Patents Assigned to Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
  • Patent number: 9835430
    Abstract: A position-measuring device includes a first assembly and a second assembly. The first assembly, installable on a first object, has a profiled element that bears a scale having a first and second measuring graduation. The second assembly, installable on a second object, has a first scanning unit that is movable along a travel path in a measuring direction to scan the first measuring graduation. A position of the first object relative to the second object is therefore measurable. A second scanning unit is mounted on the profiled element so as to enable the second measuring graduation to be scanned, and is positioned in a way that allows the first scanning unit to traverse collision-free along the travel path at a distance spaced apart from the second scanning unit orthogonally to the measuring direction such that a displacement of the scale relative to the first object is measurable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventor: Peter Fischer
  • Patent number: 9835656
    Abstract: In a method and device for measuring current at a converter, the prevailing phase current is determined at the output of the converter by current-measuring devices, in order to supply it to a closed-loop control device assigned to the converter. The prevailing phase current to be ascertained at an output of the converter is measured independently at two current-measuring devices, and the measuring results of both current-measuring devices are utilized to determine the prevailing phase current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventor: Christian Brendel
  • Patent number: 9835476
    Abstract: A scanning element for an inductive angle-measuring device includes a printed circuit board which has exciter lines and receiver lines, and an electronic circuit. The printed circuit board is arranged in a housing, the housing having a guideway into which the printed circuit board is inserted. The guideway is formed such that the printed circuit board is positioned with form locking in a direction parallel to an axis, and by being inserted into the guideway, the printed circuit board is deformed along a circle line which is curved about the axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventor: Gregor Rosenegger
  • Patent number: 9835480
    Abstract: A multiturn rotary encoder includes: a single-turn unit, including a code carrier that is able to be scanned by a single-turn scanner in order to generate single-turn position signals, and a single-turn evaluation unit for processing the single-turn position signals to form at least one single-turn code word that indicates the absolute position of an input shaft within one revolution; a first multiturn unit dependent on a power supply, including at least a first multiturn code carrier that is able to be scanned by a first multiturn scanner in order to generate first multiturn position signals, and a first multiturn evaluation unit for processing the first multiturn position signals to form a first multiturn code word that indicates the number of revolutions executed by the input shaft; and a second multiturn unit independent of a power supply, including at least a second multiturn code carrier that is able to be scanned by a second multiturn scanner in order to generate second multiturn position signals, and
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventor: Martin Von Berg
  • Patent number: 9823646
    Abstract: A method generates an asynchronous trigger signal in a position-measuring device having a position-sensing unit, a processing unit and an interface unit. The position-measuring device is connectable via the interface unit and a bidirectional data channel to subsequent electronics for communication purposes. A synchronous data stream is generated from an asynchronous data stream arriving at the position-measuring device from a direction of the subsequent electronics by sampling the asynchronous data stream in a time pattern of a clock signal. A gate signal is generated upon an enable condition for outputting the trigger signal being detected by evaluating the synchronous data stream. The asynchronous trigger signal is generated upon the gate signal being present and a signal edge of the asynchronous data stream occurring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventors: Bernhard Beaury, Alexander Kobler, Stephan Kreuzer, Markus Mooshammer, Michael Walter
  • Patent number: 9823058
    Abstract: A device for position determination includes a light source and a planar measurement reflector movable along a measurement direction oriented perpendicular to the measurement reflector. A detector device is disposed such that a beam emitted by the light source strikes the detector device after impinging on the measurement reflector so that, in an event of a movement of the measurement reflector along the measurement direction, a signal results which is dependent on a position of the measurement reflector and from which a reference signal is generatable at a defined reference position. A deflection unit is disposed so as to deflect the beam such that the beam strikes the measurement reflector twice and therebetween passes through the deflection unit. The deflection unit is arranged so that a deviation in beam direction, resulting after the first reflection from a tilt of the measurement reflector, is compensated after the second reflection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventors: Walter Huber, Wolfgang Holzapfel, Ralph Joerger
  • Patent number: 9810554
    Abstract: A position measuring instrument including a code carrier having first and second code tracks, each including an identical series of code elements, wherein each of the series of code elements has two subregions with complementary properties. A scanning unit having detectors for scanning code elements, wherein each of the code elements defines one corresponding code word, wherein each of the code words defines an absolute position in the measuring direction, and wherein the detectors form a corresponding scanning signal from each of the two subregions of the series of code elements. An evaluation unit generating one item of code information for each of the series of code elements from each corresponding scanning signal, and forming the corresponding code words from the one item of code information, wherein each of the code words is composed of N and K items of code information from successive code elements of the first and second code tracks, respectively, with N and K being greater than 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventors: Johann Oberhauser, Heinz Tovar
  • Patent number: 9797704
    Abstract: An interferometer includes a light source, a beam splitter, a reference reflector, a measuring reflector, a detection unit, and at least two transparent plane-parallel plates. The beam splitter splits a beam of rays into at least one measuring beam and at least one reference beam. Until being recombined, the measuring beam propagates in a measuring arm, and the reference beam propagates in a reference arm. The reference beam falls at least three times on the reference reflector located in the reference arm. The measuring reflector is disposed in the measuring arm and is joined to an object to be measured, which is movable along a measuring direction relative to the reference reflector. The measuring beam falls at least three times on the measuring reflector. At least one distance signal with regard to the position of the object to be measured is ascertainable from the interfering measuring and reference beams via the detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventor: Markus Meissner
  • Patent number: 9772204
    Abstract: A length-measuring device includes a scale and a mounting element. The mounting element has a first fastening portion by which the mounting element is stationarily attached to the scale and a second fastening portion configured to be stationarily attached to a support. An arrangement of a plurality of flexible struts is provided between the first fastening portion and the second fastening portion which, through flexure, allows the first fastening portion to move relative to the second fastening portion perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction. The arrangement of struts is configured to compensate for a flexure-induced change in length of the struts in such a way that no movement will result from the flexure-induced change in length between the first fastening portion and the second fastening portion in the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventors: Kilian Bauer, Wolfgang Pucher, Thomas Sigl
  • Patent number: 9766098
    Abstract: An optical position measuring instrument including a scale and a scanning unit, wherein the scanning unit and the scale are movable with respect to one another. The scanning unit includes a detector unit, and a reflector unit that has a first and second wave front correctors and a beam direction inverter. The reflector unit is disposed so that beams first pass through the scale and the first wave front corrector, then a back-reflection of partial beams is effected in a direction of the scale, and the partial beams then pass through the scale and the second wave front corrector before the partial beams then arrive at the detector unit, wherein it is ensured that wave front deformations of the partial beams are converted into wave front deformations that compensate for resultant wave front deformations of the partial beams upon a second diffraction at the scale.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Holzapfel, Michael Hermann, Karsten Sändig
  • Patent number: 9768990
    Abstract: A device for manipulating interface signals includes a slave interface, which is connectable to a master interface of a control device, a master interface, which is connectable to a slave interface of a measuring device, and a circuit configuration, which is supplied with at least one data-input signal per interface, and which outputs a corresponding data-output signal per data-input signal to the respective other interface. The circuit configuration includes at least one manipulation unit, to which a data-input signal and a substitute-data signal are supplied and which outputs a corresponding data-output signal, as well as a protocol unit, to which at least one protocol-relevant interface signal is supplied and which, based on manipulation rules and information received with the at least one protocol-relevant interface signal, chooses when the at least one manipulation unit outputs the corresponding data-input signal or the substitute-data signal as data-output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventors: Stephan Kreuzer, Elmar Mayer, Udo Ollert
  • Patent number: 9766097
    Abstract: In a monitoring unit for monitoring position signals of incremental position-measuring devices, at least two position signals are applied on the input side that result from the scanning of an incremental graduation track by a scanning unit and that are out-of-phase with each other. The monitoring unit includes a signal logic unit with which at least two position-dependent status data words are able to be generated from different position signals, and an evaluation unit to which the status data words are supplied, in which invalid statuses are ascertainable by comparing the status data words, and an error signal is able to be generated in response to an ascertained invalid status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventors: Ingo Joachimsthaler, Thomas Mueller, Thomas Schuermann
  • Patent number: 9739598
    Abstract: A device for interferential distance measurement between two objects that are situated in a movable manner with respect to each other along at least one shifting direction includes at least one light source as well as at least one splitting element, which splits a beam of rays emitted by the light source at a splitting location into at least two partial beams that propagate onward at different angles. The device furthermore includes at least one deflecting element that effects a deflection of the incident partial beams in the direction of a merging location, where the split partial beams are superimposed in an interfering manner and the optical paths of the partial beams of rays between the splitting location and the merging location being arranged such that the traversed optical path lengths of the partial beams between the splitting location and the merging location are identical in the event of a change of distance between the two objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventors: Ralph Joerger, Walter Huber
  • Patent number: 9733109
    Abstract: A position-measuring device includes: a first subassembly having a measuring standard on which at least one coded track is provided, and a scanning unit, which is able to generate position signals that may be used to generate an absolute digital position value by scanning the at least one coded track in a measuring direction; a second subassembly having at least one peripheral unit adapted to execute a supplementary or an auxiliary functionality of the position-measuring device; and a plurality of electrical lines, which connect the first subassembly and the second subassembly to each other for the transmission of electrical signals. The position-measuring device is able to be operated in an initialization mode and in a standard operating mode. All components of the first subassembly required for the operation in the standard operating mode are components that are suitable for use in a radiation region of a machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventors: Ernst Thielicke, Daniel Auer, Erwin Bratzdrum
  • Patent number: 9733069
    Abstract: An optical position-measuring device for detecting the position of two objects movable relative to each other includes a measuring standard that is joined to one of the two objects and has a measuring graduation having a periodic arrangement of graduation regions along at least a first graduation direction. The position-measuring device also includes a scanning unit having a plurality of optical elements, which is disposed in a manner allowing movement relative to the measuring standard. Via the arrangement and formation of the optical elements of the scanning unit, a scanning beam path results in which partial beams of rays reaching interference propagate in mirror symmetry in relation to a plane of symmetry and either fall in V-shaped fashion on the measuring standard and/or are reflected back in a V-shape by the measuring standard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Holzapfel
  • Patent number: 9733068
    Abstract: In an optical position measuring device for detecting the relative position of a first measuring standard and a second measuring standard, movable relative to each other along at least one measuring direction, at a splitting grating, a beam bundle emitted by a light source is split up into at least two partial beam bundles. When passing through scanning beam paths, the partial beam bundles undergo different polarization-optical effects. After the differently polarized partial beam bundles are recombined at a combination grating, a plurality of phase-displaced, displacement-dependent scanning signals is able to be generated from the resulting beam bundle. No polarization-optical components are arranged in the scanning beam paths of the partial beam bundles between the splitting and recombination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventors: Jörg Drescher, Wolfgang Holzapfel, Ralph Joerger, Thomas Kälberer, Markus Meissner, Bernhard Musch, Erwin Spanner
  • Patent number: 9677874
    Abstract: A position-measuring device includes a first scale and a second scale, which are arranged end-to-end to extend across a measurement range, as well as a scanning unit having a light source configured to emit a light beam. The first scale includes a reflective phase grating having first periodic marks which diffract an incident light beam into a predetermined diffraction order with a first diffraction efficiency. The second scale includes a reflective phase grating having second periodic marks that differ in shape from the first periodic marks. A reflectivity of the phase grating of the second scale is reduced compared to a reflectivity of the phase grating of the first scale to such an extent that the phase grating of the second scale diffracts the incident light beam into the predetermined diffraction order with the first diffraction efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventors: Peter Speckbacher, Tobias Gruendl, Josef Weidmann, Andrew Graham, Daniela Bayer
  • Patent number: 9671701
    Abstract: An XY-table includes a separate drive for reversing the direction of movement of the table. A ferromagnetic rib projects at one edge of the table and extends perpendicular to the direction of movement of the table to be reversed. The drive has a magnetic yoke for receiving the rib when the table is near a reversal point, the free ends of the magnetic yoke having pole shoes which concentrate a magnetic flux in the yoke, switchable with the aid of a reversal coil, in an air gap through which the rib extends into the interior of the yoke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventors: René Klaver, John Compter
  • Patent number: 9664502
    Abstract: An interferential position-measuring device determines a position of an object which is disposed to be movable along a measurement direction. A light source is configured to emit a beam which is split into two sub-beams. One of the sub-beams impinges on an optical functional element on the object. The sub-beams are subsequently superimposed and interfered at a superposition location and a resulting signal beam propagates toward an evaluation unit configured to generate a position-dependent measurement signal from the resulting signal beam. A switching element is disposed in the signal path downstream of the superposition location and upstream of a signal-digitizing device. The switching element is configured to define a specific sampling point in time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventors: Markus Meissner, Joerg Drescher, Wolfgang Holzapfel
  • Patent number: 9667172
    Abstract: An inverter for the selective feeding of effective power and reactive power into a power grid has two serially connected intermediate circuit capacitors, the joint connection of which defines a median voltage level between a positive voltage level and a negative voltage level. It also has first, second, third, and fourth semiconductor switches having free-wheeling diodes respectively connected in parallel, which are arranged serially in this sequence between the positive and the negative voltage levels, the joint connection of the second and third semiconductor switches being connected to the power grid via a choke. The inverter also has serially connected first and second diodes, the joint connection of which is at the median voltage level, and whose second connection is connected to the joint connection of the first and second semiconductor switches and of the third and fourth semiconductor switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventors: Markus Schoenlinner, Michael Wichmann, Christian von Le Suire