Patents by Inventor Stefan Franz

Stefan Franz 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: 20080179069
    Abstract: The invention relates to a soil stripping device, in particular a trench wall grab, comprising a base body, which can be connected to a carrier implement, a work unit, on which soil working tools are arranged and which is supported on the base body in a rotatable manner by means of a bearing device, and a rotary device for rotating the work unit with respect to the base body. The rotary device has at least a linear drive and a rope or chain transmission, through which a linear movement generated by the linear drive can be translated into a rotating movement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2008
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Inventors: Stefan Franz Loeffelholz, Josef Maierhofer
  • Publication number: 20070268584
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an interferometric measuring device having a short-coherent radiation source, a modulation interferometer and a downstream reference interferometer connected thereto. The mechanical coupling between the reference interferometer and the modulation interferometer is provided with a backlash. For equalizing an optical path difference in the interferometric measuring device, an optical path difference established in the modulation interferometer is reset in the reference interferometer. The optical path differences between the partial beams in the modulation interferometer and between the partial beams in the reference interferometer may be changed via optical components mechanically coupled with the aid of a backlash, the movable optical component of the reference interferometer following a movement of the movable optical component of the modulation interferometer after passing a backlash distance in the backlash.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2007
    Publication date: November 22, 2007
    Inventors: Stefan Franz, Matthias Fleischer
  • Publication number: 20070247632
    Abstract: A heterodyne interferometer having two interferometer arms and one optical modulator for changing the frequency of a radiation conducted via one interferometer arm and having a control device for setting the frequency change of the radiation and a detector device for analyzing the interfered output radiation. The amplitude of an input beam conducted into the heterodyne interferometer is modulated using a frequency which is different from the frequency change of the radiation in the optical modulator prior to being split between the interferometer arms. A heterodyne frequency corresponding to the difference of the frequency change of the radiation and the frequency of the amplitude modulation of the radiation may be achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2007
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Inventors: Stefan Franz, Matthias Fleischer
  • Publication number: 20070229840
    Abstract: An interferometric measuring device includes a short-coherent radiation source and a system composed of a modulation interferometer having a first and a second modulation interferometer beam path and a downstream reference interferometer, the radiation being split in the reference interferometer into a first beam path and a second beam path. If a dispersive optical component is situated in at least one beam path of the reference interferometer, a different optical path length becomes effective for radiation of a different wavelength in the beam path having the dispersive optical component. Therefore, if one measuring probe is replaced with another one having a modified optical path length, the modulation interferometer may be adjusted and the reference interferometer may remain unchanged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Inventors: Pawel Drabarek, Stefan Franz, Matthias Fleischer
  • Publication number: 20070229839
    Abstract: A sensor objective at the exit of a measuring branch of a measuring probe of an interferometric measuring unit for detecting the shape, roughness or distance of the surface of a measured object, the interferometric measuring unit including a modulation interferometer and the measuring probe being optically connected to the modulation interferometer via an optical fiber system and the sensor objective having a focusing element and a downstream deflection element for coupling out and coupling back in a measuring beam directed toward the surface to be measured and reflected from the latter. The deflection element includes at least two optical components, each having a shared interface, the deflection angle of the at least one beam deflected to a system longitudinal axis being settable by mutual displacement and/or rotation of the optical components during mounting. The mutual displacement and/or rotation of the optical components is/are performed at the shared interface(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Inventors: Stefan Franz, Matthias Fleischer
  • Publication number: 20070122079
    Abstract: A device for coupling beam guides of optical systems for unidirectional or bidirectional transmission of beams via a beam transition between the optical systems is provided, the device having a connecting device and mechanical centering means. The connecting device provides a magnetic coupling for implementing a coupling connection in a coupling area. The centering means are situated opposite one another on the optical systems and coupled in such a way to cause the beam guides to self-center due to the attraction caused by the magnetic forces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2006
    Publication date: May 31, 2007
    Inventors: Pawel Drabarek, Jochen Straehle, Stefan Franz, Matthias Fleischer, Ralf Kochendoerfer, David Rychtarik, Jan Fischer
  • Patent number: 7092102
    Abstract: A measuring device for detecting dimensions of bores has a light source emitting a light beam and a beamsplitter for splitting the light beam into a reference beam and a measuring beam. A reference mirror is arranged downstream of the beam splitter. The measuring beam is supplied to a measuring location of the bore and reflected on it. The reference beam is supplied to the reference mirror and reflected on it. The reflected beams are temporally incoherent and are recombined on the beamsplitter to form a recombined beam supplied to a receiver. Reference mirror and receiver have a lateral displacement relative to an optical axis of the measuring device, or the reference mirror is arranged laterally adjacent to the optical axis and the beam splitter at a slant to the optical axis. The measuring device is integrated into a tool or connected to a tool receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: Joh. & Ernst Link GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Stefan Franz, Robert Windecker
  • Publication number: 20040090635
    Abstract: A measuring device for detecting dimensions of bores has a light source emitting a light beam and a beamsplitter for splitting the light beam into a reference beam and a measuring beam. A reference mirror is arranged downstream of the beam splitter. The measuring beam is supplied to a measuring location of the bore and reflected on it. The reference beam is supplied to the reference mirror and reflected on it. The reflected beams are temporally incoherent and are recombined on the beamsplitter to form a recombined beam supplied to a receiver. Reference mirror and receiver have a lateral displacement relative to an optical axis of the measuring device, or the reference mirror is arranged laterally adjacent to the optical axis and the beam splitter at a slant to the optical axis. The measuring device is integrated into a tool or connected to a tool receptacle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2003
    Publication date: May 13, 2004
    Inventors: Stefan Franz, Robert Windecker