Patents by Inventor Rüdiger Lotze

Rüdiger Lotze 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: 8534440
    Abstract: A clutch arrangement includes a housing filled with fluid, a first friction surface formation rotatable with the housing around an axis of rotation, a second friction surface formation rotatable with a driven element around the axis of rotation, a pressing element rotatable with the housing around the axis of rotation and which divides an interior space of the housing into a first spatial area and a second spatial area. Depending on fluid pressure in the first and fluid pressure in the second spatial areas, the pressing element is movable with respect to the housing for producing and canceling a frictional engagement between the and the second friction surface formations. A fluid supply system for the first spatial area and/or the second spatial area includes at least a first fluid flow path. The fluid can be supplied to the associated spatial area via at least one fluid flow path and fluid can be removed from the associated spatial area via at least one fluid flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jörg Sudau, Rüdiger Lotze, Arthur Schröder, Angelika Ebert, Michael Kneuer, Gregor Sueck
  • Publication number: 20130205944
    Abstract: A torque transmission assembly, particularly a hydrodynamic torque converter, a fluid coupling or a wet clutch, includes a housing arrangement that includes a torsional vibration damper arrangement having an input region which is coupled to or can be coupled to the housing arrangement and an output region to be coupled to a driven member. The torque transmission assembly also includes at least one mass damper arrangement having a damper mass arrangement which is coupled to the torque transmission assembly by a mass damper elastic arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jörg Sudau, Armin Stürmer, Rüdiger Lotze, Thomas Krüger, Christoph Drott
  • Patent number: 8205734
    Abstract: A friction disk for a wet-running clutch for a motor vehicle includes a lining carrier ring, provided with connecting areas for connecting the friction disk to a drive side or to a takeoff side of a clutch, and a plurality of friction lining elements, carried on at least one side of the lining carrier ring, fluid flow channels are provided between the friction lining elements which are directly adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction, wherein at least some of the fluid flow channels have different channel widths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jörg Sudau, Rüdiger Lotze, Arthur Schröder, Gregor Sueck
  • Patent number: 8113330
    Abstract: A friction disk for a wet-running clutch for a motor vehicle includes a lining carrier ring, provided with connecting areas for connecting the friction disk to a drive side or to a takeoff side of a clutch, and a plurality of friction lining elements, carried on at least one side of the lining carrier ring, Fluid flow channels are provided between the friction lining elements which are directly adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction, wherein at least some of the fluid flow channels have different channel widths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jörg Sudau, Rüdiger Lotze, Arthur Schröder, Gregor Sueck
  • Publication number: 20110259702
    Abstract: A clutch arrangement includes a housing filled with fluid, a first friction surface formation rotatable with the housing around an axis of rotation, a second friction surface formation rotatable with a driven element around the axis of rotation, a pressing element rotatable with the housing around the axis of rotation and which divides an interior space of the housing into a first spatial area and a second spatial area. Depending on fluid pressure in the first and fluid pressure in the second spatial areas, the pressing element is movable with respect to the housing for producing and canceling a frictional engagement between the and the second friction surface formations. A fluid supply system for the first spatial area and/or the second spatial area includes at least a first fluid flow path. The fluid can be supplied to the associated spatial area via at least one fluid flow path and fluid can be removed from the associated spatial area via at least one fluid flow path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jörg Sudau, Rüdiger Lotze, Arthur Schröder, Angelika Ebert, Michael Kneuer, Gregor Sueck
  • Publication number: 20110114438
    Abstract: A friction disk for a wet-running clutch for a motor vehicle includes a lining carrier ring, provided with connecting areas for connecting the friction disk to a drive side or to a takeoff side of a clutch, and a plurality of friction lining elements, carried on at least one side of the lining carrier ring, fluid flow channels are provided between the friction lining elements which are directly adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction, wherein at least some of the fluid flow channels have different channel widths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2011
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jörg SUDAU, Rüdiger LOTZE, Arthur SCHRÕDER, Gregor SUECK