Patents by Inventor Andreas Merz

Andreas Merz 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).

  • Patent number: 11268832
    Abstract: A coil assembly includes a coil winding and a multilayer printed circuit board. The coil winding has multiple loops that are arranged in different layers of the printed circuit board and form a main magnetic field with a main measuring direction perpendicular to a main plane of the printed circuit board. The loops arranged in different layers are electrically connected together via at least one via. The printed circuit board has at least four vias or a whole-number multiple of four vias that form an equal number of reverse current paths and forward current paths between the loops of the coil winding. Each pair of vias with the same current path direction is arranged point-symmetrically relative to a common mirror point such that magnetic loops that are formed on printed circuit board secondary planes arranged perpendicularly to the main plane have opposite directions and compensate for one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Buck, Andreas Merz, Oliver Krayl, Stefan Leidich
  • Patent number: 11193796
    Abstract: A rotational angle sensor includes a stator element and a rotor element. The rotor element is mounted to rotate about a rotation axis. The stator element has a transmitter coil and a receiver coil that are arranged on a circuit board. The receiver coil substantially encloses the rotation axis in a circumferential direction and is formed by a plurality of adjacent partial windings. The partial windings are each formed from sections of two circular-arc-shaped conductor paths curved to the left and two circular-arc-shaped conductor paths curved to the right. A first conductor path curved to the right extends through a first point on a first circle, a second point on a third circle and rotated relative to the first point by a quarter of a measuring range of the sensor, and a third point on a second circle and rotated relative to the first point by half the measuring range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Fabian Utermoehlen, Andreas Merz
  • Patent number: 11150111
    Abstract: A rotational angle sensor includes a stator element and rotor element. The stator element has a stator transmitting coil and stator receiving coil. The rotor element is rotatably mounted about a rotation axis, relative to the stator element, and has a rotor receiving coil and rotor transmitting coil electrically connected to each other. The rotor receiving coil is inductively coupled to the stator transmitting coil such that an electromagnetic field produced by the stator transmitting coil induces a current in the rotor receiving coil that flows through the rotor transmitting coil and causes the rotor transmitting coil to produce a further electromagnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Fabian Utermoehlen, Andreas Merz, Stefan Leidich
  • Patent number: 11143681
    Abstract: A method for determining a sensor coil inductance of an eddy current sensor using an LC oscillator circuit includes determining the sensor coil inductance via integration, as a function of an oscillation frequency and a resonance capacitance of the LC oscillator circuit. The method further includes detuning, at least once, the oscillation frequency during the integration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Buck, Andreas Merz, Stefan Leidich
  • Patent number: 11137267
    Abstract: A rotational angle sensor includes a stator element and a rotor element. The stator element has a transmitting coil and at least two receiving coils that are arranged within the transmitting coil and on a circuit board. The rotor element is mounted for rotation with respect to the stator element about an axis of rotation. The rotor element is configured to inductively couple the transmitting coil to the at least two receiving coils in such a way that the inductive coupling is dependent on a rotational angle between the stator element and the rotor element and the transmitting coil induces at least two angle-dependent alternating voltages in the at least two receiving coils. The rotor element and the at least two receiving coils are configured in such a way that an alternating voltage, the amplitude of which is sinusoidally dependent on the rotational angle, is induced in the receiving coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Fabian Utermoehlen, Andreas Merz
  • Publication number: 20210190545
    Abstract: A rotational angle sensor includes a stator element and rotor element. The stator element has a stator transmitting coil and stator receiving coil. The rotor element is rotatably mounted about a rotation axis, relative to the stator element, and has a rotor receiving coil and rotor transmitting coil electrically connected to each other. The rotor receiving coil is inductively coupled to the stator transmitting coil such that an electromagnetic field produced by the stator transmitting coil induces a current in the rotor receiving coil that flows through the rotor transmitting coil and causes the rotor transmitting coil to produce a further electromagnetic field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventors: Fabian Utermoehlen, Andreas Merz, Stefan Leidich
  • Patent number: 10928222
    Abstract: A rotation angle sensor includes a stator element and a rotor element, which is mounted in a rotatable manner about an axis of rotation with respect to the stator element. A rotation angle is captured via inductive coupling between the rotor element and the stator element. A compensation element is arranged on the stator element. The compensation element has a compensation transmitting coil configured to emit an alternating electromagnetic compensation field and at least one compensation receiving coil configured to receive alternating electromagnetic fields. The rotor element has a first electrically conductive section. The first electrically conductive section is arranged on the rotor element and is inductively coupled to the compensation transmitting coil and to the at least one compensation receiving coil of the compensation element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Fabian Utermoehlen, Andreas Merz
  • Patent number: 10907992
    Abstract: A rotational angle sensor includes a stator element, and rotor element. The stator element has a stator transmitting coil and a stator receiving coil. The rotor element is mounted rotatably about a rotation axis relative to the stator element, and has a rotor receiving coil and a rotor transmitting coil electrically connected with each other. The rotor receiving coil is inductively coupled to the stator transmitting coil such that an electromagnetic field produced by the stator transmitting coil induces a current in the rotor receiving coil that flows through the rotor transmitting coil and causes the rotor transmitting coil to produce a further electromagnetic field. The stator receiving coil is inductively coupled to the rotor transmitting coil such that the inductive coupling is configured with reference to a rotational angle between the stator element and the rotor element so that the further electromagnetic field induces at least one angle-dependent alternating voltage in the stator receiving coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Fabian Utermoehlen, Andreas Merz
  • Patent number: 10895475
    Abstract: An angular position sensor includes a stator element with at least three coils, a rotor element rotatably mounted with respect to the stator element, and an evaluation unit configured to determine an angle of rotation between the rotor element and stator element. The rotor element is configured to inductively couple with each of the at least three coils with varying strengths based on the angle of rotation. The evaluation unit is further configured to supply the coils with alternating voltage in a cyclical manner and in sequence, so that a first respective part of the coils is supplied with alternating voltage and a remaining part is de-energized. The evaluation unit is additionally configured, in a cyclical manner in sequence with one or more de-energized coils, to detect at least one of a respective phase and an amount of an induced alternating voltage, and to determine the angle of rotation therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Ingo Herrmann, Thomas Buck, Fabian Utermoehlen, Andreas Merz, Dayo Oshinubi, Oliver Krayl, Stefan Leidich
  • Patent number: 10866121
    Abstract: A rotational angle sensor includes a stator element and a rotor element. The stator element has a stator transmitting coil, a stator circuit board with first and second planes, and at least two identically configured stator receiving coils arranged within the stator transmitting coil on the stator circuit board angularly offset from each other. The rotor element is mounted rotatably about a rotational axis relative to the stator element. The stator transmitting coil is inductively coupled to the stator receiving coils via the rotor element such that the inductive coupling is configured with reference to a rotational angle between the stator element and the rotor element so that the stator transmitting coil induces at least two angle-dependent alternating voltages in the stator receiving coils. The stator transmitting coil has coil conducting tracks positioned on the first and second planes of the stator circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Fabian Utermoehlen, Andreas Merz
  • Patent number: 10845216
    Abstract: A rotational angle sensor includes a stator element and rotor element. The stator element has a stator transmitting coil, circuit board, and at least two identically configured stator receiving coils angularly offset from each other on the circuit board. The rotor element is mounted rotatably about a rotation axis relative to the stator element, and has a rotor receiving coil and rotor transmitting coil electrically connected to each other. The rotor receiving coil is inductively coupled to the stator transmitting coil such that an electromagnetic field produced by the stator transmitting coil induces a current in the rotor receiving coil that flows through the rotor transmitting coil and causes the rotor transmitting coil produces a further electromagnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Fabian Utermoehlen, Andreas Merz
  • Patent number: 10751477
    Abstract: A determination device for determining a value representing a dose of a dose metering device includes an eddy-current-based rotational angle sensor. The rotational angle sensor can be coupled to a rotatable dosing knob of the dose metering device and can image a rotational angle of the dosing knob representing the dose in a rotational angle signal. The determination device further includes an analysis device that can establish the value of the dose using the rotational angle signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Fabian Utermoehlen, Andreas Merz, Stefan Leidich
  • Patent number: 10724876
    Abstract: A linear-displacement sensor includes a base element arranged with a sensor coil and an excitation coil in such a manner that an AC voltage is induced in the sensor coil upon application of an AC voltage to the excitation coil. An at least partly electrically conductive sliding element is configured to be shifted relative to the base element in a direction along the measurement path. The sliding element has a variable geometry along the measurement path to inductively couple partial turns of the sensor coil with the excitation coil. A correction coil is arranged above a geometry of the sliding element so that an inductive coupling of the correction coil and hence an amplitude of an AC voltage induced in the correction coil is dependent on a lateral offset of the sliding element in relation to the base element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Ingo Herrmann, Fabian Utermoehlen, Andreas Merz, Stefan Leidich
  • Publication number: 20200200569
    Abstract: A rotational angle sensor includes a stator element and a rotor element. The rotor element is mounted to rotate about a rotation axis. The stator element has a transmitter coil and a receiver coil that are arranged on a circuit board. The receiver coil substantially encloses the rotation axis in a circumferential direction and is formed by a plurality of adjacent partial windings. The partial windings are each formed from sections of two circular-arc-shaped conductor paths curved to the left and two circular-arc-shaped conductor paths curved to the right. A first conductor path curved to the right extends through a first point on a first circle, a second point on a third circle and rotated relative to the first point by a quarter of a measuring range of the sensor, and a third point on a second circle and rotated relative to the first point by half the measuring range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Applicant: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Fabian UTERMOEHLEN, Andreas MERZ
  • Publication number: 20200025550
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to an angle-measuring assembly for acquiring a pivot angle between a motor vehicle and a trailer coupled to the vehicle by a detachable coupling, wherein the coupling comprises a first coupling element connected to the tractor vehicle and a second coupling element connected to the trailer, having a measured value generator associated with the coupling for generating a magnetic field, having a measured value sensor associated with the coupling for acquiring the magnetic field, and having an analysis unit for determining the pivot angle in dependence on the magnetic field acquired by the measured value sensor. The measured value generator and the measured value sensor are both arranged on the first coupling element or the second coupling element. A magnetic field manipulator is arranged on the second or the first coupling element, opposite to the measured value generator and the measured value sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: Fabian Utermoehlen, Andreas Merz
  • Patent number: 10532162
    Abstract: A method for determining an injection process of an injection appliance includes injecting a fluid with the injection appliance and applying an electrical signal to at least one helical spring of the injection appliance coupled to a dosing wheel of the injection appliance. The method also comprises detecting an inductance value of the at least one helical spring. A number of windings of the at least one helical spring is dependent on a set rotation angle of the dosing wheel. The set rotation angle corresponds to a dose quantity of the fluid that is preselected for the injection process. The method moreover includes making available a determination signal representing the determined injection process, using the detected inductance value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Merz, Fabian Utermoehlen, Michael Stumber, Stefan Leidich
  • Publication number: 20190285437
    Abstract: A rotation angle sensor includes a stator element and a rotor element, which is mounted in a rotatable manner about an axis of rotation with respect to the stator element. A rotation angle is captured via inductive coupling between the rotor element and the stator element. A compensation element is arranged on the stator element. The compensation element has a compensation transmitting coil configured to emit an alternating electromagnetic compensation field and at least one compensation receiving coil configured to receive alternating electromagnetic fields. The rotor element has a first electrically conductive section. The first electrically conductive section is arranged on the rotor element and is inductively coupled to the compensation transmitting coil and to the at least one compensation receiving coil of the compensation element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2017
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Inventors: Fabian Utermoehlen, Andreas Merz
  • Publication number: 20190209783
    Abstract: A fluid discharge device for discharging a fluid has at least one release device for releasing the fluid from a fluid storage container. In addition, the fluid discharge device has a spring, which is tensioned between the release device and a force sensor, and which is designed to exert a restoring force on the force sensor with the releasing of the fluid. Finally, the fluid discharge device has the force sensor, which is designed to detect the restoring force acting on the force sensor with the releasing of the fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Inventors: Fabian Utermoehlen, Andreas Merz
  • Publication number: 20190186891
    Abstract: A rotation-angle sensor comprises a stator element and a rotor element mounted to rotate relative to the stator element about an axis of rotation. The rotation angle is detectable by an inductive coupling between the rotor element and the stator element. A compensation element is located on the stator element and has a compensation transmitter coil to emit an electromagnetic compensation alternating field and a compensation receiver coil to receive electromagnetic alternating fields. The rotor element has a first electrically conductive portion, which is both located on the rotor element and inductively coupled to the compensation transmitter coil and the compensation receiver coil such that when the compensation transmitter coil emits the electromagnetic compensation alternating field, an alternating voltage induced in the compensation receiver coil is primarily dependent on a relative mutual radial location of the stator element and the rotor element with respect to the axis of rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Applicant: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Fabian Utermoehlen, Andreas Merz
  • Patent number: D856832
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Stefan Blickhan, Jochen Gareis, Andreas Merz, Stefan Nagel, Christoph Tomczak, Nina Wendt