Abstract: A method of operating a clutch serving as a shift element and/or starting clutch of a drive train. During engagement, the clutch will be filled by a fast filling up to a defined minimum pressure. The fast filling is at least subdivided into two phases comprising a basic filling phase and an extension and/or a cutout phase. At the end of the basic filling phase, the actual clutch pressure is measured, and then, when the actual clutch pressure is equal to or larger than the minimum pressure, the extension and/or cutout phase is activated immediately following the basic filling phase. When the actual clutch pressure is lower than the minimum pressure, activation of the extension and/or the cutout phase is at least delayed by a pressure holding phase and, if necessary, by a pressure surplus phase.

Abstract: A foot pedal module (1) including an enclosure (3), a rotor (11), a foot pedal (15), two springs (17, 19) and a circuit board (33). The enclosure (3) has a trunnion (5), an outer ring (29) and a cover (39) for accommodating and protecting the rotor (11). The rotor (11) is linked with a bushing (7), a tappet, a lever (13), two haptic springs (17, 19), two damping elements (21, 23) and a driving element (27). The circuit board (33) carries an inductor array (25) which are designed as flat coils and located opposite the damping elements (21, 23). The foot pedal (15) is linked to the lever (13) and bushing (7) by a ball joint (35) and a socket (27).

Abstract: A torsional vibration damper arrangement such that an excessive radially outward flexing of spring units is effectively prevented while torsional vibrations occurring at low torques are nevertheless sensitively damped and the corresponding spring unit is protected against overloading at the same time.

Abstract: A motor vehicle transmission with a main chamber in which rotation of an input shaft is converted and transmitted to a main shaft connected to a housing of a differential gearbox. The housing can drive two output gears such that different rotational speeds of the output gears can be produced by compensating elements of the differential gearbox. A clutch, with one side connected to the housing and another side connected to the output gear concerned, is provided between one of the two output gears and the housing. The two sides couple due to a pressure build up. The actuating chamber is completely separated from the main chamber and, in the area of the differential gearbox, an impermeable membrane is provided as a separator, which changes its shape as pressure builds up in the actuating chamber and actuates the clutch via an actuating device.

Abstract: An arrangement for shifting a gearbox. The arrangement having first and second transmission components (14) and an axially movable shifting sleeve (17) such that the shifting sleeve (17) and the second transmission component (14) each have respective drive teeth (14a, 17a) that can be brought into engagement with one another. The drive teeth are in the form of beveled teeth (14a, 17a).

Abstract: A device for varying the stroke of first and second hydraulic machines. At least one piston is functionally connected to axes of the hydraulic machines. Depending on power demanded by a driver, the piston can be acted upon, via position and high pressure control valve units of a valve system, with pressures that correspond to a pressure present in the hydraulic machines and that act in a first adjustment direction of the hydraulic machines axes. Pressure in the hydraulic machines is controlled by the position control valve unit and is limited by the high pressure control valve unit. The piston can be acted upon by the valve system with pressures that correspond to the pressure present in the hydraulic machines and that act in a second adjustment direction of the axes of the hydraulic machines, and action of the position control valve unit can be reversed.

Abstract: The vibration damper with an adjustable damping force includes a cylinder filled with a damping medium, a piston rod axially movable in the cylinder and carrying a piston which divides the cylinder into a first working space on the piston rod side and a second working space on the side away from the piston rod, a first adjustable damping valve which is connected to at least one of the two working spaces by means of a fluid connection, at least one second valve which is connected hydraulically in parallel to the first adjustable damping valve, and a third damping valve arranged in series to and upstream from both the first and second valves, the third damping valve moving in a closing direction as a function of a flow velocity of the damping medium through the third damping valve.

Abstract: A transmission device (1) for a vehicle with a variator (3), a planetary gear unit (4) and a gearshift transmission unit (9). The variator (3) has a length which is greater than a width and a depth of the variator (3). When the variator (3) is installed in position in the vehicle, the length of the variator (3) is orientated at least approximately diagonally to the length of the vehicle.

Abstract: A method of controlling and/or regulating a hybrid drive system of a vehicle, with at least one internal combustion engine and at least one electric machine which can be coupled to the input shaft of an automated transmission, at least some of the time, by at least one clutch to facilitate driving of the vehicle such that at least one energy accumulator is charged by the electric machine which is operated as a generator and driven by the internal combustion engine. The electric machine is a synchronizer machine that is continually energized by maintaining a nominal speed of the synchronizer machine below an inflexion speed (n_Eck) during the charging process.

Abstract: A method for monitoring frictional engagement in an automatic or automated motor vehicle transmission having a hydrodynamic starter element when the transmission is in a preset neutral or parking position and the automatic or automated motor vehicle transmission controlled by this method. When the motor vehicle is at or close to a standstill in a preset neutral or parking position, the current transmission rotational input speed and a current engine rotational speed of the drive motor are determined and based on the speed ratio between the current transmission rotational input speed and the current engine rotational speed an error is found to be present if the speed ratio is less than a predefined threshold value, which is less than/equal to 1.

Abstract: A transmission device with at least two output shafts and at least two multi-shaft planetary gearsets being actively connected. A shaft of each gearset can be actively connected with an output shaft. A shifting mechanism is provided, between the two output shafts, for shifting between a first power path and a second power path. In the area of a further shaft of one of the planetary gearsets, torque from an electric machine flows along the first or the second power path. When the first power path is engaged, the torque from the electric machine flows in equal parts and with the same sign to the two output shafts, and when the second power path is engaged, the torque flows to the two output shafts in equal parts but with opposite signs. A motor output shaft of the electric machine is arranged perpendicularly to one of the two output shafts.

Abstract: A method of operating a vehicle drive train, whereby the drive train comprises a drive unit, a transmission, and an all-wheel splitter having an automatically operating clutch, positioned between the transmission and the output. The clutch is operated in a continuous slip mode and in such a way that the all-wheel splitter splits the transmission output torque for variable torque distribution to driven axles. The splitting of the output torque to the driven axles is performed by a control unit, implemented into the all-wheel drive strategy, so that the output torque, less a predetermined nominal torque, is transferred to a first axle, and the nominal torque is transferred to a second axle. When defined operating conditions are met, a limiting of the torque, set by the drive unit, and/or the nominal torque, set by the all-wheel strategy, occurs to avoid a thermal overloading of the clutch of the all-wheel splitter.

Abstract: A method of operating of a drivetrain, having at least a drive motor and an automatic transmission with at least five shift elements, to improve a shift speed such that during a first upshift or a first downshift, at least one required shift element is prepared such that, when a synchronization point is reached, the successive upshift or the successive downshift can be immediately carried out. The method comprises the steps of requiring, at most, two of the at least five shift elements be disengaged and a remainder of the shift elements be disengaged for each gear for transferring one of torque and force; and one of increasing and decreasing a torque of the drive motor, relative to a torque of the drive motor derived from a driver's wish, during one of the first upshift or downshift and the successive upshift or downshift to assist with an overlapped implementation of the successive upshifts or the successive downshifts.

Abstract: A parking interlock arrangement for an automatic transmission of a vehicle which comprises a parking interlock gear (1) operatively connected to an output shaft and which can be locked by way of a locking pawl (2) in a shift position (P) of a notched disk (4). The notched disk (4) is connected, in a rotationally fixed manner, to a selector shaft (5). The locking pawl (2) can be actuated by way of a connecting rod (3), and the connecting rod (3) is operatively connected to the notched disk (4) by way of a coupling device in order to limit the selecting torque to be applied to the selector shaft (5).

Abstract: A ball and socket joint which comprises a joint ball which is enclosed and rotationally supported by a ball socket. The ball socket has two socket parts that move axially relative to one another, and the socket parts act on opposite sides of the joint ball in the axial direction. An adjusting device has a transmission and drive by which the socket parts can be moved toward one another in the axial direction and exert pressure on the joint ball. The transmission comprises a first part which has tracks that rise in the axial direction and curve around a rotational axis oriented in the axial direction and in which a ball is guided. A second part, which contacts the balls, is disposed between the transmission parts in the axial direction. The balls and the first part can be rotated relative to one another about the rotational axis by the drive.

Abstract: A shaft-gear connection comprises a shaft and a shrunk-on gear that has an axial first section, attached by a first shrink-fit bond, and an axial second section, attached by a second shrink-fit bond. The second shrink-fit bond is greater than the first shrink-fit bond so that a greater maximum torque to be transmitted from the gear to the shaft by the second shrink-fit bond than by the first shrink-fit bond. An axial intermediate section, attached by a third shrink-fit bond, is located between the axial first section and the axial second section. Both a surface pressure and a maximum torque that can be transmitted by the third shrink-fit bond are greater than the surface pressure and the maximum torque that can be transmitted by the first shrink-fit bond, but are less than the surface pressure and the maximum torque that can be transmitted by the second shrink-fit bond.

Abstract: A ball and socket joint comprises a joint ball which is enclosed and rotationally supported by a ball socket. The ball socket has two ball socket parts that move relative to one another in an axial direction. The ball socket parts acts on different sides of the joint ball that are opposite one another in the axial direction. A controllable adjusting device bias the two ball socket parts, relative to one another in the axial direction, so that pressure exerted on the joint ball by the twp ball socket parts can be varied. At least a first of the ball socket parts comprises a main body and at least one bearing section, which is elastically connected to the main body and by which the first ball socket part rests against the joint ball.

Abstract: A method of operating a transmission device (3) having a plurality of frictionally engaging shift elements (B, C, D and E) and at least one form-locking shift element (A, F) for implementing different transmission ratios. Upon a requested change in operating state of the transmission device (3), the at least one form-locking shift element (A) is transferred into an at least nearly load-free state, during which the form-locking shift element (A) is transferred from an engaged to a disengaged operating state by increasing the transfer capability of at least one frictionally engaging shift element (E), which is not engaged in the power flow of the transmission device (3) either to represent the present operating state or to represent the requested operating state.

Abstract: A method for controlling a desired speed of a vehicle having a retarder operating in an overrun condition is proposed, such that the desired speed of the vehicle is controlled by a continuously adjustable retarder braking system and/or an engine braking control system.

Abstract: A multi speed transmission comprising planetary gearsets (P1, P2, P3, P4), shafts and shift elements. The sun gear of gearset (P1) couples shaft (4) which can couple housing (G) via brake (04) and the carrier of set (P1) couples shaft (3) which can couple housing (G), via brake (03), and drive shaft (1) via clutch (13), and shaft (6) via clutch (36). Shaft (6) couples the ring gear of gearset (P2) and the sun gears of gearsets (P3, P4). Shaft (1) couples the sun gear of gearset (P2) and is operatively connected to the carrier of gearset (P3). Shaft (7) couples the ring gear of set (P1) and the carrier of gearset (P2). The ring gear of gearset (P4) couples shaft (5) which can couple housing (G) via brake (05) and output shaft (2) operatively couples the carrier of gearset (P4) and the ring gear of gearset (P3).