Patents by Inventor Eike Helm

Eike Helm 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: 10549796
    Abstract: A cabin suspension arrangement for a utility vehicle, having a plurality of trailing arms that extend in a longitudinal direction, by which a driver's cabin is mounted and can pivoted relative to a vehicle frame. Two of the trailing arms are arranged spaced apart from one another in a transverse direction that extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction, are connected to one another by a torsion bar spring that extends in the transverse direction, and are arranged at the same height in a vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and to the transverse direction, thereby forming a first trailing arm pair. Two other trailing arms are arranged spaced apart from one another in the transverse direction, are arranged at the same height in the vertical direction, and thereby form a second trailing arm pair, which is spaced apart, in the vertical direction, from the first trailing arm pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignees: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG, DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Eike Helm, Jens Eismann, Stefan Grossmann, Donald E. Young, Jonathan Roth, Byron Manternach
  • Patent number: 10214068
    Abstract: A chassis arrangement (10), in particular for utility vehicles (1), with at least one axle (3) that extends transverse to the travel direction and carries wheels (4). Movement of the axle (3) is damped by vibration dampers (11) provided with end sections (15), and with at least one stabilizer assembly (12) that has two longitudinally extending sections (13) and a transverse section (14) that connects the longitudinally extending sections. An end section (15) of the vibration damper (11) is held directly on and is connected to the stabilizer assembly (12) on an extension (16, 17) of the transversely orientated section (14) beyond the longitudinal section (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignees: ZF Friedrichshafen AG, DAF Trucks N.V
    Inventors: Friedhelm Langhorst, Jens Eismann, Eike Helm, Manfred Buhl, Albertus Clemens Maria Van Der Knaap, Victor Raue, Jasper Joshua Backx
  • Publication number: 20180201331
    Abstract: A cabin suspension arrangement for a utility vehicle, having a plurality of trailing arms that extend in a longitudinal direction, by which a driver's cabin is mounted and can pivoted relative to a vehicle frame. Two of the trailing arms are arranged spaced apart from one another in a transverse direction that extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction, are connected to one another by a torsion bar spring that extends in the transverse direction, and are arranged at the same height in a vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and to the transverse direction, thereby forming a first trailing arm pair. Two other trailing arms are arranged spaced apart from one another in the transverse direction, are arranged at the same height in the vertical direction, and thereby form a second trailing arm pair, which is spaced apart, in the vertical direction, from the first trailing arm pair.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Inventors: Eike HELM, Jens EISMANN, Stefan GROSSMANN, Donald E. YOUNG, Jonathan ROTH, Byron MANTERNACH
  • Patent number: 9555683
    Abstract: A four-point link for the suspension of a rigid axle which has four bearing seats. Two bearing seats can be articulated on the axle and two can be articulated on the vehicle frame. The link has a single-piece link body which is inscribed by the trapezoid formed by the bearing seats. The link body is formed of a fiber-composite arrangement that comprises at least one longitudinal fiber arrangement. The longitudinal fiber arrangement encases the bearing seat, at least along half circumference thereof and extends along at least a portion of the link body in order to optimize loading, reduce mass and increase its application. Torsional compliance makes it possible to use relatively small and/or hard rubber bearings for articulating the four-point link or the vehicle axle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jens Eismann, Matthias Quaing, Eike Helm, Holger Bublies, Matthias Gercke, Thomas Eifflaender, Daniel Wolf, Markus Steffens, Frank Anna
  • Publication number: 20170008361
    Abstract: A chassis arrangement (10), in particular for utility vehicles (1), with at least one axle (3) that extends transverse to the travel direction and carries wheels (4). Movement of the axle (3) is damped by vibration dampers (11) provided with end sections (15), and with at least one stabilizer assembly (12) that has two longitudinally extending sections (13) and a transverse section (14) that connects the longitudinally extending sections. An end section (15) of the vibration damper (11) is held directly on and is connected to the stabilizer assembly (12) on an extension (16, 17) of the transversely orientated section (14) beyond the longitudinal section (13).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2015
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Friedhelm LANGHORST, Jens EISMANN, Eike HELM, Manfred BUHL, Albertus Clemens Maria VAN DER KNAAP, Victor RAUE, Jasper Joshua BACKX
  • Patent number: 9238489
    Abstract: A suspension system for the resilient/damped suspension of a driver's cab of a motor vehicle relative to the vehicle chassis. The suspension system has a spring/damper arrangement and a hydraulic arrangement with hydraulic cylinders on the right and left sides, relative to the driving direction. The hydraulic cylinders are connected in a cross-over manner to form a roll stabilizing device. The suspension system has an upper cross-bridge that is arranged on the driver's cab and a lower cross-bridge that is arranged on the vehicle chassis. The spring/damper arrangement and the hydraulic arrangement are positioned between and connected to the upper and lower cross-bridges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Michael Schauer, Jens Eismann, Eike Helm, Matthias Quaing, Holger Bublies
  • Publication number: 20150158361
    Abstract: A four-point link for the suspension of a rigid axle which has four bearing seats. Two bearing seats can be articulated on the axle and two can be articulated on the vehicle frame. The link has a single-piece link body which is inscribed by the trapezoid formed by the bearing seats. The link body is formed of a fiber-composite arrangement that comprises at least one longitudinal fiber arrangement. The longitudinal fiber arrangement encases the bearing seat, at least along half circumference thereof and extends along at least a portion of the link body in order to optimize loading, reduce mass and increase its application. Torsional compliance makes it possible to use relatively small and/or hard rubber bearings for articulating the four-point link or the vehicle axle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2012
    Publication date: June 11, 2015
    Applicant: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Jens Eismann, Matthias Quaing, Eike Helm, Holger Bublies, Matthias Gercke
  • Patent number: 8915507
    Abstract: A rigid axle with direct air suspension, preferably for a commercial vehicle. The rigid axle includes an axle body, trailing arms, air springs and vibration dampers. The rigid axle is characterized in that a contact point of the vibration damper, on the axle side, is arranged on the trailing arm. The arrangement of the vibration damper parallel to the direction in which the axle is deflected provides both space and weight savings, without the necessity of arranging elaborately constructed and weight-increasing additional devices in the area of the axle body or the chassis and allows light and slim vibration dampers to be used, and eliminates undesirable horizontally-acting force components of the damping force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Eike Helm
  • Publication number: 20140319876
    Abstract: A suspension system for the resilient/damped suspension of a driver's cab of a motor vehicle relative to the vehicle chassis. The suspension system has a spring/damper arrangement and a hydraulic arrangement with hydraulic cylinders on the right and left sides, relative to the driving direction. The hydraulic cylinders are connected in a cross-over manner to form a roll stabilizing device. The suspension system has an upper cross-bridge that is arranged on the driver's cab and a lower cross-bridge that is arranged on the vehicle chassis. The spring/damper arrangement and the hydraulic arrangement are positioned between and connected to the upper and lower cross-bridges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Michael Schauer, Jens Eismann, Eike Helm, Matthias Quaing, Holger Bublies
  • Publication number: 20140306416
    Abstract: A rigid axle with direct air suspension, preferably for a commercial vehicle. The rigid axle includes an axle body, trailing arms, air springs and vibration dampers. The rigid axle is characterized in that a contact point of the vibration damper, on the axle side, is arranged on the trailing arm. The arrangement of the vibration damper parallel to the direction in which the axle is deflected provides both space and weight savings, without the necessity of arranging elaborately constructed and weight-increasing additional devices in the area of the axle body or the chassis and allows light and slim vibration dampers to be used, and eliminates undesirable horizontally-acting force components of the damping force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Inventor: Eike Helm