Patents by Inventor Johann Kirchhoffer
Johann Kirchhoffer 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).
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Patent number: 11884221Abstract: An on-board electrical network (4) of a motor vehicle (2) has a first voltage circuit (I) and a second voltage circuit (II), wherein the first voltage circuit has a first operating voltage higher than a second operating voltage in the second voltage circuit. The first voltage circuit is connected to the second voltage circuit via a DC voltage converter (8). The first voltage circuit has a battery (10) and the second voltage circuit has a main battery (12) and an auxiliary voltage source (14). By means of a first switching element (16) and a second switching element (18) at least one of transmission control unit (20) and/or integrated hybrid controller (22) are supplied with electrical energy from the main battery (12) and/or the auxiliary voltage source (14). Control unit (20) and/or hybrid controller (22) can be selectably disconnected from either the main battery (12) and/or the auxiliary voltage source (14).Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2020Date of Patent: January 30, 2024Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventor: Johann Kirchhoffer
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Patent number: 11646589Abstract: A battery system includes a plurality of battery cell packs arranged in layers selectively connected in series and parallel by a control system controlling a plurality of switches. Each of the battery cell packs includes a plurality of battery cells. A plurality of first switches and a plurality of second switches are controlled by a control system to connect the battery cell packs in response to a desired current output of the battery system and/or a desired voltage output of the battery system irrespective of individual battery cell or battery cell pack voltages or currents associated with state of charge or operational performance. The control system controls the switches to selectively connect the battery cell pack(s) to the output connections in parallel and/or series to provide redundancy and reduce output voltage/current fluctuation otherwise associated with state of charge or underperforming battery cells/packs.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2021Date of Patent: May 9, 2023Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventors: Philip Stauss, Johann Kirchhoffer, Sebastian Schneider
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Patent number: 11623543Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating an on-board electrical network (4) of a motor vehicle (2), having a first voltage circuit (I) and a second voltage circuit (II), the first voltage circuit (I) having a first operating voltage which is higher than a second operating voltage in the second voltage circuit (II), wherein the first voltage circuit (I) is connected to the second voltage circuit (II), the first voltage circuit (I) having a battery (10) and the second voltage circuit (II) having at least one main battery (12a) and a second main battery (12b), wherein the first main battery (12a) and the second main battery (12b) have essentially the same capacity, and wherein components of the motor vehicle (2) are supplied with electrical operating energy from the first main battery (12a) and/or the second main battery (12b) by means of a switch assembly (14).Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2020Date of Patent: April 11, 2023Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventor: Johann Kirchhoffer
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Patent number: 11325500Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating an on-board electrical network (4) of a motor vehicle (2), with a first voltage circuit (I) and a second voltage circuit (II), the first voltage circuit (I) having a first operating voltage which is higher than a second operating voltage in the second voltage circuit (II), the first voltage circuit (I) being connected to the second voltage circuit (II) via a DC-DC converter (8), and the first voltage circuit (I) having a battery (10) and the second voltage circuit (II) having a main battery (12), characterized in that the second voltage circuit (II) has an additional third auxiliary battery (14), and wherein by means of a changeover switch assembly (18) components of the motor vehicle (2) are supplied with electrical energy from the main battery (12) and/or the auxiliary battery (14), and in that the main battery (12) is disconnected from the second voltage circuit (II) by means of an isolating switch (66) during a startup mode.Type: GrantFiled: September 3, 2019Date of Patent: May 10, 2022Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Johann Kirchhoffer, Philip Stauss, Christopher Chumchal, Sebastian Schneider
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Publication number: 20220014030Abstract: A battery system includes a plurality of battery cell packs arranged in layers selectively connected in series and parallel by a control system controlling a plurality of switches. Each of the battery cell packs includes a plurality of battery cells. A plurality of first switches and a plurality of second switches are controlled by a control system to connect the battery cell packs in response to a desired current output of the battery system and/or a desired voltage output of the battery system irrespective of individual battery cell or battery cell pack voltages or currents associated with state of charge or operational performance. The control system controls the switches to selectively connect the battery cell pack(s) to the output connections in parallel and/or series to provide redundancy and reduce output voltage/current fluctuation otherwise associated with state of charge or underperforming battery cells/packs.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2021Publication date: January 13, 2022Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventors: Philip STAUSS, Johann KIRCHHOFFER, Sebastian SCHNEIDER
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Publication number: 20210078443Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating an on-board electrical network (4) of a motor vehicle (2), having a first voltage circuit (I) and a second voltage circuit (II), the first voltage circuit (I) having a first operating voltage which is higher than a second operating voltage in the second voltage circuit (II), wherein the first voltage circuit (I) is connected to the second voltage circuit (II), the first voltage circuit (I) having a battery (10) and the second voltage circuit (II) having at least one main battery (12a) and a second main battery (12b), wherein the first main battery (12a) and the second main battery (12b) have essentially the same capacity, and wherein components of the motor vehicle (2) are supplied with electrical operating energy from the first main battery (12a) and/or the second main battery (12b) by means of a switch assembly (14).Type: ApplicationFiled: September 17, 2020Publication date: March 18, 2021Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventor: Johann Kirchhoffer
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Publication number: 20210078516Abstract: An on-board electrical network (4) of a motor vehicle (2) has a first voltage circuit (I) and a second voltage circuit (II), wherein the first voltage circuit has a first operating voltage higher than a second operating voltage in the second voltage circuit. The first voltage circuit is connected to the second voltage circuit via a DC voltage converter (8). The first voltage circuit has a battery (10) and the second voltage circuit has a main battery (12) and an auxiliary voltage source (14). By means of a first switching element (16) and a second switching element (18) at least one of transmission control unit (20) and/or integrated hybrid controller (22) are supplied with electrical energy from the main battery (12) and/or the auxiliary voltage source (14). Control unit (20) and/or hybrid controller (22) can be selectably disconnected from either the main battery (12) and/or the auxiliary voltage source (14).Type: ApplicationFiled: September 15, 2020Publication date: March 18, 2021Inventor: Johann Kirchhoffer
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Patent number: 10605335Abstract: A dual clutch transmission for motor vehicles has first and second input shafts, two clutches selectively coupling the input shafts the engine, two intermediate shafts arranged parallel to the transmission input shafts, gearwheel pairs configured to transmit power between the input shafts and the intermediate shafts, and output gearwheels arranged on each of the two intermediate shafts. The output gearwheels mesh with the differential wheel and are selectively coupled to the respective intermediate shaft by one of the coupling devices. An additional intermediate gearwheel set is provided, that one gearwheel of the intermediate gearwheel set is seated on the first or second intermediate shaft, that the other gearwheel of the inter-mediate wheel set is arranged on a third intermediate shaft, and that a third output gearwheel, which meshes with one of the output gearwheels of the first or second intermediate shaft, is seated on the third intermediate shaft.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2017Date of Patent: March 31, 2020Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventor: Johann Kirchhoffer
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Publication number: 20200086762Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating an on-board electrical network (4) of a motor vehicle (2), with a first voltage circuit (I) and a second voltage circuit (II), the first voltage circuit (I) having a first operating voltage which is higher than a second operating voltage in the second voltage circuit (II), the first voltage circuit (I) being connected to the second voltage circuit (II) via a DC-DC converter (8), and the first voltage circuit (I) having a battery (10) and the second voltage circuit (II) having a main battery (12), characterized in that the second voltage circuit (II) has an additional third auxiliary battery (14), and wherein by means of a changeover switch assembly (18) components of the motor vehicle (2) are supplied with electrical energy from the main battery (12) and/or the auxiliary battery (14), and in that the main battery (12) is disconnected from the second voltage circuit (II) by means of an isolating switch (66) during a startup mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 3, 2019Publication date: March 19, 2020Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Johann Kirchhoffer, Philip Stauss, Christopher Chumchal, Sebastian Schneider
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Patent number: 10563730Abstract: A dual clutch transmission for motor vehicles has first and second input shafts, two clutches configured to selectively couple the input shafts to an engine, two intermediate shafts arranged parallel to the input shafts, gearwheel pairs of which a fixed gearwheel is arranged on one of the input shafts and a freely rotating gearwheel is arranged on one of the intermediate shafts, freely rotating output gearwheels arranged on each of the two intermediate shafts and meshing with a differential wheel, and coupling devices configured to selectively couple the freely rotating gearwheels to the respective intermediate shaft, of which at least the coupling devices for the output gearwheels are of double acting design. A dual clutch transmission of this kind makes a large number of gears possible without significantly increasing the dimensions of the transmission or the weight thereof.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2017Date of Patent: February 18, 2020Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventor: Johann Kirchhoffer
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Patent number: 10119577Abstract: A dual-clutch for a motor vehicle includes an input, first and second outputs, friction plates for producing a drive connection between the input and the first and second outputs alternately, a housing including an inlet and an outlet, containing at least a portion of the friction plates, and a cooling system including a fan impeller rotating with the input and producing an air stream flowing through the housing from the inlet to the outlet.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2012Date of Patent: November 6, 2018Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventor: Johann Kirchhoffer
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Publication number: 20180302999Abstract: A circuit board arrangement with a printed circuit board and with a circuit board carrier on which the printed circuit board is mounted, in particular for a motor vehicle drive train electronic module. The printed circuit board has a central region and a peripheral region. The printed circuit board is held in the central region on the circuit board carrier in a tangential direction in a positive-locking manner or with a first transverse force in a non-positive manner. The circuit board is held in the peripheral region on the circuit board carrier in a tangential direction with a second transverse force which is smaller than the first transverse force.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 7, 2016Publication date: October 18, 2018Inventors: Heiko SÖHNER, Johann Kirchhoffer, Thomas BRANDT, Peter SCHROLL
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Patent number: 10054170Abstract: A clutch mechanism for motor vehicles, having a dry individual clutch or a dual clutch, transmits torque from an engine to the transmission or selectively to one of two transmission sections. The clutch has a central disk and, on at least one side, a pressure plate. In order to further improve the cooling effect, especially in the region of the central disk and of the pressure plates, the central disk and/or at least one of the pressure plates is composed of two partial plates, wherein the mutually facing inner surfaces of the partial plates are provided with intermeshing vanes such that the intermeshing vanes of the two partial plates form an interior space having through channels which brings about flow in a radial direction or in a direction having a radial component.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2015Date of Patent: August 21, 2018Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventor: Johann Kirchhoffer
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Publication number: 20170248200Abstract: A dual clutch transmission for motor vehicles has first and second input shafts, two clutches configured to selectively couple the input shafts to an engine, two intermediate shafts arranged parallel to the input shafts, gearwheel pairs of which a fixed gearwheel is arranged on one of the input shafts and a freely rotating gearwheel is arranged on one of the intermediate shafts, freely rotating output gearwheels arranged on each of the two intermediate shafts and meshing with a differential wheel, and coupling devices configured to selectively couple the freely rotating gearwheels to the respective intermediate shaft, of which at least the coupling devices for the output gearwheels are of double acting design. A dual clutch transmission of this kind makes a large number of gears possible without significantly increasing the dimensions of the transmission or the weight thereof.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 17, 2017Publication date: August 31, 2017Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventor: Johann KIRCHHOFFER
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Publication number: 20170248202Abstract: A dual clutch transmission for motor vehicles has first and second input shafts, two clutches selectively coupling the input shafts the engine, two intermediate shafts arranged parallel to the transmission input shafts, gearwheel pairs configured to transmit power between the input shafts and the intermediate shafts, and output gearwheels arranged on each of the two intermediate shafts. The output gearwheels mesh with the differential wheel and are selectively coupled to the respective intermediate shaft by one of the coupling devices. An additional intermediate gearwheel set is provided, that one gearwheel of the intermediate gearwheel set is seated on the first or second intermediate shaft, that the other gearwheel of the inter-mediate wheel set is arranged on a third intermediate shaft, and that a third output gearwheel, which meshes with one of the output gearwheels of the first or second intermediate shaft, is seated on the third intermediate shaft.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2017Publication date: August 31, 2017Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventor: Johann KIRCHHOFFER
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Patent number: 9631680Abstract: A dual clutch transmission for motor vehicles, has two transmission sections, a dry dual clutch (1), which transmits the torque from the engine selectively to one of the two transmission sections, and a cooling system having a fan impeller system for active air cooling of the dual clutch (1). To optimize the individual functional parts of the cooling system and to reduce the clutch masses, it is proposed that the central disk (3) and/or at least one contact pressure plate (4, 5) is/are designed as a fan impeller of the fan impeller system (21). The central disk (3) and/or at least one of the contact pressure plates (4, 5) has/have passages which extend radially or have a radial component.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2014Date of Patent: April 25, 2017Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventor: Johann Kirchhoffer
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Patent number: 9631681Abstract: A gear mechanism for motor vehicles includes a double clutch gear mechanism with two part gear mechanisms and a double clutch which transmits torque from the engine optionally to one of the two part gear mechanisms, with a central disk connected to a drive disk, two outer pressure application plates which are also connected to the drive disk and are moveable in the axial direction relative to the central disk, and friction disks arranged between the central disk and the pressure application plates, wherein the friction disks consist of two support carrier disks arranged parallel to each other and moveably in relation to each other, between which leaf-like spring segments are provided. To eliminate vibration problems which can occur on start-up from standstill, on load-change processes and during the gear change, the leaf-like spring segments have different spring characteristic curves with which a multistage spring characteristic is achieved.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2013Date of Patent: April 25, 2017Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventors: Ralph S. Walker, Andreas Tissot, Shawn A. Holland, Johann Kirchhoffer
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Publication number: 20170089427Abstract: A dual clutch transmission for motor vehicles includes first and second input shafts, two clutches selectively coupling the input shafts to the engine, two intermediate shafts arranged parallel to the input shafts, gearwheel pairs including fixed wheels and freely rotating wheels, of which a first gearwheel is arranged on one of the input shafts and a second gearwheel is arranged on one of the intermediate shafts, coupling devices selectively coupling the freely rotating wheels to the respective shaft, and a respective output gearwheel arranged on each of the two countershafts. A large number of ratios is made possible, without enlarging the dimensions of the transmission and the weight thereof, by virtue of the fact that one output gearwheel is a freely rotating wheel selectively coupled to the intermediate shaft thereof by a coupling device.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2016Publication date: March 30, 2017Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventor: Johann KIRCHHOFFER
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Patent number: 9518619Abstract: The invention relates to a synchronizing device with a synchronizer body, a sliding sleeve, a gearwheel with coupling toothing and a synchronizer ring which is displaceable between synchronizer body and coupling toothing axially in and counter to the synchronization direction(s). With the specification of being able to position the synchronizer ring reliably in a neutral position, it is proposed that the synchronizer ring is fixed to the synchronizer body in the neutral position by means of a spring device.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2015Date of Patent: December 13, 2016Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventors: Johann Kirchhoffer, John E. Robarge, Ted A. Wroblewski, Thomas R. Hamm
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Publication number: 20160116003Abstract: A clutch mechanism for motor vehicles, having a dry individual clutch or a dual clutch, transmits torque from an engine to the transmission or selectively to one of two transmission sections. The clutch has a central disk and, on at least one side, a pressure plate. In order to further improve the cooling effect, especially in the region of the central disk and of the pressure plates, the central disk and/or at least one of the pressure plates is composed of two partial plates, wherein the mutually facing inner surfaces of the partial plates are provided with intermeshing vanes such that the intermeshing vanes of the two partial plates form an interior space having through channels which brings about flow in a radial direction or in a direction having a radial component.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 16, 2015Publication date: April 28, 2016Inventor: Johann KIRCHHOFFER