Patents by Inventor Jens Schafer

Jens Schafer 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: 6283075
    Abstract: The invention relates to a locking unit for a device for modifying the timing of charge change valves of an internal combustion engine, especially for a vane-cell control device. Said device (1) comprises a drive wheel (3) presenting a hollow space (8) and connected to a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine in a driving manner. The device also comprises an impeller (9) which has at least one vane (13) and is connected to the camshaft (2) in a non-rotating manner. At least one working chamber (20), which is divided by a vane (13) into two hydraulic pressure chambers (21, 22), is formed by intermediate walls (16) in the hollow space (8) of the drive wheel (3). When the pressure chambers (21, 22) are subjected to pressure by means of a hydraulic pressure medium they cause the impeller (9) to pivot in relation to the drive wheel (3). When there is no pressure in one of the two pressure chambers (21, 22) the impeller (9) and the drive wheel (3) are mechanically coupled to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: Ina Walzlager Schaeffler oHG
    Inventors: Jens Schäfer, Joachim Dietz, Andreas Strauss
  • Publication number: 20010017117
    Abstract: A hydraulic camshaft-adjusting device of the rotary piston type that includes of a drive gear (2) directly connected to a crankshaft and an impeller that is directly connected to a camshaft (3). The drive gear (2) has a cavity formed from a perimeter wall (5) and two side walls (5, 6) inside of which at least one hydraulic working chamber is formed from at least two boundary walls. The impeller has at least one radial vane (12) and each vane (12) divides one hydraulic work chamber into two hydraulic pressure chambers. The outer end (18) of each vane (12) of the impeller is pressed radially against the perimeter wall (5) of the drive gear (2) as a result of the force of a spring element (17) located at the inner end (15) of the vane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Publication date: August 30, 2001
    Inventors: Hermann Golbach, Martin Steigerwald, Jens Schafer, Matthias Kapp, Joachim Dietz
  • Patent number: 6186103
    Abstract: A vane-type camshaft adjusting device for an internal combustion engine, with a drive pinion (2) connected in driving relationship to a crankshaft, and a winged wheel (7) connected rotationally fast to a camshaft. The drive pinion (2) a hollow space (6) which is defined by a circumferential wall (3) and two side walls (4, 5), into which hollow space (6) is inserted the winged wheel (7) having at least two wings (9) on its wheel hub (8). Limiting walls (10) define at least two working chambers (14) in the hollow space (6) of the drive pinion (2), and each of these working chambers (14) is divided into two hydraulic pressure chambers (18, 19) by one of the wings (9) of the winged wheel (7). The limiting walls (10) of the drive pinion (2) are in sealing contact by axial sealing strips (13) with the wheel hub (8) of the winged wheel (7), while the wings (9) of the winged wheel (7) are in sealing contact by axial sealing strips (17) with the circumferential wall (3) of the drive pinion (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: Ina Walzlager Schaeffler oHG
    Inventors: Jens Schäfer, Manfred Schindler
  • Patent number: 6170447
    Abstract: An internal sealing of a vane-type adjusting device comprising a drive pinion (2) connected to a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine by a toothed belt or a timing chain and has a hollow space (9) into which a winged wheel (13) is inserted and rotationally fixed to a camshaft of an internal combustion engine, the drive pinion (2) comprising on the inner surface of its circumferential wall (3) at least one working chamber (5), and the wings of the winged wheel (13) divide each working chamber (5) into two pressure chambers (10, 11) and to avoid pressure medium leakage between the pressure chambers (10, 11) of each working chamber (5) and between the individual working chambers (5), each wing of the winged wheel (13) is configured as a separate wing segment (18) which is displaceable within a guide (15) in the winged wheel (13) and is sealed leak-tight radially by the radial centrifugal force which results from the rotation of the vane-type adjusting device (1) during engine operation, and axially by at
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2001
    Assignee: Ina Schaeffler oHG
    Inventors: Mike Kohrs, Jochen Auchter, Jens Schafer
  • Patent number: 6079382
    Abstract: A locking device for a device (1) for varying the valve timing of gas exchange valves of an internal combustion engine, said device (1) comprising an element (3) which is attached to a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine and is in driving relationship with the crankshaft through a traction element, said device further comprising an element (4) attached rotationally fast to the camshaft (2), there being arranged between the two said elements (3, 4), at least two pressure chambers (5, 6) connected to a pressure medium supply and a hydraulically actuatable adjusting element (7) through which a connection for transmitting force from the element (3) attached to the crankshaft to the element (4) attached to the camshaft is established, and through which the two said elements (3, 4) can be made to rotate or be fixed relative to each other within an adjusting range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: INA Walzlager Schaeffler oHG
    Inventors: Jens Schafer, Joachim Dietz, Andreas Strauss
  • Patent number: 6055950
    Abstract: An arrangement for controlling a device for changing the control times of gas exchange valves of an internal combustion engine is provided. The device includes a hydraulic pressure cylinder with an axially movable piston the setting motions of which are transformed into relative rotation of a drive part of the pressure cylinder connected to the crankshaft in relation to a drive part of the pressure cylinder connected to the camshaft. the hydraulic pressure cylinder is subdivided by the piston into two pressure chambers (3, 4), with each being provided with a pressure medium connection (5, 6) to which a hydraulic pump (7) is connected upstream and a pressure medium reservoir (8) is connected downstream, and whose pressure medium inflow or pressure medium outflow is controlled by a hydraulic valve arrangement controlled by a motor controller (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2000
    Assignee: INA Walzlager Schaeffler oHG
    Inventors: Jens Schafer, Bernd Reuter, Martin Scheidt, Dirk Heintzen
  • Patent number: 5865150
    Abstract: A device for varying the valve timing of gas exchange valves of an internal combustion engine comprising a driven unit (3) rotationally fixed to a camshaft (2), and a drive unit (6) which is in driving relationship through a traction element with a crankshaft while being rotatably mounted on the driven unit (3), the device (1) further comprising at least two pressure chambers (11, 12) that can be pressurized by a hydraulic pressure medium, the hydraulic pressure medium being fed into the device (1) through a connecting bracket (13) which is rotationally fixed to the driven unit (3) and coaxially surrounds the end portion of the camshaft (2) while comprising on its outer peripheral surface (16), a plurality of annular flanges (29, 30, 31) having sealing rings (20, 21, 22) arranged in annular grooves (17, 18, 19), which annular flanges (29, 30, 31) are sealingly surrounded by a reception bore (36) in a connecting structure (35), characterized in that the sealing rings (20, 21, 22) either comprise an elastic coa
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1999
    Assignee: Ina Walzlager Schaeffler oHG
    Inventors: Ulrich Kramer, Rainer Venz, Jens Schafer
  • Patent number: 5860397
    Abstract: A device (1) for varying the valve timing of the gas exchange valves of an internal combustion engine, essentially comprising a driven unit (2) rotationally fixed to an intake or exhaust camshaft, a drive unit (4) in driving relationship with a crankshaft through a traction element and formed by a drive pinion (5), a housing (6) and a pinion hub (10) made up of an inner ring (11) and an outer ring (13), the device (1) further comprising an adjusting piston (15) which is axially displaceable on the inner wall (7) of the housing (6) and axially delimits two pressure chambers (8, 9) while being connected to a hollow cylindrical sliding sleeve (18) to reduce pressure medium leakages between the pressure chambers (8, 9) and the noise produced by the adjusting piston (15) and the sliding sleeve (18) during their adjusting movements to a minimum by arranging between the outer surface (16) of the adjusting piston (15) and the inner wall (7) of the housing (6), and/or between the inner ring (11) of the pinion hub (10)
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1999
    Assignee: Ina Walzlager Schaeffler oHG
    Inventor: Jens Schafer