Patents Assigned to Friedrichshafen AG
  • Patent number: 7168335
    Abstract: An arrangement of the intermediate gear for a reverse gear (1) is proposed for a transmission with a drive shaft and an output shaft (2) arranged coaxially in relation to it and with one additional intermediate shaft (4) arranged parallel to the drive and output shafts (2) for a power take-off. The intermediate gear for the reverse gear (1) is driven by a shaft (3) and drives the output shaft (2), in which the intermediate gear for the reverse gear (1) is arranged above an imaginary plane (A) extended through the axes of the driving shaft (3) and the output shaft (2) and, with a horizontal orientation of plane (A), the driving shaft (3) is located to the right of the output shaft (2) in the direction of travel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Gerhard Führer, Hermann Lanz, Gerhard Höring, Roland Stauber
  • Publication number: 20070017767
    Abstract: A torsional vibration damper for a bridging clutch of a hydrodynamic clutch arrangement is provided with a drive-side transmission element and a takeoff-side transmission element, which can be deflected around a certain angle of rotation relative to the drive-side element against the action of energy storage devices, where at least one driver element with an actuating function is assigned to each energy storage device. To realize a multi-stage action of the energy storage device, at least some of these driver elements arrive in working connection with an assigned final turn of the corresponding energy storage device only after using up a predetermined clearance gap in the circumferential direction. For this purpose, at least one transmission element has openings to accommodate energy storage devices, and at least one circumferential boundary of each opening is provided as a driver element for the assigned energy storage device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2006
    Publication date: January 25, 2007
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Horst Breier
  • Patent number: 7165662
    Abstract: A mobile vehicle comprising a shiftable transmission with fixed gear ratio steps and a controllable friction clutch contains a distance sensor, which is connected to an inch pedal and in which the starting position and the end position of the inch pedal are adjusted by an electronic control unit and allocated to an inch effect from 0% to 100%. Due to the electronic adjusting process of the inch pedal path via the inch effect and the service brake, the intersecting time between the service brake and the actuating force of the clutch can be adjusted. The driving comfort of the vehicle is increased and the risk of damage to the multi-disk clutch is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Karl Kühner, Manfred Sieger, Norbert Sommer
  • Patent number: 7163094
    Abstract: A transmission shift system comprising a synchronizing device for idler wheels, which comprises one sliding sleeve that can mesh with a selected idler wheel. The sliding sleeve is arranged non-rotatably and axially displaceable on a shaft with hydraulic actuation being provided. Each sliding sleeve (6) is connected with the shaft (1) via a hub element (7). The synchronizing operation can be implemented as a function of the hydraulic actuation pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Wolfgang Rebholz
  • Patent number: 7162936
    Abstract: A vehicle transmission (2) includes a transmission housing (4), a clutch bell housing (6), and lines (20, 22, 36, 38) for a liquid cooling medium and is connected at a junction point to a vehicle engine (26). In the area of the junction point two, first coupling flanges (16, 18) are provided on the clutch bell housing (6), and two second coupling flanges (30, 32) are provided on the vehicle engine (6), which flanges can be joined for the purpose of transferring the cooling medium between the vehicle engine (26) and the vehicle transmission (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Ludger Ronge
  • Patent number: 7162934
    Abstract: In a shifting system (2) for a vehicle transmission which comprises a shifting shaft (6), at least one gear change hub (18) is movably placed in a transmission housing (4) upon the shifting shaft (6). The shifting shaft (6) has at least one shifting pin (30) which with the shifting shaft (6) is rotatable around an axis of rotation (12) and which with the shifting shaft (6) is movable along the axis of rotation (12). Depending on the position of rotation of the shifting shaft (6), the shifting shaft (6) moves with the shifting pin (30) the gear change hub (18). The shifting pin (30), which upon shifting moves the selected gear change hub (18), is placed outside the gear change hub (18) and engages in a bracket (46) connected with the gear change hub (18) and projects from the gear change hub (18). On the outer surface, the gear change hub (18) has one slot (34) in which a locking device (36, 38, 42) is slidingly placed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Andrew Fanning, Peter Hartig, Martin Būrkle
  • Patent number: 7159399
    Abstract: A device for rendering a hydraulic actuating device operational. A motor vehicle clutch with an emitter-receiver system located in the transmission path of the actuating device comprising two pistons whose positions, relative to one another, can vary as a function of the desired operating behavior of the actuating device and is developed further such that in relation to the emitter-receiver system that is to be filled with fluid, operationality can be established comparatively quickly and by simple way. A fluid supply unit (24) comprises one impulse valve (25) that serves to release an essentially constant volume flow, acted upon by an impulse valve control device (26) which is constructed such that the fluid volume flow released by the fluid supply unit (24) and flowing into the emitter-receiver system (5) does not exceed a limiting volume flow QK.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Andreas Schwenger, Otto Ebner, Klaus Schweiger, Christoph Rüchardt, Marcus Gansohr
  • Patent number: 7155994
    Abstract: A six-gear or seven-gear dual-clutch transmission (1, 30) comprising two clutches (K1, 2) the input sides of which are connected with one drive shaft (2) of a prime mover and the output sides with each one of two input shafts (3, 4) disposed coaxially to each other, two countershafts (4, 5) upon which gear wheels designed as idler wheels are rotatably supported, gear wheels designed upon input shaft (3, 33, 37) and in tooth contact with idler wheels (8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 34, 35, 36), coupling devices (22, 23, 24, 25, 31, 32) non-rotatably and axially movably supported on both countershafts (5, 6), and movable via setting devices and one output gear wheel (18, 19) on a respective countershaft (5, 6) which are in tooth contact with a toothing (20) on one differential transmission (21).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Gerhard Gumpoltsberger
  • Patent number: 7156767
    Abstract: A multiple stage transmission in planetary design comprises three planetary gear sets (P1, P2, P3), at least six rotatable shafts (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6), the same as at least six shifting elements (03, 04, 13, 16, 45, 56), the drive shaft (1) is permanently connectable with the spider of the first planetary gear set (P1) and via one clutch (16) with the shaft (6) which is connected with the sun gear of the second planetary gear set (P2) and the sun gear of the third planetary gear set (P3) and connectable, via the clutch (56), with the shaft (5), the shaft (5) being connected on one side with the ring gear of the first planetary gear set (P1) and one the other side loosely connectable, via one clutch (45), with the shaft (4) which is permanently connected with the spider of the second planetary gear set (P2) and via one brake (04) attachable to the housing (G).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Peter Tiesler, Gerhard Gumpoltsberger
  • Patent number: 7156768
    Abstract: The multi-stage transmission comprises a drive input shaft and a drive output shaft, three single-web planetary gearset assemblies (P1, P2, P3), at least six rotating shafts (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) and at least five shift elements (03, 04, 13, 16, 45) so that six forward gears and one reverse gear can be engaged, such that the drive input shaft (1) is connected to the solar gearwheel of the first planetary gearset (P1), the annular gearwheel of the first planetary gearset (P1) is in rotationally fixed connection with the housing, the drive output shaft (2) is connected to the annular gearwheel of the second planetary gearset (P2) and to the web of the third planetary gearset (P3), and the shaft (3) is permanently connected to the web of the second planetary gearset (P2) and to the annular gearwheel of the third planetary gearset (P3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Gerhard Gumpoltsberger
  • Publication number: 20060289269
    Abstract: A clutch arrangement in an automatic transmission, comprising two axially adjacent multi-disk clutches (B, E) to each is assigned a piston/cylinder arrangement for axially actuating the clutch, a pressure compensation space for a dynamic clutch actuation pressure compensation and a mechanism for supplying lubricant or cooling medium. The aim is to reduce the axial overall length of a transmission of this type. The disk packets of both clutches (B, E) are placed one above the other in a radial manner, the pressure compensation space (25) for the radially outer clutch (B) is permitted to axially border on the pressure space (8) for actuating the piston (17) of the radially inner clutch (E), and the lubricant or cooling medium flow (30) for the radially outer clutch (B) is directly tapped from the pressure compensation space (25) for actuating the outer clutch (B).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2004
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Applicant: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventor: Peter Tiesler
  • Publication number: 20060291760
    Abstract: A roller bearing includes a radially outer bearing ring and a radially inner bearing ring. A ring-shaped holding space is formed between the bearing rings where a sealing element is mounted. The sealing element has a fastening section which is fixed to the outer bearing ring, and a lip section with two sealing lips which rest against and slide on the inner bearing ring to establish a sealing connection between the lip section and the inner bearing ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2006
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Herbert Voit
  • Publication number: 20060289270
    Abstract: A hub for a clutch disk arrangement having a friction lining unit with a radially inner set of teeth, the hub including a hub element which can be connected non-rotatably to a shaft; a torque-transmitting arrangement connected to the hub element and having a radially outer set of teeth; and a ring-shaped connecting element made of sheet metal and having a plurality of axially extending tabs and a plurality of openings between the tabs. The outer teeth of the torque transmitting arrangement and the inner teeth of the friction lining unit engage in the openings so that torque can be transmitted from the friction lining element to the hub. The connecting element is preferably fixed to the torsional vibration damper and the inner teeth are preferably axially moveable in the openings so that the friction lining unit can move axially with respect to other friction lining units in a multi-disk clutch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2006
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Gerald Buer
  • Publication number: 20060290040
    Abstract: A bush bearing wherein the spring excursion of the elastomer bearing body is limited in the radial and/or axial direction by at least one limit stop. At least one radially inwardly projecting bead operating as a radial and/or axial limit stop is formed in the outer sleeve in a region of at least one of the axial ends of the bearing ends. The radially inward apex of the bead forms a radial limit stop and/or the axially outer sidewall of the bead forms a bead or shoulder with an outer surface that is covered with the elastomer and represents an axial limit stop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2006
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Bernd Kumper
  • Publication number: 20060283641
    Abstract: An electrical drive system for a vehicle with a skid steering element exhibits a homogeneous electrical drive engine and a homogeneous gear unit (16, 18) on the left and on the right side in each case, which are propelled by a drive engine (2, 4), assigned in each case, and over a power drive flange (28, 40) to propel a track or a drive wheel. Two transfer elements (26, 24) of the left gear unit (16), which do not form the drive, are directly connected by a mechanical gear train crosswise in each case with both transfer elements (36, 38) of the right gear unit, which do not form the drive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2004
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Applicant: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventor: Johannes Sorg
  • Patent number: 7146901
    Abstract: A piston space (7) of the consumer (10) has two delivery lines (6, 8), such that when the consumer (10, 12, 13, 14) is not actuated, pressure medium flows continuously via the second delivery line (6) through the piston space (7) and into a pressure medium reservoir (2) to maintain a consumer (10, 12, 13, 14) in readiness for actuation and operate it with uniform pressure medium viscosity. Pressure medium is passed into the piston space (7) through both the first pressure medium delivery line (8) and the second pressure medium delivery line (6) to actuate the consumer (10, 12, 13, 14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Michael Riedhammer
  • Patent number: 7143879
    Abstract: A torsional vibration damper for a piston-equipped bridging clutch of a hydrodynamic clutch device includes a drive-side transmitting element for at least one damping unit, which is in working connection by way of a transmitting element on the power takeoff-side with a power takeoff component assigned to it, where at least one angle of rotation limiter is assigned to the damping unit. At least one projection is provided on one of the transmitting elements, this projection extending toward the other transmitting element and engaging in an assigned recess in the other transmitting element with predetermined play in the axial direction to form an angle of rotation limiter, where the recess is provided with an appropriate circumferential dimension for the projection to ensure the possibility of a predetermined relative deflection between the two transmitting elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jürgen Ackermann, Peter Frey, Ralf Rönnebeck, Christoph Sasse, Erwin Wack, Frank Zerner
  • Publication number: 20060267447
    Abstract: A rotor for an electric machine includes a rotor carrier (16) having a cylindrical axial support portion (18) which extends axially with respect to an axis of rotation of said rotor, a sheet pack (24) which includes a plurality of lamellar sheets (22) and is attached to the axial support portion (18) at an attachment area (34), and a first weld (30) which is attached to the sheet pack (24) at a predetermined distance away from the attachment area (34) to fasten a plurality of the lamellar sheets (22) together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2006
    Publication date: November 30, 2006
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Hubertus Buttner, Marcus van Heyden, Markus Deutel, Alfons Vollmuth
  • Patent number: 7140996
    Abstract: A multiple gear transmission having a drive shaft (1) and a driven shaft (2), three planetary gear sets (P1, P2, P3), seven rotatable shafts (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) and seven shifting elements (03, 04, 05, 06, 14, 37, 57) comprising four brakes (03, 04, 05, 06,) and three clutches (14, 37, 57). Selective engagement of the seven shifting elements (03, 04, 05, 06, 14, 37, 57) produces from the drive supplied by the drive shaft (1), via the three planetary gear sets (P1, P2, P3), the seven rotatable shafts (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) and the driven shaft (2), different reduction ratios for nine forward gears and one reverse gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Peter Tiesler, Gerhard Gumpoltsberger
  • Patent number: 7140997
    Abstract: A multi-stage automatic transmission comprises a drive input shaft (AN), a drive output shaft (AB), three planetary gearwheel assemblies (RS1, RS2, RS3) arranged next to one another in series and five shift control elements (A to E). A sun gearwheel (SO3) of the third planetary gearwheel assembly (RS3) can be fixed relative to a transmission housing (GG) via the first shift control element (A). The drive input shaft (AN) is connected to a sun gearwheel (SO2) of the second planetary gearwheel assembly (RS2) and can be connected via the second shift control element (B) to a sun gearwheel (SO1) of the first planetary gearwheel assembly (RS1) and via the fifth shift control element (E) to a web (ST1) of the first planetary gearwheel assembly (RS1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Peter Tiesler, Peter Ziemer