Patents by Inventor David Vopel

David Vopel 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: 20220402545
    Abstract: A steering gear apparatus (2) for a motor vehicle (1), comprising a hydraulic steering gear (11) and an electromechanical actuator (7) which is configured to actuate a working valve (10) of the hydraulic steering gear, it being possible for hydraulic fluid to be conducted out of a fluid reservoir (14) selectively into one of at least two working spaces (12) of the hydraulic steering gear (11) in a manner which is dependent on a position of the working valve (10), the steering gear apparatus (1) having a fallback device (16) which is configured, in particular in emergency operation of the steering gear apparatus (2), to selectively conduct hydraulic fluid into one of the at least two working spaces (12) independently of the position of the working valve (10).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Inventors: David VOPEL, Thorsten HESTERMEYER
  • Patent number: 10655747
    Abstract: A double-armature solenoid valve may include an adjustable first armature and an adjustable second armature arranged axially opposite each other along a common adjustment axis, and a coil mechanism configured to provide a magnetic flux. The valve may also include a first restoring spring, a second restoring spring, an inlet opening arranged on an axial side of the first armature opposite the second armature, and an outlet opening arranged on an axial side of the second armature opposite the first armature. The inlet opening and the outlet opening may be connected via a fluid duct. The first armature and the second armature may respectively have a different closing time such that when an energization of the coil mechanism is at least one of interrupted and reduced the inlet opening is closable more quickly via the first armature than the outlet opening via the second armature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignees: Kendrion (Markdorf) GmbH, Mahle International GmbH
    Inventors: David Vopel, Marco Kiene, Frank Zelano, Joachim Fluehs, Bjoern Bergfeld, Michael Braunheim, Matthias Gaenswein, Werner Schadler
  • Publication number: 20190145541
    Abstract: A double-armature solenoid valve may include an adjustable first armature and an adjustable second armature arranged axially opposite each other along a common adjustment axis, and a coil mechanism configured to provide a magnetic flux. The valve may also include a first restoring spring, a second restoring spring, an inlet opening arranged on an axial side of the first armature opposite the second armature, and an outlet opening arranged on an axial side of the second armature opposite the first armature. The inlet opening and the outlet opening may be connected via a fluid duct. The first armature and the second armature may respectively have a different closing time such that when an energization of the coil mechanism is at least one of interrupted and reduced the inlet opening is closable more quickly via the first armature than the outlet opening via the second armature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2017
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventors: David Vopel, Marco Kiene, Frank Zelano, Joachim Fluehs, Bjoern Bergfeld
  • Publication number: 20180274431
    Abstract: A cooling circuit arrangement (1) for cooling an engine (2), in particular a motor vehicle combustion engine, by means of a cooling medium, which can be conveyed by a cooling medium pump (4) between a suction side (S) and a pressure side (P) in a cooling medium circuit (3), which comprises a cooler fluid path (7) passing through a cooler (6) and a bypass fluid path (5), wherein a cooling medium valve (8) having an actuator (9) is arranged in the cooling medium circuit (3) for setting a volume flow ratio between cooling medium flows flowing through the cooler fluid path (7) and bypass fluid path (5), wherein the actuator (9) has a hydraulically activatable adjustment element (17), which can be supplied with a cooling medium via at least one control valve (11) allocated to the cooling medium valve (8), in particular from the pressure side (P) out of the cooling medium circuit (3), in order to set the volume flow ratio, and wherein the adjustment element (17) borders a control chamber (19) that can be supplied w
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2016
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Thomas Tauschel, David Vopel, Jan Von Hoyningen-Huene, Martin Schwellinger, Peter Klotz, Marco Kiene
  • Patent number: 9773602
    Abstract: A method for operating an electromagnetic actuator (10) with an actuating pin (9) is proposed which comprises the following steps: —determining a pin actuation actual dead time (t11), during which the magnetic armature (15) is substantially immobile while a magnetic coil (12) is supplied with current, wherein the actual dead time ends with the current break-in at the magnetic coil, as a result of counter induction of the magnetic armature overcoming the magnetic force threshold; —determining, before a subsequent pin actuation, the starting time of the magnetic coil current supply, wherein the starting point of the current is advanced compared with that of the target movement start of the pin out of the actuator housing (13) and the determined actual dead time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Schaeffer Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: David Vopel
  • Publication number: 20150194250
    Abstract: A method for operating an electromagnetic actuator (10) with an actuating pin (9) is proposed which comprises the following steps:—determining a pin actuation actual dead time (t11), during which the magnetic armature (15) is substantially immobile while a magnetic coil (12) is supplied with current, wherein the actual dead time ends with the current break-in at the magnetic coil, as a result of counter induction of the magnetic armature overcoming the magnetic force threshold;—determining, before a subsequent pin actuation, the starting time of the magnetic coil current supply, wherein the starting point of the current is advanced compared with that of the target movement start of the pin out of the actuator housing (13) and the determined actual dead time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Applicant: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: David Vopel
  • Patent number: 8459676
    Abstract: A bearing mechanism (4) for a transverse leaf spring (1) for mounting in the region of a vehicle axle of a vehicle. The bearing mechanism (4) has two outer bearing shells (6, 7) that can be connected together and insertion devices (9, 10) with at least some regions of which are encompassed by the outer bearing shells (6, 7) and which each comprise at least two layer elements (9A, 9B, 9C and 10A, 10B, 10C) with different stiffnesses. In the assembled state, the insertion devices (9, 10) are each disposed between the outer bearing shells (6, 7) and the transverse leaf spring (1). The insertion devices (9, 10) can be connected to the outer bearing shells (6, 7) and the transverse leaf spring (1), via a bolt device (8) which connects the outer bearing shells (6, 7) together and to a vehicle chassis at least in a force locking manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jens Heimann, Andreas Vossel, David Vopel, Volker Wagner, Gabriele Fruhmann
  • Publication number: 20120153594
    Abstract: A bearing mechanism (4) for a transverse leaf spring (1) for mounting in the region of a vehicle axle of a vehicle. The bearing mechanism (4) has two outer bearing shells (6, 7) that can be connected together and insertion devices (9, 10) with at least some regions of which are encompassed by the outer bearing shells (6, 7) and which each comprise at least two layer elements (9A, 9B, 9C and 10A, 10B, 10C) with different stiffnesses. In the assembled state, the insertion devices (9, 10) are each disposed between the outer bearing shells (6, 7) and the transverse leaf spring (1). The insertion devices (9, 10) can be connected to the outer bearing shells (6, 7) and the transverse leaf spring (1), via a bolt device (8) which connects the outer bearing shells (6, 7) together and to a vehicle chassis at least in a force locking manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2010
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Jens Heimann, Andreas Vossel, David Vopel, Volker Wagner, Gabriele Fruhmann