Patents Assigned to Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
  • Publication number: 20140344479
    Abstract: A method for transferring data between a position-measuring device and an associated processing unit includes transferring first data having a first priority in successive cycles from the position-measuring device to the processing unit. The successive cycles are in each case initiated by a request command by the processing unit requesting the first data from the position-measuring device. Second data having a second, lower priority is transferred from the position-measuring device to the processing unit in at least a portion of the successive cycles with the first data. Types of the second data being transferred in a respective one of the successive cycles are variable. At least one particular type, of the types of the second data to be transferred, is assigned to individual cycles of the successive cycles using information stored in the position-measuring device without involvement of the processing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Applicant: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Beaury, Alexander Kobler, Stephan Kreuzer, Markus Mooshammer, Michael Walter
  • Publication number: 20140338204
    Abstract: An angular-position measuring device includes a shaft rotatable relative to a body about an axis extending in a z-direction. A measuring standard having an end face is fastened on the shaft in rotatably fixed manner. The body includes a scanning device for scanning the measuring standard. Both the roller bearing and a sealing unit are provided on the side of the measuring standard facing the end face relative to the z-direction, The sealing unit includes rings that are rotatable relative to each other and are separated from each other by a gap, the gap being filled at least partially with a fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Applicant: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventor: Hermann Meyer
  • Patent number: 8890057
    Abstract: An optical position-measuring device includes a measuring standard and a scanning unit. The measuring standard includes an incremental graduation and at least one reference marking at a reference position. The reference marking has two reference-marking subfields disposed in mirror symmetry relative to a reference-marking axis of symmetry, each of the subfields including a grating structure having a locally changeable graduation period. The scanning unit includes a divergently emitting light source, one or more gratings, and a reference-signal detector system. The reference-signal detector system has at least four detector arrays formed and positioned such that, from the scanning of the reference marking via the reference-signal detector system, first and second pairs of partial reference signals result, in each case having a signal pattern in phase opposition. The first pair of partial reference signals is offset by an offset amount relative to the second pair of partial reference signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventor: Michael Hermann
  • Publication number: 20140336979
    Abstract: A position-measuring device includes a measuring transducer configured to carry out a position measurement. The position-measuring device has at least one memory having stored parameter data defining an active configuration under which the position-measuring device is operable. The at least one memory further has data and instructions useable to activate at least one further configuration under which the position-measuring device is operable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2014
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GmbH
    Inventors: Rudolf Mittmann, Ingo Joachimsthaler
  • Patent number: 8850711
    Abstract: A mounting device for mounting a length measuring system extending in a measurement direction, the mounting device including a basic body, a steadying device attached to the basic body and a retainer attached to the basic body. A length measuring system that extends in a measurement direction is fixable on the basic body by clamping between the steadying device and the retainer, wherein the basic body and the retainer are embodied for guiding the retainer on the basic body longitudinally in a manner fixed against relative rotation in a direction of the steadying device by an adjusting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Oliver Schenk, Tarek Nutzinger
  • Patent number: 8854630
    Abstract: A position-measuring device is suited for detecting the relative position of a scanning unit and a reflection measuring grating movable relative thereto in at least one measuring direction. The scanning unit includes a primary light source as well as at least one detector assembly in a detection plane. A periodic configuration of point light sources is able to be generated in the detection plane from the primary light source. The primary light source is disposed above the detection plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventor: Ulrich Benner
  • Patent number: 8848184
    Abstract: In an optical position-measuring device for recording the relative position of a scanning unit and a measuring standard, the scanning unit includes a light source, first annular scanning graduation, reflector element, beamsplitter element, and detection unit. A beam emitted by the light source impinges on the measuring graduation and is split into at least two partial beams of rays. The partial beams propagate toward the scanning unit, impinge the first scanning graduation on the reflector element, are reflected through the first scanning graduation toward the measuring graduation, impinge the measuring graduation, propagate toward the scanning unit and undergo superposition, and are deflected by the beamsplitter element toward the detection unit. There, a plurality of positionally dependent, phase-shifted scanning signals can be recorded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Holzapfel
  • Patent number: 8844152
    Abstract: A method a scale having an inductively scannable graduation, the scale including a sequence of graduation elements disposed in a measuring direction and a layer stack including a succession of metal layers. The succession of metal layers includes a ferromagnetic metal carrier layer and a graduation layer that forms the sequence of graduation elements. The carrier layer is disposed between the graduation layer and a metal substrate, and the metal substrate is dimensioned to definitively determine mechanical properties of the layer stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Alexander Frank, Marc Oliver Tiemann, Martin Heumann
  • Publication number: 20140284464
    Abstract: A linear encoder includes a housing, a scale disposed within the housing and a sensor unit disposed within the housing facing the scale with a gap between the sensor unit and the scale. The sensor unit is configured to scan the scale and obtain position information. At least one adjustment hole for a gap adjustment is disposed in at least one of the housing and an end cover of the housing at a position corresponding to a position of the gap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GmbH
    Inventor: Katsumi Motoyuki
  • Patent number: 8842295
    Abstract: In a system for detecting the position of an object in relation to a reference system, the object is arranged so as to be movable in relation to the reference system along at least two orthogonal first and second main movement axes. To record the position of the object in relation to the reference system, a position measuring device includes at least two two-dimensional measuring standards situated along the first main movement axis, and four scanning units for an optical scanning of these measuring standards. In addition, at least four additional supplementary scanning units are provided, which are situated between the four scanning units along the first main movement axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Holzapfel, Joerg Drescher, Markus Meissner, Ralph Joerger, Bernhard Musch, Thomas Kaelberer
  • Patent number: 8822907
    Abstract: An optical position-measuring device includes a scanning bar extending in a first or second direction, and a scale extending in the other direction. The scale is offset by a scanning distance from the scanning bar in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions. The device has a light source whose light penetrates the scanning bar at an intersection point of the scanning bar and scale to fall on the scale and arrive back at the scanning bar. At a detector, the light is split by diffraction into different partial beams at optically effective structures of the scanning bar and scale and combined again. A periodic signal is obtained in the detector in response to: a shift between the scanning bar and scale in the first direction due to interference of combined partial beams, and a change in the scanning distance between the scanning bar and scale.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Ralph Joerger, Michael Hermann, Wolfgang Holzapfel, Walter Huber
  • Patent number: 8820623
    Abstract: A position-measuring device includes a code, including a series of code elements arranged one behind the other in a measuring direction, in which at least two consecutive code elements respectively form a code word containing a position information item, and a scanning device having detector elements for reading the at least two code elements of the code that form a code word, and an evaluation device in which the code word having the current position information may be ascertained from the scanning signals of the detector elements. The scanning device and the code are arranged in a moveable manner relative to each other in the measuring direction. Between adjacent code elements, which have identical properties in the transition region, separating elements having complementary properties are inserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Elmar Mayer, Johann Oberhauser, Heinz Tovar
  • Patent number: 8825439
    Abstract: A multiturn rotary encoder includes a singleturn code disk which is joined in rotatably fixed manner to a shaft and which has a code track that is scannable by a singleturn scanning unit to ascertain the absolute position within one revolution of the shaft, a multiturn unit for measuring revolution data which are suitable for ascertaining the number of revolutions performed by the shaft, and an evaluation unit which is connected to the multiturn unit via at least two digital interfaces for transmitting the revolution data. The revolution data include at least two data words which have a different rate of change during rotation of the shaft, the interface for transmitting the data word having the highest rate of change to the evaluation unit is a parallel interface, and the interface for transmitting the data word having the lowest rate of change to the evaluation unit is a serial interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Elmar Mayer, Thomas Schuermann, Michael Walter
  • Patent number: 8804131
    Abstract: In an optical angle-measuring device for ascertaining the relative movement between at least one scanning grating and a graduated disk having at least one measuring graduation, the scanning grating is in the form of a linear scanning grating, and the graduated disk includes a first and a second combined radial-circular grating as measuring graduation, and has a mirror. An incident beam of rays is initially split at the scanning grating into two partial beams of rays that then propagate in the direction of the first combined radial-circular grating and are diffracted there, then propagate in the direction of the mirror and are reflected there in the direction of the second combined radial-circular grating, subsequently propagate in the direction of the second combined radial-circular grating and are diffracted there, and then propagate in the direction of the scanning grating, where a superposition of the partial beams of rays results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Holzapfel
  • Publication number: 20140218746
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical position-measuring device for generating a plurality of phase-shifted scanning signals regarding the relative position of a fiber optic scanning head and a reflection measuring standard movable relative thereto in at least one measuring direction. In the fiber optic scanning head, a scanning reticle is disposed before the measuring standard end of an optical fiber. The scanning signals are coded in a wavelength-dependent manner. To this end, a beam incident on the scanning reticle is split into at least two sub-beams which strike the reflection measuring standard and are subsequently recombined to interfere with each other so as to generate the phase-shifted scanning signals. The sub-beams travel different optical path lengths between splitting and recombination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GmbH
    Inventor: Karsten Saendig
  • Patent number: 8797546
    Abstract: An interferometric distance measurement device that includes a light source that emits a beam of light and a scanning unit. The scanning unit includes a scanning plate having a splitter that splits the beam of light into a measurement beam and a reference beam, wherein the reference beam is propagated solely within the scanning plate before reaching interferential superposition with the measurement beam at a unification site. A reflector is provided, wherein the reflector is embodied such that the measurement beam striking the reflector undergoes retroreflection in a direction regardless of any possible relative tilting of the scanning unit and of the reflector downstream of the unification site. A detector arrangement is provided in which a distance signal relating to a distance between the scanning plate and the reflector is detectable from interference between the measurement beam and the reference beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Walter Huber, Ralph Joerger
  • Publication number: 20140185057
    Abstract: An optical position-measuring device is adapted to detect the position of an object in several spatial degrees of freedom. The object is disposed in a manner allowing it to move at least along a first direction of movement and along a second direction of movement. The position-measuring device includes at least one light source and at least one first and second measuring standard which are located on the object, extend along a first extension direction and a second extension direction and include graduation regions disposed periodically along the first and second extension directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain Gmbh
    Inventors: Markus Meissner, Wolfgang Holzapfel
  • Publication number: 20140176962
    Abstract: An interferometer includes a light source and a beam splitter, via which the beam of rays emitted by the light source is split into a measurement beam and a reference beam. The measurement beam propagates in a measuring arm extending in a first direction between the beam splitter and a measuring reflector. The measuring reflector brings about an offset perpendicular to the direction of incidence between the measurement beam falling on it and the measurement beam reflected back by it. In a reference arm extending in a second direction, the reference beam propagates between the beam splitter and a reference reflector. In addition, the interferometer has a detector system, to which the superposed and recombined measurement beam and reference beam are able to be supplied, and via which a distance-dependent interference signal with respect to the position of the measuring reflector is able to be generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Holzapfel, Joerg Drescher, Markus Meissner, Ralph Joerger, Bernhard Musch, Erwin Spanner, Thomas Kaelberer
  • Patent number: 8745839
    Abstract: A method for installing a measuring tape on a circumferential surface of a holder. The method including wrapping the circumferential surface of the holder with the measuring tape and bracing the measuring tape such that the measuring tape extends spaced apart from the circumference of the holder. When the measuring tape extends spaced from the circumference of the holder due to the bracing, exerting a tensioning force on the measuring tape so that the measuring tape is held with low friction above the circumference, wherein the tensioning force is distributed at least nearly uniformly over the circumference. The method includes undoing the bracing of the measuring tape beginning at a fixation point at which a portion of the measuring tape is affixed to the circumferential surface. The method also includes applying the measuring tape to the circumferential surface of the holder while maintaining the tensioning force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Pucher, Dirk Ahrendt, Stefan Kühnhauser
  • Publication number: 20140151540
    Abstract: A position-measuring device includes a cylindrical object rotatable about a longitudinal axis and having a circumferential annular reflection measuring graduation. A stationary scanning unit is disposed opposite the cylindrical object and has a light source, a transmission grating and a detector. The scanning unit is configured to optically scan the reflection measuring graduation by beams of light emitted from the light source passing through the transmission grating and then striking the reflection measuring graduation, from where the beams of light are reflected back toward the detector, which is configured to generate rotation-dependent position signals. An optically effective perpendicular distance between the detector and the reflection measuring graduation is selected to be one of greater or less than an optically effective perpendicular distance between the transmission grating and the reflection measuring graduation depending on a radius of the cylindrical object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2013
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Holzapfel, Michael Hermann, Karsten Saendig