Patents by Inventor Andreas Förster

Andreas Förster 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).

  • Publication number: 20170074345
    Abstract: A vibration damper includes at least one tube element and a piston which is displaceable in axial direction in the tube element, a piston rod connected to the piston, and a damping force generating device, wherein the piston divides the working space in the interior of the tube element into a first working space on the piston rod side and a second working space remote of the piston rod, and wherein a hydraulic transmission element is arranged in or at the piston, and the transmission behavior of the hydraulic transmission element depends on the movement of the piston or of the piston rod, wherein the hydraulic transmission element encloses a compensation volume. The size of the compensation volume of the transmission element depends on the annular area of the piston which is the difference of the cross-sectional area of the piston and the cross-sectional area of the piston rod.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2015
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Inventor: Andreas FÖRSTER
  • Publication number: 20170009842
    Abstract: A vibration damper with at least with at least two tube elements that are arranged one inside the other and a piston rod that is movable in a piston rod guide. A valve having a valve slide for at least partially closing at least one flow path of a fluid flowing through the valve is arranged in a region of one end of the piston rod guide. The valve has an input side and an output side. Pressure impingement areas of the valve slide are substantially the same size for an opening pressure and for a closing pressure, and the valve has a constriction via which a pressure difference between opening pressure and closing pressure can be generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Inventor: Andreas FÖRSTER
  • Publication number: 20170009841
    Abstract: A valve for a vibration damper having a valve housing and a valve slide movable in the valve housing for at least partially closing at least one flow path of a fluid flowing through the valve. The valve has an input side and an output side. The pressure impingement surfaces of the valve slide for an opening pressure and for a closing pressure are substantially equal, and the valve slide has a constriction via which a pressure difference between opening pressure and closing pressure can be generated. At least one channel connects the interior space of the valve slide to the exterior space of the valve slide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2015
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Inventor: Andreas FÖRSTER
  • Publication number: 20170012494
    Abstract: A vibration damper having a cylinder filled with pressurized medium and in which a displacer drives a generator. The vibration damper has a compensation element that compensates pressure peaks from the displacer movement relative to the generator. The compensation element is constructed as a variable-torque clutch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2015
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Inventors: Robert PRADEL, Helmut BAALMANN, Andreas FÖRSTER, Eberhard SIMON, Achim THOMAE, Sebastian SCHNEIDER
  • Publication number: 20170012495
    Abstract: A vibration damper having a cylinder filled with pressurized medium and a displacer that drives a generator. The vibration damper has a resilience element that compensates pressure peaks from the displacer movement relative to the generator. The resilience element is constructed as a torsion damper for the generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2015
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Inventors: Robert PRADEL, Helmut BAALMANN, Andreas FÖRSTER, Eberhard SIMON, Achim THOMAE, Sebastian SCHNEIDER
  • Publication number: 20160215847
    Abstract: Valve for a vibration damper having a valve housing and a valve slide movable in the valve housing to at least partially close at least one flow path of a fluid flowing through the valve. The valve has an input side and an output side. Pressure impingement surfaces of the valve slide are substantially equal for an opening pressure and for a closing pressure, and the valve slide has a restriction through which a pressure difference between opening pressure and closing pressure can be generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Inventor: Andreas FÖRSTER
  • Patent number: 9310810
    Abstract: An adjustable damping valve device (27), in particular for a vibration damper, comprises a first valve (47) and an emergency operation valve (61), both of which are actuated by magnetic force. The emergency operation has a valve body (61) which is preloaded in a closed position by at least one valve spring. A pressure-relief valve (85) is connected hydraulically in parallel with the emergency operation valve (61) so that the damping force is determined by the pressure-relief valve (85) when the emergency operation valve (61) is closed. The pressure-relief valve (85) is arranged in the valve body (63) of the emergency operation valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Andreas Förster
  • Patent number: 9297437
    Abstract: An adjustable damping valve arrangement for a vibration damper comprises an actuator which exerts an actuating force on a multiple-part auxiliary valve body of an auxiliary valve. The auxiliary valve influences a closing force on a main stage valve via an auxiliary valve closing body which is movable axially relative to a shaft portion on the actuator side. During a lift movement, a main stage valve body of the main stage valve compresses a rear space connected to the control space via the auxiliary valve. An auxiliary valve closing spring acts upon the auxiliary valve closing body in closing direction independently from the actuator control, and the rear space has a flow-off channel having a damping valve which generates a damping force during a lift movement of the main stage valve body when the rear space is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Andreas Förster
  • Patent number: 9267607
    Abstract: An actuator for an adjustable damping valve device includes an armature which has an axial valve stem. At least one spring loads the armature in a direction opposite to the magnetic armature force generated by a magnetic coil. The position of the valve stem is adjustable with respect to a defined valve position of the damping valve device. The spring loading the armature is supported at a spring bearing which is accessible via a housing wall of the actuator and which can be adjusted with respect to its axial position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Andreas Förster
  • Patent number: 9163693
    Abstract: An adjustable damping valve device for a vibration damper includes an actuator which exerts an adjusting force on a valve body. The valve body has at least one surface acted upon by pressure of a damping medium as part of a pressure space. The surface acted upon by pressure causes an adjusting force on the valve body, and the pressure space is connected to a gas receiving space in the damping valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Andreas Förster
  • Publication number: 20150192114
    Abstract: Energy-recuperating vibration damper having a cylinder in which a displacer executes a limited operating movement in a working chamber so that a pressurized fluid is supplied to a fluid motor which drives a generator. A compensation chamber compensates for a change in volume of the pressurized fluid. A pressure accumulator is provided in addition to the compensation chamber, which pressure accumulator communicates with and is parallel-connected to the fluid motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2013
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Inventors: Michael Triebel, Achim Thomae, Helmut Baalmann, Wilhelm-Heinrich Broocks, Oswald Lichtlein, Steffen Heyn, Andreas Förster, Joachim Gajek, Robert Pradel, Anke Sonnemann
  • Publication number: 20150176623
    Abstract: A self-drilling and tapping screw for directly screwing together components includes a head and a shank integrally formed with the head. The shank has a self-tapping thread section and, in front thereof, a punch-forming section for flow punch forming. The shank further has at least one cutting edge with a chip removal function, which is essentially located in front of the self-tapping thread section, wherein on the one hand this cutting edge makes it possible to generate a clearance hole into at least one of the components by turning the screw, while on the other hand not impairing a flow punch forming in another component. A component assembly may be joined together by use of at least one such self-drilling and tapping screw.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Inventors: Georg VOGEL, Dominik FROEHLICH, Maximilian Felix WILHELM, Andreas FORSTER, Manuel KAISER, Andreas SOMNITZ
  • Publication number: 20150174714
    Abstract: A method and device are provided for directly screwing together at least two components using a self-drilling and tapping screw which has a head and a shank formed onto the head with a self-tapping thread section and a hole-drilling section for flow drilling. The components are held pressed against one another by a holding down clamp while the screw is screwed in. The holding down force, with which the holding down clamp presses the components against one another while the screw is screwed in, is varied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2015
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Inventors: Andreas SOMNITZ, Manuel KAISER, Maximilian WILHELM, Andreas FORSTER
  • Patent number: 8744690
    Abstract: A method for determining a criterion of the severity of an accident by means of an acceleration signal and a solid-borne sound signal. The signal edge direction of the absolute value of the acceleration signal is detected. If the signal edge of the absolute value of the acceleration signal drops, the solid-borne sound signal which occurs in the process is evaluated. The solid-borne sound signal may be integrated and the criterion of the severity of the accident is derived therefrom. This criterion of the severity of the accident can be used directly, or as a function of criteria, to trigger the protection devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Feser, Christian Smykalla, Andreas Forster, Udo Geissler
  • Publication number: 20130341142
    Abstract: An adjustable damping valve arrangement for a vibration damper comprises an actuator which exerts an actuating force on a multiple-part auxiliary valve body of an auxiliary valve. The auxiliary valve influences a closing force on a main stage valve via an auxiliary valve closing body which is movable axially relative to a shaft portion on the actuator side. During a lift movement, a main stage valve body of the main stage valve compresses a rear space connected to the control space via the auxiliary valve. An auxiliary valve closing spring acts upon the auxiliary valve closing body in closing direction independently from the actuator control, and the rear space has a flow-off channel having a damping valve which generates a damping force during a lift movement of the main stage valve body when the rear space is closed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2013
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Inventor: Andreas FÖRSTER
  • Patent number: 8567343
    Abstract: For the milking of animals, in particular cows, in a milking installation comprising a plurality of milking places, a method and a device are proposed wherein the milk yields extracted during a milking session at some milking places or the characteristics corresponding to the milk yields are determined and evaluated and in particular compared with prognoses as to milk yield or characteristics. These measures allow on the one hand that sufficiently accurate data are provided for herd management while on the other hand the investment cost for a milking installation are reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: GEA Farm Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Heinz Francke, Bernhard Schulze Wartenhorst, Andreas Forster, Peter Maguire
  • Publication number: 20130263943
    Abstract: An adjustable damping valve device (27), in particular for a vibration damper, comprises a first valve (47) and an emergency operation valve (61), both of which are actuated by magnetic force. The emergency operation has a valve body (61) which is preloaded in a closed position by at least one valve spring. A pressure-relief valve (85) is connected hydraulically in parallel with the emergency operation valve (61) so that the damping force is determined by the pressure-relief valve (85) when the emergency operation valve (61) is closed. The pressure-relief valve (85) is arranged in the valve body (63) of the emergency operation valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Inventor: Andreas Förster
  • Publication number: 20130248021
    Abstract: An actuator for an adjustable damping valve device includes an armature which has an axial valve stem. At least one spring loads the armature in a direction opposite to the magnetic armature force generated by a magnetic coil . The position of the valve stem is adjustable with respect to a defined valve position of the damping valve device. The spring loading the armature is supported at a spring bearing which is accessible via a housing wall of the actuator and which can be adjusted with respect to its axial position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Inventor: Andreas Förster
  • Patent number: 8485224
    Abstract: An adjustable damping valve device, for a vibration damper, includes a first valve and emergency operation valve, both of which are actuated by a shared solenoid. The emergency operation valve carries out a relative movement relative to the first valve when passing from the emergency operation position into normal operation. A magnetic flux guiding element is arranged in the magnetic flux between the first valve and the emergency operation valve and determines the magnetic flux for the emergency operation valve and for the first valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Andreas Förster
  • Publication number: 20130032315
    Abstract: The invention relates to a heat exchanger for a refrigerant dryer such as a compressed air refrigerant dryer comprising at least one first inflow surface element, past which a fluid to be dried such as compressed air can flow during operation of the heat exchanger, and comprising at least one second inflow surface element, past which a refrigerant fluid can flow as required during operation of the heat exchanger, wherein the first and second inflow surface elements are or can be coupled at least in some areas to at least one cold store chamber that is provided for filling with a cold accumulator medium, and wherein the first and/or second inflow surface element(s) (is) are connected to at least one heat transfer element which extends into the cold store chamber, e.g. penetrates the cold store chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Applicant: KAESER KOMPRESSOREN AG
    Inventors: Andreas Förster, Andreas Fredenhagen, Michael Feisthauer, Andreas Walter, Kristian Dering