Patents by Inventor Bernd Zeissner

Bernd Zeissner 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: 11692606
    Abstract: A vibration damper includes at least one adjustable damping valve having an outer housing connected to one end of an outer receptacle of the vibration damper. A longitudinal axis of the adjustable damping valve and a longitudinal axis of the vibration damper run parallel. The outer housing of the adjustable damping valve has a clamping surface for an axle connection part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Thomas Manger, Lukas Ruhmann, Stefan Schmitt, Manuel Gumpert, Thomas Solf, Bernd Zeissner
  • Publication number: 20220316546
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a vibration damper comprising two adjustable damping valve devices, wherein a damping valve device is connected to a piston-rod-side working chamber via a fluid connection and a damping valve device is connected to a working chamber spaced apart from a piston rod within a cylinder filled with damping medium. A fluid connection between the damping valve device and the working chamber occurs via at least one tube element. Both adjustable damping valve devices are connected to a common balancing chamber for receiving the damping medium displaced out of the working chambers by the piston rod. A line block is connected to the cylinder, which forms a first fluid connection to the damping valve device for one of the working chambers and forms an intermediate tube, encasing the cylinder, for a second fluid connection to the damping valve device for the other of the two working chambers. The second fluid connection is also connected to the line block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2020
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Stefan Schmitt, Bernd Zeissner, Lukas Ruhmann
  • Patent number: 11242907
    Abstract: An adjustable vibration damper includes at least one adjustable damping valve, with a piston at a piston rod that divides a cylinder into a work chamber on the piston rod side and a work chamber on the side remote of the piston rod. The cylinder is at least partially enclosed by an intermediate tube that forms a fluid connection between one of the work chambers and the adjustable damping valve. A hydraulic apparatus is connected to the fluid connection of the one work chamber via a first line and to the other work chamber via a second line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Lukas Ruhmann, Thomas Manger, Stefan Schmitt, Bernd Zeissner, Thomas Solf
  • Publication number: 20210381570
    Abstract: An adjustable vibration damper has at least one adjustable damping valve, a piston at a piston rod that divides a cylinder into a work chamber on the piston rod side and a work chamber on the side remote of the piston rod. A hydraulic device is connected via a first line to the at least one adjustable damping valve connected to one of the work chambers and via a second line at least indirectly to the other working chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Inventors: Bernd ZEISSNER, Lukas RUHMANN, Thomas MANGER, Stefan SCHMITT, Thomas SOLF
  • Publication number: 20210164533
    Abstract: A vibration damper with adjustable damping force, having an inner cylinder, which has a working chamber and a flow connection to a damping valve device situated outside forming an outer cylinder. The flow connection is made in a component separate from the inner cylinder, and the separate component is formed by an adapter sleeve, which forms a part of the working chamber and has a connection piece to the damping valve device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventors: Bernd ZEISSNER, Stefan SCHMITT, Thomas MANGER
  • Publication number: 20210115996
    Abstract: A vibration damper comprises at least one adjustable damping valve device for each working direction of the vibration damper. A fluid connection between a compensation space and a work chamber is controlled by a check valve that is hydraulically connected in parallel with the adjustable damping valve device. A constant bypass is connected in parallel with the check valve and the damping valve device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Inventors: Lukas RUHMANN, Thomas MANGER, Thomas SOLF, Bernd ZEISSNER, Manuel GUMPERT
  • Publication number: 20210054900
    Abstract: A vibration damper includes at least one adjustable damping valve having an outer housing connected to one end of an outer receptacle of the vibration damper. A longitudinal axis of the adjustable damping valve and a longitudinal axis of the vibration damper run parallel. The outer housing of the adjustable damping valve has a clamping surface for an axle connection part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Inventors: Thomas MANGER, Lukas RUHMANN, Stefan SCHMITT, Manuel GUMPERT, Thomas SOLF, Bernd ZEISSNER
  • Publication number: 20200232532
    Abstract: An adjustable vibration damper includes at least one adjustable damping valve, with a piston at a piston rod that divides a cylinder into a work chamber on the piston rod side and a work chamber on the side remote of the piston rod. The cylinder is at least partially enclosed by an intermediate tube that forms a fluid connection between one of the work chambers and the adjustable damping valve. A hydraulic apparatus is connected to the fluid connection of the one work chamber via a first line and to the other work chamber via a second line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Inventors: Lukas RUHMANN, Thomas MANGER, Stefan SCHMITT, Bernd ZEISSNER, Thomas SOLF
  • Patent number: 10655701
    Abstract: An adjustable vibration damper comprises at least one adjustable damping valve for each working direction. A fluid connection between a compensation space and a working space is controlled by a check valve which has a check valve body and which is hydraulically connected in parallel with the adjustable damping valve. The check valve is held by an intermediate tube which forms the fluid connection and which has a connection orifice to the connected adjustable damping valve. The check valve body of the check valve is supported at least indirectly in the region of the connection orifice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Thomas Manger, Bernd Zeissner, Stefan Schmitt, Lukas Ruhmann
  • Patent number: 10514077
    Abstract: Vibration damper (1) with an external housing (9) includes an outer cylinder (3) with a main axis. The housing (9) having two receiving spaces (13, 15) is arranged on an outer lateral surface of the outer cylinder (3). Each receiving space (13, 15) has a main axis. The main axis of the outer cylinder (3) and the main axes of the receiving spaces (13, 15) are arranged so as to be skew with respect to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Bernd Zeissner, Stefan Schmitt
  • Patent number: 10400849
    Abstract: An adjustable damping valve device has a first adjustable damping valve assembly for a first flow direction and a second adjustable damping valve assembly for a second flow direction. The two damping valve assemblies are adjustable independently from one another, and the first damping valve assembly generates a damping force for only one flow direction and the second damping valve assembly has a minimum cross section through which damping medium can flow in the setting for maximum damping force so that the second damping valve device generates a damping force in both flow directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Thomas Manger, Stefan Schmitt, Bernd Zeissner, Thomas Solf, Lukas Ruhmann
  • Publication number: 20180355939
    Abstract: A vibration damper for a motor vehicle includes an outer cylinder tube and an assembly unit (14). The assembly unit has a closure package through which a piston rod extends, an inner cylinder tube of the vibration damper within which a piston fastened to the piston rod is axially movably arranged, and a choke valve which are fixedly connected to one another. The choke valve is arranged axially at one side at the inner cylinder tube and the closure package is arranged axially at the other side at the inner cylinder tube. The assembly unit is arranged inside of the outer cylinder tube, and the assembly unit is fastened exclusively in a fastening area of the closure package to the outer cylinder tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2016
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Bernd ZEISSNER, Thomas MANGER
  • Publication number: 20180355940
    Abstract: An adjustable vibration damper comprises at least one adjustable damping valve for each working direction. A fluid connection between a compensation space and a working space is controlled by a check valve which has a check valve body and which is hydraulically connected in parallel with the adjustable damping valve. The check valve is held by an intermediate tube which forms the fluid connection and which has a connection orifice to the connected adjustable damping valve. The check valve body of the check valve is supported at least indirectly in the region of the connection orifice.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Inventors: Thomas MANGER, Bernd Zeissner, Stefan Schmitt, Lukas Ruhmann
  • Publication number: 20180128339
    Abstract: Vibration damper (1) with an external housing (9) includes an outer cylinder (3) with a main axis. The housing (9) having two receiving spaces (13, 15) is arranged on an outer lateral surface of the outer cylinder (3). Each receiving space (13, 15) has a main axis. The main axis of the outer cylinder (3) and the main axes of the receiving spaces (13, 15) are arranged so as to be skew with respect to one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Inventors: Bernd ZEISSNER, Stefan SCHMITT
  • Patent number: 9964172
    Abstract: An adjustable damping valve device includes a pressure-dependent auxiliary damping valve with an auxiliary damping valve body having at least one through-channel whose outlet side is at least partially covered by at least one valve disk. The at least one valve disk is centered at its outer diameter with respect to the auxiliary damping valve body, and the auxiliary damping valve body is constructed integral with a centering collar at which the at least one valve disk is guided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Bernd Zeissner, Martin Hillenbrand, Özcan Durukan
  • Publication number: 20170314634
    Abstract: An adjustable damping valve device has a first adjustable damping valve assembly for a first flow direction and a second adjustable damping valve assembly for a second flow direction. The two damping valve assemblies are adjustable independently from one another, and the first damping valve assembly generates a damping force for only one flow direction and the second damping valve assembly has a minimum cross section through which damping medium can flow in the setting for maximum damping force so that the second damping valve device generates a damping force in both flow directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2015
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Inventors: Thomas MANGER, Stefan SCHMITT, Bernd ZEISSNER, Thomas SOLF, Lukas RUHMANN
  • Patent number: 9618138
    Abstract: An adjustable damping valve arrangement comprises an adjustable damping valve in which flow is bidirectional, wherein a pressure-dependent supplementary valve is associated with the adjustable damping valve in series therewith for each through-flow direction, wherein each supplementary valve has at least one separate through-channel, the outlet side thereof being at least partially covered by at least one valve disk, wherein the flow path proceeding from the adjustable damping valve in flow direction is carried out through the first supplementary valve from a smaller inlet diameter to a larger outlet diameter, and the at least one valve disk carries out a peripheral lift movement, wherein the flow path through the second supplementary valve in flow direction to the adjustable damping valve is implemented from a larger inlet diameter to a smaller outlet diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Thomas Manger, Stefan Schmitt, Bernd Zeissner
  • Publication number: 20170023087
    Abstract: An adjustable damping valve device includes a pressure-dependent auxiliary damping valve with an auxiliary damping valve body having at least one through-channel whose outlet side is at least partially covered by at least one valve disk. The at least one valve disk is centered at its outer diameter with respect to the auxiliary damping valve body, and the auxiliary damping valve body is constructed integral with a centering collar at which the at least one valve disk is guided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Publication date: January 26, 2017
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Bernd ZEISSNER, Martin HILLENBRAND, Özcan DURUKAN
  • Patent number: 9360111
    Abstract: A piston-cylinder unit includes a cylinder having a closure body at the end. The closure body has a sleeve body which is fixedly connected on one side to the closure body and which is fastened to the cylinder. The sleeve body has a base which supports an operating pressure in the cylinder in direction of the closure body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Manfred Schuler, Günther Handke, Bernd Zeissner, Bernhard Weingärtner
  • Publication number: 20130340865
    Abstract: An adjustable damping valve arrangement comprises an adjustable damping valve in which flow is bidirectional, wherein a pressure-dependent supplementary valve is associated with the adjustable damping valve in series therewith for each through-flow direction, wherein each supplementary valve has at least one separate through-channel, the outlet side thereof being at least partially covered by at least one valve disk, wherein the flow path proceeding from the adjustable damping valve in flow direction is carried out through the first supplementary valve from a smaller inlet diameter to a larger outlet diameter, and the at least one valve disk carries out a peripheral lift movement, wherein the flow path through the second supplementary valve in flow direction to the adjustable damping valve is implemented from a larger inlet diameter to a smaller outlet diameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2013
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Inventors: Thomas Manger, Stefan Schmitt, Bernd Zeissner