Patents by Inventor Ralf Kunze

Ralf Kunze 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: 8038162
    Abstract: A joint unit such as for mounting the vehicle control arm of a motor vehicle, is provided with a control arm-side housing (1), in which a pivot pin (2) is mounted pivotably by means of a spheroidal bearing surface (3), wherein the joint unit has a securing unit against the separation of the housing (1) from the pivot pin (2). The securing unit includes a securing bolt (9), arranged within the pivot pin (2) essentially in parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the pivot pin (2) and with a blocking element (12) at a free end. A securing mount (13) is located within the housing (1) or the pivot pin (2) and in this the blocking element (12) is mounted in a contactless manner in the mounted state of the joint unit. The securing mount (13) is part of the securing unit, and the securing bolt (9) is fixed to the component of the joint unit (housing (1) or pivot pin (2)) that is not provided with the securing mount (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Sören Knopp, Manfred Buhl, Ralf Kunze
  • Patent number: 7771136
    Abstract: A ball and socket joint is provided, for example, for an axle system of a motor vehicle. The joint has an essentially ring-shaped or pot-shaped joint housing (2). The ball (7) of a ball pivot (1) is received in the interior space of the joint housing (2) in a slidingly movable manner. The joint housing (2) includes a ball pivot-side and a housing cover-side housing half (4, 5). The two housing halves (4, 5) have an essentially circumferential axial stop (9). Based on the axial stop (9), the housing halves (4, 5) can be brought into contact with one another in the axial direction in an exactly defined manner. The reproducibility of tolerances in manufacture can be carefully controlled allowing manufacture at a low cost. The specific load-bearing capacity of the ball and socket joint can be increased or the dimensions of the ball and socket joint can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Manfred Buhl, Ralf Kunze
  • Patent number: 7753384
    Abstract: A four-point suspension control arm (1) is provided for the axle suspension of a rigid axle especially of a utility vehicle. The four-point control arm (1) has four bearing eyes (7, 8, 9, 10), wherein two bearing eyes (9, 10) can be connected to the rigid axle and two bearing eyes (7, 8)are to be connected to the vehicle frame, each in an articulated manner. The four-point control arm (1) is designed as a one-piece hollow housing (2, 3, 4, 5, 6), which can be twisted and is inscribed in the rectangle or trapezoid formed by the bearing eyes. The hollow housing (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) is formed essentially by a tube, which is arranged horizontally in respect to the vehicle and is open on both sides, with a cross section ranging from an essentially rounded rectangular to O-shaped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen
    Inventors: Ralf Kunze, Wolfgang Ratermann, Reinhard Buhl
  • Patent number: 7708488
    Abstract: A joint unit of a control arm of a wheel suspension in a motor vehicle, with a housing (1) and a pivot (2), which is mounted slidingly in the housing by a spheroidal bearing surface (3). The joint unit has a catching device (4) to avoid complete separation of the housing (1) from the pivot (2). The catching device spans over part of the housing (1) in a contactless manner during normal operation. The catching device (4) has at least one flexible catching band or at least one securing strap (4.1, 4.2) with a recess (4.1.1, 4.2.1), into which protrudes a catching pin (1.1, 1.2) of the housing in a contactless manner during normal operation, or at least two securing straps (4.1 and 4.2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Ralf Kunze, Soeren Knopp, Manfred Buhl, Heinfried Helms
  • Publication number: 20090154988
    Abstract: A joint unit of a control arm of a wheel suspension in a motor vehicle, with a housing (1) and a pivot (2), which is mounted slidingly in the housing by a spheroidal bearing surface (3). The joint unit has a catching device (4) to avoid complete separation of the housing (1) from the pivot (2). The catching device spans over part of the housing (1) in a contactless manner during normal operation. The catching device (4) has at least one flexible catching band or at least one securing strap (4.1, 4.2) with a recess (4.1.1, 4.2.1), into which protrudes a catching pin (1.1, 1.2) of the housing in a contactless manner during normal operation, or at least two securing straps (4.1 and 4.2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2005
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Inventors: Ralf Kunze, Sören Knopp, Manfred Buhl, Heinfried Helms
  • Publication number: 20080193206
    Abstract: A ball and socket joint is provided, for example, for an axle system of a motor vehicle. The joint has an essentially ring-shaped or pot-shaped joint housing (2). The ball (7) of a ball pivot (1) is received in the interior space of the joint housing (2) in a slidingly movable manner. The joint housing (2) includes a ball pivot-side and a housing cover-side housing half (4, 5). The two housing halves (4, 5) have an essentially circumferential axial stop (9). Based on the axial stop (9), the housing halves (4, 5) can be brought into contact with one another in the axial direction in an exactly defined manner. The reproducibility of tolerances in manufacture can be carefully controlled allowing manufacture at a low cost. The specific load-bearing capacity of the ball and socket joint can be increased or the dimensions of the ball and socket joint can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2006
    Publication date: August 14, 2008
    Inventors: Manfred Buhl, Ralf Kunze
  • Patent number: 7367742
    Abstract: A ball-and-socket joint for a motor vehicle, especially for the chassis of the motor vehicle has a ball-and-socket joint housing (i), which has a joint opening and in which a bearing shell (5) made of an insulating material is arranged. A ball pivot (4) is made of an electrically conductive material and has a joint ball (2) and a pivot (3) mounted rotatably and pivotably with its joint ball (2) in the bearing shell (5) and protrudes with its pivot (3) from the ball-and-socket joint housing (1) through the joint opening. An electrode (14) is arranged in the wall (12) of the bearing shell (5) at a spaced location from the joint ball (2), and the electrode (14) and the joint ball (2) are electrically insulated against each other via the bearing shell (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: ZF Lemförder Metallwaren AG
    Inventors: Hans-Gerd Brunneke, Ralf Kunze
  • Publication number: 20070284841
    Abstract: A four-point suspension control arm (1) is provided for the axle suspension of a rigid axle especially of a utility vehicle. The four-point control arm (1) has four bearing eyes (7, 8, 9, 10), wherein two bearing eyes (9, 10) can be connected to the rigid axle and two bearing eyes (7, 8)are to be connected to the vehicle frame, each in an articulated manner. The four-point control arm (1) is designed as a one-piece hollow housing (2, 3, 4, 5, 6), which can be twisted and is inscribed in the rectangle or trapezoid formed by the bearing eyes. The hollow housing (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) is formed essentially by a tube, which is arranged horizontally in respect to the vehicle and is open on both sides, with a cross section ranging from an essentially rounded rectangular to O-shaped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2005
    Publication date: December 13, 2007
    Inventors: Ralf Kunze, Wolfgang Ratermann, Reinhard Buhl
  • Publication number: 20070183841
    Abstract: A central joint (1) for a steering triangle of motor vehicles, especially utility vehicles, has a ball pivot (6) accommodated in a joint housing (3), wherein the joint housing (3) is formed from a joint housing body (4) and a joint housing bottom (5) and the ball pivot (6) is formed from a tower-shaped ball pivot body (8) and a joint ball (7) attached to the ball pivot body (8). The ball pivot (6) is mounted in a bearing shell (24) fixed in the joint housing (3) in a pivotingly and rotatingly movable manner. The joint housing (3) is formed from the joint housing body (4) and the joint housing bottom (5) in one piece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2005
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Inventors: Ralf Kunze, Soren Knopp
  • Patent number: 7165909
    Abstract: An elastic chassis bearing in utility vehicles is provided as a joint as such for the elastic mechanical connection of two machine parts especially in the construction of vehicles, having a claw (connection part) 1 and a housing (13, 14). The claw (1) has a middle area (4) and two end areas (2). The claw is a rotationally symmetrical turned part, and the housing (13, 14) includes at least two bushes 5, 6, 7; 7, 15 inserted concentrically one into another, which together define a hollow cylinder and an intermediate space (8, 9, 16). The intermediate space is filled with an elastic material, so that the claw 1 enclosed by the innermost bush 5, 15 is cardanically movable in relation to the bush 7 or the other bushes 6, 7 of the housing 13, 14.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: ZF Lemförder Metallwaren AG
    Inventors: Manfred Buhl, Ralf Kunze
  • Patent number: 7001076
    Abstract: A housing for receiving a bearing component is presented, which has a shaft projection, which can be inserted into the recess of the end area of a hollow section and can be pressed together with the end area, wherein the shaft projection is provided with a groove profile, in which the groove profile is prepared by a deformation process or an original shaping process. Notch effect and consequently a weakening of the cross section on the highly stressed shaft projection is avoided by the said processes. The present invention pertains, moreover, to such a groove profile located at a shaft projection of a housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: ZF Lemförder Metallwaren AG
    Inventors: Wilfried Lustig, Matthias Gercke, Franz-Josef Marquardt, Sören Knopp, Ralf Kunze
  • Patent number: 6959935
    Abstract: A steering triangle (1) is provided for the axle suspension of motor vehicles for the articulated connection of a vehicle axle with a vehicle chassis with two control arms (2, 3). The control arms are connected to each other in a joint housing (6) formed by the control arms (2, 3) together for a rubber-metal bearing (11) for fixing the steering triangle (1) on the vehicle axle. The rubber-metal bearing (11) has a pivot axis (12) provided with a spherical surface and an elastomer body (14), which extends around the pivot axis (12) at least in the area of the spherical surface and which is accommodated in a recess (16) located within the joint housing (6), in which steering triangle two pressing rings (17, 18) are arranged within the recess (16) of the joint housing (6) on the axial outer sides of the elastomer body (14). The pressing rings can be moved toward each other by a tensioning device via the intermediary of stop faces (22) of the joint housing (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: ZF Lemförder Metallwaren AG
    Inventors: Reinhard Buhl, Reinhard Richter, Uwe Cossmann, Ralf Kunze, Holger Bublies, Sören Knopp
  • Publication number: 20050153781
    Abstract: An elastic chassis bearing in utility vehicles is provided as a joint as such for the elastic mechanical connection of two machine parts especially in the construction of vehicles, having a claw (connection part) 1 and a housing (13, 14). The claw (1) has a middle area (4) and two end areas (2). The claw is a rotationally symmetrical turned part, and the housing (13, 14) includes at least two bushes 5, 6, 7; 7, 15 inserted concentrically one into another, which together define a hollow cylinder and an intermediate space (8, 9, 16). The intermediate space is filled with an elastic material, so that the claw 1 enclosed by the innermost bush 5, 15 is cardanically movable in relation to the bush 7 or the other bushes 6, 7 of the housing 13, 14.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2005
    Publication date: July 14, 2005
    Inventors: Manfred Buhl, Ralf Kunze
  • Publication number: 20040180567
    Abstract: A housing for receiving a bearing component is presented, which has a shaft projection, which can be inserted into the recess of the end area of a hollow section and can be pressed together with the end area, wherein the shaft projection is provided with a groove profile, in which the groove profile is prepared by a deformation process or an original shaping process. Notch effect and consequently a weakening of the cross section on the highly stressed shaft projection is avoided by the said processes. The present invention pertains, moreover, to such a groove profile located at a shaft projection of a housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2004
    Publication date: September 16, 2004
    Inventors: Wilfried Lustig, Matthias Gercke, Franz-Josef Marquardt, Soren Knopp, Ralf Kunze
  • Publication number: 20040155422
    Abstract: A steering triangle (1) is provided for the axle suspension of motor vehicles for the articulated connection of a vehicle axle with a vehicle chassis with two control arms (2, 3). The control arms are connected to each other in a joint housing (6) formed by the control arms (2, 3) together for a rubber-metal bearing (11) for fixing the steering triangle (1) on the vehicle axle. The rubber-metal bearing (11) has a pivot axis (12) provided with a spherical surface and an elastomer body (14), which extends around the pivot axis (12) at least in the area of the spherical surface and which is accommodated in a recess (16) located within the joint housing (6), in which steering triangle two pressing rings (17, 18) are arranged within the recess (16) of the joint housing (6) on the axial outer sides of the elastomer body (14). The pressing rings can be moved toward each other by a tensioning device via the intermediary of stop faces (22) of the joint housing (6).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2004
    Publication date: August 12, 2004
    Inventors: Reinhard Buhl, Reinhard Richter, Uwe Cossmann, Ralf Kunze, Holger Bublies, Soren Knopp
  • Publication number: 20040037619
    Abstract: Ball-and-socket joint for a motor vehicle, especially for the chassis of the motor vehicle, with a ball-and-socket joint housing (1), which has a joint opening and in which a bearing shell (5) made of an insulating material is arranged, and with a ball pivot (4), which is made of an electrically conductive material, has a joint ball (2) and a pivot (3), is mounted rotatably and pivotably with its joint ball (2) in the bearing shell (5) and protrudes with its pivot (3) from the ball-and-socket joint housing (1) through the joint opening. An electrode (14) is arranged in the wall (12) of the bearing shell (5) at a spaced location from the joint ball (2), and the electrode (14) and the joint ball (2) are electrically insulated against each other via the bearing shell (5).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2003
    Publication date: February 26, 2004
    Inventors: Hans-Gerd Brunneke, Ralf Kunze