Patents Assigned to ZF CV Systems Europe BV
  • Patent number: 11970169
    Abstract: An antilock control method for a braking system of a vehicle has at least the following steps: upon the presence of a brake request signal, outputting a brake control signal and building up a brake pressure by a braking medium at a wheel brake of a vehicle wheel, measuring a wheel speed of the vehicle wheel to be braked, and determining a wheel slip of the vehicle wheel, upon meeting a first traction criterion or a locking tendency of the vehicle wheel, activating a wheel drive unit and applying a wheel drive torque on the vehicle wheel to increase the wheel circumferential velocity and to reduce the wheel slip until a second traction criterion is met. The brake force introduced in the wheel brake is controlled as a function of the wheel slip by releasing the brake pressure upon satisfying a first traction criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: ZF CV Systems Europe BV
    Inventors: Steffen Gerlach, Alexander Rodenberg, Michael Schomburg
  • Patent number: 11971026
    Abstract: An improved air compressor is provided. The air compressor includes a cylinder block having a head deck that defines a piston bore for reciprocal movement of a piston therein. The head deck further includes first and second ramped surfaces that slope downward toward the peripheral edge of the piston bore. A valve plate is in direct contact with the upper surface of the head deck, the valve plate having a leaf valve. During an intake stroke of the piston, the leaf valve deflects downward into direct engagement with the first and second ramped surfaces. Because the air compressor lacks a lower gasket between the valve plate and the head deck, the cost and assembly time associated with the lower gasket are eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: ZF CV SYSTEMS EUROPE BV
    Inventors: Chad Lemon, Ramesh Pai, Alan Williams
  • Patent number: 11970146
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electronically controllable secondary brake system (46), operated by pressure medium, useable as both as a parking brake system and an auxiliary brake system, with spring brake cylinders (68a, 68b) arranged on wheel brakes of at least one vehicle axle (8), with a directly or indirectly electronically controllable brake control valve (56). The brake force of the spring brake cylinder (68a, 68b) can be reduced by a feed of pressure medium and can be increased by a discharge of pressure medium, and with an electronic brake control unit (48) for controlling the brake control valve (56) dependent on the current value of a brake value signal (SBW). The brake control valve (56) is configured as a 3/3-way proportional valve with a pressure medium inlet, a pressure medium outlet, and a working connector, which is connected via a working line (60, 66) to the spring brake cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: ZF CV Systems Europe BV
    Inventors: Michael Haverkamp, Lars Volker
  • Patent number: 11965498
    Abstract: A method for operating a pressure control system having a multistage compressor includes outputting, by the multistage compressor in order to fill a pressure medium store or pressure medium chambers of the pressure control system, a pressure medium compressed multiple times. Outputting the pressure medium compressed multiple times includes providing, by a first compression stage, a precompressed pressure medium and further compressing, by a second compression stage, the precompressed pressure medium to form a compressed pressure medium and then outputting the compressed pressure medium. Alternatively, outputting the pressure medium compressed multiple times includes providing a compression pressure medium, which is obtained from additional compression of an already compressed charge pressure medium from the pressure medium reservoir or the pressure medium chambers of the pressure control system, wherein the compression pressure medium is output without additional compression by the second compression stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: ZF CV SYSTEMS EUROPE BV
    Inventors: Joerg Scharpenberg, Uwe Stabenow
  • Patent number: 11964642
    Abstract: An electropneumatic parking brake module includes a supply connection configured to connect a compressed air supply, at least one spring-type actuator connection configured to connect at least one spring brake cylinder, and an inlet-outlet valve unit configured to assume at least a first switching position and a second switching position. The parking brake module further includes an electropneumatic pilot control unit configured to output at least a first control pressure at the inlet-outlet valve unit. In the first switching position of the inlet-outlet valve unit, the spring-type actuator connection is connected to the supply connection for outputting a spring brake pressure, and, in the second switching position of the inlet-outlet valve unit, the spring-type actuator connection is connected to a venting connection of the inlet-outlet valve unit. The inlet-outlet valve unit is in the second switching position when the first control pressure is below a first threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: ZF CV SYSTEMS EUROPE BV
    Inventor: Julian Van Thiel
  • Patent number: 11964646
    Abstract: A foot brake valve (2?) of a pneumatic brake system in a motor vehicle has an installation plate (4?), on which a brake pedal (14) is pivotably mounted and to which a housing (18?) of a control unit (16, 26) is fastened. A spring-loaded plunger piston (36) in actuating contact with the brake pedal (14) is guided axially movably in an annular collar (50) projecting upward out of the installation plate (4?). For fastening the housing (18?) of the control unit (16, 26) to the installation plate (4?), the housing (18?) has an intermediate flange (48) which is screw-connected to the main part of the housing (18?) and has the annular collar (50). The intermediate flange (48) is coaxially rotatably about a vertical central axis (32), and is connectable in non-positively locking fashion to the installation plate (4?) via a releasable clamping connection (62).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: ZF CV Systems Europe BV
    Inventors: Peter Beier, Ulrich Couppee, Reiner Hölscher, Gerhard Martini, Karl-Heinz Riediger-Janisch, Olaf Bindseil, Petra Elze, Alexander Fabian, Gerrit Glondajewski, Sven Homann, Jan Hörstmann, Thomas Müller
  • Patent number: 11958450
    Abstract: A compressed-air braking system (DBA*) for a motor vehicle, includes a compressed-air supply device (1) with a compressor (2) and several brake circuits which are connected to the compressed-air supply device (1) via a multi-circuit protection valve (7) and include at least one parking brake circuit with parking brake cylinders (25.1, 25.2). In order to reduce the operating noise of the compressed-air braking system (DBA*) occurring in particular on venting of the parking brake cylinders (25.1, 25.2), it is provided that the parking brake cylinders (25.1, 25.2) can be vented, per wheel or per vehicle axle, alternately either to the surrounding atmosphere or into an additional reservoir (31) via a respective quick-venting valve (29) connected to a connecting line (28) and a changeover valve (30) arranged downstream thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: ZF CV Systems Europe BV
    Inventor: Eugen Kloos
  • Patent number: 11953897
    Abstract: A control method, for the semi-automatic transfer of a driven utility vehicle into a sensor-identifiable target position, includes sensing a relative position of the utility vehicle in relation to the target position and deriving, from the relative position, an automatic, rules-based lateral control of the utility vehicle configured to, together with a longitudinal control, transfer the utility vehicle into the target position. The method further includes detecting, with the aid of a remote control transmitter of the utility vehicle, the presence of an activation signal generated by an operator located outside of the utility vehicle, initiating, in response to the detection of the presence of the activation signal, the transfer of the utility vehicle according to the lateral control and the longitudinal control, and detecting an absence of the activation signal and interrupting the transfer to bring the utility vehicle to a standstill.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: ZF CV SYSTEMS EUROPE BV
    Inventor: Oliver Wulf
  • Patent number: 11952038
    Abstract: A transverse steering method is for moving a vehicle comprising active steering to a target position. The method includes: performing distance and/or angle measurements between the vehicle and the target position enabling the derivation of location and orientation data; deriving the location and orientation data; filtering the location and orientation data into current values, which include current location values and current orientation values; performing control which derives a target steering angle from the current values; and realization of the target steering angle by acting on the active steering of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: ZF CV SYSTEMS EUROPE BV
    Inventor: Oliver Wulf
  • Patent number: 11951958
    Abstract: A piston tube assembly (17) for a spring brake actuator (1) includes a first tubular body (35) having a contoured inside surface profile (55) for non-rotationally guiding a running nut (21) of a mechanical release mechanism (19, 21), and an internal breather valve (41) mounted to the piston tube assembly (17) for allowing fluid transport into and out of the piston tube assembly and any volume in fluid communication therewith. The piston tube assembly (17) includes a second tubular body (37) that is of a different material than the first tubular body (35), which encloses the first tubular body (35) and mechanically supports the first tubular body (35), and the internal breather valve (41) is mounted to the first tubular body (35).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: ZF CV Systems Europe BV
    Inventors: Filip Flisek, Waldemar Talko
  • Patent number: 11945420
    Abstract: An electro-pneumatic two-channel axle modulator (1) for utility vehicles has a first supply port (2) for connecting a first compressed air supply (3) and a second supply port (4) for connecting a second compressed air supply (5), a front axle channel port (6), a rear axle channel port (8), an electro-pneumatic front axle valve assembly (10) connected to the first supply port (2) for controlling a front axle brake pressure (pVA) at the front axle channel port (6), and an electro-pneumatic rear axle valve assembly (12) connected to the second supply port (4) for controlling a rear axle brake pressure (pHA) at the rear axle channel port (8). A first redundancy valve assembly (14) is connected to the second supply port (4) for controlling a redundant front axle brake pressure (pVAR) at the front axle channel port (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: ZF CV Systems Europe BV
    Inventor: Julian Van Thiel
  • Patent number: 11932229
    Abstract: An electronically controllable braking system for a vehicle is provided. The electronically controllable braking system includes a service brake sub-system and a redundancy brake sub-system. The service brake sub-system includes a front axle service brake circuit with front axle service brakes and a rear axle service brake circuit with rear axle service brakes. The redundancy brake sub-system includes a front axle redundancy brake circuit and a rear axle redundancy brake circuit. A service brake control module is configured to generate a service brake control signal in dependence upon a braking specification for generating a front axle service brake pressure. A redundancy brake control module is configured to generate a redundancy brake control signal in dependence upon a braking specification for generating a front axle redundancy brake pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: ZF CV SYSTEMS EUROPE BV
    Inventor: Julian Van Thiel
  • Patent number: 11933375
    Abstract: A device (100) for extracting an adjuster unit (20) of a brake assembly (25), which includes a shaft (22), a gear (24), and a sleeve (26), includes an insert (102) configured to be partially inserted between the peripheral wall (26a) of the sleeve (26) and a proximal end (22a) of the shaft. The insert (102) includes an engaging section (104) for engaging the sleeve (26) and an inner volume (106) for receiving the proximal end of the shaft (22). An actuator (108) is operatively coupled to the insert (102) and transmits an extraction force (F) so as to move the insert (102) and at least the sleeve (26) away from the brake assembly. The sleeve (26) has a sealing lip (26b) extending radially inwards from the peripheral wall of the sleeve (26), and the insert (102) includes a groove (107) configured to engage the sealing lip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: ZF CV Systems Europe BV
    Inventors: Thomas Corcoran, Rick Dinkel
  • Patent number: 11926305
    Abstract: A method for automatic electronic control of a brake system in a vehicle includes reading a brake signal for the automatic electronic control of brakes in the vehicle, wherein requests to be implemented by the brakes are transmitted via the brake signal to bring about automatically requested target vehicle longitudinal dynamics. The method further includes determining a brake pressure distribution indicating a ratio of a front axle brake pressure of a front axle to a rear axle brake pressure of a rear axle, and providing at least a first brake pressure signal of the first electronic control unit to at least a first electropneumatic control device, taking into account the braking request signal and the brake pressure distribution for controlling the front axle brake pressure and the rear axle brake pressure, and receiving the brake pressure distribution at a second electronic control unit and storing the detected brake pressure distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: ZF CV SYSTEMS EUROPE BV
    Inventors: Klaus Plaehn, Julian Van Thiel
  • Patent number: 11926294
    Abstract: A relay valve module for an electronically controllable pneumatic brake system for actuating wheel brakes of a utility vehicle includes: a reservoir connection for receiving a reservoir pressure; a brake control pressure connection for receiving a brake control pressure; at least one first service brake connection for outputting a service brake pressure; a relay valve with a relay valve reservoir connection, which is connected to the reservoir connection, a relay valve working connection, which is connected to the first service brake connection, a relay valve ventilation connection, and a relay valve control connection; an electropneumatic pilot control unit, which is connected to the reservoir connection, the electropneumatic pilot control unit providing a pilot control pressure; and a shuttle valve with a first shuttle valve inlet, a second shuttle valve inlet, and a shuttle valve outlet. The first shuttle valve inlet is connected to the brake control pressure connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: ZF CV SYSTEMS EUROPE BV
    Inventors: Thomas Mueller, Robert Otremba, Julian Van Thiel, Gerd Roters
  • Patent number: 11919498
    Abstract: A method for determining unstable behavior of a trailer of a vehicle combination, the vehicle combination having N members, one of the members being a tractor vehicle and at least one further member being the trailer, the unstable behavior of the trailer being determined depending on a driving-dynamics actual characteristic variable of the tractor vehicle, includes: determining at least one driving-dynamics actual characteristic variable of the trailer, the at least one driving-dynamics actual characteristic variable characterizing a current driving-dynamics state of the trailer and following from a measurement by at least one sensor in the trailer; and determining at least one driving-dynamics target characteristic variable of the trailer, the at least one driving-dynamics target characteristic variable following from the at least one driving-dynamics actual characteristic variable of the tractor vehicle by using a kinematic model depending on geometric characteristic variables of the vehicle combination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: ZF CV SYSTEMS EUROPE BV
    Inventors: Klaus Plaehn, Benjamin Bieber
  • Patent number: 11917576
    Abstract: A vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication unit, for wirelessly transmitting and/or receiving V2X signals comprising data in a vehicle, includes a plurality of V2X modules. Each respective V2X module is connected to at least one antenna configured to transmit and/or receive the V2X signals in a transmission and reception area. Each respective V2X module comprises at least a transmitting unit configured to modulate data to be transmitted via the V2X signals, and/or a receiving unit configured to demodulate data received via the V2X signals. Each V2X module includes a data interface configured to transmit the data to be transmitted and/or the data received via the V2X signal and a logic module. The plurality of V2X modules includes at least two spatially separated V2X modules. The logic module is configured to link the at least two V2X modules in such a way that a logical unit is configured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: ZF CV SYSTEMS EUROPE BV
    Inventors: Thomas Dieckmann, Soeren Huebner, Tobias Werle
  • Patent number: 11913507
    Abstract: A disc brake for utility vehicles includes a brake disc, a first brake lining on a first side of the brake disc and a second brake lining on a second side of the brake disc opposite the first side. A spreading device is also provided which generates a force that moves the first and the second brake lining away from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: ZF CV Systems Europe BV
    Inventors: Frank Beyer, Jochen Frank, Hans-Christian Jungmann, Marcel Kalmbach, Marcus Keller, Peter Moser, Martin Müller, Vitalij Scherer, Mirko Seip, Markus Stafflinger
  • Patent number: 11898612
    Abstract: A brake pad of a vehicle brake, in particular of a disc brake of a commercial vehicle, includes a brake pad carrier having a support surface, a friction lining attached to the support surface, a recess extending into the support surface in an axial direction, and a wear indication device arranged at least partially inside the recess. The brake pad carrier includes a clamping member coupled to the wear indication device that rests against an inner wall of the recess. The clamping member is configured to apply a clamping force on the wear indication device in a radial direction. The wear indication device and the clamping member are inserted axially into the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: ZF CV Systems Europe BV
    Inventor: Wieslaw Strzala
  • Patent number: 11891062
    Abstract: A velocity adjustment system for adjusting a driving velocity of a includes a driver control device configured to receive actuation input from a driver, the actuation input including an actuation parameter. The system further includes an actuation sensor configured to detect the actuation parameter and to output a sensor signal and a velocity control device configured to record the sensor signal and evaluate the actuation input. The velocity control device is designed to compare the actuation parameter with a reference value and to output, based on the comparison, a request signal to an engine control device or a braking request signal to brake control device of a brake system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: ZF CV SYSTEMS EUROPE BV
    Inventors: Nikolai Flaum, Ralph-Carsten Luelfing, Gerd Schuenemann, Torsten Wallbaum