Patents by Inventor Alexander Zernickel

Alexander Zernickel has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6250334
    Abstract: The invention concerns a centering device for steering valves of automotive vehicles and is characterized in that a needle roller bearing (16) is arranged between the drive shaft (5) and the valve bushing (12), said needle roller bearing (16) having an outer bearing ring (17) which is configured as a thin-walled sleeve which comprises, in at least one peripheral section, an elastically yielding raceway convexity (18) deviating from the circular shape, and said peripheral section comprises an angular groove (22) which is situated radially opposite an angular groove (23) disposed in an associated portion of the drive shaft (5). The needle roller bearing (16) of the invention assures a fine centering to the hydraulic center of the steering valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: INA Walzlager Schaeffler oHG
    Inventors: Uwe Abraham, Alexander Zernickel, Peter Jennes
  • Patent number: 6240826
    Abstract: The invention concerns a radial piston pump comprising a rotating pump shaft having an end portion connected to a rotationally fixed eccentric ring, said radial piston pump further comprising an eccentric bearing arranged on an outer peripheral surface of the eccentric ring, the eccentric bearing comprising a needle roller bushing having radially inward directed flanges between which bearing needle rollers are arranged for rolling, at least one pump plunger arranged in a pump housing and extending radially of the pump shaft being supported by an end face on the needle roller bushing, while the end portion of the pump shaft is supported in a housing via an adjacent second support bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: INA Walzlager Schaffler oHG
    Inventors: Alexander Zernickel, Jörg Wagner, Horst Döppling
  • Patent number: 6170351
    Abstract: A device for converting a rotary motion into an axial motion has a threaded spindle (1), a nut concentrically surrounding the threaded spindle with a clearance and a plurality of axially parallel rollers (2) guided in a cage (6) and arranged in the clearance, said rollers (2) have a circumferential profile by which they mesh with the external thread of the threaded spindle (1) and with the corresponding internal thread of the nut. Each of these rollers (2) is axially displaceable within the cage (6) by the dimension of the thread pitch during a rotation of the nut relative to the threaded spindle (1), while at the end of such a rotation, each roller (2) is re-displaceable within an axial groove (7) of the nut into the starting position by a cam (8, 12) arranged in the vicinity of each end face of the cage (6). According to the invention, the nut is a thin-walled sheet metal sleeve (3) made by non-chipping shaping. In this way, a device with a simpler structure and more economic to manufacture is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2001
    Assignee: Ina Walzlager Schaeffler oHG
    Inventor: Alexander Zernickel
  • Patent number: 6158896
    Abstract: A play-free radial ball bearing in which the inner bearing ring is constructed in two parts, whereby at least one of the two bearing ring elements (4, 5) is axially and radially movable and the bearing outer ring (6, 23, 25) has a race (2) with a radius that is clearly larger that the radius of the bearing balls (1). Due to the significantly greater osculation of the outer race (2) in comparison to the bearing balls (1), a restricted tipping of the shaft with, at the same time, freedom from play in the bearing, is made possible in connection with the two part movable inner ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2000
    Assignee: INA Walzlager Schaeffler oHG
    Inventors: Alexander Zernickel, Rainer Lutz, Herbert Erhart
  • Patent number: 6116109
    Abstract: An apparatus for converting a rotational movement into a rectilinear movement includes a threaded spindle, a nut (8) which surrounds the latter concentrically at a spacing, and a number of rolling bodies which are disposed in the spacing and roll on the track-forming outer thread of the threaded spindle as well as on the corresponding track (4) forming inner thread of the nut (8). The rolling bodies are guided by a cage (9) which includes slot-shaped pockets (11) disposed sequentially at spacings in the circumferential direction for receiving the rolling bodies, whereby, during a rotation of the nut (8) relative to the threaded spindle, each rolling body is axially displaceable by the amount of the threaded pitch inside the cage (9). At the conclusion of this rotation inside an axial groove (13) in the nut (8), the rolling body can be returned to its initial position by a cam (15) disposed in the vicinity of an end face of the cage (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Assignee: Ina Walzlager Schaeffler OHG
    Inventor: Alexander Zernickel
  • Patent number: 6073309
    Abstract: A door lock which is formed integrally with a motor vehicle door hinge and which includes a housing fixedly secured to the hinge pin or the one of the first and second hinge halves, a holding element having at least a partially curved running track concentric with a hinge pin axis and a plurality of detent points, a plurality of braking and locking members cooperating with the holding element for retaining a motor vehicle door in a predetermined braking and locking position, and formed as rolling bodies rotatable about respective support axles having their axes extending transverse to hinge pin axis, a carrier for supporting the braking and locking members, a spring for biasing the braking and locking members into engagement with the holding element, and an arrangement securing the holding element or the carrier to the housing without a possibility of rotation relative thereto and for axial displacement relative thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2000
    Assignee: ED. Scharwachter GmbH
    Inventors: Bernd-Alfred Kluting, Alexander Zernickel, Detlef Gorgens, Rolf Fleischhauer
  • Patent number: 6062736
    Abstract: A thin-walled inner bushing (1) comprising a raceway (5) which is provided with elastically yielding raceway convexities (2) which merge at one end into radially extending sections (7) which are connected to one another by a further, outer bushing (9) whereby play can be eliminated from the bearing even without the hitherto required intermediate rings of polymer material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: Ina Walzlager Schaeffler oHG
    Inventor: Alexander Zernickel
  • Patent number: 6015238
    Abstract: A rolling bearing for rotary movements comprising an inner bearing ring (1), an outer bearing ring (2) and rolling elements in the form of rollers arranged between said inner and outer bearing rings for permitting a transmission of radial and axial forces from one bearing ring to the other, wherein the rollers form two different groups, the rollers of one group being configured as cylindrical rollers (4) having a circular cylindrical outer peripheral surface, while the rollers of the other group are configured as profiled rollers (5) having an outer peripheral surface comprising circular grooves arranged axially behind one another, whereby a rolling bearing having a high axial and radial bearing capacity is created.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2000
    Assignee: INA Walzlager Schaeffler oHG
    Inventor: Alexander Zernickel
  • Patent number: 5956997
    Abstract: A worm gear for transforming a rotary motion into a reciprocating motion comprises a threaded spindle (2) which is mounted for rotation on at least one needle roller bearing (5) in a gear ring nut (22) which functions as a housing (21). A profiled gear ring (19) engages the thread of the spindle (2) at one peripheral point for axially displacing the gear ring nut (22). This gear ring (19) surrounds the threaded spindle (2) and is arranged eccentric to the spindle axis (3). Further, the gear ring (19) is surrounded by a radial rolling bearing on which the gear ring (19) is rotatably mounted in the housing (21). According to the invention, the housing (21) is composed of rotationally symmetrical sheet metal parts made by chipless deep drawing, the inner surfaces of which sheet metal parts directly comprise the outer rolling element raceways for the bearings. In this way, an easy-to-mount worm gear with a simplified structure is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: INA Walzlager Schaeffler OHG
    Inventors: Jurgen Oetjen, Alexander Zernickel
  • Patent number: 5921577
    Abstract: A clamping device for a steering column (6) which is guided in fixed mounting arms (4, 5) and comprises a tie bolt (7) which is arranged at right angles to the steering column (6), the tie bolt (7) extends between the two mounting arms (4, 5), there being arranged on one end of the tie bolt (7), between a thrust washer (11a) and the mounting arm (4), a clamping washer (12a) comprising clamping ramps (13a) on which rolling elements (14a) are supported while being guided in a retention disc (15a) mounted for rotation on the tie bolt (7), the retention disc (15a) can be rotated by means of a hand lever (19), and, depending on a direction of rotation of the retention disc (15a), the mounting arms (4, 5) effect a clamping or a releasing of the steering column (6), characterized in that the clamping device (1a) comprises a pot-shaped housing (2) which bears against the mounting arm (4) by a bottom (3) and encloses all the clamping means, the housing (2) is closed at one end by a thrust washer (11a), while the clamp
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignees: INA Walzlager Schaeffler KG, Daimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jurgen Weiss, Wilfried Soyka, Reiner Martin, Alexander Zernickel, Stephan Gaertner, Thomas Kambies, Michael Siemers, Reiner Scheu
  • Patent number: 5839835
    Abstract: A self-aligning ball bearing for steering shafts (7) of automotive vehicles having an elastic convexity (8) deviating from the circular shape and arranged in at least one peripheral section of at least one of the raceways (2, 4), preferably of the outer raceway (2), so that two adjacent bearing balls (5) are radially prestressed between the raceway convexity (8) and the facing raceway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Assignee: Ina Walzlager Schaeffler KG
    Inventors: Alexander Zernickel, Herbert Erhardt, Rainer Lutz
  • Patent number: 5632563
    Abstract: A radial bearing with an outer race ring or bush arranged between the bearing in a housing bore having an integrally formed portion which is bent at a certain angle to a bearing axis and merges into a portion extending coaxially with the outer race ring so that a structural unit open in an axial direction and having spring elastic properties is formed that can be economically manufactured and used in a wide variety of areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1997
    Assignee: Ina Walzlager Schaeffler KG
    Inventor: Alexander Zernickel
  • Patent number: 5458422
    Abstract: In a zero-clearance radial ball bearing, two outer bearing race sections (4, 5) made by non-cutting methods together support an outer race (2) while between it and a concentric inner race (3) run bearing balls (1). Against the first bearing race section (4) bears a sleeve section (7) which circumferentially and axially surrounds the second race section (5). A spring component (10) pressing the two race section (4, 5) together acts between the sleeve section (7) and the second bearing race sections (5) in such a way that the balls (1) run with zero clearance. In order to improve the rigidity of such a radial ball bearing and especially the sleeve section (7), it is proposed that the two axial ends of the sleeve section (7) project axially beyond the balls (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 17, 1995
    Assignee: Ina Walzlager Schaeffler KG
    Inventors: Alexander Zernickel, Horst Scholian, Horst Doppling
  • Patent number: 5439298
    Abstract: A bearing (1) for the wheel suspension strut of a motor vehicle has an inner and an outer bearing ring (2, 3). The inner bearing ring (2) radially encloses a clearance ring (5) concentrically arranged in its bore (4). A bearing housing (8) made of deep-drawn sheet metal encloses the outer bearing ring (3). In order to reduce the total mass of the bearing and to allow it to be easily linked to a neighboring part of the car body, the bearing housing (8) forms a single piece with a flange (9) that extends essentially transversely to the bearing axis (10). The flange has at least one bore and screw (12, 13) for securing the suspension strut bearing (1) to a neighboring part of the car body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1995
    Assignee: Ina Walzlager Schaeffler KG
    Inventors: Alexander Zernickel, Horst Doppling, Horst Scholian
  • Patent number: 5193917
    Abstract: A rolling bearing, in particular for steering columns of automotive vehicles, comprising rolling elements in the form of balls arranged between an inner ring and another ring, and a tolerance ring made of a polymeric material which is at least partially surrounded by the inner ring and is pressed axially against the inner ring in the direction of the balls by a spring, characterized in that the spring (7, 17) is made of a polymeric material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1993
    Assignee: INA Walzlager Schaeffler KG
    Inventors: Hellmut Adler, Alexander Zernickel
  • Patent number: 5125755
    Abstract: A tolerance ring made of polymeric material arranged between a radial rolling bearing and a seating on a shaft or in the bore of a housing, wherein the tolerance ring bears against a radially directed surface of the seating on the shaft or housing bore in at least one axial direction and comprises a radially directed surface against which a bearing ring of the rolling bearing bears in the same axial direction with an end face, characterized in that the radially directed surface of the seating and the end face of the bearing ring do not overlap radially which avoids axial overloading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1992
    Assignee: INA Walzlager Schaeffler KG
    Inventors: Hellmut Adler, Alexander Zernickel
  • Patent number: 5002404
    Abstract: A radial rolling bearing with a pulse pick-up device for the determination of the rotational speed and angle of rotation of the bearing and/or the direction of rotation, which bearing comprises at least one race ring with rolling elements between the race ring and a counter raceway concentric with it, rolling elements roll and which at one end is provided with a pulser ring in the form of a radial sheet metal flange with recesses or through holes distributed over its periphery, characterized in that the race ring is made as a thin-walled component which at one end face merges into an integrally formed and radially directed flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1991
    Inventors: Alexander Zernickel, Hellmut Adler