Patents by Inventor Andreas Söns

Andreas Söns 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: 7401872
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and a system for controlling a braking equipment of a motor vehicle in order to activate the braking equipment at a standstill of the motor vehicle such that braking forces are built up which are necessary to keep the motor vehicle in a state of standstill. To this end it is established on the basis of vehicle movements whether the vehicle is at a standstill. If vehicle movements are detected that cannot occur during driving modes of the motor vehicle, the motor vehicle is in a state of standstill. Subsequently, the braking equipment, and in particular a holding brake mechanism included in the braking equipment, are activated. In order to provide braking forces keeping the motor vehicle at a standstill also when it is on a slope, the braking equipment, and in particular the holding brake mechanism, are controlled in response of the vehicle inclination present in the state of standstill.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Lucas Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Kinder, Gerhard Klapper, Reza Shokoufandeh, Franz-Josef Endres, Ralf Leiter, Lorenz Maack, Andreas Söns
  • Patent number: 7338137
    Abstract: The present invention provides driveaway assistance for a motor vehicle having braking equipment which, in the standstill condition of the motor vehicle, automatically or under the control of a vehicle driver summons up braking forces needed for the standstill condition. To assist start-up (driveaway) of the motor vehicle through a reduction of the braking forces generated in the standstill condition, a driveaway request or a vehicle driver is determined when defined conditions, which are to be met for driveaway of the motor vehicle, exist in the standstill condition. Once a driveaway request has been recognized, the operating state of the motor vehicle is checked until an operating condition required for driveaway exists. Once such an operating condition is reached, the braking equipment of the motor vehicle is controlled in such a way that its braking forces generated in the standstill condition are reduced to allow driveaway of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Lucas Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Kinder, Gerhard Klapper, Reza Shokoufandeh, Franz-Josef Endres, Ralf Leiter, Lorenz Maack, Andreas Söns, Gregor Poertzgen
  • Patent number: 6994407
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a device for controlling braking equipment of a motor vehicle. Here, an operating state of a motor vehicle is determined, in which the motor vehicle is to be brought from a state, in which its speed is not zero, into a state, in which the vehicle no longer moves. If such a transition from a traveling state into a state of standstill is determined, braking equipment of the motor vehicle is controlled such that braking forces are produced, which are capable of bringing the motor vehicle into the state of standstill and/or assisting a vehicle driver in doing this. It is also possible to produce braking forces in the state of standstill, which are capable of holding the motor vehicle in the state of standstill. The present invention additionally enables to assist a vehicle driver when starting a motor vehicle. In this case, an operating state of the motor vehicle is detected in which the motor vehicle is to be brought from a state of standstill into a traveling state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Lucas Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Kinder, Gerhard Klapper, Reza Shokoufandeh, Franz-Josef Endres, Ralf Leiter, Lorenz Maack, Andreas Söns
  • Patent number: 6287500
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a brake rotor which includes a disc-shaped carrier and friction rings arranged on or on top of the carrier, so that the friction rings and carrier form a single piece construction. The carrier and friction ring(s) are separately molded into pre-forms, subsequently joined and finished formed in a press tool. The carrier and friction rings are made from carbon/carbon materials and ceramic materials respectively. The carrier has a hat-shaped cross-sectional shape with a flanged outer edge and the friction rings are attached to each side of the flanged edge of the carrier. The brake rotor may be directly mounted onto the wheel flange via the carrier using bolts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignees: DaimlerChrysler AG, SGL Carbon Composites, Inc., Hitco
    Inventors: Dino Militello, Manfred Roessler, Ruediger Lichnofsky, Tilmann Haug, Emil Naeumann, Karl-Heinz Roess, Andreas Soens, Detlef Sokolowsky, Claus-Peter Weidner
  • Patent number: 6230555
    Abstract: A device for measuring the braking moment in a motor vehicle with disk brakes incorporates a measuring hub mounted on a wheel axle and connected with a wheel rim. Viewed in the radial direction, the hub is divided into an inner part close to the axle and an outer part that forms the marginal area of the measuring hub and surrounds the inner part concentrically. These two sections are connected to one another by ribs which extend radially, with sensors mounted thereon for measuring the bending stress acting on the ribs as a result of the introduction of a torque. In order to determine the braking moments acting on the disk brake without superimposition of other moments acting on the vehicle wheel, the brake disk of a braking device of the motor vehicle surrounds the outer part of the hub concentrically, and is fastened only to the outer part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Dieter Doerrie, Andreas Soens
  • Patent number: 6119827
    Abstract: A brake rotor includes a disc-shaped carrier and friction rings arranged on or on top of the carrier, so that the friction rings and carrier form a single piece construction. The carrier and friction rings are made from carbon/carbon materials and ceramic materials respectively. The carrier has a hat-shaped cross-sectional shape with a flanged outer edge and the friction rings are attached to each side of the flanged edge of the carrier. The brake rotor may be directly mounted onto the wheel flange via the carrier using bolts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignees: DaimlerChrysler AG, SGL Carbon Composites, Inc., Hitco
    Inventors: Dino Militello, Manfred Roessler, Ruediger Lichnofsky, Tilmann Haug, Emil Naeumann, Karl-Heinz Roess, Andreas Soens, Detlef Sokolowsky, Claus-Peter Weidner