Patents by Inventor Alwin Berninger
Alwin Berninger has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 7331094Abstract: A device for positioning components to be joined together, such as car body components, is characterized by at least one movable central module and a plurality of arms, movable in space and connected thereto and which in each case have at least one holding element for holding the components. By means of the inventive method for the positioning of the components to be joined together and for the performance of which the said device is particularly suitable, the components are held from a position within a desired arrangement of the components to be joined. In this way the assembled components during a subsequent tacking together and optionally further downstream production processes such as welding or the like, are accessible in optimum manner from the outside. Further advantages of the method according to the invention are a limited space requirement and possible balancing of the production process.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2003Date of Patent: February 19, 2008Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbHInventor: Alwin Berninger
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Patent number: 7086293Abstract: In order to improve the monitoring of a machine with movable parts, such as in particular an industrial robot, and for increasing safety, the invention provides a method for monitoring movable parts of a machine, such as an industrial robot, in which at least two different measured quantities are detected and at least one of these measured quantities is processed to a first measure result in such a way that it is comparable with another measured quantity or a second measure result obtained on the basis thereof, that the first measure result is compared with another measured quantity or a measure result obtained on the basis thereof and that a signal characterizing the comparison result is provided.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2004Date of Patent: August 8, 2006Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbHInventors: Peter Heiligensetzer, Alwin Berninger, Norbert Settele
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Publication number: 20040260481Abstract: In order to improve the monitoring of a machine with movable parts, such as in particular an industrial robot, and for increasing safety, the invention provides a method for monitoring movable parts of a machine, such as an industrial robot, in which at least two different measured quantities are detected and at least one of these measured quantities is processed to a first measure result in such a way that it is comparable with another measured quantity or a second measure result obtained on the basis thereof, that the first measure result is compared with another measured quantity or a measure result obtained on the basis thereof and that a signal characterizing the comparison result is provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2004Publication date: December 23, 2004Inventors: Peter Heiligensetzer, Alwin Berninger, Norbert Settele
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Publication number: 20040143951Abstract: A device for positioning components to be joined together, such as car body components, is characterized by at least one movable central module and a plurality of arms, movable in space and connected thereto and which in each case have at least one holding element for holding the components. By means of the inventive method for the positioning of the components to be joined together and for the performance of which the said device is particularly suitable, the components are held from a position within a desired arrangement of the components to be joined. In this way the assembled components during a subsequent tacking together and optionally further downstream production processes such as welding or the like, are accessible in optimum manner from the outside. Further advantages of the method according to the invention are a limited space requirement and possible balancing of the production process.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 15, 2003Publication date: July 29, 2004Inventor: Alwin Berninger
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Patent number: 6761189Abstract: A wearing ring, particularly for protecting a cable guide hose on a robot, with an inner ring and an outer ring having in each case two half-shells is characterized in that the half-shells of at least one of the rings can be locked together.Type: GrantFiled: January 2, 2002Date of Patent: July 13, 2004Assignee: Kuka Roboter GmbHInventors: Alwin Berninger, Stefan Karlinger
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Patent number: 6622756Abstract: A protective hose, particularly cable guidance hose, for a robot having at least partly externally positioned cables, particularly supply cables for robot tools is characterized by a flexible hose end piece terminally positionable on the protective hose and whose wall thickness at least zonally differs over its length, its wall thickness having a minimum value in the central area.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2001Date of Patent: September 23, 2003Assignee: Kuka Roboter GmbHInventors: Alwin Berninger, Stefan Karlinger
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Patent number: 6564667Abstract: A device for compensating the weight of a robot arm of a robot with a spring cylinder and having at least one helical spring is characterized in that there is at least one mechanism for the insertion and removal of at least one further, replaceable helical spring and preferably a pretension of at least the replaceable helical spring is adjustable. The device according to the invention makes it possible to modify the spring constant of the spring cylinder in order to individually adjust the compensating force desired for compensating the weight of the robot.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2001Date of Patent: May 20, 2003Assignee: Kuka Roboter GmbHInventors: Albert Bayer, Wolfgang Bohlken, Alwin Berninger
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Publication number: 20020130513Abstract: A wearing ring, particularly for protecting a cable guide hose on a robot, with an inner ring and an outer ring having in each case two half-shells is characterized in that the half-shells of at least one of the rings can be locked together.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 2, 2002Publication date: September 19, 2002Inventors: Alwin Berninger, Stefan Karlinger
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Patent number: 6352369Abstract: A wearing ring, particularly for protecting a cable guidance tube on a robot, characterized in that the wearing ring has two layers, whereof one coaxially surrounds the other.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 1999Date of Patent: March 5, 2002Assignee: Kuka Roboter GmbHInventor: Alwin Berninger
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Publication number: 20010023767Abstract: A protective hose, particularly cable guidance hose, for a robot having at least partly externally positioned cables, particularly supply cables for robot tools is characterized by a flexible hose end piece terminally positionable on the protective hose and whose wall thickness at least zonally differs over its length, its wall thickness having a minimum value in the central area.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 21, 2001Publication date: September 27, 2001Inventors: Alwin Berninger, Stefan Karlinger
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Publication number: 20010022112Abstract: A device for compensating the weight of a robot arm of a robot with a spring cylinder and having at least one helical spring is characterized in that there is at least one mechanism for the insertion and removal of at least one further, replaceable helical spring and preferably a pretension of at least the replaceable helical spring is adjustable. The device according to the invention makes it possible to modify the spring constant of the spring cylinder in order to individually adjust the compensating force desired for compensating the weight of the robot.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 2, 2001Publication date: September 20, 2001Inventors: Albert Bayer, Wolfgang Bohlken, Alwin Berninger
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Patent number: 6288512Abstract: A robot has a plurality of components which can pivot relative to each other, in particular robot arms. Changes in separation between individual points of the robot thereby occur. This must be taken into consideration when guiding the operation cables for robot elements and in particular robot tools. The cables must be capable of accommodating length changes while being loaded to as little extent as possible during motion of the robot so that they have high durability and are not prematurely damaged. In accordance with the invention, a robot having cables extending at least partially on the outside, in particular operation cables for robot tools such as a welding tool, has cables guided in a substantially circular loop at the height of a robot arm which can pivot about an axis of the robot.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 1999Date of Patent: September 11, 2001Assignee: Kuka Roboter GmbHInventors: Alwin Berninger, Georg Hartmann
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Patent number: 6223618Abstract: In order to simplify assembly of a robot hand to a robot arm, the invention is a device for driving a robot hand on a robot arm having a plurality of cardan shafts with which the cardan shafts are borne at their ends distant from the hand on a bearing plate which can be displaced relative to the robot arm.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 1999Date of Patent: May 1, 2001Assignee: Kuka Roboter GmbHInventors: Alwin Berninger, Wolfgang Bohlken
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Patent number: 6189403Abstract: In order to guide a cable for a robot in a protective fashion while facilitating simple insertion of protected cables in a robot arm, in particular a robot arm bearing a hand arbor motor, having a cable guide channel extending substantially along the robot arm and having a sideward opening along its entire length.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 1999Date of Patent: February 20, 2001Assignee: Kuka Roboter GmbHInventor: Alwin Berninger