Patents Assigned to Balluff GmbH
  • Patent number: 9697164
    Abstract: In a method and a control device for the operation of a transmission system for an IO link, wherein at least one cable-free transition between an IO link master and at least one IO link device is provided, and wherein the IO link device provides a minimal cycle time for a communication cycle, it is particularly provided that the minimal cycle time provided by the IO link device is increased in such a manner that a temporal delay caused by the cable-free transition is added to the minimal cycle time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Balluff GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Beyer, Stephan Franz
  • Publication number: 20170184423
    Abstract: In a length or position measuring system which has an at least locally substantially linear measuring gauge and at least one sensor to be moved relative to the measuring gauge, wherein the measuring gauge includes an incremental track and at least one absolute track and wherein the incremental track and the at least one absolute track have poles arranged in the longitudinal direction of the measuring gauge, the poles of the at least one absolute track form at least two regions in the sensor with different field strengths or signal amplitudes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Applicant: Balluff GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas BURKHARDT, Achim ZERN
  • Publication number: 20170167896
    Abstract: In a length or position measuring system which has an at least locally substantially linear measuring gauge and at least one sensor able to be moved relative to the measuring gauge wherein the measuring gauge includes an incremental track and at least one absolute track and wherein the incremental track and the at least one absolute track have pole pairs arranged in the longitudinal direction of the measuring gauge, it is provided in particular that at least one pole pair of the absolute track is phase-shifted relative to a corresponding pole pair of the incremental track.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Applicant: Balluff GmbH
    Inventor: Thomas BURKHARDT
  • Patent number: 9658095
    Abstract: A capacitive fill level sensor for measuring the fill level of a medium in a container has an electrode unit, which contains a strip-shaped measurement electrode, a strip-shaped counter electrode and a strip-shaped shielding electrode, the shielding electrode at least partially surrounding the measurement electrode. A first AC voltage source having a predefined frequency and amplitude is provided, to which the shielding electrode is connected such that a shielding capacitor formed between the shielding electrode and the measurement electrode has a shielding capacitance that is proportional to the length of the shielding electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Balluff GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Winkens, Juergen Glock
  • Patent number: 9627801
    Abstract: An electric cable includes a current line having first and second ends, including several individually insulated wires, a first and at least one second plug connector on the first and second ends, respectively. A mutual coating surrounded by a perfluorocarbon and/or glass fiber outer casino surrounds all wire insulations. Each plug connector is insert molded with the outer casing. At least one plug connector includes a material having A) 98.0-99.8 weight % of a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyurethane (PU), styrene-butadiene block copolymers (SBS), perfluorocarbons and mixtures thereof, and B) 0.2-2.0 weight % additives, with A and B totaling 100 weight %. A first and at least one second connection nut are arranged on the first and second plug connectors, respectively. A light source configured to be supplied with electrical energy by at least one wire is arranged in a first and/or second plug connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Balluff GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Mayer-Rosa, Thomas Bayer, Andreas Kammerer
  • Publication number: 20170074682
    Abstract: A position measuring apparatus measures the position(s) of an electrically conductive measurement object which can be moved over a measurement section, along which coils are positioned. A measuring coil is provided between every two excitation coils, through each of which excitation coils an alternating excitation current flows, which current is predefined to be in phase opposition from excitation coil to excitation coil. The alternating magnetic fields produced by the alternating excitation currents induce eddy currents in the electrically conductive measurement object when the measurement object moves past the excitation coils. The measuring coils provide an AC measurement voltage which is induced by the eddy currents flowing in the measurement object when the measurement object moves past the at least one measuring coil. The position of the measurement object is determined on the basis of the at least one AC measurement voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2014
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Applicant: BALLUFF GmbH
    Inventors: Zoltán KÁNTOR, Zoltán PÓLIK, Michael FRIEDRICH
  • Patent number: 9595807
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement for operating a laser diode in clocked mode includes a monitor photodiode, from the signal of which a measure of the radiation emitted by the laser diode is obtained as voltage to be measured, and a comparator, which compares the voltage to be measured with a reference voltage and provides the difference signal to a controller, wherein both the voltage to be measured and the reference voltage are applied continuously to the comparator. In order to carry out operation of the laser diode in clocked mode, a clocked-mode operation of the energy supply of the comparator is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Balluff GmbH
    Inventor: Bernd Fingerle
  • Patent number: 9494678
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a distance sensor (10). In the method, a transmission signal (S1) is radiated as transmission radiation (S2), reflected as reflection radiation (S3) by an object (16), the distance (D) of which is to be measured, and received as a reflection signal (S4). The reflection signal (S4) present at a receiver input (28) and a reference signal likewise occurring at the receiver input (28) are controlled to a specified ratio, the distance (D) being determined during the adjusting process. The invention further relates to devices for performing the method. The method is characterized in that microwaves are used as the transmission radiation (S2) and a cross-talk signal (S5, S6) from the transmission signal (S1) directly to the receiver input (28) with suppressed radiation of the transmission signal (S1) is used as the reference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Balluff GmbH
    Inventors: Sorin Fericean, Martin Osterfeld
  • Publication number: 20160322742
    Abstract: An electric cable includes a current line having first and second ends, including several individually insulated wires, a first and at least one second plug connector on the first and second ends, respectively. A mutual coating surrounded by a perfluorocarbon and/or glass fibre outer casino surrounds all wire insulations. Each plug connector is insert molded with the outer casing. At least one plug connector includes a material having A) 98.0-99.8 weight % of a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyurethane (PU), styrene-butadiene block copolymers (SBS), perfluorocarbons and mixtures thereof, and B) 0.2-2.0 weight % additives, with A and B totalling 100 weight %. A first and at least one second connection nut are arranged on the first and second plug connectors, respectively. A light source configured to be supplied with electrical energy by at least one wire is arranged in a first and/or second plug connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Applicant: Balluff GmbH
    Inventors: Michael MAYER-ROSA, Thomas BAYER, Andreas KAMMERER
  • Publication number: 20160322740
    Abstract: An electric cable includes at least one current line having first and second ends, including several wires, a first plug connector and at least one second plug connector arranged on the first and second ends, respectively. At least one plug connector includes a material having A) 98.0% to 99.8% by weight of a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyurethane (PU), styrene-butadiene block copolymers (SBS), perfluorocarbons and mixtures thereof, and B) 0.2% to 2.0% by weight additives. The total of components A and B results in 100% by weight. A first connection nut and at least one second connection nut are arranged on the first and second plug connectors, respectively. At least one light source is arranged in a first plug connector and/or in a second plug connector and is configured in order to be supplied with electrical energy by at least one wire of the current line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Applicant: Balluff GmbH
    Inventors: Michael MAYER-ROSA, Thomas BAYER, Andreas KAMMERER
  • Publication number: 20160226317
    Abstract: A system for contactless energy and data transfer has mobile and base parts. The mobile part contains a mobile part transmitter/receiver device transmitting and receiving a data signal, a mobile part transceiver and a current supply having a mobile part resonant circuit receiving an energy signal. The base part contains a base part resonant circuit for emitting the energy signal from an energy signal generator to provide a supply voltage to the current supply, a base part transmitter/receiver device receiving and transmitting the data signal, a base part transceiver, and a pulse width modulator. An impulse width modulator provides the pulse width-modulated signal which cyclically operates the energy signal generator to emit the energy signal in pulse bundles. A parameter specification provides a control signal setting at least one parameter of the pulse width-modulated signal to a value where sufficient energy transfer occurs to provide the supply voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Applicant: Balluff GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias BEYER, Stephan SENN, Fabian KAYSER
  • Patent number: 9389310
    Abstract: A method for operation of a distance sensor emits a transmission signal as transmission radiation, reflected by an object, the distance of which is to be measured, as reflection radiation, and received as a reflection signal. The reflection signal and a reference signal that occur at a receiver input are regulated to a predetermined ratio. The distance is determined during the regulation process. An auxiliary transmission antenna emits an auxiliary transmission signal as auxiliary measurement radiation, directly toward a reception antenna. Microwaves are used as the transmission and auxiliary transmission signals. The reception antenna receives the reflection radiation reflected by the object and passes it on to the receiver input as a reflection signal. The reception antenna receives the auxiliary measurement radiation directly and passes it on to the receiver input as an auxiliary reception signal which is evaluated as a reference signal when measurement radiation emission is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Balluff GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Osterfeld, Sorin Fericean
  • Publication number: 20160178394
    Abstract: A method for linearizing sensor signals in a magnetic strip length measuring system moves a sensor head between two magnetic poles of a measurement body. In particular, linearization takes place dynamically during operation of the magnetic strip length measuring system, and linearization deviations are compensated by extrapolation as the sensor head moves between the two poles of the measurement body from pole to pole or from pole pair to pole pair.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Applicant: Balluff GmbH.
    Inventors: Thomas BURKHARDT, Achim ZERN, Timm EVERSMEYER
  • Publication number: 20160162433
    Abstract: An IO-Link adapter (200) for connecting a field device to a master unit having an IO-Link interface (210), a field device interface (220) and a circuit arrangement (230) for converting the field device interface data into IO-Link interface data is characterised in that the IO-Link adapter (200) has fastening elements (240) for detachably fastening to the field device, wherein by fastening the IO-Link adapter (200) to the field device, coupling of the field device interface (220) of the IO-Link adapter (200) to an interface of the field device (120) simultaneously takes place.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Applicant: Balluff GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas KAMMERER, Marco ZORCIC
  • Publication number: 20160124083
    Abstract: A proximity sensor for measuring the distance from an object contains a microwave oscillator which provides, as an output signal, a transmission wave which is emitted by the proximity sensor in the direction of the object as a free space transmission wave which is reflected by the object, which is electrically conductive or has at least one electrically conductive surface, as a free space reflection wave and is received by the proximity sensor as a reflection wave. The reflection coefficient is determined from the transmission wave and the reflection wave and is provided by the proximity sensor as a measure of the distance. The transmission wave is guided in a waveguide as a waveguide transmission wave, the transmission wave is injected into the waveguide with a wave mode which results in the waveguide transmission wave being separated at the aperture at the front end of the waveguide into the free space transmission wave and in the free space transmission wave propagating to the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Applicant: Balluff GmbH
    Inventors: Sorin FERICEAN, Mark EBERSPAECHER
  • Patent number: 9323605
    Abstract: A measured value transmitting device for serially transmitting data in accordance with the SSI method, includes a slave providing the data bits of a measured value detected by a sensor for serial bit-by-bit transmission to a master. The master requests a measured value from the slave with a clock burst having multiple clock cycles matching the number of data bits to be transmitted. In a first device, the clock cycles have a specified duty cycle corresponding to the ratio of the pulse duration to the period duration of one clock cycle, and the master contains a comparator. The master reads the clock bursts outputted on the clock line and checks the duty cycle in the comparator to determine whether an upper and/or lower threshold has been exceeded. In a second device a corresponding check of the duty cycle is carried out in the slave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Balluff GmbH
    Inventor: Uwe Hahn
  • Publication number: 20160076912
    Abstract: In an inductive displacement measuring sensor for measuring the distance, the spatial orientation, the thickness, the material properties or the like of a target object, which sensor has a transmitter element which emits a pulsed signal and a receiver element for detecting a pulse response caused by the emitted pulsed signal in the target object, provision is made, in particular, for the detected pulse response to be immediately evaluated using an artificial neural network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2013
    Publication date: March 17, 2016
    Applicant: BALLUFF GMBH
    Inventors: Zoltán PÓLIK, Zoltán KÁNTOR
  • Publication number: 20160047683
    Abstract: A capacitive fill level sensor for measuring the fill level of a medium in a container has an electrode unit, which contains a strip-shaped measurement electrode, a strip-shaped counter electrode and a strip-shaped shielding electrode, the shielding electrode at least partially surrounding the measurement electrode. A first AC voltage source having a predefined frequency and amplitude is provided, to which the shielding electrode is connected such that a shielding capacitor formed between the shielding electrode and the measurement electrode has a shielding capacitance that is proportional to the length of the shielding electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2014
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Applicant: BALLUFF GMBH
    Inventors: Frank WINKENS, Juergen GLOCK
  • Publication number: 20150331827
    Abstract: In a method and a control device for the operation of a transmission system for an IO link, wherein at least one cable-free transition between an IO link master and at least one IO link device is provided, and wherein the IO link device provides a minimal cycle time for a communication cycle, it is particularly provided that the minimal cycle time provided by the IO link device is increased in such a manner that a temporal delay caused by the cable-free transition is added to the minimal cycle time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2015
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Applicant: Balluff GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias BEYER, Stephan FRANZ
  • Patent number: 9182213
    Abstract: The invention relates to a path measuring apparatus comprising at least a first measuring path and a second measuring path, these measuring paths each having an extension in a longitudinal direction and being oriented parallel to one another in at least a measuring range, at least one position indicator which couples to the measuring paths in a non-contact manner, and a measuring path holder which extends in the measuring range and has recesses, each recess having a measuring path arranged therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: BALLUFF GmbH
    Inventors: Achim Zern, Gerd Eckel