Patents by Inventor Hugo Mueller

Hugo Mueller 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: 8983728
    Abstract: A motor vehicle includes a steering wheel for steering front wheels of the motor vehicle, an actuator for automatically steering rear wheels of the motor vehicle, and a control device storing at least two different characteristic curve fields relating to the position of the rear wheels in relation to the position of the front wheels for controlling the actuator. The control device selects one of the two characteristic curve fields depending on a parameter relating to the position of the steering wheel or a change in the position of the steering wheel. When driving the motor vehicle in reverse, the actuator reversibly and continuously adjusts the rear wheels between a steering position that is identical to a steering position of the front wheels and a steering position that is opposite to the steering position of the front wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: Christoph Kossira, Hugo Müller, Ulrich Voll
  • Patent number: 8894077
    Abstract: A device for adjusting the camber and/or the toe of a vehicle wheel of a motor vehicle includes a wheel carrier, which has a wheel-side carrier part and an axle-side guide part, between which rotary parts that can be rotated relative to each other are arranged, wherein at least one of the rotary parts can be adjusted in both rotational directions by means of a drive and a gear stage in order to adjust the toe and/or the camber. The gear stage for the rotary part is configured as harmonic drive gear train having a driving, elliptical drive disk, and a stationary, internally toothed ring gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: Wilfried Michel, Karl-Heinz Meitinger, Christoph Kossira, Hugo Müller, Wolfgang Schmid
  • Patent number: 8731780
    Abstract: A method for operating a mechatronic chassis device of a motor vehicle, wherein the mechatronic chassis device has an arrangement with two servomotors which, when activated, individually change both a toe angle (?) of a wheel and a camber angle (?) of the wheel. The servomotors are controlled on the basis of target values in a predetermined manner, wherein if a first servomotor cannot be placed into operation, an emergency program is started and the second servomotor is controlled in a manner different from the predetermined manner such that a lateral force on the wheel is adjusted to a predetermined desired value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: Wilfried Michel, Hugo Müller, Christoph Kossira, Karl-Heinz Meitinger, Wolfgang Schmid
  • Patent number: 8534684
    Abstract: The invention relates to a wheel suspension for motor vehicles, comprising a wheel carrier (14), which has a wheel-side carrier part (16) that rotatably supports a vehicle wheel (12) and an axle-side guide part (18), between which a control element is connected, wherein the wheel-side carrier part (16) can be pivoted about a pivot angle relative to the axle-side guide part (18) to set a toe angle and/or camber angle when the control element is actuated. According to the invention, the wheel carrier (14), in particular the guide part (18) thereof, is guided directly or indirectly on a linear guide (26) affixed to the body in form of a slotted guide, allowing movement in the vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: Wilfried Michel, Hugo Müller, Karl-Heinz Meitinger, Christoph Kossira, Wolfgang Schmid
  • Patent number: 8500133
    Abstract: The invention relates to a wheel suspension for a motor vehicle, comprising a wheel-side carrier part (12) holding a vehicle wheel (1) in a rotatable manner, and an axle-side guiding part (14) between which mutually rotating rotary parts (16, 18) are arranged. The guiding part (14), the rotary parts (16, 18) and/or the carrier part (12) interact with first and second effective areas (18a, 36a; 18b, 16b; 16a, 54a) facing each other. According to the invention, the first effective area radially defines a conical or spherical hollow profile into which the corresponding second effective area protrudes in an essentially form-fitting manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: Wilfried Michel, Karl-Heinz Meitinger, Christoph Kossira, Hugo Müller, Wolfgang Schmid
  • Patent number: 8490983
    Abstract: A wheel suspension for a motor vehicle includes a support element on the wheel-side rotatably mounting a vehicle wheel and a carrier element on the axle-side, wherein the carrier element on the wheel-side can be adjusted for setting a toe and/or camber angle relative to the support element on the axle-side, wherein the carrier elements on the axle-side and on the wheel-side are coupled to a universal joint in which webs of the carrier elements on the wheel-side and on the axle-side are articulated on a gimbal ring element by means of bearing points. The webs of the support elements are articulated on the gimbal ring element at the bearing points by means of ball joints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Schmid, Heinrich Beringer, Hugo Müller, Karl-Heinz Meitinger, Wilfried Michel, Christoph Kossira
  • Publication number: 20130175776
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for adjusting camber and/or toe of a vehicle wheel having a wheel carrier (10) on which the wheel is rotatably mounted, the wheel guide element (10) having a carrier member (12) receiving the wheel, a guide member (14) on the axle side and at least one intermediately arranged actuating element (16, 18) for adjusting camber and/or toe of the vehicle wheel, which actuating element (16, 18) has a drive connection to at least one servomotor (26, 28). According to the invention, the carrier member (12) and the guide member (14) are each coupled by a cardanic articulated connection to a corresponding articulated fork (32, 34) and a supporting ring (40) connecting the articulated fork (32, 34) via bearing pins (38), and the servomotor (26, 28) is connected to the actuating element (16, 18) via a belt drive (30) which passes through an intermediate space (39) in the articulated forks (32, 34).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Wilfried Michel, Karl-Heinz Meitinger, Christoph Kossira, Hugo Müller, Wolfgang Schmid
  • Publication number: 20130173120
    Abstract: A method for operating a mechatronic chassis device of a motor vehicle, wherein the mechatronic chassis device has an arrangement with two servomotors which, when activated, individually change both a toe angle (?) of a wheel and a camber angle (?) of the wheel. The servomotors are controlled on the basis of target values in a predetermined manner, wherein if a first servomotor cannot be placed into operation, an emergency program is started and the second servomotor is controlled in a manner different from the predetermined manner such that a lateral force on the wheel is adjusted to a predetermined desired value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicant: Audi AG
    Inventors: Wilfried Michel, Hugo Müller, Christoph Kossira, Karl-Heinz Meitinger, Wolfgang Schmid
  • Patent number: 8474837
    Abstract: An apparatus for adjusting the camber and/or toe of a motor vehicle wheel includes a wheel carrier, on which the wheel is rotatably mounted. The wheel carrier is divided into a carrier member receiving the wheel via a wheel bearing, an axle-side guide member, and a bearing assembly arranged therebetween. The bearing assembly includes rotary parts which can be rotated relative to each other and relative to both the carrier member and the guide member and which interact with confronting inclined faces. The wheel bearing includes a radially outer bearing housing, which is clamped by the bearing assembly formed from the rotary parts into a plug-and-socket connection with the carrier member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: Karl-Heinz Meitinger, Wilfried Michel, Christoph Kossira, Hugo Müller, Wolfgang Schmid
  • Patent number: 8459661
    Abstract: The invention relates to a wheel suspension for motor vehicles, with at least one wheel-side support member which pivotally supports one vehicle wheel and at least one axle-side support member, between which at least one intermediate element is connected, in particular an actuator for setting the track angle and/or the camber angle (?, ?) of the vehicle wheel. According to the invention the wheel-side support member and the axle-side support member are pressed into contact with one another by a pretensioning means with a pretensioning force (FV).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Schmid, Karl-Heinz Meitinger, Wilfried Michel, Christoph Kossira, Hugo Mueller
  • Publication number: 20130054092
    Abstract: A motor vehicle includes a steering wheel for steering front wheels of the motor vehicle, an actuator for automatically steering rear wheels of the motor vehicle, and a control device storing at least two different characteristic curve fields relating to the position of the rear wheels in relation to the position of the front wheels for controlling the actuator. The control device selects one of the two characteristic curve fields depending on a parameter relating to the position of the steering wheel or a change in the position of the steering wheel. When driving the motor vehicle in reverse, the actuator reversibly and continuously adjusts the rear wheels between a steering position that is identical to a steering position of the front wheels and a steering position that is opposite to the steering position of the front wheels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2012
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: Audi AG
    Inventors: Christoph Kossira, Hugo Müller, Ulrich Voll
  • Patent number: 8371593
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for adjusting the camber and/or toe of the wheels of a wheel suspension, particularly for motor vehicles, having a wheel carrier on which each wheel is rotatably supported and comprising a carrier part receiving the wheel and a guide part connected to the wheel suspension, between which rotating parts (26, 28) rotating about a rotation axis and preferably driven by an electric motor are disposed, bringing about a defined displacement of the carrier part and/or the guide part by the rotational actuation thereof for changing the camber and/or toe. According to the invention, a single adjusting drive (54) is provided for actuating the rotary parts (26, 28), by means of which the two rotary parts (26, 28) can be adjusted in different, particularly in opposite, directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Wilfried Michel, Karl-Heinz Meitinger, Christoph Kossira, Hugo Müller
  • Publication number: 20120306173
    Abstract: An apparatus for adjusting the camber and/or toe of a motor vehicle wheel includes a wheel carrier, on which the wheel is rotatably mounted. The wheel carrier is divided into a carrier member receiving the wheel via a wheel bearing, an axle-side guide member, and a bearing assembly arranged therebetween. The bearing assembly includes rotary parts which can be rotated relative to each other and relative to both the carrier member and the guide member and which interact with confronting inclined faces. The wheel bearing includes a radially outer bearing housing, which is clamped by the bearing assembly formed from the rotary parts into a plug-and-socket connection with the carrier member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: Audi AG
    Inventors: Karl-Heinz Meitinger, Wilfried Michel, Christoph Kossira, Hugo Müller, Wolfgang Schmid
  • Publication number: 20120306174
    Abstract: A wheel suspension for a motor vehicle includes a support element on the wheel-side rotatably mounting a vehicle wheel and a carrier element on the axle-side, wherein the carrier element on the wheel-side can be adjusted for setting a toe and/or camber angle relative to the support element on the axle-side, wherein the carrier elements on the axle-side and on the wheel-side are coupled to a universal joint in which webs of the carrier elements on the wheel-side and on the axle-side are articulated on a gimbal ring element by means of bearing points. The webs of the support elements are articulated on the gimbal ring element at the bearing points by means of ball joints.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: Audi AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Schmid, Heinrich Beringer, Hugo Müller, Karl-Heinz Meitinger, Wilfried Michel, Christoph Kossira
  • Patent number: 8322729
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for adjusting the camber and/or toe of the wheels (20) of wheel suspensions (10), especially for motor vehicles, including a wheel carrier (12) on which the respective wheel (20) is rotatably mounted and which is subdivided into a carrier part (24) receiving the wheel, a guide part (22) connected to the wheel suspension (10), and two rotary parts, especially control cylinders (26, 28), arranged between the carrier part and the guide part and rotatable in relation to each other, to the carrier part (24) and to the guide part (22) about a common rotation axis (32). Each of the rotary parts can be moved by a drive (40) and a servo drive (42) in both directions of rotation. According to the invention, the servo drive (42) is designed for at least one of the rotary parts (26, 28) as a planetary gear train (42), and the planetary gear train (42) is especially radially externally arranged around the rotary part (26, 28).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: Wilfried Michel, Hugo Müller, Karl-Heinz Meitinger, Christoph Kossira, Wolfgang Schmid
  • Patent number: 8313110
    Abstract: The invention relates to a wheel suspension system for motor vehicles having a wheel carrier, which has a wheel-side support element, which mounts in a rotatable manner a vehicle wheel, and an axle-side support element, between which is connected an actuating member, on actuation of which the wheel-side support element can be pivoted through a pivot angle (?) relative to the axle-side support element for the purpose of adjusting a track and/or camber angle (?, ?). According to the invention, the actuating member has a wheel-side rotational part and an axle-side rotational part, both of which can be rotated about their axes of rotation relative to each other, and the wheel-side rotational part can be deflected through the pivot angle (?) relative to the axle-side rotational part when the two rotational parts are rotated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: Karl-Heinz Meitinger, Peter Kunsch, Wilfried Michel, Hugo Mueller, Wolfgang Schmid, Christoph Kossira
  • Publication number: 20120242053
    Abstract: A device for adjusting the camber and/or the toe of a vehicle wheel of a motor vehicle includes a wheel carrier, which has a wheel-side carrier part and an axle-side guide part, between which rotary parts that can be rotated relative to each other are arranged, wherein at least one of the rotary parts can be adjusted in both rotational directions by means of a drive and a gear stage in order to adjust the toe and/or the camber. The gear stage for the rotary part is configured as harmonic drive gear train having a driving, elliptical drive disk, and a stationary, internally toothed ring gear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2010
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Wilfried Michel, Karl-Heinz Meitinger, Christoph Kossira, Hugo Müller, Wolfgang Schmid
  • Publication number: 20120193882
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for adjusting the camber and/or toe of the wheels of a wheel suspension, particularly for motor vehicles, having a wheel carrier on which each wheel is rotatably supported and comprising a carrier part receiving the wheel and a guide part connected to the wheel suspension, between which rotating parts (26, 28) rotating about a rotation axis and preferably driven by an electric motor are disposed, bringing about a defined displacement of the carrier part and/or the guide part by the rotational actuation thereof for changing the camber and/or toe. According to the invention, a single adjusting drive (54) is provided for actuating the rotary parts (26, 28), by means of which the two rotary parts (26, 28) can be adjusted in different, particularly in opposite, directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2010
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: Audi AG
    Inventors: Wilfried Michel, Karl-Heinz Meitinger, Christoph Kossira, Hugo Müller
  • Publication number: 20120126498
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for adjusting the camber and/or toe of the wheels (20) of wheel suspensions (10), especially for motor vehicles, including a wheel carrier (12) on which the respective wheel (20) is rotatably mounted and which is subdivided into a carrier part (24) receiving the wheel, a guide part (22) connected to the wheel suspension (10), and two rotary parts, especially control cylinders (26, 28), arranged between the carrier part and the guide part and rotatable in relation to each other, to the carrier part (24) and to the guide part (22) about a common rotation axis (32). Each of the rotary parts can be moved by a drive (40) and a servo drive (42) in both directions of rotation. According to the invention, the servo drive (42) is designed for at least one of the rotary parts (26, 28) as a planetary gear train (42), and the planetary gear train (42) is especially radially externally arranged around the rotary part (26, 28).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Wilfried Michel, Hugo Müller, Karl-Heinz Meitinger, Christoph Kossira, Wolfgang Schmid
  • Publication number: 20120098221
    Abstract: The invention relates to a wheel suspension for motor vehicles, comprising a wheel carrier (14), which has a wheel-side carrier part (16) that rotatably supports a vehicle wheel (12) and an axle-side guide part (18), between which a control element is connected, wherein the wheel-side carrier part (16) can be pivoted about a pivot angle relative to the axle-side guide part (18) to set a toe angle and/or camber angle when the control element is actuated. According to the invention, the wheel carrier (14), in particular the guide part (18) thereof, is guided directly or indirectly on a linear guide (26) affixed to the body in form of a slotted guide, allowing movement in the vertical direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2010
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: Audi AG
    Inventors: Wilfried Michel, Hugo Müller, Karl-Heinz Meitinger, Christoph Kossira, Wolfgang Schmid