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: 6865888
    Abstract: A turbo-compressor (20, 121) for a piston combustion engine (10), with the turbo-compressor (20, 121) comprising a fresh air inlet (24) and a fresh air outlet (26), with the turbo-compressor (20, 121) to be connected with the combustion engine (10) via the fresh air outlet (26), the turbo-compressor (20, 121) comprising a transmission shaft (32) coupled with an electric machine (30) for at least one compressor wheel (34), in order to set the compressor wheel (34) in rotation via the electric machine (30), whereby compressed fresh air is provided at the fresh air outlet (26) for the combustion engine (10), and with the electric machine (30) being a reluctance machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Compact Dynamics GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Gründl, Bernhard Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20050015969
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the manufacture of an assembly of an electric machine with the steps of: manufacturing at least one portion of a coil of a rotor or stator of an electric machine; positioning the at least one portion of the coil in a casting mould, whose cavity shape reproduces at least a portion of the assembly; filling the casting mould with pulverised soft iron particles with a thermoplastic synthetic coating; heat treatment of the filled casting mould until the synthetic coating of the soft iron particles softens; allowing the filled casting mould to cool; and removing the assembly from the casting mould.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2001
    Publication date: January 27, 2005
    Inventors: Andreas Grundl, Bernhard Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20040164625
    Abstract: The invention concerns a fluid-cooled electrical machine with a housing in which are arranged a stator and a rotor with stator and/or rotor coils, wherein the electrical machine is coupled heat-conductively with a cooling device arranged on its periphery and connected with an electronic power control. The electronic power control is divided into several modules, each of which are electrically connected with at least one of the stator and/or rotor coils, wherein the modules are arranged distributed on the periphery of the electrical machine and coupled heat-conductively with the cooling device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2004
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Inventors: Andreas Grndl, Bernhard Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20040147355
    Abstract: An automatic powershift gearbox with at least one gearbox assembly for selecting the respective gear ratios and with at least one multiple-disk clutch capable of being actuated in a controlled manner for holding or releasing individual elements of the planet gear, which allows gear shift operations without interrupting the torque flow. The multiple-disk clutch comprises a first and a second disk set which are in mutual engagement and can be brought into friction engagement by axial compression against one another. The first disk set is connected with a first shaft, and the second disk set is connected with a second shaft. The multiple-disk clutch is coupled by a transmission with an electric machine comprising a rotor and a stator, for bringing the two disk sets into and out of friction engagement by means of the electric machine. The rotor of the electric machine is supported rotatably and axially movable on one of the shafts by means of a gearbox for converting a rotary motion into a thrust motion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2004
    Publication date: July 29, 2004
    Inventors: Andreas Grundl, Bernhard Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20040135457
    Abstract: The invention relates to a winding arrangement for an electric machine with a polyphase winding, in which a plurality of coils or coil groups connected in parallel (50, 52, 54, 56) are connected with a rotating conductor rail (40, 42, 44, 46). This makes it possible to connect the coil ends directly and without connecting pieces with the electric power supply. The conductor rails (40, 42, 44, 46) are preferably arranged at one or both face sides of the stator of the electric machine below the slot openings, i.e., in the area of the back of the stator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2004
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Inventors: Georg Holzheu, Ulrich Masberg, Michael Menhart, Andreas Grundi, Bernhard Hoffmann, Reinhard Rasch
  • Patent number: 6755161
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a gas exchange valve drive for a valve-controlled combustion engine with a hollow cylindrical rotor (16) to be coupled with a valve member (12) and a stator (18), wherein the rotor (16) comprises permanent-magnetic rings (30) concentrically arranged one above the other, the stator (18) is at least partially constructed of a soft magnetic material and comprises at least one tooth (22) facing towards the rotor (16), the stator (18) comprises a radially inner magnetically conductive area (50) and a radially outer magnetically conductive area (52), with the rings (30) of the rotor (16) being arranged between the inner area (50) and the outer area (52) of the stator (18), and the outer area (52) of the stator (18) in at least one partial section (54) is designed with a C-shaped cross-section and comprises at least one stator coil (28).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Compact Dynamics GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Gründl, Bernhard Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 6753674
    Abstract: Half-bridge assembly for switching electrical power, wherein at least two semiconductor switches are connected in series forming a half-bridge; each semiconductor switch comprises a control input, the first semiconductor switch comprises a first power terminal which can be connected with a high voltage potential; the second semiconductor switch comprises a second power terminal which can be connected with a low voltage potential; a second power terminal of each first semiconductor switch is connected with a first power terminal of the respective second semiconductor switch; each of the semiconductor switches comprises a free-wheeling diode which is located parallel to both power terminals of the respective semiconductor switch; and a Schottky diode is connected in parallel to each free-wheeling diode, each semiconductor switch with its free-wheeling diode and each Schottky diode is connected with a heat sink in a heat conductive manner, with the thermal resistance between each Schottky diode and the heat sink
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: Compact Dynamics GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Gründl, Bernhard Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20040056550
    Abstract: An electric machine with a stator which comprises several grooves arranged adjacent to one another and forming winding chambers for accommodating at least one stator winding. Each stator winding is constructed of conductor bars with an essentially rectangular cross-section in the winding chambers and conductor portions forming winding overhangs. The conductor bars are electrically connected in an integral manner at their ends with the conductor portions in that each of the conductor portion comprises an essentially U-shaped end section with two opposite legs whose inner sides facing towards each other are joined with corresponding side faces of a end section of one of the conductor bars.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2003
    Publication date: March 25, 2004
    Inventors: Andreas Grundl, Bernhard Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20040046475
    Abstract: The invention concerns a winding for a post or an armature of an electric machine with a post or armature (32) with slots (34) composed at least in part of L-shaped structural parts (1, 2, 3). In doing so, one leg of an L-shaped structural part each time creates a slot bar (8a, 8b) located in a slot, and the other leg creates a connecting line (6a, 6b) located at a face of the post or armature. Moreover, the invention concerns a winding with several interlaced coils (50, 52, 50′, 52′, 50″, 52″) whereby the connecting lines (6) of interlaced coils (50, 52, 52′, 50″, 52″) are staggered and therefore arranged in layers. The invention furthermore concerns a winding with connecting lines (6) flatter than the slot bars (8), styled as a fractional pitched polyphase winding with two slots per pole and branch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2003
    Publication date: March 11, 2004
    Inventors: Georg Holzheu, Ullrich Masberg, Michael Menhart, Andreas Grundl, Bernhard Hoffmann, Reinhard Rasch
  • Patent number: 6672158
    Abstract: In a method and an apparatus for balancing a motor vehicle wheel comprising a pneumatic tire and a disk wheel, the wheel is clamped on a measuring spindle and geometrical data of the wheel are sensed and stored. Wheel unbalance is ascertained in at least one measuring run and at least one balancing vector for balancing mass and balancing position is calculated in accordance with a balancing program selected in dependence on the disk wheel type and material, in at least one balancing plane. At least one balancing weight is fixed to the wheel in dependence on the balancing vector. When sensing a rim region of the wheel a sensor detects whether a rim portion extending substantially perpendicularly to the measuring spindle is or is not present in the rim region being sensed and the balancing program is selected in dependence on the signal obtained in the sensing operation with the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Hofmann Werkstatt-Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Eickhart Goebel, Bernhard Hoffmann, Karl Rothamel, Walter Hollube
  • Publication number: 20030137320
    Abstract: Half-bridge assembly for switching electrical power, wherein at least two semiconductor switches are connected in series forming a half-bridge; each semiconductor switch comprises a control input, the first semiconductor switch comprises a first power terminal which can be connected with a high voltage potential; the second semiconductor switch comprises a second power terminal which can be connected with a low voltage potential; a second power terminal of each first semiconductor switch is connected with a first power terminal of the respective second semiconductor switch; each of the semiconductor switches comprises a free-wheeling diode which is located parallel to both power terminals of the respective semiconductor switch; and a Schottky diode is connected in parallel to each free-wheeling diode, each semiconductor switch with its free-wheeling diode and each Schottky diode is connected with a heat sink in a heat conductive manner, with the thermal resistance between each Schottky diode and the heat sink
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2002
    Publication date: July 24, 2003
    Inventors: Andreas Grundl, Bernhard Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20030121264
    Abstract: A turbo-compressor (20, 121) for a piston combustion engine (10), with the turbo-compressor (20, 121) comprising a fresh air inlet (24) and a fresh air outlet (26), with the turbo-compressor (20, 121) to be connected with the combustion engine (10) via the fresh air outlet (26), the turbo-compressor (20, 121) comprising a transmission shaft (32) coupled with an electric machine (30) for at least one compressor wheel (34), in order to set the compressor wheel (34) in rotation by means of the electric machine (30), whereby compressed fresh air is provided at the fresh air outlet (26) for the combustion engine (10), and with the electric machine (30) being a reluctance machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2002
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Inventors: Andreas Grndl, Bernhard Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20030111029
    Abstract: The gas exchange valve drive for a valve-controlled combustion engine has a hollow cylindrical rotor to be coupled with a valve member and a stator, with the rotor comprising permanent-magnetic rings concentrically arranged one above the other, the stator being at least partially constructed of a soft magnetic material and comprising at least one tooth facing towards the rotor, the stator comprising a radially inner magnetically conductive area and a radially outer magnetically conductive area, with the rings of the rotor being arranged between the inner area and the outer area of the stator, and the outer area of the stator in at least one partial section being designed with a C-shaped cross-section and comprising at least one stator coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2003
    Publication date: June 19, 2003
    Applicant: Compact Dynamics
    Inventors: Andreas Grundl, Bernhard Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 6487998
    Abstract: The invention concerns a drive system, especially for a motor vehicle, with a multicylinder internal combustion engine, a device for shutting off at least some of the cylinders of the internal combustion engine, and a device for active reduction of rotational nonuniformities, acting in particular on a shaft, such as a drive shaft of the internal combustion engine, or a shaft that is coupled or which can be coupled to it, which is active at least for certain operating states during cylinder shutoff mode. A method of operating such a drive system is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Assignees: ISAD Electronic Systems GmbH & Co., KG, Gründl ünd Hoffmann GmbH Gesellschaft für elektrotechnische Entwicklungen
    Inventors: Ullrich Masberg, Thomas Pels, Klaus-Peter Zeyen, Andreas Gründl, Bernhard Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 6483197
    Abstract: The invention concerns a drive system with a drive motor (1), especially an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, and a drive train (27); an electric machine (26), which can apply a braking and/or driving torque to the drive motor (1) and/or drive train (27) and/or form a coupling in the drive train (27); and an open-loop/closed-loop control system, which controls/regulates the electric machine such that it diminishes drive train torque and/or speed fluctuations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: Continental ISAD Electronic Systems GmbH & Co., KG
    Inventors: Ullrich Masberg, Thomas Pels, Klaus-Peter Zeyen, Andreas Gründl, Bernhard Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 6445102
    Abstract: The invention relates to a travelling wave machine which includes a stator and a rotor, wherein at least one stator coil and/or one rotor coil is arranged in at least one groove of the stator or the rotor, respectively, and wherein the stator coil or the rotor coil, respectively, projects from the groove at both sides in a longitudinal direction under the formation of a coil head, characterized in that the cross section of the stator coil or of the rotor coil, respectively, in the area of the respective groove differs from the cross section of the stator coil or the rotor coil, respectively, in the area of the coil head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Grundl und Hoffmann GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Gründl, Bernhard Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 6424550
    Abstract: The invention relates to a half-bridge module which is arranged in an electrically insulating cooling liquid and in which two semiconductor switches form a half-bridge; the first semiconductor switch is capable of being connected by its source terminal to a high voltage potential, and the second semiconductor switch is capable of being connected by its drain terminal to a low voltage potential; the drain terminal of each first semiconductor switch is connected to the source terminal of the respective second semiconductor switch; whereby respective first semiconductor switches are arranged with their source terminal on a common first metallic conductor rail which is capable of being connected to the high voltage potential; respective second semiconductor switches are arranged with their source terminal on a second metallic conductor rail constituting the output which is arranged alongside the first conductor rail, spaced therefrom; each second semiconductor switch is connected by its drain terminal to a common
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Assignee: Continental ISAD Electronic Systems GmbH & Co. oHG
    Inventors: Andreas Grundl, Bernhard Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 6405701
    Abstract: The invention concerns a system for active reduction of rotational nonuniformities of a shaft, especially the drive shaft (10) of an internal combustion engine or a shaft that is coupled or can be coupled to it, with at least one electric machine (4), which is coupled or can be coupled to the shaft, wherein the electric machine (4) is controlled such that it generates a rapidly varying torque, to reduce the rotational nonuniformities, and it superimposes on this torque a positive or negative torque in order to further achieve a driving action or braking or generator type action. The invention is also oriented to a corresponding method for active reduction of rotational nonuniformities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2002
    Assignees: ISAD Electronic Systems GmbH & Co. KG, Gründl und Hoffmann GmbH Gesellschaft für elektrotechnische Entwicklungen
    Inventors: Ullrich Masberg, Thomas Pels, Klaus-Peter Zeyen, Andreas Gründl, Bernhard Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 6365983
    Abstract: The invention concerns a starter/generator for an internal combustion engine (1), especially that of a motor vehicle, with an electric rotary-field machine (4), which exercises the starter and generator function; and at least one invertor (17) for generating the voltages and/or currents of variable frequency, amplitude and/or phase required for the magnetic fields of the electric machine (4); wherein the electric machine (4) starts the internal combustion engine (1) by merging in from standstill.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignees: ISAD Electronic Systems GmbH & Co. KG, Grundl und Hoffman GmbH
    Inventors: Ullrich Masberg, Thomas Pels, Klaus-Peter Zeyen, Andreas Gründl, Bernhard Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20010021115
    Abstract: The invention relates to a half-bridge module which is arranged in an electrically insulating cooling liquid and in which two semiconductor switches form a half-bridge; the first semiconductor switch is capable of being connected by its source terminal to a high voltage potential, and the second semiconductor switch is capable of being connected by its drain terminal to a low voltage potential; the drain terminal of each first semiconductor switch is connected to the source terminal of the respective second semiconductor switch; whereby respective first semiconductor switches are arranged with their source terminal on a common first metallic conductor rail which is capable of being connected to the high voltage potential; respective second semiconductor switches are arranged with their source terminal on a second metallic conductor rail constituting the output which is arranged alongside the first conductor rail, spaced therefrom; each second semiconductor switch is connected by its drain terminal to a common
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2000
    Publication date: September 13, 2001
    Inventors: Andreas Grundl, Bernhard Hoffmann