Patents by Inventor Steffen Hummel

Steffen Hummel 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: 20200271208
    Abstract: A drive device for a vehicle axle, especially a rear axle, of a two-track vehicle, wherein the vehicle axle includes an axle differential, which can be connected at the input end to a primary drive machine and can be connected at the output end across flange shafts arranged on either side to vehicle wheels of the vehicle axle, wherein the vehicle axle is associated with an additional drive machine and a shiftable superimposing gear, which can be shifted to a torque distribution gear in which a drive torque is generated by the additional drive machine, a torque distribution on the two vehicle wheels can be changed depending on the magnitude and direction of rotation of the drive torque, and shifting can be done to a hybrid mode in which the drive torque generated by the additional drive machine can be coupled to both flange shafts of the vehicle wheels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Udo PINSCHMIDT, Steffen HUMMEL, Christian WIRTH
  • Patent number: 10753429
    Abstract: A dual clutch transmission for a motor vehicle, with switchable gearwheel sets which form in particular exactly eight wheel planes (RE-1 through RE-8), which are assigned to a first and to a second sub-transmission. The sub-transmissions are provided with at least one input shaft and with a common output shaft and the input shafts can be alternately activated via a load-switchable clutch. Furthermore, the odd forward gears are assigned to the sub-transmission and even forward gears are assigned to the other sub-transmission, which are switchable by corresponding switching elements. At least one gearwheel set of one sub-transmission can be coupled with a switching element to the other sub-transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Steffen Hummel
  • Publication number: 20200262289
    Abstract: A drive device for a vehicle axle, especially a rear axle, of a two-track vehicle, wherein the vehicle axle comprises an axle differential, which can be connected at the primary end to a primary drive machine and can be connected at the output end across flange shafts arranged on either side to vehicle wheels of the vehicle axle, wherein the vehicle axle is associated with an additional drive machine and a shiftable superimposing gear, which can be shifted to a torque distribution gear in which a drive torque is generated by the additional drive machine, depending on the magnitude and direction of rotation of which a torque distribution on the two vehicle wheels can be changed, and shifted to a hybrid mode in which the drive torque generated by the additional drive machine can be coupled to both flange shafts of the vehicle wheels, evenly distributed across the axle differential.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Udo PINSCHMIDT, Steffen HUMMEL, Christian WIRTH
  • Patent number: 10746292
    Abstract: An actuator device for a gearbox of a motor vehicle includes a plurality of selector shafts displaceable in a first direction between a plurality of selection positions and in a second direction between a plurality of shifting positions and which each have a connecting element that is operatively-connected in at least one of the selection positions with at least one selector rail of the gearbox for transferring a movement of the selector shaft in the second direction onto the selector rail. The selector shafts are mounted relative to each other to be movable relative to one another in the first direction and are fixed to relative to each other in the section direction The selection positions of the selector shafts are independently adjustable by of a plurality of first adjusting elements and wherein the selector shafts can be displaced together between the shifting positions by means of a second adjusting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventor: Steffen Hummel
  • Patent number: 10746258
    Abstract: A dual clutch transmission for a motor vehicle, including gearwheel sets that can be shifted via shift elements, which form exactly eight gear stages which are assigned to a first sub-transmission and to a second sub-transmission. Each sub-transmission is provided with a joint drive shaft. The mutually coaxial input shafts can be alternately activated via a respective power-shiftable clutch, and the even forward gears are assigned to the first sub-transmission and the odd forward shifts are assigned to second transmission which can be switched over during gear shifting by the shift elements. The dual clutch transmission is provided with an intermediate gear stage which can be switched either to the first sub-transmission, or to the second sub-transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Steffen Hummel
  • Patent number: 10746259
    Abstract: A dual clutch transmission for a motor vehicle provided with gearwheels sets that are shiftable via switching elements, which form in particular exactly eight wheel planes, which are respectively assigned to a first sub-transmission and to a second sub-transmission, among which each sub-transmission is provided with an input shaft and both sub-transmissions are provided with a common output shaft. The input shafts, which are coaxial to each other, can be alternately activated via a load-shiftable clutch, and the odd forward gears are assigned to the first sub-transmission and the even forward gears are assigned to the second sub-transmission, which can be shifted during a gear shift by means of the switching elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Steffen Hummel
  • Publication number: 20200247237
    Abstract: A drive device for a vehicle axle, especially a rear axle, of a two-track vehicle, wherein the vehicle axle includes an axle differential, which can be connected at the input end to a primary drive machine and can be connected at the output end across flange shafts arranged on either side to vehicle wheels of the vehicle axle, wherein the vehicle axle is associated with an additional drive machine and a shiftable superimposing gear, which can be shifted to a torque distribution gear in which a drive torque is generated by the additional drive machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Udo PINSCHMIDT, Steffen HUMMEL, Christian WIRTH
  • Publication number: 20200231030
    Abstract: A hybrid drivetrain for a hybrid-drive vehicle, including an electric motor and an internal combustion engine, the force output shaft of which alternatingly acts either on a first input shaft or on a coaxial second input shaft of a dual clutch transmission via two separating clutches of a dual clutch, wherein a respective first and second sub-transmission can be activated using the input shafts, and wherein fixed and idler gears are arranged in wheel planes on the two in-put shafts and a common axially parallel output shaft, said fixed and idler gears being combined into gear sets which form gear stages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2018
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Steffen HUMMEL
  • Patent number: 10677323
    Abstract: A dual clutch transmission for a motor vehicle, with gear wheel sets, which can be engaged via shift elements and which form exactly eight wheel planes, which are associated, respectively, with a first sub-transmission and a second sub-transmission, of which each sub-transmission has a respective input shaft and the two sub-transmissions have a common output shaft, which is axis-parallel to the input shafts. The mutually coaxial input shafts can each be activated in alternation via a power-shift clutch, and the even forward gears are associated with the first sub-transmission and the odd forward gears are associated with the second sub-transmission, which can be engaged when a gear shift occurs via the shift elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Steffen Hummel
  • Patent number: 10677322
    Abstract: A dual clutch transmission for a motor vehicle, with gear wheel sets, which can be engaged via shift elements and which, in particular, form eight wheel planes, which are associated with, respectively, a first sub-transmission and a second sub-transmission, each sub-transmission has a respective input shaft and both sub-transmissions have a common output shaft, wherein the mutually coaxial input shafts can each be activated in alternation via a power-shift clutch and the even forward gears are associated with the first sub-transmission and the odd forward gears are associated with the second sub-transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Steffen Hummel
  • Publication number: 20200148054
    Abstract: A hybrid drivetrain for a hybrid powered vehicle, having an electric machine and a combustion engine, whose power output shaft acts in alternating manner either on a first input shaft or on a coaxial second input shaft of a dual clutch transmission across two separating clutches of a dual clutch, wherein a respective first and second subtransmission can be activated using the input shafts, and wherein fixed and idler gearwheels are arranged in wheel planes on the two input shafts and a common axially parallel driven shaft, said fixed and idler gears being combined into gear sets which form gear stages, in which the idler gearwheels can be coupled to the shafts by means of gear-shifting elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2018
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Steffen HUMMEL
  • Patent number: 10598256
    Abstract: A dual clutch transmission for a motor vehicle. A gearwheel set switchable via switching elements, which form eight wheel planes and which are respectively assigned to a first sub-transmission and to a second sub-transmission, among which each sub-transmission is provided with an input shaft and both sub-transmissions are provided with a common output shaft. The input shafts, which are coaxial to each other, can be alternately activated via a load-shiftable clutch, and the even forward gears are assigned to the first sub-transmission, while the odd forward gears are assigned to the second sub-transmission, which are shiftable during a gear switch via the switching elements. The input shafts are free of the rotationally fixed gearwheels of the wheel planes arranged thereupon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Steffen Hummel
  • Patent number: 10591024
    Abstract: A dual-clutch transmission for a motor vehicle, with gear wheel sets engageable via shift elements, with the gear wheel sets forming particularly precisely eight wheel planes, each of which is allocated to a first sub-transmission and a second sub-transmission, of which each sub-transmission has an input shaft and both sub-transmissions have a common output shaft. The input shafts, which are coaxial with respect to one another, can each be activated in an alternating manner via a power-shift clutch, and the even forward gears are allocated to the first sub-transmission and the odd forward gears are allocated to the second sub-transmission, which can be engaged upon a gear change by way of the shift elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Steffen Hummel
  • Patent number: 10584770
    Abstract: The invention relates to a speed-change gearbox for a motor vehicle, provided with shiftable gearwheel sets (gears), which are arranged in a first and in a second sub-gearbox, wherein the sub-gearboxes are provided respectively with at least one input shaft and a common drive shaft and the input shaft that can be alternately activated via a power shiftable clutch. In order to achieve a functionally expanded shifting strategy, it is proposed that at least one gearwheel set can be associated with both sub-gearboxes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Steffen Hummel
  • Patent number: 10533638
    Abstract: The invention relates to a dual clutch transmission for a motor vehicle, with gear wheel sets, which can be engaged via shift elements and which, form exactly eight wheel planes, which are associated with, respectively, a first sub-transmission and a second sub-transmission, of which each sub-transmission has a respective input shaft and the two sub-transmissions have a common output shaft. The mutually coaxial input shafts can each be activated in alternation via a power-shift clutch, and the even forward gears are associated with the first sub-transmission, and the odd forward gears are associated with the second sub-transmission, which can be engaged, when a gear shift occurs, via the shift elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Steffen Hummel
  • Publication number: 20190329643
    Abstract: A hybrid drivetrain for a hybrid-driven vehicle, having a transmission, which can be shifted by shifting elements into different transmission steps, and which is connectable via an internal combustion engine shaft to an internal combustion engine, via an electric machine shaft to an electric machine, and via an output shaft to at least one vehicle axis. The internal combustion engine shaft and a pinion shaft, which can be connected with respect to drive to the output shaft, are connectable via spur gearwheel sets, which can be shifted by means of shifting elements and which each form wheel levels, of which at least one hybrid wheel level is additionally connectable to the electric machine shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2017
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Steffen HUMMEL
  • Publication number: 20190323579
    Abstract: A hybrid drive train for a hybrid-driven vehicle. A transmission which can be shifted into different transmission stages by shifting elements and which can be drivingly connected to an internal combustion engine via an internal combustion engine shaft, to an electric machine via an electric machine shaft, and to at least one vehicle axle via an output shaft. The internal combustion engine shaft and a takeoff shaft, which is drivingly connected to the output shaft, can be connected together via spur gear sets which can be shifted by means of the shifting elements, each spur gear set forming a gear plane, of which at least one hybrid gear plane can additionally be connected to the electric machine shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2017
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Steffen HUMMEL
  • Publication number: 20190283574
    Abstract: A drive device for a vehicle axle, in particular a rear axle, of a two-track vehicle with an electric drive, wherein an electric machine is associated with every vehicle wheel of the vehicle axle, the electric machine shafts of which electric machine can be drivingly connected, by a first and a second shifting element, to a first and a second flange shaft of the vehicle wheels, and wherein in a first transmission gear, the first and the second shifting element are shifted and the electric machine shafts output directly to the flange shafts of the vehicle wheels via the first and the second shifting element. The vehicle axle has a transverse differential which, on the output side, outputs to the flange shafts of the vehicle wheels and, on the input side, can be drivingly connected to the electric machine shafts by means of a third and a fourth shifting element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2017
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Steffen HUMMEL
  • Publication number: 20190270374
    Abstract: A hybrid drivetrain for a hybrid-drive vehicle, having a transmission, which can be shifted by shifting elements into different transmission steps, and which is connectable with respect to drive via an internal combustion engine shaft to an internal combustion engine, via an electric machine shaft to an electric machine, and via an output shaft to at least one vehicle axis. The internal combustion engine shaft and a pinion shaft, which can be connected with respect to drive to the output shaft, are connectable via spur gearwheel sets, which can be shifted by means of shifting elements and which each form gear planes, of which at least one hybrid gear plane is additionally connectable to the electric machine shaft. A further gear plane, which is free of attachments with respect to the electric machine shaft, directly adjoins the hybrid gear plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2017
    Publication date: September 5, 2019
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Steffen HUMMEL
  • Publication number: 20190263247
    Abstract: A hybrid drive train for a hybrid-drive vehicle. A transmission which can be shifted to different gear ratios by shifting components, and which can be drivingly connected to an internal combustion engine via an internal combustion engine shaft, to an electric motor via an electric motor shaft, and to at least one vehicle axle via an output shaft. The internal combustion engine shaft and a power takeoff shaft that is drivingly connected to the output shaft can be connected via spur gear wheel sets, which can be selected by the shifting components and each of which forms a gear plane. The gear planes include a first and a second hybrid gear plane, each of which can additionally be drivingly connected to the electric motor shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2017
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Steffen HUMMEL