Patents by Inventor Frank Zerner

Frank Zerner 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: 7699150
    Abstract: A hydrodynamic clutch includes a housing which can be brought into working connection with a drive; a hydrodynamic circuit formed by a pump wheel and a turbine wheel; a torsional vibration damper having a drive side transmission element, a takeoff side transmission element, and at least one energy storage group between the transmission elements; and a bridging clutch including first friction elements connected to the housing and second friction elements connected to the drive side transmission element. A first flow route extends from a first flow passage to the friction elements, and a second flow route extends from the hydrodynamic circuit to a second flow passage. A sealing arrangement cooperates with the drive side transmission element to separate the first flow route from the second flow route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Peter Frey, Michael Heuler, Edgar Reinhart, Bernd Reinhardt, Stefan Mundt, Thomas Baier, Frank Zerner
  • Publication number: 20070205067
    Abstract: A hydrodynamic clutch includes a housing which can be brought into working connection with a drive; a hydrodynamic circuit formed by a pump wheel and a turbine wheel; a torsional vibration damper having a drive side transmission element, a takeoff side transmission element, and at least one energy storage group between the transmission elements; and a bridging clutch including first friction elements connected to the housing and second friction elements connected to the drive side transmission element. A first flow route extends from a first flow passage to the friction elements, and a second flow route extends from the hydrodynamic circuit to a second flow passage. A sealing arrangement cooperates with the drive side transmission element to separate the first flow route from the second flow route.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2007
    Publication date: September 6, 2007
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Peter Frey, Michael Heuler, Edgar Reinhart, Bernd Reinhardt, Stefan Mundt, Thomas Baier, Frank Zerner
  • Patent number: 7143879
    Abstract: A torsional vibration damper for a piston-equipped bridging clutch of a hydrodynamic clutch device includes a drive-side transmitting element for at least one damping unit, which is in working connection by way of a transmitting element on the power takeoff-side with a power takeoff component assigned to it, where at least one angle of rotation limiter is assigned to the damping unit. At least one projection is provided on one of the transmitting elements, this projection extending toward the other transmitting element and engaging in an assigned recess in the other transmitting element with predetermined play in the axial direction to form an angle of rotation limiter, where the recess is provided with an appropriate circumferential dimension for the projection to ensure the possibility of a predetermined relative deflection between the two transmitting elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jürgen Ackermann, Peter Frey, Ralf Rönnebeck, Christoph Sasse, Erwin Wack, Frank Zerner
  • Patent number: 7073646
    Abstract: A torsional vibration damper on the bridging clutch of a hydrodynamic clutch arrangement has a first connecting device, which can be brought into working connection with the clutch housing and with a drive-side transmission element. The drive-side transmission element is connected via first energy-storage devices to an intermediate transmission element. The torsional vibration damper also has a second connecting device for establishing a working connection via second energy-storage devices between the intermediate transmission element and a takeoff-side transmission element, which is connected to a takeoff-side component of the hydrodynamic clutch arrangement. The intermediate transmission element accepts a mass element, located operatively between the two connecting devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: ZF Sachs AG
    Inventors: Christoph Sasse, Jörg Sudau, Ralf Rönnebeck, Jürgen Ackermann, Peter Frey, Erwin Wack, Frank Zerner
  • Publication number: 20050115788
    Abstract: A torsional vibration damper for a piston-equipped bridging clutch of a hydrodynamic clutch device includes a drive-side transmitting element for at least one damping unit, which is in working connection by way of a transmitting element on the power takeoff-side with a power takeoff component assigned to it, where at least one angle of rotation limiter is assigned to the damping unit. At least one projection is provided on one of the transmitting elements, this projection extending toward the other transmitting element and engaging in an assigned recess in the other transmitting element with predetermined play in the axial direction to form an angle of rotation limiter, where the recess is provided with an appropriate circumferential dimension for the projection to ensure the possibility of a predetermined relative deflection between the two transmitting elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2004
    Publication date: June 2, 2005
    Inventors: Jurgen Ackermann, Peter Frey, Ralf Ronnebeck, Christoph Sasse, Erwin Wack, Frank Zerner
  • Publication number: 20040226794
    Abstract: A torsional vibration damper on the bridging clutch of a hydrodynamic clutch arrangement has a first connecting device, which can be brought into working connection with the clutch housing and with a drive-side transmission element. The drive-side transmission element is connected via first energy-storage devices to an intermediate transmission element. The torsional vibration damper also has a second connecting device for establishing a working connection via second energy-storage devices between the intermediate transmission element and a takeoff-side transmission element, which is connected to a takeoff-side component of the hydrodynamic clutch arrangement. The intermediate transmission element accepts a mass element, located operatively between the two connecting devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2004
    Publication date: November 18, 2004
    Applicant: ZF Sachs AG
    Inventors: Christoph Sasse, Jorg Sudau, Ralf Ronnebeck, Jurgen Ackermann, Peter Frey, Erwin Wack, Frank Zerner