Patents by Inventor Michael Kühnle

Michael Kühnle 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: 10557538
    Abstract: A hydrodynamic torque converter comprising a pump wheel and a turbine wheel mounted to be rotatable about an axis of rotation is disclosed. A fluid in a region between the pump wheel and the turbine wheel is provided wherein a first axial contact surface is formed on the pump wheel and a second axial contact surface is formed on the turbine wheel. A frictional connection between the pump wheel and the turbine wheel can be produced when the pump wheel and the turbine wheel are pressed axially against one another. Moreover, one of the contact surfaces is configured to be flexible in order to lie against the other contact surface under an axial pressure load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO. KG
    Inventor: Michael Kühnle
  • Patent number: 10060516
    Abstract: An oil-flooded single-plate or multi-plate lockup clutch is provided in a torque transfer device. The torque transfer device may, for example, be a converter, a dual clutch, a starting clutch, a manual shifter, or power shifting clutch, having a piston to engage the clutch and a damper. In accordance with the present disclosure, the piston together with a housing of the torque transfer device forms a closed pressure chamber when the clutch is engaged and at least one oil flow opening is provided in the piston in an area outside of the pressure chamber. The torque transfer device preferably has a damper and the piston of the clutch forms a part of the damper and may be designed as a retainer for springs of the damper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO. KG
    Inventors: Michael Kuehnle, Thorsten Krause, Kai Schenck
  • Publication number: 20180149251
    Abstract: A hydrodynamic torque converter comprising a pump wheel and a turbine wheel mounted to be rotatable about an axis of rotation is disclosed. A fluid in a region between the pump wheel and the turbine wheel is provided wherein a first axial contact surface is formed on the pump wheel and a second axial contact surface is formed on the turbine wheel. A frictional connection between the pump wheel and the turbine wheel can be produced when the pump wheel and the turbine wheel are pressed axially against one another. Moreover, one of the contact surfaces is configured to be flexible in order to lie against the other contact surface under an axial pressure load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2016
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Applicant: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Michael Kühnle
  • Patent number: 9689463
    Abstract: A roller (20) for a pendulum mass (4, 5, 6) of a centrifugal force pendulum (1), including a rolling section (42), a first maintaining section (26) and a second maintaining section (27). The maintaining sections have a larger diameter than the rolling section, and the roller (20) has a width (44) which is smaller or the same size as the first depth (9) of the centrifugal force pendulum. Due to roller (20), a centrifugal force pendulum can be constructed for particularly flat couplings. In particular, the total weight of the friction clutch is reduced and the mounting is simplified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Michael Kuehnle, Peter Wahl, Stephan Maienschein
  • Patent number: 9631696
    Abstract: The invention relates to a centrifugal force pendulum (100) for suppressing torsional oscillations in a drive train, comprising a first and a second flange (105, 110) that are non-rotatably connected to the drive train and a first and a second pendulum mass (125, 135) that are arranged axially offset between the flanges. The pendulum masses have different suppressing frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Michael Kühnle, David Schnädelbach
  • Publication number: 20170016521
    Abstract: An oil-flooded single-plate or multi-plate lockup clutch is provided in a torque transfer device. The torque transfer device may, for example, be a converter, a dual clutch, a starting clutch, a manual shifter or power shifting clutch, having a piston to engage the clutch and a damper. In accordance with the present disclosure, the piston together with a housing of the torque transfer device forms a closed pressure chamber when the clutch is engaged and at least one oil flow opening is provided in the piston in an area outside of the pressure chamber. The torque transfer device preferably has a damper and the piston of the clutch forms a part of the damper and may be designed as a retainer for springs of the damper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Inventors: Michael Kuehnle, Thorsten Krause, Kai Schenck
  • Patent number: 9360054
    Abstract: A friction clutch including an input side and an output side arranged to rotate, a fluid chamber fillable with a cooling liquid including a first friction partner, a second friction partner, an inner disc carrier coupled to one of the two friction partners radially on the outside, and a compression device having a pressure chamber fillable with a pressure fluid to provide axial compression of the friction partners to generate a torque-locking engagement between the input side and the output side. A deflection device is provided in the fluid chamber wherein the inner disc carrier includes at least one first passage for the cooling liquid to pass through, and the deflection device feeds back at least a first portion of the cooling liquid flowing in a radially outward direction between the friction partners into a radially inward direction to the first passage of the inner disc carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Michael Kuehnle, Toros Guellueck
  • Patent number: 9328777
    Abstract: A clutch, in particular for a motor vehicle, for transmitting torque from an input shaft to an output shaft, includes a wet chamber which is at least partially filled with a cooling medium, and at least one piston, the piston and a component located opposite the piston being rotatable around an axis, and the piston being movable in the direction of the axis to disengage and engage the clutch, is characterized in that on at least one of the following elements: a) the piston and b) the component located opposite the piston on a side facing the other element, at least one web is formed, which extends in the direction of the axis in the direction of the other component, and whose path has at least one radial part in reference to the axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Michael Kuehnle
  • Patent number: 9188171
    Abstract: An actuating device for exerting a force that causes two components arranged to be rotatable relative to each other about an axis of rotation to be urged axially away from each other comprising a radial support element forming a first hydraulic pressure chamber and a second hydraulic pressure chamber, each of the pressure chambers surrounding the axis of rotation and the first pressure chamber being in fluid connection with the second pressure chamber. The actuating device further comprises a first piston axially supported on the first component for sealing the first pressure chamber in an axially displaceable way and a second piston axially supported on the second component for sealing the second pressure chamber in an axially displaceable way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Michael Kuehnle, David Schnaedelbach
  • Publication number: 20150167778
    Abstract: A roller (20) for a pendulum mass (4, 5, 6) of a centrifugal force pendulum (1), including a rolling section (42), a first maintaining section (26) and a second maintaining section (27).The maintaining sections have a larger diameter than the rolling section, and the roller (20) has a width (44) which is smaller or the same size as the first depth (9) of the centrifugal force pendulum. Due to roller (20), a centrifugal force pendulum can be constructed for particularly flat couplings. In particular, the total weight of the friction clutch is reduced and the mounting is simplified.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Applicant: Scaeffler Technologies AG & Co., KG
    Inventors: Michael Kuehnle, Peter Wahl, Stephan Maienschein
  • Patent number: 9057410
    Abstract: A wet friction clutch comprising at least one clutch component which is rotatable around a shaft, wherein in the interior of the clutch component a rotary valve component that is rotatable around the shaft is formed which is deflectable by an angle of deflection in comparison to the rotatable clutch component by a relative rotation around the shaft, wherein the rotatable clutch component has at least one first opening and the rotary valve component has at least one second opening, wherein a total opening is released by an at least partial overlapping of the first opening and the second opening, the size of the total opening being dependent on the angle of deflection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Michael Kühnle, Toros Güllük, Peter Wahl
  • Publication number: 20150114789
    Abstract: A wet clutch comprising a first plate carrier and a second plate carrier which have different diameters, as well as an oil bath in which the plate carriers are arranged concentrically and rotatable with respect to one another. Here, the first plate carrier includes on its circumference a deflection element, by means of which oil which is moving tangentially with respect to the first plate carrier is deflected radially in the direction of the second plate carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2013
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: Michael Kuehnle, Toros Guelluek
  • Publication number: 20150101450
    Abstract: The invention relates to a centrifugal force pendulum (100) for suppressing torsional oscillations in a drive train, comprising a first and a second flange (105, 110) that are non-rotatably connected to the drive train and a first and a second pendulum mass (125, 135) that are arranged axially offset between the flanges. The pendulum masses have different suppressing frequencies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Michael Kühnle, David Schnädelbach
  • Publication number: 20140332338
    Abstract: A clutch, in particular for a motor vehicle, for transmitting torque from an input shaft to an output shaft, includes a wet chamber which is at least partially filled with a cooling medium, and at least one piston, the piston and a component located opposite the piston being rotatable around an axis, and the piston being movable in the direction of the axis to disengage and engage the clutch, is characterized in that on at least one of the following elements: a) the piston and b) the component located opposite the piston on a side facing the other element, at least one web is formed, which extends in the direction of the axis in the direction of the other component, and whose path has at least one radial part in reference to the axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Inventor: Michael Kuehnle
  • Publication number: 20140326572
    Abstract: A friction clutch including an input side and an output side arranged to rotate, a fluid chamber fillable with a cooling liquid including a first friction partner, a second friction partner, an inner disc carrier coupled to one of the two friction partners radially on the outside, and a compression device having a pressure chamber fillable with a pressure fluid to provide axial compression of the friction partners to generate a torque-locking engagement between the input side and the output side. A deflection device is provided in the fluid chamber wherein the inner disc carrier includes at least one first passage for the cooling liquid to pass through, and the deflection device feeds back at least a first portion of the cooling liquid flowing in a radially outward direction between the friction partners into a radially inward direction to the first passage of the inner disc carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Applicant: Schaeffler Technologies GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Michael Kuehnle, Toros Guellueck
  • Publication number: 20140166426
    Abstract: A wet friction clutch comprising at least one clutch component which is rotatable around a shaft, wherein in the interior of the clutch component a rotary valve component that is rotatable around the shaft is formed which is deflectable by an angle of deflection in comparison to the rotatable clutch component by a relative rotation around the shaft, wherein the rotatable clutch component has at least one first opening and the rotary valve component has at least one second opening, wherein a total opening is released by an at least partial overlapping of the first opening and the second opening, the size of the total opening being dependent on the angle of deflection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Michael Kühnle, Toros Güllük, Peter Wahl
  • Patent number: 8672108
    Abstract: A drive train, in particular, a hybrid drive train with a torque converter, which can be operatively connected with a drive through a clutch. The clutch includes an emergency operation actuation device with at least one emergency operation actuation element, which defines a centrifugal oil cavity which includes oil and which is coupled with the drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Michael Kuehnle, Thorsten Krause, Dominique Engelmann, Parviz Movlazada, Benjamin Voegtle
  • Publication number: 20110011692
    Abstract: A drive train, in particular, a hybrid drive train with a torque converter, which can be operatively connected with a drive through a clutch. The clutch includes an emergency operation actuation device with at least one emergency operation actuation element, which defines a centrifugal oil cavity which includes oil and which is coupled with the drive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Michael Kuehnle, Thorsten Krause, Dominique Engelmann, Parviz Movlazada, Benjamin Voegtle