Patents by Inventor FRANZ-JOSEF KUPPERS

FRANZ-JOSEF KUPPERS 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).

  • Piezoelectric motor
    Patent number: 6455983
    Abstract: The invention relates to a motor having a cuboid piezoelectric element (1) which carries an actuating member (2) for transmitting a force in an actuating direction (x). In known motors the piezoelectric element (1) is restrained by four restraining elements which are disposed in the plane of vibration (x/y plane) and which exert a preloading force on the piezoelectric element (1) in a direction perpendicular to the actuating direction (x). However, this gives rise to a frictional force between the restraining elements and the piezoelectric element, which reduces the vibration quality and, as a consequence, the motor power. This is avoided by means of the invention, where the piezoelectric element (1) is restrained by means of restraining elements (20, 21, 22, 23) without preloading, i.e. with maximal slidability in the directions (y, z) perpendicular to the actuating direction (x).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Norbert Dettmann, Gerhard Diefenbach, Franz-Josef Küppers, Christian Reichinger
  • PIEZOELECTRIC MOTOR
    Publication number: 20010011860
    Abstract: The invention relates to a motor having a cuboid piezoelectric element (1) which carries an actuating member (2) for transmitting a force in an actuating direction (x). In known motors the piezoelectric element (1) is restrained by four restraining elements which are disposed in the plane of vibration (x/y plane) and which exert a preloading force on the piezoelectric element (1) in a direction perpendicular to the actuating direction (x). However, this gives rise to a frictional force between the restraining elements and the piezoelectric element, which reduces the vibration quality and, as a consequence, the motor power. This is avoided by means of the invention, where the piezoelectric element (1) is restrained by means of restraining elements (20, 21, 22, 23) without preloading, i.e. with maximal slidability in the directions (y, z) perpendicular to the actuating direction (x).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 1999
    Publication date: August 9, 2001
    Applicant: U.S. PHILIPS CORPORATION
    Inventors: NORBERT DETTMANN, GERHARD DIEFENBACH, FRANZ-JOSEF KUPPERS, CHRISTIAN REICHINGER