Patents by Inventor Christoph Dorr

Christoph Dorr 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: 20230322225
    Abstract: A method for controlling an automated vehicle when driving into a crossing of equal-ranking roads involves the vehicle granting grants the further vehicles right of way at least for a pre-determined waiting time. The vehicle determines, according to a pre-determined arbitration rule, whether it should have priority over the further vehicles for passing through the crossing. After the waiting time has passed, the vehicle begins a crossing traversal maneuver to traverse the crossing if it is determined that it should have priority for passing through the crossing and if none of the further vehicles has driven on in the interim.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2021
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Applicant: MERCEDES-BENZ GROUP AG
    Inventors: Christoph DÖRR, Falk SALZMANN, Stefan SELLHUSEN, Roland WERNER
  • Publication number: 20230286523
    Abstract: A method for checking the suitability of a target trajectory for trajectory control of a vehicle. The target trajectory contains route information about the path of a route to be driven and momentum information about the momentum with which the route should be driven. The target trajectory is assessed as suitable for the trajectory control if the target traction and target tractive power are below a predetermined characteristic traction curve or characteristic tractive power curve, the target steering power is below a predetermined power limit of the steering, and the horizontal target tire forces on each wheel are within the friction value limits determined by the friction value. Otherwise, the target trajectory is assessed to be unsuitable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2021
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Inventors: Florian Bastien DUMAS, Christoph DÖRR, Stefan SELLHUSEN, Roland WERNER
  • Patent number: 7153055
    Abstract: The invention relates to a ball-and-socket joint which is intended especially for vehicle chassis. The inventive ball-and-socket joint comprises a joint bolt (1) which is provided with a ball joint (1.1), and a plastic joint housing (2) into which a bearing shell (3) is introduced in order to mount the ball joint (1.1) in such a way that it can turn and so that it can tilt within certain limits. The aim of the invention is to ensure that the joint can resist considerable static and dynamic loads in the direction of the joint axis (L) without increasing the cost and to enable the ball joint to be used as a radial joint and as an axial joint. To this end, a metal ring (4) is injected into the joint housing (2). The bearing shell (3) is placed in the joint housing (2) with a positive fit using the end section (4.3) of said ring, which is radially bent inwards and which is located in the area of the opening of the joint housing (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: TRW Fahrwerksysteme GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Christoph Dorr
  • Patent number: 6840697
    Abstract: Ball-and-socket joint includes a joint housing (1) and a ball head (2) with a ball pivot (3). A bearing shell (4) is disposed between the ball head (2), the joint housing (1), and a housing cover (5). A compressive force is produced between the housing cover (5) and at least a portion of the bearing shell (4). The compressive force acts in an axial direction of the ball pivot (3). The compressive force permanently acts on the portion of the bearing shell (4) and presses the portion of the bearing shell (4) into a gap between the ball head (2) and the joint housing (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: TRW Fahrwerksysteme GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Christoph Dorr
  • Publication number: 20040258463
    Abstract: A ball-and-socket joint includes a joint housing having first and second axial ends and a ball head provided with a ball stud that extends from the ball head. A bearing shell has elastic properties and is received in the joint housing whereby the bearing shell receives the ball head. The ball stud extends outward of the first axial end of the joint housing. The ball-and-socket joint also includes a housing cover for closing the second axial end of the joint housing and a spring element that is interposed between the housing cover and at least a portion of the bearing shell. The spring element preloads the portion of the bearing shell to urge the portion of the bearing shell toward the first axial end of the joint housing thereby plastically deforming the portion of the bearing shell into its final ball-shaped contour.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2004
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Applicant: TRW Fahrwerksysteme GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Christoph Dorr
  • Patent number: 6514443
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a ball joint (2) consisting of a ball-ended spindle (21) and a socket (29), having no bearing shell and being already assembled during the manufacture includes, placing the ball-ended spindle (21), which comprises a ball (23) without a flattened pole surface, into an injection molding tool (1). The ball-ended spindle (21) is retained by a core puller (13) that seals a hollow space of the injection molding tool (1) relative to the ball (23) and simultaneously forms a clearance (4) for realizing a maximum pivoting angle of the ball-ended spindle (21) relative to the socket (29), whereafter the ball (23) is directly coated with plastic by means of injection molding so as to form the socket (29).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: TRW Fahrwerksysteme GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Christoph Dorr
  • Patent number: 6366080
    Abstract: The present invention is based on the objective of disclosing a rotary sensor arrangement in which the sensor is accessible without having to remove any assemblies, wherein said sensor arrangement also allows an economical integration into existing assemblies. According to the invention, this objective is attained with a rotary sensor arrangement for elements that can be turned relative to surrounding elements, in particular, for shafts, which consists of at least two sensor units that can be mounted separately from one another, wherein one sensor unit is arranged on the rotatable element and at least one second sensor unit is arranged on an element that is stationary relative to the rotatable element, and wherein at least the second sensor unit can be accessed and removed independently of the state of installation of the rotatable element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: TRW Fahrwerksysteme GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Eugen Eberhart, Christoph Dorr
  • Patent number: 6139788
    Abstract: The invention pertains to a method for manufacturing a ball joint composed of a ball-ended spindle (1), bearing shell (2) and socket, provided with a sealing boot (4) arranged between the socket and ball-ended spindle (1), in particular for a motor vehicle, by means of extrusion coating, with plastic in a split injection mold (6) the ball-ended spindle (1) provided with a bearing shell (2) placed on the ball (11). In order to create a ball joint which can withstand high stress and limit the assembly work required to complete the same, the housing-side opening bead (41) of the sealing boot (4) is positioned on the bearing shell (2), before loading the ball-ended spindle (1) in the injection mold (6), and is located between the bearing shell (2) and housing (3) by means of an extrusion coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: TRW Fahrwerksysteme GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Christoph Dorr
  • Patent number: 5876149
    Abstract: A ball joint with a ball (1a) that is arranged on a gudgeon (1) and situated in a ball socket in a rotatable and tiltable fashion. The ball socket consists of plastic and is closed on one side. The ball socket is arranged in a housing (3). The ball socket is sealed at its opening, which faces the gudgeon (1), by a sealing bellows (4) arranged between the housing (3) and the gudgeon (1). An edge (4a) of the sealing bellows (4) on the side of the ball is clamped in the axial direction between the housing (3) and an extension (2a) of the ball socket (2) on the side of the gudgeon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: TRW Fahrwerksysteme GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Christoph Dorr, Lothar Broszat, Hans-Joachim Schutt
  • Patent number: 5810669
    Abstract: A coupling spring element is provided for which assembly without access and with no play, and a torsion-proof transmission of shaft revolutions is possible and has superior spring elastic properties to which, a plate-shaped element is provided with an essentially central connection region for connection to one shaft and a connection region formed at the outer circumferential region for connection to one additional shaft, and has slot-like recesses between the two connection regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1998
    Assignee: TRW Fahrwerksysteme Gmbh & Co. KG
    Inventor: Christoph Dorr
  • Patent number: 5782573
    Abstract: A ball-and-socket joint includes a journal (1) having a ball (2) on one end. A plastic housing (3) has a socket and an opening through which the ball (2) is inserted into the socket. The socket is defined by a plurality of circumferentially spaced segmented bearing surfaces (3b) having a partially spherical shape and being formed by a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending slits (3a). The plurality of slits (3a) extend axially from the opening to at least an equator (3e) of said socket. The housing (3) includes a ring groove (3f) extending axially from the opening to at least the equator (3e). The ring groove (3f) encircles the plurality of segmented bearing surfaces (3b). A locking ring (4) is in the ring groove (3f) in the housing (3). The locking ring (4) elastically deforms the plurality of segmented bearing surfaces (3b) to position the ball (2) in a first position in the socket against the plurality of segmented bearing surfaces (3b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1998
    Assignee: TRW Fahrwerksysteme GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Christoph Dorr, Hans-Joachim Schutt
  • Patent number: 5752780
    Abstract: The invention pertains to a ball-and-socket joint, in particular, for a motor vehicle, having a ball pivot (1), the coupling ball (1b) of which is supported, by a bearing shell (2), in a joint housing (3) in a tilting sense, such that it can be twisted and tilted to a limited extent, with the bearing shell (2) being fixed in the joint housing (3) by a lock ring (6). For a simple design and a mechanizable assembly, even with the use of a plastic joint housing, for an axial tensile load on the ball pivot (1), a lock ring (6) is formed with a double-leg cross section, the radial inner leg (6a) of which forms a support surface for the section (2b) of the bearing shell (2) between the equator (1e) and the opening for the ball pivot (1) and the radial outer leg (6b) of which, in a mounted state, is supported at the edge of its free end (6d) by an approximately radial annular surface (3e) which is formed by an undercut in the joint housing (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignee: TRW Fahrwerkesystem GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Christoph Dorr