Patents by Inventor Franz Brugger

Franz Brugger 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: 20220268359
    Abstract: A method for operating a motor vehicle with a prime mover (1), a drive output (2), and a parking lock (4) is provided. The parking lock (4), in an engaged condition, blocks a shaft (3) coupled to the drive output (2) and, in a disengaged condition, releases the shaft (3). In order to disengage the parking lock (4), at least one coupling mass (6) is coupled to the shaft (3), which is coupled to the drive output (2), while increasing the moment of inertia effective at the shaft (3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2022
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Inventors: Tobias Kohr, Michael Sohler, Franz Brugger, Bernd Haegele, Patrick Ledig
  • Patent number: 11137073
    Abstract: A parking lock includes a locking pawl (2) and an interlocking element (7). The locking pawl (2) is pivotably mounted on a pawl pin (1) and engageable with a parking interlock gear (3). The interlocking element (7) is arranged on a connecting bar (4) to a selector disk (5), spring-loaded with a spring element (6), and clampable between the locking pawl (2) and a guiding plate (8). An end of the connecting bar (4) facing away from the interlocking element (7) is articulatedly connected to the selector disk (5). An engaging piece (16) of the selector disk (5) is operatively connected to a parking lock actuator (12). The connecting bar (4) is arranged below the locking pawl (2) such that a motion plane of the connecting bar (4) is parallel to a motion plane of the locking pawl (2) and perpendicular to the pawl pin (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Julia Klein, Matthias List, Tobias Miller, Franz Brugger, Bernd Austermann
  • Publication number: 20200182353
    Abstract: A parking lock includes a locking pawl (2) and an interlocking element (7). The locking pawl (2) is pivotably mounted on a pawl pin (1) and engageable with a parking interlock gear (3). The interlocking element (7) is arranged on a connecting bar (4) to a selector disk (5), spring-loaded with a spring element (6), and clampable between the locking pawl (2) and a guiding plate (8). An end of the connecting bar (4) facing away from the interlocking element (7) is articulatedly connected to the selector disk (5). An engaging piece (16) of the selector disk (5) is operatively connected to a parking lock actuator (12). The connecting bar (4) is arranged below the locking pawl (2) such that a motion plane of the connecting bar (4) is parallel to a motion plane of the locking pawl (2) and perpendicular to the pawl pin (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Inventors: Julia Klein, Matthias List, Tobias Miller, Franz Brugger, Bernd Austermann
  • Patent number: 6059476
    Abstract: In a device (1) for applying fluids (3), consisting of a carrier pipe (11) provided with outlet openings (13), of a paint distributor (21) rotatably mounted on the carrier pipe (11), and of an applicator roller (7) held on the paint distributor (21). The paint distributor (21) is formed by an insert (22) shaped with multiple corners and assembled from a pipe section (23) and ribs (24) which are shaped onto it, with the applicator roller (7) being in contact with the ribs (24). Furthermore, axially aligned notches (27) are in an inside surface of the pipe section (23) and the notches (27) act in conjunction with an outer surface of the carrier pipe (11) to form throttle ducts (28) which are connected to the inner space (12) of the carrier pipe (11). A cavity (29) is provided as a reservoir between adjacent ribs (24) of the insert (22), the cavities being connected to the throttle ducts (28) by means of bores (30) in the pipe section (23).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: J. Wagner GmbH
    Inventor: Franz Brugger
  • Patent number: 5836660
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for determining a threshold value for triggering an automatic brake application wherein a braking pressure greater than that corresponding to the position of the brake pedal is developed when the actuating speed of the brake pedal exceeds a triggering threshold value determined from a preset threshold value and a vehicle-specific correction factor. According to the invention, a standard curve is stored representing the relationship between the vehicle deceleration and the pedal travel, said standard curve having a pedal travel value sP0 for a vehicle deceleration aFZG0=0 m/s.sup.2. During a brake application, pairs of values for pedal travel and vehicle deceleration are determined several times, with a pedal travel value sPi0 being determined for a vehicle deceleration of 0 M/s.sup.2 corresponding to each value pair, based on a curve that is the same as the standard curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Mercedes-Benz AG
    Inventors: Franz Brugger, Bernd Knoff, Wolfgang Kiesewetter, Albrecht Eckl, Manfred Steiner
  • Patent number: 5719769
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for setting a trigger threshold value for an automatic braking operation. When the actuating speed of the brake pedal exceeds a threshold value, automatic braking operation is initiated, and a brake pressure is increased relative to the brake pressure corresponding to the position of the brake pedal. During each brake actuation a relation is formed between the pedal travel of the brake pedal and the derivative of the vehicle deceleration with respect to the pedal travel. A correcting value is defined from this relationship and the threshold value for automatic braking is determined as a function of a preset threshold value and the correcting value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1998
    Assignee: Mercedes-Benz AG
    Inventors: Franz Brugger, Bernd Knoff, Albrecht Eckl, Hans-Georg Riedel
  • Patent number: 5705744
    Abstract: A method checks a vehicle brake system rapidly and reproducibly to measure the correlation between the brake pedal travel and the retardation produced. A test-bed routine is called up in the control unit. During the operation of the test-bed routine, the functioning of the brake system is checked. For this purpose, a pressure difference is produced in the vacuum brake booster. The brake booster pressure difference produces a brake pressure in the brake master cylinder, and a pedal travel corresponding to this brake pressure simultaneously arises. The retardation can either be measured at the rollers of the test bed or is derived from continuously measured wheel speed values. A retardation value can be determined for each wheel as can a correlation between the pedal travel and the retardation from the measured values in the presence of different brake booster pressure difference. The process can average the values measured at the individual wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1998
    Assignee: Mercedes-Benz AG
    Inventors: Franz Brugger, Bernd Knoff, Albrecht Eckl, Hans-Georg Riedel, Ulrich Stoll
  • Patent number: 5697469
    Abstract: In an automatic braking procedure which can be terminated whenever the brake pedal is moved in the direction of its rest position, a braking pressure which is higher than would correspond to the pedal position of the brake pedal is generated where it is established by a triggering criterion that an emergency braking is in force. The invention ensures that an automatic braking procedure can always be aborted by the driver by the fact that, on the belt lock of the safety belt for the driver, a switching element is actuated when the locking tongue of the safety belt is engaged in the belt lock. It is thereby established whether the driver is belted-up. If the driver is not belted-up, then the execution of the automatic braking procedure is suppressed. An automatic braking procedure can only take place if the driver is belted-up. If high deceleration forces occur, then the driver is held by the safety belt and does not have to brace himself or herself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1997
    Assignee: Mercedes-Benz AG
    Inventors: Martin Klarer, Bernd Knoff, Albrecht Eckl, Franz Brugger, Manfred Steiner
  • Patent number: 5584542
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for defining the initiation sensitivity of an automatic braking procedure, in which method the threshold value for the initiation of an automatic braking procedure is reduced as a function of the pedal distance which has been traversed. The object of the invention is to ensure that in the event of actuation of the brake shortly after the automatic braking procedure has terminated, the automatic braking procedure is again initiated rapidly and easily. For this purpose, the initiation threshold value for the automatic braking procedure is reduced within a time period after the satisfaction of the interruption criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1996
    Assignee: Mercedes-Benz AG
    Inventors: Martin Klarer, Franz Brugger, Bernd Knoff, Albrecht Eckl
  • Patent number: 5549369
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for carrying out an automatic braking process for motor vehicles with an anti-lock brake system. An automatic braking process is triggered when it is detected by the anti-lock brake system that at least one wheel of an axle of the vehicle reaches the locking limit. The brake pressure for the axle of this wheel starts to be controlled by the anti-lock brake system. However, a further increase in brake pressure at the wheels of the other axles of the vehicle is possible since, because of the load distribution of the vehicle and because of the distribution of braking force, the locking limit of the said wheels is not yet reached. According to the invention, a further increase in the brake pressure at the other axles takes place during the automatic braking process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1996
    Assignee: Mercedes-Benz AG
    Inventors: Siegfried Rump, Manfred Steiner, Franz Brugger, Martin Klarer, Bernd Knoff, Albrecht Eckl
  • Patent number: 5492397
    Abstract: A method for terminating an automatic braking process improves an automatic braking process by assuring that reliable termination of the braking process always takes place. Breaking-off criteria, which are independent of the actuation force of the brake pedal, are provided for the automatic braking process. The variables relating to the dynamics of vehicle movement or the activation time of the automatic braking process, if appropriate also as a function of variables relating to dynamics of vehicle movement, are used as the breaking-off criteria. Thus, automatic braking process is terminated as a function of vehicle behavior. In addition, the gradient of the braking pressure is determined as a function of the activation time and/or as a function of the switch-off criteria when the automatic braking process is terminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1996
    Assignee: Mercedes-Benz AG
    Inventors: Manfred Steiner, Siegfried Rump, Christoph Steffi, Brian Douglas, Joachim Nell, Franz Brugger, Martin Klarer, Bernd Knoff, Albrecht Eckl
  • Patent number: 4940293
    Abstract: In a drive slip control device for a road vehicle, which is provided with an anti-lock system operating on the pump-back principle and having a return pump of the anti-lock system associated with the brake circuit of the driven vehicle wheels used as the auxiliary pressure source for the drive slip control, for braking a vehicle wheel tending to spin. When the drive slip control is activated, the main brake pipe of the brake circuit of the driven vehicle wheels is shut off from the brake unit by means of a drive slip control valve. The return pump is activated and is shut off from the brake unit until the drive slip of one of the driven vehicle wheels exceeds a threshold value whose magnitude lies between the drive slip required value and threshold response value. The brake pressure control valves of the brake circuit of the driven vehicle wheels are driven into their closed position by means of this anticipatory activation of the return pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 10, 1990
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz AG
    Inventors: Manfred Burckhardt, Andreas Faulhaber, Franz Brugger
  • Patent number: 4861118
    Abstract: An anti-lock brake system (ABS) for a road vehicle is equipped with a wheel slip control system (ASR) and a hydraulic dual circuit brake system having front axle/rear axle brake static brake circuits, one brake circuit being allocated to the driven (rear) wheels of the vehicle and one to the non-driven (front) wheels. The system has two high-pressure pumps, one for each of the two brake circuits and which, in control phases of the ABS, brake fluid can be fed into the output pressure spaces of the brake unit and wherein the high-pressure pump allocated to the rear axle brake circuit is also utilized as auxiliary pressure source for the ASR. At the front axle brake circuit, the ABS operates on the feedback principle and at the rear axle brake circuit it operates on the discharge principle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1989
    Assignee: Dailmer-Benz Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Manfred Burckhardt, Franz Brugger, Andreas Faulhaber
  • Patent number: 4771849
    Abstract: An automotive engine forming part of a motor vehicle is controlled to avoid slipping or spinning of a driven wheel by controlling the maximum rate of change of fuel which can be supplied to the engine, for example, by limiting the speed of deflection of a throttle flap (6) driven by a servo motor (7). The deflection speed, limited for example by a voltage divider (14) can be controlled as a function of operating parameters of the engine or the vehicle, for example, vehicle speed (V.sub.F), engine speed (n.sub.M), engine loading or a percentage of engine loading, actual wheel slip, actual angle or deflection position of the throttle flap, and the like. Further, non-linearities between deflection of an operator actuated pedal, such as a gas pedal (1) and actual deflection of the control flap (6) can be compensated for, for example, in a difference forming circuit (9) providing an output error signal for the servo motor (7) or by software, e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1988
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Heinz Leiber, Wolfgang Korasiak, Dieter Roller, Alfred Sigl, Eberhard Schnaibel, Franz Brugger
  • Patent number: 4745999
    Abstract: A clutch operating cylinder for a pressure-medium operated clutch which is arranged in the power train of a vehicle, is operable either by the clutch pedal or via a electronically controlled system, for example an anti-slip regulating system, has a housing divided into two chambers. In these chambers there are, apart from the release piston, two further pistons and a spring having a clutch characteristic, such that the electronic control is never able to clutch further than is specified by the clutch pedal, the clutch pedal bites when it is operated subsequent to electronically controlled engagement, and it is possible to use both the clutch pedal and the electronic control to declutch further when the clutch has only been partially declutched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1988
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Franz Brugger, Franz Moser, Thomas Ruhl
  • Patent number: 4509802
    Abstract: In a vehicle equipped with a propulsion control system combined with an anti-blocking system, a pressure reservoir provided as a brake pressure supply-source which can be charged by means of the return pump of the anti-blocking system, whereby the charging operation is valve-controlled so that the feed from the return pump is directed into the pressure reservoir during pressure-reduction phases of the propulsion control system, the pressure reservoir can also be charged, outside the control phases of the propulsion control system, either by operating the driver's brake pedal or by automatic activation of a charging circuit accompanied by the operation of the return pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1985
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Friedrich Solleder, Hellmut Krohn, Manfred Burckhardt, Franz Brugger
  • Patent number: 4484280
    Abstract: A system for controlling the propulsion on motor vehicles which not only enables the output torque of the drive unit of the vehicle to be utilized in an optimum manner in critical driving situations, especially under extreme road conditions, but also endows the vehicle with good stability and enhanced driving safety. A comparator is provided, in a propulsion control system which is triggered by at least one presettable or permanently preset threshold value of the speed of the vehicle, and generating an output signal causing the drive torque to be reduced, as soon as this threshold value is exceeded and a signal is present, which indicates that an individual wheel brake is being activated and/or that one of the driven wheels is tending to spin. The threshold value of the speed of the vehicle, which value governs the control process, is preferably regulated in accordance with the transverse acceleration which acts on the vehicle whenever it follows a curved path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1982
    Date of Patent: November 20, 1984
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Franz Brugger, Manfred Burckhardt, Horst Grossner, Walter Kostelezky, Siegfried Schlosser, Richard Zimmer
  • Patent number: 4480309
    Abstract: A drive control device for a motor vehicle with rear axle drive and equipped with an anti-blocking system. As part of a rotational speed sensor arrangement provided to determine the state of movement of the vehicle wheels, each of the non-driving front wheels has an associated rotational speed sensor and the two rear wheels have a common rotational speed sensor, which measures the rotational speed of the propeller shaft in the transmission system. A hydraulic actuator provided for brake pressure control corresponds in construction to that of a 4 channel anti-blocking system. These components are utilized for both the drive control and the anti-blocking control. An electronic control system of the drive control device, which processes the output signals of the rotational speed sensors, initially activates the right-hand rear wheel brake, as soon as a driving wheel starts to spin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1982
    Date of Patent: October 30, 1984
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Manfred Burckhardt, J/u/ rgen Paul, Franz Brugger