Patents by Inventor Andy Maes
Andy Maes 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).
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Patent number: 12638075Abstract: An arrangement, including a gearbox housing, a hollow shaft rotatably mounted in the gearbox housing, and a lubrication point located at least partially inside the hollow shaft. The gearbox housing has a ring which encloses a hollow space with an outer circumferential surface of the hollow shaft. The ring has one or more drill holes, each of which opens into the hollow space. The hollow shaft has one or more drill holes, each of which opens into an interior of the hollow shaft and into the hollow space.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2023Date of Patent: May 26, 2026Assignees: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG, ZF WIND POWER ANTWERPEN N.V.Inventors: Wim De Laet, Andy Maes, Stijn Rottiers, Quinten Gaethofs, Koen Krieckemans
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Patent number: 12359715Abstract: A gearbox arrangement with an oil circuit, including at least one lubrication point incorporated in the oil circuit and at least one direction control valve with at least two switching positions and at least three ports, the at least three ports including a first port, a second port, and a third port. In a first switching position the first port and the third port are connected to each other in an oil-conducting manner and disconnected from the second port. In a second switching position, the first port and the second port are connected to each other in an oil-conducting manner and disconnected from the third port. The lubrication point and the second port are connected to each other in an oil-conducting manner. The lubrication point and the third port are not connected to each other in an oil-conducting manner.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2022Date of Patent: July 15, 2025Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AGInventors: Andy Maes, Bert Verdyck, Stijn Rottiers, Wim De Laet
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Publication number: 20250198505Abstract: An arrangement, including a gearbox housing, a hollow shaft rotatably mounted in the gearbox housing, and a lubrication point located at least partially inside the hollow shaft. The gearbox housing has a ring which encloses a hollow space with an outer circumferential surface of the hollow shaft. The ring has one or more drill holes, each of which opens into the hollow space. The hollow shaft has one or more drill holes, each of which opens into an interior of the hollow shaft and into the hollow space.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 19, 2023Publication date: June 19, 2025Inventors: Wim DE LAET, Andy MAES, Stijn ROTTIERS, Quinten GAETHOFS, Koen KRIECKEMANS
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Publication number: 20250198516Abstract: An arrangement including two components with differential speed and an elastic oil transmission ring. One of the two components forms a groove for accommodating the oil transfer ring. The oil transfer ring has a U-shaped cross-section with a first lip and a second lip, wherein the first and second lips are spaced apart and run parallel to each other. The first and second lips each form a contact surface on their outer sides. The contact surfaces lie against two opposing wall surfaces of the groove when the oil transfer ring is mounted between the two components. The contact surfaces are spaced further apart than from each other than the two wall surfaces of the groove when the oil transfer ring is not mounted between the two components.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2022Publication date: June 19, 2025Inventors: Wim DE LAET, Stijn ROTTIERS, Andy MAES, Sonja GORIS
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Patent number: 12146468Abstract: An arrangement including a transmission and a generator is disclosed. The generator includes a generator rotor being non-rotatably connected to an output shaft of the transmission or configured to be connectable to the output shaft of the transmission. An assembly bearing that supports the generator rotor in the output shaft is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: July 1, 2022Date of Patent: November 19, 2024Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AGInventors: Wim De Laet, Andy Maes, Ralf Sperlich
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Patent number: 12098745Abstract: A unit includes a thrust washer having a first abutment and a second abutment. The thrust washer is configured to be moved, by rotation, between a first position in which the thrust washer abuts the first abutment and a second position in which the thrust washer abuts the second abutment. The first abutment and the second abutment are formed by at least one pin and at least one recess. The pin is configured to engage in the recesses, and the recess is designed as a groove that extends tangentially around an axis of rotation of a component that is rotatably mounted by way of the thrust washer.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2020Date of Patent: September 24, 2024Assignees: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG, ZF WIND POWER ANTWERPEN N.V.Inventors: Wim De Laet, Andy Maes, Jan Aerts
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Publication number: 20240288059Abstract: A gearbox arrangement with an oil circuit, including at least one lubrication point incorporated in the oil circuit and at least one direction control valve with at least two switching positions and at least three ports, the at least three ports including a first port, a second port, and a third port. In a first switching position the first port and the third port are connected to each other in an oil-conducting manner and disconnected from the second port. In a second switching position, the first port and the second port are connected to each other in an oil-conducting manner and disconnected from the third port. The lubrication point and the second port are connected to each other in an oil-conducting manner. The lubrication point and the third port are not connected to each other in an oil-conducting manner.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 8, 2022Publication date: August 29, 2024Inventors: Andy MAES, Bert VERDYCK, Stijn ROTTIERS, Wim DE LAET
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Publication number: 20230014947Abstract: An arrangement including a transmission and a generator is disclosed. The generator includes a generator rotor being non-rotatably connected to an output shaft of the transmission or configured to be connectable to the output shaft of the transmission. An assembly bearing that supports the generator rotor in the output shaft is also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 1, 2022Publication date: January 19, 2023Inventors: Wim De Laet, Andy Maes, Ralf Sperlich
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Publication number: 20220145930Abstract: A unit includes a thrust washer having a first abutment and a second abutment. The thrust washer is configured to be moved, by rotation, between a first position in which the thrust washer abuts the first abutment and a second position in which the thrust washer abuts the second abutment. The first abutment and the second abutment are formed by at least one pin and at least one recess. The pin is configured to engage in the recesses, and the recess is designed as a groove that extends tangentially around an axis of rotation of a component that is rotatably mounted by way of the thrust washer.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 3, 2020Publication date: May 12, 2022Inventors: Wim De Laet, Andy Maes, Jan Aerts
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Patent number: 10626977Abstract: A corrosion inhibitor container configured to be screwed into a core hole of a gearbox housing via at least one external thread includes at least one chamber for holding a corrosion inhibitor, at least one gas-permeable wall separating the at least one chamber from an interior of the gearbox housing when the corrosion inhibitor container is screwed into the core hole, the at least one external thread, at least one internal thread, and a screw plug configured to be screwed into the internal thread. The screw plug is configured to be screwed into the core hole when the corrosion inhibitor container is not screwed into the core hole.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2017Date of Patent: April 21, 2020Assignees: ZF Friedrichshafen AG, ZF Wind Power Antwerpen N.V.Inventors: Rik Beque, Stijin Rottiers, Andy Maes, Koen Krieckemans
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Publication number: 20190048989Abstract: A corrosion inhibitor container configured to be screwed into a core hole of a gearbox housing via at least one external thread includes at least one chamber for holding a corrosion inhibitor, at least one gas-permeable wall separating the at least one chamber from an interior of the gearbox housing when the corrosion inhibitor container is screwed into the core hole, the at least one external thread, at least one internal thread, and a screw plug configured to be screwed into the internal thread. The screw plug is configured to be screwed into the core hole when the corrosion inhibitor container is not screwed into the core hole.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 26, 2017Publication date: February 14, 2019Applicants: ZF Friedrichshafen AG, ZF Wind Power Antwerpen N.V.Inventors: Rik BEQUÉ, Stijn ROTTIERS, Andy MAES, Koen KRIECKEMANS
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Patent number: 7771127Abstract: Bearing assembly (1) for supporting a transmission shaft (2) in a housing (3), comprising an axially non-locating bearing (5) and a pair of angular contact bearings (7,8) which locate the shaft (2) against movement in axial direction (AA?), whereby the shaft (2) is subjected to radial and/or axial load forces (Frad,Fax), characterized in that the housing (2) is adapted in order to obtain the desired stiffness for each of the two angular contact bearings (7,8), whereby a load sharing between said two bearings (7,8) is induced.Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 2006Date of Patent: August 10, 2010Assignee: Hansen Transmissions InternationalInventors: Warren Smook, Andy Maes
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Publication number: 20080124014Abstract: Bearing assembly (1) for supporting a transmission shaft (2) in a housing (3), comprising an axially non-locating bearing (5) and a pair of angular contact bearings (7,8) which locate the shaft (2) against movement in axial direction (AA?), whereby the shaft (2) is subjected to radial and/or axial load forces (Frad, Fax), characterised in that the housing (2) is adapted in order to obtain the desired stiffness for each of the two angular contact bearings (7,8), whereby a load sharing between said two bearings (7,8) is induced.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 9, 2006Publication date: May 29, 2008Applicant: HANSEN TRANSMISSIONS INTERNATIONALInventors: Warren Smook, Andy Maes