Patents by Inventor Lutz Leimbach

Lutz Leimbach 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: 6427548
    Abstract: An automatic transmission, especially for a motor vehicle, having a plurality of torque transmission paths which can be selectively activated for torque transmission. The torque transmission paths have different transmission characteristics and, based on their transmission characteristics, can be ordered in a sequence of torque transmission paths has a clutch arrangement by which at least one of the torque transmission paths can be activated. It is provided that the clutch arrangement has a clutch unit which is associated with a group of torque transmission paths and by which a torque transmission path of a group of torque transmission paths can be selectively activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventors: Lutz Leimbach, Reiner Voss, Thomas Wirth, Andreas Ratte
  • Patent number: 6321612
    Abstract: An actuating device for automatic operation of a gear change in a transmission that produces a change in predetermined translation ratios of the gear change transmission in any desired sequence comprises first and second drives that are in active connection with a selector shaft. The first drive is connected to the selector shaft via a guide mechanism which comprises at least one constraint guide that corresponds to a shifting path. The second drive is in active connection with the selector shaft for providing an operating force in the axial direction and an operating force in the circumferential direction of the selector shaft. The resulting movement depends on the operating position of the guide mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventors: Lutz Leimbach, Thomas Wirth, Andreas Ratte, Alexander Horst
  • Patent number: 6155129
    Abstract: A positioning device for an output component for automatically shifting gears of a motor vehicle transmission that undergoes two types of movements comprises a plurality of drives. The movement of each drive can be transmitted via a transmission mechanism to the output component. A first drive causes the output component to undergo movement of a first type, and a second drive causes the output component to undergo movement of a second type. The first drive is connected to a sliding element. The sliding element is axially fixed, but movable in the circumferential direction relative to the output component. The second drive is rotatably fixed, but axially movable output component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventors: Jens Dorfschmid, Lutz Leimbach, Thomas Wirth, Erwin Bair, Ingo Franz
  • Patent number: 6112613
    Abstract: An actuating device for the automatic actuation of a transmission includes at least two actuating units whose driven parts can be driven in a translatory movement by which a transmission shaft of the transmission can be driven in rotary and translatory movement for gear selection and accelerator selection. The driven parts which can be driven in translatory movement cooperate with a lever element which is connected with the transmission shaft and which is mounted in an articulated manner by means of at least one joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventors: Lutz Leimbach, Thomas Wirth, Thomas Goppner, Andreas Ratte
  • Patent number: 6105448
    Abstract: An actuating device for automatically actuating a manual transmission, which has an output element that can be driven in a first direction by a first drive and in a second direction by a second drive. Each drive is assigned a sensor which displays an actuating movement and detects a movement if the output element and whose signals are fed to a control device. In the case of a movement of the output element the sensors output to the control device signals assigned to this movement, the signals specifying the respective magnitude of the movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventors: Udo Borschert, Mario Buhner, Lutz Leimbach, Jens Dorfschmid
  • Patent number: 6058795
    Abstract: An adjustment device for automatically operating a vehicle transmission, includes an actuator to operate a gear input part that, depending upon a desired gear, assumes a position corresponding to that gear. An emergency operating device is connected to the actuator for activating a tension element to establish an active connection to the gear input part for the purpose of setting a position of the gear input part corresponding to a selected gear during a failure of the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventors: Peter Ottenbruch, Lutz Leimbach, Bernd Gaubitz, Hans-Jurgen Schneider, Thomas Wirth
  • Patent number: 6006883
    Abstract: A friction clutch with at least one flywheel mass and a clutch housing with which there is associated a pressing arrangement for a pressing plate which is provided for the action of pressure on one side of a clutch disk the opposite side of which is supported on a counter pressure surface. Furthermore, a disengager is provided by which, upon its movement, the pressing arrangement can be functionally connected with or separated from the clutch disk. The disengager is connected by a disengagement mechanism to the pressing plate by which the movement of the disengager can be transformed into an axial movement of the pressing plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventors: Ulrich Husse, Lutz Leimbach, Joachim Lindner, Thomas Wirth
  • Patent number: 5984072
    Abstract: An adjusting device for operating a friction clutch is brought into active connection with the friction clutch via an output device driven by a drive. The output device includes a compensation device that compensates for a wear-induced position change of the pressure spring of the friction clutch by permitting a length change of the output device. For this purpose, the compensation device includes a fixing device that secures the relative positions of the components of the output device to each other. The fixing device is releasable in a predetermined operating state of the adjusting device by a control element. When released, the fixing device allows the relative movement between the components of the output device required to implement the length change of the output device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: Mannesman Sachs AG
    Inventors: Lutz Leimbach, Andreas Ratte, Jens Dorfschmid, Ingo Franz, Thomas Wirth
  • Patent number: 5979261
    Abstract: A positioning device for an output component for automatically shifting gears of a motor vehicle transmission that undergoes two types of movements comprises a plurality of drives. The movement of each drive can be transmitted via a transmission mechanism to the output component. A first drive causes the output component to undergo movement of a first type, and a second drive causes the output component to undergo movement of a second type. The first drive is connected to a sliding element. The sliding element is axially fixed, but movable in the circumferential direction relative to the output component. The second drive is rotatably fixed, but axially movable output component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventors: Jens Dorfschmid, Lutz Leimbach, Thomas Wirth, Erwin Bair, Ingo Franz
  • Patent number: 5934433
    Abstract: An actuator for automated operation of a friction clutch includes a drive that is connected with an input part of a gearing and an output part of the gearing that is movable into operative connection via a transmission member with a disengagement bearing of the friction clutch. The transmission element has a pitch region rotatable for driving an engagement element into force-applying contact with a disengagement bearing for displacing the disengaging bearing and thereby disengaging the clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1999
    Assignee: Fichtel & Sachs AG
    Inventors: Lutz Leimbach, Erwin Bair, Reiner Voss, Heiko Schulz-Andres
  • Patent number: 5875866
    Abstract: A controlling mechanism, particularly for operating a gear-shift-lever shaft of a gearbox for motor vehicles, having controlling units for introducing a sensor-monitorable rotational or translational movement to the gear-shift-lever shaft. A first controlling unit is connected to a second controlling unit and the first controlling unit can in turn be brought into active connection with the gear-shift-lever shaft via at least one articulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: Fichtel & Sachs AG
    Inventors: Jens Dorfschmid, Lutz Leimbach
  • Patent number: 5810144
    Abstract: A clutch actuator for a motor vehicle friction clutch has a drive, a gear unit which converts the movement of the drive into a substantially translatory movement of an output member, the excursion of this gear unit being definable with respect to every working direction by at least one stop, and a clutch position detector. A damping device is associated with each stop. In a position of the gear unit in which the gear unit, in a movement directed toward the stop, has reached an exactly defined reference position relative to this stop, this reference position being situated prior to the stop, the damping device can be activated in order to retard the gear unit until the latter comes into contact with the stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1998
    Assignee: Fichtel & Sachs AG
    Inventors: Lutz Leimbach, Jens Dorfschmid
  • Patent number: 5704460
    Abstract: A friction clutch with an actuator for automated operation, having an electronic control system preferably located separately from the actuator. Whereby to reduce the intensity of the control currents for the electric motor of the actuator, there can be a compensating spring which assists the actuation force of the friction clutch, a mechanism which automatically compensates for wear inside the friction clutch, an optimally-efficient, helical spur gear with involute gear teeth, as well as a device to reduce the release force of the friction clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1998
    Assignee: Fichtel & Sachs AG
    Inventor: Lutz Leimbach
  • Patent number: 5695037
    Abstract: An actuator is provided with a housing to hold a drive system, a transmission which converts its motion into an essentially translational movement of an output element, and an electronic subassembly. The housing has a first housing part which contains the transmission and a second housing part which supports the electronic subassembly, which is detachable from the transmission. The two housing parts, when connected to one another, and without any partitions separating them, form a compartment in which the transmission and the electronic subassembly are contained as enclosed components which are three-dimensionally engaged with one another, but are functionally separate from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1997
    Assignee: Fichtel & Sachs AG
    Inventors: Udo Borschert, Lutz Leimbach, Ullrich Scherpf, Peter Schmidt, Manfred Waning, Michael Zottmann
  • Patent number: 5680916
    Abstract: An actuator is provided with a drive system and a crank mechanism which converts the motion of the drive system into an essentially translational motion of an output element. The crank mechanism is designed as a worm gear pair with a worm gear which sits on the output shaft and is engaged with a segment worm gear which is rotationally mounted in a housing, whereby engaged with the segment worm gear, in addition to the output element, there is an energy storing device, preferably a spring device, mounted so that it can pivot in a bearing, which energy storing device can move relative to the segment worm gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 28, 1997
    Assignee: Fichtel & Sachs AG
    Inventors: Udo Borschert, Lutz Leimbach, Ullrich Scherpf, Manfred Waning, Michael Zottmann
  • Patent number: 5678671
    Abstract: A motor vehicle clutch assembly has an actuator device. The clutch assembly is a friction clutch assembly. The actuator device moves linearly and is for engaging and disengaging the clutch. The actuator device is powered by a motor. The actuator device has a device for blocking the linear movement of the actuator device in a preferred position, thereby reducing work done by the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: Fichtel & Sachs AG
    Inventors: Lutz Leimbach, Reiner Voss
  • Patent number: 5678673
    Abstract: An actuator for a motor vehicle friction clutch comprises a drive system, a transmission which converts its motion into an essentially translational motion of an output element, whereby the travel of the transmission can be limited by at least one stop, and a clutch position regulating system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: Fichtel & Sachs AG
    Inventors: Udo Borschert, Lutz Leimbach, Manfred Waning, Michael Zottmann