Patents by Inventor Rainer Reuthal
Rainer Reuthal 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).
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Patent number: 7287443Abstract: A motor vehicle includes a drive train having a drive unit, a gearbox having a first gearbox input shaft and a second gearbox input shaft, and a clutch having a first clutch device which is associated with the first gearbox input shaft, and a second clutch device which is associated with the second gearbox input shaft, for transferring torque between the drive unit and the gearbox. The first and second clutch devices are plate clutches to which an operating fluid, such as a cooling oil, is supplied to operate the same. The gearbox is associated with an actuator device and a control device for controlling the actuator device, the arrangement of which enables the gears associated with the first and second gearbox input shafts to be engaged and disengaged. The control device is designed such that at least one gear is automatically engaged by the actuator device, as a result of the clutch release of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2005Date of Patent: October 30, 2007Assignee: Volkswagen AGInventors: Jochen Kuhstrebe, Olaf Moseler, Axel Rohm, Eduard Steiner, Rainer Reuthal, Hans-Jürgen Schneider, Wolfgang Kundermann, Jörg Sudau, Thomas John, Thomas Strasser
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Patent number: 7207922Abstract: A power train for a motor vehicle is configured with a control unit operable to increase or decrease the flow of operating fluid as a function of the instantaneous demand for the supply of the operating fluid to at least one of multiple clutch arrangements in such a way that the control unit decreases or interrupts the flow of operating fluid when the supply demand is low and increases the flow of operating fluid unit when the supply demand is high.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2005Date of Patent: April 24, 2007Assignee: Volkswagen AGInventors: Jochen Kuhstrebe, Olaf Moseler, Axel Rohm, Eduard Steiner, Rainer Reuthal, Hans-Jürgen Schneider, Wolfgang Kundermann, Jörg Sudau, Thomas John, Thomas Strasser
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Patent number: 7107870Abstract: A motor vehicle includes a drive train having a drive unit, a gearbox having a first gearbox input shaft and a second gearbox input shaft, and a clutch having a first clutch device which is associated with the first gearbox input shaft, and a second clutch device which is associated with the second gearbox input shaft, for transferring torque between the drive unit and the gearbox. The first and second clutch devices are plate clutches to which an operating fluid, such as a cooling oil, is supplied to operate the same. The gearbox is associated with an actuator device and a control device for controlling the actuator device, the arrangement of which enables the gears associated with the first and second gearbox input shafts to be engaged and disengaged. The control device is designed such that at least one gear is automatically engaged by the actuator device, as a result of the clutch release of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2005Date of Patent: September 19, 2006Assignee: ZF Sachs AGInventors: Jochen Kuhstrebe, Olaf Moseler, Axel Rohm, Eduard Steiner, Rainer Reuthal, Hans-Jürgen Schneider, Wolfgang Kundermann, Jörg Sudau, Thomas John, Thomas Strasser
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Publication number: 20060037422Abstract: A motor vehicle includes a drive train having a drive unit, a gearbox having a first gearbox input shaft and a second gearbox input shaft, and a clutch having a first clutch device which is associated with the first gearbox input shaft, and a second clutch device which is associated with the second gearbox input shaft, for transferring torque between the drive unit and the gearbox. The first and second clutch devices are plate clutches to which an operating fluid, such as a cooling oil, is supplied to operate the same. The gearbox is associated with an actuator device and a control device for controlling the actuator device, the arrangement of which enables the gears associated with the first and second gearbox input shafts to be engaged and disengaged. The control device is designed such that at least one gear is automatically engaged by the actuator device, as a result of the clutch release of the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 1, 2005Publication date: February 23, 2006Inventors: Jochen Kuhstrebe, Olaf Moseler, Axel Rohm, Eduard Steiner, Rainer Reuthal, Hans-Jurgen Schneider, Wolfgang Kundermann, Jorg Sudau, Thomas John, Thomas Strasser
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Publication number: 20050288149Abstract: A motor vehicle includes a drive train having a drive unit, a gearbox having a first gearbox input shaft and a second gearbox input shaft, and a clutch having a first clutch device which is associated with the first gearbox input shaft, and a second clutch device which is associated with the second gearbox input shaft, for transferring torque between the drive unit and the gearbox. The first and second clutch devices are plate clutches to which an operating fluid, such as a cooling oil, is supplied to operate the same. The gearbox is associated with an actuator device and a control device for controlling the actuator device, the arrangement of which enables the gears associated with the first and second gearbox input shafts to be engaged and disengaged. The control device is designed such that at least one gear is automatically engaged by the actuator device, as a result of the clutch release of the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 1, 2005Publication date: December 29, 2005Inventors: Jochen Kuhstrebe, Olaf Moseler, Axel Rohm, Eduard Steiner, Rainer Reuthal, Hans-jurgen Schneider, Wolfgang Kundermann, Jorg Sudau, Thomas John, Thomas Strasser
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Publication number: 20050261108Abstract: A power train for a motor vehicle is configured with a control unit operable to increase or decrease the flow of operating fluid as a function of the instantaneous demand for the supply of the operating fluid to at least one of multiple clutch arrangements in such a way that the control unit decreases or interrupts the flow of operating fluid when the supply demand is low and increases the flow of operating fluid unit when the supply demand is high.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 1, 2005Publication date: November 24, 2005Inventors: Jochen Kuhstrebe, Olaf Moseler, Axel Rohm, Eduard Steiner, Rainer Reuthal, Hans-Jurgen Schneider, Wolfgang Kundermann, Jorg Sudau, Thomas John, Thomas Strasser
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Patent number: 6951526Abstract: A power train for a motor vehicle includes a drive unit, a gearbox having first and second input shafts, and a clutch having first and second multi-disk clutch arrangements assigned to respective input shafts for transferring torque between the drive unit and the gearbox. An operating fluid, especially a cooling oil, is supplied to the clutch arrangements for operation under action of the fluid. An actuator arrangement is assigned to the gearbox for engaging and disengaging gears assigned to the first and second input shafts, and a control unit controls the actuator arrangement so that at least one gear is automatically engaged when the clutch is released.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2001Date of Patent: October 4, 2005Assignee: ZF Sachs AGInventors: Jochen Kuhstrebe, Olaf Moseler, Axel Rohm, Eduard Steiner, Rainer Reuthal, Hans-Jürgen Schneider, Wolfgang Kundermann, Jörg Sudau, John Thomas, Thomas Strasser
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Patent number: 6881171Abstract: In either a pull-mode operating state or a push-mode operating state, a clutch arrangement assigned to the first gearbox input shaft and a clutch arrangement assigned to the second gearbox input shaft are actuated in such a way and a torque-generating arrangement comprising a drive unit is controlled in such a way that, when a shift is to be made between a first gear assigned to a first gearbox input shaft and a second gear assigned to a second gearbox input shaft, at least one of the following criteria with respect to the shifting sequence comprising the shift in question is fulfilled: (1) during the shifting sequence, the torque present at the gearbox output shaft is at least approximately constant or changes monotonically; (2) during the shifting sequence, the vehicle accelerates in an essentially monotonically increasing or in an essentially monotonically decreasing manner.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2001Date of Patent: April 19, 2005Assignee: ZF Sachs AGInventors: Jochen Kuhstrebe, Thomas John, Rainer Reuthal, Thomas Strasser
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Publication number: 20040112171Abstract: The invention relates to measures for controlling or reducing drag torque occurring in a multi-plate clutch device (202) due to temperature-related increased viscosity of an operating fluid which is supplied to the plates in operation. The aim of the invention is to enable a motor vehicle to be started or operated even at low temperatures. According to one aspect of the invention, a motor vehicle comprising a drive train is especially provided. Said drive train comprises a drive unit (238), gearbox (330) having a first gearbox input shaft and a second gearbox input shaft, and a clutch (202) having a first clutch device which is associated with the first gearbox input shaft, and a second clutch device which is associated with the second gearbox input shaft, for transferring torque between the drive unit and the gearbox. Said clutch devices are embodied in the form of plate clutches to which an operating fluid can be supplied, especially a cooling oil in order to operate the same.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 14, 2003Publication date: June 17, 2004Inventors: Jochen Kuhstrebe, Olaf Moseler, Axel Rohm, Eduard Steiner, Rainer Reuthal, Hans-J?uuml;rgen Schneider, Wolfgang Kundermann, J?ouml;rg Sudau, John Thomas, Thomas Sulzheim
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Publication number: 20040038776Abstract: In either a pull-mode operating state or a push-mode operating state, a clutch arrangement assigned to the first gearbox input shaft and a clutch arrangement assigned to the second gearbox input shaft are actuated in such a way and a torque-generating arrangement comprising a drive unit is controlled in such a way that, when a shift is to be made between a first gear assigned to a first gearbox input shaft and a second gear assigned to a second gearbox input shaft, at least one of the following criteria with respect to the shifting sequence comprising the shift in question is fulfilled:Type: ApplicationFiled: July 14, 2003Publication date: February 26, 2004Inventors: Jochen Kuhstrebe, Thomas John, Rainer Reuthal, Thomas Strasser
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Patent number: 6575873Abstract: A method for driving a drive assembly in a drive system having an automatic transmission and an automatic clutch optionally coupling the drive assembly to the automatic transmission in order to transmit torque includes the following steps. Sensing whether a procedure, in particular a gearshift operation, is to be conducted. After the procedure has been sensed, predefining, for at least one time segment of the procedure which is to be carried out a prediction profile for an operational variable that characterizes the operating state of the drive assembly. And, driving the drive assembly based on the predefined prediction profile of the operational variable to minimize a deviation between the operational variable and the prediction profile.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2001Date of Patent: June 10, 2003Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventors: Ingo Carl, Friedrich Graf, Florian Gutknecht Stoehr, Gregor Probst, Rainer Reuthal, Hans-Juergen Schneider
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Publication number: 20020037790Abstract: A method for driving a drive assembly in a drive system having an automatic transmission and an automatic clutch optionally coupling the drive assembly to the automatic transmission in order to transmit torque includes the following steps. Sensing whether a procedure, in particular a gearshift operation, is to be conducted. After the procedure has been sensed, predefining, for at least one time segment of the procedure which is to be carried out a prediction profile for an operational variable that characterizes the operating state of the drive assembly. And, driving the drive assembly based on the predefined prediction profile of the operational variable to minimize a deviation between the operational variable and the prediction profile.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 20, 2001Publication date: March 28, 2002Inventors: Ingo Carl, Friedrich Graf, Florian Gutknecht Stoehr, Gregor Probst, Rainer Reuthal, Hans-Juergen Schneider
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Patent number: 6095943Abstract: An arrangement for operating an automated friction clutch in a mechanical drive train of a motor vehicle driven by an internal combustion engine. A clutch operator actuator, by means of which a clutch operator of the clutch can be adjusted between at least one engaged position, in which the clutch is engaged at least partly for transmitting a torque, and a de-clutched position in which the clutch is completely de-clutched. An electronic control device controlling the clutch operator actuator. The electronic control device responds to a clutching requirement signaling device, which can be operated by an operator, and is designed for the purpose of supplying an engaging control signal which changes the position of the clutch operator from the de-clutched position to the engaged position to the clutch operator actuator in response to a clutching requirement signaled with the engine switched off and the clutch de-clutched.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 1999Date of Patent: August 1, 2000Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AGInventor: Rainer Reuthal
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Patent number: 5944159Abstract: Hydraulic actuating drive for a clutch, including a control unit, a hydraulic pump which can be driven by a drive and which feeds a pressure accumulator, and an actuating cylinder which is connected via a control valve with the pressure accumulator. The drive of the hydraulic pump is provided with a sensor for detecting the power consumption by the drive, and signals are sent to the control unit so that the hydraulic pump is controllable depending on the power consumption of the drive.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 1997Date of Patent: August 31, 1999Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AGInventors: Hans-Jurgen Schneider, Robert Seufert, Rainer Reuthal
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Patent number: 5847272Abstract: To be able to verify the function of the actuator system of an automatic clutch or of an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle as a function of the current conditions, including while the motor vehicle is in motion is necessary, the invention teaches that a test circuit actuates the actuator system, starting from a first specified operating position of the clutch or of the transmission to a second specified operating position of the clutch or of the transmission, into an actuator test position in which the clutch or the transmission is still essentially in its first operating position. The test circuit, in the actuator test position, tests the functional capability as a function of data stored in a data memory, which stored data are compared to data measured in the actuator test position of a changing operating parameter.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 1997Date of Patent: December 8, 1998Assignee: Fichtel & Sachs AGInventors: Hans-Jurgen Schneider, Rainer Reuthal, Ingo Carl