Patents by Inventor Mathias Wechlin

Mathias Wechlin 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: 20230191925
    Abstract: A device for inductively transmitting electrical energy between a power supply unit arranged on the shore of a body of water or in the body of water and a watercraft includes a primary coil associated with the power supply unit, and a secondary coil which is connectable to the primary coil for inductively transmitting electrical energy, and which is arrangeable on the watercraft. A height-adjustment device connected to the primary coil is provided in order to hold the primary coil at a consistent vertical distance from a water surface in a vertical direction running in the direction of the buoyancy. A corresponding charging system and method includes: aligning the coils relative to one another; previously or simultaneously adjusting a vertical distance between the primary coil and water surface by with a height-adjustment device; inductively transmitting electrical energy between the coils.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2021
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Applicant: IPT Technology GmbH
    Inventor: Mathias WECHLIN
  • Patent number: 9824805
    Abstract: A coil unit for an electric vehicle for the inductive transfer of electrical energy between the coil unit and a stationary charging station. The coil unit includes at least one coil and a flux guide unit for guiding a magnetic flux occurring during operation of the coil. Also disclosed is an electric vehicle having a coil unit for the inductive transfer of electrical energy between a secondary coil of the coil unit and a primary coil of a charging station. The disclosed coil solves the problem of allowing the safe use of the inductive electrical energy transfer in electric vehicles, in particular motor vehicles, by proposing a coil unit, in which the flux guide unit has material weakenings, and an electric vehicle having such a coil unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: CONDUCTIX-WAMPFLER GMBH
    Inventors: Mathias Wechlin, Pascal Asselin, Andrew Green
  • Patent number: 9776516
    Abstract: A device for the inductive transfer of electrical energy between a stationary coil, which can be installed in a roadway, and a secondary coil of a movable electrical load, in particular of an electrical vehicle, wherein a supply unit for supplying electrical energy is allocated to the coil. The problem of providing a maintenance-friendly, reliable, operationally secure device for inductive transfer of electrical energy, which is protected against penetration of water into the sensitive electronics, is solved in that the supply unit is arranged on a side of the coil facing away from the roadway in an installed state in a housing which is closed on top and laterally, having a housing opening open to the bottom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: CONDUCTIX-WAMPFLER GMBH
    Inventor: Mathias Wechlin
  • Patent number: 9623763
    Abstract: In a method for detecting an electrically conductive foreign body at a device for inductively transmitting electrical energy from a stationary unit having an electrical power supply unit and a primary inductor to a mobile unit having a secondary inductor and an electric load, electrical power is initially fed from the electrical power supply unit into the primary inductor and the feed-in is interrupted. The curve over time of the resulting decay of an electrical operating variable of the primary inductor is measured and at least one parameter of the measured curve is compared with a corresponding parameter of a reference curve in the event of an interruption of the power feed-in into the primary inductor without the presence of an electrically conductive foreign body. The comparison is used to determine whether an electrically conductive foreign body is present in the region of the magnetic field produced by the primary inductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: CONDUCTIX—WAMPFLER GMBH
    Inventors: Mathias Wechlin, Pascal Asselin
  • Patent number: 9543781
    Abstract: An apparatus for inductively transmitting electrical energy from a stationary unit to a mobile unit which is located adjacent to the stationary unit. The apparatus has a coil and a flux guide unit for guiding a magnetic flux occurring during operation of the apparatus with at least one ferromagnetic body, which consists of a multiplicity of individual elements. The flux guide unit has the basic shape of a plate and is arranged on one side of the coil perpendicular to the winding axis thereof in such a way that it covers the cross-sectional area of the coil at least partially. The ferromagnetic body includes individual elements with anisotropic magnetic permeability and has, overall, anisotropic magnetic permeability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: CONDUCTIX-WAMPFLER GMBH
    Inventors: Pascal Asselin, Andrew Green, Mathias Wechlin
  • Patent number: 9473211
    Abstract: A device for the inductive transmission of electrical energy having a coil which can be inductively coupled to another coil for energy transmission; a power electronic unit for drawing electrical power from the coil or for outputting electrical power into the coil; and a feedline connecting the coil to the power electronic unit. The feedline includes at least two multi-conductor cables with conductors which are insulated from one another and the connection of each terminal of the coil to a respectively assigned terminal of the power electronic unit includes a plurality of conductors of the multi-conductor cables. Each terminal of the coil is preferably connected to the respectively assigned terminal of the power electronic unit by conductors of at least two different cables and the same number of conductors of each individual cable connect each terminal of the coil to the respectively assigned terminal of the power electronic unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: CONDUCTIX WAMPFLER GMBH
    Inventors: Mathias Wechlin, Pascal Asselin
  • Patent number: 9281708
    Abstract: A device for inductive transfer of electric energy from a stationary unit including at least one primary inductance to a vehicle that is adjacent to the unit and has at least one secondary inductance. The stationary unit has a device for detecting the presence of an electrically conductive object in a predetermined area that borders the primary inductance. The area can be between the primary and secondary inductance during the inductive energy transfer. The device has at least one measuring inductance, a measuring unit for measuring the impedance of the measuring inductance and an evaluation unit connected to the measuring unit. Preferably, the device is equipped with a plurality of measuring inductances which form a regular two-dimensional arrangement extending approximately in one plane, the plane lying perpendicular to the main direction of the magnetic field that is generated by the primary inductance during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: CONDUCTIX-WAMPFLER GMBH
    Inventors: Mathias Wechlin, Andrew Green
  • Patent number: 9203258
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for the inductive transfer of electric energy from a stationary unit that has at least two similar primary inductances (1-4) to a vehicle (5) standing adjacent to said unit. The primary inductances (1-4) of the stationary unit can be supplied with electrical current independently of one another and the current supply can be individually activated or deactivated by a central control unit (12). Preferably, the device is equipped with a uniform two-dimensional arrangement (26-32, 27A-31A) of a plurality of primary inductances that are similar to one another and are in the form of a rectangular matrix (26-31). Either a dedicated output of a central current supply unit or a dedicated current supply unit (7-10) is assigned to each primary inductance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: CONDUCTIX-WAMPFLER GMBH
    Inventors: Mathias Wechlin, Andrew Green
  • Patent number: 9024483
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for the inductive transfer of electric energy from a stationary unit comprising at least one primary inductance to a vehicle that is adjacent to said unit and has at least one second inductance. The stationary unit or the vehicle has a device for detecting the presence of an object in a predetermined area that covers at least the area lying between the primary inductance and the second inductance during the inductive energy transfer. The detection device has at least one contactless sensor and an evaluation unit that is connected to the sensor. At least the sensor of the detection device is integrated into or mounted on the same housing as the primary or secondary coil of the energy transfer device. The sensor can be an ultrasonic sensor, radar sensor, infra-red sensor or an electric image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Conductix-Wampfler GmbH
    Inventors: Mathias Wechlin, Andrew Green
  • Publication number: 20150084426
    Abstract: A device for the inductive transfer of electrical energy between a stationary coil, which can be installed in a roadway, and a secondary coil of a movable electrical load, in particular of an electrical vehicle, wherein a supply unit for supplying electrical energy is allocated to the coil. The problem of providing a maintenance-friendly, reliable, operationally secure device for inductive transfer of electrical energy, which is protected against penetration of water into the sensitive electronics, is solved in that the supply unit is arranged on a side of the coil facing away from the roadway in an installed state in a housing which is closed on top and laterally, having a housing opening open to the bottom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventor: Mathias Wechlin
  • Publication number: 20150061593
    Abstract: A coil unit for an electric vehicle for the inductive transfer of electrical energy between the coil unit and a stationary charging station. The coil unit includes at least one coil and a flux guide unit for guiding a magnetic flux occurring during operation of the coil. Also disclosed is an electric vehicle having a coil unit for the inductive transfer of electrical energy between a secondary coil of the coil unit and a primary coil of a charging station. The disclosed coil solves the problem of allowing the safe use of the inductive electrical energy transfer in electric vehicles, in particular motor vehicles, by proposing a coil unit, in which the flux guide unit has material weakenings, and an electric vehicle having such a coil unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Inventors: Mathias Wechlin, Pascal Asselin, Andrew Green
  • Publication number: 20140327394
    Abstract: An apparatus for inductively transmitting electrical energy from a stationary unit to a mobile unit which is located adjacent to the stationary unit. The apparatus has a coil and a flux guide unit for guiding a magnetic flux occurring during operation of the apparatus with at least one ferromagnetic body, which consists of a multiplicity of individual elements. The flux guide unit has the basic shape of a plate and is arranged on one side of the coil perpendicular to the winding axis thereof in such a way that it covers the cross-sectional area of the coil at least partially. The ferromagnetic body includes individual elements with anisotropic magnetic permeability and has, overall, anisotropic magnetic permeability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Applicant: CONDUCTIX-WAMPFLER GMBH
    Inventors: Pascal Asselin, Andrew Green, Mathias Wechlin
  • Publication number: 20140292091
    Abstract: A device for the inductive transmission of electrical energy having a coil which can be inductively coupled to another coil for energy transmission; a power electronic unit for drawing electrical power from the coil or for outputting electrical power into the coil; and a feedline connecting the coil to the power electronic unit. The feedline includes at least two multi-conductor cables with conductors which are insulated from one another and the connection of each terminal of the coil to a respectively assigned terminal of the power electronic unit includes a plurality of conductors of the multi-conductor cables. Each terminal of the coil is preferably connected to the respectively assigned terminal of the power electronic unit by conductors of at least two different cables and the same number of conductors of each individual cable connect each terminal of the coil to the respectively assigned terminal of the power electronic unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2011
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: CONDUCTIX-WAMPFLER GMBH
    Inventors: Mathias Wechlin, Pascal Asselin
  • Patent number: 8807309
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for inductively transmitting electrical energy to displaceable consumers (F1-F13) that can be moved along a track, having a primary conductor arrangement (2) divided into route segments (3-7) that are electrically separated from each other, and extending along the track, wherein individual route segments (3-7) are each associated with at least one current source (3?-7?) for imprinting a continuous current into each of the route segments (3-7), and to a corresponding method. The aim of the invention is to supply the displaceable consumers in an energy-saving manner with electric energy matched to demand, and to allow short reaction times when operating the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Conductix-Wampfler AG
    Inventors: Mathias Wechlin, Andrew Green
  • Publication number: 20140191715
    Abstract: In a method for detecting an electrically conductive foreign body at a device for inductively transmitting electrical energy from a stationary unit having an electrical power supply unit and a primary inductor to a mobile unit having a secondary inductor and an electric load, electrical power is initially fed from the electrical power supply unit into the primary inductor and the feed-in is interrupted. The curve over time of the resulting decay of an electrical operating variable of the primary inductor is measured and at least one parameter of the measured curve is compared with a corresponding parameter of a reference curve in the event of an interruption of the power feed-in into the primary inductor without the presence of an electrically conductive foreign body. The comparison is used to determine whether an electrically conductive foreign body is present in the region of the magnetic field produced by the primary inductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: CONDUCTIX-WAMPFLER GMBH
    Inventors: Mathias Wechlin, Pascal Asselin
  • Publication number: 20120267209
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for inductively transmitting electrical energy to displaceable consumers (F1-F13) that can be moved along a track, having a primary conductor arrangement (2) divided into route segments (3-7) that are electrically separated from each other, and extending along the track, wherein individual route segments (3-7) are each associated with at least one current source (3?-7?) for imprinting a continuous current into each of the route segments (3-7), and to a corresponding method. The aim of the invention is to supply the displaceable consumers in an energy-saving manner with electric energy matched to demand, and to allow short reaction times when operating the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2010
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: CONDUCTIX-WAMPFLER AG
    Inventors: Mathias Wechlin, Andrew Green
  • Publication number: 20120203410
    Abstract: The main claim involves a system that ensures a self-guiding, electronic positioning of a secondary coil in a vehicle, without the aid of indicators or kinematic or mechanical aids, in relation to a primary coil that is fixed in a structure, in order to guarantee a transfer of energy with over 90% efficiency without the disadvantages of moving, frictional and elastic components in terms of energy consumption, functional safety and wear. To achieve this aim, the coil housing in the structure fulfills the role of an electronics housing, reflective element and cooling element thanks to the choice of material used, the surface and the inner supports and can thus be retrofitted, as a single installation on the structure in the form of an operation-ready complete package, to any flat base with an electric connection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2010
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: CONDUCTIX-WAMPFER AG
    Inventors: Mathias Wechlin, Mirko Heimburger
  • Publication number: 20120187757
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for the inductive transfer of electric energy from a stationary unit comprising at least one primary inductance to a vehicle that is adjacent to said unit and has at least one second inductance. The stationary unit or the vehicle has a device for detecting the presence of an object in a predetermined area that covers at least the area lying between the primary inductance and the second inductance during the inductive energy transfer. The detection device has at least one contactless sensor and an evaluation unit that is connected to the sensor. At least the sensor of the detection device is integrated into or mounted on the same housing as the primary or secondary coil of the energy transfer device. The sensor can be an ultrasonic sensor, radar sensor, infra-red sensor or an electric image sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2010
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: CONDUCTIX-WAMPFLER AG
    Inventors: Mathias Wechlin, Andrew Green
  • Publication number: 20120187773
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for the inductive transfer of electric energy from a stationary unit that has at least two similar primary inductances (1-4) to a vehicle (5) standing adjacent to said unit. The primary inductances (1-4) of the stationary unit can be supplied with electrical current independently of one another and the current supply can be individually activated or deactivated by a central control unit (12). Preferably, the device is equipped with a uniform two-dimensional arrangement (26-32, 27A-31A) of a plurality of primary inductances that are similar to one another and are in the form of a rectangular matrix (26-31). Either a dedicated output of a central current supply unit or a dedicated current supply unit (7-10) is assigned to each primary inductance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: CONDUCTIX-WAMPFLER AG
    Inventors: Mathias Wechlin, Andrew Green
  • Publication number: 20120181981
    Abstract: The invention relates to an energy supply unit (1; 21) for supplying an onboard electrical system (8) of a land vehicle (26), in particular a wheeled vehicle, with a rechargeable electric energy accumulator (3), a secondary coil (9) connected thereto for the inductive energy transmission between the secondary coil (9), and a primary coil (28) of a charging station, to a land vehicle comprising an onboard electrical system, to a replacement station, and to a method for replacing an energy supply unit contained in a land vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2010
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: CONDUCTIX-WAMPFLER AG
    Inventors: Mathias Wechlin, Andrew Green