Munich (pts019/10.04.2013/11:00) – Vorarlberg inventor of the gently closing door nominated for European Inventor Award
* Claus Hämmerle and Klaus Brüstle for the invention of the mechanism of the gently closing door in category „Industry“ nominated by the European Patent Office
* Worldwide industry standard for kitchen furniture comes from Vorarlberg
* Over 1000 patents Key to market leadership for Julius Blum GmbH
* EPA President Benoît Battistelli: „Inventions secure jobs and growth“.
* Martin Schmidt also nominated together with Korean inventor team for sustainable steel production.
The inventors Claus Hämmerle and Klaus Brüstle of the company Julius Blum from Höchst/Vorarlberg have been nominated by the European Patent Office (EPO) as finalists for the European Inventor Award 2013. The winners of the prize will be selected by the EPO on 28 November. May in Amsterdam at a gala in front of a high-ranking international audience in the presence of Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands.
The fact that you can set international standards and conquer markets with gently closing furniture hinges and drawer intakes is proven by the highest company Julius Blum with its Blumotion technology since 2001. The international jury of the EPO’s European Inventor Award has now also recognized this: Blumotion inventors Claus Hämmerle and Klaus Brüstle are among the three finalists in the “Industry” category.
Inventors build bridges into the future. Through their work, they significantly strengthen Europe’s technical and economic competitiveness. Especially in times of economic uncertainty, the invention of Claus Hämmerle and Klaus Brüstle is indispensable for securing employment and economic growth, said EPA President Benoît Battistelli at the announcement of the nominations for the Inventor Award.
Thanks to a consistent patent strategy in the development of furniture technology, the Vorarlberg-based family business has developed into a global company with branches in Poland, the USA and Brazil. The company generates around 96% of its turnover abroad, in a market with around 150,000 companies and an annual turnover of 130 billion euros in Europe alone.
“Patents play a very special role in the furniture sector, which is hardly known to many people,” explains CEO Julius Blum. With 50 patent applications per year, Julius Blum GmbH is one of the most active think tanks in Austria and devotes around 4% of its turnover to R&D: The hinge technology alone is protected with 300 patents, 10 of which concern the damper system. Today, the company holds more than 1000 patents.
The damping mechanism has long been integrated into the hinges and sold millions of times all over the world. The name „Blumotion“ has become synonymous with damping hinge technology in the furniture industry and a global industry standard. In 2001, the system was awarded the Red Dot Design Award.
„Starting point was a very simple idea: we wanted to dampen hinges.“ We thought, shock absorbers in the car are a matter of course. Why not also for kitchen cabinets and drawers?, according to Blumotion inventor Claus Hämmerle.
For 13 years now, the idea has been further developed, researched and the product continuously improved and protected as a patent. Nevertheless, Blum has to defend his inventions again and again in court, especially against imitators from Asia, so far always with success.
The company was able to grow year after year to more than 1.26 billion. Euro turnover per year, generated by 5,700 employees, 4,350 of them in Vorarlberg alone.
Environmentally sound and cost-effective production of quality steel
The sustainable smelting of iron ore into steel while reducing production costs is the goal of the FINEX method developed by Martin Schmidt of Siemens VAI together with Sang Hoon Joo and Myoung Kyun Shin of Posco Engineering, a subsidiary of Korean steel producer Pohang Iron and Steel.
Martin Schmidt is nominated together with Sang Hoon Joo and Myoung Kyun Shin in the category „Extra-European States“.
In 2012, Dr. Joseph Theurer, a pioneer of modern rail construction, was nominated for the European Inventor Award by an Austrian inventor and entrepreneur.
About the European Inventor Award
The European Inventor Award is the most important prize for innovation in Europe. It has been awarded annually by the European Patent Office (EPO) since 2006. In 2013, the awards ceremony will take place in Amsterdam on 28 May. A public prize will also be awarded for the first time.
The award recognizes individual inventors or teams who help to find technical answers to the most important challenges of our time. In addition, a jury of internationally renowned experts examines the extent to which these inventors have contributed to social progress, job creation and prosperity.
About EPO
With around 7 000 employees, the European Patent Office (EPO) is one of the largest European public service institutions. The headquarters are in Munich; There are offices in Berlin, Brussels, The Hague and Vienna. The EPO was established to promote cooperation between European countries in the field of patents. Through the central grant procedure at the EPO, inventors can obtain patent protection in some or all 38 EPO member states. The EPO is also the world’s most important authority for patent searches and patent information.
For more information, photos, videos, TV-enabled materials on the European Inventor Award: http://www.epo-presschannel.com
Contact:
Oswald Schröder
Speaker, European Patent Office
Tel: +49 89 2399-1800
oschroeder@epo.org
Rainer Osterwalder
Deputy Spokesperson, European Patent Office
Tel: +49 89 2399-1820
Mobile: +49 163 8399527
rosterwalder@epo.org
Shepard Fox Communications Austria
Tel. +43 1 319 41 01 15
Mobile +43 676 377 03 10
austria@shepard-fox.com
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Source: Shepard Fox Communications Austria
Contact person: Axel J. Schafmeister
Tel: +43 1 319 41 01 15
Email: austria@shepard-fox.com
Website: www.shepard-fox.com
[ Quelle: http://www.pressetext.com/news/20130410019 ]