Patents by Inventor Bernd Engels

Bernd Engels 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).

  • Publication number: 20100008105
    Abstract: The object of the invention is a high-efficiency DC/DC converter, in particular for photovoltaic plants, incorporating a transformerless DC/DC converter operated in the resonant mode of operation for converting a unipolar direct input voltage with an associated positive pole (+) and with a negative pole (?). There is imposed a resonance circuit incorporating at least one resonance inductance and at least one resonance capacitance, each resonance capacitance being connected to a respective one of the rectifier circuit arrangements in such a manner that the bipolar direct output voltage is provided, a voltage boosting circuit arrangement being connected to each resonance capacitance and to the rectifier circuit arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2009
    Publication date: January 14, 2010
    Applicant: SMA SOLAR TECHNOLOGY AG
    Inventors: Regine MALLWITZ, Peter ZACHARIAS, Bernd ENGEL
  • Publication number: 20090315404
    Abstract: A solar power plant with a plurality of photovoltaic modules for generating a power to be fed in a multi-phase grid, several photovoltaic strings, which are allocated to different phases, being connected to a primary side of a mains transformer and at least one inverter for converting the direct voltage generated by the photovoltaic modules into an alternating mains voltage conforming to the grid being provided and said mains transformer being provided with a neutral conductor and with a grounded terminal, is intended to be improved in such a manner that the life of the photovoltaic modules, in particular in case of thin-film modules, is increased, allowing for high conversion efficiency of the inverters at low wiring costs. This is achieved in that an additional direct voltage source is inserted between the neutral conductor and ground in such a manner that the potential of the photovoltaic strings is displaced and that a bias voltage is set, which is different from zero volt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2009
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Applicant: SMA SOLAR TECHNOLOGY AG
    Inventors: Guenther Cramer, Bernd Engel, Frank Greizer, Joachim Laschinski
  • Publication number: 20090302631
    Abstract: A vehicle seat includes a seat part having a seat substructure. The seat part is displaceable along a transverse axis with respect to the seat substructure and the seat part is at least partially swivelably about the transverse axis. The seat includes a displacement element having a displacement length, a fixed lower part and an upper part. A first longitudinal movement of the seat part and a first transverse movement of the seat part occurs along a first section of the adjustment length. A second longitudinal movement of the seat part and a second transverse movement of the seat part occurs along a second section of the adjustment length. The ratio of the first longitudinal movement to the first transverse movement differs from the ratio of the second longitudinal movement to the second transverse movement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2007
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: Johnson Controls GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Grudl, Guido Herkenrath, Martin Zynda, Andreas Gustavel, Ralf Janisch, Bernd Engels, Andreas Irgang
  • Patent number: 7576449
    Abstract: A method of converting a direct voltage generated by a decentralized power supply system into three-phase alternating voltage by means of a plurality of single-phase inverters (WR1-WR3), said alternating voltage being provided for supplying an electric mains, is intended to avoid inadmissible load unbalances using single-phase inverters. This is achieved in that, upon failure of one inverter (WR1-WR3), an asymmetrical power supply distribution is reduced by limiting the output of the other inverters. The method makes it possible to simplify three-phase voltage monitoring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: SMA Solar Technology AG
    Inventors: Holger Becker, Günther Cramer, Sven Bremicker, Thorsten Dingel, Bernd Engel, Wilfried Groote, Frank Greizer, Ralf Joachim Laschinski, Matthias Victor, Torben Westphal
  • Publication number: 20090195042
    Abstract: The invention relates to an adjusting device, in particular for the seat of a motor vehicle, comprising at least one first rail (lower rail (1)) and one second rail (upper rail 2)) which is embodied in a displaceable manner in relation to the first rail, in addition to a spindle (4) which is connected to the first rail and a drive housing (14) which can be penetrated by the spindle and which is arranged on the second rail, said drive housing being provided in order to receive at least one gear element which co-operates with the spindle. According to the invention, the drive housing is secured in a directly positive manner to the associated rail but also in a manner whereby the height can be adjusted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2005
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Inventors: Ernst-Jurgen Hake, Bernd Engels, Martin Zynda
  • Publication number: 20090034304
    Abstract: An inverter (1) for a grounded direct voltage source, in particular for a photovoltaic generator (2), a battery or a fuel cell, for converting the direct voltage into an alternative voltage with a DC-DC converter (3) and a pulse inverter that is supplied by said DC-DC converter (3), said DC-DC converter (3) being configured to be an oscillating circuit inverter and comprising a series resonant oscillating circuit, said DC-DC converter (3), which is configured to be an oscillating circuit inverter, being configured to be a series-compensated oscillating circuit inverter with a choke (L1) and a series-mounted capacitor array consisting of two or several oscillating circuit capacitors, a rectifier bridge branch including 2 diodes (D3, D4; D5, D6, . . .
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2008
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Applicant: SMA Solar Technology AG
    Inventors: Bernd Engel, Regine Mallwitz, Peter Zacharias
  • Publication number: 20070297206
    Abstract: The invention is directed to an apparatus (1) for accommodating a plurality of individual inverters (2), comprising a rack, the individual inverters (2) being removably mountable to the side elements of said rack, said rack having at least one terminal block (10) for receiving cables for current supply and evacuation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2007
    Publication date: December 27, 2007
    Inventors: Gunther Cramer, Bernd Engel
  • Publication number: 20070179720
    Abstract: A method of converting a direct voltage generated by a decentralized power supply system into three-phase alternating voltage by means of a plurality of single-phase inverters (WR1-WR3), said alternating voltage being provided for supplying an electric mains, is intended to avoid inadmissible load unbalances using single-phase inverters. This is achieved in that, upon failure of one inverter (WR1-WR3), an asymmetrical power supply distribution is reduced by limiting the output of the other inverters. The method makes it possible to simplify three-phase voltage monitoring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2007
    Publication date: August 2, 2007
    Applicant: SMA Technologie AG
    Inventors: Holger Becker, Gunther Cramer, Sven Bremicker, Thorsten Dingel, Bernd Engel, Wilfried Groote, Frank Greizer, Joachim Laschinski, Matthias Victor, Torben Westphal
  • Patent number: 7195311
    Abstract: Safety device for a vehicle seat which is fixed inside a vehicle including lateral guides. The safety device consists of at least one safety rail fixed in the vehicle, in the region between the guides, and comprises associated securing mechanisms which are connected to the vehicle seat, and co-operate with the safety rail in a non-contact manner for regular loads applied to the seat, and in the event of irregular, especially accident-related deformations and/or movements in the region of the vehicle seat, engage with the safety rail in such a way that they block further deformation/displacements. The securing mechanisms and the safety rail are embodied in such a way that, during the engagement, reaction forces which act in the direction of axes (X, Y, Z) of a standard vehicle co-ordinates system are applied in a distributed manner to at least two different engagement regions of the safety rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Johnson Controls GmbH
    Inventors: Norbert Kuliha, Uwe Schmale, Bernd Engels
  • Publication number: 20070062743
    Abstract: The invention relates to a small vehicle, particularly a wheel chair, having a modular structure including a main component, at least one pivotable wheel which is adapted to be detachably mounted at said main component via a quick release device, at least one driving wheel adapted to be detachably mounted at said main component via a quick release device and a seat component which is adapted to be detachably mounted at said main component via a quick release device. The main component comprises a main body to which four arms for supporting the wheels are springably coupled. The quick release devices between said main component and said wheels are disposed between said arms and said wheels, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2006
    Publication date: March 22, 2007
    Inventors: Bernd Engels, Ralf Ledda, Marc Binder, Thomas Birmanns
  • Patent number: D590778
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: SMA Technologies AG
    Inventors: Peter Drews, Bernd Engel
  • Patent number: D591246
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: SMA Technologie AG
    Inventors: Peter Drews, Bernd Engel
  • Patent number: D591692
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: SMA Technologie AG
    Inventors: Peter Drews, Bernd Engel
  • Patent number: D592153
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: SMA Solar Technology AG
    Inventors: Bernd Engel, Peter Drews
  • Patent number: D592154
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: SMA Solar Technology AG
    Inventors: Peter Drews, Bernd Engel
  • Patent number: D592155
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: SMA Solar Technology AG
    Inventors: Peter Drews, Bernd Engel
  • Patent number: D592156
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: SMA Solar Technology AG
    Inventors: Peter Drews, Bernd Engel
  • Patent number: D604237
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: SMA Solar Technology AG
    Inventors: Bernd Engel, Andreas Donth
  • Patent number: D604238
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: SMA Solar Technology AG.
    Inventors: Bernd Engel, Andreas Donth
  • Patent number: D604239
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: SMA Solar Technology AG
    Inventors: Bernd Engel, Andreas Donth