Patents by Inventor Heinz Knecht

Heinz Knecht 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: 20070137913
    Abstract: An active chassis for a motor vehicle is proposed that comprises an actuator (2) with a hydraulic or pneumatic positioning cylinder (3) and a vibration absorber (4), wherein the actuator (2) features a partial load-bearing mounting spring (5), where a partial load-bearing second mounting spring (1) is connected in parallel to the actuator (2), the vibration absorber (4) is connected in parallel to the mounting spring (5) of the actuator (2) and the adjusting cylinder (3) is connected in series to the mounting spring (5) and to the vibration absorber (4).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2006
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Uwe Wohanka, Andreas Thies, Wolfgang Kinzelmann, Heinz Knecht
  • Patent number: 6651547
    Abstract: Guide for the piston rod of a piston-cylinder assembly, especially for a vibration damper, a shock-absorbing strut, or a level-control element, where the guide body holds the cylinder tube and the outside tube and simultaneously centers the piston rod in a central bore. The guide body has two axially spaced sealing elements which rest on the outside surface of the piston rod and seal off the interior space of the piston-cylinder assembly from the atmosphere. A flow connection, starting from the area of the intermediate space between the seals, extends to the interior space and is provided with a nonreturn valve, through which a flow can proceed only in the direction of the interior space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventors: Heinz Knecht, Werner Kuchheuser
  • Publication number: 20020046649
    Abstract: Guide for the piston rod of a piston-cylinder assembly, especially for a vibration damper, a shock-absorbing strut, or a level-control element, where the guide body holds the cylinder tube and the outside tube and simultaneously centers the piston rod in a central bore. The guide body has two axially spaced sealing elements which rest on the outside surface of the piston rod and seal off the interior space of the piston-cylinder assembly from the atmosphere. A flow connection, starting from the area of the intermediate space between the seals, extends to the interior space and is provided with a nonreturn valve, through which a flow can proceed only in the direction of the interior space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2001
    Publication date: April 25, 2002
    Applicant: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventors: Heinz Knecht, Werner Kuchheuser
  • Patent number: 6119831
    Abstract: A controllable vibration damper for motor vehicles, having a cylinder containing damping fluid, a piston rod entering the cylinder in a sealed manner and arranged axially displaceably therein, and a damping piston which is fastened to the piston rod and divides the cylinder into two working spaces, as well as a damping valve, which is provided with a valve seat and controls the effective cross section of a damping passage of the main stage via an axially displaceable valve body, the valve body being acted on in one direction by a precontrolling device and activated directly in the opposite direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventors: Heinz Knecht, Norbert Ackermann
  • Patent number: 5477947
    Abstract: A shock absorber with frequency-selective action, in particular for motor vehicles, can have a working cylinder filled with a damping fluid and divided into two working chambers by a piston which has throttle valves and is fastened to a piston rod. For optimal damping adjustment in vehicle-relevant frequency ranges, the working cylinder can preferably be provided with at least two hydraulic capacitances, one of which can be connected to the lower working chamber by way of a hydraulic inductance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 26, 1995
    Assignee: Fichtel & Sachs AG
    Inventors: Walter Schalles, Heinz Knecht, Joachim Lenze
  • Patent number: 5335757
    Abstract: Hydraulic adjustable vibration damper with a work cylinder, a piston fastened to a piston rod and dividing the work cylinder into two work chambers, at least one additional tube coaxially surrounding the work cylinder and at least one controllable damping valve installed in a stationary and sealed manner on the side of the vibration damper. For the proper and easy installation of the damping valve on the outer tube of the vibration damper, the damping valve is centered and held in a sealed manner by a centering ring in a hole in the tube, whereby the fastening is achieved by means of a screw fitting running through the hole of the centering ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1994
    Assignee: Boge AG
    Inventors: Heinz Knecht, Hubert Beck
  • Patent number: 4880086
    Abstract: Adjustable vibration damper, in particular for motor vehicles, with a cylinder containing a damping fluid, an axially-movable piston rod inserted in the cylinder in a sealed manner, and a damping piston fastened to the piston rod, which piston divides the cylinder into two work chambers, whereby a damping valve with an axially-movable valve body and a valve seat controls the effective cross section of a damping passage. Control of such a vibration damper should guarantee a continuous adjustment capability, a high adjustment speed, a good temperature behavior and reliably reproducible damping force characteristics, as well as the use of a small amount of control energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1989
    Assignee: Boge AG
    Inventors: Heinz Knecht, Norbert Ackermann
  • Patent number: 4850460
    Abstract: Shock absorber for vehicles, in which there is a damping element, which has a work cylinder holding a damping medium and divided into two work chambers by a piston, whereby at least partly to control the damping force, an electromagnetically activated and axially moving valve body of a valve pressurizes a flow passage. A variable damping adjustment becomes possible, and by means of a variably controlled damping valve, any desired adjustable damping of the decompression and compression stage can be achieved. In addition, by varying the effective hydraulically-influenced functional surfaces of the valve body, the switching, frequency, closing and opening action of the valve body, designed as the armature of an electromagnet, can be influenced. A seat surface is oriented together with the end surface of the valve body, whereby at least a portion of the end surface of the valve body and of the valve seat are located at a distance from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1989
    Assignee: Boge AG
    Inventors: Heinz Knecht, Alfred Preukschat
  • Patent number: 4802561
    Abstract: Adjustable shock absorber, particularly for motor vehicles, which includes a cylinder containing damping fluid, an axially-movable piston rod which projects in a sealed manner into the cylinder, and a piston fastened to the rod and dividing the cylinder chamber into two working chambers interconnected by at least one passage which produces a damping force, the effective cross section of which can be adjusted by means of a throttle valve. The bypass includes a flexible membrane enclosed in a chamber such that on the one side of the membrane, there is at least one inflow passageway and at least one outflow passageway of the passage which can be sealed off from one another by the membrane, a control edge (or valve seat) which interacts with the membrane, and on the other side of the membrane, a control chamber carrying a control bypass flow and sealed off from the passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1989
    Assignee: Boge AG
    Inventors: Heinz Knecht, Norbert Ackermann
  • Patent number: 4785920
    Abstract: Shock absorber for motor vehicles, on which there is a damping element, which exhibits a working cylinder to hold a working medium, divided by a piston into two working chambers, whereby an electromagnetically-activated and axially-movable valve body of the valve pressurizes a flow passage, at least partly to control the damping force. The object of the invention is to make possible a variable damping adjustment, whereby by means of a variably-controllable damping valve, an adjustable damping of the decompression and compression stages can be achieved. In addition, by variation of the effective hydraulically-influenced functional surfaces of the valve body, the switching, frequency, closing and opening action of the valve body, designed as the armature of an electromagnet, can be influenced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1988
    Assignee: Boge AG
    Inventors: Heinz Knecht, Alfred Preukschat
  • Patent number: 4749069
    Abstract: An arrangement for varying the damping of a suspension component such as a vibration damper, gas spring or hydro-pneumatic suspension. In one embodiment, an electronic system is mounted in association with the cylinder of the suspension component to form a variable damping system which, with the aid of other circuitry, varies the damping system of the piston. A vibration damping system for motor vehicles, in which there is a damping element, which has a work cylinder, is divided into two work chambers by a piston. This cylinder contains a damping medium. There is an electronically-controlled bypass valve disposed parallel to the work cylinder. A desired, variable damping force can thereby be achieved in the decompression and compression stage, between two fixed and specified fundamental curves, by controlling the current sent to an electromagnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1988
    Assignee: Boge GmbH
    Inventors: Heinz Knecht, Bernd Moser
  • Patent number: 4749070
    Abstract: An adjustable damping valve for use on a hydraulic vibration damper, gas pressure damper or hydropneumatic suspension, which regulates the damping force, regardless of the orientation, and is variable in the regulation of the throughput, thereby providing a rapid switching frequency response. The damping valve has at least one electromagnet. In the preferred embodiment, each electromagnet can be controlled individually. Further, each electromagnet has a coil body with a winding and an armature. The armature is immersed in a fluid in the flow connection during operation. The armatures of the electromagnets interrupt and open directly the flow connection variably and quickly between an upper damping chamber of the vibration damper and a pressure equalization chamber. In one embodiment, there are a number of individual flow connections with corresponding electromagnets distributed over the circumference for fast action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1988
    Assignee: Boge GmbH
    Inventors: Bernd Moser, Heinz Knecht
  • Patent number: 4650042
    Abstract: A vibration damping system for vehicles, with a damping element in a cylinder. The cylinder holds a damping medium and is divided into two chambers by a piston. A damping valve, located in a bypass, is connected parallel to the work cylinder. The damping valve variably controls damping to any desired damping in the decompression and compression stages of operation of the vibration damping system. The damping valve has an axially-movable, controllable valve being disposable in an opening. The controllable valve is connected in a series fluid flow relationship with at least one pressure-controlled, spring-loaded valve within the same valve body. The damping valve can be installed in numerous variations in vibration damping systems of vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1987
    Assignee: Boge GmbH
    Inventors: Heinz Knecht, Alfred Preukschat, Hubert Beck
  • Patent number: 4577840
    Abstract: A simple, operationally reliable and not-overly-sensitive level control in a generally known form of self-pumping hydropneumatic spring leg or strut is of such a construction that a delayed adjust-down control action can be achieved when a control opening is opened upon reaching a certain level. For that purpose, a sleeve is fitted as or as part of a throttle arrangement between the control opening of a hollow pump rod and a suction valve arranged at the end of the pump rod, the sleeve allowing oil to flow with a delay from the high pressure chamber which controls the level, by way of the control opening of the pump rod to the pump rod bore, the bore communicating with a low pressure chamber from which oil is normally pumped to the high pressure chamber. By removing the throttling responsibility from the control opening, size restrictions on the control opening are removed, thus facilitating sizing the control opening so as to preclude clogging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1984
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1986
    Assignee: Boge GmbH
    Inventors: Theo Meller, Heinz Knecht, Werner Kuchheuser
  • Patent number: 4502672
    Abstract: A self-pumping, hydropneumatic, telescopic, spring damping device with internal level regulation, especially for automotive vehicles, includes an oil filled working chamber and a working piston with damping devices, the working piston rod being hollow and forming a pump chamber for a pump rod which automatically pumps oil from an oil reservoir into the working chamber. A control opening permits flow from the work chamber to the oil reservoir when the desired level is exceeded. A gas cushion in a gas spring chamber connected with the working chamber pressurizes the oil in the working chamber. The gas spring chamber includes a separating piston, and may be connected axially to the working chamber in the region of a flexible or elastic partition which supports the pump rod. The partition includes communicating passages. A pump suction tube communicates a pump rod cavity with the oil reservoir, and is yieldable with respect to movements of the flexible partition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1982
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1985
    Assignee: BOGE GmbH
    Inventors: Theo Meller, Heinz Knecht, Ewald Kohberg, Karl-Heinz L/o/ hr
  • Patent number: 4408773
    Abstract: A self pumping, level regulating apparatus for vehicles comprises at least one hydropneumatic, telescoping spring element, and a pumping and regulating element for pumping oil into the work chamber of the spring element as a function of the motion of an axle of the vehicle, to raise the level of oil in the work chamber, and hence the level of the vehicle and for moving oil out of the work chamber when a predetermined level is exceeded. In contrast to an arrangement where the telescoping spring element and the pumping and regulating element are integrated and disposed between relatively movable members, such as levers fixed to two associated swinging axle halves, only the pumping and regulating element is so disposed, and the telescoping spring element is separately disposed between the vehicle body and the wheel axle. A better distribution of force is thus achieved. Moreover, a single pumping and regulating element can serve a number of hydropneumatic spring elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1981
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1983
    Assignee: BOGE GmbH
    Inventors: Theo Meller, Heinz Knecht
  • Patent number: 4368878
    Abstract: A self-pumping, hydropneumatic, telescopic, spring damping device with internal level regulation, especially for automotive vehicles, includes an oil filled working chamber and a working piston with damping devices, the working piston rod being hollow and forming a pump chamber for a pump rod which automatically pumps oil from an oil reservoir into the working chamber. A control opening permits flow from the work chamber to the oil reservoir when the desired oil level is exceeded. A gas cushion in a gas spring chamber connected with the working chamber pressurizes the oil in the working chamber. The gas spring chamber includes a separating piston and is connected axially to the working chamber in the region of a flexible or elastic partition which supports the pump rod. The partition includes communicating passages. A pump suction tube communicates a pump rod cavity with the oil reservoir, and is yieldable with respect to movements of the flexible partition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1981
    Date of Patent: January 18, 1983
    Assignee: Boge GmbH
    Inventors: Theo Meller, Heinz Knecht, Ewald Kohberg, Karl-Heinz Lohr