Patents Assigned to ZF Active Safety GmbH
  • Publication number: 20210213923
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for producing a brake force device for a vehicle brake system, in which a housing is produced, wherein a recess is formed in the housing, wherein a piston device is arranged in the recess, wherein the piston device is movably guided in the axial direction of a longitudinal axis of the recess and along a specified maximum stroke path, and the length of the maximum stroke path of the piston device is modified for different embodiments of the brake force device. In order to improve and/or to simplify the implementation of different embodiments of the brake force device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Applicant: ZF Active Safety GmbH
    Inventors: Marcus Janson, Nicholas Alford
  • Patent number: 11054023
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a parking brake system for a motorized vehicle, which uses a differential. Furthermore, the present disclosure relates to a differential for an automotive drive, which can be used by such a parking brake. The differential comprises a transmission housing, a transmission input, two transmission output shafts, and a rotary transmission for distributing performance effective on the transmission output shafts at the transmission input, the rotary transmission comprising at least four transmission elements, of which two transmission elements are configured as a central gear, at least one transmission element as a rotary gear, and a transmission element as a rotary gear carrier, wherein the rotary gear carrier is coupled with the transmission input and one of the central gears each is coupled with one of the transmission output shafts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: ZF Active Safety GmbH
    Inventors: Benedikt Ohlig, Matthias Fuchs, Erwin Michels
  • Patent number: 11046289
    Abstract: A motor vehicle system comprising a first electric parking brake actuation unit assigned to a first vehicle wheel, and a second electric parking brake actuation unit assigned to a second vehicle wheel. The system further comprises a first control unit which includes at least one first microprocessor and which is designed to control the first electric parking brake actuation unit and does not allow the second electric parking brake actuation unit to be controlled. Furthermore, a second control unit is provided which comprises at least one second microprocessor and which is designed to control the second electric parking brake actuation unit and does not allow the first electric parking brake actuation unit to be controlled. The redundancy of the two control units increases the system safety. At the same time, the system complexity remains low since no individual control unit has to be designed to control all of the electric parking brake actuation units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: ZF Active Safety GmbH
    Inventors: Erwin Michels, Benedikt Ohlig, Matthias Fuchs
  • Publication number: 20210180658
    Abstract: A brake pad arrangement for a disc brake of a vehicle braking system includes at least one brake pad carrier plate and at least one friction lining is attached to the at least one brake pad carrier plate, wherein the brake pad carrier plate has at least one fastening section which is configured for fastening the brake pad restoring device, wherein the fastening section has at least one bearing surface for the brake pad restoring device, wherein the at least one bearing surface extends obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the brake pad carrier plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Applicant: ZF Active Safety GmbH
    Inventors: Florian RÖSSINGER, Peter MÄURER
  • Publication number: 20210179051
    Abstract: A hydraulic motor vehicle braking system includes a first functional unit, a second functional unit and a switching device. The first functional unit comprises at least one first valve arrangement designed to optionally connect or disconnect at least one first wheel brake associated with a first axle to or from an existing hydraulic pressure, and at least one second valve arrangement designed to optionally connect or disconnect at least one second wheel brake associated with a second axle to or from an existing hydraulic pressure. The second functional unit comprises at least one second electrical brake pressure generator, by means of which a brake pressure can be generated on at least the at least one second wheel brake, and a second control system which is designed to control the at least one second electrical brake pressure generator for a brake pressure regulation on at least the at least one second wheel brake in the event of a failure of the first functional unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Applicant: ZF Active Safety GmbH
    Inventors: Nicholas ALFORD, Andreas MARX, Oliver WOLF
  • Publication number: 20210179044
    Abstract: A hydraulic motor vehicle brake system is specified with a device for generating a hydraulic fluid pressure. The device comprises an electrically controllable actuator and a piston in a pressure chamber, which is movable by means of the electrically controllable actuator for changing a hydraulic fluid pressure in the pressure chamber. The brake system also comprises a wheel brake pressure control device with a reservoir for the storage of hydraulic fluid discharged from a motor vehicle wheel brake in a pressure reduction phase, wherein the reservoir is fluidically coupled to the pressure chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Applicant: ZF Active Safety GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Passmann, Stefan Kraemer
  • Publication number: 20210162966
    Abstract: A motor vehicle brake system is specified. The brake system comprises a driving dynamics regulation system, which is designed to carry out a wheel-specific regulating intervention on each of a plurality of vehicle wheels, and an electrically controllable actuator, which is designed to generate or boost a service brake force. The brake system further comprises a control, which is designed, in the event of an identified loss of function of the driving dynamics regulation system, to select one of at least two vehicle wheels on which a regulating intervention by the driving dynamics regulation system would be required and to electrically control the actuator on the basis of a regulating intervention determined for the selected vehicle wheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2018
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Applicant: ZF Active Safety GmbH
    Inventor: Andreas Passmann
  • Publication number: 20210146900
    Abstract: A hydraulic motor vehicle braking system includes an electrical parking brake actuator for generating a brake force on a vehicle wheel. The braking system also comprises a first functional unit comprising at least one first electrical brake pressure generator, by means of which a brake pressure can be generated on respective wheel brakes, and a first control system designed to control the at least one first electrical brake pressure generator for a brake pressure regulation. A second functional unit of the braking system comprises at least one second electrical brake pressure generator, by means of which a brake pressure can be respectively generated on a subset of the wheel brakes, and a second control system which is designed to control the at least one second electrical brake pressure generator for a brake pressure regulation in the event of a failure of the first functional unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Applicant: ZF Active Safety GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Einig, Nicholas Alford, Andreas Marx
  • Publication number: 20210129817
    Abstract: A hydraulic motor vehicle braking system comprises an electronic stability control (ESC) system of dual-circuit design, a first brake circuit which acts on one or more first wheel brakes, and a second brake circuit which acts on one or more second wheel brakes. The first brake circuit comprises a first hydraulic pressure generator which is electrically controllable for control interventions, and the second brake circuit comprises a second hydraulic pressure generator which is electrically controllable, independently of the first hydraulic pressure generator, for control interventions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Applicant: ZF Active Safety GmbH
    Inventors: Erwin Michels, Benedikt Ohlig, Matthias Fuchs
  • Publication number: 20210122353
    Abstract: A method for detecting undesirable vibrations of an actuator of an electromechanical brake includes the steps of: (1) providing an electrical signal comprising at least one piece of information about a current consumption of the actuator or a parameter correlated with the current consumption; (2) monitoring an operation of the actuator on the basis of the gradient of the electrical signal in such a way that after switching on the actuator and preferably after a subsequent delay time, which includes determining: whether the amount of an initial instantaneous value of the gradient exceeds the amount of a threshold and whether a subsequent second instantaneous value of the gradient has an inverted sign compared to the first instantaneous value; (3) evaluating the results to ensure that an undesirable vibration is assessed as detected the aforementioned conditions are met.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Applicant: ZF Active Safety GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Müller, Ralf Kinder
  • Patent number: 10981549
    Abstract: A brake-actuating device for a vehicle brake system comprises a fluid reservoir and a master cylinder arrangement. The fluid reservoir has an outlet connection, and the master cylinder arrangement has an inlet connection. The outlet connection of the fluid reservoir and the inlet connection of the master cylinder arrangement, in the connected-together state, define at least one axially overlapping connection region through which a fluid channel for the feed of fluid from the fluid reservoir into the master cylinder arrangement extends. Furthermore, the brake-actuating device comprises a sealing element, which is arranged in the connection region and seals off the latter to the outside, and a filter element for filtering the fluid to be fed to the master cylinder arrangement. The sealing element holds the filter element in a predetermined position in the fluid channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: ZF Active Safety GmbH
    Inventors: Yvonne Wuest, Dennis Wagner, Klaus Lemke, Daniel Noll
  • Publication number: 20210101569
    Abstract: A force input member for a brake actuating device of a vehicle brake system includes at least one first portion connected to the brake actuating device; at least one second portion connected to a brake pedal; and at least one coupling device. The at least one coupling device couples the first portion and the second portion to one another wherein the at least one coupling device is designed to permit a relative movement between the first portion and the second portion in the case of a force acting on the force input element which is greater than or equal to a predetermined release force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2020
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Applicant: ZF Active Safety GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Lemke, Christian Freund, Robert Barnkow
  • Patent number: 10968968
    Abstract: A disc brake assembly includes a brake clip having a U-shaped section and at least one extension portion. The U-shaped section has a base leg and opposing upper and lower legs extending from the base leg. The at least one extension portion has an application portion, a transition portion with first and second legs, and a bend connecting the first and second legs. The transition portion extends in a first direction from a side of the U-shaped section. The first and second legs extend in a direction other than the first direction. The bend redirects the application portion from a second direction to a third direction. The second direction is angled from the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignees: ZF Active Safety US Inc., ZF Active Safety GmbH
    Inventors: Kraig Gerber, Manuel Barbosa, Harry Miller, Jon Wemple, Daniel Schwarz, Marco Becker, Florian Rossinger, Antonio Eduardo De Morais, Chad Brizendine
  • Patent number: 10946847
    Abstract: The actuating device for a vehicle brake system comprises a force input member, which can be coupled to a brake pedal, and a brake master cylinder. The brake master cylinder has at least one force transmission member. The force transmission member is coupled to the force input member in an articulating fashion. The force transmission member is positioned to transmit a force, which has been exerted onto the force input member, to the brake master cylinder. The actuating device has at least one elastically deformable positioning element. The at least one positioning element produces a holding force with which the at least one positioning element holds the at least one force input member in an installation position relative to the brake master cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: ZF Active Safety GmbH
    Inventor: Axel Rüdell
  • Patent number: 10946845
    Abstract: The disclosed electromechanical brake booster for a vehicle brake system comprises a driving arrangement for driving at least one actuation device designed to actuate a brake cylinder. The driving arrangement includes at least one electric motor and a gear mechanism for coupling the electric motor to the at least one actuation device. The gear mechanism comprises at least one first spur gear and at least one second spur gear, the electric motor driving the first spur gear directly and the second gear via at least one intermediate gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: ZF Active Safety GmbH
    Inventors: Kurt Wingender, Martin Hofmann, Boris Koeth, Jose Manuel Calvo Martinez, Jens Sparfeld
  • Publication number: 20210070268
    Abstract: A method and device for a vehicle having wheels which are each assigned a sensor for generating wheel signals. The unit determines whether a wheel is affected by a failure of the corresponding wheel signal. The unit acquires wheel signals which are assigned to the wheels, and for a wheel affected by a wheel signal failure, the corresponding wheel signal is acquired in the form of a substitute signal. The unit calculates a target brake pressure for a wheel at which an increase in brake pressure is necessary. The increase in brake pressure takes place in accordance with the wheel signal which is obtained for the wheel and in accordance with the determination as to whether the wheel is affected by a wheel signal failure. The unit further determines a slip threshold for an anti-lock brake control operation applied to the wheel affected by the wheel signal failure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Applicant: ZF Active Safety GmbH
    Inventor: Andreas Passmann
  • Publication number: 20210070269
    Abstract: The invention relates to a signal-processing device (402) for a vehicle having an ABS unit (404) and multiple wheels, each of which is assigned a sensor (S1, S2, S3, S4) for wheel signal generation. The signal-processing device (402) is designed to detect (602) a failure of a wheel signal, to form (604) a substitute signal for the failed wheel signal using the wheel signal of at least one sensor assigned to a wheel that is not affected by the failure, and to supply (606) the substitute signal to the ABS unit (404). The invention also relates to an ABS system (400) having the signal-processing device (402) and an ABS unit (404), a vehicle having the ABS system (400), a signal-processing method for a vehicle having an ABS unit (404), a computer programme having computer code for carrying out the signal-processing method, as well as a control unit containing the computer programme.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Applicant: ZF Active Safety GmbH
    Inventor: Andreas Passmann
  • Patent number: 10933846
    Abstract: A system and a method for preventing a vehicle from rolling away are described. According to one method aspect, in the case of a vehicle equipped with several EPB actuators, the activation of only one of these EPB actuators takes place if in the case of a road inclination lying below a threshold value the vehicle begins to roll away from the stationary state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: ZF Active Safety GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Kinder, Heiner Versmold
  • Patent number: 10933848
    Abstract: A method for operating a vehicle brake, wherein the vehicle brake comprises a service brake having an actuating piston, which can be moved into an actuation position in order to produce a braking force by the action of a hydraulic pressure, and wherein the vehicle brake also comprises a parking brake unit, which is designed to move over a first motion range without producing a braking force and is also designed to move over a second motion range, in which the parking brake unit is supported against the actuating piston and a braking force is thus changed, wherein the first and second motion ranges transition into each other at a support point, wherein the method is performed in the pressureless state or at a hydraulic pressure below a predefined threshold value and comprises the following steps: a) moving the parking brake unit from the first into the second motion range or vice versa; b) recording the curve of an operating parameter of the parking brake unit during step a); and c) determining the position of
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: ZF Active Safety GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Bast, Benedikt Ohlig, Matthias Fuchs, Erwin Michels
  • Publication number: 20210053547
    Abstract: A testing method includes the steps of: (1) providing a negative pressure generator; (2) generating a negative pressure in a fluid passageway and a chamber which are in fluid communication with a guiding section of a fluid reservoir wherein a second sensing element is affixed to a guiding section of the fluid reservoir; (3) transferring a fluid flow stream from the guiding section to the chamber via the fluid passageway and drawing a float having a first sensing element from an upper position to a lower position within the guiding section; (4) generating a signal via the first and second sensing elements as the float moves relative to the second sensing element within the guiding section; and (5) transmitting a signal to at least one of a control unit or a graphical user display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Applicant: ZF Active Safety GmbH
    Inventors: Blaise Ganzel, Andreas Marx, Daniel Noll