Patents by Inventor Ralf Hintzen

Ralf Hintzen 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: 11686366
    Abstract: A shock absorber for a wheel suspension of a vehicle may include an outer cylinder, an outer piston that is axially displaceably guided in the outer cylinder, an inner piston that is axially displaceably guided in the outer piston, and a piston rod that is connected to the inner piston and that is guided out of the outer piston. A surface, which is located remote from the piston rod, of a piston portion of the outer piston, which is axially displaceably guided on an inner lateral surface of the outer cylinder, is connected so as to communicate partially with surroundings of the shock absorber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Marc Simon, Felix Fischer, Teiwen Fehse, Olivier Reinertz, Katharina Schmitz, Ralf Hintzen, Achim Lordick
  • Patent number: 11440588
    Abstract: A chassis for an electrically powered vehicle, including a front wheel suspension and a rear wheel suspension, each having longitudinal control arms arranged on both sides and a torsion spring actively connected to the longitudinal control arms. The chassis includes a battery housing receiving a propulsion battery. A front transverse carrier extends between the respective longitudinal control arms of the front wheel suspension, and a rear transverse carrier extends between the respective longitudinal control arms of the rear wheel suspension. The respective transverse carriers are rigidly connected to the battery housing and couple the longitudinal control arms and the torsion spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Gerhards, Ralf Hintzen, Daniel Mainz, Friedrich Peter Wolf-Monheim
  • 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: 20210253169
    Abstract: A chassis for an electrically powered vehicle, including a front wheel suspension and a rear wheel suspension, each having longitudinal control arms arranged on both sides and a torsion spring actively connected to the longitudinal control arms. The chassis includes a battery housing receiving a propulsion battery. A front transverse carrier extends between the respective longitudinal control arms of the front wheel suspension, and a rear transverse carrier extends between the respective longitudinal control arms of the rear wheel suspension. The respective transverse carriers are rigidly connected to the battery housing and couple the longitudinal control arms and the torsion spring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2021
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Gerhards, Ralf Hintzen, Daniel Mainz, Friedrich Peter Wolf-Monheim
  • Patent number: 11072215
    Abstract: A motor vehicle wheel suspension having a wheel carrier connected to the vehicle body or frame. The suspension having a lower transverse link. The wheel carrier connected to the lower transverse carrier at two connection locations. A first connection location on a first side wall of the wheel carrier and second connection location on a second side wall of the wheel carrier. The first connection location including a connector connected to both the lower transverse and the wheel carrier. The second connection location including a connection between the wheel carrier and the lower transverse link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Timothy Drotar, Ralf Hintzen, Daniel Mainz, Paul Zandbergen, Friedrich Peter Wolf-Monheim
  • 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: 11008040
    Abstract: A chassis for an electrically powered vehicle including a front wheel suspension and a rear wheel suspension each having longitudinal control arms arranged on both sides and a torsion spring actively connected to the longitudinal control arms. The chassis includes a battery housing receiving a propulsion battery. A front transverse carrier extends between the respective longitudinal control arms of the front wheel suspension and a rear transverse carrier extends between the respective longitudinal control arms of the rear wheel suspension. The respective transverse carriers are rigidly connected to the battery housing and couple the longitudinal control arms and the torsion spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Gerhards, Ralf Hintzen, Daniel Mainz, Friedrich Peter Wolf-Monheim
  • 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: 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: 10933919
    Abstract: A mount located in a wheel housing of a motor vehicle, the mount receiving an upper end of a shock absorber. The mount has a plurality of upper receiving points each mounting point for allowing a different shock absorber orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ralf Hintzen, Friedrich Peter Wolf-Monheim, Daniel Mainz, Timothy Drotar, Paul Zandbergen, Nicole Zandbergen
  • Patent number: 10933708
    Abstract: A longitudinal leaf spring device for suspending a motor vehicle body or chassis on a vehicle axle thereof. Leaf spring device including an elongated leaf spring unit, a coupling device connecting the leaf spring unit to the vehicle axle, and suspension unit arranged in a substantially vertical direction between a chassis and the axle. The suspension unit including suspension elements providing a spring-back force in the vertical direction and producing an active connection between the chassis and the axle when the distance between the chassis and axle exceeds a predetermined first deflection depth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Wolfgang David, Paul Zandbergen, Thomas Gerhards, Ralf Hintzen, Marc Simon, Friedrich Peter Wolf-Monheim
  • 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: 10836230
    Abstract: A RevoKnuckle-type suspension for a wheeled vehicle has a hub mounted to a bearing carrier for rotation relative thereto about a steering axis, and a shock absorber connected non-rotatably to the bearing carrier. The shock absorber has an outer cylinder having an axially-extending guide hole defined therein, and a piston and attached piston rod retained for axial reciprocation in the guide hole. The guide hole and at least one of the piston and the piston rod retained therein have respective complementary-shaped, non-circular cross-sectional shapes which engage one another to resist axial rotation of the piston and/or the piston rod within the guide hole. The carrier is therefore restrained against rotation relative to the vehicle sprung structure without the need for any additional component(s) such as a control arm or stabilizer, as required in a traditional RevoKnuckle-type suspension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ralf Hintzen, Thomas Gerhards
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20200282788
    Abstract: Vehicle integral bushing rear suspension systems are disclosed. An example rear wheel suspension includes a wheel carrier configured to mount a wheel of a vehicle, the wheel rotatable about a rotational axis, a lower transverse control arm coupled to the wheel carrier below the rotational axis, the lower transverse control arm including a first joint to be disposed on a vehicle structure and a second joint to be disposed on the vehicle structure, the second joint displaced from the first joint along a longitudinal axis, a camber transverse control arm coupled to the wheel carrier above the rotational axis, and a track transverse control arm coupled to the wheel carrier in front of the rotational axis, wherein the lower transverse control arm, the camber transverse control arm and the track transverse control arm couple the wheel carrier to the vehicle structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Inventors: Friedrich Peter Wolf-Monheim, Timothy Drotar, Ralf Hintzen, Daniel Mainz, Paul Zandbergen, Steve Scott Allen
  • 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: 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
  • Publication number: 20190210650
    Abstract: A chassis for an electrically powered vehicle including a front wheel suspension and a rear wheel suspension each having longitudinal control arms arranged on both sides and a torsion spring actively connected to the longitudinal control arms. The chassis includes a battery housing receiving a propulsion battery. A front transverse carrier extends between the respective longitudinal control arms of the front wheel suspension and a rear transverse carrier extends between the respective longitudinal control arms of the rear wheel suspension. The respective transverse carriers are rigidly connected to the battery housing and couple the longitudinal control arms and the torsion spring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2019
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Gerhards, Ralf Hintzen, Daniel Mainz, Friedrich Peter Wolf-Monheim