Patents Assigned to Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
  • Patent number: 7486182
    Abstract: An electronic intermediate module for acquiring data from at least one peripheral unit, and for transmitting the acquired data to a position measuring device, the electronic intermediate module including a data acquisition interface for a data transmission connection which is designed for transmitting first data from the peripheral unit in a direction toward the electronic intermediate module. The electronic intermediate module further including a communications interface for a communications connection, wherein the communications connection is designed for transmitting second data from the intermediate module to the position measuring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Hahn, Udo Ollert, Michael Spingler, Erich Strasser
  • Patent number: 7475489
    Abstract: A scanning system of a position measuring device for photo-electric scanning of a measuring graduation, the scanning system including a support carrying measuring components, an adapter including a scanning graduation in a graduation plane and a holder that holds the support on the adapter. The holder is structured so that the support is stationarily positioned on the adapter in six degrees of freedom, but compensates thermally caused expansion of the support in relation to the adapter in a first coordinate direction and a second direction which define the graduation plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Pucher, Reinhard Mayer, Stefan Kühnhauser
  • Patent number: 7473886
    Abstract: In a position-measuring device for acquiring the relative position of a scanning unit and a reflection measuring graduation movable relative thereto in at least one measuring direction, the scanning unit includes a light source and a detector arrangement in a detection plane. In a first variant of the scanning unit, at least one optical reflector element is positioned in the scanning beam path which has an optical effect on the scanning beam path to the effect that the distance between a virtual light source and the reflection measuring graduation on one hand, and the distance between the reflection measuring graduation and the detector arrangement/detection plane on the other hand are identical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventor: Ulrich Benner
  • Patent number: 7474511
    Abstract: A voice-coil motor includes a stator and a rotor, which is pivoted about a swivel axis, with respect to the stator. The rotor and/or the stator has a printed circuit board that includes at least one circuit-board conductor, and the at least one circuit-board conductor is arranged such that it forms at least one coil unit in a plane, the at least one coil unit including several circuit traces. Within one coil unit, more than two circuit traces have a section, in which the specific circuit trace is oriented in the direction of the swivel axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Scheglmann, Volker Hoefer
  • Patent number: 7470890
    Abstract: A field-modulating angular position measuring device includes a scanning device, a measuring graduation, and evaluation electronics, the scanning device and the measuring graduation being arranged at a scanning distance rotatably relative to each other, and angle-dependent output signals being producible by the scanning device, which may be processed further in the evaluation electronics. The angular position measuring device furthermore has a unit for determining the signal amplitudes of the output signals. The angular position measuring device furthermore includes a temperature sensor, which is able to determine a temperature in the angular position measuring device. The angular position measuring device is configured such that the scanning distance may be determined on the basis of the temperature and the signal amplitudes. Furthermore, a method for operating such an angular position measuring device makes it possible, e.g., to determine a change in length of a shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Schroter, Steffen Bielski
  • Patent number: 7471397
    Abstract: In a position-measuring device for recording the relative position of a scanning unit and a measuring graduation that is movable with respect to the latter in at least one measuring direction, the scanning unit includes a plurality of grating structures as well as at least one reflector element. The elements in the scanning unit are arranged such that the beams of rays diffracted by the measuring graduation pass through first grating structures in the scanning unit, subsequently impinge on the reflector element, from which there takes place a retroreflection in the direction of the measuring graduation, and the partial beams of rays then pass through second grating structures and then once again impinge upon the measuring graduation. The first and the second grating structures are arranged such that, upon the first and second passing through of the partial beams of rays, a defined lens effect on the partial beams of rays results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Holzapfel
  • Patent number: 7469478
    Abstract: A coupling is for the connection, that is radially elastic but torsion resistant, of two component parts. The coupling includes base elements and a plurality of tabs formed integrally with the base elements at node areas. Each tab has two support points that are at a distance from one another in the circumferential direction. The node areas form the connection of the tabs to the base elements. Both the node areas and the tabs are configured such that they are flexurally softer than the base elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventor: Johann Mitterreiter
  • Patent number: 7464483
    Abstract: A probe head includes a feeler, a sensor unit, a CPU, a transmitting stage and a producer of electrical energy for supplying energy to the sensor unit, to the CPU and to the transmitting stage. An electrical signal is triggerable by the sensor unit in response to a deflection of the feeler which is convertible in the transmitting stage into an electromagnetic signal. The producer of electrical energy includes a turbine having rotor disk rotatable about an axis. Magnets are mounted on the rotor disk of the turbine, which are arranged across from stationary electrically conductive windings at an axial distance. The probe head includes a voltage transformer, at the output of which an output voltage is producible, which is greater than the input voltage applied to the voltage transformer, the output voltage being used to supply energy to the transmitting stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Reinhold Schopf, Klaus Groell
  • Patent number: 7464484
    Abstract: A probe head includes a stationary component and pressure-sensitive sensors, the sensors being stationary relative to the fixed component, and a deflectable probe element. The probe element has a longitudinal axis, a first contact point and a second contact point. Because of contact of the probe element, pressure forces are able to be introduced into the sensors via the first contact point. In response to a further deflection of the probe element, the latter is able to be transferred to a stop position, in which the second contact point of the probe element touches the stationary component in a supporting manner. The probe element is arranged such that the pressure forces that are able to be introduced into the sensors in the stop position are limited, a first distance between the first contact point and the longitudinal axis being shorter than a second distance between the second contact point and the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventor: Reinhold Schopf
  • Patent number: 7461464
    Abstract: A position measuring arrangement that includes an arrangement of scanning elements for scanning an absolute code and a selection system for selecting scanning signals from the arrangement of scanning elements by a first method of selection and a second method of selection different from the first method of selection. The position measuring arrangement further includes a decoding device for forming a first absolute measured position value from the scanning signals selected by the selection system when the first method of selection is applied to the selection system and a second absolute measured position value from the scanning signals selected by the selection system when the second method of selection is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Johannes Heidenhain, GmbH
    Inventors: Rudolf Mittmann, Erich Strasser
  • Patent number: 7448821
    Abstract: An arrangement for connecting a tubular element to a body extending into the same using a tensioning ring, which, via its inner surface, embraces the outer wall of the tubular element, extends axially along the tubular element, and applies clamping forces thereto such that the tubular element acts via its inner wall on the body situated in the tubular element, clamping the same. The tensioning ring rests against the outer wall of the tubular element with only one axial partial section of its inner surface and exerts a clamping action thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventor: Hermann Meyer
  • Patent number: 7446305
    Abstract: An angle-measuring instrument including a cap defining an opening and a base body that is covered by the cap. A printed circuit board positioned on the base body and on which an electrical coupling element is fixed in place. A spacer that aids in positioning the cap in such a way relative to the printed circuit board so that the opening is aligned with respect to the electrical coupling element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventor: Sebastian Riepertinger
  • Patent number: 7444202
    Abstract: In a method for smoothing polylines in NC programs, the coordinates of points which, connected by linear segments, represent an original polyline, are shifted in a geometrical filter unit such that a resulting polyline, made up of coordinates of points, is smoothed as compared to the original polyline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Fauser, Steffen Lischke
  • Patent number: 7439734
    Abstract: A rotary encoder includes a first group of components and a second group of components. The first group of components has a pulse wire, a detector, and a circuit configuration. The second group of components has a magnet and a code element. Upon approach of the magnet to the pulse wire, a voltage pulse is able to be generated by the pulse wire. A signal is able to be generated by the detector as a function of the relative position, and based on the signal, a logic circuit is able to ascertain position information which is able to be stored in a non-volatile memory. Triggered by the voltage pulse, a voltage from a voltage source is able to be applied to the circuit configuration. The circuit configuration is disconnectable again from the voltage source at the latest after the storage of the position information in the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventor: Peter Fischer
  • Patent number: 7426790
    Abstract: A method is for initializing a position-measuring system for an object movable in at least two degrees of freedom relative to a measuring frame. The position-measuring system includes one position-measuring device per degree of freedom, including a scale having an incremental track for measuring relative positions and an absolute track for measuring absolute positions, as well as scanning heads, assigned to the scales, for reading the incremental tracks and absolute tracks. In an initialization step, the incremental tracks are evaluated using a first evaluation procedure having a large tolerance with respect to the alignment of scanning head and associated scale, and in so doing, approximate absolute positions are determined per degree of freedom. In an alignment step, the movable object is aligned relative to the measuring frame based on the approximate position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2008
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Holzapfel, Kai Rascher
  • Patent number: 7423768
    Abstract: A scanning unit for a position measuring system for the optical scanning of a scale, the scanning unit including a light source for transmitting light in a direction toward a section of a scale and a detector for receiving light modified by the scale. A lens arrangement placed in front of the detector, the lens arrangement having a plurality of optical lenses and is used for generating a definite image of a scanned scanning area in an image field on the detector, wherein the lens arrangement optically images the scanning area reduced in surface in the image field on the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventor: Ulrich Benner
  • Patent number: 7414736
    Abstract: A method for controlling a scanning signal of a light-electric position measuring arrangement, the method includes in a first mode of operation providing the scanning signal to a control device and the control device comparing an amplitude of the scanning signal with a predetermined level and makes a differentiation as to whether the amplitude lies above or below the predetermined level. In a second mode of operation the method includes reducing the amplitude of the scanning signal by attenuating light within a light beam path, and the reduced amplitude is compared with the predetermined level and generating an indication which is suitable for controlling a basic setting of a scanning head relative to a scale.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventor: Josef Stadler
  • Patent number: 7408267
    Abstract: In a position measuring device in which data, which requires buffering, may be held without accommodating a high-capacitance capacitor in the inside of the encoder, a backup current source may be exchanged while the circuits required for the operating capability state remain operable. In addition, current usage during the buffering time may be held low, and the service life of the backup current source may be extended, so that the demand for maintenance may be reduced. The position measuring device may include an encoder main part, arranged to measure the extent of the shift in position of an object to be measured, and a backup current source arranged to supply backup current when main current source, that supplies encoder main part with current, is interrupted. Outside of the encoder main part, an auxiliary current source is provided which, during the exchange of a main battery of the backup current source, undertakes supplying backup current in place of this main battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Mamoru Yamashita, Hiroshi Haga, Takeshi Yamamoto, Andre Schramm
  • Patent number: 7404259
    Abstract: A position measuring instrument for detecting a relative position, the position measuring instrument including a scale having a measuring graduation extending in a measuring direction and a scanning unit that can be moved in the measuring direction in relation to the scale so as to generate a resultant scanning signal, wherein the scanning unit has a scanning graduation arranged on a side of the scanning unit. Either the measuring graduation or the scanning graduation includes graduation areas located periodically in the measuring direction, the graduation areas extend perpendicular to the measuring direction along an extension direction, and the graduation areas, along the extension direction, have differentiable contour shapes, which are dimensioned such that unwanted harmonic components can be eliminated from the resultant scanning signal by way of them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventor: Michael Hermann
  • Patent number: 7400990
    Abstract: A method for performing a functional test of a position measuring system, which in the course of scanning a scale by a position measuring unit generates position values. The method includes generating a control value in the position measuring system, the control value having a defined mathematical interrelationship with one of the position values and into which a correction value stored in the position measuring system is entered as a parameter. Transmitting the control value and an associated position value to an evaluation unit located downstream of the position measuring system. Making a check in the evaluation unit to determine whether there is a mathematical interrelationship between the control value and the associated position value. Storing the correction value in the position measuring system under a first memory address and a second memory address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventor: Erich Strasser