Patents by Inventor Bernhard Walzel

Bernhard Walzel 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).

  • Method for automatically establishing a plug-in connection in order to charge electric vehicles
    Patent number: 12583341
    Abstract: In a method for automatically establishing a plug-in connection for charging electric vehicles, first the relative position between a free plug-in connector on a positioning head that can be moved in at least two spatial directions, and a permanently installed plug-in connector is determined by a position sensor. Then the free plug-in connector approaches the permanently installed plug-in connector until there is mechanical contact between interacting guide surfaces in an insertion position, and the free plug-in connector is moved into a plug-in position. The distance along a common plug-in axis between the guide surfaces decreases continuously during the plug-in process. The transverse forces occurring at the guide surfaces relative to the plug-in direction are detected by transverse-force sensors and the positioning head is moved transversely and/or about a transverse pivot axis, reducing these transverse forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2026
    Assignee: Technische Universität Graz
    Inventors: Bernhard Walzel, Mario Hirz, Helmut Brunner
  • METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY ESTABLISHING A PLUG-IN CONNECTION IN ORDER TO CHARGE ELECTRIC VEHICLES
    Publication number: 20220363151
    Abstract: In a method for automatically establishing a plug-in connection for charging electric vehicles, first the relative position between a free plug-in connector on a positioning head that can be moved in at least two spatial directions, and a permanently installed plug-in connector is determined by a position sensor. Then the free plug-in connector approaches the permanently installed plug-in connector until there is mechanical contact between interacting guide surfaces in an insertion position, and the free plug-in connector is moved into a plug-in position. The distance along a common plug-in axis between the guide surfaces decreases continuously during the plug-in process. The transverse forces occurring at the guide surfaces relative to the plug-in direction are detected by transverse-force sensors and the positioning head is moved transversely and/or about a transverse pivot axis, reducing these transverse forces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Inventors: Bernhard Walzel, Mario Hirz, Helmut Brunner