Patents by Inventor Ralf Steinhilber

Ralf Steinhilber 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: 20230182338
    Abstract: An electrically operated slicing machine cuts slices from material to be cut. The slicing machine has a slicing device, which includes an electric blade motor; a circular blade rotatably driven by the electric blade motor; and a carriage that is moved parallel to the circular blade to receive and move the material to be cut. A blade monitor monitors a condition of the circular blade. The blade monitor has a current measuring device that measures a blade motor current of the electric blade motor. A grinding monitor monitors a grinding process executed by a blade grinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2023
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Inventors: Ralf Steinhilber, Markus Bodmer
  • Publication number: 20230166423
    Abstract: A method monitors a slicing machine, which has a circular knife driven by an electric knife motor. The method includes: sensing a knife motor current or a temporal profile of the knife motor current from the electric knife motor; determining measurement data based on the knife motor current or the temporal profile of the knife motor current; and determining a current cutting characteristic value based on the measurement data. The measurement data includes a load-dependent or load-independent current component. The cutting characteristic value includes a soiling, wear, or knife sharpness characteristic value, the soiling and wear characteristic values being derived from the load-independent current component, and the knife sharpness characteristic value being derived from the load-dependent current component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2023
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Inventors: Ralf Steinhilber, Markus Bodmer
  • Publication number: 20200039102
    Abstract: An electrically operated slicing machine cuts off slices from an item. The slicing machine has: a cutting device, the cutting device having a rotating circular knife driven by an electric knife motor; a carriage, movable in parallel to the circular knife, for receiving and moving the item to be cut; and a knife monitor for monitoring a state of the circular knife. The knife monitor has a current-measuring device for measuring a knife motor current. The slicing machine has a control unit which is configured to determine a cutting characteristic value from the currently measured knife motor current and/or its temporal profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Inventors: Ralf Steinhilber, Markus Bodmer
  • Patent number: 9827689
    Abstract: A slicing machine for cutting slices of a food product includes a machine housing including a circular blade configured to rotate in a cutting plane, a stop plate configured to be move, by an adjustment device, perpendicular to the cutting plane, a carriage mounted such that it is movable parallel to the cutting plane, and a machine status display for displaying an actual status of the slicing machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: BIZERBA SE & CO. KG
    Inventors: Ralf Steinhilber, Holger Klinger, Rainer Seemann, Michael Heck, Markus Bodmer
  • Publication number: 20160354944
    Abstract: A slicing machine for cutting slices of a food product includes a machine housing including a circular blade configured to rotate in a cutting plane, a stop plate configured to be move, by an adjustment device, perpendicular to the cutting plane, a carriage mounted such that it is movable parallel to the cutting plane, and a machine status display for displaying an actual status of the slicing machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Publication date: December 8, 2016
    Inventors: Ralf Steinhilber, Holger Klingler, Rainer Seemann, Michael Heck, Markus Dodmer