Patents by Inventor Klaus Kuppers

Klaus Kuppers 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: 6547699
    Abstract: In a method and apparatus for diagnosing a malfunction in a clutch actuator of a motor vehicle, the actual position of the clutch actuator is measured by a position sensor. Simultaneously, an estimated position of the clutch actuator is calculated by an emulation unit that emulates the function of the clutch actuator. Malfunctions of the clutch-actuator are diagnosed by comparing the actual, measured position to the estimated position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Luk Lamellen und Kupplungsbau Beteiligungs KG
    Inventors: Jürgen Eich, Klaus Küpper, Alexander Schweizer, Ralf Enderlin, Thomas Jäger, Martin Vornehm
  • Patent number: 6474567
    Abstract: A water cooling device for a controlled cooling of wire, small sections, and ribbed concrete wire guided along a wire rod guiding line out of the rolling heat has a support frame that is parallel-slidable or rotatable. Parallel, adjacently arranged cooling water pipelines are provided each having a different inner diameter and mounted on the support frame. Each cooling water pipeline has arranged thereat water boxes. The cooling water pipelines have cooling water pipes having an inner pipe diameter matching the inner diameter of the correlated cooling water pipeline. The cooling water pipes are arranged in the water boxes. Each cooling water pipeline has guide grooves positioned between the water boxes for connecting the cooling water pipes of each cooling water pipeline with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: SMS Demag AG
    Inventors: Rüdiger Grimmel, Karl Keller, Klaus Küppers, Meinert Meyer, Uwe Plociennik
  • Publication number: 20020156562
    Abstract: Specific shift positions of an electrically actuated vehicle transmission, such as first to fifth, neutral and reverse gears, are detected by monitoring one or more characteristic electrical variables, e.g., actuator currents, during a shift movement of the transmission and by correlating increased or decreased levels of current with the arrival at or passage through the specific shift positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2001
    Publication date: October 24, 2002
    Applicant: LuK Lamellen und Kupplungsbau Beteiligungs KG
    Inventors: Reinhard Berger, Martin Vornehm, Stefan Winkelmann, Marc Hauptmann, Klaus Henneberger, Klaus Kupper
  • Publication number: 20020086770
    Abstract: A vehicle securing system to prevent a motor vehicle having an automated transmission with a clutch between the transmission and the engine. The automated transmission includes a plurality of gears and a control device that receives signals representative of the vehicle's operating parameters and that processes them as well as engages the driver-selected transmission gear. The control device is operative after ignition shutoff for a predetermined time period, or is operative after ignition shutoff by operation of a brake pedal, and effects the engagement of a selected gear when the vehicle is moving at a speed that is lower than a predetermined threshold speed value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2001
    Publication date: July 4, 2002
    Inventors: Robert Fischer, Klaus Kupper
  • Patent number: 6411879
    Abstract: A motor vehicle (201) has an engine (201), a clutch (203), and a transmission (204) with a shift lever (230). A sensor (232) arranged at the shift lever (230) detects movements of the shift lever or forces applied to the shift lever. When the sensor (232) detects a movement or force, the activity is interpreted as a signal that the driver intends to shift gear. A detector system of the motor vehicle detects conditions such as the presence and magnitude of a mechanical play which can affect the process of shifting gears in the transmission (204).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: LuK Lamellen und Kupplungsbau GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Küpper, Michael Salecker
  • Publication number: 20020074207
    Abstract: A motor vehicle has an automated clutch (2) and/or an automated transmission (3) that are operated by an actuator (11, 8) through control commands of a control device (7). At least some of the control commands depend on sensor input indicating whether or not the brakes of the motor vehicle are applied. To detect the actuation of the brakes, the motor vehicle uses two brake sensors or switches (71, 72) rather than only one, thereby providing an additional margin of safety in the operation of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2001
    Publication date: June 20, 2002
    Applicant: LuK Lamellen und Kupplungsbau Beteiligungs KG
    Inventors: Klaus Kupper, Markus Kneissler, Klaus Henneberger, Jens Schnabele
  • Publication number: 20020074699
    Abstract: A water cooling stretch for cooling rolling stock coming from a roll train has several parallel and adjacently positioned cooling pipes having different diameters matching differently sized rolling stock. The cooling pipes are made of individual cooling pipe sections arranged successively in a straight cooling pipe arrangement, respectively. A cooling water supply of individual cooling head nozzle elements supplies the cooling water to the cooling pipe sections. Valve arrangements for controlling the supply of cooling water are provided. The cooling pipe arrangement has individual water box modules arranged between the cooling pipe sections, and the cooling pipe sections have inlet and outlet openings that open into the water box modules. The water box modules are fastened to a common water supply line moveable horizontally and transversely to a movement path of the rolling stock for moving the cooling pipe arrangements into and out of the movement path, as needed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2001
    Publication date: June 20, 2002
    Inventors: Rainer Hellenbrandt, Klaus Kuppers, Meinert Meyer, Uwe Plociennik
  • Publication number: 20020035015
    Abstract: In a method and apparatus for diagnosing a malfunction in a clutch actuator of a motor vehicle, the actual position of the clutch actuator is measured by a position sensor. Simultaneously, an estimated position of the clutch actuator is calculated by an emulation unit that emulates the function of the clutch actuator. Malfunctions of the clutch-actuator are diagnosed by comparing the actual, measured position to the estimated position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2001
    Publication date: March 21, 2002
    Applicant: LuK Lamellen und Kupplungsbau Beteiligungs KG
    Inventors: Jurgen Eich, Klaus Kupper, Alexander Schweizer, Ralf Enderlin, Thomas Jager, Martin Vornehm
  • Patent number: 6349585
    Abstract: A method and an arrangement for operating a rotating starting shear operating in a start-stop operation on rolling stock travelling at different speeds in wire mills, light-section mills, medium plate mills and billet mills, wherein the shear, whose gear system is connected through a coupling to a drive motor, is accelerated from the position of rest to approximately rolling speed and, after the cut has been carried out, is stopped again. A gear machine is arranged between the gear unit of the shear and the drive motor, wherein torsion-proof couplings are arranged between the gear unit or the shear and the gear mechanism and between the gear mechanism and the drive motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2002
    Assignee: SMS Schloemann-Siemag Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Günter Grenz, Klaus Küppers, Otmar Palzer
  • Publication number: 20020007241
    Abstract: A motor vehicle (201) has an engine (201), a clutch (203), and a transmission (204) with a shift lever (230). A sensor (232) arranged at the shift lever (230) detects movements of the shift lever or forces applied to the shift lever. When the sensor (232) detects a movement or force, the activity is interpreted as a signal that the driver intends to shift gear. A detector system of the motor vehicle detects conditions such as the presence and magnitude of a mechanical play which can affect the process of shifting gears in the transmission (204).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2001
    Publication date: January 17, 2002
    Applicant: LuK Lamellen und Kupplugnsbau GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Kupper, Michael Salecker
  • Publication number: 20010018174
    Abstract: A water cooling device for a controlled cooling of wire, small sections, and ribbed concrete wire guided along a wire rod guiding line out of the rolling heat has a support frame that is parallel-slidable or rotatable. Parallel, adjacently arranged cooling water pipelines are provided each having a different inner diameter and mounted on the support frame. Each cooling water pipeline has arranged thereat water boxes. The cooling water pipelines have cooling water pipes having an inner pipe diameter matching the inner diameter of the correlated cooling water pipeline. The cooling water pipes are arranged in the water boxes. Each cooling water pipeline has guide grooves positioned between the water boxes for connecting the cooling water pipes of each cooling water pipeline with one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2000
    Publication date: August 30, 2001
    Inventors: Rudiger Grimmel, Karl Keller, Klaus Kuppers, Meinert Meyer, Uwe Plociennik
  • Patent number: 6205874
    Abstract: The positions of a gear selecting lever in a combined automatically and manually shiftable transmission which is installed in the power train of a motor vehicle are monitored by a first sensor which transmits signals to a control circuit serving to initiate the operation of an actuator for the gear selecting lever. Certain positions of the lever are monitored and reported to the control circuit by one or more additional sensors which influence the operation of the actuator in the event of failure of the first sensor. One of the additional sensors can monitor a first range of positions of the lever including the position when the transmission is shifted into reverse gear, and another additional sensor can monitor a second range of positions of the lever including the position when the transmission is in neutral gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: LuK Getriebe-Systeme GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Küpper, Thomas Pfund, Martin Zimmermann
  • Patent number: 6164175
    Abstract: A method and an arrangement for operating a rotating starting shear operating in a start-stop operation on rolling stock travelling at different speeds in wire mills, light-section mills, medium plate mills and billet mills, wherein the shear, whose gear system is connected through a coupling to a drive motor, is accelerated from the position of rest to approximately rolling speed and, after the cut has been carried out, is stopped again. A gear mechanism is arranged between the gear unit of the shear and the drive motor, wherein torsion-proof couplings are arranged between the gear unit of the shear and the gear mechanism and between the gear mechanism and the drive motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2000
    Assignee: SMS Schloemann-Siemag Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Gunter Grenz, Klaus Kuppers, Otmar Palzer
  • Patent number: 6098909
    Abstract: A laying tube for producing wire windings from continuously introduced essentially straight wire material includes a first portion of an outer casing which is driven so as to rotate and receives a feeding tube for the wire material. Connected to the first portion is an outwardly expanding portion of the outer casing which includes a curved wire guide channel, wherein this guide channel is provided in the form of a groove in the outer surface of a hollow insert which is placed with fit in the expanding portion of the outer casing, and wherein the centrifugal forces of the wire are absorbed by the inner surface of the outer casing. The feeding tube and the insert form a structural unit which is releasably connected to the outer casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Assignee: SMS Schloemann-Siemag Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Meinert Meyer, Klaus Kuppers
  • Patent number: 5964680
    Abstract: An automated clutch between the engine and the variable-speed transmission in the power train of a motor vehicle is operated by a control unit which receives signals from several circuits and/or sensors via one or more conductors. The control unit shifts from a normal operating mode to an emergency mode when one or more sensors and/or circuits and/or conductors are defective. When in emergency mode, the control unit disengages the clutch when the driver starts the engine while the vehicle brake or the parking brake is applied. This ensures that the engine can drive the vehicle as soon as the transmission is shifted into a forward gear or into reverse gear and the application of the brake or brakes is terminated because the control unit is then again free to engage the clutch. Furthermore, such mode of operation enables the driver to shift the transmission into or from a selected gear in response to the application of a relatively small force to the gear shifting lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignees: Luk Getriebe-Systeme GmbH, Daimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Michael Salecker, Klaus Kupper, Thomas Jager, Franz Kosik, Thomas Grass
  • Patent number: 5957805
    Abstract: A motor vehicle wherein the power train comprises an automated clutch between the engine and a manually shiftable transmission. The control circuit for the clutch is designed in such a way that the clutch is disengaged in response to actuation of the gear shifting lever simultaneously with one or more additional undertakings such as actuation of the gas pedal and of one or more brakes, a reduction of the speed of the vehicle below a preselected value, and/or many others.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignees: LuK Getriebe-Systeme GmbH, Daimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Michael Salecker, Klaus Kupper, Martin Vornehm, Franz Kosik, Thomas Grass