Patents by Inventor Rudolf Stoklossa

Rudolf Stoklossa 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: 11125280
    Abstract: A hydrodynamic friction clutch may include a rotatably mounted shaft, a drive disc non-rotatably fixed on the shaft, and an output body rotatably fixed on the shaft. The drive disc may include a radially extending annular transmission region for receiving a viscous fluid and via which the drive disc may be couplable to the output body for transmitting a torque, and an annular segment-shaped storage chamber for receiving the viscous fluid. The transmission region may be fluidically connected to the storage chamber via an inlet path and a drainage path. In the inlet path, a closable valve opening for controlling the quantity of the viscous fluid in the transmission region may be provided. The inlet path may include an annular segment-shaped communication passage, which may fluidically connect the storage chamber to the valve opening. The drainage path may fluidically connect to the inlet path at the valve opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Inventors: Jochen Draeger, Jens Langenstein, Gerold Schultheiss, Rudolf Stoklossa
  • Publication number: 20200096056
    Abstract: A hydrodynamic friction clutch may include a rotatably mounted shaft, a drive disc non-rotatably fixed on the shaft, and an output body rotatably fixed on the shaft. The drive disc may include a radially extending annular transmission region for receiving a viscous fluid and via which the drive disc may be couplable to the output body for transmitting a torque, and an annular segment-shaped storage chamber for receiving the viscous fluid. The transmission region may be fluidically connected to the storage chamber via an inlet path and a drainage path. In the inlet path, a closable valve opening for controlling the quantity of the viscous fluid in the transmission region may be provided. The inlet path may include an annular segment-shaped communication passage, which may fluidically connect the storage chamber to the valve opening. The drainage path may fluidically connect to the inlet path at the valve opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Inventors: Jochen Draeger, Jens Langenstein, Gerold Schultheiss, Rudolf Stoklossa
  • Patent number: 8636127
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fan drive device (1) for driving at least one fan impeller (2), comprising at least one first drivable coolable housing element (9, 10) with at least one output disc (13) which can be connected to the at least one drivable coolable housing element (9, 10) in such a way as to be capable of transmitting torque by fluid friction, wherein at least one fluid can be admitted to at least one torque-transmitting space, and the mass flow of said fluid can be regulated by means of a valve element (30), wherein the valve element (30) can be actuated by at least one actuator (26, 27), and at least a section of the actuator (26, 27) is arranged in at least one retaining element (33) for fastening to a motor unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: BEHR GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Gerold Schultheiss, Rudolf Stoklossa, Roman Woiterski
  • Patent number: 7886886
    Abstract: A viscous friction clutch for driving a cooling fan in a motor vehicle is disclosed, wherein the viscous friction clutch comprises a driving disk and a housing, a supply chamber and a working chamber, a device for supplying shear fluid from the supply chamber to the working chamber and a device for returning the shear fluid from the working chamber to the supply chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Behr GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Gerold Schultheiss, Rudolf Stoklossa
  • Publication number: 20090064946
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fan drive device (1) for driving at least one fan impeller (2), comprising at least one first drivable coolable housing element (9, 10) with at least one output disc (13) which can be connected to the at least one drivable coolable housing element (9, 10) in such a way as to be capable of transmitting torque by fluid friction, wherein at least one fluid can be admitted to at least one torque-transmitting space, and the mass flow of said fluid can be regulated by means of a valve element (30), wherein the valve element (30) can be actuated by at least one actuator (26, 27), and at least a section of the actuator (26, 27) is arranged in at least one retaining element (33) for fastening to a motor unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2007
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Applicant: BEHR GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Gerold Schultheiss, Rudolf Stoklossa, Roman Woiterski
  • Patent number: 7475764
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for driving a coolant pump (2) for the coolant circuit of an internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle comprising a drive train that encompasses a drive wheel (7), a viscous coupling (11), and a drive shaft (3). The inventive driving device is provided with a second coupling (15) which is embodied as a clutch and can be connected to the drive train parallel to the viscous coupling (11), resulting in increased redundancy and two-step rev control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: BEHR GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Gerold Schultheiss, Peter Ambros, Rolf Müller, Rudolf Stoklossa
  • Publication number: 20080257677
    Abstract: A viscous friction clutch for driving a cooling fan in a motor vehicle is disclosed, wherein the viscous friction clutch comprises a driving pulley and a housing, a supply chamber and a working chamber, a device for supplying shear fluid from the supply chamber to the working chamber and a device for returning the shear fluid from the working chamber to the supply chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2008
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Applicant: BEHR GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Gerold Schultheiss, Rudolf Stoklossa
  • Patent number: 7246691
    Abstract: A fluid friction clutch for a motor vehicle fan comprises at least one rotatably mounted shaft, a drive element firmly mounted on the shaft so as to rotate with it and a driven element rotatably mounted about the axis of the shaft. The drive element and driven element form a coupling region, which accommodates a viscous fluid. A fan member is connected to the outer region of the driven element by means of at least one partially plastic or plastic-encapsulated fixing ring arranged concentrically with respect to the axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Behr GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Kuno Lindauer, Gerold Schultheiss, Rudolf Stoklossa
  • Publication number: 20050189194
    Abstract: A fluid friction clutch for a motor vehicle fan comprises at least one rotatably mounted shaft, a drive element firmly mounted on the shaft so as to rotate with it and a driven element rotatably mounted about the axis of the shaft. The drive element and driven element form a coupling region, which accommodates a viscous fluid. A fan member is connected to the outer region of the driven element by means of at least one partially plastic or plastic-encapsulated fixing ring arranged concentrically with respect to the axis of rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2005
    Publication date: September 1, 2005
    Inventors: Kuno Lindauer, Gerold Schultheiss, Rudolf Stoklossa
  • Patent number: 6935478
    Abstract: A fluid friction clutch, in particular for a motor vehicle fan, having a rotatably mounted shaft wherein a reservoir for at least largely holding the fluid is provided radially inside an outer periphery of the drive body, and wherein at least one first flow path and at least one second flow path are provided, which are used to connect the reservoir to the coupling area, and wherein the drive body, at the outer periphery, has at least one flow resistance element which is arranged between the at least first flow path and the at least second flow path, and wherein furthermore there is a controllable device for closing and opening at least one of these flow paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: BEHR GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Jochen Dräger, Gerold Schultheiss, Rudolf Stoklossa
  • Publication number: 20050178635
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for driving a coolant pump (2) for the coolant circuit of an internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle comprising a drive train that encompasses a drive wheel (7), a viscous coupling (11), and a drive shaft (3). The inventive driving device is provided with a second coupling (15) which is embodied as a clutch and can be connected to the drive train parallel to the viscous coupling (11), resulting in increased redundancy and two-step rev control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2003
    Publication date: August 18, 2005
    Applicant: BEHR GmbH & CO.KG
    Inventors: Gerold Schultheiss, Peter Ambros, Rolf Muller, Rudolf Stoklossa
  • Publication number: 20040168877
    Abstract: A fluid friction clutch, in particular for a motor vehicle fan, having a rotatably mounted shaft wherein a reservoir for at least largely holding the fluid is provided radially inside an outer periphery of the drive body, and wherein at least one first flow path and at least one second flow path are provided, which are used to connect the reservoir to the coupling area, and wherein the drive body, at the outer periphery, has at least one flow resistance element which is arranged between the at least first flow path and the at least second flow path, and wherein furthermore there is a controllable device for closing and opening at least one of these flow paths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2003
    Publication date: September 2, 2004
    Applicant: BEHR GmbH & CO.
    Inventors: Jochen Drager, Gerold Schultheiss, Rudolf Stoklossa