Patents by Inventor Bernhard Hoffmann

Bernhard Hoffmann 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: 8028937
    Abstract: A fuel injection valve for fuel injection systems of internal combustion engines, in particular for injecting fuel directly into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, said fuel injection valve comprising a fuel inlet which is designed to allow fuel to flow into the fuel injection valve, and an actuating device which can be electrically activated and cooperates with a valve arrangement in order to discharge fuel into the combustion chamber in a directly or indirectly controlled manner via a fuel outlet the actuating device having a solenoid arrangement which is to be energized, a substantially magnetically soft magnet yoke arrangement which cooperates therewith, and a substantially magnetically soft magnet armature arrangement which cooperates therewith. The magnet yoke arrangement is constituted by at least two yoke discs. At least one of the faces of each yoke disc has at least one pole web which together with the solenoid arrangement acts upon the magnet armature arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Compact Dynamics GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Gründl, Bernhard Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20110210196
    Abstract: An output-side subassembly of a mill drive system is provided. The subassembly includes an output flange, connectable to a grinding dish, for absorbing forces occurring in a grinding process. Moreover, an annular basic element which is mountable on a foundation or carrier element is provided. For supporting the output flange, a plurality of axial plain bearing segments are arranged essentially equidistantly with respect to one another on the annular basic element. In this case, lubricating gaps are formed in each case between the output flange and the axial plain bearing segments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2011
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Inventors: Bernhard Hoffmann, Dirk Schroer
  • Patent number: 7989991
    Abstract: A linear actuator is provided with an armature and a stator. The armature has at least two stacks of permanently magnetic rods one over another, the stacks being arranged at a predetermined distance from each other. The stator is at least partly produced from a soft magnetic material, and comprises at least two pairs of teeth with teeth opposite each other, each pair of teeth receiving one of the two stacks between them while forming an air gap. The stator has at least two magnetically conducting inner areas which are located between the two stacks and arranged at a predetermined distance from each other in the direction of motion of the armature. The inner areas are each at least partially surrounded by a substantially hollow cylindrical coil arrangement, the central longitudinal axis of which is oriented substantially transversely to the direction of motion of the armature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Compact Dynamics, GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Gruendl, Bernhard Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20100314963
    Abstract: The invention relates to a permanently-excited electrical machine with a stator and a rotor. The stator has a coil arrangement and the rotor is provided with permanent magnet elements, or the rotor comprises a coil arrangement and the stator is provided with permanent magnet elements. An air gap is formed between the stator and the rotor, which is defined by the permanent magnet elements and magnetically conductive teeth of the stator, which are aligned with these in certain positions. The coil arrangement comprises at least one hollow cylindrical winding which is at least partially accommodated in the stator. The rotor has a magnetic return on the sides of the permanent magnet elements, which are remote from the air gap. The magnetic return is formed of rings which are oriented in the circumferential direction of the rotor, and which in the axial direction of the rotor are not wider than individual ones of the permanent magnet elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2008
    Publication date: December 16, 2010
    Inventors: Andreas Gruendl, Bernhard Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20100301685
    Abstract: Linear machine with a stator and a rotor, which are separated by an air gap and have at least one stator coil and/or one rotor coil respectively. The stator or rotor has a soft magnetic iron body with a stator back or rotor back, on which grooves are formed at a distance from each other, forming teeth. In the grooves, multiple conductor bars of the stator coil or rotor coil are arranged in rows. On the faces of the stator or rotor, end connectors which connect the conductor bars and extend over multiple grooves are present. Each conductor bar has a cavity on the face of at least one of its ends. Each end connector has an extension, which is arranged and dimensioned in such a way as to engage in an electrically conducting manner into the respective cavity of the conductor bar, on its section facing the respective front end of the conductor bars.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2008
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Applicant: COMPACT DYNAMICS GMBH
    Inventors: Andreas Grundl, Bernhard Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 7841309
    Abstract: A gas exchange valve actuator for a valve-controlled internal combustion engine is equipped with a rotor, which is to be coupled to a valve member, and a stator, wherein the rotor has at least two stacks, which are arranged at a predetermined distance from one another, of superposed permanently magnetic bars, and the stator is formed, at least partially, from a soft-magnetic material and has at least two pairs of teeth with mutually opposed teeth, of which each pair of teeth receives one of the two stacks between them in each case, while forming an air gap, and wherein the stator has at least two magnetically conductive inner regions which are located between the two stacks and arranged at a predetermined distance from one another in the direction of movement of the rotor and which are at least partially surrounded, in each case, by an essentially hollow-cylindrical coil arrangement, the central longitudinal axis of which is oriented approximately transversely to the direction of movement of said rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Compact Dynamics GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Gründl, Bernhard Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20100289348
    Abstract: In an electrical axial flow machine, comprising a stator and a rotor, wherein either the stator comprises a coil arrangement and the rotor is provided with permanent magnet elements, or wherein the rotor comprises a coil arrangement and the stator is provided with permanent magnet elements, the stator is arranged spaced from the rotor under the formation of an air gap, each of the magnetic flux yokes has several neighbouring magnetic flux poles, the coil arrangement has at least one hollow cylindrical winding which is at least partially encompassed by magnetic flux yokes, the magnetic flux poles each have an outside which is oriented to the permanent magnet elements beyond the air gap, neighbouring permanent magnet elements in the circumferential direction have an alternating magnetic orientation towards the air gap, at least several of the magnetic flux poles are in certain positions of the rotor relative to the stator at least partially oriented in alignment with the permanent magnet elements, the magnetic
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Applicant: Compact Dynamics GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Gruendl, Bernhard Hoffmann, Reinhard Rasch
  • Publication number: 20100244786
    Abstract: The energy storage has an electrical machine with a rotor and a stator. The stator is separated from the rotor by an air gap and has at least one stator coil which, under operating conditions, interacts with the rotor via a rotating field. In one variant, the rotor surrounds the stator and is adapted to rotate about the stator. Another variant provides for the rotor to surround the stator and to be adapted to rotate within the stator. The rotor is associated with a rotating mass with which it forms a cylindrical body with two end faces and a lateral surface. In the area of at least one of its end to faces—in the installed position of the energy storage, of the bottom end face—the cylindrical body has at least one permanent magnet which corresponds with at least one stationary permanent magnet of identical polarity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: Compact Dynamics GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Gruendl, Bernhard Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20100224149
    Abstract: The invention relates to a timing drive for an internal combustion engine, comprising a crankshaft, at least one camshaft, a driven gear that is connected to the crankshaft, at least one driving gear which drives the associated camshaft and a transmission that interconnects the driven gear and the at least one driving gear. An electric motor is provided which engages with the transmission in an offset manner relative to the crankshaft and the at least one camshaft as well as in an offset manner relative to the associated driven gear and the associated at least one driving gear by means of an intermediate gear. Furthermore, a control device is provided, with the aid of which the electric motor can be triggered in such a way that additional torque and/or an additional torque profile can be introduced into the transmission and/or can be tapped from the transmission based on at least one operational parameter and/or at least one operational situation of the transmission. Also disclosed is a corresponding method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicants: IWIS MOTORSYSTEME GMBH & CO. KG, COMPACT DYNAMICS GMBH
    Inventors: Volker Hirschmann, Bernhard Schachtner, Thomas Fink, Reinhard Rasch, Bernhard Hoffmann, Andreas Gründl
  • Publication number: 20100219711
    Abstract: In the drive train of a combustion engine an auxiliary arrangement is arranged which is to be coupled with an axial flow machine comprising a stator and a rotor, in order to perform an actuating movement. The stator has a coil arrangement, and the rotor has an essentially cup-shaped support for permanent magnet elements. The coil arrangement of the stator has at least one cylindrical winding and is at least partially enclosed by two essentially pot-shaped magnetic flux yokes. Each of the pot-shaped magnetic flux yokes has side areas with magnetic flux poles whose outsides are oriented towards the permanent magnet elements of the rotor. The magnetic flux poles of the stator are arranged spaced apart from the permanent magnet elements of the rotor. The magnetic orientation of neighbouring permanent magnet elements towards the air gap alternates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Publication date: September 2, 2010
    Applicant: COMPACT DYNAMICS GMBH
    Inventors: Andreas Gruendl, Bernhard Hoffmann, Stephan Steyer, Anton Wolf, Uwe Reichert
  • Publication number: 20100201183
    Abstract: A brake unit of a slip-controlled motor vehicle brake system with a fluid supply device with an electrically operated fluid supply device provides a pressurised hydraulic or pneumatic fluid in the brake circuits of the brake system. The fluid supply device has a pressure chamber with at least one fluid inlet and at least one fluid outlet. One non-return valve each is provided at the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet. A piston which protrudes into the pressure chamber is movable at least into one of two end positions by means of an electric drive device. In the one end position, a minimum volume is defined by the pressure chamber and the piston. In the other end position, a maximum volume is defined by the pressure chamber and the piston.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2010
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Inventors: ANDREAS GRUENDL, Bernhard Hoffmann, Friedrich Moertl
  • Patent number: 7760480
    Abstract: An electronic assembly for switching electric power, comprising two power supply buses spaced from each other between which semiconductor switches to be driven by means of a control input are arranged at a power output for providing electric power, a capacitor arrangement bridging the two power supply buses, which extends at least partially over the length of the power supply buses, two contact layers originating from one each of the power supply buses and covering the capacitor arrangement at least partially, with the contact layers comprising free end portions which mutually project one another towards the respective other one of the power supply buses, and with the two contact layers having a freely accessible contact area each which is adapted for contact making with correspondingly configured power terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Compact Dynamics GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Gründl, Bernhard Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20100140380
    Abstract: A fluid injection valve having an inlet which is set up to receive fluid from a supply line and is connected to a chamber, a fluid outlet which is connected to the chamber, is set up to allow fluid to flow out of the fluid injection valve and has a valve arrangement having a valve seat and a valve element, wherein the valve element is set up to perform opening and closing movements relative to the valve seat, a linear actuator which is set up to move the valve element relative to the valve seat, and a spring arrangement which exerts on the valve element a force which is dependent on the fluid pressure prevailing in the chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2007
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Applicant: COMPACT DYNAMICS GMBH
    Inventors: Andreas Gruendl, Bernhard Hoffmann, Friedrich Mortl
  • Publication number: 20100109451
    Abstract: The energy storage device has an electrical machine (12) comprising a rotor (14) and a stator (16), the stator (16) being separated from the rotor (14) by an air gap (18) and having at least one stator coil (20). The rotor (14), moreover, has a fly-mass (22) and, together with the latter, constitutes a rotating body. The rotor (14) or the rotating body consists of a multiplicity of thin sheet-metallic discs (30), which have the form, substantially, of an annular disc having an outer edge and an inner edge. There has been applied to these sheet-metal discs (30), at their outer edge, a first tensile stress and, at their inner edge, a first shear stress.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2008
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Applicant: COMPACT DYNAMICS GMBH
    Inventors: Andreas Grundl, Bernhard Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20100011766
    Abstract: Device for recovering electrical energy from the exhaust heat of a combustion engine of a motor vehicle, with a heat exchanger, through which the exhaust gas of the combustion engine is to flow on the input side, and through which heat exchanger fluid, which in operation of the combustion engine is to be brought in the heat exchanger to a first, high temperature and/or pressure level, is to flow on the output side. The device has at least one Laval nozzle, which has an inlet and an outlet, the inlet of which is to be connected to an output-side outlet of the heat exchanger, the outlet of which is directed onto turbine blade wheels of a constant-pressure turbine, and which is dimensioned so that it loads the constant-pressure turbine with steam which has a lower second temperature and/or pressure level than the first, high temperature and/or pressure level and has a high flow velocity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2009
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Applicant: Compact Dynamics GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Gründl, Bernhard Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 7637333
    Abstract: Hybrid drive for a motor vehicle with a drive train, comprising a combustion engine and a vehicle transmission with variable gear ratio and a first and second electrical machine which can be operated both as a motor and a generator, each of which comprises a stator and a rotor with the second electrical machine being in a permanent nonpositive connection with an input of the vehicle transmission, with a shiftable clutch each being arranged between the electrical machines and the drive shaft of the combustion engine, and with the electrical machines to be connected with each other and/or an electrical energy source via an electronic control circuit. The two electrical machines are to be arranged in a common housing, and one of the stators of the electrical machines together with the electronic control circuit and/or the other stator is accommodated on a common carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Andreas Gründl, Bernhard Hoffmann, Reinhard Rasch, Friedrich Mörtl, Hans Glonner, Georg Götz, Jörg Michael, Markus Kaindl
  • Patent number: 7629718
    Abstract: In a transverse flux machine, the rotor has multiple permanent magnet rings that are arranged axially in proximity to one another. The stator surrounds the rotor concentrically in at least some sections, forming an air gap. The stator has multiple stator coils oriented coaxially with the permanent magnet rings and the stator coil has two terminals. An active reactive power source to be controlled has two terminals for each stator coil, the respective stator coil being connected to each. In the event of a fault incident in one of the stator coils, a monitoring arrangement supplies triggering signals for the active reactive power source so that the two terminals of the respective stator coil are interconnected with a low resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: MTU Aero Engines GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Gruendel, Hubert Herrmann, Bernhard Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 7622985
    Abstract: An active compensation filter for the application in the electric power supply in a land vehicle, which comprises a high-pass filter which is to be coupled with a supply voltage line which carries a supply voltage, in order to detect frequency and amplitude of interference voltage components of the supply voltage. A signal amplifier which is connected in series with the high-pass filter amplifies the detected interference voltage components and supplies them to a coupling element as output signals, which is connected in series with the signal amplifier and comprises a primary side and a secondary side. The primary side is fed with the output signals of the signal amplifier and the secondary side is looped into the supply voltage line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: Compact Dynamics GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Gründl, Bernhard Hoffmann, Alexander Kleimaier
  • Publication number: 20090217892
    Abstract: A gas exchange valve actuator for a valve-controlled internal combustion engine is equipped with a rotor, which is to be coupled to a valve member, and a stator, wherein the rotor has at least two stacks, which are arranged at a predetermined distance from one another, of superposed permanently magnetic bars, and the stator is formed, at least partially, from a soft-magnetic material and has at least two pairs of teeth with mutually opposed teeth, of which each pair of teeth receives one of the two stacks between them in each case, while forming an air gap, and wherein the stator has at least two magnetically conductive inner regions which are located between the two stacks and arranged at a predetermined distance from one another in the direction of movement of the rotor and which are at least partially surrounded, in each case, by an essentially hollow-cylindrical coil arrangement, the central longitudinal axis of which is oriented approximately transversely to the direction of movement of said rotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Publication date: September 3, 2009
    Inventors: Andreas Gründl, Bernhard Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 7533834
    Abstract: A fuel injection valve for fuel injection systems of combustion engines, in particular for the direct injection of fuel into a combustion chamber of a combustion engine, comprising a fuel inlet which is adapted to have fuel flow into the fuel injection valve, an electrically controllable actuation means which cooperates with a valve arrangement in order to cause the fuel in a directly or indirectly controlled manner to exit into the combustion chamber through a fuel outlet, with the actuation means comprising a magnet coil arrangement to be supplied with current, an essentially soft magnetic magnet yoke arrangement cooperating with same, as well as an essentially soft magnetic magnet armature arrangement cooperating with same, with the magnet yoke arrangement and/or the magnet armature arrangement comprising a configuration which reduces eddy currents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Compact Dynamics GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Gründl, Bernhard Hoffmann