Patents by Inventor Gerold Schultheiss

Gerold Schultheiss 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: 11137037
    Abstract: A fluid friction clutch may include a rotatably mounted shaft, a drive disk arranged on the shaft in a rotationally fixed manner, a driven body rotatably arranged on the shaft, and a ring-shaped transfer region disposed between the drive disk and the driven body. The transfer region may be configured to receive a viscous fluid via which the drive disk is couplable to the driven body for transferring a torque. The transfer region may be defined by a ring-shaped first groove profile of the drive disk and a ring-shaped second groove profile of the driven body that engage one another axially. The clutch may also include a storage chamber fluidically connected to the transfer region via an inflow path and via a return path. The return path may include a first retaining body and a second retaining body arranged radially offset relative to one another by an arc angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Inventors: Jens Langenstein, Gerold Schultheiss
  • Patent number: 11125280
    Abstract: A hydrodynamic friction clutch may include a rotatably mounted shaft, a drive disc non-rotatably fixed on the shaft, and an output body rotatably fixed on the shaft. The drive disc may include a radially extending annular transmission region for receiving a viscous fluid and via which the drive disc may be couplable to the output body for transmitting a torque, and an annular segment-shaped storage chamber for receiving the viscous fluid. The transmission region may be fluidically connected to the storage chamber via an inlet path and a drainage path. In the inlet path, a closable valve opening for controlling the quantity of the viscous fluid in the transmission region may be provided. The inlet path may include an annular segment-shaped communication passage, which may fluidically connect the storage chamber to the valve opening. The drainage path may fluidically connect to the inlet path at the valve opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Inventors: Jochen Draeger, Jens Langenstein, Gerold Schultheiss, Rudolf Stoklossa
  • Publication number: 20200284306
    Abstract: A fluid friction clutch may include a rotatably mounted shaft, a drive disk arranged on the shaft in a rotationally fixed manner, a driven body rotatably arranged on the shaft, and a ring-shaped transfer region disposed between the drive disk and the driven body. The transfer region may be configured to receive a viscous fluid via which the drive disk is couplable to the driven body for transferring a torque. The transfer region may be defined by a ring-shaped first groove profile of the drive disk and a ring-shaped second groove profile of the driven body that engage one another axially. The clutch may also include a storage chamber fluidically connected to the transfer region via an inflow path and via a return path. The return path may include a first retaining body and a second retaining body arranged radially offset relative to one another by an arc angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Inventors: Jens Langenstein, Gerold Schultheiss
  • Publication number: 20200096056
    Abstract: A hydrodynamic friction clutch may include a rotatably mounted shaft, a drive disc non-rotatably fixed on the shaft, and an output body rotatably fixed on the shaft. The drive disc may include a radially extending annular transmission region for receiving a viscous fluid and via which the drive disc may be couplable to the output body for transmitting a torque, and an annular segment-shaped storage chamber for receiving the viscous fluid. The transmission region may be fluidically connected to the storage chamber via an inlet path and a drainage path. In the inlet path, a closable valve opening for controlling the quantity of the viscous fluid in the transmission region may be provided. The inlet path may include an annular segment-shaped communication passage, which may fluidically connect the storage chamber to the valve opening. The drainage path may fluidically connect to the inlet path at the valve opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Inventors: Jochen Draeger, Jens Langenstein, Gerold Schultheiss, Rudolf Stoklossa
  • Patent number: 8636127
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fan drive device (1) for driving at least one fan impeller (2), comprising at least one first drivable coolable housing element (9, 10) with at least one output disc (13) which can be connected to the at least one drivable coolable housing element (9, 10) in such a way as to be capable of transmitting torque by fluid friction, wherein at least one fluid can be admitted to at least one torque-transmitting space, and the mass flow of said fluid can be regulated by means of a valve element (30), wherein the valve element (30) can be actuated by at least one actuator (26, 27), and at least a section of the actuator (26, 27) is arranged in at least one retaining element (33) for fastening to a motor unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: BEHR GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Gerold Schultheiss, Rudolf Stoklossa, Roman Woiterski
  • Patent number: 8408371
    Abstract: A fan clutch is provided to which a fan may be removably attached with the aid of a flange ring, the fan clutch having a housing that comprises a first front housing part and a second rear housing part to which the flange ring is attachable with the aid of connecting elements. The housing has circumferential attachment niches which are situated in an offset manner in the circumferential direction on both the front and the back of the housing and into which attachment tabs situated on the flange ring are insertable either from the front of the fan clutch or from the rear thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Behr GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Gerold Schultheiss, Joerg Angermaier, Eberhard Sixt, Sven Setzer
  • Patent number: 7886886
    Abstract: A viscous friction clutch for driving a cooling fan in a motor vehicle is disclosed, wherein the viscous friction clutch comprises a driving disk and a housing, a supply chamber and a working chamber, a device for supplying shear fluid from the supply chamber to the working chamber and a device for returning the shear fluid from the working chamber to the supply chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Behr GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Gerold Schultheiss, Rudolf Stoklossa
  • Patent number: 7828529
    Abstract: A regulatable drive for a motor vehicle, in particular for a water pump in a motor vehicle, has a rotatably mounted shaft, on which is located a rotatably mounted drive member and a rotationally fixed driven member. Between the drive member and driven member, a coupling region is defined, which can receive a viscous fluid for selectively coupling the drive member and driven member. The regulatable drive includes at least one first and at least one second flow path, which connect a fluid storage space to the coupling region, and it has a device which can be varied in its position by means of at least one actuator and which varies at least one passage orifice of at least one of the flow paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Behr GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Roland Baumgartner, Ralf Maus, Gerold Schultheiss
  • Publication number: 20100018826
    Abstract: A fan clutch is provided to which a fan may be removably attached with the aid of a flange ring, the fan clutch having a housing that comprises a first front housing part and a second rear housing part to which the flange ring is attachable with the aid of connecting elements (8). The housing has circumferential attachment niches which are situated in an offset manner in the circumferential direction on both the front and the back of the housing and into which attachment tabs situated on the flange ring are insertable either from the from of the fan clutch or from the rear thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2009
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Inventors: Gerold SCHULTHEISS, Joerg ANGERMAIER, Eberhard SIXT, Sven SETZER
  • Publication number: 20090064946
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fan drive device (1) for driving at least one fan impeller (2), comprising at least one first drivable coolable housing element (9, 10) with at least one output disc (13) which can be connected to the at least one drivable coolable housing element (9, 10) in such a way as to be capable of transmitting torque by fluid friction, wherein at least one fluid can be admitted to at least one torque-transmitting space, and the mass flow of said fluid can be regulated by means of a valve element (30), wherein the valve element (30) can be actuated by at least one actuator (26, 27), and at least a section of the actuator (26, 27) is arranged in at least one retaining element (33) for fastening to a motor unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2007
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Applicant: BEHR GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Gerold Schultheiss, Rudolf Stoklossa, Roman Woiterski
  • Patent number: 7475764
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for driving a coolant pump (2) for the coolant circuit of an internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle comprising a drive train that encompasses a drive wheel (7), a viscous coupling (11), and a drive shaft (3). The inventive driving device is provided with a second coupling (15) which is embodied as a clutch and can be connected to the drive train parallel to the viscous coupling (11), resulting in increased redundancy and two-step rev control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: BEHR GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Gerold Schultheiss, Peter Ambros, Rolf Müller, Rudolf Stoklossa
  • Publication number: 20080257677
    Abstract: A viscous friction clutch for driving a cooling fan in a motor vehicle is disclosed, wherein the viscous friction clutch comprises a driving pulley and a housing, a supply chamber and a working chamber, a device for supplying shear fluid from the supply chamber to the working chamber and a device for returning the shear fluid from the working chamber to the supply chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2008
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Applicant: BEHR GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Gerold Schultheiss, Rudolf Stoklossa
  • Patent number: 7246691
    Abstract: A fluid friction clutch for a motor vehicle fan comprises at least one rotatably mounted shaft, a drive element firmly mounted on the shaft so as to rotate with it and a driven element rotatably mounted about the axis of the shaft. The drive element and driven element form a coupling region, which accommodates a viscous fluid. A fan member is connected to the outer region of the driven element by means of at least one partially plastic or plastic-encapsulated fixing ring arranged concentrically with respect to the axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Behr GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Kuno Lindauer, Gerold Schultheiss, Rudolf Stoklossa
  • Publication number: 20050196297
    Abstract: A regulatable drive for a motor vehicle, in particular for a water pump in a motor vehicle, has a rotatably mounted shaft, on which is located a rotatably mounted drive member and a rotationally fixed driven member. Between the drive member and driven member, a coupling region is defined, which can receive a viscous fluid for selectively coupling the drive member and driven member. The regulatable drive includes at least one first and at least one second flow path, which connect a fluid storage space to the coupling region, and it has a device which can be varied in its position by means of at least one actuator and which varies at least one passage orifice of at least one of the flow paths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2005
    Publication date: September 8, 2005
    Inventors: Roland Baumgartner, Ralf Maus, Gerold Schultheiss
  • Publication number: 20050189194
    Abstract: A fluid friction clutch for a motor vehicle fan comprises at least one rotatably mounted shaft, a drive element firmly mounted on the shaft so as to rotate with it and a driven element rotatably mounted about the axis of the shaft. The drive element and driven element form a coupling region, which accommodates a viscous fluid. A fan member is connected to the outer region of the driven element by means of at least one partially plastic or plastic-encapsulated fixing ring arranged concentrically with respect to the axis of rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2005
    Publication date: September 1, 2005
    Inventors: Kuno Lindauer, Gerold Schultheiss, Rudolf Stoklossa
  • Patent number: 6935478
    Abstract: A fluid friction clutch, in particular for a motor vehicle fan, having a rotatably mounted shaft wherein a reservoir for at least largely holding the fluid is provided radially inside an outer periphery of the drive body, and wherein at least one first flow path and at least one second flow path are provided, which are used to connect the reservoir to the coupling area, and wherein the drive body, at the outer periphery, has at least one flow resistance element which is arranged between the at least first flow path and the at least second flow path, and wherein furthermore there is a controllable device for closing and opening at least one of these flow paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: BEHR GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Jochen Dräger, Gerold Schultheiss, Rudolf Stoklossa
  • Publication number: 20050178635
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for driving a coolant pump (2) for the coolant circuit of an internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle comprising a drive train that encompasses a drive wheel (7), a viscous coupling (11), and a drive shaft (3). The inventive driving device is provided with a second coupling (15) which is embodied as a clutch and can be connected to the drive train parallel to the viscous coupling (11), resulting in increased redundancy and two-step rev control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2003
    Publication date: August 18, 2005
    Applicant: BEHR GmbH & CO.KG
    Inventors: Gerold Schultheiss, Peter Ambros, Rolf Muller, Rudolf Stoklossa
  • Publication number: 20040168877
    Abstract: A fluid friction clutch, in particular for a motor vehicle fan, having a rotatably mounted shaft wherein a reservoir for at least largely holding the fluid is provided radially inside an outer periphery of the drive body, and wherein at least one first flow path and at least one second flow path are provided, which are used to connect the reservoir to the coupling area, and wherein the drive body, at the outer periphery, has at least one flow resistance element which is arranged between the at least first flow path and the at least second flow path, and wherein furthermore there is a controllable device for closing and opening at least one of these flow paths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2003
    Publication date: September 2, 2004
    Applicant: BEHR GmbH & CO.
    Inventors: Jochen Drager, Gerold Schultheiss, Rudolf Stoklossa
  • Patent number: 6079536
    Abstract: An arrangement for controlling the rotational speed of an output rotational part of a fluid friction coupling is provided. A fan for cooling components of a motor vehicle is coupled with a driving rotational part by way of a shearing fluid whose effective fluid quantity determines the transferrable torque. The arrangement contains an adjusting unit (which can be electrically driven in a timed manner) for the variable adjustment of the effective shearing fluid quantity and contains a temperature controller stage to which the temperature of at least one medium whose temperature can be influenced by the output rotational speed is fed. The invention, the temperature controller stage is followed by a rotational speed controller stage to which, on the input side, the output signal of the temperature controller stage is fed as the dessired rotational output speed as well as the rotational driving speed and which, via of its output signal, drives the shearing fluid quantity adjusting unit of the coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignees: Behr GmbH & Co., GKR Gesellschaft fuer Fahrzeugklima-regelung mbH
    Inventors: Werner Hummel, Uwe Maier, Horst Singer, Gerold Schultheiss
  • Patent number: 5992594
    Abstract: Known fluid friction clutches, which are electromagnetically controlled from either an engine side or a driving side, require very strong and space-consuming coils in order to produce magnetic forces which are sufficient to control valve levers which, on the side of the clutch away from the coil, open or close a connection opening between a storage chamber and a working chamber. To address this problem, the magnet coil is placed as close as possible to the clutch housing and, by way of inserted flux guiding rings, achieve a magnetic shunt of the lines of magnetic flux such that the coil does not have to be overdimensioned. The flux guiding rings extend to just in front of an armature of the valve lever and, with small radial air gaps, to the housing of the coil. The rings can otherwise be arranged opposite the rotatable shaft made of a magnetic material. Such clutches are appropriate for use as fan clutches of vehicle engines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: Behr GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Max Herrle, Werner Hummel, Gerold Schultheiss