Patents by Inventor Bernd Fessler

Bernd Fessler 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: 6890275
    Abstract: A continuously variable transmission for a motor vehicle, possessing a variator (2, 2?) with a primary V-pulley set (3, 3?) and a secondary V-pulley set (4, 4?). In this arrangement are a primary V-pulley disk (5, 5?) and a secondary V-pulley disk (6, 6?), which are axially slidable by hydraulic force for the controlled adjustment of a pressure can be, respectively, loaded with an oil flow through an electro-hydraulically controlled pressure supply apparatus (1, 1?). The pressure supply apparatus (1,1?) is so designed, that the oil flow is brought to the V-pulley disks (5, 5?, 5, 6?) through a pressure line (8, 8?, 9, 9?) with at least one pressure controller (10, 10?, 11, 11?) and one pressure chamber (12, 12?, 13, 13?) with a variable volume (V1, V2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Andreas Piepenbrink, Bernd Fessler, Wolfgang Runge
  • Patent number: 6891710
    Abstract: Method for control of a proportional magnet comprising a magnet core, a magnet armature, a magnet coil for operating a control element in a shift valve or a proportional pressure-control valve, particularly a pressure-control valve for clutch operation in an automatic motor vehicle transmission, and comprising an electronic control device, whereby the magnet core may be moved back and forth between a control region and a hold region with a magnetic hold position of the magnet armature and a defined transition from the control region to the hold position may be executed and whereby mechanisms are provided for recognition of the movements of the magnet armature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Karlheinz Mayr, Markus Eisele, Robert Ingenbleek, Walter Kill, Hubert Remmlinger, Jochen Fischer, Bernd Fessler
  • Patent number: 6688383
    Abstract: A method of adjusting an operating temperature of a control device (2) of a motor vehicle automatic transmission. The transmission control has a hydraulic unit (3) and an electronic unit (4) with electronic modules. The control device (3)is situated in a transmission housing which is partially filled with transmission oil and at least partly surrounded by transmission oil. The control device (2) has a cooling device (5) by which at least part of the electronic unit (4) is cooled with the transmission oil. The transmission oil has a temperature &THgr;C which is lower than a prevailing transmission oil temperature &THgr;G. The electronic unit (4) is impinged upon with a defined volume flow of the transmission oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: ZF Batavia L.L.C.
    Inventors: Stefan Sommer, Bernd Fessler
  • Patent number: 6668978
    Abstract: The invention concerns an oil supply system for an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle having one hydrodynamic starting element. It has one oil pump (2) to convey oil to a variator (9, 10) and/or to shifting elements (12, 13), to a converter unit (19) that can be supplied with oil via two oil lines (23, 25), especially a hydrodynamic torque converter (20) having a converter lock-up clutch (21), and to a lubrication device (28), the same as at least one filter device (3, 31) and one oil cooling device (17). Here are provided one prioritized primary circuit (6) with a main pressure adjusted by a main pressure valve (3) for pressure supply of the variator (9, 10) and/or of the shifting elements (12, 13) and a secondary circuit (7) for oil supply of the lubrication device (28).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: ZF Batavia L.L.C.
    Inventors: Bernd Fessler, Friedrich Reiter
  • Publication number: 20030066710
    Abstract: The invention concerns an oil supply system for an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle having one hydrodynamic starting element. It has one oil pump (2) to convey oil to a variator (9, 10) and/or to shifting elements (12, 13), to a converter unit (19) that can be supplied with oil via two oil lines (23, 25), especially a hydrodynamic torque converter (20) having a converter lock-up clutch (21), and to a lubrication device (28), the same as at least one filter device (3, 31) and one oil cooling device (17). Here are provided one prioritized primary circuit (6) with a main pressure adjusted by a main pressure valve (3) for pressure supply of the variator (9, 10) and/or of the shifting elements (12, 13) and a secondary circuit (7) for oil supply of the lubrication device (28).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2001
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Inventors: Bernd Fessler, Friedrich Reiter
  • Patent number: 6537176
    Abstract: An arrangement for operating a CVT transmission of a motor vehicle is proposed which comprises a hydraulic circuit supplied from a hydraulic pressure source (8) having two parallel second branches (16, 17) attached to the first branch (9) of the hydraulic circuit each for supplying pressure to a hydraulic actuator (4, 5) for respectively a cone pulley pair (2, 3) of the transmission wherein with the first branch (9) and each second branch (16, 18) an independently controllable pressure valve system (12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21) is associated for adjusting the hydraulic pressure in the respective branch (9, 16, 17). According to the invention at least one of the pressure valve systems (18, 19, 20, 21) associated with the second branches (16, 17) has a controllable pressure-differential valve (18, 19) connected between the first branch (9) and the second branch (16, 17) concerned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: ZF Batavia L.L.C.
    Inventor: Bernd Fessler
  • Publication number: 20030011454
    Abstract: Method for control of a proportional magnet comprising a magnet core, a magnet armature, a magnet coil for operating a control element in a shift valve or a proportional pressure-control valve, particularly a pressure-control valve for clutch operation in an automatic motor vehicle transmission, and comprising an electronic control device, whereby the magnet core may be moved back and forth between a control region and a hold region with a magnetic hold position of the magnet armature and a defined transition from the control region to the hold position may be executed and whereby mechanisms are provided for recognition of the movements of the magnet armature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2002
    Publication date: January 16, 2003
    Inventors: Karlheinz Mayr, Markus Eisele, Robert Ingenbleek, Walter Kill, Hubert Remmlinger, Jochen Fischer, Bernd Fessler
  • Patent number: 6488601
    Abstract: In an assembly of an electronic element (4) and a hydraulic element (3) of a control device (2) for the automatic transmission of a motor vehicle with a partially oil filled transmission housing wherein the control device (2) is arranged in the transmission housing wherein said control device (2) is arranged in the transmission housing and is at least partially surrounded by oil, the hydraulic element (3) has a valve housing (5) on which hydraulic valves (6), speed sensors (7, 8, 9) and pressure sensors (10, 11) are provided and is designed with a first housing part (5A) and a second housing part (5B). The first housing part (5A) has an at least approximately cuboid shape and is substantially arranged below a set of conical disks (1A) of a variator (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Assignee: ZF Batavia, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Stefan Sommer, Bernd Fessler, Hubert König
  • Publication number: 20020153649
    Abstract: The automatic transmission described has a hydraulic system (1) for control and regulation of a hydrodynamic retarder (6) which has a retarder space (9) formed between a rotor (7) and a stator (8). A degree of admission of the retarder space (9) can be altered according to a position of a hydraulic ratio (10, 11, 12) connected with the retarder space (9).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2002
    Publication date: October 24, 2002
    Inventors: Michael Weber, Bernd Fessler
  • Patent number: 6402648
    Abstract: The device to control a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) having a first bevel pulley pair, upon an input shift and a second bevel pulley pair upon an output shaft and a belt drive organ extending between the bevel pulley pairs, wherein the movable parts of the bevel pulley pairs are displaced in an axial direction by electromagnetic actuators and hydraulic pressure regulating valves, as well as adjusting cylinders, comprises a closed hydraulic circuit regulated at a constant pressure so that leakage flows of the adjusting cylinders for the bevel pulley pairs and leakage flows of the pressure-regulating valves are delivered directly to a hydraulic constant pressure circuit such as the circuit provided for supplying the torque converter and to the secondary circuit serving for lubrication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: ZF Batavia, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Andreas Piepenbrink, Bernd Fessler
  • Publication number: 20010039470
    Abstract: An arrangement for operating a CVT transmission of a motor vehicle is proposed which comprises a hydraulic circuit supplied from a hydraulic pressure source (8) having two parallel second branches (16, 17) attached to the first branch (9) of the hydraulic circuit each for supplying pressure to a hydraulic actuator (4, 5) for respectively a cone pulley pair (2, 3) of the transmission wherein with the first branch (9) and each second branch (16, 18) an independently controllable pressure valve system (12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21) is associated for adjusting the hydraulic pressure in the respective branch (9, 16, 17). According to the invention at least one of the pressure valve systems (18, 19, 20, 21) associated with the second branches (16, 17) has a controllable pressure-differential valve (18, 19) connected between the first branch (9) and the second branch (16, 17) concerned.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2001
    Publication date: November 8, 2001
    Inventor: Bernd Fessler
  • Publication number: 20010032770
    Abstract: The invention is based on a vehicle transmission with a hydrodynamic retarder (1), the stator (3) of which is supported on a transmission housing (2) and the rotor of which is coupled with the vehicle input drive part of the transmission. The proposal is, that the stator (1) be pivotally anchored in the transmission housing (2) to rotate about the axis of rotation (17) of the rotor within a limited angular area. Further that said stator (1) is supported on at least one spring element (5, 6) on the transmission housing (2), whereby at least one spring element (6) acts upon a regulating piston (8) of the pressure regulation valve (7).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2001
    Publication date: October 25, 2001
    Inventor: Bernd Fessler
  • Patent number: 6299564
    Abstract: A system for control of a CVT driven by a drive unit has an electromagnetically controlled pressure-control valve which actuates both a main pressure valve and a secondary valve for the secondary pulley wherein geometry and spring tension of a main pressure valve and the secondary valve provide different characteristic lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2001
    Assignee: ZF Batavia, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Klaus Gessler, Bernd Fessler, Hubert König, Stefan Sommer