Patents by Inventor Eckhard Maurer

Eckhard Maurer 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: 11936038
    Abstract: An anode active material for lithium ion batteries includes one or more unaggregated silicon particles having a mass-based chlorine content of from 5 to 200 ppm and a volume-weighted particle size distribution having diameter percentiles d50 of from 0.5 ?m to 10.0 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Wacker Chemie AG
    Inventors: Jürgen Pfeiffer, Eckhard Hanelt, Harald Hertlein, Karl Hesse, Robert Maurer
  • Patent number: 11926043
    Abstract: In a robot (1) for gripping and/or holding objects (2), in particular workpieces, tools or carrier parts, the robot comprising: at least one robot arm (3, 4, 5) which is supported on a support frame (19) and is movable in space in at least one translational and/or rotational degree of freedom, a gripping and/or holding device (6), on which the respective object (2) is supported in a positionally oriented manner and/or held in a rotational arrangement, at least one electric motor (9) provided in the gripping and/or holding device (6), by means of which a torque and/or a clamping force is generated which acts on the object (2), and a drive shaft (24) mounted in the robot arm (5), which is coupled in a driving manner to the gripping and/or holding device (6), preferably in such a way that the gripping and/or holding device (6) rotates about its own longitudinal axis (6?), the gripping and/or holding device (6) arranged at the free end of the robot arm (5) should be freely movable in space, so that rotation a
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: SMW-Autoblok Spannsysteme GmbH
    Inventor: Eckhard Maurer
  • Publication number: 20240009787
    Abstract: It is already know from the prior art to provide machine tools with a clamping device, in which a portion of the control is transferred to the clamping device. This simplifies the connection to the available machine control and allows a simplified coupling of the clamping device to the machine tool. However, in spite of the inductive coupling between the machine control and the clamping device control, it is not ensured that process data sets reach their intended destination. This situation is addressed by the present invention in that a clamping device control is allocated to the clamping device, two redundant microprocessors are included, which analyze received process data sets independently of each other and, in the case of an error, transfer the clamping device into a safe state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventor: Eckhard Maurer
  • Publication number: 20240009786
    Abstract: It is already known to detect the position of a pressure element of a steady rest, by means of which its angle levers are actuated, via a traction cable and its rolling position. Possible penetration of liquid via openings in the housing, present for functioning, is avoided by applying sealing air which generates a positive pressure in the housing. After operation, however, penetrated or penetrating liquid could damage the coiling device of the traction cable and impair the position detection. The present invention is intended to provide the option to provide a more accurate and simpler detection of the position of the pressure element, and thereby further alleviate the problem of penetrating liquid. This is achieved by use of a distance sensor that detects the position of the pressure element and is drained via a drain hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Eckhard Maurer, Tobias Schneider
  • Publication number: 20230302547
    Abstract: The invention relates to a chuck (1) via which workpieces (2) are supported on a machine tool in a separate and centered manner for machining by the machine tool, including a chuck body (3) and at least four radially oriented guide grooves (4) that are incorporated into same, including at least four clamping jaws (5, 6, 7, 8) that are situated in each case in pairs in an x or y plane, and separately inserted into one of the guide grooves (4) in a movably supported manner, including a drive element (9) that is mounted in the chuck body (3), and which synchronously feeds the four clamping jaws (5, 6, 7, 8) in the direction of the workpiece (2) to be clamped or is moved away by same, and including a rocker (11) that is provided in each case between the drive element (9) and two adjacent clamping jaws (5, 7 or 6, 8), the rocker having a center of symmetry (12) into which a bolt (13) that is swivelably mounted on the drive element (9) is inserted, the rocker (11) being swivelable about the bolt as a function of th
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2023
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Inventor: Eckhard Maurer
  • Patent number: 11618115
    Abstract: A zero-point clamping device for centered locking of an object with repeat accuracy, the device comprising: a housing, a receiving opening worked into the housing having a centering axis, at least two clamping slides mounted axially displaceably in a bore provided in the housing, and an actuating element for moving the clamping slides, one axis of rotation of the actuating element running tangentially and at a distance from the receiving opening to enable a reliable, permanent and repeatable fixing of a large number of workpieces and being extremely compact. This is achieved with two spaced-apart threads incorporated in the actuating element, the respective threads of which have identical pitches and are inclined in opposite directions, and a drive pin inserted in each thread in a driving connection with the thread such that the drive pins can be moved along the axis of rotation of the actuating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Inventors: Eckhard Maurer, Juergen Marquart
  • Publication number: 20230088695
    Abstract: In the case of a clamping device (1) for holding a workpiece (3) to be machined by a machine tool (2), which is used in particular as a clamping chuck, vice or zero point clamping system, consisting of a housing (4), a supporting element (6), which is a component of the housing (4) or is fastened thereto, and thereby forms a supporting surface (6'), on which the respective workpiece (3) rests during the machining process, at least one clamping jaw (7) that is mounted in the housing (4) so it is axially movable and a counter-stop formed by the housing (4) or an axially movable clamping jaw (8), between which the workpiece (3) is clamped in the region of the supporting surface (6') or at least three clamping jaws (7, 8, 9) mounted in the housing (4) so they are axially movable, between which the workpiece (3) is clamped in the region of the supporting surface (6'), a reliable and verifiable monitoring of the distance between the workpiece (3) and the supporting surface (6') and/or the clamping jaws (7, 8, 9) is
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2022
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventor: Eckhard Maurer
  • Publication number: 20230084822
    Abstract: In the case of a clamping device (1) for holding a workpiece (3) to be machined by a machine tool (2), consisting of a housing (4), at least one clamping jaw (7) mounted in the housing (4) so that it is axially movable and a counter-stop (10) formed by the housing (4), between which the workpiece (3) is clamped or at least two clamping jaws (7, 8, 9) mounted in the housing (4) so they are axially movable, between which the workpiece (3) is clamped, and an electrically operated drive device (11), by means of which the movable clamping jaws (7, 8, 9) are movably controlled, and by means of which a holding force, transmitted by the clamping jaws (7, 8, 9) to the workpiece (3) or by a clamping bolt (3?) coupled with the workpiece (3), is generated during the clamping process, both an automated insertion as well as a clamping device (1) are supposed to be further developed, by means of which an automated position check of the inserted workpiece (3) can be carried out, and by means of which, when the test result is
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2022
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventors: Eckhard Maurer, Patrick Dannecker
  • Patent number: 11260486
    Abstract: In a clamping fixture 1, in particular a vice, with a housing (2) in which a guide track (10) is provided and with at least one base jaw (3, 4) to each of which a clamping jaw (6, 7) can be attached, the cavities or air gaps (21) between the inner wall of the guide grooves (10) and the base jaws (3, 4) should be completely covered. This is achieved in that a seal (11) is inserted into each of the air gaps (21) existing in the housing 2 between the base jaw (3, 4) and the inner wall of the guide track (10) as well as in the parting plane between the base jaws (6, 4) and at the face ends (16) in the area of the guide track (10) running there, and that the particular seal (11) is held in a specified position by means of a support strip (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: SMW-Autoblok Spannsysteme GmbH
    Inventor: Eckhard Maurer
  • Patent number: 11253931
    Abstract: A device (1) for controlling operation of a chuck (2), the device (1) comprising a chuck (2) for centering a workpiece (3) to be machined; at least one electric motor (6) connected to at least one moveable clamping jaw (4), the at least one movable clamping jaw (4) being configured to be selectively moved by the at least one electric motor (6); a first inductive transmission device; a second inductive transmission device (8) disposed in alignment with the first inductive transmission device (7) such that measurement signals and/or electric power are inductively transmitted between the first transmission device (7) and the second transmission device (8); and an external control device (11) by means of which command and monitoring data required for the operation of the at least one clamping jaw (4), and for the operation and locking of the electric motors (6) can be entered and/or read.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: SMW-Autoblok Spannsysteme GmbH
    Inventor: Eckhard Maurer
  • Patent number: 11247306
    Abstract: A zero-point clamping device for centering an object (2), the device comprising: a housing (4), a receiving opening (5), and two opposite clamping slides (7, 8) mounted axially displaceably in a bore (9) in the housing (4), which open into the receiving opening (5) during clamping and act on the object (2) to center it, wherein clamping is achieved by an actuating element (11) rotatably mounted in the housing (4), the axis of rotation (12) of which runs parallel to the clamping slides (7, 8), a through-opening (13) aligned perpendicularly to the clamping slides (7, 8), and a pivot pin (14, 15) inserted into the through-opening (13), one free end (16) of which engages in a guide groove (18) in a driving arrangement, and the opposite free end (17) of which is inserted into an abutment (21) associated with the housing (4) and is held in a tilting arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: SMW-Autoblok Spannsysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Patrick Dannecker, Jürgen Marquart, Eckhard Maurer
  • Patent number: 11154938
    Abstract: In a chuck (1) by means of which workpieces (2) are supported individually and centered for machining by a machine tool, the chuck comprising: a chuck body (3), four clamping jaws (5, 6, 7, 8) which are radially movably mounted on the chuck body (3) and are each arranged in pairs in an X or Y plane, and a drive piston (9) which is mounted in the chuck body (3) so as to be axially movable and which is drivably coupled to the four clamping jaws (5, 6, 7, 8) via a helical surface or helical gearing (10) worked on the drive piston (9) and the respective clamping jaws (5, 6, 7, 8), and feeds these synchronously in the direction of the workpiece (2) to be clamped or moves them away from the latter, a position-accurate, i.e. centered alignment for a large number of differently designed workpieces (2) can be achieved with a high repetition accuracy for subsequent clamping operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Inventor: Eckhard Maurer
  • Publication number: 20210094192
    Abstract: In a robot (1) for gripping and/or holding objects (2), in particular workpieces, tools or carrier parts, the robot comprising: at least one robot arm (3, 4, 5) which is supported on a support frame (19) and is movable in space in at least one translational and/or rotational degree of freedom, a gripping and/or holding device (6), on which the respective object (2) is supported in a positionally oriented manner and/or held in a rotational arrangement, at least one electric motor (9) provided in the gripping and/or holding device (6), by means of which a torque and/or a clamping force is generated which acts on the object (2), and a drive shaft (24) mounted in the robot arm (5), which is coupled in a driving manner to the gripping and/or holding device (6), preferably in such a way that the gripping and/or holding device (6) rotates about its own longitudinal axis (6?), the gripping and/or holding device (6) arranged at the free end of the robot arm (5) should be freely movable in space, so that rotation a
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventor: Eckhard Maurer
  • Publication number: 20210078082
    Abstract: In a clamping device (1) for the centred and repetitively accurate support of an object (2), in particular a workpiece to be machined on a machine tool, a tool or the like, the clamping device comprising: a chuck body (3) in which a receiving opening (4) is incorporated which has a longitudinal axis (5) as a centring reference for the object (2), a pulling element (6) which is mounted axially movably in the receiving opening (4), a collet chuck (7) which is inserted into the receiving opening (4) centred on the longitudinal axis (5) of the receiving opening (4) and which is driveably coupled to the pulling element (6), and a conical centring surface (8) which is worked onto the inner wall in the entrance area of the receiving opening (4), it should be possible to insert a large number of objects (2) of different sizes into a receiving opening (4) of a chuck body (3) and locked in a centred position in this opening without the chuck bodies (3) or their receiving openings (4) having to be adapted to the dif
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Inventor: Eckhard Maurer
  • Patent number: 10946488
    Abstract: A fixture to hold a workpiece comprising, among other things, a housing having a passage opening into which a clamping pin is inserted for supporting the workpiece; a driving ring mounted in the housing; and at least two locking pins facing the axis of the opening, mounted radially in the housing so as to be able to move, wherein the clamping pin is locked in the opening of the housing when the locking pins are moved toward the axis, and released from the passage opening of the housing when the locking pins are moved away from axis; wherein, a control surface with at least two different pitches is worked onto an inside of the driving ring, and a contact surface is worked onto an inner wall of the driving ring so as to permit movement of the locking pins by rotation of the driving ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: SMW-AUTOBLOK Spannsysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Eckhard Maurer, Jürgen Marquart
  • Publication number: 20210046594
    Abstract: In a zero-point clamping device (1) for centred locking of an object (2) with repeat accuracy, in particular a workpiece, a tool or a pallet, or a carrier part (3) to which the corresponding object (2) is attached, the zero-point clamping device comprising: a housing (4), a receiving opening (5) worked into the housing (4), which has a centring axis (6) with which the axis of symmetry (2? or 3?) of the object (2) or the carrier part (3) is coaxially aligned during the clamping process, at least two clamping slides (7, 8 or 9), each of which is mounted axially displaceably in a bore (10) provided in the housing (4) and which open into the receiving opening (5) during the clamped condition and thereby act on the object (2) or the carrier part (3) and secure them, and an actuating element (11) which is rotatably mounted in the housing (4) and by means of which the clamping slides (7, 8, 9) can be moved, one axis of rotation (12) of the actuating element (11) running tangentially and at a distance from the rec
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventors: Eckhard Maurer, Juergen Marquart
  • Patent number: 10875104
    Abstract: A chuck for supporting rotationally symmetrical workpieces to be machined, comprising a chuck body having at least three guideways worked into its end face running in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the chuck, at least three clamping jaws inserted individually into each of the guideways in a movable arrangement, and a driving means in a driving connection with the clamping jaws directly or via intermediate elements, with each of the clamping jaws of the chuck being adjustable during machining using driving means configured as an electric motor, with each clamping jaw having an electric motor arranged inside the chuck body, and when the chuck is stationary, the electric motors are electrically connected to a power source by means of a plug-and-socket connection and electrical cables, and/or when the chuck is rotating or at a standstill each electric motor is connected to the power source via an induction device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: SMW-AUTOBLOK Spannsysteme GmbH
    Inventor: Eckhard Maurer
  • Patent number: 10875103
    Abstract: A device for clamping a workpiece comprises a chuck body and a drive fastened thereto, and at least one clamping jaw, which is coupled to the drive in a driveable arrangement either directly or via intermediate elements and which is or are held movably in or on the chuck body in the direction of the workpiece. This is achieved by providing a free space between the chuck body and a clamping jaw carrier accommodating the clamping jaw, in that an elastically deformable sleeve is inserted in the free space, which sleeve rests on the outside of the chuck body at two positions spaced apart from one another, and in that a pressure chamber is created between the chuck body, the sleeve, and the two support positions into which a medium can be filled, whereby to bulge the latter in the direction of the clamping jaw carrier between the support positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: SMW-AUTOBLOK Spannsysteme GmbH
    Inventor: Eckhard Maurer
  • Publication number: 20200368878
    Abstract: In a zero-point clamping device (1) for centered locking of an object (2) with repeat accuracy, in particular a workpiece, a tool or a pallet, the zero-point clamping device comprising: a housing (4), a receiving opening (5) worked into the housing (4), which has a centering axis (6) with which the object (2) is aligned during the clamping process, and two opposite clamping slides (7, 8), each of which is mounted axially displaceably in a bore (9) provided in the housing (4) and which open into the receiving opening (5) during the clamped condition and thereby act on the object (2) or a carrier part (32) and center it, on the one hand, this should enable a reliable, permanent and repeatable fixing of a large number of workpieces, tools, pallets or other objects (2) and, on the other hand, the housing (4) of the clamping device (1) should be extremely compact, i.e. its external dimensions can be kept extremely small in height and diameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Patrick Dannecker, Jürgen Marquart, Eckhard Maurer
  • Publication number: 20200086397
    Abstract: In a chuck (1) by means of which workpieces (2) are supported individually and centered for machining by a machine tool, the chuck comprising: a chuck body (3), four clamping jaws (5, 6, 7, 8) which are radially movably mounted on the chuck body (3) and are each arranged in pairs in an X or Y plane, and a drive piston (9) which is mounted in the chuck body (3) so as to be axially movable and which is drivably coupled to the four clamping jaws (5, 6, 7, 8) via a helical surface or helical gearing (10) worked on the drive piston (9) and the respective clamping jaws (5, 6, 7, 8), and feeds these synchronously in the direction of the workpiece (2) to be clamped or moves them away from the latter, a position-accurate, i.e. centered alignment for a large number of differently designed workpieces (2) can be achieved with a high repetition accuracy for subsequent clamping operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Publication date: March 19, 2020
    Inventor: Eckhard Maurer