Patents by Inventor Jorg Sudau

Jorg Sudau 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: 8789674
    Abstract: A torque transmission system, particularly for a vehicle, includes a housing arrangement (26) with a hub region (36) which engages in a shaft opening (22) of the gearbox housing (16) and is rotatably supported so as to be substantially fluid-tight with respect to the gearbox housing (16) by means of a bearing/seal arrangement (42); at least one first fluid port (97) which opens toward an intermediate space region (98) formed between the housing arrangement (26) and the gearbox housing (16) is provided in the housing arrangement (26) in or in the vicinity of the hub region (36), and at least one second fluid port (104) which bypasses the bearing/seal arrangement (42) and opens toward the intermediate space region (98) is provided in the gearbox housing (16) and/or in the bearing/seal arrangement (42).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jörg Sudau, Gregor Sueck, Arthur Schröder
  • Publication number: 20140027230
    Abstract: A starting element for transmitting torque from a drive-side rotational input (14) of the starting element to a driven hub (8) includes a hydrodynamic torque converter (4) which has a turbine coupled to the driven hub (8) so as to be fixed with respect to rotation relative to it and which comprises a turbine shell (56) with turbine blades (22) arranged therein. A maximum extension of the turbine shell (56) opposite an axial direction (12) terminates at a first axial position (53), and an impeller (20) located opposite the turbine in the axial direction (12). A stator (24) is arranged between the turbine and the impeller (22) and is coupled via a stator flange (58) to a freewheel (52) adjoining the driven hub (8) in an axial direction (12). A center of the freewheel (52) is located at a second axial position (54). A difference between the first axial position (53) and the second axial position (54) is greater than a predetermined minimum value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Inventors: Georg Mencher, Peter Frey, Jörg Sudau
  • Patent number: 8534440
    Abstract: A clutch arrangement includes a housing filled with fluid, a first friction surface formation rotatable with the housing around an axis of rotation, a second friction surface formation rotatable with a driven element around the axis of rotation, a pressing element rotatable with the housing around the axis of rotation and which divides an interior space of the housing into a first spatial area and a second spatial area. Depending on fluid pressure in the first and fluid pressure in the second spatial areas, the pressing element is movable with respect to the housing for producing and canceling a frictional engagement between the and the second friction surface formations. A fluid supply system for the first spatial area and/or the second spatial area includes at least a first fluid flow path. The fluid can be supplied to the associated spatial area via at least one fluid flow path and fluid can be removed from the associated spatial area via at least one fluid flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jörg Sudau, Rüdiger Lotze, Arthur Schröder, Angelika Ebert, Michael Kneuer, Gregor Sueck
  • Publication number: 20130205944
    Abstract: A torque transmission assembly, particularly a hydrodynamic torque converter, a fluid coupling or a wet clutch, includes a housing arrangement that includes a torsional vibration damper arrangement having an input region which is coupled to or can be coupled to the housing arrangement and an output region to be coupled to a driven member. The torque transmission assembly also includes at least one mass damper arrangement having a damper mass arrangement which is coupled to the torque transmission assembly by a mass damper elastic arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jörg Sudau, Armin Stürmer, Rüdiger Lotze, Thomas Krüger, Christoph Drott
  • Publication number: 20120273317
    Abstract: A hydrodynamic coupling arrangement, particularly hydrodynamic torque converter, wherein at least one torsional vibration damper arrangement comprises at least two torsional vibration dampers which are arranged so as to be radially staggered and substantially aligned axially with respect to one another, wherein the first torsional vibration damper is arranged on the radially outer side of the second torsional vibration damper, and wherein the at least one torsional vibration damper arrangement is coupled with the other torsional vibration damper arrangement in an area radially between the first damper element unit and the second damper element unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Matthias KRAM, Michael Wirachowski, Monika Rössner, Jörg Sudau, Erwin Wack, Reinhard Feldhaus, Ralf Fambach
  • Publication number: 20120273313
    Abstract: A rotational vibration damper includes a primary side (32) and a secondary side (46) which is rotatable with respect to the primary side (32) around an axis of rotation (A) against the action of a damper element arrangement (28). At least one damper element unit (42) of the first group (70) and at least one damper element unit (42?) of the second group (70?) are pre-loaded, and the primary side (32) and the secondary side (46) are pre-loaded in a basic relative rotation position with respect to one another. Proceeding from the basic relative rotation position of the primary side (32) with respect to the secondary side (46), a pre-loading path (V, V?) of at least one pre-loaded damper element unit (42) is shorter than a maximum relative rotation path of the primary side (32) with respect to the secondary side (46).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Christoph SASSE, Armin STÜRMER, Jörg SUDAU, Monika RÖSSNER
  • Publication number: 20120261225
    Abstract: A torque transmission system, particularly for a vehicle, includes a housing arrangement (26) with a hub region (36) which engages in a shaft opening (22) of the gearbox housing (16) and is rotatably supported so as to be substantially fluid-tight with respect to the gearbox housing (16) by means of a bearing/seal arrangement (42); at least one first fluid port (97) which opens toward an intermediate space region (98) formed between the housing arrangement (26) and the gearbox housing (16) is provided in the housing arrangement (26) in or in the vicinity of the hub region (36), and at least one second fluid port (104) which bypasses the bearing/seal arrangement (42) and opens toward the intermediate space region (98) is provided in the gearbox housing (16) and/or in the bearing/seal arrangement (42).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jörg Sudau, Gregor Sueck, Arthur Schröder
  • Publication number: 20120205213
    Abstract: A wet clutch arrangement, particularly starting clutch for a vehicle, including a housing arrangement which is filled or fillable with fluid, a friction coupling region having a first friction surface formation rotating with the housing arrangement around an axis of rotation and a second friction surface formation that rotates with a driven element around the axis of rotation and which can be brought into frictional engagement with the first friction surface formation, a fluid coupling region with an impeller rotating with the housing arrangement around the axis of rotation and with a turbine that rotates with the driven element around the axis of rotation and which, along with the impeller, defines a toroidal fluid circulation space. The fluid coupling region is arranged radially outside the friction coupling region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Jörg Sudau, Arthur Schröder
  • Patent number: 8205734
    Abstract: A friction disk for a wet-running clutch for a motor vehicle includes a lining carrier ring, provided with connecting areas for connecting the friction disk to a drive side or to a takeoff side of a clutch, and a plurality of friction lining elements, carried on at least one side of the lining carrier ring, fluid flow channels are provided between the friction lining elements which are directly adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction, wherein at least some of the fluid flow channels have different channel widths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jörg Sudau, Rüdiger Lotze, Arthur Schröder, Gregor Sueck
  • Patent number: 8113330
    Abstract: A friction disk for a wet-running clutch for a motor vehicle includes a lining carrier ring, provided with connecting areas for connecting the friction disk to a drive side or to a takeoff side of a clutch, and a plurality of friction lining elements, carried on at least one side of the lining carrier ring, Fluid flow channels are provided between the friction lining elements which are directly adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction, wherein at least some of the fluid flow channels have different channel widths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jörg Sudau, Rüdiger Lotze, Arthur Schröder, Gregor Sueck
  • Publication number: 20110259702
    Abstract: A clutch arrangement includes a housing filled with fluid, a first friction surface formation rotatable with the housing around an axis of rotation, a second friction surface formation rotatable with a driven element around the axis of rotation, a pressing element rotatable with the housing around the axis of rotation and which divides an interior space of the housing into a first spatial area and a second spatial area. Depending on fluid pressure in the first and fluid pressure in the second spatial areas, the pressing element is movable with respect to the housing for producing and canceling a frictional engagement between the and the second friction surface formations. A fluid supply system for the first spatial area and/or the second spatial area includes at least a first fluid flow path. The fluid can be supplied to the associated spatial area via at least one fluid flow path and fluid can be removed from the associated spatial area via at least one fluid flow path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jörg Sudau, Rüdiger Lotze, Arthur Schröder, Angelika Ebert, Michael Kneuer, Gregor Sueck
  • Publication number: 20110114438
    Abstract: A friction disk for a wet-running clutch for a motor vehicle includes a lining carrier ring, provided with connecting areas for connecting the friction disk to a drive side or to a takeoff side of a clutch, and a plurality of friction lining elements, carried on at least one side of the lining carrier ring, fluid flow channels are provided between the friction lining elements which are directly adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction, wherein at least some of the fluid flow channels have different channel widths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2011
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jörg SUDAU, Rüdiger LOTZE, Arthur SCHRÕDER, Gregor SUECK
  • Patent number: 7648009
    Abstract: A torsional vibration damper for a bridging clutch of a hydrodynamic clutch arrangement has a drive-side damping device, which can be brought into working connection with the housing of the clutch arrangement and is provided with a drive-side transmission element, which acts via a drive-side energy-storage group on an intermediate transmission element, and a takeoff-side damping device, which uses a takeoff-side group of energy-storage devices to establish a working connection between the intermediate transmission element and a takeoff-side transmission element, which is connected to a takeoff-side component of the hydrodynamic clutch arrangement. A predetermined stiffness ratio is obtained between the energy-storage devices of a first group and the energy-storage devices of a second group, and the energy-storage devices of the drive-side group have a stiffness different from that of the assigned energy-storage devices of the takeoff-side group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Erwin Wack, Christoph Sasse, Jörg Sudau
  • Publication number: 20080128237
    Abstract: A clutch device for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The clutch device includes a housing connected to a drive for rotation in common around an axis of rotation and fillable with a fluid; a first friction element carrier having first internal teeth; first friction elements each comprising a plurality of first external teeth and connected non-rotatably to the first friction element carrier with the first external teeth engaging the first internal teeth, each first friction element and the first friction element carrier defining a first fluid pass-through area; a second friction element carrier having second external teeth; second friction elements each comprising a plurality of second internal teeth and connected non-rotatably the second friction element carrier with the second internal teeth engaging the second external teeth, each second friction element and the second friction element carrier defining a second fluid pass-through area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Peter Fenn, Rudiger Lotze, Arthur Schroder, Jorg Sudau, Christian Struck
  • Publication number: 20080083596
    Abstract: A clutch device including a housing connected to a drive for rotation in common around an axis of rotation and fillable with a fluid; first friction elements connected to the housing by a first friction element carrier for rotation in common around the axis of rotation; second friction elements connected to a takeoff by a second friction element carrier for rotation in common around the axis of rotation; a piston element configured to exert a force so that the first and second friction elements frictionally engage each other; an abutment arrangement arranged on the first or second friction element carrier, the abutment arrangement providing a support for the first and second friction elements; and an elastic arrangement disposed in a path of force transmission between the piston element and the abutment arrangement and axially compressible when the piston element exerts the force on the first and second friction elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Publication date: April 10, 2008
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jorg Sudau, Christoph Sasse, Arthur Schroder, Rudiger Lotze
  • Publication number: 20080006504
    Abstract: A friction disk for a wet-running clutch for a motor vehicle includes a lining carrier ring, provided with connecting areas for connecting the friction disk to a drive side or to a takeoff side of a clutch, and a plurality of friction lining elements, carried on at least one side of the lining carrier ring, Fluid flow channels are provided between the friction lining elements which are directly adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction, wherein at least some of the fluid flow channels have different channel widths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jorg Sudau, Rudiger Lotze, Arthur Schroder, Gregor Sueck
  • Publication number: 20080006502
    Abstract: A clutch arrangement for a drive train of a motor vehicle includes a housing which can be filled with liquid; a first friction element carrier which can be connected to a drive component via a first path of torque transmission and carrying a first group of friction elements for rotation in common around an axis of rotation; a second friction element carrier which can be connected to a takeoff component via a second path of torque transmission and carrying a second group of friction elements for rotation in common around the axis of rotation; and a pressure exerting arrangement for bringing the friction elements of the second group into frictional engagement with the friction elements of the first group. A first torsional vibration damper arrangement is located in the first path of torque transmission, and a second torsional vibration damper arrangement is located in the second path of torque transmission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Jorg Sudau
  • Publication number: 20070267270
    Abstract: A coupling arrangement includes a first clutch device for establishing a working connection between an electric machine and an internal combustion engine and a second clutch device for establishing a working connection between at least one of the machines and a takeoff. Each of the two clutch devices has its own clutch components in the form of at least one piston and a predetermined number of clutch elements. By means of the piston in question, a pressure space is at least essentially sealed off from a cooling space, which holds the clutch elements. Each of the pressure spaces of the two clutch devices has its own supply line, whereas only one of the cooling spaces of the two clutch devices has its own supply line, the cooling space of the other clutch device being connected by a line leading to the cooling space of the first-mentioned clutch device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2007
    Publication date: November 22, 2007
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jorg Sudau, Peter Fenn, Rudiger Lotze
  • Publication number: 20070267265
    Abstract: A clutch arrangement has a clutch device with a clutch housing capable of rotating around an axis of rotation, where the clutch device is designed to establish or to separate a working connection between a drive and a take-off and is provided with clutch components in the form of a piston and clutch elements. The piston produces a seal between a pressure space and a cooling space holding the clutch elements. The pressure space or the cooling space is connected to a supply unit so that it can be supplied with fluid medium, by connecting at least one supply line of the clutch device is connected to an infeed line of a gearbox and possibly by connecting at least one discharge line of the clutch device is connected to an outfeed line of the gearbox. An actuating line for a first supply line is assigned to the clutch device. The first supply line is independent of the infeed line for a second supply line or of the outfeed line for a discharge line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2007
    Publication date: November 22, 2007
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jorg Sudau, Peter Fenn
  • Patent number: 7287443
    Abstract: A motor vehicle includes a drive train having a drive unit, a gearbox having a first gearbox input shaft and a second gearbox input shaft, and a clutch having a first clutch device which is associated with the first gearbox input shaft, and a second clutch device which is associated with the second gearbox input shaft, for transferring torque between the drive unit and the gearbox. The first and second clutch devices are plate clutches to which an operating fluid, such as a cooling oil, is supplied to operate the same. The gearbox is associated with an actuator device and a control device for controlling the actuator device, the arrangement of which enables the gears associated with the first and second gearbox input shafts to be engaged and disengaged. The control device is designed such that at least one gear is automatically engaged by the actuator device, as a result of the clutch release of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Jochen Kuhstrebe, Olaf Moseler, Axel Rohm, Eduard Steiner, Rainer Reuthal, Hans-Jürgen Schneider, Wolfgang Kundermann, Jörg Sudau, Thomas John, Thomas Strasser