Patents by Inventor MICHAEL WENDEL

MICHAEL WENDEL 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).

  • Publication number: 20260200266
    Abstract: A wheel hub configured as a bearing inner ring for an anti-friction bearing includes a central axis of rotation and a body portion having a circular cross section perpendicular to the central axis of rotation. The body portion has a radial outer side and at least one functional surface on the radially outer side, the at least one functional surface including at least one raceway. At least a first functional surface of the at least one functional surface is laser-hardened. Also a related method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2026
    Publication date: July 16, 2026
    Inventors: Sebastian KRAUS, Michael WENDEL
  • Publication number: 20260166919
    Abstract: A racing wheel hub includes a first outer surface portion configured as a bearing inner ring of a rolling element bearing, the bearing inner ring including an induction hardened raceway configured to support rolling elements of the rolling-element bearing and a non-functional surface that is not configured to support rolling elements of the rolling-element bearing. At least a portion of the non-functional surface of the racing hub is laser hardened. Also a method of hardening a racing wheel hub.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2025
    Publication date: June 18, 2026
    Inventors: Sebastian KRAUS, Michael WENDEL
  • Patent number: 12595524
    Abstract: An induction hardening system for inductively hardening a component includes a first inductor group with at least two inductors configured to heat a region to be hardened on the component, a drive unit configured to move the component along the at least two inductors, and a generator. The at least two inductors are electrically energized by the generator, and the generator is configured to send a current of a same frequency and a same strength to the at least two inductors of the first inductor group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2026
    Assignee: AKTIEBOLAGET SKF
    Inventors: Gerhard Wagner, Fred Menig, Martina Sticht, Michael Wendel
  • Publication number: 20240399390
    Abstract: A housing for a component of an inductive hardening system includes a basic body having a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet, and at least one cover element connected to the basic body and having at least one coolant passage in fluidic communication with the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet, the coolant passage being configured to carry a coolant for actively cooling the housing. The housing may be configured as a spray head for a quenching device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2024
    Publication date: December 5, 2024
    Inventors: Michael WENDEL, Martina STICHT, Gerhard WAGNER
  • Publication number: 20240401643
    Abstract: A bearing component has a raceway face and a non-functional face different from the raceway face, and at least one first portion of the non-functional face is laser-hardened. Also a method that includes providing a bearing component having a raceway face and a non-functional face different from the raceway face and laser hardening at least one first portion of the non-functional face.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2024
    Publication date: December 5, 2024
    Inventor: Michael WENDEL
  • Publication number: 20230287532
    Abstract: A workpiece holding device for holding a workpiece in a heat treatment system while the workpiece undergoes a thermal expansion and/or contraction includes at least two clamping units configured to apply a radial and/or an axial clamping force to the workpiece to hold the workpiece in the workpiece holding device in a predefined position, and an adjustment mechanism for setting the at least two clamping units to synchronously apply a substantially identical radial and/or axial clamping force to the workpiece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Inventors: Gerhard WAGNER, Fred MENIG, Martina STICHT, Michael WENDEL
  • Publication number: 20230286063
    Abstract: A workpiece holding device for holding a workpiece in a heat treatment system while the workpiece undergoes a thermal expansion and/or contraction includes at least two clamping units configured to apply a radial and/or an axial clamping force to the workpiece to hold the workpiece in the workpiece holding device in a predefined position, and at least three support units configured to support the workpiece. At least one of the support units includes a carrier and an exchangeable support element attached to the carrier, the exchangeable support element being configured to contact and rotatably support the workpiece in the predefined position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Inventors: Gerhard WAGNER, Fred MENIG, Martina STICHT, Michael WENDEL
  • Publication number: 20230286061
    Abstract: A workpiece holding device for holding a workpiece in a heat treatment system while the workpiece undergoes a thermal expansion and/or contraction includes at least two clamping units configured to apply a radial and/or an axial clamping force to the workpiece to hold the workpiece in the workpiece holding device in a predefined position and a drive unit configured to rotate the workpiece in the workpiece holding device. The at least two clamping units may be configured to adjust their position relative to the holding device to maintain the clamping force during the thermal expansion and/or contraction of the workpiece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Inventors: Gerhard WAGNER, Fred MENIG, Martina STICHT, Michael WENDEL
  • Publication number: 20230286062
    Abstract: A workpiece holding device for holding a workpiece in a heat treatment system while the workpiece undergoes a thermal expansion and/or contraction includes at least two clamping units configured to apply a radial and/or an axial clamping force to the workpiece to hold the workpiece in the workpiece holding device in a predefined position, and at least three support units configured to support the workpiece. A first one of the at least three support units includes a first cylinder configured to support the workpiece, the first cylinder having a longitudinal axis and being configured to rotate around the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Inventors: Gerhard WAGNER, Fred MENIG, Martina STICHT, Michael WENDEL
  • Publication number: 20230287533
    Abstract: A workpiece holding device for holding a workpiece having a substantially radial inner surface and a substantially radial outer surface in a heat treatment system while the workpiece undergoes a thermal expansion and/or contraction, the workpiece holding device includes at least two clamping units configured to apply a radial clamping force to the workpiece to hold the workpiece in the workpiece holding device in a predefined position, each of the at least two clamping units including a clamping element configured to abut against the radially inner surface and/or against the radially outer surface of the workpiece and to apply a radial clamping force to the workpiece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Inventors: Gerhard WAGNER, Fred MENIG, Martina STICHT, Michael WENDEL
  • Publication number: 20230220506
    Abstract: An induction hardening system for inductively hardening a component includes a first inductor group with at least two inductors configured to heat a region to be hardened on the component, a drive unit configured to move the component along the at least two inductors, and a generator. The at least two inductors are electrically energized by the generator, and the generator is configured to send a current of a same frequency and a same strength to the at least two inductors of the first inductor group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2022
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Inventors: Gerhard WAGNER, Fred MENIG, Martina STICHT, Michael WENDEL
  • Publication number: 20230220512
    Abstract: An inductive hardening system for hardening a component includes a holding unit for holding the component, an induction coil configured to induce an electrical current in the component to heat the component, and a control unit configured to control the induction coil to produce a first amount of heat per unit area in the component until a predetermined temperature is reached and/or a predetermined time is elapsed and after the predetermined temperature is reached and/or the predetermined time is elapsed, to control the induction coil to produce a second amount of heat per unit area in the component, the second amount of heat being from 3% to 80% of the first amount of heat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2022
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Inventors: Fred MENIG, Martina STICHT, Gerhard WAGNER, Michael WENDEL
  • Patent number: 11053979
    Abstract: A bearing ring for a rolling-element bearing or plain bearing has at least one first region that is inductively hardened or is configured to be inductively hardened and at least one second region that is not inductively hardened and is not intended to be inductively hardened, and the at least one second region includes at least one stress-relief recess and/or at least one stress-relief projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: AKTIEBOLAGET SKF
    Inventors: Martina Sticht, Fred Menig, Juergen Reichert, Jesko-Henning Tanke, Gerhard Wagner, Michael Wendel
  • Publication number: 20200040944
    Abstract: A bearing ring for a rolling-element bearing or plain bearing has at least one first region that is inductively hardened or is configured to be inductively hardened and at least one second region that is not inductively hardened and is not intended to be inductively hardened, and the at least one second region includes at least one stress-relief recess and/or at least one stress-relief projection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Inventors: Martina Sticht, Fred Menig, Juergen Reichert, Jesko-Henning Tanke, Gerhard Wagner, Michael Wendel
  • Patent number: 10283001
    Abstract: An optimization model is selected to reduce a number of passengers adversely affected by a delay of an aircraft. A cascade boundary is determined for a length of the delay, which projects the delay at the plurality of airports. Using the optimization model, a probability curve is computed at an airport from the plurality of airports, which outputs a second length of the delay experienced at the airport responsive to the cascade boundary projecting the delay on the airport. The length is adjusted in the optimization model such that a count of passengers adversely affected by the delay at the airport at the elapse of the second length is minimized. A target system is caused to configure the aircraft to be delayed by the adjusted length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: James E. Bostick, Munish Goyal, Kimberly G. Starks, Michael Wendel
  • Publication number: 20180137766
    Abstract: An optimization model is selected to reduce a number of passengers adversely affected by a delay of an aircraft. A cascade boundary is determined for a length of the delay, which projects the delay at the plurality of airports. Using the optimization model, a probability curve is computed at an airport from the plurality of airports, which outputs a second length of the delay experienced at the airport responsive to the cascade boundary projecting the delay on the airport. The length is adjusted in the optimization model such that a count of passengers adversely affected by the delay at the airport at the elapse of the second length is minimized. A target system is caused to configure the aircraft to be delayed by the adjusted length.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: JAMES E. BOSTICK, MUNISH GOYAL, KIMBERLY G. STARKS, MICHAEL WENDEL