Patents by Inventor Peter Solfrank

Peter Solfrank 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: 8210018
    Abstract: A method of making a compensation shaft (1) out of a drop-forged shaft blank (11) is provided. The compensation shaft includes a shaft section (5) with a base body (16) and a rib (15) with a height H starting from the base body. The method includes separating the forging ridges (14) formed in the die (9, 10) by trimming the forged shaft blank into a shape close to the final contour of the base body at trimming points, with the distance S2 between these trimming points being substantially smaller than the distance S1 between the forging ridges prior to separation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Peter Solfrank, Stefan Hess, Patrick Ullmann, Alexander Kern
  • Publication number: 20120155793
    Abstract: A bearing arrangement for high-speed shafts of machines, such as rotor shafts of turbochargers. The bearing arrangement has a bearing housing that has at least one oil feed line and in the housing at least one bearing is installed. The bearing guides the shaft at least radially. The bearing has a ring with at least one oil bore. The ring forms an annular gap with the bearing housing. The bearing is a single-row rolling contact bearing, in which the shaft is guided directly or via an inner ring, preferably a two-part inner ring, and the ring is an outer ring of the rolling contact bearing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Peter SOLFRANK, Christian SCHAEFER, Christopher MITCHELL, Heiko SCHMIDT, Gerhard GOESS
  • Patent number: 8191527
    Abstract: A compensation shaft for a multi-cylinder engine at least two bearing pegs and at least four unbalanced weight sections, two of the at least four unbalanced weight sections being arranged respectively, around each of the at least two bearing pegs, so that at least two units are formed, these at least two units being connected to each other by a connecting part, wherein two of the unbalanced weight sections are arranged asymmetrically around each of the two bearing pegs, and the connecting part is configured as a flexurally rigid and torsion-proof component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Peter Solfrank, Patrick Ullmann
  • Publication number: 20120125135
    Abstract: An intermediate gear device for a traction drive and/or spur gear drive of an internal combustion engine is provided, having an intermediate gear that has an at least two-track construction with a drive gear and a driven gear, an axle, and a needle bearing by which the intermediate gear is radially mounted on the axle. At least one supporting disk is provided on which the intermediate gear is axially supported, and a duct, that is connectable to the lubricant circuit of the internal combustion engine, to supply lubricant to the needle bearing. The support disk and the axle contact one another at the end faces, the mouth of the lubricant duct that opens toward the needle bearing is formed by one or more recesses on the contact surface of the support disk and/or on the contact surface of the axle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: Schaeffler Technologies GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Andreas Tully, Peter Solfrank, Werner Hofmann
  • Patent number: 8157451
    Abstract: A bearing arrangement of a roller-mounted unbalanced mass shaft. The rollers are in punctiform contact with one of the raceways at a low shaft rotational speed, and in linear contact with both raceways at a high shaft rotational speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Schaeffler KG
    Inventors: Peter Solfrank, Matthias Fick, Alexander Tasche
  • Publication number: 20120045159
    Abstract: A bearing arrangement is provided having a shaft (1) with a bearing journal (2, 3), and a needle bearing (9) which is arranged thereon and has a cage (16) and needle rollers (11) accommodated in the latter. The bearing journal is provided with a hardened and precision-machined inner raceway (10) for the needle rollers and steps back radially in relation to axial shoulders (12, 13) of adjacent shaft sections (4, 5, 6, 7), and the axial shoulders serve as run-on surfaces for the axial end sides (14, 15) of the cage fitted between the axial shoulders.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Stefan Hess, Peter Solfrank, Patrick Ullmann, Alexander Kern
  • Publication number: 20120037109
    Abstract: A mass balancing mechanism is provided for balancing mass forces and/or mass torques of an internal combustion engine. The mass balancing mechanism includes an unbalanced shaft (4) having shaft sections (6, 7) for generating the imbalance, two outer bearing journals (9, 10), and at least one inner bearing journal (5) that connects two of the shaft sections, at which bearing journals the unbalanced shaft is rotatably supported at associated bearing points (2, 1, 3) of the internal combustion engine. The inner bearing journal deflects radially relative to the two shaft sections adjacent thereto and forms a radial plain bearing with the inner bearing point (2). According to the invention, the outer bearing journals should each form a radial roller bearing with the outer bearing points (1, 3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2010
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventor: Peter Solfrank
  • Patent number: 8096278
    Abstract: A compensation shaft for a multi-cylinder engine comprising at least three bearing pegs (1a, 1b, 2b) and unbalanced masses (3a, 3b, 3c) arranged respectively in a region of each bearing peg (1a, 1b, 2), wherein at least one of the bearing pegs (1a; 1b; 2) as mounting element possesses an enhanced mounting lash “s”, so that this bearing peg participates in the mounting of the compensation shaft only after a pre-defined flexion of the compensation shaft has taken place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Schaeffler KG
    Inventor: Peter Solfrank
  • Publication number: 20120008891
    Abstract: A rolling bearing for a turbocharger, which has an outer ring with a first rolling element raceway, an inner ring with a second rolling element raceway, and several rolling elements accommodated in rolling element pockets of a rolling element cage. The rolling element cage has a guide surface, which is guided on an inner surface of the outer ring and arranged on a smaller radius than the radius of the first rolling element raceway. The rolling element cage has an extension, which is arranged over the circumference of the rolling element cage and extended annularly in the radial direction, on the side opposite the guide surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2010
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Christopher Mitchell, Christian Schaefer, Heiko Schmidt, Peter Solfrank
  • Patent number: 8051824
    Abstract: A shaft (1a-d) is provided that is rotatably mounted by a journal (2) in a housing (4) in which lubricant mist is provided. One or several outward-extending ribs (6) extend between the journal and shaft sections (5a, 5b) adjacent to the journal. The shaft is mounted by the journal in the housing using a rolling bearing (3) that is lubricated exclusively by the lubricant mist. At least one of the ribs associated with the journal extends at a certain angle of attack (11, 12) to the axis of rotation of the shaft and is used as a blade for conveying the lubricant mist into the rolling bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Arndt Ihlemann, Peter Solfrank, Lisa Dombos
  • Publication number: 20110135230
    Abstract: A radial roller bearing, which has an outer bearing ring and a multiplicity of cylindrical roller bodies which roll on the inner lateral surface of the outer bearing ring and the outer lateral surface of an inner bearing ring or a shaft. The roller bodies are held at uniform intervals by a bearing cage with inwardly directed radial rims for axial guidance. Lubricating openings, which lead from the outside into the bearing interior, supply lubricant, and are arranged on the outer or inner bearing ring axially at both sides. The lubricating openings are cutouts which are formed into one or both axial sides of the bearing rings, outside a load zone of the bearing rings, which extend into the outer or inner raceway of the roller bodies and in which the roller bodies are arranged so as to be partially freely accessible for receiving oil form the bearing surroundings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Peter SOLFRANK, Joachim SEITZ, Patrick ULLMANN
  • Publication number: 20110083632
    Abstract: A mass balancing mechanism and a method of assembly of the same is provided. The mass balancing mechanism serves to compensate mass forces and/or mass moments of inertia of an internal combustion engine and includes two compensation shafts (1, 2) rotating in opposite directions and further includes a traction drive which connects a driven pinion (5) of the crankshaft (3) of the internal combustion engine to drive pinions (6, 7) of the compensation shafts through a chain (4) or a toothed belt. Rotation of the compensation shafts in opposite directions is achieved through a spur gearing (8) with two meshing spur gears (9, 10) arranged between one of the drive pinions and the associated compensation shaft (1), one of the spur gears being connected rotationally fast to the one drive pinion and the other of the spur gears being connected rotationally fast to the associated compensation shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2010
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Peter Solfrank, Tobias Mederer, Alexander Tasche
  • Publication number: 20110030444
    Abstract: A method of making a compensation shaft (1) out of a drop-forged shaft blank (11) is provided. The compensation shaft includes a shaft section (5) with a base body (16) and a rib (15) with a height H starting from the base body. The method includes separating the forging ridges (14) formed in the die (9, 10) by trimming the forged shaft blank into a shape close to the final contour of the base body at trimming points, with the distance S2 between these trimming points being substantially smaller than the distance S1 between the forging ridges prior to separation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2010
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Peter Solfrank, Stefan Hess, Patrick Ullmann, Alexander Kern
  • Publication number: 20110023809
    Abstract: An unbalanced shaft (1a, 1b, 1c), particularly for compensating mass forces and/or mass moments of inertia of an internal combustion engine (2) is provided. The shaft includes a shaft section (10, 11, 12) and a bearing journal (13a, 13b, 13c) axially adjacent to the shaft section, the bearing journal includes a fully cylindrical outer peripheral surface (18) serving as an inner raceway for the rolling elements (16) of a rolling bearing (14) and the bearing journal has a multi-piece configuration, so that both the shaft section and the bearing journal possess a mass center of gravity that, for producing the shaft unbalance, extends eccentric to the axis of rotation (19) of the unbalanced shaft. For supplying lubricant to the inner raceway and the rolling elements, an oil channel (20a, 20b, 20c) extends radially outwards through the bearing journal and opens, relative to the mass center of gravity of the bearing journal, on the other side, situated beyond the axis of rotation, on the outer peripheral surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventor: Peter Solfrank
  • Publication number: 20100290728
    Abstract: An antifriction bearing for a turbocharger, which has an outer ring with an annular inner face and an inner ring with an outer face which is parallel to the inner face, and a rolling body cage with a single annular part arranged radially between the outer and inner ring with one cage guiding face which is parallel to the inner face of the outer ring and an inner surface which is parallel to the outer face of the inner ring, and with closed rolling body pockets which are distributed over the circumference and rolling bodies received in the pockets. To provide hydraulic damping and reduced friction, the annular part is provided in the region of the cage guiding face with at least one radial recess outside the rolling body pockets, which can be formed by apertures, cutouts or grooves in the cage guiding face.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2010
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Peter SOLFRANK, Christian SCHAEFER, Christopher MITCHELL, Heiko SCHMIDT
  • Patent number: 7647910
    Abstract: A compensating shaft (1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) for compensating mass forces and/or mass moments of a reciprocating piston internal combustion engine (13) is provided, with at least one bearing journal (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d), on whose outer casing surface (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d) the compensating shaft is supported in the radial direction in a housing support (10) of the reciprocating piston internal combustion engine, and with at least one unbalanced section (4) bordering the bearing journal in the axial direction. The outer casing surface of the bearing journal is formed on the side of the unbalanced section facing away from the unbalanced direction by a cylindrical section (5) of the bearing journal and by one or more axial projections (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d), wherein these axial projections extend like a collar from the cylindrical section while forming a radial undercut (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Schaeffler KG
    Inventor: Peter Solfrank
  • Publication number: 20090308344
    Abstract: A shaft (1a-d) is provided that is rotatably mounted by a journal (2) in a housing (4) in which lubricant mist is provided. One or several outward-extending ribs (6) extend between the journal and shaft sections (5a, 5b) adjacent to the journal. The shaft is mounted by the journal in the housing a rolling bearing (3) that is lubricated exclusively by the lubricant mist. At least one of the ribs associated with the journal extends at a certain angle of attack (11, 12) to the axis of rotation of the shaft and is used as a blade for conveying the lubricant mist into the rolling bearing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2007
    Publication date: December 17, 2009
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER KG
    Inventors: Arndt Ihlemann, Peter Solfrank, Lisa Dombos
  • Patent number: 7628133
    Abstract: A radial bearing (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d), especially a roller bearing (9) comprising an outer part (3) opposite an inner part (6), which rotate relative to each other about a common longitudinal axis (5) is provided, wherein the radial bearing (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) includes a bearing seat (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d), which is formed in the outer part (3) or on the inner part (6) and which is generally stationary relative to a radial load (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d) acting on the bearing seat (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) in a load zone (12a, 12b, 12c, 12d). The bearing seat (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) features a variable width over its extent in a direction of the longitudinal axis (5), such that, starting from the load zone (12a, 12b, 12c, 12d), the bearing seat (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) is significantly narrowed outside of the load zone (12a, 12b, 12c, 12d).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Schaeffler KG
    Inventors: Siegfried Tisch, Peter Solfrank
  • Publication number: 20090297085
    Abstract: A bearing arrangement of a roller-mounted unbalanced mass shaft. The rollers are in punctiform contact with one of the raceways at a low shaft rotational speed and in linear contact with both raceways at a high shaft rotational speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER KG
    Inventors: Peter SOLFRANK, Matthias FICK, Alexander TASCHE
  • Publication number: 20090279822
    Abstract: Axial thrust washers are provided in the axial contact region of the bearing raceway of an unbalance shaft. The axial thrust washers do not extend beyond 360° in the circumferential direction, but extend only over a little more than the unbalance masses which extend in this region. The end sections of the axial thrust washers are bent over so that they are supported on the prominent unbalance masses, and form a funnel-like entry region for the rolling elements or for a cage of the rolling bearing which houses the rolling elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Publication date: November 12, 2009
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER KG
    Inventor: Peter SOLFRANK