Patents by Inventor Arno Zimpfer

Arno Zimpfer 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: 9954377
    Abstract: An inductive power transfer circuit comprises an inductive rotary coupling with a primary side rotatably arranged a secondary side. The primary side has a primary winding and the secondary side has at least two secondary windings. The secondary windings deliver a signal with the same phase and are connected at one end to a pair of capacitors, being further connected to a positive output and a negative output. The other ends of the secondary windings each are separately connected to a pair of rectifiers connected in forward direction to the positive output and in reverse direction to the negative output. By paralleling multiple secondary windings and rectifier circuits, the stray inductances and capacitances can be reduced which further leads to a reduced base load which helps to reduce total energy consumption of the circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: SCHLEIFRING UND APPARATEBAU GMBH
    Inventors: Ulrich Herrmann, Arno Zimpfer
  • Publication number: 20160181825
    Abstract: An inductive power transfer circuit comprises an inductive rotary coupling with a primary side rotatably arranged a secondary side. The primary side has a primary winding and the secondary side has at least two secondary windings. The secondary windings deliver a signal with the same phase and are connected at one end to a pair of capacitors, being further connected to a positive output and a negative output. The other ends of the secondary windings each are separately connected to a pair of rectifiers connected in forward direction to the positive output and in reverse direction to the negative output. By paralleling multiple secondary windings and rectifier circuits, the stray inductances and capacitances can be reduced which further leads to a reduced base load which helps to reduce total energy consumption of the circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventors: Ulrich Herrmann, Arno Zimpfer
  • Patent number: 9186120
    Abstract: A method for compensation of input voltage fluctuations in an inductive rotating coupler is disclosed. This coupler includes a power generator that feeds an alternating-current voltage into a resonance circuit including a resonance capacitor and an inductive rotating transmission device. The power generator is fed with an input direct-current voltage that may fluctuate, for example, owing to residual ripple. A control unit determines this input direct-current voltage and calculates there from an optimum operating frequency for the power generator, so that the output voltage at the load remains constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: SCHLEIFRING UND APPARATEBAU GMBH
    Inventors: Arno Zimpfer, Stefan Fischer
  • Patent number: 8519721
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for compensation of system tolerances in an inductive coupler which includes a power generator that feeds an alternating current into a series resonance circuit formed by a resonance capacitor and an inductive rotating transmission device. First, a brief sequence of at least one period of an alternating current is fed by the power generator into the series resonance circuit. Then the series resonance circuit is short-circuited. A first resonance frequency is measured. Then a longer sequence having a plurality of periods of an alternating-current voltage is generated by the power generator, so that a given small voltage is built up at the load. Now a second resonance frequency is measured while the resonance circuit is short-circuited. Then at least one correcting variable for the power generator is determined from the two resonance frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Schleifring und Apparatebau GmbH
    Inventors: Nils Krumme, Arno Zimpfer, Stefan Fischer
  • Patent number: 8242639
    Abstract: An inductive rotary joint for computer tomographs includes an inverter and an inductive rotary coupler. A primary winding of the inductive rotary coupler is fed by the inverter via a line, with energy transmitted by the inductive rotary coupler being supplied to a load through a secondary winding. The line includes at least two coaxial lines, each coaxial line having an outer conductor or shield with the two outer conductors or shields being interconnected along a major part of their length, and an inner conductor, with the inner conductors being supplied by the inverter with voltages, the sum of which is substantially equal to zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Schleifring und Apparatebau GmbH
    Inventors: Nils Krumme, Michael Tekloth, Michael Bley, Arno Zimpfer
  • Patent number: 8164929
    Abstract: An inductive coupled power transmission circuit has a rotating transformer, including an AC voltage supply for feeding an AC voltage via a series capacitor into the primary winding of said rotating transformer and a load being coupled to the secondary winding of said rotating transformer. The AC voltage supply includes a line rectifier for receiving AC voltage from a power line and generating a DC voltage. This is fed into a DC/DC converter for converting the DC voltage from the line rectifier into a controlled intermediate DC voltage. An AC generator generates an AC voltage from the intermediate DC voltage and feeds this via a matching transformer into the primary winding of the rotating transformer. A measuring circuit measures voltages and/or currents within the AC voltage supply and a function generator estimates voltage and/or current values at the load based on the measured values and controls the DC/DC converter and/or the AC generator based on the estimated values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Schleifring und Apparatebau GmbH
    Inventor: Arno Zimpfer
  • Publication number: 20110261931
    Abstract: A method for compensation of input voltage fluctuations in an inductive rotating coupler is disclosed. This coupler includes a power generator that feeds an alternating-current voltage into a resonance circuit including a resonance capacitor and an inductive rotating transmission device. The power generator is fed with an input direct-current voltage that may fluctuate, for example, owing to residual ripple. A control unit determines this input direct-current voltage and calculates there from an optimum operating frequency for the power generator, so that the output voltage at the load remains constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2011
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Applicant: SCHLEIFRING UND APPARATEBAU GMBH
    Inventors: Arno Zimpfer, Stefan Fischer
  • Publication number: 20110248727
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for compensation of system tolerances in an inductive coupler which includes a power generator that feeds an alternating current into a series resonance circuit formed by a resonance capacitor and an inductive rotating transmission device. First, a brief sequence of at least one period of an alternating current is fed by the power generator into the series resonance circuit. Then the series resonance circuit is short-circuited. A first resonance frequency is measured. Then a longer sequence having a plurality of periods of an alternating-current voltage is generated by the power generator, so that a given small voltage is built up at the load. Now a second resonance frequency is measured whilst the resonance circuit is short-circuited. Then at least one correcting variable for the power generator is determined from the two resonance frequencies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Applicant: SCHLEIFRING UND APPARATEBAU GMBH
    Inventors: Nils Krumme, Arno Zimpfer, Stefan Fischer
  • Publication number: 20110038190
    Abstract: An inductive coupled power transmission circuit has a rotating transformer, including an AC voltage supply for feeding an AC voltage via a series capacitor into the primary winding of said rotating transformer and a load being coupled to the secondary winding of said rotating transformer. The AC voltage supply includes a line rectifier for receiving AC voltage from a power line and generating a DC voltage. This is fed into a DC/DC converter for converting the DC voltage from the line rectifier into a controlled intermediate DC voltage. An AC generator generates an AC voltage from the intermediate DC voltage and feeds this via a matching transformer into the primary winding of the rotating transformer. A measuring circuit measures voltages and/or currents within the AC voltage supply and a function generator estimates voltage and/or current values at the load based on the measured values and controls the DC/DC converter and/or the AC generator based on the estimated values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2009
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Inventor: Arno Zimpfer
  • Publication number: 20100090536
    Abstract: An inductive rotary joint for computer tomographs includes an inverter and an inductive rotary coupler. A primary winding of the inductive rotary coupler is fed by the inverter via a line, with energy transmitted by the inductive rotary coupler being supplied to a load through a secondary winding. The line includes at least two coaxial lines, each coaxial line having an outer conductor or shield with the two outer conductors or shields being interconnected along a major part of their length, and an inner conductor, with the inner conductors being supplied by the inverter with voltages, the sum of which is substantially equal to zero.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2009
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Inventors: Nils Krumme, Michael Tekloth, Michael Bley, Arno Zimpfer