Patents Assigned to Balluff GmbH
  • Patent number: 9867159
    Abstract: In a network arrangement for carrying out a location of locating objects that are arranged in a confined space and are able to be moved, the location being carried out by pulsed radio signals, wherein at least three communication-technically autarkic reference nodes that are spatially distributed and form a communication network are arranged in the confined space a communication protocol enables a location object that is arranged in the confined space to be localized by a trilateration carried out by a distance-based trilateration that is carried out by the at least three reference nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Balluff GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Heldmaier, Andreas Schuerzinger, Daniel Schweizer
  • Patent number: 9863611
    Abstract: A signal column includes a rod-shaped, transparent housing, inside of which a rod-shaped signal generator is arranged. At least one light distribution element is arranged in the housing between the signal generator and the transparent housing, wherein the light distribution element directs light evenly from light sources of the signal generator to the housing wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Balluff GmbH
    Inventors: Juergen Gutekunst, Viktor Virág, Kristof Simon, Henrik Ruf
  • Publication number: 20170363730
    Abstract: A proximity sensor for measuring the distance from a target contains a microwave oscillator providing a transmission wave output signal emitted toward the target as a free space transmission wave which is reflected by an electrically conductive target surface as a free space reflection wave received by the proximity sensor as a reflection wave. The distance is determined from the transmission wave and the reflection wave. The transmission wave is guided in a waveguide transmission path as a waveguide transmission wave. The transmission wave is coupled into the waveguide with a wave mode leading to the detachment of the waveguide transmission wave at the waveguide front end aperture into the free space transmission wave and to the propagation of the free space transmission wave to the target. At least one reception path is electromagnetically decoupled from the transmission path and guides the reflection wave as a waveguide reflection wave.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Applicant: Balluff GmbH
    Inventors: Mark EBERSPAECHER, Sorin FERICEAN
  • Publication number: 20170344878
    Abstract: A contactless position and/or distance sensor for determining the distance, the spatial orientation, the material properties, or the like of a target object, and a method for operating the same, uses at least two sensor elements, which form a sensor module, Signals provided by the at least two sensor elements are jointly evaluated using at least one artificial neural network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Applicant: Balluff GmbH
    Inventors: Zoltán KÁNTOR, Zoltán PÓLIK, Attila SZABÓ
  • Publication number: 20170315223
    Abstract: In a method for initializing at least one network segment of a network for the wireless location of movable locating objects arranged in a limited space using pulsed radio signals, wherein the at least one network segment in the limited space has at least two spaced apart reference nodes which form a chain-shaped communication network and which are autarkic in terms of communication, wherein a locating object arranged in the limited space is able to be located using one of the distance-based trilateration carried out by at least three reference nodes, and wherein general information is communicated by broadcast channels, the reference nodes listen to the broadcast channels in a standby position until initial information about their active participation in the communication network is received.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2017
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Applicant: Balluff GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Michael HELDMAIER, Andreas SCHUERZINGER, Daniel SCHWEIZER
  • Publication number: 20170302273
    Abstract: A sensor element of an inductive proximity sensor or distance sensor contains a coil arrangement with at least one excitation coil and at least one receiving coil and includes an electrically conductive shielding which contains a shielding cup that surrounds the coil arrangement laterally and on the rear face. A method operates the sensor element. The shielding of the sensor element further contains a flange which is provided on the front face of the sensor element, is connected to the shielding cup in an electrically conductive manner, and completely surrounds the coil arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Applicant: Balluff GmbH
    Inventors: Zoltán KÁNTOR, Zoltán PÓLIK, Zoltán KANYÁR, Szabolcs HERCZEG, János VISZT, Reider TAMÁS
  • Publication number: 20170272071
    Abstract: A front end for an inductive proximity sensor includes a coil for detecting an approaching metal object and a circuit board, wherein the coil is designed as a circuit board coil disposed in the circuit board, wherein a metal influencing element which is disposed in or on the circuit board has an opening to receive at least one electrical connecting element, wherein a through connection of the circuit board to an electrical connection plane, which serves for electrical connection of the circuit board to a control electronics of the proximity sensor, is made by the at least one electrical connecting element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Applicant: Balluff GmbH
    Inventors: Uemit KOYUNCU, Joerg GROSS, Mario PRIBIL
  • Publication number: 20170245236
    Abstract: In a network arrangement for carrying out a location of locating objects that are arranged in a confined space and are able to be moved, the location being carried out by pulsed radio signals, wherein at least three communication-technically autarkic reference nodes that are spatially distributed and form a communication network are arranged in the confined space a communication protocol enables a location object that is arranged in the confined space to be localized by a trilateration carried out by a distance-based trilateration that is carried out by the at least three reference nodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2017
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Applicant: Balluff GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias HELDMAIER, Andreas SCHUERZINGER, Daniel SCHWEIZER
  • Publication number: 20170222347
    Abstract: A device for receiving a data carrier has a receiving body that has a receiving region with a circular-cylindrical cross-section, wherein the receiving region has a circular opening on one end of the receiving body that corresponds to the cross-section of the receiving region, a data carrier which is arranged at least partially in the receiving region, and a circular-cylindrical fixing pin that is arranged on the other end of the receiving body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Applicant: Balluff GmbH
    Inventors: Norbert POPP, Ulrich ULLMANN, Rolf HEUSSNER
  • 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: 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: 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: 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