Patents Assigned to Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
  • Patent number: 9829367
    Abstract: A fill-level measuring device having an oscillatory system, which has at least one external, tubular, oscillatory element and an inner oscillatory element. The outer oscillatory element at least sectionally coaxially surrounds the inner oscillatory element. In an inner space of the inner oscillatory element, a compensation apparatus shiftable in the axial direction and having at least a first locking element, a second locking element and a coupling element is arranged. The locking elements and the coupling element are composed of piezoelectric material, wherein the coupling element, the first locking element and the second locking element are connected with one another, and wherein the first locking element and the second locking element in a resting state are each connected by force interlocking, e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Helmut Pfeiffer, Benjamin Mack
  • Patent number: 9816887
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a pressure measuring cell, which has a ceramic platform and a ceramic measuring membrane, wherein the measuring membrane is joined with the platform pressure tightly by an active hard solder, or braze, wherein the method includes: providing the platform, the measuring membrane and the active hard solder, or braze, positioning the active hard solder, or braze, between the platform and the measuring membrane; melting the active hard solder, or braze, by irradiating the active hard solder, or braze, by a laser, wherein the irradiating of the active hard solder, or braze, occurs through the measuring membrane; and letting the active hard solder, or braze, solidify by cooling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Andrea Berlinger, Ulfert Drewes, Andreas Rossberg, Elke Schmidt, Thomas Uehlin
  • Patent number: 9812781
    Abstract: Antenna apparatus for transmitting data of a fill-level measuring device, comprising at least two coil arrangements (i=1, 2 . . . n). The coil arrangements i=1, 2 . . . n have a coil length (li) and a coil diameter (di), wherein the coil diameter (di) is less than the associated coil length (li). The coil arrangements (i=1, 2 . . . n) each intersect a straight line (e) in such a way that the straight line (e) and the longitudinal axis of the coil arrangements (i=1, 2 . . . n) form at the intersection an acute or 90° angle of intersection (g) of at least 85°, wherein the intersection of each coil arrangement (i=1, 2 . . . n) is arranged at a position between 3 7 ? l i ? ? and ? ? 4 7 ? l i , wherein the at least two coil arrangements (i=1, 2 . . . n) are arranged along this line (e) in a sequence, in the case of which the coil lengths li of the coil arrangements (i=1, 2 . . . n) monotonically decrease l1>l2> . . . ln. The at least two coil arrangements (i=1, 2 . . .
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventor: Thomas Blodt
  • Patent number: 9811696
    Abstract: Method for operating a field device of process automation technology, wherein the field device includes a main circuit, which serves in a first operating mode for evaluation and for output of process data, which preferably come from a measuring transducer, wherein the field device includes a first interface, which serves in the first operating mode to supply the field device, especially the main circuit, with electrical energy, wherein the field device includes a second, preferably wireless, interface, which serves for transmission of data and/or electrical energy to the field device, wherein the field device, preferably the main circuit, is supplied in a second operating mode with electrical energy, preferably exclusively with electrical energy, obtained via the second interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Eric Birgel, Jorg Hahniche, Axel Poschmann
  • Patent number: 9811409
    Abstract: A method for maintaining the functional ability of a field device of automation technology, wherein the method comprises the following steps: monitoring the field device for at least one achieved parameter change (?nx), wherein the parameter change (?nx) converts an old parameter set (nx-1) into a new parameter set (nx), storing all parameter changes (?nx) achieved in the field device in a parameter change history, monitoring the field device for an occurring malfunction (F); and, performing a remediation measure, wherein the parameter change history and/or a parameter to malfunction, linking element is accessed for remediating the malfunction occurring in the field device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Markus Kilian, Andrea Seger, Bert Von Stein, Christian Wandrei
  • Patent number: 9804278
    Abstract: The invention relates to a radiometric measuring device for carrying out measurements in an explosion-prone area, which radiometric measuring device requires only little space at the measurement location and can be economically produced. The radiometric measuring device comprises a measuring unit (7) that can be used in the explosion-prone area. Said measuring unit comprises a scintillator (13), which converts radioactive radiation incident on the scintillator into photons, and a semiconductor detector (15), which is connected to the scintillator (13) and can be operated by means of an inherently safe energy supply and metrologically captures photons arising in the scintillator (13) and reaching the semiconductor detector (15), and converts said photons into electrical measurement signals. Explosion protection measures to be associated exclusively with the ignition protection class of the inherent safety are provided in the measuring unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Dieter Benz, Simon Weidenbruch
  • Patent number: 9797796
    Abstract: A hydraulic measuring mechanism for registering pressure differences, comprising a measuring mechanism platform having a process connection surface and two pressure input openings, in which, in each case, a pressure tube is arranged, which protrudes from a rear side of the measuring mechanism platform to support a pressure difference measuring cell, wherein the pressure tubes are connected pressure-tightly with the measuring mechanism platform from the process connection surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Benjamin Lemke, Michael Noack, Anh Tuan Tham, Rafael Teipen
  • Patent number: 9801268
    Abstract: A circuit board comprising a circuit board ply, on which are provided a high-frequency component emitting electromagnetic interference waves during operation and at least one other component, especially another high-frequency component, wherein during operation an as low as possible degrading of the other component by interference waves is achieved. There is provided between the high-frequency component and the other component at least one dielectric barrier, which blocks propagation of high-frequency electromagnetic waves between the high-frequency component and the other component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventor: Thomas Blodt
  • Patent number: 9766101
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining or monitoring a process variable of a medium in a pipeline, which has a predetermined inner cross section, comprising a sensor and a T-shaped adapter. The adapter has a first portion and a second portion arranged essentially perpendicular to the first portion. The first portion has essentially the same inner cross section as the pipeline and the sensor is so arranged in the second portion that the end face of the sensor facing the medium is flush with the inner surface of the first portion of the adapter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Robert Schmidt, Andreas Krumbholz
  • Patent number: 9752903
    Abstract: A housing for a field device of automation technology with a screwed connection, which connects a first housing part with an external thread with a second housing part with an internal thread. The screwed connection provides a transition impedance lessened for EMC disturbance signals. The reduction of the transition impedance is achieved by including in the screw thread a screw thread segment, in which a second screw thread type is designed in contrast to a first screw thread type located outside of the screw thread segment to provide a lessened transition impedance. Besides the basic provision that the screw thread is electrically conductive at least in corresponding portions, the second screw thread type can be differently embodied, in order to achieve the lessened transition impedance. This can occur, on the one hand, by providing the second screw thread type as round threads. However, other forms of embodiment of the screw thread segment are possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: ENDRESS + HAUSER GMBH + CO. KG
    Inventors: Benjamin Ingenhoven, Thomas Blodt
  • Publication number: 20170241954
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining and/or monitoring at least one process variable of a medium in a container, comprising at least an oscillatable unit having at least one membrane, and at least one oscillatory element, a driving/receiving unit embodied to excite the mechanically oscillatable unit by means of an electrical, exciter signal of adjustable excitation frequency to execute oscillations in an oscillation mode corresponding to the excitation frequency and to receive mechanical oscillations from the oscillatable unit and to convert such into an electrical received signal, and an electronics unit embodied, to produce the exciter signal, and to ascertain from the received signal the at least one process variable. The membrane is connected with the driving/receiving unit. The oscillatory element has the shape of an oscillatory rod, on which a paddle is terminally formed, and the oscillatory element is secured on the membrane in an end region remote from the paddle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2015
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Raphael Kuhnen, Ira Henkel, Peter Wimberger
  • Patent number: 9719918
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining or monitoring at least one process variable, comprising: a sensor element and a measuring electronics, which form a measuring unit; and at least one control/evaluating/calculating unit arranged removed from the measuring unit; and/or an in/output unit arranged removed from the measuring unit and the control/evaluating/calculating unit. The control/evaluating/calculating unit and the in/output unit are connected with the measuring unit via a first interface and a second interface. The measuring electronics operates the sensor element and forwards the measurement signals via the interfaces to the control/evaluating/calculating unit as unprocessed, raw, measured values. The control/evaluating/calculating unit arranged removed from the measuring unit determines, improves and/or monitors the process variable based on the raw, measured values and makes such available via the in/output unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventor: Matthias Altendorf
  • Patent number: 9719832
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for determining or monitoring a physical or chemical, process variable, comprising a sensor element (2) having at least one temperature sensitive, sensor region and/or an electronics unit (3) having at least one component (4), whose specification requires use within a predetermined temperature range, wherein a connecting component (5) is provided between the temperature sensitive, sensor region and the remaining regions of the sensor element (2) and/or between the sensor element (2) and the electronics unit (3), wherein the connecting component (5) is composed at least partially of a metal- or ceramic foam (6) having a predetermined porosity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Peter Klofer, Klaus Feisst
  • Patent number: 9720386
    Abstract: A field device for determining or monitoring a physical or chemical, process variable, comprising: a sensor, which works according to a defined measuring principle; and a control/evaluation unit. The control/evaluation unit is realized on a partially dynamically reconfigurable FPGA component, which is constructed from a plurality of FPGA blocks units. Each FPGA block unit comprises a plurality of logic blocks. Global resources or global function blocks are associated with each FPGA block unit or groups of FPGA block units. At least a first section and a second section are provided on the FPGA-component. The sections comprise FPGA block units and corresponding global resources global function blocks. In each section a digital measuring path comprising a plurality of software based and/or hardware based, function modules, is partially dynamically reconfigurable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: ENDRESS + HAUSER GMBH + CO. KG
    Inventor: Romuald Girardey
  • Patent number: 9709475
    Abstract: A method for determining and/or monitoring the viscosity of a medium, wherein a mechanically oscillatable unit is excited to execute oscillations based on an exciter signal, and wherein oscillations are received from the mechanically oscillatable unit and transduced into a received signal. The eigenfrequency and/or resonance frequency of the mechanically oscillatable unit and/or phase relationship between the exciter signal and the received signal are/is ascertained and/or monitored, and from changes in the eigenfrequency and/or resonance frequency and/or phase relationship, a change in viscosity is deduced and/or, based on dependencies of the oscillations on the viscosity of the medium, from the eigenfrequency and/or resonance frequency and/or phase relationship, viscosity is ascertained. In a second variant of the method, decay behavior of the mechanically oscillatable unit is evaluated. An apparatus for determining and/or monitoring viscosity is also presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: ENDRESS + HAUSER GMBH + CO. KG
    Inventors: Sascha D'Angelico, Martin Urban
  • Patent number: 9689766
    Abstract: A pressure sensor, comprising: a substrate having a measuring membrane, and an electrically conductive cover layer, which has electrical contact elements and is electrically isolated from the substrate by an insulating layer. The cover layer is divided in such a manner that two independent measurements of the respective resistance between two contact elements are possible in two regions electrically isolated from one another. The regions of the cover layer serve to shield external electromagnetic influences from the sensor elements of the measuring membrane, to detect damage to the measuring membrane, as well as for determining exact temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Benjamin Lemke, Rene Ziermann, Sebastian Pobering, Ralf Roder
  • Patent number: 9692318
    Abstract: A synchronous rectifier, which rectifies an alternating voltage signal as an input signal and/or forwards a dc voltage signal as an input signal for use as an output signal. Included is a rectifying unit composed of at least one controllable switch element; a smoothing unit, which is connected to the rectifying unit and smooths the signal rectified or forwarded by the rectifying unit, in order to provide a smoothed signal for use as output signal; a control logic, which controls the rectifying unit based on the input signal and the output signal coming from the smoothing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Tobias Paul, Niels Donkers, Juan Angel Alonso-Schonlau, Klaus Ruf
  • Patent number: 9689708
    Abstract: A method for determining a value of a measured variable, which is a function of a first auxiliary measured variable and at least a second auxiliary measured variable, comprising: registering and providing a sequence of measured values of the first auxiliary measured variable over at least a first time range; providing a value of the second auxiliary measured variable, wherein the point in time of registering the provided value lies in the first time range; selecting a value of the first auxiliary measured variable from the sequence of measured values of the first auxiliary measured variable as a function of information concerning point in time of registering the provided value of the second auxiliary measured variable; and ascertaining a value of the measured variable as a function of the selected value of the first auxiliary measured variable and the value of the second auxiliary measured variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: ENDRESS + HAUSER GMBH + CO. KG
    Inventors: Romuald Girardey, Roland Dieterle, Marc Schlachter
  • Patent number: 9689768
    Abstract: A pressure difference sensor includes a pressure difference measuring cell, which has a measuring cell platform with pressure contactable measuring chambers in its interior, a first mounting surface and a second mounting surface. The mounting surfaces have a variable separation under pressure loading of the measuring chambers. A first reinforcement element with a first planar reinforcement area and a second reinforcement element with a second planar reinforcement area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Benjamin Lemke, Rafael Teipen, Anh Tuan Tham
  • Patent number: 9683876
    Abstract: A differential-pressure measuring assembly comprising a differential-pressure measuring transducer for detecting the difference between the first media pressure and a second media pressure and for providing a differential-pressure measurement signal that depends on the difference between the first media pressure and the second media pressure; a first effective-pressure line, which is connected to a first pressure inlet of the differential-pressure measuring transducer in order to apply the first media pressure to the differential-pressure measuring transducer; a second effective-pressure line, which is connected to a second pressure inlet of the differential-pressure measuring transducer in order to apply the second media pressure to the differential-pressure measuring transducer; at least one temperature sensor for outputting a temperature signal that correlates with a temperature of the effective-pressure lines; and a processing unit for processing the differential-pressure measurement signal and the temper
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventor: Davide Parrotto