Patents by Inventor Dirk-Olaf Leimann

Dirk-Olaf Leimann 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: 8794094
    Abstract: A parallel gear unit (20) for a gearbox (30) for a wind turbine includes at least two parallel shafts (21, 22), at least one of the shafts (21, 22) being supported by roller bearings (24) and each shaft (21, 22) including a gear (23, 25) with helical teeth, the gears (23, 25) of each shaft (21, 22) being adapted for meshing with each other. The parallel gear unit (20) furthermore includes a thrust collar (26) on at least one of the shafts (21, 22). In a parallel gear unit (20) according to preferred embodiments, the bearings (24) supporting the gear do not suffer from high axial forces or at least suffer less from such axial forces than prior art bearings. A gearbox (30) including the parallel gear unit (20) and a wind turbine including such a gearbox (30) are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Hansen Transmissions International N.V.
    Inventors: Dirk-Olaf Leimann, Erwin Van Eyndhoven
  • Patent number: 8578806
    Abstract: A parallel gear unit (20) for a gearbox (30) for a wind turbine includes at least a low speed shaft (21) and a high speed shaft (22), each shaft (21, 22) having a gear (23, 25) with helical teeth, the gears (23, 25) of each shaft (21, 22) being adapted for meshing with each other. The low speed shaft (21) is rotatably supported by roller bearings (24a) and the high speed shaft (22) is rotatably supported by sliding bearings (24b). A gearbox (30) including the parallel gear unit (20) and a wind turbine including such a gearbox (30) are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Hansen Transmissions International N.V.
    Inventors: Dirk-Olaf Leimann, Erwin Van Eyndhoven
  • Patent number: 7950154
    Abstract: An assembly of a pair of roller bearings in which the inner bearing rings are axially spaced apart by a first member and the outer bearing rings are spaced apart by a second member with one of the inner or outer ring of each bearing being an axially outer bearing ring spaced axially further from the outer bearing than the other ring of that bearing. The method comprises forming an assembly of the two members and bearings in which one of the axially outer bearing ring is a loose fit on one of the first and second members, and then axially moving the axially outer bearing ring of the one bearing which is loose fit in a direction towards the other bearing to create a pre-load, and then increasing the degree of pre-load to effect elastic deformation of that ring and thereby create a shrink fit type interface load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Hansen Industrial Transmissions N.V.
    Inventor: Dirk-Olaf Leimann
  • Patent number: 7942078
    Abstract: A structural connector for providing a structural interconnection between the housing of a gear unit and the housing of an electric motor, the structural connector being of a modular type including a base member adapted for connection to at least one of the housing of an electric motor and the housing of a gear unit, and at least two side wall members, the side wall members having a motor end adapted for connection to one of an electric motor housing and the base member and a gear end adapted for connection to a gear unit housing, the side wall members lying at least in substantial part in a plane inclined at an angle of at least 60 degrees relative to a plane containing at least a part of the base member, and the side wall members being spaced apart by connection to an interposed housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Hansen Industrial Transmissions N.V.
    Inventor: Dirk Olaf Leimann
  • Publication number: 20110033299
    Abstract: A parallel gear unit (20) for a gearbox (30) for a wind turbine includes at least a low speed shaft (21) and a high speed shaft (22), each shaft (21, 22) having a gear (23, 25) with helical teeth, the gears (23, 25) of each shaft (21, 22) being adapted for meshing with each other. The low speed shaft (21) is rotatably supported by roller bearings (24a) and the high speed shaft (22) is rotatably supported by sliding bearings (24b). A gearbox (30) including the parallel gear unit (20) and a wind turbine including such a gearbox (30) are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2010
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Applicant: HANSEN TRANSMISSIONS INTERNATIONAL, naamloze vennootschap
    Inventors: Dirk-Olaf LEIMANN, Erwin VAN EYNDHOVEN
  • Publication number: 20110030491
    Abstract: A parallel gear unit (20) for a gearbox (30) for a wind turbine includes at least two parallel shafts (21, 22), at least one of the shafts (21, 22) being supported by roller bearings (24) and each shaft (21, 22) including a gear (23, 25) with helical teeth, the gears (23, 25) of each shaft (21, 22) being adapted for meshing with each other. The parallel gear unit (20) furthermore includes a thrust collar (26) on at least one of the shafts (21, 22). In a parallel gear unit (20) according to preferred embodiments, the bearings (24) supporting the gear do not suffer from high axial forces or at least suffer less from such axial forces than prior art bearings. A gearbox (30) including the parallel gear unit (20) and a wind turbine including such a gearbox (30) are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2010
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Applicant: HANSEN TRANSMISSIONS INTERNATIONAL, naamloze vennootschap
    Inventors: Dirk-Olaf LEIMANN, Erwin VAN EYNDHOVEN
  • Patent number: 7721419
    Abstract: A full complement taper roller bearing consists of an inner ring or cone having an inner track on its radially outer conical surface, and an outer ring or cup having an outer track on its radially inward conical surface and one or more rows of taper rollers having a contact angle of less than 30 degrees freely disposed between the inner and outer rings and guided between said tracks. Each row of rollers is axially located within a recess on the inner track defined by a shoulder abutment disposed at least at the edge of the inner track having the greatest diameter and each of the rollers is in contact with the inner track over the entire length of the taper roller in the axial direction of the bearing. A method of assembly is also enclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Hansen Transmissions International, N.V.
    Inventor: Dirk-Olaf Leimann
  • Patent number: 7552536
    Abstract: A method for assembling a taper roller bearing, wherein a radially expandable and retractable clamping tool acts to retain the rollers of the roller bearing, a final assembly is formed by putting the inner and outer rings of the roller bearing together, and the clamping tool is subsequently withdrawn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Hansen Transmissions International, N.V.
    Inventor: Dirk-Olaf Leimann
  • Patent number: 7472619
    Abstract: A gear unit includes a housing, two shafts arranged parallel with one another and each supporting a helically cut toothed gear, and two pairs of bearings supported by or relative to the housing in an arrangement in which each pair of bearings rotatably supports a shaft with the toothed gears of the two shafts being rotatable one relative to the other in mutual engagement. Two bearings of the two shafts lying to a common side of the inter-engaged helical gears are supported by a substantially common wall section of the gear unit housing, one of the two bearings being arranged to transmit to the housing wall section axial forces acting in a direction from the gears to the bearing and the other bearing being arranged to transmit to the wall section axial forces acting in a direction from the other bearing to the gears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: Hansen Transmissions International NV
    Inventor: Dirk-Olaf Leimann
  • Publication number: 20080304782
    Abstract: A full complement taper roller bearing consists of an inner ring or cone having an inner track on its radially outer conical surface, and an outer ring or cup having an outer track on its radially inward conical surface and one or more rows of taper rollers having a contact angle of less than 30 degrees freely disposed between the inner and outer rings and guided between said tracks. Each row of rollers is axially located within a recess on the inner track defined by a shoulder abutment disposed at least at the edge of the inner track having the greatest diameter and each of the rollers is in contact with the inner track over the entire length of the taper roller in the axial direction of the bearing. A method of assembly is also enclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2008
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Applicant: HANSEN TRANSMISSIONS INTERNATIONAL NV
    Inventor: DIRK-OLAF LEIMANN
  • Patent number: 7429135
    Abstract: The invention relates to a roller bearing and seeks to reduce or mitigate the high edge stresses experienced by the bearing elements due to shaft misalignment or distortion under load. The invention provides a roller bearing assembly comprising an outer ring supported in a tubular housing formation associated with a wall of housing, the tubular housing formation extending for at least the axial length of the outer ring wherein the tubular housing formation provides a resistance to radial movement of the outer ring which is greater at one axial end of the outer ring than the other axial end. The low ring of resistance to radial movement may be by selectively profiling the tubular housing formation or rendering it circumferentially discontinuous.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2008
    Assignee: Hansen Transmissions International NV
    Inventor: Dirk-Olaf Leimann
  • Publication number: 20070286539
    Abstract: Thrust cam (1) for a gear wheel transmission (17), characterized in that it is at least made of two separate parts (2,3) which can move in relation to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2007
    Publication date: December 13, 2007
    Applicant: HANSEN TRANSMISSIONS INTERNATIONAL, NAAMLOZE VENNOOTSCHAP
    Inventor: Dirk-Olaf Leimann
  • Publication number: 20070246634
    Abstract: A motor and gear unit assembly including a gear unit, a motor and a structural connector to which the gear unit and motor are secured, the connector being of a substantially elongate shape which extends substantially parallel with the rotational axis of a transmission member which interconnects the axially spaced motor and gear unit, the connector having at least a part which is substantially planar and which, in use, is orientated to lie in a substantially vertical plane, one of the gear unit end and motor end of the connector being supported and secured or adapted for securing to supporting structure and the other of the gear unit end and motor end of the connector being secured or securable relative to the supporting structure substantially solely by the length of the elongate structural connector between the supported end and the other of the gear unit end and motor end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2005
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Inventor: Dirk-Olaf Leimann
  • Publication number: 20070216237
    Abstract: An industrial gear unit including a housing (14) which contains lubricated gear components, a water coolant device (1) which defines, at least in part, a fluid chamber (3) and fluid inlet (4) and outlet parts, and a retention element (32) which secures the water coolant device to the housing, the water coolant device defining a contact surface (5,6) and the housing providing an external contact surface against which the contact surface of the water coolant device is secured by the retention element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2005
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Applicant: HANSEN TRANSMISSIONS INTERNATIONAL NAAMLOZEVENNOOTSCHAP
    Inventor: Dirk-Olaf Leimann
  • Patent number: 7220359
    Abstract: A method for reducing the presence of ferritic particles in lubricant employed in the lubrication of rotary shaft bearing of the type that include a first bearing contact surface, a second bearing contact surface and a plurality of rotatable bearing members disposed therebetween, a lubrication system employing such method and a lubricated assembly. The method includes providing a ferritic particle collector element of magnetised material in close proximity to the bearing and a path of lubricant flowing to the bearing. The close proximity being within a distance from the bearing contact surface which is less than five times the maximum diameter of the bearing contact surfaces. The collecting element may be an existing component of a lubrication system or lubricated assembly which is rendered magnetic or may be a magnet or magnets secured to an existing component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: Hansen Transmissions International
    Inventor: Dirk-Olaf Leimann
  • Patent number: 7210853
    Abstract: The invention relates to a shaft bearing assembly and also to an industrial gear unit (30) comprising this bearing assembly. The bearing assembly (34) comprises two taper roller bearings mounted axially spaced apart on the shaft (35) with the bearings orientated in an O arrangement in which the rollers of each bearing increase in diameter in the direction away from the other bearing of the pair. In a gear unit (30) the outer cup of the taper roller bearing may be located by an abutment shoulder (32) formed in the housing (11) whilst the inner cone of the taper roller may be located by a lock nut (40) on a threaded end portion of the shaft (35) or by a circlip (61) disposed in annular groove in the shaft (35).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Hansen Transmissions International NV
    Inventor: Dirk-Olaf Leimann
  • Patent number: 7210852
    Abstract: A full complement taper roller bearing consists of an inner ring or cone having an inner track on its radially outer conical surface, and an outer ring or cup having an outer track on its radially inward conical surface and one or more rows of taper rollers having a contact angle of less than 30 degrees freely disposed between the inner and outer rings and guided between the tracks. Each row of rollers is axially located within a recess on the inner track defined by a shoulder abutment disposed at least at the edge of the inner track having the greatest diameter and each of the rollers is in contact with the inner track over the entire length of the taper roller in the axial direction of the bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Hansen Transmissions International NV
    Inventor: Dirk-Olaf Leimann
  • Patent number: 7210374
    Abstract: A housing (40) for a gear unit, the housing being formed by a moulding process including casting, pressure casting, injection moulding or like processes. The housing (40) of the invention comprises housing walls and support for bearing elements of a gear shaft, the housing walls (47) and support (45, 46) being formed in a mould wherein the support (45, 46) is connected to a wall (47) of the housing (40) and extends from that wall (47) in a direction in which the housing is removed or demoulded from the mould. Further, a surface of the support may be shaped to provide elements to hold a liquid lubricant and elements to direct that lubricant to and/or from the bearing elements of a gear shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Hansen Transmissions International NV
    Inventor: Dirk-Olaf Leimann
  • Publication number: 20070077116
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a coupling of the type which mainly consists of a male part and a female part, which are respectively provided with an axially extending outer toothing and a complementary inner toothing, whereby both parts can be axially shifted in relation to each other with their toothings, wherein the method at least consists in making the toothing of one of the parts cylindrical and in realizing the grooves between the outer toothings of the male part with a tool with which a female cylindrical shape can be made, such as for example a drill or a cutter
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2006
    Publication date: April 5, 2007
    Applicant: HANSEN TRANSMISSIONS INTERNATIONAL, NAAMLOZE VENNOOTSCHAP
    Inventor: Dirk-Olaf Leimann
  • Publication number: 20060117567
    Abstract: A full complement taper roller bearing consists of an inner ring or cone having an inner track on its radially outer conical surface, and an outer ring or cup having an outer track on its radially inward conical surface and one or more rows of taper rollers having a contact angle of less than 30 degrees freely disposed between the inner and outer rings and guided between said tracks. Each row of rollers is axially located within a recess on the inner track defined by a shoulder abutment disposed at least at the edge of the inner track having the greatest diameter and each of the rollers is in contact with the inner track over the entire length of the taper roller in the axial direction of the bearing. A method of assembly is also enclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2006
    Publication date: June 8, 2006
    Applicant: HANSEN TRANSMISSIONS INTERNATIONAL NV
    Inventor: Dirk-Olaf Leimann