Patents by Inventor Nils Ponath

Nils Ponath 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: 20240019329
    Abstract: An overload-resistant pressure measuring sensor includes a pressure sensor arranged in an interior of a sensor housing and can be exposed, through an opening in the sensor housing, to a medium under pressure of up to 1000 bar. The medium may be a hydrogen-containing medium and can be measured with high measurement accuracy. The pressure sensor is mounted on connection elements protruding into the interior and free-standing in the interior such that the pressure sensor is exposed to the pressure prevailing in the interior on all sides. The pressure sensor includes two ceramic measuring bodies connected to one another while enclosing a pressure chamber, and are each deformable by the pressure acting thereon, and further includes an electromechanical transducer which converts a mechanical variable that is dependent on a sum of the pressure-dependent deformations of both measuring bodies into a measurable electrical measurement variable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2021
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Inventors: Andreas Roßberg, Nils Ponath
  • Publication number: 20230393004
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a pressure sensor having a main body and a pressure-sensitive ceramic measurement membrane, wherein an outer edge of the measurement membrane is connected in a pressure-tight manner by an encircling joint to a surface of the main body facing the outer edge of the measurement membrane, wherein the joint includes a ternary active hard solder in eutectic composition: providing the main body, the measurement membrane and the active hard solder; positioning the active hard solder between the outer edge of the measurement membrane and the surface of the main body; heating the main body, the measurement membrane and the active hard solder to a joining temperature which essentially corresponds to a temperature of the eutectic point of the active hard solder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2021
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Inventors: Elke Schmidt, Nils Ponath, Andreas Rossberg, Anh Tuan Tham
  • Publication number: 20230314253
    Abstract: A pressure measuring unit includes a pressure measuring cell; a rotationally symmetrical sensor bushing into which the pressure measuring cell is inserted; a rotationally symmetrical process connection having, at one end, an inwardly extending encircling stop surface intended for the sensor bushing and, at another end, an opening for receiving the sensor bushing; a ring-like process seal between the sensor bushing and the stop surface of the process connection in order to thus prevent an ingress of the process medium into the pressure measuring unit; wherein the stop surface of the process connection and/or a counterpart stop surface, which in the installed state is directed toward the stop surface, of the sensor bushing have multiple individually formed webs configured such that the process seal is not extruded into the openings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2021
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Nils Ponath, Armin Rupp, Dirk Lill
  • Patent number: 11754455
    Abstract: A pressure measuring device includes a ceramic pressure sensor and a process connection, the pressure sensor including a measuring membrane. The pressure measuring device further includes a carrier made of titanium and having a free-standing tubular carrier region running parallel to the surface normal onto the measuring membrane and having an end region adjacent the process connection connected to the process connection and an end region opposite the process connection to which the pressure sensor is fastened by a jointing that connects an outer edge of a front face of the pressure sensor to the end region of the carrier opposite the process connection and carries the pressure sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Endress+Hauser SE+Co. KG
    Inventors: Nils Ponath, Andreas Rossberg, Elke Schmidt
  • Patent number: 11745288
    Abstract: A pressure measuring device includes a ceramic pressure sensor including a ceramic measuring membrane and a sensor mounting configured to secure the pressure sensor such that a membrane region of the measuring membrane surrounded by a membrane edge is contactable with a medium having a pressure to be measured. The sensor mounting includes a titanium or titanium alloy mounting element including an opening through which the membrane region is contactable with the medium. The membrane edge is connected directly with the mounting element by a diffusion weld produced by a diffusion welding method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Endress+Hauser SE+Co. KG
    Inventors: Andreas Rossberg, Anh Tuan Tham, Elke Schmidt, Nils Ponath, Jonas Conradt, Yanli Wang, Thomas Uehlin
  • Patent number: 11740149
    Abstract: The measuring device comprises a sensor element with an electrical transducer for providing a primary signal dependent on the measured variable and a sensor body with a flat surface portion. The measuring device also includes a measurement and operation circuit for driving the transducer and processing the primary signals. The measurement and operation circuit comprises at least one carrier, a plurality of circuit components including at least one integrated circuit, and passive components. The carrier comprises an electrically insulating carrier body and conductor paths which extend in the carrier body or on its surface. The integrated circuit and the passive component are arranged on the carrier body surface and contacted by the conductor paths. The carrier body is fixed to the surface portion, and the transducer is electrically connected to circuit components of the measurement and operation circuit via conductor paths, the components being encapsulated with a molding compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Endress+Hauser SE+Co. KG
    Inventors: Romuald Girardey, Nils Ponath, Alexander Bannwarth
  • Publication number: 20230012816
    Abstract: A relative-pressure sensor determines the pressure of a medium in relation to an atmospheric pressure. The sensor includes a housing having a measuring element located in the housing, wherein the pressure to be measured acts upon an outer surface of the measuring element. The surface is in contact with the medium. The sensor also includes a reference-pressure supply, which supplies an inner surface of the measuring element with atmospheric pressure in the form of ambient air, and an evaluation unit, which determines the pressure of the medium from a variable determined using the measuring element. A drying chamber takes-up atmospheric humidity from the ambient air that is supplied via the reference-pressure supply. The drying chamber has a drying module comprising a container and a humidity-adsorbing material that is completely surrounded by the container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: Michael Hügel, Frank Volz, Nils Ponath, Armin Rupp
  • Publication number: 20220412830
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a relative-pressure sensor for determining a pressure of a medium in relation to an atmospheric pressure, the sensor comprising a housing; a measuring element arranged in the housing, wherein the pressure to be measured acts upon an outer surface of the measuring element, said surface being in contact with the medium; a reference-pressure supply, which supplies an inner surface of the measuring element with atmospheric pressure in the form of ambient air; an evaluation unit, which determines the pressure of the medium from a variable determined using the measuring element; and at least one drying chamber arranged in the housing for taking up atmospheric humidity from the ambient air supplied through the reference-pressure supply. Here, a bushing is provided, which can be pressed into the housing and has a capillary-type groove, which is helical at least in sections and runs around the bushing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventors: Michael Hügel, Nils Ponath, Armin Rupp, Frank Volz
  • Publication number: 20220404223
    Abstract: A pressure measuring sensor having a ceramic pressure sensor includes a temperature transducer to provide a thermovoltage dependent on a temperature gradient. The temperature transducer includes two series-connected thermoelements, each of which has a galvanic contact between a wire of the thermoelement and a connecting conductor connecting the galvanic contacts of the two thermoelements to one another. The temperature transducer enables the compensation for a measuring error caused by a temperature gradient occurring along the pressure measuring sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Inventors: Andreas Roßberg, Nils Ponath
  • Publication number: 20220155167
    Abstract: The measuring device comprises a sensor element with an electrical transducer for providing a primary signal dependent on the measured variable and a sensor body with a flat surface portion. The measuring device also includes a measurement and operation circuit for driving the transducer and processing the primary signals. The measurement and operation circuit comprises at least one carrier, a plurality of circuit components including at least one integrated circuit, and passive components. The carrier comprises an electrically insulating carrier body and conductor paths which extend in the carrier body or on its surface. The integrated circuit and the passive component are arranged on the carrier body surface and contacted by the conductor paths. The carrier body is fixed to the surface portion, and the transducer is electrically connected to circuit components of the measurement and operation circuit via conductor paths, the components being encapsulated with a molding compound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Inventors: Romuald Girardey, Nils Ponath, Alexander Bannwarth
  • Publication number: 20210348980
    Abstract: A pressure measuring device includes a ceramic pressure sensor and a process connection, the pressure sensor including a measuring membrane. The pressure measuring device further includes a carrier made of titanium and having a free-standing tubular carrier region running parallel to the surface normal onto the measuring membrane and having an end region adjacent the process connection connected to the process connection and an end region opposite the process connection to which the pressure sensor is fastened by a jointing that connects an outer edge of a front face of the pressure sensor to the end region of the carrier opposite the process connection and carries the pressure sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Inventors: Nils Ponath, Andreas Rossberg, Elke Schmidt
  • Publication number: 20210237195
    Abstract: A pressure measuring device includes a ceramic pressure sensor including a ceramic measuring membrane and a sensor mounting configured to secure the pressure sensor such that a membrane region of the measuring membrane surrounded by a membrane edge is contactable with a medium having a pressure to be measured. The sensor mounting includes a titanium or titanium alloy mounting element including an opening through which the membrane region is contactable with the medium. The membrane edge is connected directly with the mounting element by a diffusion weld produced by a diffusion welding method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Inventors: Andreas Rossberg, Anh Tuan Tham, Elke Schmidt, Nils Ponath, Jonas Conradt, Yanli Wang, Thomas Uehlin
  • Patent number: 10908044
    Abstract: A pressure sensor comprising two parts connected with one another via an active braze joint manufactured by active hard soldering, or brazing, with an active hard solder, or braze, especially a pressure contactable, pressure-dependently elastically deformable, measuring membrane, especially a ceramic measuring membrane, and a platform, especially a ceramic platform, which are connected by an active braze joint connecting an outer edge of the measuring membrane (which covers a pressure chamber with an outer edge of an end of the platform facing the measuring membrane, whose measuring characteristics are improved in that the active braze joint has a coefficient of thermal expansion dependent on the dimensions of the active braze joint and on the materials of the parts and matched to a coefficient of thermal expansion of at least one of the parts, especially the measuring membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: ENDRESS+HAUSER SE+CO.KG
    Inventors: Andreas Rossberg, Elke Schmidt, Markus Rettenmayr, Peter Siegmund, Uta Kuhn, Simon Pauly, Nils Ponath
  • Patent number: 10883892
    Abstract: A pressure measurement cell comprises: a ceramic counter body; a ceramic measuring diaphragm which is joined in a pressure-tight manner with the counter body, creating a measurement chamber between the counter body and the measuring diaphragm, by means of a circumferential joint. The measuring diaphragm can be deformed by a pressure to be measured; an electrical converter for converting a pressure-dependent deformation of the measuring diaphragm into an electrical signal; and a temperature transducer for providing at least one electrical signal dependent on a temperature or on a temperature gradient of the pressure measurement cell. The temperature transducer comprises at least one first thermocouple having a galvanic contact between a first conductor with an electrically conductive material and a second conductor with at least one second electrically conductive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: ENDRESS + HAUSER SE+CO. KG
    Inventors: Andreas Rossberg, Nils Ponath, Jan Schleiferbock, Thomas Uehlin
  • Patent number: 10632555
    Abstract: An active brazing material for the energy-efficient production of active-brazed connections that consists of layer sequences arranged on top of one another, the layer sequences of which consist of layers arranged on top of on another, the layer sequences of which each comprise at least one layer of brazing material, wherein the layers of brazing material of each layer sequence each contain at least one component of a base active braze and, in conjunction with each other, contain all components of the base active braze, the layer sequences of which each comprise at least one first reaction layer consisting of a first reactant to which at least one second reaction layer is directly adjacent in the active brazing material and consists of a second reactant that exothermally reacts with the first reactant, wherein an enthalpy of formation of the exothermic reaction of the reactants is greater than or equal to 45 kJ/mol—in particular, greater than or equal to 50 kJ/mol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: ENDRESS+HAUSER SE+CO. KG
    Inventors: Nils Ponath, Andreas Rossberg, Elke Schmidt
  • Patent number: 10585009
    Abstract: A pressure measurement cell is disclosed including a base body, substantially cylindrical at least in sections, a measuring membrane joined to the base body in a pressure-tight manner along a perimeter joint to form a measurement chamber between the base body and the measuring membrane, and a joining material that joins the perimeter joint between the base body and the measuring membrane. The base body and/or the measuring membrane have/has a stepped recess into which the joining material is at least partially disposed, the stepped recess structured to yield a minimum distance between the base body and the measuring membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Endress+Hauser SE+Co. KG
    Inventors: Ulfert Drewes, Nils Ponath, Andreas Rossberg, Elke Schmidt, Anh Tuan Tham
  • Patent number: 10435330
    Abstract: A method for producing a connection between two surfaces or surface sections of two ceramic parts comprises: provision of a first ceramic part and of a second ceramic part; provision of an active brazing solder material on at least one surface section of at least one of the ceramic parts; and heating the active brazing solder in a vacuum brazing process. The whole active brazing solder material is provided for connecting the first and the second ceramic part by a sputtering method, wherein at least one surface section of at least one of the ceramic parts, preferably of the two ceramic parts, is layered with a layer sequence of individual components of the active brazing solder material, wherein the average strength of the layers of an individual component of the active brazing solder is no more than 0.5%, in particular not more than 0.2%, preferably not more than 0.1% and especially preferably not more than 0.05% of the strength of the joining region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: ENDRESS+HAUSER SE+CO.KG
    Inventors: Ulfert Drewes, Nils Ponath, Andreas Rossberg, Anh Tuan Tham
  • Patent number: 10330547
    Abstract: A pressure measuring device, comprising: a pressure measuring cell having a measuring membrane, at least one platform and a pressure chamber formed therebetween. An electrical transducer for transducing a deflection of the measuring membrane into a pressure dependent, primary signal; a cylindrical housing having a measuring cell chamber, in which the pressure measuring cell is arranged, and an end face pressure receipt opening in communication with the pressure duct; and an electronic circuit in the housing for operating the electrical transducer, and for processing the primary signal, and for outputting a measurement signal. The cylinder axis of the pressure measuring cell forms with the cylinder axis of the housing an angle, which amounts to not less than 80°, and which is especially preferably a right angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: ENDRESS+HAUSER SE+CO.KG
    Inventors: Ulfert Drewes, Nils Ponath, Michael Hugel, Thomas Uehlin
  • Patent number: 10330549
    Abstract: A pressure measurement cell, comprising: a ceramic measurement membrane and a ceramic counterpart. The measurement membrane is joined to the counterpart in a pressure-tight manner forming a pressure chamber between the measurement membrane and the counterpart by means of an active brazing solder. The pressure measurement cell furthermore has a solder stop layer on a surface of the measurement membrane and/or the counterpart, wherein the solder stop layer has a metal oxide or a reduced form of the metal oxide. The metal oxide has at least one oxidation stage, which, assuming an activity coefficient of Rakt=1 at an inverse temperature of 8·10?4/K, has an oxygen coexistence decomposition pressure of not less than 1?23 MPa (10?23· bar) and not more than 1?12 MPa (10?12· bar) and which, assuming an activity coefficient of Rakt=1, at an inverse temperature of 9·10?4/K has an oxygen coexistence decomposition pressure of not less than 1?27 MPa (10?27 bar) and not more than 1?15 MPa (10?15 bar).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: ENDRESS+HAUSER SE+CO.KG
    Inventors: Nils Ponath, Andreas Rossberg
  • Patent number: 10247631
    Abstract: A differential pressure measuring cell comprises a measuring membrane; two opposing bodies; and one converter. The measuring membrane is arranged between the opposing bodies and is connected in a pressure-tight manner to the two opposing bodies, forming in each case one measuring chamber. The opposing bodies each have a pressure duct through which a pressure can be made to act upon the respective measuring chamber. The converter is provided in order to convert a deformation of the measuring membrane, which deformation is dependent upon a difference between the pressures, into an electrical signal; wherein the opposing bodies each have a chamber section oriented toward the measuring membrane and a rear wall section oriented away from the measuring membrane with, between these, a decoupling chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: ENDRESS+HAUSER SE+CO.KG
    Inventors: Ulfert Drewes, Michael Hugel, Nils Ponath, Andreas Rossberg, Elke Schmidt, Thomas Uehlin