Patents by Inventor Rainer Souschek

Rainer Souschek 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: 20240326643
    Abstract: A system for supplying a delivery vehicle with electric energy is described, which comprises an electrically drivable delivery vehicle for making a plurality of successive delivery journeys, in each case for transporting consignments on a respective delivery route from a starting point of the delivery route to recipients of the consignments, a supply vehicle for delivering replaceable battery modules to meeting points with the delivery vehicle, and a control device, which is designed to ascertain a likely energy requirement of the delivery vehicle for a subsequent delivery journey of the plurality of successive delivery journeys, taking into account a subsequent delivery route and a likely total weight of the delivery vehicle after loading consignments to be delivered on the subsequent delivery route at the starting point of the subsequent delivery route, and to prompt the supply vehicle to deliver a set of replaceable battery modules to a subsequent meeting point, which is the starting point of the subsequen
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2024
    Publication date: October 3, 2024
    Inventors: Bas van den Heuvel, Rob Stalman, Mark Gijbels, Martin Kapp, Rainer Souschek
  • Publication number: 20240190671
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of reloading consignments, in the case of which consignments are transported between at least one logistics center and at least one end customer by means of at least one large vehicle and at least one small vehicle, which may be at least two-axle road vehicles, wherein the small vehicle is electrically operated and has a smaller track width and a lower load capacity than the large vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2023
    Publication date: June 13, 2024
    Inventors: Bas van den Heuvel, Rob Stalman, Mark Gijbels, Rainer Souschek, Martin Kapp, Pieter Diepenmaat, Wouter van der Hoog
  • Publication number: 20240190327
    Abstract: The invention relates to a logistics system having a large vehicle, a small vehicle and a container. According to the invention, in order to allow containers to be used on different vehicles in an improved manner, the container can be received, with a long side oriented along a transverse direction of the large vehicle, on said large vehicle and, interacting with same via a first movement arrangement, can be moved along a longitudinal direction of the large vehicle, said container can furthermore be received, with the long side oriented along a longitudinal direction of the small vehicle, on said small vehicle and, interacting with same via a second movement arrangement, can be moved along the longitudinal direction of the small vehicle, and said container has multiple legs which, in order for the container to be received on a vehicle, are adjustable from a deployed position into a retracted position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2023
    Publication date: June 13, 2024
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Bas van den Heuvel, Rob Stalman, Mark Gijbels, Rainer Souschek, Martin Kapp, Pieter Diepenmaat, Wouter van der Hoog
  • Publication number: 20240190524
    Abstract: The invention relates to a railing arrangement for a loading platform of a utility vehicle, which railing arrangement, in a state of use, extends distally away from a loading opening of the utility vehicle in a longitudinal direction, having two railing units, the proximal ends of which are fastenable to both sides of the loading opening in a transverse direction and the distal ends of which are fastenable in the region of a distal end edge of the loading platform, such that at least one railing unit is inclined toward the transverse direction in relation to the longitudinal direction and the two railing units define a walkable area that becomes narrower, in the transverse direction, toward the distal end edge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2023
    Publication date: June 13, 2024
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Bas van den Heuvel, Rob Stalman, Mark Gijbels, Rainer Souschek, Martin Kapp, Pieter Diepenmaat, Wouter van der Hoog
  • Patent number: 11801741
    Abstract: An assembly includes a vehicle frame having a middle section, a front-section vehicle-forward of the middle section, and a rear section vehicle-rearward of the middle section. The middle section has frame rails spaced from each other and cross-beams extending from one frame rail toward the other frame rail. The frame rails each having a vehicle-forward end and a vehicle-rearward end. The assembly includes one or more electric-vehicle batteries. At least one of the batteries is in one of the cross-beams. The assembly includes two front nodes between and directly connected to the middle section and the front section and two rear nodes between and directly connected to the middle section and the rear section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Zandbergen, Rainer Souschek
  • Publication number: 20230062143
    Abstract: An assembly includes a vehicle frame having a middle section, a front-section vehicle-forward of the middle section, and a rear section vehicle-rearward of the middle section. The middle section has frame rails spaced from each other and cross-beams extending from one frame rail toward the other frame rail. The frame rails each having a vehicle-forward end and a vehicle-rearward end. The assembly includes one or more electric-vehicle batteries. At least one of the batteries is in one of the cross-beams. The assembly includes two front nodes between and directly connected to the middle section and the front section and two rear nodes between and directly connected to the middle section and the rear section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2021
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Zandbergen, Rainer Souschek
  • Patent number: 11370259
    Abstract: A bearing eye for a leaf spring for sprung support of a vehicle component on a vehicle body of a vehicle may include a through opening and a torsion spring therein, and a first catch. The bearing eye may provide pivotable mounting of the leaf spring on the vehicle body. The torsion spring is twistable relative to the bearing eye and connectable non-rotatably to the vehicle body. The first catch may project radially inwardly into the through opening, and the torsion spring has a second catch that projects radially outwardly into the through opening. The first and second catches may form a locking engagement which, depending on a degree of relative twisting between the bearing eye and the torsion spring, stops the relative twisting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jacopo Palandri, Rainer Souschek, Ralf Hintzen, Alberto Girelli Consolaro, Friedrich Peter Wolf-Monheim, Bjoern Reff, Thomas Gerhards, Paul Zandbergen
  • Publication number: 20210155064
    Abstract: A bearing eye for a leaf spring for sprung support of a vehicle component on a vehicle body of a vehicle may include a through opening and a torsion spring therein, and a first catch. The bearing eye may provide pivotable mounting of the leaf spring on the vehicle body. The torsion spring is twistable relative to the bearing eye and connectable non-rotatably to the vehicle body. The first catch may project radially inwardly into the through opening, and the torsion spring has a second catch that projects radially outwardly into the through opening. The first and second catches may form a locking engagement which, depending on a degree of relative twisting between the bearing eye and the torsion spring, stops the relative twisting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2020
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Inventors: Jacopo Palandri, Rainer Souschek, Ralf Hintzen, Alberto Girelli Consolaro, Friedrich Peter Wolf-Monheim, Bjoern Reff, Thomas Gerhards, Paul Zandbergen
  • Patent number: 11007835
    Abstract: The disclosure concerns a spring assembly with a leaf spring. The leaf spring extends in a vehicle longitudinal axis, supports a vehicle axle and is connected at least indirectly to a vehicle superstructure at a front end and at a rear end. In order to provide a wheel suspension with advantageous springing and damping behavior that is optimized with regard to weight and complexity, according to the disclosure it is provided that at least one damping region, which is at least partially fluid-filled, is integrated in the leaf spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ralf Hintzen, Daniel Mainz, Rainer Souschek, Thomas Gerhards, Paul Zandbergen, Alberto Girelli Consolaro, Friedrich Peter Wolf-Monheim
  • Patent number: 11001113
    Abstract: An axle suspension for a vehicle includes a spring assembly with a leaf spring and a connecting arm, wherein the leaf spring supports a vehicle axle and, on an end side, is pivotably connected to a vehicle structure and pivotably connected to the connecting arm. In order to provide an optimized axle suspension with two-stage suspension, the spring assembly in a region of the connecting arm has a first stop element and the vehicle structure has a second stop element, which stop elements under normal load of the vehicle are spaced apart from one another and, when a limit load is exceeded, contact one another, whereby at least one stop element is elastically deformable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Marc Simon, Thomas Gerhards, Ralf Hintzen, Rainer Souschek, Nicole Zandbergen
  • Patent number: 10981424
    Abstract: There is provided a control arm comprising a shell-like shell of a first material and a reinforcement of a plastic material, wherein the reinforcement has a flex-element which protrudes therefrom and which can be supported or guided by means of a vehicle structure in order in the event of jounce and/or rebound of the suspension to produce a resilient action equivalent to a conventional spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Mainz, Friedrich Wolf-Monheim, Rainer Souschek
  • Patent number: 10974559
    Abstract: A wheel suspension link including a structure connection location for connecting the link to a vehicle structure and a wheel carrier connection location connecting the link to a wheel carrier. The structure connection location and wheel carrier connection location arranged on a link member extending along a link plane. The link member including a base member formed in a materially integral manner from a discontinuously reinforced plastic material. The link member including a reinforcement, containing continuous fibers, connected to the reinforced plastic material. In one embodiment, the reinforcement limited with respect to the link plane to a first region of the link member while the base member extends into a second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Mainz, Rainer Souschek, Pascal Brandt
  • Patent number: 10933707
    Abstract: A leaf spring assembly resiliently supporting a wheel carrier on a vehicle body of a motor vehicle. The leaf spring assembly including first and second spring leaves and a clamp having a clamping part exerting a clamping force whereby the first and second spring leaves are held together by the clamp. A bridging part arranged between the first spring leaf and the clamping part transmits at least part of the clamping force from the clamping part to the first spring leaf bridging the second spring leaf and reducing the clamping force exerted thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Gerhards, Alberto Girelli Consolaro, Ralf Hintzen, Daniel Mainz, Rainer Souschek, Friedrich Peter Wolf-Monheim, Nicole Zandbergen
  • Patent number: 10894455
    Abstract: A motor vehicle rear suspension includes left and right trailing links mounted, at respective forward ends thereof, to a vehicle body for pivoting movement about a transversely-extending axis. The trailing links extend rearward from the axis, and each has a wheel carrier attached thereto adjacent a rear end thereof. Left and right leaf springs are fixed, at respective forward ends thereof, to the vehicle body and extend rearward therefrom alongside and generally parallel with their respective trailing links. Rear ends of the leaf springs contact their respective trailing links and applying spring-force thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Gerhards, Ralf Hintzen, Daniel Mainz, Rainer Souschek, Friedrich Peter Wolf-Monheim, Paul Zandbergen
  • Patent number: 10864791
    Abstract: A suspension for a wheeled vehicle include an axle with a mid-section and an end comprising an upper portion and a lower portion defining a space therebetween, a leaf spring having forward and rear ends attached to vehicle structure and a mid-section retained in the space and secured between the upper and lower portions, and a closure element attached to the axle end and at least partially closing an outboard end of the space. The upper and lower axle portions may be formed integrally with the axle mid-section or may be a separately-formed component secured to the axle. The space tapers from a greater vertical dimension at the outboard end thereof to a smaller vertical dimension at an inboard end thereof, and the leaf spring mid-section is wedged into the space. An intermediate element is disposed between the mid-section and at least one of the upper and lower axle portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Gerhards, Alberto Girelli Consolaro, Ralf Hintzen, Daniel Mainz, Rainer Souschek
  • Patent number: 10807426
    Abstract: The invention relates to a multi-link rear suspension for a motor vehicle, having at least one transverse leaf spring arranged on the motor vehicle to extend in the transverse vehicle direction and having ends which operatively act on left and right wheel carriers to cushion a vehicle structure of the motor vehicle with respect to the wheel-carriers. The transverse leaf spring also serves as a stabilizer, thereby replacing dedicated stabilizer. In order to provide a multi-link rear suspension which is optimized in terms of structural space and which is lightweight, the multi-link rear has exclusively transverse links for guiding the wheel-carriers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alberto Girelli Consolaro, Paul Zandbergen, Daniel Mainz, Friedrich Peter Wolf-Monheim, Thomas Gerhards, Ralf Hintzen, Rainer Souschek, Brian Chen
  • Patent number: 10744835
    Abstract: A suspension for a wheeled vehicle includes a leaf spring extending longitudinally relative to the vehicle and having first and second lugs protruding downward therefrom. The lugs are spaced from one another a length of the leaf spring to define a pocket therebetween. An axle passes perpendicularly beneath the leaf spring such that a portion of the axle is disposed in the pocket and is clamped between the lugs. The lugs may be fabricated integrally with the leaf spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ralf Hintzen, Paul Zandbergen, Thomas Gerhards, Rainer Souschek, Daniel Mainz, Friedrich Wolf-Monheim, Alberto Girelli Consolaro
  • Patent number: 10589588
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a transverse link for a wheel suspension of a vehicle that includes at least one wheel-side attachment structure and at least one structure-side attachment structure. The wheel-side and structure-side structures are connected to each other by a connection structure which extends therebetween. The connection structure and/or at least one of the attachment structures is/are produced by a generative production method. At least one of the attachment structures is constructed as a generatively produced bushing which has an inner sleeve and an outer sleeve surrounding the inner sleeve. The sleeves are connected to each other by a fold-like structure. The present disclosure further provides a method for producing such a transverse link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rainer Souschek, Raphael Koch, Daniel Mainz, Theo Kueppers
  • Patent number: 10479258
    Abstract: A motor vehicle having an auxiliary stowage compartment for transporting a compact scooter. The motor vehicle having an engine compartment, a passenger compartment, a luggage compartment in addition to the auxiliary stowage compartment. The auxiliary stowage compartment is accessible from the outside of the motor vehicle, and is opened and closed by a cover that is part of the outer skin of the vehicle wherein the additional stowage compartment is configured to receive a compact scooter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: FORD MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Rainer Souschek, Guenter Hans Grosch, Thomas Gerhards, Tobias Ricke, Alexandra Gatzweiler, Philipp Wolf
  • Patent number: 10406879
    Abstract: A wheel suspension unit for a motor vehicle having a longitudinal link, having a first end for pivotable vehicle-side connection, a second end for connection to a wheel carrier, and a blade-like link portion resilient in the direction of the transverse axis (Y) and rigid transversely relative thereto. The wheel suspension reduces the number of components by providing a longitudinal link having a resilient portion resilient toward the longitudinal axis (X), wherein the longitudinal link is at least partially produced from a fiber-reinforced plastics material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Nicole Zandbergen, Rainer Souschek, Thomas Gerhards, Ralf Hintzen, Daniel Mainz, Paul Zandbergen, Alberto Girelli Consolaro, Friedrich Peter Wolf-Monheim