Patents by Inventor Klaus Broeker

Klaus Broeker 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: 11041522
    Abstract: A joint for a vehicle, the joint having an outer sleeve, a joint shell for receiving a movably supported joint inner portion, and an inner sleeve, at least part of which is arranged between the joint shell and the outer sleeve. The inner sleeve has two radially outwardly projecting rim cylinders which are axially mutually spaced and run around the outer periphery of the inner sleeve, and the two rim cylinders define a peripheral recess on the outer periphery of the inner sleeve. The joint is characterized in that a press-fit device designed integrally with the inner sleeve extends in the region of at least one rim cylinder of the inner sleeve radially outwards beyond the outer diameter of the rim cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Klaus Broeker, Monnic Hoenke
  • Patent number: 10543727
    Abstract: A ball stud (21) for a ball joint (20) having an annular body (22) pressed onto the ball stud (21). The annular body (22) is held fast to the ball stud (21) by at least one circumferential securing element to prevent loosening, that acts between the ball stud (21) and the annular body (22) and is in the form of a deformation edge (23). The at least one deformation edge (23) is formed integrally with the ball stud (14). A ball joint (20) that has a housing (36) in which a ball stud (21) is held.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventor: Klaus Broeker
  • Publication number: 20190293111
    Abstract: A joint for a vehicle, the joint having an outer sleeve, a joint shell for receiving a movably supported joint inner portion, and an inner sleeve, at least part of which is arranged between the joint shell and the outer sleeve. The inner sleeve has two radially outwardly projecting rim cylinders which are axially mutually spaced and run around the outer periphery of the inner sleeve, and the two rim cylinders define a peripheral recess on the outer periphery of the inner sleeve. The joint is characterized in that a press-fit device designed integrally with the inner sleeve extends in the region of at least one rim cylinder of the inner sleeve radially outwards beyond the outer diameter of the rim cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Inventors: Klaus BROEKER, Monnic HOENKE
  • Publication number: 20180201082
    Abstract: A ball stud (21) for a ball joint (20) having an annular body (22) pressed onto the ball stud (21). The annular body (22) is held fast to the ball stud (21) by at least one circumferential securing element to prevent loosening, that acts between the ball stud (21) and the annular body (22) and is in the form of a deformation edge (23). The at least one deformation edge (23) is formed integrally with the ball stud (14). A ball joint (20) that has a housing (36) in which a ball stud (21) is held.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2016
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Inventor: Klaus BROEKER
  • Patent number: 9541123
    Abstract: A sleeve joint for a vehicle with an outer sleeve (3) that extends in an axial direction (8). Two clamp rings (10, 11) are arranged inside the outer sleeve (3) and a ball socket (5) is arranged inside the outer sleeve (3). A ball sleeve (7) is fitted in and able to move in the ball socket (5). An inner sleeve (4) is inserted into the outer sleeve (3) and positioned, in the axial direction, between the clamp rings (10, 11) between which the inner sleeve and the ball socket (5) are fitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Klaus Broeker, Melanie Kleinebenne, Markus Gutzlaff
  • Publication number: 20130294816
    Abstract: A sleeve joint for a vehicle with an outer sleeve (3) that extends in an axial direction (8). Two clamp rings (10, 11) are arranged inside the outer sleeve (3) and a ball socket (5) is arranged inside the outer sleeve (3). A ball sleeve (7) is fitted in and able to move in the ball socket (5). An inner sleeve (4) is inserted into the outer sleeve (3) and positioned, in the axial direction, between the clamp rings (10, 11) between which the inner sleeve and the ball socket (5) are fitted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Klaus BROEKER, Melanie KLEINEBENNE, Markus GUTZLAFF
  • Publication number: 20080145141
    Abstract: A joint and/or bearing arrangement (1) has a pivot (2) with a separate joint head (4) part, which can be held thereon and surrounds the pivot (2) in some areas. At least one equalizing channel (15) connects a space (13) located between the joint head (4) and a surrounding joint shell (5) to a space (14) located on the other side of the joint head (4) in respect to the radial extension of the pivot (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2005
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Inventors: Klaus Broeker, Jens Bach
  • Patent number: 7357591
    Abstract: A ball-and-socket joint has a pivot pin accommodated rotatably and tiltably with a spherical joint area in a bearing shell. The bearing shell is in turn arranged in the recess of a joint housing. A closing ring fixes the bearing shell in the joint housing in the axial longitudinal direction of the pivot pin by at least one surface pair. Corresponding to a first solution variant, an intermediate element made of an elastic material may be arranged between the corresponding contact surfaces of the surface pair on the bearing shell and the closing ring. As an alternative an insert element may be arranged between the outer contour of the bearing shell and the bottom area of the recess, wherein at least one intermediate element made of an elastic material is arranged between the outer surface of the insert element and the corresponding inner surface of the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: ZF Lemförder Metallwaren AG
    Inventors: Klaus Bröker, Helmut Noe
  • Patent number: 6821047
    Abstract: A ball-and-socket joint (1) is provided with a housing (2) closed by a cover (3), with a bearing shell (5, 6) and a joint ball (4) accommodated therein rotatably and tiltably with a ball pivot. The bearing shell (6) provided with projections and offsets on its outside as well as an entropy-elastic, pretensioned spring element (7) are fixed by the cover (3) in the housing (2). The bearing shell is formed by lower and upper bearing shells (5, 6), both of which are closed, and the lower bearing shell (5) extending partially over the upper bearing shell (6) is provided on its overarching inside (5b) and the upper bearing shell (6) is provided on its outside (6a) with the projections and offsets (20, 21; 11, 12) with which the entropy-elastic spring element (7) cooperates in a positive-locking and/or non-positive manner under the action of the cover (3) in its closed position and nonrotatably couples the two bearing shells (5, 6) with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2004
    Assignee: ZF Lemförder Metallwaren AG
    Inventor: Klaus Bröker
  • Patent number: 6773196
    Abstract: A joint housing (1) has a housing recess (2), a pivot pin (4), mounted in the housing recess. The pivot pin has a joint ball (3) provided with a surface protection. A pin section protrudes from a housing opening (18), with a bearing shell (5) arranged between the joint housing and the joint ball, and with a closing ring (7), which closes the housing recess of the joint housing and tensions the bearing shell arranged therein in the joint housing. The closing ring follows essentially with its inner contour the outer contour of the bearing shell due to a bevel or a radius formed. The closing ring (7) to be inserted into the joint housing is fixed in its position in the joint housing (1) and has a sealing lip (17) which is in contact with the joint ball (3) under elastic pretension on the side of the housing opening (18) through which the pin section of the pivot pin (4) protrudes from the joint housing (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: ZF Lemförder Metallwaren AG
    Inventors: Klaus Bröker, Martin Rechtien, Wolfgang Kleiner, Reinhard Buhl
  • Patent number: 6688799
    Abstract: A ball-and-socket joint is provided with a joint housing which is open on at least one side with a housing recess, with a joint pin mounted in the housing recess with its joint ball provided with a surface protection. A pin section projects from a housing opening. A bearing shell is arranged between the joint housing and the joint ball. A sealing bellows is provided between the joint housing and the joint pin. A sealing element, which is under elastic pretension in sliding contact with the joint ball, is arranged between the joint housing and the joint ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: ZF Lemforder Metallwaren AG
    Inventors: Klaus Bröker, Reinhard Buhl, Wolfgang Kleiner, Martin Rechtien
  • Patent number: 6302615
    Abstract: A ball-and-socket joint preferably for vehicle suspensions or steerings of motor vehicles with a joint housing, with a housing cover closing the joint housing on one side, and with a pivot pin, which is mounted rotatably and deflectably in at least one bearing shell using a spherical bearing surface, is described. The bearing shell is in turn stationarily fixed in the joint housing and an elastic buffer element (6) is arranged on the outside of the joint housing (3) facing away from the pivot pin (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: ZF Lemforder Metallwaren AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Kleiner, Klaus Bröker