kazuaki Tarumi, Brigitte Schuler, Eike Poetsch, Volker Reiffenrath, Yukiomi Tanaka
  • Liquid-crystalline medium
    Patent number: 7026020
    Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid-crystalline medium based on a mixture of polar compounds of positive dielectric anisotropy, which medium comprises one or more compounds the general formula Ia and one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of compounds of the formula III and V to VIII: The notations r, R, R0, X0, Z0 and Y1-4 are defined herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Heckmeier, Brigitte Schuler, Kazuaki Tarumi, Peer Kirsch, Volker Reiffenrath
  • Chiral phenol derivative, liquid crystal medium containing said chiral phenol derivative
    Publication number: 20060011888
    Abstract: The invention relates to chiral phenols, preferably of formula (I), the different parameters having the meaning indicated in the description, liquid crystal media which contain said compounds as chiral doping agents and/or stabilizers, and the use thereof in electro-optical displays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2003
    Publication date: January 19, 2006
    Inventors: Volker Reiffenrath, Michael Heckmeier
  • Liquid-crystalline medium
    Patent number: 6964794
    Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid-crystalline medium based on a mixture of polar compounds of positive dielectric anisotropy, characterized in that it comprises one or more compounds of the formula I in which R1, L1 and L2 are as defined in claim 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2005
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Heckmeier, Brigitte Schuler, Izumi Saito, Volker Reiffenrath, Georg Luessem, Christian Hock
  • Liquid-crystalline medium
    Patent number: 6962733
    Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid-crystalline medium based on a mixture of polar compounds of positive dielectric anisotropy, characterized in that it comprises one or more compounds of the formula I in which R1, L1 and L2 are as defined in claim 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Heckmeier, Brigitte Schuler, Izumi Saito, Volker Reiffenrath, Georg Luessem, Christian Hock
  • 3,3,4,4-Tetrafluorocyclopentane compounds, used as components of liquid crystal media
    Publication number: 20050224756
    Abstract: The invention relates to 3,3,4,4-tetrafluorocyclopentane compounds of formula (I), in which R1, A1, A2, Z1, Z2 m are defined as cited in claim 1. Said compounds are suitable for use as components of liquid crystal media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2003
    Publication date: October 13, 2005
    Inventors: Volker Reiffenrath, Georg Lussem
  • Liquid-crystalline medium
    Patent number: 6953610
    Abstract: A liquid-crystalline medium based on a mixture of polar compounds of positive dielectric anisotropy, which contains: one or more compounds of the general formula I ?in which R, ?Y, Z and n are as defined in claim 1, one or more compounds of the following formulae IIa, IIb, IIc and IId and one or more compounds of the formula in which Ro, Xo, Y2 and r are as defined in claim 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2005
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Heckmeier, Brigitte Schuler, Kazuaki Tarumi, Peer Kirsch, Volker Reiffenrath
  • Liquid-crystalline medium
    Patent number: 6951669
    Abstract: A liquid-crystalline medium having a mixture of polar compounds of positive dielectric anisotropy is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Heckmeier, Brigitte Schuler, Kazuaki Tarumi, Peer Kirsch, Volker Reiffenrath
  • Liquid-crystalline phenol esters
    Publication number: 20050205843
    Abstract: The invention relates to liquid-crystalline phenol esters of the formula I in which R, A1, Z1, m, L and Y are as defined in Claim 1, to liquid-crystalline media comprising at least one phenol ester of the formula I, and to electro-optical displays containing such a liquid-crystalline medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2005
    Publication date: September 22, 2005
    Inventors: Volker Reiffenrath, Michael Heckmeier, Eike Poetsch, Joachim Krause, Werner Binder, Brigitte Schuler, Achim Gotz
  • Liquid-crystalline medium
    Patent number: 6929833
    Abstract: Liquid-crystalline mediums based on a mixture of polar compounds having positive dielectric aniostropy, characterized in that they comprise one or more compounds of the general formula I in which R, A1, Z1, Y and L are as defined herein, are suitable for use in MLC, TN and STN dispalys.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Kazuaki Tarumi, Brigitte Schuler, Eike Poetsch, Volker Reiffenrath, Yukiomi Tanaka
  • Liquid-crystalline medium
    Patent number: 6890607
    Abstract: A liquid-crystalline medium based on a mixture of polar compounds of positive dielectric anisotropy, which contains one or more compounds of the formula I in which R1 is a halogenated or unsubstituted alkyl or alkoxy radical having from 1 to 15 carbon atoms, where one or more CH2 groups in these radicals are optionally, independently of one another, replaced by —C?C—, —CH?CH—, —O—, —CO—O— or —O—CO— in such a way that O atoms are not linked directly to one another, X is SF5, and L1 and L2 are each, independently of one another, H or F. The media are useful in electro-optical liquid crystal displays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Heckmeier, Brigitte Schuler, Izumi Saito, Volker Reiffenrath, Georg Luessem, Christian Hock
  • Liquid crystalline medium and liquid crystal display
    Publication number: 20050092966
    Abstract: The instant invention relates to liquid crystalline media comprising a dielectrically positive component, component A, consisting of dielectrically positive compounds, comprising one or more compounds of formula I and one or more compounds of formula II wherein the parameters have the meaning given in the specification and to liquid crystal displays comprising these media, especially to active matrix displays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2003
    Publication date: May 5, 2005
    Inventors: Michael Heckmeier, Sabine Schoen, Peer Kirsch, Matthias Bremer, Volker Reiffenrath
  • Liquid-crystalline medium
    Publication number: 20050035330
    Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid-crystalline medium based on a mixture of polar compounds of positive dielectric anisotropy, characterized in that it comprises one or more compounds of the general formula I in which R, Y, Z and n are as defined in claim 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2004
    Publication date: February 17, 2005
    Inventors: Michael Heckmeier, Brigitte Schuler, Kazuaki Tarumi, Peer Kirsch, Volker Reiffenrath
  • Liquid-crystalline medium
    Publication number: 20050035329
    Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid-crystalline medium based on a mixture of polar compounds of positive dielectric anisotropy, characterized in that it comprises one or more compounds of the general formula I in which R, Y, Z and n are as defined in claim 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2004
    Publication date: February 17, 2005
    Inventors: Michael Heckmeier, Brigitte Schuler, Kazuaki Tarumi, Peer Kirsch, Volker Reiffenrath
  • Liquid-crystalline medium
    Publication number: 20050006437
    Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid-crystalline medium based on a mixture of polar compounds of positive dielectric anisotropy, characterized in that it comprises one or more compounds of the general formula I in which R, Y, Z and n are as defined in claim 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2004
    Publication date: January 13, 2005
    Inventors: Michael Heckmeir, Brigitte Schuler, Kazuaki Tarumi, Peer Kirsch, Volker Reiffenrath
  • Liquid-crystalline medium
    Publication number: 20040262572
    Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid-crystalline medium based on a mixture of polar compounds of positive dielectric anisotropy, characterized in that it comprises one or more compounds of the formula I 1
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2004
    Publication date: December 30, 2004
    Inventors: Michael Heckmeier, Brigitte Schuler, Izumi Saito, Volker Reiffenrath, Georg Luessem, Christian Hock