Patents by Inventor Ludger Gehringhoff

Ludger Gehringhoff 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: 11926244
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for producing a battery carrier for an electric battery module of a vehicle configured to electrically operate, the method may include: providing a material blank with a blank region; providing a heat exchanger structure in the blank region, that comprises hollow channels that are inseparably connected to the material blank, wherein the hollow channels are provided to regulate a temperature of the electric battery module using a fluid; and forming the material blank into a support tray with a tray base configured to support the electric battery module and with sidewalls that delimit the tray base at the sides of the tray base, wherein the tray base is developed from the blank region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Ludger Gehringhoff, Christian Handing
  • Patent number: 11186183
    Abstract: Battery carrier for an electric motor vehicle, having a trough formed by a base and a peripheral frame coupled to the base, wherein the frame is formed from extruded hollow profiles and a cover is arranged on the frame. In the installation position, the frame has a web protruding in each case in relation to its upper side and/or lower side in such a manner that a defined gap with respect to the base and/or with respect to the cover is produced, with a sealant and/or adhesive being incorporated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: BENTELER AUTOMOBILTECHNIK GMBH
    Inventors: Georg Frost, Thomas Guenther, Christian Handing, Frank Rabe, Peter Summerauer, Ludger Gehringhoff
  • Publication number: 20200180443
    Abstract: Battery carrier for an electric motor vehicle, having a trough formed by a base and a peripheral frame coupled to the base, wherein the frame is formed from extruded hollow profiles and a cover is arranged on the frame. In the installation position, the frame has a web protruding in each case in relation to its upper side and/or lower side in such a manner that a defined gap with respect to the base and/or with respect to the cover is produced, with a sealant and/or adhesive being incorporated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Inventors: Georg FROST, Thomas GUENTHER, Christian HANDING, Frank RABE, Peter SUMMERAUER, Ludger GEHRINGHOFF
  • Publication number: 20190283627
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for producing a battery carrier for an electric battery module of a vehicle configured to electrically operate, the method may include: providing a material blank with a blank region; providing a heat exchanger structure in the blank region, that comprises hollow channels that are inseparably connected to the material blank, wherein the hollow channels are provided to regulate a temperature of the electric battery module using a fluid; and forming the material blank into a support tray with a tray base configured to support the electric battery module and with sidewalls that delimit the tray base at the sides of the tray base, wherein the tray base is developed from the blank region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Inventors: Ludger Gehringhoff, Christian Handing
  • Patent number: 8202376
    Abstract: A structural motor-vehicle element is made by hot-shaping and press-hardening a steel workpiece into the element and thereafter heating the hot-shaped and press-hardened workpiece to between 320° C. and 400° C. The steel workpiece constitutes in weight percent, Carbon (C) 0.18% to 0.3% Silicon (Si) 0.1% to 0.7% Manganese (Mn) 1.0% to 2.5% Phosphorus (P) max. 0.025% Chromium (Cr) up to 0.8% Molybdenum (Mo) up to 0.5% Sulfur (S) max. 0.01% Titanium (Ti) 0.02% to 0.05% Boron (B) 0.002% to 0.005% Aluminum (Al) 0.01% to 0.06% the rest iron including impurities caused by the smelting process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Ludger Gehringhoff, Dirk Kröger, Elisabeth Danger
  • Publication number: 20090045638
    Abstract: In a method of making a bumper structure of a motor vehicle, a blank of quenched and tempered steel is formed into a U-shaped bumper beam having a middle part and attachment parts which adjoin the middle part on opposite ends and define crash boxes. The middle part of the bumper beam is hardened either during or after the blank is formed into the bumper beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2008
    Publication date: February 19, 2009
    Applicant: Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbH
    Inventors: CHRISTIAN HANDING, Oliver Muller, Ludger Gehringhoff
  • Publication number: 20080211264
    Abstract: A B column of a motor vehicle having a high strength and rigidity in the attachment area of door hinges and door locks and able to protect the occupants of the vehicle in the event of a side crash is provided. The B column includes a reinforcement plate, which extends over the entire height of the B column. Because the requirements for this reinforcement plate are not equally great in all areas, the reinforcement plate is a reshaped tailored rolled blank. The tailored rolled blank is produced by flexible rolling and has different thicknesses transversely to the rolling direction. It is thus especially thick in the areas on which especially high strength and rigidity requirements are placed, while it is implemented as correspondingly thin in the areas which must only fulfill low strength and rigidity requirements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2008
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Applicants: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft, Muhr und Bender KG, Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Mark Riess, Andreas Hauger, Ludger Gehringhoff, Johannes Schaefers
  • Publication number: 20070107819
    Abstract: A structural motor-vehicle element is made by hot-shaping and press-hardening a steel workpiece into the element and thereafter heating the hot-shaped and press-hardened workpiece to between 320° C. and 400° C. The steel workpiece constitutes in weight percent, Carbon (C) 0.18% to 0.3% Silicon (Si) 0.1% to 0.7% Manganese (Mn) 1.0% to 2.5% Phosphorus (P) max. 0.025% Chromium (Cr) up to 0.8% Molybdenum (Mo) up to 0.5% Sulfur (S) max. 0.01% Titanium (Ti) 0.02% to 0.05% Boron (B) 0.002% to 0.005% Aluminum (Al) 0.01% to 0.06% the rest iron including impurities caused by the smelting process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2006
    Publication date: May 17, 2007
    Inventors: Ludger Gehringhoff, Dirk Kroger, Elisabeth Danger
  • Publication number: 20060290166
    Abstract: A door structure of a motor vehicle includes an inside door panel, and a single-piece reinforcement element which is disposed below a window parapet of the door structure and non-detachably secured to the inside door panel at a side distal to an outside door panel. The reinforcement element includes a wraparound frame having a top frame side extending along the window parapet, a bottom frame side extending along a lower edge of the door structure, a front frame side disposed in a hinge area between the top frame side and the bottom frame side, and a rear frame side disposed in a lock area between the top frame side and the bottom frame side, thereby defining an opening. Disposed in the opening and formed in one piece with the frame is an embossed door impact beam which extends from the front frame side to the rear frame side. The reinforcement element is made of high-strength hot formable steel defined by a tensile strength ranging from 1400 N/mm2 to 1600 N/mm2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2006
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Applicant: Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Ludger Gehringhoff, Johannes Schafers
  • Patent number: 7086686
    Abstract: A side impact beam for incorporation into the structure of a motor vehicle comprises a sheet metal profile with flaring end portions and two longitudinal beads extending along the sheet metal profile and wherein the end portions that are provided with cross beads that are stamped in an additional tooling step during manufacturing and after the longitudinal beads have been formed, and are arranged in transverse disposition to the longitudinal beads and wherein the longitudinal beads and the cross beads are oriented in the same direction and the length of one cross bead corresponds approximately to the width of the two longitudinal beads, such that the so configured cross beads provide a stabilizing effect of the end portions and ensure the flattening of the connecting surfaces, thereby leading to a reduction of assembly problems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Detlef Bullmann, Lars Ulrich, Ralf König, Alfons Fortstroer, Ludger Gehringhoff
  • Patent number: 7077920
    Abstract: A workpiece having regions of different ductility is made by first coating opposite faces of a flat sheet-metal workpiece of low ductility and then stripping the coating from the faces in one region of the workpiece while leaving the coating on the faces in another region of the workpiece. The workpiece is then deformed into a three-dimensional profile. Only the one uncoated region of the workpiece is heated and thereby hardened while not significantly heating the other coated region of the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Benteler Automobil Technik GmbH
    Inventor: Ludger Gehringhoff
  • Patent number: 6878220
    Abstract: In a method of making a hardened sheet metal article, at least one pot-shaped depression is formed in a sheet metal blank. Thereafter, the sheet metal blank is hot formed in a press mold to a sheet metal article, and the sheet metal article is hardened. The press mold provides hereby a calibration of the depression to provide the final shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Ludger Gehringhoff, Udo Klasfauseweh, Ralf Köhler, Ulrich Jungblut
  • Publication number: 20040159378
    Abstract: A workpiece having regions of different ductility is made by first coating opposite faces of a flat sheet-metal workpiece of low ductility and then stripping the coating from the faces in one region of the workpiece while leaving the coating on the faces in another region of the workpiece. The workpiece is then deformed into a three-dimensional profile. Only the one uncoated region of the workpiece is heated and thereby hardened while not significantly heating the other coated region of the workpiece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2004
    Publication date: August 19, 2004
    Applicant: Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Ludger Gehringhoff
  • Publication number: 20040150249
    Abstract: A side impact beam for incorporation in a motor vehicle, in particular in a vehicle door, includes a profiled section of sheet metal having at least two longitudinal beads in side-by-side disposition. Each bead has an apex and two flanks depending from the apex, thereby defining an inner flank and an outer flank, wherein the inner flanks of the beads confront one another. The inner flanks are interconnected by a center web and are disposed in V-shaped relationship at an angle from 25° to 60°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2003
    Publication date: August 5, 2004
    Applicant: BENTELER AUTOMOBILTECHNIK GMBH
    Inventors: Ludger Gehringhoff, Johannes Schafers
  • Patent number: 6663169
    Abstract: A side impact beam to be integrated in a motor vehicle includes at least one elongated bar, which has a trapezoidal cross section and terminates on both ends in ramp-like end portions, wherein the elongated bar has a central web, flanks diverging outwardly from the central web, and flanges connected to the extremities of the flanks, and terminal attachment zones. For manufacturing such a side impact beam, a semifinished flat blank is cut to size of constant width from a sheet metal material band of constant thickness and includes an elongated center portion of constant width and a length which is at least half a length of the blank, wherein the center portion terminates on opposite ends in tongue-shaped end portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Ludger Gehringhoff, Udo Klasfauseweh, Hans-Jürgen Knaup
  • Publication number: 20030178273
    Abstract: A side impact beam for incorporation into the structure of a motor vehicle comprises a sheet metal profile with flaring end portions and two longitudinal beads extending along the sheet metal profile and wherein the end portions that are provided with cross beads that are stamped in an additional tooling step during manufacturing and after the longitudinal beads have been formed, and are arranged in transverse disposition to the longitudinal beads and wherein the longitudinal beads and the cross beads are oriented in the same direction and the length of one cross bead corresponds approximately to the width of the two longitudinal beads, such that the so configured cross beads provide a stabilizing effect of the end portions and ensure the flattening of the connecting surfaces, thereby leading to a reduction of assembly problems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2002
    Publication date: September 25, 2003
    Applicant: BENTELER AUTOMOBILTECHNIK GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Detlef Bullmann, Lars Ulrich, Ralf Konig, Alfons Fortstroer, Ludger Gehringhoff
  • Patent number: 6619725
    Abstract: A side impact structure for incorporation between an outer shell and an inner door panel of a door of a motor vehicle, includes an elongate section member having an attachment element. Secured to the attachment element is a blocking element which at least partially bridges a spacing between the outer shell and the inner door panel to thereby prevent access to the actuating mechanism of the door lock via a gap in the outer shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Ludger Gehringhoff, Stefan Gossmann
  • Publication number: 20030163920
    Abstract: In a method of making a structural member for the automobile industry, a blank of boron steel is pre-formed at ambient temperature into an intermediary part of a configuration which substantially corresponds to an end shape of a finished structural member. The intermediary part is then coated with aluminum or an aluminum alloy and exposed to a temperature above the upper transformation line in the TTT curve. Subsequently, the intermediary part is formed in a mold into the finished structural member while being hardened at the same time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2003
    Publication date: September 4, 2003
    Applicant: BENTELER AUTOMOBILTECHNIK GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Ludger Gehringhoff, Patrick Reinhold, Thomas Troster, Stefan Gosmann
  • Publication number: 20030066581
    Abstract: In a method of making a hardened sheet metal article, a blank is formed with at least one through-passage with a projecting collar. Thereafter, the blank is heated and hot-formed in a press mold to a sheet metal article. Still within the press mold, the sheet metal article is hardened. The shaping of the blank in the press mold is accompanied by a calibration of the through-passage to final shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Applicant: BENTELER AUTOMOBILTECHNIK GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Ludger Gehringhoff, Udo Klasfauseweh, Carsten Jakel
  • Publication number: 20030066582
    Abstract: In a method of making a hardened sheet metal article, at least one pot-shaped depression is formed in a sheet metal blank. Thereafter, the sheet metal blank is hot formed in a press mold to a sheet metal article, and the sheet metal article is hardened. The press mold provides hereby a calibration of the depression to provide the final shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Applicant: BENTELER AUTOMOBILTECHNIK GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Ludger Gehringhoff, Udo Klasfauseweh, Ralf Kohler, Ulrich Jungblut