Patents by Inventor Jorg Arnold

Jorg Arnold 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: 9217503
    Abstract: A method of operating a vehicle drive-train comprising an internal combustion engine and a transmission system functionally connected to the internal combustion engine. The transmission has an interlocking shifting element, one shifting element half of which is functionally connected to the transmission input shaft while the other shifting element half is functionally connected to a transmission output shaft. Upon receipt of a command to change the transmission from a neutral position, in which a force flow through the transmission is interrupted, to an operating condition, in which the force flow through the transmission is produced, the interlocking shifting element is changed to an engaged operating condition. A speed difference between the shifting element halves is brought by varying the speed of the internal combustion engine into a speed difference window within which the interlocking shifting element can be changed to its engaged operating condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Valentine Herbeth, Jorg Arnold, Georg Mihatsch, Andreas Schmidt
  • Publication number: 20150344400
    Abstract: A process for preparing polyol esters by reacting polyols with linear or branched aliphatic monocarboxylic acids having 3 to 20 carbon atoms, is characterized in that a mixture of the starting compounds is allowed to react in the presence of a Lewis acid containing at least one element of groups 4 to 14 of the periodic table of the elements as a catalyst and in the presence of an adsorbent with removal of the water formed, and then the crude ester obtained is aftertreated by adding a further adsorbent which is an acidic activated carbon having a pH of 1 to 6.5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2013
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicant: OXEA GmbH
    Inventors: Guido D. FREY, Tonia WEBER, Jörg ARNOLD, Thorsten KREICKMANN, Heinz STRUTZ
  • Patent number: 9188219
    Abstract: A method of operating a transmission device. At least one of the shift elements is a form-locking shift element. A sensor is associated with the form-locking shift element which can determine an operating state of the form-locking shift element. When a request to disengage the form-locking shift element occurs, a disengagement control signal is generated and the form-locking shift element is actuated in the direction of disengagement, depending on the disengagement control signal. The transmission device is transferred to a safe operating state in which the transmission output shaft can rotate, when an actuating pressure that changes the operating state of the form-locking shift element is determined with the sensor, even though a disengagement control signal was not generated, and/or when the sensor is associated with at least two form-locking shift elements and the form-locking shift elements are subjected to actuating pressure to implement a requested operating state change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jorg Arnold, Georg Mihatsch
  • Patent number: 9169925
    Abstract: A method for terminating a gearshift for an automatic transmission for a motor vehicle is provided, wherein a positive-locking shifting element is involved. After the initiation of the gearshift, there is an evaluation of the continuous signals of at least one control unit of the vehicle, which affect the engine torque and thus the turbine speed gradient. Based on the evaluation of the signals, an upcoming change to the turbine speed gradient that exceeds a first predetermined threshold value or falls short of a second predetermined threshold value is detected, and, upon such detection, the gearshift is terminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jörg Arnold, Andreas Schmidt, Johannes Brockmann
  • Publication number: 20150260282
    Abstract: Method for operating a drive train, which includes a drive unit (1), a converter (5) as the start-up element, an automatic transmission (2) and an output (3), whereas, after the start of the drive unit (1), the rotational speed of a turbine (7) of the converter (5) is monitored, whereas, if it is thereby determined that, within a defined first time frame after the start of the drive unit (1), the rotational speed of the turbine (7) of the converter (5) reaches or exceeds a first threshold value, a properly filled converter (5) is inferred, whereas, if, within the defined first time frame after the start of the drive unit (1), the rotational speed of the turbine (7) of the converter (5) does not reach or exceed a first threshold value, an improperly filled converter (5) or a converter that has run empty (5) is inferred.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Inventors: Jörg Arnold, Klaus Steinhauser, Thilo Schmidt
  • Patent number: 9109676
    Abstract: An adjusting drive for adjusting a first structural component part relative to a second structural component part has a linear drive and a piston-cylinder unit connected in parallel with the linear drive for drive purposes. A control is provided for controlling the adjusting speed of the adjusting drive depending upon the adjusting path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Stabilus GmbH
    Inventors: Jörg Arnold, Gerd Mülhöfer
  • Patent number: 9086146
    Abstract: A method of shifting a vehicle drive-train transmission having frictional and interlocking shifting elements which are engageable to obtain various gears. When shifting from a current gear to a target gear, in which the interlocking shifting element is engaged, if after the shift starts it becomes necessary to engage the current gear in the transmission while engaging the interlocking shifting element, a current operating condition of the interlocking shifting element is determined. If the current operating condition of the interlocking shifting element indicates that engagement can be interrupted and the interlocking shifting element can be disengaged, the interlocking shifting element is disengaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jorg Arnold, Georg Mihatsch
  • Patent number: 9018417
    Abstract: A process is provided for recovering aliphatic monocarboxylic acids having from 4 to 11 carbon atoms from the distillation residue obtained in the oxidation of the corresponding aldehyde by means of oxygen or oxygen-containing gas mixtures in the presence of alkali metal carboxylates or alkaline earth metal carboxylates to form the corresponding monocarboxylic acid and subsequent distillation, characterized in that the distillation residue is reacted with an aqueous acid in a tube reactor and the two-phase mixture flowing out from the tube reactor is introduced into a settling vessel in which the organic phase which separates out has a pH of 4.5 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Oxea GmbH
    Inventors: Guido D. Frey, Jörg Arnold, Wolfgang Höfs, Matthias Kramer, Thomas Müller, Heinz Strutz
  • Patent number: 9002598
    Abstract: A method of determining a fill current value of at least one frictionally engaging shift element of an automatic transmission. The automatic transmission includes a hydrodynamic converter at which a speed ratio arises and an output shaft. In a control sequence, with a stationary output shaft, the speed ratio is influenced by changing a control current, and the fill current value is determined from the progression of the speed ratio arising during the control sequence, in conjunction with the progression of the control current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Thilo Schmidt, Valentine Herbeth, Klaus Steinhauser, Jorg Arnold
  • Patent number: 9002603
    Abstract: A method of operating a transmission of a vehicle drive-train when a gearshift from a current gear toward a target gear has been requested. The transmission having frictional shifting elements and at least one interlocking shifting element. If an actuating electrical current, equivalent to a closed operating condition of the frictional shifting element to be engaged, and an actuating electrical current, equivalent to an open operating condition of the interlocking shifting element to be disengaged, are determined while, at the same time, a closed operating condition of the interlocking shifting element to be disengaged is detected by a sensor, a fault is recognized. If the fault is recognized during a predefined test period, one or more selected shifting elements are disengaged and a force flow in the transmission is interrupted. Alternatively, by disengaging the frictional shifting element to be engaged, the current gear is engaged in the transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jorg Arnold, Valentine Herbeth, Georg Mihatsch
  • Patent number: 8989974
    Abstract: When a request is made to change gears, the form-fitting shifting element being disengaged, for the requested gear change, is disengaged at a predefined target disengagement moment following the target disengagement moment. When the gear is actually changed, an actual disengagement moment is determined based on when the form-fitting shifting element begins disengaging and a transmission operating state variable. If there is a deviation between the actual moment and the target moment of disengagement, then the target disengagement moment is modified by a time value, and the moment when the form-fitting shifting element begins to be actuated is shifted in time in relation to the target moment of disengagement and/or actuation of the shifting element to be connected is adjusted to a determined characteristic of the operating state of the form-fitting shifting element to be disconnected such that it is disengaged approximately at the target disengagement moment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jörg Arnold, Valentine Herbeth, Georg Mihatsch
  • Publication number: 20150057900
    Abstract: Within the framework of a method for terminating a gearshift for an automatic transmission for a motor vehicle, at which at least one positive-locking shifting element is involved, after the initiation of the gearshift, there is an evaluation of the continuous signals of at least one control unit of the vehicle, which affect the engine torque and thus the turbine speed gradient, whereas, based on the evaluation of the signals, an upcoming change to the turbine speed gradient that exceeds a first predetermined threshold value or falls short of a second predetermined threshold value is detected, and, upon the detection an upcoming change to the turbine speed gradient that exceeds the first predetermined threshold value or falls short of the second predetermined threshold value, the gearshift is terminated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: Jörg Arnold, Andreas Schmidt, Johannes Brockmann
  • Publication number: 20150040549
    Abstract: Method for the operation of an assembly of a vehicle, whereas the assembly is transferable from an unactuated position into an actuated position by a pressure medium-actuated actuator, if two redundant pressure medium valves both occupy a pressure supply position, whereas, for the functional test of one of the redundant pressure medium valves, a first pressure medium valve is controlled in such a manner that the same occupies the pressure supply position, whereas a second pressure medium valve is controlled in such a manner that the same does not occupy the pressure supply position, and whereas if, upon this control of the two pressure medium valves at the pressure medium-actuated actuator or at the assembly to be operated by the pressure medium-actuated actuator, no reaction is detected, there is a closing at a proper second pressure medium valve, whereas if, despite this control of the two pressure medium valves at the pressure medium-actuated actuator or at the assembly to be operated by the pressure mediu
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Inventors: Jörg Arnold, Thilo Schmidt, Klaus Steinhauser
  • Patent number: 8924113
    Abstract: A method of operating a transmission with interlocking and friction shifting elements. In or to carry out a gearshift from a currently gear to a target gear, one shifting element is disengaged and another is engaged, and if to carry out a gearshift an interlocking shifting element has to be engaged, the interlocking shifting element is synchronized by partially closing a friction shifting element, with redundancy in the transmission, only if a current speed of the vehicle is lower than a limit value. To monitor for possible malfunction, actuation of the shifting elements and the driving speed are monitored and if, based on the actuation of the shifting elements, it is concluded that there is a redundancy in the transmission, a stored non-actual driving speed is compared with the limit value and if the stored driving speed is higher than the limit value, the redundancy in the transmission is eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jorg Arnold, Rainer Denzler
  • Publication number: 20140303401
    Abstract: A process is provided for recovering aliphatic monocarboxylic acids having from 4 to 11 carbon atoms from the distillation residue obtained in the oxidation of the corresponding aldehyde by means of oxygen or oxygen-containing gas mixtures in the presence of alkali metal carboxylates or alkaline earth metal carboxylates to form the corresponding monocarboxylic acid and subsequent distillation, characterized in that the distillation residue is reacted with an aqueous acid in a tube reactor and the two-phase mixture flowing out from the tube reactor is introduced into a settling vessel in which the organic phase which separates out has a pH of 4.5 or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Inventors: Guido D. Frey, Jörg Arnold, Wolfgang Höfs, Matthias Kramer, Thomas Müller, Heinz Strutz
  • Patent number: 8840517
    Abstract: A method of operating a transmission device (3) having a plurality of frictionally engaging shift elements (B, C, D and E) and at least one form-locking shift element (A, F) for implementing different transmission ratios. Upon a requested change in operating state of the transmission device (3), the at least one form-locking shift element (A) is transferred into an at least nearly load-free state, during which the form-locking shift element (A) is transferred from an engaged to a disengaged operating state by increasing the transfer capability of at least one frictionally engaging shift element (E), which is not engaged in the power flow of the transmission device (3) either to represent the present operating state or to represent the requested operating state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Valentine Herbeth, Jorg Arnold, Georg Mihatsch, Andreas Schmidt, Thilo Schmidt, Gabor Diosi, Christoph Margraf
  • Publication number: 20140230589
    Abstract: A method of operating a transmission device having gears that are engaged by actuating shifting elements. At least one of the shifting elements is an interlocking shifting element which has to be engaged in at least one gear to transmit drive between an input and an output shaft. When a command is received to engage the interlocking shifting element, a rotational speed of the input shaft is displaced in the direction toward a synchronous rotation speed produced in the engaged operating condition of the interlocking shifting element at least as a function of the rotational speed of the output shaft. The engagement process of the interlocking shifting element from its disengaged operating condition is discontinued if, before reaching the synchronous rotational speed, the variation of the rotational speed of the input shaft crosses a predefined rotational speed threshold without initiating engagement of the interlocking shifting element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jorg ARNOLD, Klaus STEINHAUSER
  • Publication number: 20140236438
    Abstract: A method for operating a 9-speed transmission which changes operating states by actuating shift elements. At least one of the shift elements is a form-locking shift element, which disengages to implement a defined transmission operating state during which the power flow, between transmission input and output shafts, is present or interrupted. A sensor is associated with the locking shift element. An operating state of the locking shift element can be determined by the sensor, Upon a request to disengage the locking shift element, a disengagement control signal is generated and the locking shift element is actuated in the disengagement direction, depending on the disengagement control signal. The transmission is shifted to a safe operating state, in which at least the transmission output shaft can rotate, when an engaged operating state of the locking shift element is determined by the sensor even though a disengagement control signal was generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Jorg ARNOLD, Georg MIHATSCH
  • Publication number: 20140236439
    Abstract: A method of operating a transmission device. At least one of the shift elements is a form-locking shift element. A sensor is associated with the form-locking shift element which can determine an operating state of the form-locking shift element. When a request to disengage the form-locking shift element occurs, a disengagement control signal is generated and the form-locking shift element is actuated in the direction of disengagement, depending on the disengagement control signal. The transmission device is transferred to a safe operating state in which the transmission output shaft can rotate, when an actuating pressure that changes the operating state of the form-locking shift element is determined with the sensor, even though a disengagement control signal was not generated, and/or when the sensor is associated with at least two form-locking shift elements and the form-locking shift elements are subjected to actuating pressure to implement a requested operating state change.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Jorg ARNOLD, Georg MIHATSCH
  • Publication number: 20140230590
    Abstract: A method of operating a transmission which is shifted to various operating conditions by engaging shifting elements. At least one of the shifting elements is an interlocking shifting element which has to be engaged to obtain at least one defined operating condition of the transmission during which power flows between an input and an output shaft. When a command is received to engage the interlocking shifting element, a rotational speed of the transmission input shaft is displaced in the direction toward a synchronous rotational speed produced in the engaged operating condition of the interlocking shifting element at least as a function of the rotational speed of the transmission output shaft. When the variation of the rotational speed of the transmission input shaft crosses a predefined rotational speed threshold, the interlocking shifting element is actuated in its engaging direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jorg ARNOLD, Klaus STEINHAUSER