Patents Assigned to Volkswagen AG
  • Patent number: 7364187
    Abstract: A ventilation device for a vehicle includes an instrument panel having a front passenger region with a front instrument panel wall region facing a windshield and a rear instrument panel wall region as a potential head-impact instrument panel wall region. An individual vent air-feeding duct, which is covered by the instrument panel, extends below the potential head-impact instrument panel wall region and extends there essentially in a direction of the transverse axis of the vehicle. A front passenger airbag module can therefore be positioned away from the potential head-impact region in a free space formed in front of the individual vent air-feeding duct. The front instrument panel wall region has, at least in some regions, air passage openings for a diffuse ventilation of the vehicle interior. Starting from the individual vent air-feeding duct, at least one branch duct is guided to a region below the air passage openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Holger Dietze, Jörn Kessler, Michael Steenbock, Peter Dahmen
  • Publication number: 20080059032
    Abstract: A method for a shift control of a drivetrain of a motor vehicle includes providing the drivetrain of the motor vehicle as a hybrid drivetrain wherein an electric machine is connected to an input shaft of an automated stepped shift transmission and wherein an internal combustion engine is connected to the input shaft of the automated stepped shift transmission via a decoupling clutch. Currently valid shift characteristic curves used for triggering respective shifts of the automated stepped shift transmission are determined respectively in dependence of current driving and operating parameters by performing an interpolation between a first limit shift characteristic curve for a first driving characteristic and a second limit shift characteristic curve for a second driving characteristic wherein the respective limit shift characteristic curves are identical in all operating modes, however a permissible interpolation range in a purely electric operation is limited.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Applicant: Volkswagen AG
    Inventor: Lars Hofmann
  • Publication number: 20080058153
    Abstract: A method for controlling a drivetrain of a motor vehicle is provided. The drivetrain includes, as components, at least an internal combustion engine, an electric drive machine, a clutch and a transmission that can be connected to drive wheels. A control device initiates gear shifts at the transmission based on a wide variety of sensor signals by using a characteristic diagram. In order to ensure an excellent shift quality over long operating periods, a drive torque value MV of the internal combustion engine, which is determined by the control device, can be checked and if necessary corrected in dependence of given conditions by determining the drive torque value ME of the electric drive machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Applicant: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Georg Kruse, Tobias Horst
  • Patent number: 7336155
    Abstract: A remote control for a garage door opener includes a transmitter for transmitting electromagnetic signals and at least one manual actuator. The transmitter can be arranged in flexible mounting areas inside or outside the motor vehicle and can be spatially separate from the manual actuator. To this end, the invention provides a remote garage door opener that is integrated into the control system that is present in a motor vehicle in such a manner that the manual actuator and the transmitter device are linked with each other via at least one control device that is located in the motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Frank Petznick, Mathias Pietsch
  • Publication number: 20080041038
    Abstract: A catalytic converter configuration for an internal combustion engine that is capable of running lean has an exhaust gas duct and a NOx storage catalytic converter arranged in the exhaust gas duct. A novel method allows desulfurizing the NOx storage catalytic converter. An H2S storage catalytic converter is provided. This catalytic converter is capable of storing hydrogen sulfide under a rich or stoichiometric exhaust gas atmosphere with lambda?1 and oxidizing hydrogen sulfide under a lean exhaust gas atmosphere with lambda>1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2007
    Publication date: February 21, 2008
    Applicant: VOLKSWAGEN AG
    Inventors: Achim Freitag, Martina Kosters
  • Publication number: 20080041500
    Abstract: The present invention relates to creep-resistant magnesium-based alloys with low susceptibility to hot tearing, and with improved ductility, impact strength and fracture toughness, and corrosion resistance. The alloys contain at least 96 wt % magnesium, 1.5 to 1.9 wt % neodymium, 0.10 to 0.30 wt % yttrium, 0.35 to 0.70 wt % zirconium, 0.05 to 0.35 wt % zinc, 0.01 to 0.10 wt % calcium, 0.01 to 0.15 wt % strontium, and 0.0000 to 0.0005 wt % beryllium, and they are suitable for low pressure and gravity castings. Articles, that are castings of the alloys, are suitable for applications at temperatures as high as 175-250° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2006
    Publication date: February 21, 2008
    Applicants: Dead Sea Magnesium Ltd., Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Boris Bronfin, Nir Moscovitch, Mark Katzir, Soenke Schumann, Rudolph Boehm
  • Patent number: 7328936
    Abstract: A wind stop device, in particular for a convertible, includes a multi-part wind partition and a multi-part cover partition. A left and a right cover partition part can be folded about a cover partition folding axis and at the same time a left and a right wind partition part can be folded about a respective first and second wind partition folding axis from a non-use position into a cover position for covering a passenger compartment. The left and right wind partition parts and a middle wind partition part, which is provided between the first and second wind partition folding axes, can be folded about a connection folding axis, which extends perpendicular to a direction of travel, into a use position such that the wind partition parts are substantially perpendicular to the cover partition parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventor: Björn Albrecht
  • Patent number: 7325869
    Abstract: An automobile seat possesses a seat back that includes a seat back frame to which an restraining device for a headrest is mounted. The headrest may be displaced from an initial position into an extended position against the head of the seat occupant. A locking process is provided by means of which the restraining device may be maintained in its extended position with respect to the seat back frame. The locking process device includes an engaging element pre-tensioned by a spring that may engage with the engagement recess formed on the restraining device. The locking process device includes a disengaging element to be operated by the seat occupant or other person that brings the engaging element out of engagement with the engaging recess in the maintained condition of the restraining device against the force of the spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventor: Andreas Braune
  • Patent number: 7316108
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes an internal combustion engine with a cylinder head, at least one outlet for exhaust gas which is formed in the cylinder head, a device for directly injecting fuel into a combustion chamber, a spark-ignition device for igniting the directly injected fuel in the combustion chamber, at least one electric drive and an exhaust gas control system which is connected downstream of the combustion chamber and has at least one catalytic converter in at least one exhaust tract. The catalytic converter which is closest to the engine in each exhaust tract is positioned in the exhaust gas control system in such a way that a length of an exhaust pipe between the outlet for exhaust gas in the cylinder head and an end face of this catalytic converter that faces the cylinder head is at least 500 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Ekkehard Pott, Michael Zillmer, Matthias Holz, Marc Hladun
  • Patent number: 7308823
    Abstract: A tire pressure control system for determining and/or monitoring a pressure in an air-filled tire of a vehicle uses a pressure-measuring device located in the tire. The tire pressure control system includes a seat diagnosis module for checking whether the pressure-measuring device is fastened in the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Peter Otto Anders, Klaus-Jürgen Gier
  • Publication number: 20070287592
    Abstract: A method for implementing shifts from a source gear to a target gear of an automatic shift transmission includes storing a respective upshift threshold and a respective downshift threshold for each possible sequential gear shift. The respective upshift threshold and the respective downshift threshold are defined in dependence of an accelerator pedal position, such that a limit value that is valid for a respective upshift or downshift is stored as a vehicle speed value in a control device. The vehicle speed that changes while the motor vehicle is driving and a changing accelerator pedal position are measured. Downshifts are simplified for a driver by configuring at least two downshift thresholds to be substantially horizontally extending in a first region of a possible accelerator pedal position and at least partly step-shaped in a second region of the possible accelerator pedal position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Publication date: December 13, 2007
    Applicant: Volkswagen AG
    Inventor: Stephan Schaefer
  • Patent number: 7305965
    Abstract: A method for operating a hybrid motor vehicle having an internal combustion engine and at least one electric machine is provided. At least one of the electric machines supplies a varying torque to the internal combustion engine such that cyclic irregularities of the internal combustion engine during idling are reduced and, at the same time, the internal combustion engine is operated during idling with an ignition angle and a volumetric efficiency optimized for this operating state and without retarding the ignition angle for building up a torque reserve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignees: Volkswagen AG, Skoda Auto A.S.
    Inventors: Michael Zillmer, Matthias Holz, Ekkehard Pott, David Prochazka
  • Patent number: 7290419
    Abstract: A key system (1) for a motor vehicle comprises transmitter electronics arranged inside a housing (2) and used for the contactless locking and/or unlocking of a door of the motor vehicle and/or operation of the motor vehicle. The system further comprises an emergency key (3) for mechanically locking and/or unlocking the door of the motor vehicle and/or for the operation of the motor vehicle. The emergency key is received inside the housing (2) in a substantially complete manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Peter Balko, Dieter Meyer, Peter Plott, Axel Anders, Ulrich Lammel, Gustav Hofmann
  • Publication number: 20070251219
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes an exhaust-gas system with n>1 exhaust-gas flow configurations, wherein n is an integer. The exhaust-gas flow configurations are at least partly separated from one another and each of the exhaust-gas flow configurations includes at least one catalytic converter. The internal combustion engine includes a secondary air supply system with at least one secondary air pump and at least one secondary air valve. The at least one secondary air pump is connected, via the at least one secondary air valve, to at most n?1 of the exhaust-gas flow configurations upstream of the at least one catalytic converter of the at most n?1 of the exhaust-gas flow configurations. The remaining ones of the exhaust-gas flow configurations are separated from the secondary air supply system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2007
    Publication date: November 1, 2007
    Applicant: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Klaus Uphoff, Kai Bohnstedt, Mathias Dehmke
  • Patent number: 7287443
    Abstract: A motor vehicle includes a drive train having a drive unit, a gearbox having a first gearbox input shaft and a second gearbox input shaft, and a clutch having a first clutch device which is associated with the first gearbox input shaft, and a second clutch device which is associated with the second gearbox input shaft, for transferring torque between the drive unit and the gearbox. The first and second clutch devices are plate clutches to which an operating fluid, such as a cooling oil, is supplied to operate the same. The gearbox is associated with an actuator device and a control device for controlling the actuator device, the arrangement of which enables the gears associated with the first and second gearbox input shafts to be engaged and disengaged. The control device is designed such that at least one gear is automatically engaged by the actuator device, as a result of the clutch release of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Jochen Kuhstrebe, Olaf Moseler, Axel Rohm, Eduard Steiner, Rainer Reuthal, Hans-Jürgen Schneider, Wolfgang Kundermann, Jörg Sudau, Thomas John, Thomas Strasser
  • Patent number: 7284886
    Abstract: The invention relates to a moonroof for a motor vehicle, the moonroof comprising a transparent wedge-shaped essentially solid body having a surface that is to be turned toward an interior space of a motor vehicle, and having a surface opposite the surface that is to be turned toward the interior space of the motor vehicle, the surface that is to be turned toward the interior space of the motor vehicle being inclined to the surface opposite the surface to be turned toward the interior space of the motor vehicle and the moonroof comprising a light source for introducing light into the transparent wedge-shaped essentially solid body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Pao Chen, Rosario Daniel, Markey Charles, Arne Stoschek
  • Patent number: D559735
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Klaus Bischoff, Marc Lichte, Robert Lesnik
  • Patent number: D559736
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Klaus Bischoff, Marc Lichte, Andreas Mindt
  • Patent number: D559737
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Klaus Bischoff, Marc Lichte, Andreas Mindt
  • Patent number: D562733
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Peter Schreyer, Marc Lichte, Robert Lesnik