Patents by Inventor Mario Kuhl

Mario Kuhl 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: 8256394
    Abstract: A switchable cup tappet for a valve timing mechanism of an internal combustion engine, which has a cup basic body with an annular base loaded by large-lift cams. A hollow-cylindrical projection protrudes from an inner edge of the base and an inner body extends in the hole of the projection. The disc-like base is contacted by a small-lift cam. In a hole of the inner body two coupler pistons are coupled in sections with a driver surface of the cup basic body for a large valve stroke. The small stroke occurs by complete displacement into the radial hole. An annular web, spaced from its end faces at both ends, is attached integrally, in which the radial hole extends with the coupler pistons. The driver surface for the pistons is formed by a lower edge of the projection, which is spaced from the bases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Michael Haas, Mario Kuhl, Norbert Nitz
  • Patent number: 8240285
    Abstract: A switchable bucket tappet for a valve drive of an internal combustion engine, which has a bucket basic body with a ring-like base. A hollow-cylindrical projection protrudes from an inner edge of the base, and in the bore of the projection an inner body extends. Two coupler pistons lie opposite one another and, to achieve full valve stroke, engage in sections with a driver surface of the bucket basic body which run in a radial hole of the inner body. A zero valve stroke is achieved when the coupler piston is displaced completely into the radial hole of the inner body, which is baseless and free of contact with a cam. The projection has a window-like aperture, with the underside acting as the driver surface for an upper side of the coupler piston during coupling. The region of the base is an approximately symmetrical and continuously thin-walled formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & CO. KG
    Inventors: Lucia Hinkovska, Sandra Schaefer, Lothar Von Schimonsky, Norbert Nitz, Mario Kuhl, Michael Haas
  • Patent number: 8215271
    Abstract: A hydraulic unit (5) is provided for a cylinder head (2) of an internal combustion engine with a hydraulically variable valve train (1). In the hydraulic unit, a high-pressure chamber (11), a medium-pressure chamber (12), and a low-pressure chamber (16) used as the hydraulic medium reservoir are formed. The low-pressure chamber communicates via a throttle point (17, 17?, 17?, 17??) with the medium-pressure chamber, and the throttle point is formed by a displaceable valve body (19, 19?, 19?, 19??) and has through-flow cross sections of different sizes according to a position of the valve body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Mario Kuhl, Lothar von Schimonsky, Thomas Kremer, Calin Petru Itoafa, Jens Lang, Andreas Eichenberg
  • Patent number: 8210140
    Abstract: A hydraulic unit (5) is provided for a cylinder head (2) of an internal combustion engine with a hydraulically variable gas-exchange valve train (1). In the hydraulic unit, a high-pressure chamber (11), a medium-pressure chamber (12), and a low-pressure chamber (16) used as the hydraulic medium reservoir are formed. The low-pressure chamber communicates via a throttle opening (17, 17?, 17?, 17??) with the medium-pressure chamber, and the throttle opening extends through a housing seal (23) produced as a separate component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Mario Kuhl, Andreas Eichenberg
  • Patent number: 8161929
    Abstract: The invention proposes a switchable tappet (1) of a valve train of an internal combustion engine, said tappet comprising a hollow cylindrical housing (3) comprising a bottom (2), an inner element (5) being guided for relative axial displacement in a bore (4) of the housing (3), an at least indirect support for a gas exchange valve extending on a cam-distal front end (6) of the inner element (5), two diametrically opposing pistons as coupling elements (8) being arranged in a radial bore (7) of the inner element (5), which coupling elements (8), for effecting coupling [full valve lift], can be displaced partly beyond a parting surface (9) between the housing (3) and the inner element (5) into an entraining surface (12) of the housing (3) by the force of a compression spring (10a) clamped between inner front ends (10) of the coupling elements (8), wherein the entraining surface (12) is an direct constituent of a separate annular member (13) that is fixed in a cam-distal region of the bore (4) of the housing (3),
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Schaeffler KG
    Inventors: Mario Kuhl, Lothar von Schimonsky, Norbert Nitz, Lucia Hinkovska, Sandra Schäfer
  • Patent number: 8082896
    Abstract: A switchable support element for a valve train of an internal combustion engine, comprising a housing that can be arranged with an outer peripheral wall in a reception of the internal combustion engine, an axially displaceable pressure piston extending in a bore of the housing, said pressure piston being loaded by a lost motion spring means in a direction leading out of the housing, a head of the pressure piston extending beyond an edge of the housing, and at least one coupling piston extending in a cross-bore of the pressure piston, which can be brought partially into engagement with an entraining surface of the housing for achieving coupling, wherein, starting from an outer front end of the at least one coupling piston, a flattened portion is arranged on an underside of the coupling piston wherein a flattened portion is arranged on an underside of the coupling piston, the entraining surface in the housing per coupling piston is constituted by an underside of a window-like aperture in the bore of the housing
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Schaeffler KG
    Inventors: Mario Kuhl, Bodo Rorig
  • Patent number: 8001940
    Abstract: A switchable bucket tappet for a valve drive of an internal combustion engine, which has a bucket base body with a ring-shaped base guided by a skirt projecting from the outer edge of the base in a bore of the engine. A lifting cam acts on the base and a hollow cylindrical extension projects from an inner edge of the base. In the bore, an inner body is axially movable relative to the bucket base body and, formed in the underside of the inner body, is a support for indirect contact with a gas exchange valve. A coupling piston, which has a flattened portion on its upper side, runs in a bore of the inner body and is engaged with a driver surface for full valve lift. A lost motion spring acts between the bucket base body and inner body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Schaeffler KG
    Inventors: Peter Sailer, Mario Kuhl, Lucia Hinkovska, Sandra Schaefer
  • Publication number: 20100224152
    Abstract: A hydraulic unit (5) is provided for a cylinder head (2) of an internal combustion engine with a hydraulically variable gas-exchange valve train (1). In the hydraulic unit, a high-pressure chamber (11), a medium-pressure chamber (12), and a low-pressure chamber (16) used as the hydraulic medium reservoir are formed. The low-pressure chamber communicates via a throttle opening (17, 17?, 17?, 17??) with the medium-pressure chamber, and the throttle opening extends through a housing seal (23) produced as a separate component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Mario Kuhl, Andreas Eichenberg
  • Publication number: 20100224148
    Abstract: A hydraulic unit (5) is provided for a cylinder head (2) of an internal combustion engine with a hydraulically variable valve train (1). In the hydraulic unit, a high-pressure chamber (11), a medium-pressure chamber (12), and a low-pressure chamber (16) used as the hydraulic medium reservoir are formed. The low-pressure chamber communicates via a throttle point (17, 17?, 17?, 17??) with the medium-pressure chamber, and the throttle point is formed by a displaceable valve body (19, 19?, 19?, 19??) and has through-flow cross sections of different sizes according to a position of the valve body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Mario Kuhl, Lothar von Schimonsky, Thomas Kremer, Calin Petru Itoafa, Jens Lang, Andreas Eichenberg
  • Publication number: 20100089346
    Abstract: A switchable support element (1) for a valve train of an internal combustion engine, said switchable support element (1) comprising a housing (2) that can be arranged with an outer peripheral wall (3) in a reception of the internal combustion engine, an axially displaceable pressure piston (5) extending in a bore (4) of the housing (2), said pressure piston (5) being loaded by a lost motion spring means (6) in a direction leading out of the housing (2), a head (7) of the pressure piston (5) extending beyond an edge (8) of the housing (2), and at least one coupling piston (10) extending in a cross-bore (9) of the pressure piston (5), which coupling piston (10) can be brought partially into engagement with an entraining surface (11) of the housing (2) for achieving coupling, wherein, starting from an outer front end (12) of the at least one coupling piston (10), a flattened portion (14) is arranged on an underside (13) of the coupling piston (10), the entraining surface (11) in the housing (2) per coupling pist
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2008
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Inventors: Mario Kuhl, Bodo Rorig
  • Publication number: 20100077975
    Abstract: A switchable bucket tappet for a valve drive of an internal combustion engine, which has a bucket basic body with a ring-like base. A hollow-cylindrical projection protrudes from an inner edge of the base, and in the bore of the projection an inner body extends. Two coupler pistons lie opposite one another and, to achieve a full valve stroke, engage in sections with a driver surface of the bucket basic body which run in a radial hole of the inner body. A zero valve stroke is achieved when the coupler piston is displaced completely into the radial hole of the inner body, which is baseless and free of contact with a cam. The projection has a window-like aperture, with the underside acting as the driver surface for an upper side of the coupler piston during coupling. The region of the base is an approximately symmetrical and continuously thin-walled formation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER KG
    Inventors: Lucia Hinkovska, Sandra Schaefer, Lothar Von Schimonsky, Norbert Nitz, Mario Kuhl, Michael Haas
  • Publication number: 20100050964
    Abstract: A switchable cup tappet for a valve timing mechanism of an internal combustion engine, which has a cup basic body with an annular base loaded by large-lift cams. A hollow-cylindrical projection protrudes from an inner edge of the base and an inner body extends in the hole of the projection. The disc-like base is contacted by a small-lift cam. In a hole of the inner body two coupler pistons are coupled in sections with a driver surface of the cup basic body for a large valve stroke. The small stroke occurs by complete displacement into the radial hole. An annular web, spaced from its end faces at both ends, is attached integrally, in which the radial hole extends with the coupler pistons. The driver surface for the pistons is formed by a lower edge of the projection, which is spaced from the bases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2008
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER KG
    Inventors: Michael Haas, Mario Kuhl, Norbert Nitz
  • Publication number: 20090314237
    Abstract: A switchable bucket tappet for a valve drive of an internal combustion engine, which has a bucket base body with a ring-shaped base guided by a skirt projecting from the outer edge of the base, in a bore of the engine. A lifting cam acts on the base and a hollow cylindrical extension projects from an inner edge of the base. In the bore, an inner body is axially movable relative to the bucket base body and, formed in the underside of the inner body, is a support for indirect contact with a gas exchange valve. A coupling piston, which has a flattened portion on its upper side, runs in a bore of the inner body and is engaged with a driver surface for full valve lift. A lost motion spring acts between the bucket base body and inner body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2008
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER KG
    Inventors: Peter Sailer, Mario Kuhl, Lucia Hinkovska, Sandra Schaefer
  • Publication number: 20090159029
    Abstract: The invention proposes a switchable tappet (1) of a valve train of an internal combustion engine, said tappet comprising a hollow cylindrical housing (3) comprising a bottom (2), an inner element (5) being guided for relative axial displacement in a bore (4) of the housing (3), an at least indirect support for a gas exchange valve extending on a cam-distal front end (6) of the inner element (5), two diametrically opposing pistons as coupling elements (8) being arranged in a radial bore (7) of the inner element (5), which coupling elements (8), for effecting coupling [full valve lift], can be displaced partly beyond a parting surface (9) between the housing (3) and the inner element (5) into an entraining surface (12) of the housing (3) by the force of a compression spring (10a) clamped between inner front ends (10) of the coupling elements (8), wherein the entraining surface (12) is an direct constituent of a separate annular member (13) that is fixed in a cam-distal region of the bore (4) of the housing (3),
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Inventors: Mario Kuhl, Lothar von Schimonsky, Norbert Nitz, Lucia Hinkovska, Sandra Schafer
  • Patent number: 7478615
    Abstract: The invention relates to an axial fixation (17) of a spring support part (9) of a switchable tappet (1) for direct transmission of a cam stroke to a tappet push-rod (7) of a valve drive of an internal combustion engine. The tappet (1) has an inner part (3), which receives the force of a spring means (13), in that the spring support part (9) used as a support (12) for the spring means (13) is fixed axially to the inner part (3) in a direction of force of the spring means (13), such that the spring support part (9) and the inner part (3) face each other in a region of the axial fixation (17) and form a common channel (18) by means of formed parts (20, 23) aligned with each other, in which a retaining ring (19) is arranged for positive-fit connection of the spring support part (9) to the inner part (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Schaeffler KG
    Inventors: Calin Petru Itoafa, Mario Kuhl
  • Patent number: 7299777
    Abstract: A connection of a bearing bolt (6) in a cylindrical housing (1) of a roller tappet (2) that is actuated in a direction of a longitudinal axis (Z) is provided, especially for a tappet push-rod valve drive of an internal combustion engine. The bearing bolt (6) is supported in bore holes (7) of the housing (1), which extend in a transverse plane (XY) to the roller tappet (2), perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (Z), and is connected with a positive and/or non-positive fit to the housing (1) through material deformation. The material deformation is provided as one or more segments (9, 10), of which at least one segment (9) completely encloses a radial load zone (16) of the bearing bolt (6), and a section (15) of the bearing bolt (6) extending about the transverse plane (XY) is free from material deformation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Schaeffler KG
    Inventors: Marco Meisborn, Mario Kuhl
  • Publication number: 20060288974
    Abstract: A connection of a bearing bolt (6) in a cylindrical housing (1) of a roller tappet (2) that is actuated in a direction of a longitudinal axis (Z) is provided, especially for a tappet push-rod valve drive of an internal combustion engine. The bearing bolt (6) is supported in bore holes (7) of the housing (1), which extend in a transverse plane (XY) to the roller tappet (2), perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (Z), and is connected with a positive and/or non-positive fit to the housing (1) through material deformation. The material deformation is provided as one or more segments (9, 10), of which at least one segment (9) completely encloses a radial load zone (16) of the bearing bolt (6), and a section (15) of the bearing bolt (6) extending about the transverse plane (XY) is free from material deformation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2006
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Applicant: Schaeffler KG
    Inventors: Marco Meisborn, Mario Kuhl
  • Publication number: 20060225681
    Abstract: The invention relates to an axial fixation (17) of a spring support part (9) of a switchable tappet (1) for direct transmission of a cam stroke to a tappet push-rod (7) of a valve drive of an internal combustion engine. The tappet (1) has an inner part (3), which receives the force of a spring means (13), in that the spring support part (9) used as a support (12) for the spring means (13) is fixed axially to the inner part (3) in a direction of force of the spring means (13), such that the spring support part (9) and the inner part (3) face each other in a region of the axial fixation (17) and form a common channel (18) by means of formed parts (20, 23) aligned with each other, in which a retaining ring (19) is arranged for positive-fit connection of the spring support part (9) to the inner part (3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2006
    Publication date: October 12, 2006
    Applicant: Schaeffler KG
    Inventors: Calin Itoafa, Mario Kuhl
  • Patent number: 6953016
    Abstract: The invention proposes a tappet (1) in a valve train of an internal combustion engine having a bottom camshaft for acting on a tappet push rod, said tappet being arranged with a housing (2) for axial displacement, but secured against rotation, in a guide bore (3) of the internal combustion engine (3a) or of a component connected to the internal combustion engine, said housing (2) comprising on one front end (4), two cheek-like extensions (5) that are situated diametrically opposite each other and are connected by an axle (6) on which a rotary roller (7) extends for making direct contact with a cam, said front end (4) comprising a transverse region (8) that connects the extensions (5) axially inside and has a cylindrical shape in a length direction of the roller (7), and said guide bore (3) being intersected by two passages (12, 13) for routing hydraulic medium to the tappet (1), wherein a radius center point (M) of the transverse region (8) of the one front end (4) is situated with a lateral offset to a longi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2005
    Assignee: Ina-Schaeffler KG
    Inventors: Henning Karbstein, Mario Kuhl, Jason Morehead
  • Patent number: RE44864
    Abstract: In a switching element (1) for a valve train of an internal combustion engine for switching to different valve lifts, said switching element (1) comprising an outer element (2) having an inner element (4) arranged for axial displacement therein, each of the outer and the inner element (2, 4) comprising a reception (11, 9) aligned to each other in a relative position, at least one piston (10) being arranged in at least one of the receptions (11, 9) for sliding toward the other of the receptions (9, 11) to couple the inner element (4) to the outer element (2) in said relative position, and a high-position stop for defining said relative position being arranged between the inner and the outer element (4, 2), at least one part of the high-position stop is configured as an adjustable, separate element (13). This element (13) cooperates through a preferably conical section (15) of its outer periphery with a complementary chamfer (18) on one end (17) of a guide (16) in the outer element (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Ina Schaeffler KG
    Inventors: Hermann Wenisch, Mario Kuhl, Peter Sailer, Oliver Schnell