Patents by Inventor Ralph Knorpp

Ralph Knorpp 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: 6618689
    Abstract: A method for non-destructively inspecting the wall thickness of a component, where the dimensions of the component or of the component surface are measured, substantially without making any contact, and are described by digital data. In accordance with the present invention, a multiplicity of the component's surface points, which substantially completely describe the component, is automatically calculated in a three-dimensional coordinate system. Starting from each of the surface points, going out in one direction that runs perpendicularly to the surface point into the material, one scans for at least one opposite surface point. The wall thickness of the component at the surface point is ascertained as the distance between the surface point and the at least one opposite surface point. The component is visually displayed and, in the visual display, surface points are highlighted for which the wall thickness falls below and/or exceeds one or more predefined values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Ralph Knorpp, Dimitri Vitkin
  • Publication number: 20020095267
    Abstract: A method for non-destructively inspecting the wall thickness of a component, where the dimensions of the component or of the component surface are measured, substantially without making any contact, and are described by digital data. In accordance with the present invention, a multiplicity of the component's surface points, which substantially completely describe the component, is automatically calculated in a three-dimensional coordinate system. Starting from each of the surface points, going out in one direction that runs perpendicularly to the surface point into the material, one scans for at least one opposite surface point. The wall thickness of the component at the surface point is ascertained as the distance between the surface point and the at least one opposite surface point. The component is visually displayed and, in the visual display, surface points are highlighted for which the wall thickness falls below and/or exceeds one or more predefined values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2001
    Publication date: July 18, 2002
    Inventors: Ralph Knorpp, Dimitri Vitkin