Patents by Inventor Hermann Lanz

Hermann Lanz 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: 20260008329
    Abstract: A housing arrangement has a first and second housings. The first housing has a connection section on an outer periphery for receiving an electrical connector and a plurality of first fastening sections spaced apart evenly from each other in the peripheral direction for fastening to a second housing. The second housing has a plurality of fastening sections spaced evenly apart from each other in the peripheral direction. The first fastening sections of the first and second housings are arranged in such a way that the first housing can be fastened to the second housing in different angular positions in the peripheral direction. The first housing has at least one transmission section which is formed to correspond to one of the angular positions on a plurality of base sections, where the base sections are designed to form the transmission section corresponding to each of the angular positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2025
    Publication date: January 8, 2026
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Hermann Lanz, Sylva Rother, Mario Holder, Berthold Schraff, Frank Sauter, Horst Leichsenring
  • Publication number: 20250381837
    Abstract: A drive unit for a vehicle includes a gearbox having an input element configured to introduce a drive power into the gearbox, and a clutch device with a clutch actuating device. A first drive machine is configured to drive the vehicle and can be mechanically and functionally connected to the input element. A second drive machine is configured to drive the vehicle and can be mechanically and functionally connected to the input element by way of the clutch device. A first housing defines a clutch space for accommodating the clutch actuating device and a drive space for accommodating the first drive machine. Relative to the clutch space, the drive space is arranged in the axial direction offset to a first side. A heat exchanger is arranged radially between an outer circumference of the clutch actuating device and an inner circumference of the first housing inside the clutch space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2025
    Publication date: December 18, 2025
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Hermann Lanz, Sylva Rother, Mario Holder, Berthold Schraff, Frank Sauter, Horst Leichsenring
  • Publication number: 20250102056
    Abstract: A transmission housing (1) for a motor vehicle, the transmission housing (1) defining an inside space (2) for accommodating moving transmission components and having a venting arrangement (3) for venting the inside space (2) relative to a surrounding atmosphere. The venting arrangement (3) has a venting duct (8) with a venting duct inlet (12) on the inside-space side. The venting arrangement (3) has a collection space (9) upstream from the venting duct inlet (12) with a collection space outlet (11). Also disclosed is a motor vehicle with moving transmission components and a transmission housing (1) of the type described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2024
    Publication date: March 27, 2025
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Ronny Hoppe, Hermann Lanz, Frank Sauter, Andreas Reisch
  • Patent number: 11813938
    Abstract: An auxiliary power take-off assembly in a motor vehicle transmission, which has a torque converter, a transmission input and a transmission output. The auxiliary power take-off assembly includes: an input shaft at the transmission input, and which is permanently connected to a drive motor of the motor vehicle by way of the pump shaft of the torque converter; a transmission output shaft at the transmission output; a transmission chain, which includes an input element and an output element and the output element of which can be connected to an auxiliary assembly to be driven; and a switching element, which is operatively arranged between the input shaft and the input element of the transmission chain, to selectively connect the input shaft to the output element. The output element is arranged on an output shaft, which is mounted in a bearing cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Michael Epple, Michael Trübenbach, Hermann Lanz, Sylva Rother, Mario Holder
  • Patent number: 11479116
    Abstract: An auxiliary power take-off assembly in an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle provided with a torque converter, having a transmission input and transmission output having a drive shaft at the transmission input that is permanently connected to a drive motor of the motor vehicle via a pump shaft of the torque converter. A transmission output shaft at the transmission output, and a transmission chain includes at least one drive element and one output element. The output element can be connected to an additional unit to be driven. A switch element, which is arranged so as to act between the drive shaft and the drive element of the transmission chain for optionally connecting the drive shaft to the drive element. The drive element and the output element are designed as gearwheels which are engaged with one another without an intermediate wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Michael Epple, Michael Trübenbach, Hermann Lanz, Sylva Rother, Mario Holder
  • Patent number: 11085538
    Abstract: A transmission of a vehicle having a transmission housing which accommodates shifting elements. The transmission has a hydraulic control unit which supplies the shifting elements with hydraulic oil, and which has a valve housing and a duct plate. The valve housing accommodates valves, and the duct plate unit is connected to the transmission housing and contains hydraulic ducts which communicate with hydraulic ducts of the transmission housing, to supply hydraulic oil to the shifting elements. The transmission has a transmission-side power-take-off via which mechanical power can be drawn from the transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Horst Leichsenring, Georg Ege, Hermann Lanz
  • Patent number: 10989295
    Abstract: A housing (1) for an assembly in a vehicle drive-train having a first housing component (1A) and a second housing component (1B). The first and second housing components (1A, 1B) are aligned with and coupled to one another. A shaft (6) for supporting a structural element (7) of the assembly is arranged inside the housing. The shaft (6) is supported respectively in the first and the second housing components (1A, 1B). The shaft (6) serves to align the first and second housing components (1A, 1B) relative to one another. A transmission having such a housing (1) is described as is a method for producing such a housing (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventor: Hermann Lanz
  • Publication number: 20210046820
    Abstract: An auxiliary power take-off assembly in an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle provided with a torque converter, having a transmission input and transmission output having a drive shaft at the transmission input that is permanently connected to a drive motor of the motor vehicle via a pump shaft of the torque converter. A transmission output shaft at the transmission output, and a transmission chain includes at least one drive element and one output element. The output element can be connected to an additional unit to be driven. A switch element, which is arranged so as to act between the drive shaft and the drive element of the transmission chain for optionally connecting the drive shaft to the drive element. The drive element and the output element are designed as gearwheels which are engaged with one another without an intermediate wheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventors: Michael EPPLE, Michael TRÜBENBACH, Hermann LANZ, Sylva ROTHER, Mario HOLDER
  • Publication number: 20210023943
    Abstract: An auxiliary power take-off assembly in a motor vehicle transmission, which has a torque converter, a transmission input and a transmission output. The auxiliary power take-off assembly includes: an input shaft at the transmission input, and which is permanently connected to a drive motor of the motor vehicle by way of the pump shaft of the torque converter; a transmission output shaft at the transmission output; a transmission chain, which includes an input element and an output element and the output element of which can be connected to an auxiliary assembly to be driven; and a switching element, which is operatively arranged between the input shaft and the input element of the transmission chain, to selectively connect the input shaft to the output element. The output element is arranged on an output shaft, which is mounted in a bearing cap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventors: Michael EPPLE, Michael TRÜBENBACH, Hermann LANZ, Sylva ROTHER, Mario HOLDER
  • Publication number: 20200347925
    Abstract: A housing (1) for an assembly in a vehicle drive-train having a first housing component (1A) and a second housing component (1B). The first and second housing components (1A, 1B) are aligned with and coupled to one another. A shaft (6) for supporting a structural element (7) of the assembly is arranged inside the housing. The shaft (6) is supported respectively in the first and the second housing components (1A, 1B). The shaft (6) serves to align the first and second housing components (1A, 1B) relative to one another. A transmission having such a housing (1) is described as is a method for producing such a housing (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2020
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Inventor: Hermann LANZ
  • Publication number: 20200318727
    Abstract: A transmission for a commercial vehicle that has a transmission housing in which at least one venting arrangement, for equalizing the pressure between an inside space of the transmission housing and the surroundings of the transmission housing, is provided. The arrangement includes a vent fixed on a wall of the transmission housing on the surroundings side. The vent is connected by way of an oil foam reducing venting channel to at least one inside space of the transmission housing. At least a first venting bore, on the inside space side, and a second venting bore, on the vent side, are provided as the venting channel such that, in relation to their cross-sections, the venting bores are offset relative to one another, at their connection area, in such manner that a step-shaped transition is formed in the connection area between the venting bores.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2020
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Inventors: Georg EGE, Hermann LANZ
  • Publication number: 20200158239
    Abstract: A transmission of a vehicle having a transmission housing which accommodates shifting elements. The transmission has a hydraulic control unit which supplies the shifting elements with hydraulic oil, and which has a valve housing and a duct plate. The valve housing accommodates valves, and the duct plate unit is connected to the transmission housing and contains hydraulic ducts which communicate with hydraulic ducts of the transmission housing, to supply hydraulic oil to the shifting elements. The transmission has a transmission-side power-take-off via which mechanical power can be drawn from the transmission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Inventors: Horst LEICHSENRING, Georg EGE, Hermann LANZ
  • Patent number: 8590409
    Abstract: A change-speed gearbox of a motor vehicle having a drive input and a drive output shaft which are mounted in a main chamber of a gearbox housing and by which a power flow can be transmitted by the selective actuation of clutches such that, parallel to the drive input and output shafts, an intermediate shaft with an intermediate gearwheel is arranged in an auxiliary chamber of the gearbox housing which communicates with the main chamber, so that when the shifting device is appropriately actuated, a power flow is directed from the drive input shaft, via the intermediate gearwheel of the intermediate shaft, to the drive output shaft to produce a reverse rotation direction of the drive output shaft. The auxiliary chamber, accommodating the intermediate shaft, has a bell-shaped longitudinal section with an oval cross-section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Hermann Lanz
  • Publication number: 20120024095
    Abstract: A manual transmission having an input shaft whose rotation is transmitted to an output shaft by a selected set of gearwheel pairs, which include gearwheels that are positioned on common axes at an angle to one another. The gearwheel pairs each comprise at least one cone-shaped gearwheel. Rotational direction reversal of the output shaft can be produced, upon actuation of a clutch, by an intermediate wheel which is positioned to one side of the arrangement axes and which engages a mating gear located on the driving side and one located on the driven side. At least one of the mating gears is conical and the intermediate wheel is cylindrical and arranged relative to the mating gears such that a rotational axis of the intermediate wheel is parallel to the lines of contact with the mating gears. The rotational axes of the intermediate wheel and each mating gear intersecting at a common point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2010
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Applicant: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Martin Lamke, Hermann Lanz, Michael Ludescher, Jorg Borner, Ewgeni Bayer
  • Publication number: 20110146432
    Abstract: A change-speed gearbox of a motor vehicle having a drive input and a drive output shaft which are mounted in a main chamber of a gearbox housing and by which a power flow can be transmitted by the selective actuation of clutches such that, parallel to the drive input and output shafts, an intermediate shaft with an intermediate gearwheel is arranged in an auxiliary chamber of the gearbox housing which communicates with the main chamber, so that when the shifting device is appropriately actuated, a power flow is directed from the drive input shaft, via the intermediate gearwheel of the intermediate shaft, to the drive output shaft to produce a reverse rotation direction of the drive output shaft. The auxiliary chamber, accommodating the intermediate shaft, has a bell-shaped longitudinal section with an oval cross-section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicant: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventor: Hermann Lanz
  • Publication number: 20080148882
    Abstract: A bearing arrangement for an auxiliary drive output shaft (1), in particular for a PTO shaft (1) in a multi-speed transmission of a commercial vehicle. The auxiliary drive output shaft (1) is driven by an intermediate gear wheel (3) of the transmission and is supported by at least one bearing (7, 10) on the drive input side and a bearing (9) on the drive output side of the auxiliary drive output shaft (1). The bearing on the drive input side is at least one radial bearing (7, 10) and the bearing on the drive output side is a conical-roller bearing (9).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Hermann Lanz, Walter Muller
  • 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
  • Patent number: 7021168
    Abstract: A selector transmission with countershaft design is described which comprises one input shaft (2), one output shaft (3), one main shaft (4) situated therebetween and one countershaft (5) interacting with the main shaft (4), shiftable gear wheel pairs being located upon the main shaft (4) and the countershaft (5). The main shaft (4) and the countershaft (5) are disposed at an angle (?) to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Rolf Bürkle, Hermann Lanz, Martin Lamke
  • 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
  • Patent number: 6883395
    Abstract: A transmission shift system for idler wheels comprising at least one actuating device that actuates a respective sliding sleeve non-rotatably connected with a main shaft in order to bring the sliding sleeve to positive fit with an idler wheel to be shifted. It is provided that the shiftable idler wheel is disposed upon the main shaft directly juxtaposed in axial direction and that the respective actuating devices are provided as unit on the main shaft outside the group of idler wheels, each actuating device being connected with the respective sliding sleeve via at least one connecting element extending along the main shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Hermann Lanz