Patents by Inventor Stephen Frantz

Stephen Frantz 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: 20230136445
    Abstract: A hydraulic piston unit including a rotational group for driving or being driven by a driving shaft, and having a tiltable displacement element for adjusting the displacement volume of the rotational group between a minimum or a maximum displacement, wherein, on t valve segment between a kidney-shaped inlet port and a kidney-shaped outlet port at respective dead end positions of reciprocally moveable working pistons first and second control ports are located in fluid connection with cylinder bores in the cylinder block, for controlling the position of the displacement element. The hydraulic piston unit further includes a control valve with a shiftable control valve spool fluidly connected via a high pressure port to a high pressure side of the hydraulic piston unit. The control valve spool is configured to conduct hydraulic fluid from the high pressure side to one of the first or the second control port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2022
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Inventors: Steven Leege, Stephen Frantz, Jeffrey C. Hansell
  • Patent number: 11592000
    Abstract: A hydraulic piston unit including a rotational group for driving or being driven by a driving shaft, and having a tiltable displacement element for adjusting the displacement volume of the rotational group between a minimum or a maximum displacement, wherein, on t valve segment between a kidney-shaped inlet port and a kidney-shaped outlet port at respective dead end positions of reciprocally moveable working pistons first and second control ports are located in fluid connection with cylinder bores in the cylinder block, for controlling the position of the displacement element. The hydraulic piston unit further includes a control valve with a shiftable control valve spool fluidly connected via a high pressure port to a high pressure side of the hydraulic piston unit. The control valve spool is configured to conduct hydraulic fluid from the high pressure side to one of the first or the second control port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Danfoss Power Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Leege, Stephen Frantz, Jeffrey C. Hansell
  • Publication number: 20200040867
    Abstract: A hydraulic piston unit including a rotational group for driving or being driven by a driving shaft, and having a tiltable displacement element for adjusting the displacement volume of the rotational group between a minimum or a maximum displacement, wherein, on t valve segment between a kidney-shaped inlet port and a kidney-shaped outlet port at respective dead end positions of reciprocally moveable working pistons first and second control ports are located in fluid connection with cylinder bores in the cylinder block, for controlling the position of the displacement element. The hydraulic piston unit further includes a control valve with a shiftable control valve spool fluidly connected via a high pressure port to a high pressure side of the hydraulic piston unit. The control valve spool is configured to conduct hydraulic fluid from the high pressure side to one of the first or the second control port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Inventors: Steven Leege, Stephen Frantz, Jeffrey C. Hansell
  • Patent number: 10385880
    Abstract: A hydraulic unit includes a driving mechanism whose displacement volume is adjustable to two operational states by means of a position-able adjustment element. The adjustment element can be positioned by a servo piston of a servo unit into a first, initial position and a second, operative position. A first front face and a second front face of the servo piston, which are opposing each other, can be pressurized individually with pressurized hydraulic fluid in order to position the servo piston at either end position of a servo cylinder of the servo unit. The servo piston is of a stepped design thereby forming a ring-shaped damping surface opposing the first front face. In the servo cylinder a ring-shaped shoulder surface is formed opposing the damping surface such that a damping volume is formed in the servo cylinder by the damping surface, the shoulder surface and the servo cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Danfoss Power Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen Frantz
  • Publication number: 20180291932
    Abstract: A hydraulic unit includes a driving mechanism whose displacement volume is adjustable to two operational states by means of a position-able adjustment element. The adjustment element can be positioned by a servo piston of a servo unit into a first, initial position and a second, operative position. A first front face and a second front face of the servo piston, which are opposing each other, can be pressurized individually with pressurized hydraulic fluid in order to position the servo piston at either end position of a servo cylinder of the servo unit. The servo piston is of a stepped design thereby forming a ring-shaped damping surface opposing the first front face. In the servo cylinder a ring-shaped shoulder surface is formed opposing the damping surface such that a damping volume is formed in the servo cylinder by the damping surface, the shoulder surface and the servo cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2017
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Inventor: Stephen Frantz
  • Patent number: 10066671
    Abstract: A bearing arrangement includes a shaft with an outer circumferential supporting surface, and a mounting device with an inner circumferential supporting surface. The mounting device supports the shaft in a rotatable manner using a bearing structure. At least one tiltable sleeve member is arranged between at least one of the supporting surfaces and the bearing structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Danfoss Power Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen Frantz
  • Publication number: 20170108048
    Abstract: A bearing arrangement includes a shaft with an outer circumferential supporting surface, and a mounting device with an inner circumferential supporting surface. The mounting device supports the shaft in a rotatable manner using a bearing structure. At least one tiltable sleeve member is arranged between at least one of the supporting surfaces and the bearing structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2015
    Publication date: April 20, 2017
    Inventor: Stephen Frantz
  • Publication number: 20060042463
    Abstract: Disclosed are a method and system for sweetening a raw natural gas feed stream using a multi-stage membrane separation process, and in embodiments a two-stage membrane separation process. The method and system also include use of a gas turbine which operates with an impure fuel gas stream (such as in the sense of having a relatively high CO2 and H2S acid gas contaminant content) as derived from a permeate gas stream obtained in at least the second stage of a membrane separation process, or later stages if more than two stages are employed. In embodiments, the gas turbine is coupled with an electrical generator, which generates electrical power that drives a compressor for the second stage (or higher) of the membrane separation process, as well as other process equipment associated therewith, such as air coolers and process pumps. Alternatively, the gas turbine can be coupled mechanically to the compressor employed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2005
    Publication date: March 2, 2006
    Inventor: Stephen Frantz