Patents Assigned to Mannesmann Sachs
  • Patent number: 6702084
    Abstract: A clutch operator arrangement for introducing an actuating force into a friction clutch includes a ball screw arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Grosspietsch, Angelika Ebert, Markus Heiartz, Wolfgang Reisser, Andreas Dau, Paul Kraus, Thomas John
  • Patent number: 6702087
    Abstract: A pressure plate assembly for a friction clutch including a housing having an axis of rotation; a pressure plate mounted in the housing with freedom to move axially relative to the housing; a stored-energy element mounted in the housing and transmitting force along a path from the housing to the pressure plate; a wear-compensating device in the path of force transmission, which device has at least one adjusting element free to move in an adjusting direction to compensate for wear; and a clearance-producing arrangement having at least one gripping element, which is attached to the assembly upon which the stored-energy element acts via the wear-compensating device. The minimum of one gripping element has a blocking section, by means of which it can make blocking contact with a blocking element when wear occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventors: Reinhold Weidinger, Joachim Lindner, Anton Doll, Jürgen Streichsbier
  • Patent number: 6702082
    Abstract: A leaf spring arrangement, especially for connecting a pressure plate to a housing, comprises a plurality of adjacent leaf spring elements, where each leaf spring element has a first attachment area for establishing the connection the pressure plate, a second attachment area for establishing the connection to the housing, and a connecting area extending between the first attachment area and the second attachment area. At least certain areas of at least two of the leaf spring elements are spaced apart between their first attachment area and their second attachment area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventors: Matthias Dörfler, Andreas Orlamünder, Andreas Dau, Albert Kammermeier, Hartmut Bach, Cora Carlson, Günther Esly, Reinhard Feldhaus, Ingrid Hoffelner, Christoph Kleuker, Paul Kraus, Bernd Peinemann, Michael Peterseim, Gerhard R{overscore (o)}ll, Ralf Till, Sebastian Vogt
  • Patent number: 6702079
    Abstract: A hydrodynamic clutch arrangement, particularly a torque converter or fluid coupling, includes a housing arrangement, a turbine wheel provided in the housing arrangement, and a lockup clutch arrangement by which a torque transmitting connection can be produced selectively between the turbine wheel and the housing arrangement. The lockup clutch arrangement includes at least two friction members which are rotatable with one of the housing arrangement and turbine wheel, and at least one counter-friction member which is interposed between the two friction members and is rotatable with the other of the housing arrangement and turbine wheel. A first friction facing on at least one of the friction members at its first side faces the at least one counter-friction member. This at least one of the friction members can be brought into frictional interaction, via a second friction facing, with another counter-friction member on its second side located opposite to the first side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventors: Thomas Bauer, Peter Frey, Ruthard Knoblach, Christoph Sasse
  • Patent number: 6700280
    Abstract: A drive unit with a drive and an electric machine, the drive being equipped with a drive shaft and the electric machine with a stator and a rotor. The rotor is coaxial to the stator and connected to the drive shaft for the transmission of torque, where the stator and the rotor interact with each other across an air gap, and where the drive shaft causes the rotor to execute a wobbling motion. In a cross section parallel to the drive shaft, the geometric course of at least one of the two surfaces forming the boundaries of the air gap, i.e., the surface of the rotor or the surface of the stator, is designed so that it at least approximates the geometric slowing curve (VR) described by the wobbling motion of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventors: Martin Geiger, Bernhard Schierling
  • Patent number: 6698561
    Abstract: A turbine impeller rotates around a rotational axis in a housing unit, and a bridging clutch unit has a clutch element connected in an essentially nonrotatable fashion to the turbine impeller. The clutch element has friction area which can be brought into frictional contact with an opposing friction area on the housing unit. A pretensioning device acts on the clutch element to pretension it against the opposing friction area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Kundermann, Jörg Sudau
  • Patent number: 6688445
    Abstract: A clutch system comprises a clutch arrangement, an adjusting device for actuating the clutch arrangement, a displacement sensor arrangement for detecting a first quantity relating to the movement of a component which displaces when an actuating process is carried out, and a torque sensor arrangement for detecting a second quantity relating to a clutch torque transmitted via the clutch arrangement. The control device controls the adjusting device for carrying out actuating processes at least occasionally depending on at least the second quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventor: Thomas Otto
  • Patent number: 6679366
    Abstract: A release arrangement for a hydraulically actuated clutch in a motor vehicle has an energy accumulator connected with a hydraulic system. The energy accumulator is connected with a pedal via a kinematic arrangement which adapts the pedal forces to the pedal path. It is possible to adapt the boosting force characteristic to the required pedal force curve in a very precise manner. This leads to a boosting force that possibly increases the depressing force, but primarily increases the force in the boosting area following the dead center of the kinematic arrangement. The characteristic of the boosting force curve over the pedal path can be adapted to the respective operating system in the motor vehicle without major structural alterations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventors: Boleslaw Tulaczko, Georg Zink, Dieter Gebauer
  • Patent number: 6672444
    Abstract: A pressure plate assembly for a friction clutch includes a housing for mounting to a centrifugal mass; a pressure plate, which is mounted in the housing with freedom to move in the same direction as that in which a rotational axis (A) extends; a stored-energy element; and a wear-compensating device, acting in the path of force transmission between the stored-energy element and the pressure plate, where the wear-compensating device has at least one adjusting element able to move in an adjusting direction to compensate for wear. A clearance-producing arrangement includes a gripping element provided on the pressure plate, which, when wear occurs, comes to rest or can be brought to rest against a blocking element, which is fixed or can be fixed in place relative to the housing arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventors: Reinhold Weidinger, Erwin Ziegler, Frank Hirschmann
  • Patent number: 6669568
    Abstract: A driving coupling for the torque transmission in the transmission line of a motor vehicle includes a shaft-hub coupling provided with longitudinal toothings for the releasable coupling of a crankshaft with a coaxially arranged hydrodynamic torque converter. The longitudinal toothings of the shaft-hub coupling have tooth cross-sections which become larger and smaller respectively in the longitudinal direction of the teeth. An elastomer layer is situated at least between the tooth flanks of the shaft and the hub which transmit the torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignees: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, Mannesmann Sachs AG, ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Josef Neuner, Roland Gollmer, Karl-Heinz Hodermann, Marco Noack, Renate Walk, Wolfgang Kundermann
  • Patent number: 6666314
    Abstract: A pressure plate is held so as to be movable axially with respect to the housing by means of at least one leaf spring arrangement which is secured in a first coupling area to a first mounting area of the pressure plate and is secured in a second coupling area to a second mounting area of the housing. A contact surface is provided on each mounting area for the contact of the at least one leaf spring arrangement with the first coupling area and the second coupling area. The contact surface in at least one of the mounting areas is inclined relative to a plane (E) extending essentially orthogonal to an axis of rotation (A) of the thrust plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventor: Jürgen Kleifges
  • Patent number: 6662923
    Abstract: A pressure plate assembly for a friction clutch includes a housing for mounting to a flywheel; a pressure plate, held in the housing with the freedom to move in the same direction as that of a rotational axis (A); a stored-energy element; and a wear-compensating device acting in the path of force transmission between the stored-energy element and the pressure plate, where the wear-compensating device has at least one adjusting element, which can move in an adjusting direction to compensate for wear. A clearance-producing arrangement includes a gripping element provided on the pressure plate, which element comes or can be brought to rest against a blocking element (fixed in position relative to the housing arrangement upon the occurrence of wear. When the housing arrangement is being attached to the flywheel arrangement, the blocking element arrives in state in which it is able to enter into a blocking interaction with the associated gripping element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventors: Johann Dobler, Klaus Gorzitzke, Oswald Grünewald, Winfried Herterich, Jürgen Kleifges, Wolfgang Knauer, Jörg Lampe, Walter Lindner, Achim Link, Gerhard Röll, Reinhold Weidinger, Erwin Ziegler
  • Patent number: 6655518
    Abstract: On a housing for a pressure plate assembly of a friction clutch, at least one mass part is provided, especially a motion stop for a clearance-producing arrangement of the pressure plate assembly provided for detecting wear. An imbalance-compensating formation is provided on the housing, which compensates essentially completely for at least the one imbalance introduced by the at least one motion stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventors: Frank Hirschmann, Hubert Tremer
  • Patent number: 6655505
    Abstract: A parking brake actuating device includes a rotary lever arrangement in operative connection with a compensation device providing an idle path and a restoring element for controlling the rotary lever arrangement. The rotary lever arrangement controls the engagement of a blocking member with a counter-blocking member of the parking brake arrangement. The rotary lever arrangement has a rotary lever input part and a rotary lever output part and the idle path of the compensation device can be constructed so as to be in an operative connection between the rotary lever input part and the rotary lever output part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventors: Horst Oppitz, Stephan Benkert
  • Patent number: 6651547
    Abstract: Guide for the piston rod of a piston-cylinder assembly, especially for a vibration damper, a shock-absorbing strut, or a level-control element, where the guide body holds the cylinder tube and the outside tube and simultaneously centers the piston rod in a central bore. The guide body has two axially spaced sealing elements which rest on the outside surface of the piston rod and seal off the interior space of the piston-cylinder assembly from the atmosphere. A flow connection, starting from the area of the intermediate space between the seals, extends to the interior space and is provided with a nonreturn valve, through which a flow can proceed only in the direction of the interior space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventors: Heinz Knecht, Werner Kuchheuser
  • Patent number: 6651787
    Abstract: A vibration damper includes a cylinder in which a piston rod is guided so as to be axially movable. A first piston is mounted stationary on the piston rod and a second piston is mounted so as to be displaceable axially on the rod against a spring force. The cylinder has a work space at the piston rod side, a work space remote of the piston rod, and a work space between the two pistons. Through-openings which are outfitted with valves control a connection between the work spaces. The second piston has at least one return spring on both sides, and the piston is mounted so as to be displaceable axially in two directions against the return springs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventor: Manfred Grundei
  • Patent number: 6644451
    Abstract: A release bearing is provided for transmitting release force to a corresponding force accumulator of each of the first and second clutch regions of the double clutch assembly, the release bearings being arranged in succession in the direction of an axis of rotation. Each of the release bearings has an action region for a respective release-force transmission member to act on, the release-force transmission members interacting on the same axial side of the release bearings. The action region of one of the release bearings includes a sleeve-like action element which is surrounded by the other release bearing. The sleeve-like action element has a holding region, by means of which the other release bearing is secured so that it cannot be removed from the sleeve-like action element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Grosspietsch, Angelika Ebert
  • Patent number: 6640946
    Abstract: A hydrodynamic clutch arrangement, particularly a torque converter or fluid coupling, includes a housing arrangement, a turbine wheel provided in the housing arrangement, a lockup clutch arrangement by which a torque transmitting connection can be produced selectively between the turbine wheel and the housing arrangement. The lockup clutch arrangement includes at least two friction members which are rotatable with a one of the housing arrangement and turbine wheel, at least one counter-friction member which is interposed between two friction members and is rotatable with the other of the housing arrangement and turbine wheel and can be brought into contact with friction surface regions of the friction members in friction surface regions of the counter-friction member. The counter-friction member has a substantially ring-shaped counter-friction member body having an outer radius (Ra) in a ratio of 1.1:1 to 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventors: Thomas Bauer, Peter Frey, Ruthard Knoblach, Christoph Sasse
  • Publication number: 20030199326
    Abstract: A drive arrangement for a motor vehicle includes a drive shaft, a coupling device, and a coupling arrangement. The drive shaft is connectable with the coupling device for transmission of force solely via the coupling arrangement. The coupling arrangement has a first toothing arrangement connectable with the drive shaft so that the first toothing arrangement is fixed with respect to rotation relative to the drive shaft and a second toothing arrangement connectable with the coupling device so that the second toothing arrangement is fixed with respect to rotation relative to coupling device. The first toothing arrangement and second toothing arrangement engage when the drive shaft and coupling device are coupled together for transmission of force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2003
    Publication date: October 23, 2003
    Applicant: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventor: Wolfgang Kundermann
  • Patent number: 6634379
    Abstract: Switching valve with a valve body, which separates two working spaces filled with a fluid. The valve body has pass-through openings which are covered except for an inlet cross-section, where the inlet cross-section is controlled by a switching disk as a function of the direction of flow in the switching valve. Between the switching disk and the inlet cross-section, at least one spacer disk is provided, which has at least one opening, which communicates with the inlet cross-section, where the opening has a larger two-dimensional area than the inlet cross-section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventors: Hassan Asadi, Gerald Fenn, Hans Luksch