Patents by Inventor Josef Knechtges

Josef Knechtges 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: 20080191549
    Abstract: What is described is a pressure generator for a vehicle brake system and also a method for mounting said pressure generator in said vehicle brake system. The pressure generator possesses a modular construction consisting of a pump subassembly and a receiving housing for said subassembly. The housing is designed in such a way that it has at least one fluid connection which, when the pressure generator is in the mounted state, is connected to a fluid inlet or a fluid outlet on a cylinder block belonging to the pump subassembly. Said pump subassembly is preferably constructed as a multi-piston pump and may comprise an actuating unit for the asynchronous actuation of the pumping pistons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2005
    Publication date: August 14, 2008
    Applicant: LUCAS AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Wilfried Giering, Werner Seibert, Benedikt Ohlig, Leo Gilles, Josef Knechtges
  • Publication number: 20080061624
    Abstract: In a method for braking a vehicle by means of a fluidically triggerable vehicle brake system, wherein the vehicle brake system comprises a respective fluidically triggerable brake unit that is assigned to a vehicle wheel and is fluidically coupled to a brake force generator via at least one fluid circuit, wherein a pumping mechanism by means of which at least one of the brake units can be fed with brake fluid regardless of whether the brake force generator is activated, is provided in the at least one fluid circuit in order to convey brake fluid, and wherein control valves by means of which the brake force generator can be fluidically coupled to and disconnected from the brake units and the pumping mechanism are provided in the fluid circuit, it is provided that in order to comfortably create a parking brake condition, the following steps are carried out: A) a fluid pressure is built up in the at least one fluid circuit via the brake force generator such that at least two of the brake units are fluidically tr
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2005
    Publication date: March 13, 2008
    Applicant: LUCAS AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Josef Knechtges, Frank Heller, Jan Grundmann, Christian Chemnitz
  • Patent number: 7272481
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining the presence of excessive yaw rate in a vehicle by calculating an instability index that is a function of the vehicle yaw rate and generating an excessive yaw rate signal when the instability index exceeds a yaw rate threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Kelsey-Hayes Company
    Inventors: Frank Einig, Kenneth Doll, Arnold H. Spieker, Josef Knechtges, Ralf Raffauf
  • Publication number: 20060173584
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining the presence of excessive yaw rate in a vehicle by calculating an instability index that is a function of the vehicle yaw rate and generating an excessive yaw rate signal when the instability index exceeds a yaw rate threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2005
    Publication date: August 3, 2006
    Inventors: Frank Einig, Kenneth Doll, Arnold Spieker, Josef Knechtges, Ralf Raffauf
  • Patent number: 6953230
    Abstract: The performance of a system for controlling vehicle-movement dynamics, which operates the braking system and the drive train of a vehicle in order to prevent lateral breakaway of the vehicle, is improved yet further for the case in which oversteering of the vehicle is to be compensated. To this end it is proposed, according to the invention, that a braking moment be produced on the front wheel on the outside of the bend by the braking system, and an additional drive moment be built up by the drive train on the driven wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2005
    Assignee: Lucas Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Einig, Elmar Hoffmann, Josef Knechtges, Michael Bleser
  • Publication number: 20040217647
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle braking system comprising regulating devices, which determine the transversely dynamic behaviour of the vehicle, in order to maintain or restore stable vehicle behaviour by setting the braking torque, independently of the driver, on individual vehicle wheels. The performance of said braking system is configured to prevent the vehicle from overturning laterally when negotiating curves. To achieve this, according to the invention it is proposed that a braking torque should be generated on the front wheel on the outside of the curve, or a braking torque that has already been set should be increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2004
    Publication date: November 4, 2004
    Inventors: Frank Einig, Josef Knechtges
  • Publication number: 20040160121
    Abstract: The performance of a system for controlling vehicle-movement dynamics, which operates by means of the braking system and the drive train of a vehicle in order to prevent lateral breakaway of the vehicle, is improved yet further for the case in which oversteering of the vehicle is to be compensated. To this end it is proposed, according to the invention, that a braking moment be produced, by means of the braking system, on the front wheel on the outside of the bend, and an additional drive moment be built up, by means of the drive train, on the driven wheels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2004
    Publication date: August 19, 2004
    Inventors: Frank Einig, Elmar Hoffmann, Josef Knechtges, Michael Bleser
  • Patent number: 6233932
    Abstract: A fully hydraulic brake power generator/master cylinder unit (10) for a vehicle brake system has a housing (12) with a bore (14) which is formed therein and in which a primary piston (16) is arranged sealingly and displaceably. Located in the bore (14) is a first pressure chamber (22), one boundary wall of which is formed by one end wall (20) of the primary piston (16). In order to actuate the unit (10), there is an input member (60) which is displaced during actuation. A hydraulic booster stage (38), which has a booster chamber (44) with an inlet for hydraulic fluid under pressure, acts on the primary piston (16). In order to improve the simulation of brake pressure feedback via the input member (60), a spring arrangement (70) is provided, with a first spring (72) and a second spring (74) which are connected in series. The spring force of the second spring (74) is detectably greater than the spring force of the first spring (72).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Assignee: Lucas Industries Public Limited Company
    Inventors: Helmut Heibel, Josef Knechtges
  • Patent number: 5688029
    Abstract: A method for preventing the driven wheels of an automotive vehicle from spinning provides that whenever one of two driven wheels of one axle of the vehicle has a lower friction coefficient with the road surface than the other wheel of said axle and the one wheel shows a spinning tendency, brake pressure is built up at said wheel, with the rotational speed of the other wheel being measured, and whenever the rotational speed exceeds a specified value with respect to a vehicle reference speed, the brake pressure at the one wheel is reduced or maintained constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 18, 1997
    Assignee: Lucas Industries public limited company
    Inventors: Thomas Bach, Stefan Helbing, Josef Knechtges, Hubert Schmitt
  • Patent number: 5632534
    Abstract: An electric-powered vehicle having a drive system which includes at least one electric motor which is controlled and monitored by an electric control system for driving at least one vehicle wheel in a traction mode of the motor and also for selectively providing a contribution to overall braking torque when operated in a braking mode, and which also provides a hydraulic braking system which is actuated by the vehicle driver and which operates on at least the front wheels of the vehicle. The hydraulic braking torque produced by the driver by way of the hydraulic braking system, is adjusted in such a manner that, for the purpose of modulating the overall braking torque effective at the vehicle wheels the variation of the electric torque is arranged to stay within the "regenerative range" of operation of the electric motor, at least under predetermined operating conditions of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1997
    Assignee: Lucas Industries Public Limited Company
    Inventor: Josef Knechtges