Patents Represented by Attorney Davis & Bujold, P.L.L.C.
  • Patent number: 8187151
    Abstract: A method for controlling the oil supply device of an automatic planetary transmission, having a main oil pump and an auxiliary oil pump. The transmission is part of a parallel hybrid vehicle powertrain. To supply oil to the transmission as needed, the current oil requirement of the transmission is determined depending on at least one current operating parameter. The auxiliary pump delivery rate is set by actuating the electric motor, in the combustion and combined driving mode below a minimum main oil pump input speed and in the electric driving mode to at least the total oil requirement, and at least in the combined driving mode above the minimum main oil pump input speed is set to at least the residual oil requirement exceeding the delivery rate of the main oil pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Oliver Gloge
  • Patent number: 8188385
    Abstract: A method and device for provisionally determining the mass of a vehicle when it is initialized. After initialization of the vehicle, the method determines a vehicle mass value by a static mass determination method and then checks whether this value is within a predetermined tolerance band around the dynamically last-determined vehicle mass value, which has been stored for that purpose. If this is so, and there has in the meantime been no significant change of the vehicle's mass, the previously stored dynamic vehicle mass value is probably more accurate and is used in the determination. Otherwise it can be assumed that the vehicle mass value has changed substantially, and the statically determined vehicle mass value is therefore used until a device for the dynamic determination of a vehicle mass can supply a more accurate vehicle mass value after a short time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Werner Wolfgang, Maik Würthner, Ingo Sauter
  • Patent number: 8187146
    Abstract: A method of controlling a hybrid drive train of a vehicle which comprises, in series, an internal combustion engine, a clutch, an electric motor and a transmission with an output connected to the drive axle. During traction operation, the vehicle changes from an electric driving mode into a combination driving mode or a combustion engine driving mode, in that the clutch is engaged and the electric torque is temporarily increased. The method includes regulating engagement of the clutch at least until reaching a starting rotational speed of the combustion engine such that the acceleration of the combustion engine occurs according to a predetermined progression of rotational speed and that the torque of the combustion engine is increased by the same amount as the transferable torque of the clutch is increased by the engagement process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Bernd Allgaier, Friedrich Tenbrock, Thomas Lemp, Michael Gromus
  • Patent number: 8185282
    Abstract: A method for the operation of a drivetrain comprising an automatic transmission, a motor and at least five shift elements in which two shift elements are engaged and three shift elements are disengaged. When carrying out an upshift or downshift, a first shift element is either disengaged or engaged, and a second shift element is engaged or disengaged. While the first upshift or downshift is being carried out, a second shift element is prepared for disengaging or engaging and a third shift element is prepared for engaging or disengaging. Actuation of the second shift element occurs by virtue of a minimum selection of a first alternative or a maximum selection a second alternative. While the first upshift or downshift is being carried out and while the second upshift or downshift is being carried out, at least one fourth shift element is kept engaged or nearly engaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Klaus Steinhauser, Christian Popp
  • Patent number: 8182678
    Abstract: An apparatus for treating liquid includes a tank having a water inlet for receiving water, a treated water outlet for outputting treated water and a flow path between the inlet and the outlet. An injection section of the tank is located along the flow path of the tank with an outlet toward a bottom of the tank. Ozonated liquid containing ozone microbubbles is injected through an injection manifold positioned within the injection section of the tank. The ozone microbubbles adsorb to impurities in the ozonated water. A separation section of the tank is positioned downstream of the outlet of the injection section. The separation section has a contact surface such that the ozonated water travels upward to contact the contact surface and such that at least a portion of the ozone microbubbles adsorb to the contact surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Seair Inc.
    Inventors: Harold Kinasewich, Kyle Greene
  • Patent number: 8182386
    Abstract: A transmission device with at least two output shafts and at least two multi-shaft planetary gearsets that are actively connected with one another. A shaft of a planetary gearset can be actively connected with an output shaft. In addition, a shifting mechanism, located between the two output shafts, shifts between a first power path or a second power path. In one of the planetary gearsets, torque from an electric machine can be transmitted along either the first or the second power path. In the first power path, torque from the electric machine is transmitted to the two output shafts in equal parts and with the same sign. In the second power path, torque is transmitted to the two output shafts in equal parts but with opposite signs. The planetary gearset, in the area of which the torque from the electric machine can be transmitted, is a simple negative planetary gearset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Thomas Rosemeier, Bernd-Robert Hohn, Christoph Pelchen
  • Patent number: 8182388
    Abstract: A dual clutch transmission for a front-transverse arrangement including a dual clutch and two partial transmissions (PG1, PG2). Each of the two clutches (K1, K2) of the dual clutch acts on one coaxial transmission input shaft (AW1, AW2), which acts upon a partial transmission (PG1, PG2). The partial transmissions are designed as planetary transmissions (PG1, PG2) that are to be shifted in a positive manner. The output is located on the same side of the transmission as the input and is axially parallel to the input in the same rotational direction. Torque is transmitted through the dual clutch transmission to the output shaft (Ab) by way of at least one intermediate shaft (W1, W2) that is parallel to the transmission input shafts (AW1, AW2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Gerhard Gumpoltsberger
  • Patent number: 8182392
    Abstract: A method for operating a drive train of a motor vehicle. The drive train comprising a hybrid drive with an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, a transmission arranged between the hybrid drive and a drive output, and a clutch arranged between the internal combustion engine and the electric motor. The internal combustion engine is started by engaging the clutch only when the electric motor is providing drive power. In this situation when shifting gears in the transmission with interruption of the traction force, immediately after the gear change and during a load build-up phase of the shift operation, the internal combustion engine is started by the electric motor without traction force interruption. The clutch is controlled to partially engage to start the combustion engine and then it is completely disengaged before reaching a synchronous speed between the combustion engine and the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Christian Mittelberger, Stefan Blattner
  • Patent number: 8176993
    Abstract: A ripper plough for soil tillage includes a body having an upper mounting attachment end, a lower soil engaging end, a leading edge, a trailing edge, and opposed sides. A ploughshare support extends outwardly from the body from the leading edge toward the trailing edge at a plough angle of between 40 degrees and 55 degrees and extends outwardly and downwardly relative to the body at a thrust angle of between 40 degrees and 50 degrees. Ploughshares are mounted on the ploughshare support. The ploughshares have a length between a leading edge and a trailing edge of at least 1.5 feet and are spaced apart at the trailing edge by at least two feet, to provide an average lift angle of upward lift of between 10 degrees and 15 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Inventor: David H. McNabb
  • Patent number: 8178745
    Abstract: The invention relates to a medical plaster which is able to supply damaged skin and open wounds with an active compound which helps to accelerate wound healing and allows it to proceed better. The plaster has novel design features which enable, in particular, protein- or peptide-containing medicaments, such as, for example, erythropoietin (EPO), to exert their wound-healing or wound-healing-promoting action by release of the active compound from the plaster without being significantly deactivated or metabolized in the process by substances occurring in the wound secretion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Inventor: Augustinus Bader
  • Patent number: 8179128
    Abstract: A wheel suspension for a vehicle which includes a wheel (8) and at least one suspension arm (2) that connects the wheel (8) to the body (7) of the vehicle. The arm (2) is pivotally mounted to the body (7) by an inner part (9) of a bearing (3) such that the arm (2) pivots about an axis (6). An angle measuring device senses rotation of the arm (2) about the pivot axis (6) relative to the body (7) and includes a signal generator (25) and a sensor (18). One of the signal generator (25) and the sensor (18) is attached to an outside of the arm (2) while the other is rigidly attached, via a bracket (15), to the body (7) at a distance from the suspension arm (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Michael Klank, Andreas Gartner
  • Patent number: 8176579
    Abstract: A modular shower pan includes at least four polygon panels adapted to interlock in side by side relation to form a body. Each panel has a planar bottom surface and a top surface that is sloped based upon a pre-selected drain position on the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Inventor: Madison Daniels
  • Patent number: 8176865
    Abstract: A steering actuator (1) designed as a linear electro-mechanical actuator for a ship control system which comprises an electric motor (2), a controller (11) connected, via a CAN bus, to the electronic control unit of the ship control system (ECU) and an angle sensor (12) actively connected to the controller (11) for determining the angular position of the rudder (13). The electric motor (2) is designed as a vector-controlled brushless motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Adriano Zanfei
  • Patent number: 8172053
    Abstract: A hydraulic circuit arrangement for operating a hydrodynamic torque converter (1, 10) with a converter bridging clutch (11). The circuit arrangement comprises a hydraulic switching unit (3, 14) having at least one valve for controlling an inflow flow and a return flow of oil to the converter (1, 10) and the converter bridging clutch (11), an oil cooler (4, 15), a first line (5, 12) for acting upon the converter bridging clutch (11) with an engagement pressure (PWKzu) and a second line (6, 13) for acting upon the converter bridging clutch (11) with a disengagement pressure (PWKauf). The circuit arrangement comprises a bypass line (8, 17) which is connected directly with the oil cooler (4, 15) so as to bypass the hydraulic switching unit (3, 14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Horst Leichsenring, Berron Hairston, Jochen Birkle, Thomas Aisenpreis
  • Patent number: 8171813
    Abstract: A double clutch transmission with two clutches that have inputs connected to a drive shaft and outputs which are each connected to one of first and second transmission input shafts. Fixed gears are coupled to the input shafts and engage idler gears. Several coupling devices connect the idler gears to a respective countershaft which have an output gear that couples with an output shaft such that forward and reverse gears can be shifted. First and second dual gear planes each comprise two idler gears supported by a respective countershaft, and one fixed gear. In each of the first and the second gear planes, at least one idler gear is used for two gears. First and second single gear planes each comprise an idler gear and a fixed gear such that at least one winding-path gear can be shifted via at least one, non-engaged coupling device, assigned to one of the output gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Gerhard Gumpoltsberger, Juergen Wafzig, Matthias Reisch, Wolfgang Rieger, Ralf Dreibholz
  • Patent number: 8172718
    Abstract: A planetary gear unit (1) having two guide discs (2, 3) that are arranged parallel to one another and include perforations for accommodating pins (4) which have journals (5, 6) and shoulders arranged on the end sides. The shoulders have circumferential cutting edges (11, 12) and the pins (4) are cut into the guide discs (2, 3) by way of the cutting edges (2, 3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Tobias Büchner, Peter Höhne
  • Patent number: 8168560
    Abstract: An exhaust gas purifying catalyst is provided which includes a catalyst substrate and a catalyst coating layer. The catalyst coating layer is formed on the catalyst substrate and contains a noble metal and a refractory inorganic oxide. The catalyst coating layer has a layered structure including an A-layer and a B-layer. The A-layer contains Pd and Pt as the noble metal in a weight ratio of 3:1 to 20:1. The B-layer includes Rh as the noble metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Cataler Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Taki, Akimasa Hirai, Ichiro Kitamura
  • Patent number: D659841
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Board of Governors of Lethbridge College
    Inventors: Karen Kennedy, Colleen Ward
  • Patent number: D659938
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: LSI-Lift Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Gordon McTavish, Gerald L. Baker
  • Patent number: D660438
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Board of Governors of Lethbridge College
    Inventors: Karen Kennedy, Colleen Ward