Patents by Inventor Gerhard Fuhrer

Gerhard Fuhrer 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: 8065934
    Abstract: A transmission (8) having a transmission housing (26) having a region in which gear wheels (66, 68) rotate and a heat exchanger (30) which absorbs the heat generated in the transmission (8). This heat is transferred to a transmission lubricant and released to a coolant to transport the heat away from the transmission (8). A recess (56) is provided, in the transmission housing (26) outside of the region in which the gearwheels (66, 68) rotate, through which transmission lubricant flows and in which the heat exchanger (30) is arranged. The heat exchanger (30) has a bypass valve (48) which enables the heat exchanger (30) to be bypassed starting at a predefined low or excess pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Gerhard Fuhrer, Gerhard Horing
  • Patent number: 7950625
    Abstract: A shut-off instrument for a flow medium, in particular a slide valve instrument designed for pressurization on both sides with an instrument housing forming a flow channel and a slide valve chamber and with a soft-sealing shut-off element closing off the flow channel and with a slide valve stem which penetrates a seal arrangement and/or bearing arrangement in a housing neck extension delimiting the slide valve chamber and which is rotationally connected to a stem nut coupled to the shut-off element by a screw contact. The shut-off element is designed to include more than one part and at least one external dimension of the main body is slightly smaller than a nominal width of the flow channel and seal elements are arranged on opposite support surfaces of the main body via an engaged connection projecting over the external dimension with a peripheral edge collar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: E. Hawle Armaturenwerke GmbH
    Inventors: Franz Johann Pohn, Rupert Schlagnitweit, Christian Berger, Gerhard Führer
  • Publication number: 20090320642
    Abstract: A transmission (8) having a transmission housing (26) having a region in which gear wheels (66, 68) rotate and a heat exchanger (30) which absorbs the heat generated in the transmission (8). This heat is transferred to a transmission lubricant and released to a coolant to transport the heat away from the transmission (8). A recess (56) is provided, in the transmission housing (26) outside of the region in which the gearwheels (66, 68) rotate, through which transmission lubricant flows and in which the heat exchanger (30) is arranged. The heat exchanger (30) has a bypass valve (48) which enables the heat exchanger (30) to be bypassed starting at a predefined low or excess pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2007
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Gerhard Führer, Gerhard Höring
  • Publication number: 20090014676
    Abstract: A shut-off instrument for a flow medium, in particular a slide valve instrument designed for pressurization on both sides with an instrument housing forming a flow channel and a slide valve chamber and with a soft-sealing shut-off element closing off the flow channel and with a slide valve stem which penetrates a seal arrangement and/or bearing arrangement in a housing neck extension delimiting the slide valve chamber and which is rotationally connected to a stem nut coupled to the shut-off element by a screw contact. The shut-off element is designed to include more than one part and at least one external dimension of the main body is slightly smaller than a nominal width of the flow channel and seal elements are arranged on opposite support surfaces of the main body via an engaged connection projecting over the external dimension with a peripheral edge collar.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2008
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Inventors: Franz Johann Pohn, Rupert Schlagnitweit, Christian Berger, Gerhard Fuhrer
  • Patent number: 7448595
    Abstract: A shut-off instrument for a flow medium, in particular a slide valve instrument designed for pressurization on both sides with an instrument housing forming a flow channel and a slide valve chamber and with a soft-sealing shut-off element closing off the flow channel and with a slide valve stem which penetrates a seal arrangement and/or bearing arrangement in a housing neck extension delimiting the slide valve chamber and which is rotationally connected to a stem nut coupled to the shut-off element by a screw contact. The shut-of element is designed to include more than one part and at least one external dimension of the main body is slightly smaller than a nominal width of the flow channel and seal elements are arranged on opposite support surfaces of the main body via an engaged connection projecting over the external dimension with a peripheral edge collar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: E. Hawle Armaturenwerke GmbH
    Inventors: Franz Johann Pohn, Rupert Schlagnitweit, Christian Berger, Gerhard Führer
  • Patent number: 7216560
    Abstract: A gear shifting system for idler wheels (3) comprising sliding sleeves (2), which are connected torsion-resistant with a main shaft (1) and can be connected form-locking with an idler wheel (3) to be shifted via axial displacement. Actuation of the respective sliding sleeve (2) is provided through at least one adjusting unit (4), which selects an actuator such that a shifting actuation of the respective sliding sleeve (2) is possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Gerhard Führer
  • Patent number: 7168335
    Abstract: An arrangement of the intermediate gear for a reverse gear (1) is proposed for a transmission with a drive shaft and an output shaft (2) arranged coaxially in relation to it and with one additional intermediate shaft (4) arranged parallel to the drive and output shafts (2) for a power take-off. The intermediate gear for the reverse gear (1) is driven by a shaft (3) and drives the output shaft (2), in which the intermediate gear for the reverse gear (1) is arranged above an imaginary plane (A) extended through the axes of the driving shaft (3) and the output shaft (2) and, with a horizontal orientation of plane (A), the driving shaft (3) is located to the right of the output shaft (2) in the direction of travel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Gerhard Führer, Hermann Lanz, Gerhard Höring, Roland Stauber
  • Publication number: 20060097215
    Abstract: The invention relates to a shut-off instrument (1) for a flow medium, in particular a slide valve instrument (2) designed for pressurisation on both sides with an instrument housing (3) forming a flow channel (6) and a slide valve chamber (11) and with a soft-sealing shut-off element (23) closing off the flow channel (6) and with a slide valve stem (16) which penetrates a seal arrangement (14) and/or bearing arrangement (15) in a housing neck extension (12) delimiting the slide valve chamber (11) and which is rotationally connected to a stem nut (19) coupled to the shut-off element (23) by a screw contact. The shut-of element (23) is designed to comprise more than one part and at least one external dimension (29) of the main body (28) is slightly smaller than a nominal width (9) of the flow channel (6) and seal elements (34) are arranged on opposite support surfaces (32) of the main body (28) via an engaged connection projecting over the external dimension (29) with a peripheral edge collar (35).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2003
    Publication date: May 11, 2006
    Inventors: Franz Pohn, Rupert Schlagnitweit, Christian Berger, Gerhard Fuhrer
  • Publication number: 20050284244
    Abstract: An arrangement of the intermediate gear for a reverse gear (1) is proposed for a transmission with a drive shaft and an output shaft (2) arranged coaxially in relation to it and with one additional intermediate shaft (4) arranged parallel to the drive and output shafts (2) for a power take-off. The intermediate gear for the reverse gear (1) is driven by a shaft (3) and drives the output shaft (2), in which the intermediate gear for the reverse gear (1) is arranged above an imaginary plane (A) extended through the axes of the driving shaft (3) and the output shaft (2) and, with a horizontal orientation of plane (A), the driving shaft (3) is located to the right of the output shaft (2) in the direction of travel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2003
    Publication date: December 29, 2005
    Inventors: Gerhard Fuhrer, Hermann Lanz, Gerhard Horing, Roland Stauber
  • Publication number: 20050241422
    Abstract: A gear shifting system for idler wheels (3) comprising sliding sleeves (2), which are connected torsion-resistant with a main shaft (1) and can be connected form-locking with an idler wheel (3) to be shifted via axial displacement. Actuation of the respective sliding sleeve (2) is provided through at least one adjusting unit (4), which selects an actuator such that a shifting actuation of the respective sliding sleeve (2) is possible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2003
    Publication date: November 3, 2005
    Inventor: Gerhard Fuhrer
  • Publication number: 20040099079
    Abstract: A manually operated transmission, for commercial vehicles having a plurality of synchronized forward gears and one unsynchronized reverse gear and optionally one unsynchronized crawler gear with synchronizer packets for the forward gears and locking plates, has a locking part (3) upon the gearshift bar (1) for the unsynchronized reverse gear or the gearshift bar for the unsynchronized crawler gear disposed in a manner such that when selecting the gate for the reverse gear or the crawler gear it engages without force in the adjacent gearshift bar (1) for one of the synchronized forward gears so that they are driven along in the shifting direction and thereby an ansynchronization of the forward gear adjacent to the gearshift bar (2) occurs, but a complete gearshift of the forward gear is prevented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2003
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Inventor: Gerhard Fuhrer
  • Patent number: 6709356
    Abstract: In a transmission (2) for a motor vehicle with a main transmission part (22) which possesses a plurality of gear steps and wherein, between each step a step-jump in the gear ratio is provided, and with a split transmission part (40) for the separation of the step-jumps of the gear steps of the main transmission part (22) and with an area group transmission part (10) for the extension of the over-all gear ratio of the gear steps of the main transmission part 22 with a slow and a rapid gear ratio area, the average gear step-jump of the upper gear steps is approximately at least 0.7% less than the geometric step-jump calculated theoretically from the total gear ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Gerhard Führer, Hermann Lanz, Roland Stauber, Marcus Raeder
  • Patent number: 6668670
    Abstract: Multi-speed step-change transmission for commercial vehicles having an one input shaft, a main shaft placed in an axial extension, one countershaft parallel thereto and one intermediate shaft parallel to the two shafts for the reverse gear and the shafts have gear wheels forming the ratio steps of the transmission. The sum of the tip radii of the intermediate gear (3) for the reverse gear and of the main shaft gear (1) for the first gear is smaller than the axial separation (a) between the main shaft (5) and the intermediate shaft (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Gerhard Führer, Hermann Lanz, Roland Stauber
  • Patent number: 6658955
    Abstract: In the case of a vehicle transmission (2) with two counter shafts placed in a transmission housing (8) for the distribution of load, with one input shaft (4) and one main shaft (20) coaxially aligned with the input shaft (4), a gear (24) is placed in the area between the input shaft (4) and the main shaft (20). The gear (24) is secured by a bearing (26, 28) between the input shaft (4) and the main shaft (20) and secured radially by bearings between the two counter shafts. The bearing (26, 28) constitutes the exclusive axial bearing between the input shaft (4) and output shaft (20). The axial bearing comprises two axial effective roller bearings (26, 28) which lie on opposed sides of a projection (30) of the gear (24).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Gerhard Führer, Hermann Lanz, Roland Stauber
  • Patent number: 6543594
    Abstract: The invention relates to a synchronization device (2) for torque-transmitting components (4, 6, 8) of a transmission comprising a disk set (40) which has several disks (82) and a synchronizer sleeve (30) connected to a shifting device (64). The synchronizer system (2) has mechanisms (82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 94) that divide the torque among the torque transmitting components (4, 6, 8) into an initial lower torque and a subsequent larger synchronizing torque. This is preferably achieved by a gradation of the disk (82) that enables a successive engagement of the disks on the torque transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Gerhard Führer
  • Publication number: 20030036452
    Abstract: In a transmission (2) for a motor vehicle with a main transmission part (22) which possesses a plurality of gear steps and wherein, between each step a step-jump in the gear ratio is provided, and with a split transmission part (40) for the separation of the step-jumps of the gear steps of the main transmission part (22) and with an area group transmission part (10) for the extension of the over-all gear ratio of the gear steps of the main transmission part 22 with a slow and a rapid gear ratio area, the average gear step-jump of the upper gear steps is approximately at least 0.7% less than the geometric step-jump calculated theoretically from the total gear ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2002
    Publication date: February 20, 2003
    Inventors: Gerhard Fuhrer, Hermann Lanz, Roland Stauber, Marcus Raeder
  • Patent number: 5871415
    Abstract: A planetary gear designed with helically cut teeth, in particular for motor vehicles, is provided with a sun wheel (1), which is non-rotatably connected with the drive shaft (2), a plurality of planet gears (4) mounted in a planet carrier (6) and a ring gear (7) which surrounds the planet gears (4) and is connected with a ring-gear carrier (8). In order to absorb axial forces, pairs of pressure surfaces (19, 20, 24) are provided on thrust rings (17, 18, 22) and the planet gears (4). Preferably, one pair of pressure surfaces (19) is provided between the sun wheel (1) or drive shaft (2), on the one hand, and the planet gears (4), on the other, and one pair of pressure surfaces (24) is provided between the planet gears (4) and the ring gear (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1999
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Gerhard Fuhrer, Kurt Osterloff