Patents by Inventor Georg Gierer
Georg Gierer 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).
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Patent number: 9404574Abstract: A transmission device has at least one electro-hydraulic transmission control unit and a method of operating the transmission device having a plurality of gear wheel that can be engaged and disengaged from a force flow by fluidically actuated shifting elements. A piston space of a first shifting element, delimited by a second functional surface of the actuating piston of the first shifting element, is made separate from a piston space of a second shifting element, delimited by the first functional surface of the actuating piston, and an area of the second shifting element, that carries an actuating pressure, or an area of the first shifting element, that carries an actuating pressure, is, or can be, connected to the piston space delimited by the second functional surface of the actuating piston of the first shifting element.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2010Date of Patent: August 2, 2016Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventors: Peter Ziemer, Thilo Schmidt, Georg Gierer, Gert Bauknecht, Thomas Lindner, Peter Schiele
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Patent number: 8806863Abstract: A hydraulic transmission unit comprises at least one pressure regulation valve (1) and a pilot control valve (2) which is connected to the pressure regulation valve (1) by a pilot control line (35). A pre-filling valve (3, 303) sets a pre-filling pressure (p—3) to avoid draining of a clutch (20) and the lines (231, 331) connected to the clutch (20) in an operating condition in which the clutch (20) is not actuated. To avoid draining when the clutch when in the operating condition, the pilot control line (35) is also connected to at least one line (236, 238, 336, 338) which is pressurized with a second pre-filling pressure (p—3).Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2010Date of Patent: August 19, 2014Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventors: Georg Gierer, Thilo Schmidt, Christian Popp
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Patent number: 8667885Abstract: An actuating device for a shift element of a transmission which is acted upon by a hydraulic actuating pressure (p_B1) and comprises a valve device. To vary the actuating pressure (p_B1), the valve device is acted upon by a control pressure (p_EDS) in an area of active surfaces (A18, A19) of at least a first and a second valve slides. An active surface (A38) of the first valve slide (A8) is acted upon by a hydraulic pressure (p_B2) which is equivalent to the actuating pressure (p_B1), acts in opposition to the control pressure (p_EDS) and can be adjusted as a function of the control pressure (p_EDS) applied, such that a smaller variation of the actuating pressure (p_B1) results from a change of the control pressure (p_EDS) within a first pressure range of the control pressure (p_EDS) than within a second pressure range of the control pressure (p_EDS).Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 2010Date of Patent: March 11, 2014Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventors: Thilo Schmidt, Georg Gierer
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Patent number: 8403806Abstract: A transmission oil pump for an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle. The speed of the oil pump can be shifted by a transmission (2), that is arranged between the drive motor of the motor vehicle and the transmission oil pump, to a fast-running mode or a slow-running mode so that the oil pump can be operated at two different speed levels.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2010Date of Patent: March 26, 2013Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventors: Josef Haupt, Christian Popp, Thilo Schmidt, Georg Gierer
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Patent number: 8392080Abstract: A process for monitoring a direction of drive from an automatic or automated vehicle transmission at near-zero vehicle speed via an engaged gear. A desired direction of drive of the transmission is determined from an engaged gear at the time the vehicle begins motion. An actual direction of drive is determined from the transmission and if different from the desired direction of drive, an error signal is produced. The process including determining the actual drive either from a sensed rotational direction of a transmission input shaft and a sensed rotational direction of a transmission output shaft or a sensed valve setting, a sensed pressure in an transmission electro-hydraulic control system or on a transmission shifting element or from a sensed direction of rotation of a transmission gearset element or from axial movement or force of a transmission constructional element.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2007Date of Patent: March 5, 2013Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventors: Georg Gierer, Christian Popp, Thilo Schmidt, Klaus Steinhauser
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Patent number: 8311715Abstract: A method for monitoring frictional engagement in an automatic or automated motor vehicle transmission having a hydrodynamic starter element when the transmission is in a preset neutral or parking position and the automatic or automated motor vehicle transmission controlled by this method. When the motor vehicle is at or close to a standstill in a preset neutral or parking position, the current transmission rotational input speed and a current engine rotational speed of the drive motor are determined and based on the speed ratio between the current transmission rotational input speed and the current engine rotational speed an error is found to be present if the speed ratio is less than a predefined threshold value, which is less than/equal to 1.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2007Date of Patent: November 13, 2012Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventors: Georg Gierer, Christian Popp, Thilo Schmidt, Klaus Steinhauser
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Patent number: 8249787Abstract: A process of monitoring a drive direction of an automatic or automated vehicle transmission at near-zero vehicle speed via an engaged gear. A desired direction of drive of the transmission is determined from an engaged gear at the time the vehicle begins motion. An actual direction of drive is determined from the transmission and, if different from the desired direction of drive, an error signal is produced. The process includes determining the actual drive either from a sensed rotational direction of a transmission input shaft and a sensed rotational direction of a transmission output shaft or a sensed valve setting, a sensed pressure in an transmission electro-hydraulic control system or on a transmission shifting element or from a sensed direction of rotation of a transmission gearset element or from axial movement or force of a transmission constructional element.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2010Date of Patent: August 21, 2012Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventors: Georg Gierer, Christian Popp, Thilo Schmidt, Klaus Steinhauser
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Publication number: 20120186376Abstract: A transmission device has at least one electro-hydraulic transmission control unit and a method of operating the transmission device having a plurality of gear wheel that can be engaged and disengaged from a force flow by fluidically actuated shifting elements. A piston space of a first shifting element, delimited by a second functional surface of the actuating piston of the first shifting element, is made separate from a piston space of a second shifting element, delimited by the first functional surface of the actuating piston, and an area of the second shifting element, that carries an actuating pressure, or an area of the first shifting element, that carries an actuating pressure, is, or can be, connected to the piston space delimited by the second functional surface of the actuating piston of the first shifting element.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2010Publication date: July 26, 2012Applicant: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AGInventors: Peter Ziemer, Thilo Schmidt, Georg Gierer, Gert Bauknecht, Thomas Lindner, Peter Schiele
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Publication number: 20120011842Abstract: A hydraulic transmission unit comprises at least one pressure regulation valve (1) and a pilot control valve (2) which is connected to the pressure regulation valve (1) by a pilot control line (35). A pre-filling valve (3, 303) sets a pre-filling pressure (p—3) to avoid draining of a clutch (20) and the lines (231, 331) connected to the clutch (20) in an operating condition in which the clutch (20) is not actuated. To avoid draining when the clutch when in the operating condition, the pilot control line (35) is also connected to at least one line (236, 238, 336, 338) which is pressurized with a second pre-filling pressure (p—3).Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2010Publication date: January 19, 2012Applicant: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AGInventors: Georg Gierer, Thilo Schmidt, Christian Popp
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Patent number: 8086381Abstract: A method for emergency actuation of an automated dual-clutch transmission of a vehicle with electrohydraulic control via a transmission control device. The method includes disengaging one clutch of the dual-clutch transmission, in order to realize emergency operation of the transmission and applying pressure on the other clutch after an error signal is transmitted indicating a malfunction of the transmission and/or the transmission control device. In order to keep the complexity of the hardware of the hydraulic system low, both clutches are disengaged, when an error signal occurs, and adjusted to a safe initial state, and an actuating pressure is only re-applied to one of the two clutches after the initial state is reached. In addition to the already existing elements of the hydraulic system, only one device or software is required which detects and selects the clutch that is more advantageous for continued driving operation.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2007Date of Patent: December 27, 2011Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventors: Anton Fritzer, Markus Herrmann, Thilo Schmidt, Christian Popp, Georg Gierer
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Patent number: 8070636Abstract: An electrohydraulic control device (1) of an 8-speed transmission having several electrically controllable pressure control valves (6-12) for hydraulically actuating five switching elements (A-E) and an electric gear control unit via which different operating states of the transmission may be adjusted. Three of the switching elements are connected in the force flow of the transmission for representing a gear ratio (“1” to “R”) of the transmission. When the gear control unit is de-activated and the power supply to the solenoid valve and pressure control valves is interrupted, and when the transmission is in the operating state, in which a gear ratio (“1”; “2”; “3”; “4”; “5”; “6”; “7”; “8”; “R”) is engaged, a predefined emergency transmission (“6”; “R”) is represented by three simultaneously hydraulically connected switching elements (C, D, E, A, B, D).Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2008Date of Patent: December 6, 2011Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventors: Georg Gierer, Thilo Schmidt
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Patent number: 8033106Abstract: An electrohydraulic transmission controller (7), a transmission device with an electrohydraulic transmission controller and a vehicle drive train that features an electrohydraulic transmission controller are disclosed. The electrohydraulic transmission controller is constructed with a plurality of electrically actuatable pressure control valves (9 to 16), as well as with a plurality of valve arrangements (17 to 34) that can be acted on in each case by an hydraulic precontrol pressure depending upon the actuation of the pressure valves, by way of which valve arrangements switching elements (A to E) of a transmission device can be acted on in each case with a control pressure to produce a required operating state of the transmission device.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2008Date of Patent: October 11, 2011Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventors: Georg Gierer, Thilo Schmidt
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Patent number: 8020685Abstract: A device for controlling a hydraulically operable switching element (2) of an automatic transmission of a vehicle with a position valve mechanism (3) having a main switch piston (6) which is spring biased into a first switch position and a second switch position with a pilot pressure (P_MV) which is adjustable through an electrically operated actuator (5). An additional switch piston (7) and the main switch piston (6) are axially actuated in a valve housing (8). Depending on the position of the pistons (6, 7), faces (6A, 7A) of the respective pistons are either spaced apart or adjacent. The additional switch piston (7) is adjustable depending on a pilot pressure (p_K) of a switching element which engages a gear for forward drive.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2009Date of Patent: September 20, 2011Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventors: Georg Gierer, Thilo Schmidt, Markus Herrmann
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Publication number: 20110138957Abstract: An actuating device for a shift element of a transmission which is acted upon by a hydraulic actuating pressure (p_B1) and comprises a valve device. To vary the actuating pressure (p_B1), the valve device is acted upon by a control pressure (p_EDS) in an area of active surfaces (A18, A19) of at least a first and a second valve slides. An active surface (A38) of the first valve slide (A8) is acted upon by a hydraulic pressure (p_B2) which is equivalent to the actuating pressure (p_B1), acts in opposition to the control pressure (p_EDS) and can be adjusted as a function of the control pressure (p_EDS) applied, such that a smaller variation of the actuating pressure (p_B1) results from a change of the control pressure (p_EDS) within a first pressure range of the control pressure (p_EDS) than within a second pressure range of the control pressure (p_EDS).Type: ApplicationFiled: November 19, 2010Publication date: June 16, 2011Applicant: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AGInventors: Thilo SCHMIDT, Georg GIERER
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Publication number: 20110027105Abstract: A transmission oil pump for an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle. The speed of the oil pump can be shifted by a transmission (2), that is arranged between the drive motor of the motor vehicle and the transmission oil pump, to a fast-running mode or a slow-running mode so that the oil pump can be operated at two different speed levels.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 15, 2010Publication date: February 3, 2011Applicant: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AGInventors: Josef HAUPT, Christian POPP, Thilo SCHMIDT, Georg GIERER
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Publication number: 20100326543Abstract: A pressure control valve for at least one of controlling and/or regulating a pressure level in a hydraulic circuit. The control valve comprises a valve housing (1) in which a control element (2), that can be acted upon by a system pressure (P_Sys), is arranged to move. The control element (2) is coupled to a drive mechanism in order to set an operating pressure (P_Kpl). At least one linear motor (3) is provided as the drive mechanism which can be controlled at least by a signal feedback (4) acting as a control circuit as a function of the operating pressure (P_Kpl) actually set at the time.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2010Publication date: December 30, 2010Applicant: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AGInventors: Ralph BOEHM, Karlheinz MAYR, Stefan MESCHENMOSER, Thilo SCHMIDT, Georg GIERER
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Patent number: 7823710Abstract: Description of a hydraulic control system (1A) for a hydrodynamic torque converter (1) with a controlled torque converter lockup clutch (2) of an automatic transmission for controlling a supply pressure (p_WD_zu) of the torque converter (2) and a supply pressure (p_WK_zu) of the torque converter lockup clutch (2). The torque converter lockup clutch (2) is engaged when the supply pressure (p_WD_zu) of the torque converter (1) is lower than a predefined pressure level of the supply pressure (p_WK_zu) of the torque converter lockup clutch. A converter pressure valve (WDV) is provided for controlling the supply pressure (p_WD_zu) of the torque converter (1), and a converter coupling valve (WKV) for controlling the supply pressure (p_WK_zu) of the torque converter lockup clutch, where their valve slides (WDV_S, WKV_S) can be acted upon by at least one pre-control pressure (p_VS) and one system pressure (p_sys).Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2006Date of Patent: November 2, 2010Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventors: Georg Gierer, Thilo Schmidt, Tobias Rolser
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Publication number: 20100243079Abstract: An arrangement of a pressure limiting valve (1) for the pilot control of a pressure control valve of a hydraulically actuatable shifting element of a motor vehicle transmission in which the pressure limiting valve (1) is disposed such that the armature axis thereof is disposed perpendicular to at least one of the driving direction and the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2008Publication date: September 30, 2010Applicant: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AGInventors: Ralph Boehm, Markus Moosmann, Stefan Meschenmoser, Georg Gierer, Karlheinz Mayr
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Patent number: 7794349Abstract: An automatic transmission control device with a hydraulic control system controlled by an electric transmission control device. The system including several pressure control valves, actuated electrically by the transmission control device, and several switching valves and pressure regulation valves, actuated by hydraulic pilot pressure, which is adjustable with the pressure control valves. Each shift element is associated with one of the pressure control valve. An engagement prevention valve is actuated by one of a control pressure of the first shift element and a pressure signal equivalent to the control pressure of the first shift element to engage the reverse drive gear. A pressure supply line of the second shift element for obtaining the reversing gear is blocked when the engagement prevention valve is in its first switch position and open when the engagement prevention valve is in its second switch position.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2006Date of Patent: September 14, 2010Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventors: Georg Gierer, Thilo Schmidt
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Patent number: 7780572Abstract: A control valve arrangement having a clutch regulation valve (3), which pressurizes a device to actuate the clutch, and a valve that produces a controlled pilot pressure (P_VST3). An electronic control unit (ECU) controls a valve to supply a control valve with the pressure (P_VST3). The arrangement further having a hydraulic system which, if the ECU fails and the pressure (P_VST3) ceases, the last shift condition of the clutch actuation device, prior to the ECU failure, can be maintained in an emergency. The arrangement includes a valve, which delivers an activation pressure (P_A), depending on an engine-speed-dependent control pressure (P_D), to an actuation valve (2), which then delivers the pressure (P_A) to the valve (3) to prevent the emergency function initiation despite a lack of pressure (P_VST3) and existence of the pressure (P_D) sufficiently high to initiate the emergency function.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2006Date of Patent: August 24, 2010Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventors: Georg Gierer, Thilo Schmidt, Anton Fritzer, Markus Herrmann