Patents by Inventor Sandra Schafer

Sandra Schafer 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: 9920664
    Abstract: An actuator for an electrohydraulic gas exchange valve train of a combustion engine is provided. The actuator has an actuator housing which can be mounted on the combustion engine with a borehole, a hydraulic piston, which is mounted therein such that it can carry out a reciprocating movement, for actuating the gas exchange valve and an axial stop which, when the actuator housing is in the unmounted state relative to the combustion engine, limits the piston stroke out of the borehole to a mounting stroke (T). This mounting stroke is smaller than a maximum operating stroke (L) with which the hydraulic piston actuates the gas exchange valve, the piston stroke being only temporarily limited to the mounting stroke by the axial stop and no longer being limited to the mounting stroke once the actuator is in operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Calin Petru Itoafa, Sandra Schafer, Thomas Kremer
  • Publication number: 20160341080
    Abstract: An actuator for an electrohydraulic gas exchange valve train of a combustion engine is provided. The actuator has an actuator housing which can be mounted on the combustion engine with a borehole, a hydraulic piston, which is mounted therein such that it can carry out a reciprocating movement, for actuating the gas exchange valve and an axial stop which, when the actuator housing is in the unmounted state relative to the combustion engine, limits the piston stroke out of the borehole to a mounting stroke (T). This mounting stroke is smaller than a maximum operating stroke (L) with which the hydraulic piston actuates the gas exchange valve, the piston stroke being only temporarily limited to the mounting stroke by the axial stop and no longer being limited to the mounting stroke once the actuator is in operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Applicant: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Calin Petru ITOAFA, Sandra SCHAFER, Thomas KREMER
  • Patent number: 8235017
    Abstract: A switchable component (1) of a valve train of an internal combustion engine is provided, with a housing (2) in whose borehole (3) an inner element (4) is held so that it can move telescopically. At least one coupling piston (7) guided by an anti-rotation locking device (6) is located in a radial borehole (5) of the inner element (4) in a decoupled case, with a section (10) that is flattened in some areas being provided on the coupling piston on one axial side (9) starting from its outer end (8). The borehole (3) of the housing (2) has a window (11) with a complementary engagement surface (12) against which, in a coupled case, the coupling piston (7) can be displaced with its flattened section (10) when passing through the cam base circle. An edge (13) between the outer end (8) and the flattened section (10) of the coupling piston (7) is provided with a bevel (14) that is a surface section of an ellipsoid whose longitudinal axis runs parallel to the flattened section (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Sandra Schäfer, Robert Heinemann
  • Patent number: 8161929
    Abstract: The invention proposes a switchable tappet (1) of a valve train of an internal combustion engine, said tappet comprising a hollow cylindrical housing (3) comprising a bottom (2), an inner element (5) being guided for relative axial displacement in a bore (4) of the housing (3), an at least indirect support for a gas exchange valve extending on a cam-distal front end (6) of the inner element (5), two diametrically opposing pistons as coupling elements (8) being arranged in a radial bore (7) of the inner element (5), which coupling elements (8), for effecting coupling [full valve lift], can be displaced partly beyond a parting surface (9) between the housing (3) and the inner element (5) into an entraining surface (12) of the housing (3) by the force of a compression spring (10a) clamped between inner front ends (10) of the coupling elements (8), wherein the entraining surface (12) is an direct constituent of a separate annular member (13) that is fixed in a cam-distal region of the bore (4) of the housing (3),
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Schaeffler KG
    Inventors: Mario Kuhl, Lothar von Schimonsky, Norbert Nitz, Lucia Hinkovska, Sandra Schäfer
  • Publication number: 20100229811
    Abstract: A switchable component (1) of a valve train of an internal combustion engine is provided, with a housing (2) in whose borehole (3) an inner element (4) is held so that it can move telescopically. At least one coupling piston (7) guided by an anti-rotation locking device (6) is located in a radial borehole (5) of the inner element (4) in a decoupled case, with a section (10) that is flattened in some areas being provided on the coupling piston on one axial side (9) starting from its outer end (8). The borehole (3) of the housing (2) has a window (11) with a complementary engagement surface (12) against which, in a coupled case, the coupling piston (7) can be displaced with its flattened section (10) when passing through the cam base circle. An edge (13) between the outer end (8) and the flattened section (10) of the coupling piston (7) is provided with a bevel (14) that is a surface section of an ellipsoid whose longitudinal axis runs parallel to the flattened section (10).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Sandra Schäfer, Robert Heinemann
  • Publication number: 20090159029
    Abstract: The invention proposes a switchable tappet (1) of a valve train of an internal combustion engine, said tappet comprising a hollow cylindrical housing (3) comprising a bottom (2), an inner element (5) being guided for relative axial displacement in a bore (4) of the housing (3), an at least indirect support for a gas exchange valve extending on a cam-distal front end (6) of the inner element (5), two diametrically opposing pistons as coupling elements (8) being arranged in a radial bore (7) of the inner element (5), which coupling elements (8), for effecting coupling [full valve lift], can be displaced partly beyond a parting surface (9) between the housing (3) and the inner element (5) into an entraining surface (12) of the housing (3) by the force of a compression spring (10a) clamped between inner front ends (10) of the coupling elements (8), wherein the entraining surface (12) is an direct constituent of a separate annular member (13) that is fixed in a cam-distal region of the bore (4) of the housing (3),
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Inventors: Mario Kuhl, Lothar von Schimonsky, Norbert Nitz, Lucia Hinkovska, Sandra Schafer