Patents by Inventor Brian Urbach

Brian Urbach 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: 20220349739
    Abstract: A liquid sensor assembly includes a sensor housing defining an interior cavity. The sensor housing has at least one inlet opening for liquid to pass into the cavity and at least one outlet opening for liquid to pass out of the cavity. A liquid sensor is in the cavity for sensing the presence of liquid in the sensor housing. The liquid sensor is between the at least one inlet opening and the at least one outlet opening. The liquid sensor has a sensor opening extending therethrough for the passage of liquid through the liquid sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Inventors: Brian Urbach, Michael Bean, Nicholas Turovich, Greg Zeug
  • Patent number: 11467018
    Abstract: A liquid sensor assembly includes a sensor housing defining an interior cavity. The sensor housing has at least one inlet opening for liquid to pass into the cavity and at least one outlet opening for liquid to pass out of the cavity. A liquid sensor is in the cavity for sensing the presence of liquid in the sensor housing. The liquid sensor is between the at least one inlet opening and the at least one outlet opening. The liquid sensor has a sensor opening extending therethrough for the passage of liquid through the liquid sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: ZF Active Safety and Electronics US LLC
    Inventors: Brian Urbach, Michael Bean, Nicholas Turovich, Greg Zeug
  • Patent number: 11465670
    Abstract: A steering system for a vehicle includes a housing, an input shaft, and a hybrid shaft support. The housing defines an opening. The input shaft is configured to rotate about an input axis. The hybrid shaft support may be disposed at the opening and configured to couple the input shaft to the housing. The hybrid shaft support may also be configured to support the input shaft as the input shaft rotates. The hybrid shaft support further includes a cylindrical member and a flexible seal over-molded onto the cylindrical member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: ZF Active Safety and Electronics US LLC
    Inventors: Brian Urbach, Robert Brown, Chase Skipinski, Justin Urbach
  • Patent number: 11435253
    Abstract: A steering device for a motor vehicle is specified, having a housing and having a liquid sensor, comprising at least two electrical conductors, and at least one bridging element that is movably mounted and that is in a first position in the absence of liquid and is in a second position in the presence of liquid, a flow of current between the at least two electrical conductors being prevented in one of the two positions, and a flow of current between the at least two electrical conductors being enabled in the other of the two positions, and a tripping element made of a liquid-absorbing material that expands upon contact with a liquid and thereby moves the bridging element into the second position, the liquid sensor being arranged at least partially inside the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignees: ZF Automotive Germany GmbH, ZF Active Safety and Electronics US LLC
    Inventors: Christian Wutzler, Brian Urbach
  • Patent number: 11293829
    Abstract: A liquid sensor assembly has a sensor housing including a first portion, a second portion, and a cover defining an interior cavity. The second portion has a cap and at least one sidewall extending along an axis from the cap to a first surface of the first portion. The at least one sidewall has at least one inlet opening for liquid to pass into the cavity. The cap is free from openings. The cover engages a second surface of the first portion. The first and second surfaces of the first portion are opposite one another. A liquid sensor is in the cavity for sensing the presence of liquid in the sensor housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: ZF Active Safety and Electronics US LLC
    Inventors: Michael Bean, Brian Urbach, Paul Chen
  • Publication number: 20200393320
    Abstract: A steering device for a motor vehicle is specified, having a housing and having a liquid sensor, comprising at least two electrical conductors, and at least one bridging element that is movably mounted and that is in a first position in the absence of liquid and is in a second position in the presence of liquid, a flow of current between the at least two electrical conductors being prevented in one of the two positions, and a flow of current between the at least two electrical conductors being enabled in the other of the two positions, and a tripping element made of a liquid-absorbing material that expands upon contact with a liquid and thereby moves the bridging element into the second position, the liquid sensor being arranged at least partially inside the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Applicants: ZF Automotive Germany GmbH, ZF Active Safety and Electronics US LLC
    Inventors: Christian Wutzler, Brian Urbach
  • Publication number: 20200331519
    Abstract: A steering system for a vehicle includes a housing, an input shaft, and a hybrid shaft support. The housing defines an opening. The input shaft is configured to rotate about an input axis. The hybrid shaft support may be disposed at the opening and configured to couple the input shaft to the housing. The hybrid shaft support may also be configured to support the input shaft as the input shaft rotates. The hybrid shaft support further includes a cylindrical member and a flexible seal over-molded onto the cylindrical member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Inventors: Brian Urbach, Robert Brown, Chase Skipinski, Justin Urbach
  • Patent number: 9321478
    Abstract: A rack drive assembly adapted for use in a vehicle electric power steering assembly includes a bearing assembly disposed in a rack housing and carried by a ball nut assembly for rotatably supporting the ball nut assembly relative to a steering member; and a spanner nut carried by the rack housing for securing the bearing assembly in the rack housing. A first isolator, a second isolator and a first shim are provided wherein the first isolator is disposed between an inner surface of the housing and a first surface of an outer race of the bearing, the second isolator is disposed between an opposite second surface of the outer race of said bearing and the first shim, the first shim is disposed between the second isolator and the spanner nut. The first shim is provided with a member configured to be coupled to the housing to allow for axial movement but prevent rotational motion of the shim during installation of the spanner nut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: TRW Automotive U.S. LLC
    Inventors: Paul Webber, Andrew Dixon, Colleen Kalczynski, John F. Santori, John Spetz, Changming Wu, Brian Urbach, Mark Bugosh
  • Patent number: 8307940
    Abstract: An improved structure for a rack drive assembly adapted for use in a vehicle electric power steering assembly includes a ball nut assembly operatively connected to a screw portion of a rack portion of a steering member of the power steering assembly for effecting axial movement of the steering member upon rotation of a vehicle steering wheel. According to one embodiment, the ball nut assembly includes a ball nut having an outer surface; a bearing assembly fixedly disposed in the rack housing and carried by the ball nut for rotatably supporting the ball nut assembly relative to the steering member; and a damper disposed on an outer race of the bearing assembly. The damper includes a pair of dampers disposed on the outer race of the bearing assembly, each of the dampers including at least a first member formed from a first rigid material and a second member formed from a second damping material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: TRW Automotive U.S. LLC
    Inventors: Mark Bugosh, Brian Urbach
  • Publication number: 20110220432
    Abstract: An improved structure for a rack drive assembly adapted for use in a vehicle electric power steering assembly includes a ball nut assembly operatively connected to a screw portion of a rack portion of a steering member of the power steering assembly for effecting axial movement of the steering member upon rotation of a vehicle steering wheel. According to one embodiment, the ball nut assembly includes a ball nut having an outer surface; a bearing assembly fixedly disposed in the rack housing and carried by the ball nut for rotatably supporting the ball nut assembly relative to the steering member; and a damper disposed on an outer race of the bearing assembly. The damper includes a pair of dampers disposed on the outer race of the bearing assembly, each of the dampers including at least a first member formed from a first rigid material and a second member formed from a second damping material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: TRW AUTOMOTIVE U.S. LLC
    Inventors: Mark Bugosh, Brian Urbach
  • Publication number: 20050111908
    Abstract: A ball joint (12) includes a housing (18) having at least one opening (26) and an inner chamber (28). The ball joint (12) further includes a ball stud (40) disposed in the chamber (28) of the housing (18) and an outer surface (44A). A resilient member (46) is fixedly attached to the outer surface (44A) of said ball stud (40).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2003
    Publication date: May 26, 2005
    Inventors: Steve Green, Brian Urbach
  • Publication number: 20050111907
    Abstract: This invention relates to a ball joint (10). The ball joint (10) includes a socket (12) having at least one opening (20) and an inner chamber (22). A bearing assembly (24) is disposed in the chamber (22) of the socket (12). The ball joint (10) also includes a ball stud (28) having a central ball portion (26) and a stud portion (77). The bearing assembly (24) supports the ball portion (26) of the ball stud (28). A resilient bushing (130) is disposed in the chamber (22) and is fixedly attached to the stud portion (77) of the ball stud (28).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2003
    Publication date: May 26, 2005
    Inventor: Brian Urbach
  • Publication number: 20050024992
    Abstract: This invention relates to a ball joint assembly adapted for use in a motor vehicle. The ball joint assembly includes a housing (12) defining socket chamber (18) and having an opening (32); a composite ball joint bearing (20) disposed within the socket chamber; a ball stud (24) supported by the composite ball joint bearing and having a shank portion (30) which projects through the opening of the housing; and a seal assembly (40) adapted to seal the opening between the ball stud and the socket chamber. According to the present invention, the composite ball joint bearing is formed from a first plastic material (20A) and a second magnetostrictive alloy material (20B) which is adapted to change its shape when in the presence of a magnetic field to thereby change the rotational and oscillation properties of the ball joint assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2003
    Publication date: February 3, 2005
    Inventor: Brian Urbach