Patents by Inventor Ruben Cuppers

Ruben Cuppers 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: 8930102
    Abstract: A control device of a motor vehicle for controlling a gear change in a transmission of the motor vehicle by generating control signals for transmission shift elements utilized during a gear change. If a gear increment of the gear change to be performed is greater than two gears, and/or if the driver activates a sport gear shift program, and/or if a detection device detects a sporty type of driver, and/or if the driver actuates a kickdown of an accelerator pedal, and/or if the driver actuates the accelerator pedal with a temporal gradient that is greater than a defined limit, the control device generates control signals for the shift elements, being utilized for performing the gear change, with an interruption of driving power, and the control device, in all other instances, generates control signals for the shift elements, being utilized for performing the gear change, without interrupting the tractive force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Ruben Cuppers
  • Patent number: 8734282
    Abstract: A method of operating at least one form-locking shifting element of an automatic transmission integrated in a drivetrain which comprises an oil pump that can be driven mechanically by an internal combustion engine and an auxiliary oil pump that can be electrically driven, before start-up of the internal combustion engine. The method including the steps of recognizing the start-up of the combustion engine and, when a start-up of the combustion engine is recognized, controlling the electrically driven auxiliary oil pump and the at least one form-locking shifting element such that, directly after the generation of a defined rotational speed difference of the at least one form-locking shifting element by the internal combustion engine, the at least one form-locking shifting element is engaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Ruben Cuppers, Thilo Schmidt
  • Patent number: 8465394
    Abstract: A method of operating a transmission of a vehicle drive-train that comprises frictional shifting elements and an interlocking shifting element. In the neutral operating condition of the transmission, and in the case of an operating condition variation of the vehicle drive-train in which, when it is required to establish the force flow in the transmission, the interlocking shifting element is to be changed from a disengaged to an engaged operating condition, by increasing the transmission capacities of at least two frictional shifting elements which have to be engaged for producing the force flow, a rotational speed difference in the area of the interlocking shifting element is determined, and a drive torque of a drive machine is adjusted to a level that brings the speed difference within a predefined range at which the interlocking shifting element is approximately synchronized and can therefore be engaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Ruben Cuppers, Werner Fuchs, Thilo Schmidt
  • Patent number: 8460156
    Abstract: A method of operating a vehicle drive train with a drive machine and a transmission device during a coasting upshift, during which at least one interlocking shift element that is engaged in the force flow of the transmission device, to produce the gear ratio to be disengaged, is disengaged from the force flow, and a frictional shift element that has to be engaged, in the force flow of the transmission device to obtain the gear ratio to be engaged, is engaged in the force flow. When a shift command is given for a gear ratio change, torque applied at the interlocking shift element to be disengaged is reduced to at least approximately zero, by a defined engine intervention, and the interlocking shift element is then disengaged from the force flow of the transmission device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Ruben Cuppers, Valentine Herbeth
  • Publication number: 20120192675
    Abstract: A modular housing, which comprises a first housing assembly for accommodating at least one main transmission by which various gear ratios can be obtained, and whose transmission output shaft can be brought, in an area of the first housing assembly, into functional connection with a drive output of a vehicle that comprises at least one driven vehicle axle. The first housing assembly has an interface, at least in this area, by which the first housing assembly can be connected with an interface of a second housing assembly for accommodating at least one further transmission element. The interface of the first housing assembly is designed as a universal interface for connection of variously designed second housing assemblies with a respectively corresponding interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Ulrich MAIR, Ruben CÜPPERS
  • Publication number: 20120135838
    Abstract: A method of operating a transmission of a vehicle drive-train that comprises frictional shifting elements and an interlocking shifting element. In the neutral operating condition of the transmission, and in the case of an operating condition variation of the vehicle drive-train in which, when it is required to establish the force flow in the transmission, the interlocking shifting element is to be changed from a disengaged to an engaged operating condition, by increasing the transmission capacities of at least two frictional shifting elements which have to be engaged for producing the force flow, a rotational speed difference in the area of the interlocking shifting element is determined, and a drive torque of a drive machine is adjusted to a level that brings the speed difference within a predefined range at which the interlocking shifting element is approximately synchronized and can therefore be engaged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2010
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Ruben Cuppers, Werner Fuchs, Thilo Schmidt
  • Publication number: 20110275478
    Abstract: A method of operating at least one form-locking shifting element of an automatic transmission integrated in a drivetrain which comprises an oil pump that can be driven mechanically by an internal combustion engine and an auxiliary oil pump that can be electrically driven, before start-up of the internal combustion engine. The method including the steps of recognizing the start-up of the combustion engine and, when a start-up of the combustion engine is recognized, controlling the electrically driven auxiliary oil pump and the at least one form-locking shifting element such that, directly after the generation of a defined rotational speed difference of the at least one form-locking shifting element by the internal combustion engine, the at least one form-locking shifting element is engaged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Ruben Cüppers, Thilo SCHMIDT
  • Publication number: 20110263380
    Abstract: A method is described for operating a vehicle drive train (1) with a drive machine (2) and with a transmission device (3) during a coast upshift, during which at least one interlocking shift element (6) that is engaged in the force flow of the transmission device (3) to produce the gear ratio to be disengaged is disengaged from the force flow and also frictional shift element (5) that has to be engaged in the force flow of the transmission device (3) to obtain the gear ratio to be engaged is engaged in the force flow. According to the invention, when a shift command is given for a gear ratio change, a torque applied at the interlocking shift element (6) to be disengaged is reduced at least approximately to zero by a defined engine intervention and the interlocking shift element (6) is then disengaged from the force flow of the transmission device (3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2010
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Applicant: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Ruben Cuppers, Valentine Herbeth
  • Patent number: 7664580
    Abstract: A method for operating power train side components of a motor vehicle. Using a control device of a motor, at least one motor parameter is issued and delivered via a databus to at least one control device of one other power drive side component working independently of the motor control device in order to operate all or each one of the power drive side components dependent. in a first inventive aspect, a behavior of the respective other power drive side components that adjusts itself according to the motor torque actually made available by the motor is evaluated. In second inventive aspect, the motor torque issued by the motor control device is compared with a torque stored according to motor operation parameters in the control device working independently of the motor control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Christian Popp, Georg Gierer, Thilo Schmidt, Klaus Steinhauser, Peter Schiele, Bernd Allgaier, Christian Schwemer, Ruben Cüppers
  • Publication number: 20070167284
    Abstract: A method for operating a drive train of a vehicle with a hydrodynamic torque converter, one transmission device and one prime mover during a gearshift starting from an actual ratio to a target ratio. A nominal standard of the control pressure of the shifting element to be disengaged is adjusted according to a nominal standard of the control pressure of the shifting element to be engaged. The rotational speed of a turbine of the torque converter is passed during the gearshift, starting from a synchronous rotational speed of the turbine of the actual ratio, in direction of a synchronous rotational speed of the turbine of the target ratio, the nominal standard of the control pressure of the shifting element to be disengaged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2007
    Publication date: July 19, 2007
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Klaus Steinhauser, Peter Schiele, Maurizio Vecchio, Alf Zwingenberger, Ruben Cuppers, Stefan Schneider, Rainer Wassner, Wolfgang Kosling, Reinhard Vollmar
  • Publication number: 20070085497
    Abstract: A method for operating power train side components of a motor vehicle. Using a control device of a motor, at least one motor parameter is issued and delivered via a databus to at least one control device of one other power drive side component working independently of the motor control device in order to operate all or each one of the power drive side components dependent in a first inventive aspect, a behavior of the respective other power drive side components that adjusts itself according to the motor torque actually made available by the motor is evaluated. In second inventive aspect, the motor torque issued by the motor control device is compared with a torque stored according to motor operation parameters in the control device working independently of the motor control device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2006
    Publication date: April 19, 2007
    Inventors: Christian Popp, Georg Gierer, Thilo Schmidt, Klaus Steinhauser, Peter Schiele, Bernd Allgaier, Christian Schwemer, Ruben Cuppers
  • Publication number: 20070007099
    Abstract: A vehicle transmission with shifting elements and a transmission side hill-holder as well as a procedure to control this transmission, with at least two shifting elements of the transmission are the hill-holder, that a braking moment arises at the output of the transmission and acts against a rolling away of the vehicle or the output of the transmission is blocked, whereby the flow of power between a drive motor of the vehicle and a shifting element of the transmission located in the power flow can be partially or completely interrupted during the activation of the hill-holder. If it is recognized that the driver wants to leave or is leaving the vehicle with the motor running and a gear of the transmission simultaneously engaged in a drive position and a simultaneously activated transmission side hill-holder, then the previously activated transmission side hill-holder is automatically deactivated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2006
    Publication date: January 11, 2007
    Inventors: Armin Gierling, Ruben Cuppers