Patents by Inventor Theo Rottenberger

Theo Rottenberger 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: 8443948
    Abstract: A vibration damper including a cylinder in which a displacer carries out a translational movement. The displacer has a work piston which divides the cylinder into two work spaces. The work spaces outside the displacer for each operating movement direction of the displacer are connected to damping valves by a flow connection. Every flow connection has only one flow direction through a check valve arrangement. The flow connection has a plurality of inflow ports which are offset in axial direction starting from the work spaces and is formed by a bypass channel, and a plurality of damping valves are connected to the bypass channel and admit damping medium via the inflow ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Theo Rottenberger, Rainer Kirchner, Rainer Barnickel
  • Publication number: 20100126812
    Abstract: A vibration damper including a cylinder in which a displacer carries out a translational movement. The displacer has a work piston which divides the cylinder into two work spaces. The work spaces outside the displacerfor each operating movement direction of the displacer are connected to damping valves by a flow connection. Every flow connection has only one flow direction through a check valve arrangement. The flow connection has a plurality of inflow ports which are offset in axial direction starting from the work spaces and is formed by a bypass channel, and a plurality of damping valves are connected to the bypass channel and admit damping medium via the inflow ports.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2009
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Theo ROTTENBERGER, Rainer Kirchner, Rainer Barnickel
  • Patent number: 6648310
    Abstract: Shock absorber, having a cylinder in which a piston rod is arranged as a displacer and which has a piston which subdivides a working space filled with damping medium into two working chambers. Arranged concentrically with this cylinder is an outer tube which, together with the cylinder, forms an annular space sealed off from the atmosphere by seals. The outer tube, together with the piston rod, executes a synchronous movement relative to the cylinder as a function of the reciprocating movement. At least one of the seals of the annular space is arranged in a fixed location with respect to the cylinder, and at least another one of the seals is arranged in a fixed location with respect to the outer tube, so that the annular space has a volume which varies as a function of the reciprocating position of the shock absorber. The annular space is connected via at least one flow connection to at least one of the working chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Sachs Race Engineering GmbH
    Inventors: Theo Rottenberger, Markus Reinhart
  • Patent number: 6619446
    Abstract: A vibration damper, particularly a mono-tube vibration damper, has a cylinder in which a piston rod is arranged together with a piston so as to be axially movable, wherein the piston divides the cylinder into two work spaces filled with a work medium, the vibration damper having at least one deaerating device at the outer surroundings of the vibration damper for the areas filled with the work medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: Sachs Race Engineering GmbH
    Inventors: Theo Rottenberger, Alexander Schwarz, Steffen Gail, Markus Reinhart, Peter Brembs, Stefan Lungwitz
  • Patent number: 6588555
    Abstract: A piston-cylinder unit including a cylinder in which a piston is guided so as to be displaceable axially, wherein the piston separates the cylinder into two work spaces which communicate via at least one bypass groove in the cylinder depending on the stroke position of the piston, wherein the cylinder is formed of multiple parts and a portion of the cylinder with the at least one bypass groove is displaceable axially relative to at least one further portion of the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Sachs Race Engineering GmbH
    Inventors: Theo Rottenberger, Markus Reinhart, Alexander Schwarz, Steffen Gail
  • Patent number: 6443272
    Abstract: A vibration damper with adjustable damping force, having a cylinder in which a piston is guided with a piston rod so as to be axially movable. The piston divides the cylinder into a first and a second work space. At least one damping valve is arranged in a flow connection of one of the two work spaces and is adjustable via an external adjusting device. The damping valve has a sleeve-shaped housing in which a valve body is arranged so as to be movable. The housing of the damping valve is closed at the end by a cover which has, on the outer side, an engagement for the adjusting device which can be mounted separate from the damping valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Sachs Race Engineering GmbH
    Inventors: Theo Rottenberger, Rolf Münz
  • Publication number: 20020036126
    Abstract: A vibration damper, particularly a mono-tube vibration damper, has a cylinder in which a piston rod is arranged together with a piston so as to be axially movable, wherein the piston divides the cylinder into two work spaces filled with a work medium, the vibration damper having at least one deaerating device at the outer surroundings of the vibration damper for the areas filled with the work medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2001
    Publication date: March 28, 2002
    Applicant: Sachs Race Engineering GmbH
    Inventors: Theo Rottenberger, Alexander Schwarz, Steffen Gail, Markus Reinhart, Peter Brembs, Stefan Lungwitz
  • Publication number: 20020023536
    Abstract: A piston-cylinder unit including a cylinder in which a piston is guided so as to be displaceable axially, wherein the piston separates the cylinder into two work spaces which communicate via at least one bypass groove in the cylinder depending on the stroke position of the piston, wherein the cylinder is formed of multiple parts and a portion of the cylinder with the at least one bypass groove is displaceable axially relative to at least one further portion of the cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2001
    Publication date: February 28, 2002
    Applicant: Sachs Race Engineering GmbH
    Inventors: Theo Rottenberger, Markus Reinhart, Alexander Schwarz, Steffen Gail
  • Publication number: 20020003072
    Abstract: Shock absorber, having a cylinder in which a piston rod is arranged as a displacer and which has a piston which subdivides a working space filled with damping medium into two working chambers. Arranged concentrically with this cylinder is an outer tube which, together with the cylinder, forms an annular space sealed off from the atmosphere by seals. The outer tube, together with the piston rod, executes a synchronous movement relative to the cylinder as a function of the reciprocating movement. At least one of the seals of the annular space is arranged in a fixed location with respect to the cylinder, and at least another one of the seals is arranged in a fixed location with respect to the outer tube, so that the annular space has a volume which varies as a function of the reciprocating position of the shock absorber. The annular space is connected via at least one flow connection to at least one of the working chambers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2001
    Publication date: January 10, 2002
    Applicant: Sachs Race Engineering GmbH
    Inventors: Theo Rottenberger, Markus Reinhart
  • Patent number: 6102171
    Abstract: An adjustable damping valve in a damping valve housing for a vibration damper includes a valve unit with an inlet opening in the region of a valve seat face. A valve disk is supported on the valve seat face. The valve disk is pretensioned on its rear side by a spring, wherein the pretensioning of the spring is adjustable for changing the damping force in that a supporting surface of the spring is displaceable. The supporting surface is in a working connection with a catch device, wherein the catch device can be locked by steps in that the spring which acts on the valve disk applies force to the locking bodies of the catch device in a catch profile for resiliently holding the supporting surface in a locked position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2000
    Assignee: Mannesmann Sachs AG
    Inventors: Theo Rottenberger, Rolf Munz
  • Patent number: 5788030
    Abstract: Vibration damper with adjustable damping force comprising a cylinder in which a piston with a piston rod is guided so that it can move axially, whereby the piston divides the cylinder into a first and a second working chamber, with at least one damping valve which is located in a flow connection between the two working chambers and can be influenced in terms of its damping force response curve by means of external adjustment means, whereby the damping valve consists of single valves, the action of which is cumulative, whereby a first single valve consists of a throttle which has a small cross section, and a second single valve comprises at least one valve disc which is under a spring load, and whereby the action of the first and second single valves can be adjusted individually by adjustment means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Assignee: Fichtel & Sachs AG
    Inventor: Theo Rottenberger