Patents by Inventor Thomas Manger

Thomas Manger 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: 11692606
    Abstract: A vibration damper includes at least one adjustable damping valve having an outer housing connected to one end of an outer receptacle of the vibration damper. A longitudinal axis of the adjustable damping valve and a longitudinal axis of the vibration damper run parallel. The outer housing of the adjustable damping valve has a clamping surface for an axle connection part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Thomas Manger, Lukas Ruhmann, Stefan Schmitt, Manuel Gumpert, Thomas Solf, Bernd Zeissner
  • Patent number: 11242907
    Abstract: An adjustable vibration damper includes at least one adjustable damping valve, with a piston at a piston rod that divides a cylinder into a work chamber on the piston rod side and a work chamber on the side remote of the piston rod. The cylinder is at least partially enclosed by an intermediate tube that forms a fluid connection between one of the work chambers and the adjustable damping valve. A hydraulic apparatus is connected to the fluid connection of the one work chamber via a first line and to the other work chamber via a second line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Lukas Ruhmann, Thomas Manger, Stefan Schmitt, Bernd Zeissner, Thomas Solf
  • Publication number: 20210381570
    Abstract: An adjustable vibration damper has at least one adjustable damping valve, a piston at a piston rod that divides a cylinder into a work chamber on the piston rod side and a work chamber on the side remote of the piston rod. A hydraulic device is connected via a first line to the at least one adjustable damping valve connected to one of the work chambers and via a second line at least indirectly to the other working chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Inventors: Bernd ZEISSNER, Lukas RUHMANN, Thomas MANGER, Stefan SCHMITT, Thomas SOLF
  • Publication number: 20210164533
    Abstract: A vibration damper with adjustable damping force, having an inner cylinder, which has a working chamber and a flow connection to a damping valve device situated outside forming an outer cylinder. The flow connection is made in a component separate from the inner cylinder, and the separate component is formed by an adapter sleeve, which forms a part of the working chamber and has a connection piece to the damping valve device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventors: Bernd ZEISSNER, Stefan SCHMITT, Thomas MANGER
  • Publication number: 20210115996
    Abstract: A vibration damper comprises at least one adjustable damping valve device for each working direction of the vibration damper. A fluid connection between a compensation space and a work chamber is controlled by a check valve that is hydraulically connected in parallel with the adjustable damping valve device. A constant bypass is connected in parallel with the check valve and the damping valve device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Inventors: Lukas RUHMANN, Thomas MANGER, Thomas SOLF, Bernd ZEISSNER, Manuel GUMPERT
  • Publication number: 20210054900
    Abstract: A vibration damper includes at least one adjustable damping valve having an outer housing connected to one end of an outer receptacle of the vibration damper. A longitudinal axis of the adjustable damping valve and a longitudinal axis of the vibration damper run parallel. The outer housing of the adjustable damping valve has a clamping surface for an axle connection part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Inventors: Thomas MANGER, Lukas RUHMANN, Stefan SCHMITT, Manuel GUMPERT, Thomas SOLF, Bernd ZEISSNER
  • Patent number: 10760637
    Abstract: An adjustable damping valve device for a vibration damper, includes a main stage valve which is controlled by a pre-stage valve with a pre-stage valve body, which pre-stage valve can be actuated by an electromagnetic actuator, wherein an emergency operation valve controls the main stage valve during emergency operation, wherein an emergency operation armature is preloaded on the pre-stage valve body of the pre-stage valve by an emergency operation spring so that the pre-stage valve forms the emergency operation valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Thomas Manger, Lukas Ruhmann, Stefan Schmitt
  • Publication number: 20200232532
    Abstract: An adjustable vibration damper includes at least one adjustable damping valve, with a piston at a piston rod that divides a cylinder into a work chamber on the piston rod side and a work chamber on the side remote of the piston rod. The cylinder is at least partially enclosed by an intermediate tube that forms a fluid connection between one of the work chambers and the adjustable damping valve. A hydraulic apparatus is connected to the fluid connection of the one work chamber via a first line and to the other work chamber via a second line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Inventors: Lukas RUHMANN, Thomas MANGER, Stefan SCHMITT, Bernd ZEISSNER, Thomas SOLF
  • Patent number: 10655701
    Abstract: An adjustable vibration damper comprises at least one adjustable damping valve for each working direction. A fluid connection between a compensation space and a working space is controlled by a check valve which has a check valve body and which is hydraulically connected in parallel with the adjustable damping valve. The check valve is held by an intermediate tube which forms the fluid connection and which has a connection orifice to the connected adjustable damping valve. The check valve body of the check valve is supported at least indirectly in the region of the connection orifice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Thomas Manger, Bernd Zeissner, Stefan Schmitt, Lukas Ruhmann
  • Patent number: 10434834
    Abstract: A method for operating a motor vehicle with a chassis arrangement having at least two vibration dampers. A body control is carried out at least partially with the vibration dampers. The chassis arrangement further has at least one stabilizer. During transverse accelerations below a threshold acceleration the stabilizer contributes to the body control less than the vibration dampers and contributes more than the vibration dampers from the threshold acceleration upward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Norbert Ackermann, Helmut Baalmann, Andreas Förster, Sven Greger, Steffen Heyn, Holger Kirchner, Sven Philip Krüger, Thomas Manger, Hendrik Marquar, Christian Maurischat, Stefan Rappelt, Alexander Schwarz, Jens Seiler, Achim Thomae, Michael Triebel
  • Patent number: 10427485
    Abstract: A method of operating a motor vehicle with a chassis system comprising at least two, preferably four vibration damper includes carrying out a body control and a wheel control with the chassis system, and controlling the energy supply for the chassis system via an energy control arrangement. A motor vehicle performing the method is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Norbert Ackermann, Helmut Baalmann, Michael Triebel, Christian Maurischat, Achim Thomae, Andreas Förster, Steffen Heyn, Thomas Manger, Stefen Rappelt, Sven Greger, Sven Philip Krüger, Jens Seiler, Holger Kirchner, Hendrik Marquar, Alexander Schwarz
  • Patent number: 10400849
    Abstract: An adjustable damping valve device has a first adjustable damping valve assembly for a first flow direction and a second adjustable damping valve assembly for a second flow direction. The two damping valve assemblies are adjustable independently from one another, and the first damping valve assembly generates a damping force for only one flow direction and the second damping valve assembly has a minimum cross section through which damping medium can flow in the setting for maximum damping force so that the second damping valve device generates a damping force in both flow directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Thomas Manger, Stefan Schmitt, Bernd Zeissner, Thomas Solf, Lukas Ruhmann
  • Patent number: 10393209
    Abstract: A damping valve device includes an actuator which carries out an axial displacing movement on a sliding sleeve. The sliding sleeve, along with a fixed valve carrier, forms a slide valve which has two flow directions. The slide sleeve is impinged with damping medium on a front side and on a rear side in an incident flow direction, and the front side of the slide sleeve and rear side of the slide sleeve are impinged hydraulically in parallel by damping medium during the incident flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Stefan Schmitt, Thomas Manger, Alexander Schwarz
  • Publication number: 20180370319
    Abstract: A method for operating a motor vehicle with a chassis arrangement having at least two vibration dampers. A body control is carried out at least partially with the vibration dampers. The chassis arrangement further has at least one stabilizer. During transverse accelerations below a threshold acceleration the stabilizer contributes to the body control less than the vibration dampers and contributes more than the vibration dampers from the threshold acceleration upward.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: Norbert ACKERMANN, Helmut BAALMANN, Andreas FÖRSTER, Sven GREGER, Steffen HEYN, Holger KIRCHNER, Sven Philip KRÜGER, Thomas MANGER, Hendrik MARQUAR, Christian MAURISCHAT, Stefan RAPPELT, Alexander SCHWARZ, Jens SEILER, Achim THOMAE, Michael TRIEBEL
  • Publication number: 20180355939
    Abstract: A vibration damper for a motor vehicle includes an outer cylinder tube and an assembly unit (14). The assembly unit has a closure package through which a piston rod extends, an inner cylinder tube of the vibration damper within which a piston fastened to the piston rod is axially movably arranged, and a choke valve which are fixedly connected to one another. The choke valve is arranged axially at one side at the inner cylinder tube and the closure package is arranged axially at the other side at the inner cylinder tube. The assembly unit is arranged inside of the outer cylinder tube, and the assembly unit is fastened exclusively in a fastening area of the closure package to the outer cylinder tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2016
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Bernd ZEISSNER, Thomas MANGER
  • Publication number: 20180355940
    Abstract: An adjustable vibration damper comprises at least one adjustable damping valve for each working direction. A fluid connection between a compensation space and a working space is controlled by a check valve which has a check valve body and which is hydraulically connected in parallel with the adjustable damping valve. The check valve is held by an intermediate tube which forms the fluid connection and which has a connection orifice to the connected adjustable damping valve. The check valve body of the check valve is supported at least indirectly in the region of the connection orifice.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Inventors: Thomas MANGER, Bernd Zeissner, Stefan Schmitt, Lukas Ruhmann
  • Patent number: 10060543
    Abstract: An adjustable damping valve device for a vibration damper, includes a main stage valve which is controlled by a pre-stage valve which is functionally connected in series with the emergency operation valve. A pressure relief valve having the constructional form of a seat valve is arranged inside the emergency operation valve and is functionally connected in parallel with the emergency operation valve. A valve body of the pressure relief valve is formed by at least one annular valve disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Thomas Manger, Stefan Schmitt, Lukas Ruhmann
  • Patent number: 10030786
    Abstract: An adjustable damping valve arrangement for a vibration damper includes a main stage valve with a main stage valve body which is guided in a damping valve housing so as to be axially movable. The damping valve housing has a housing insert which is separate from the damping valve housing and in which the main stage valve body is guided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Thomas Manger, Stefan Schmitt, Lukas Ruhmann
  • Publication number: 20180156298
    Abstract: A damping valve device includes an actuator which carries out an axial displacing movement on a sliding sleeve. The sliding sleeve, along with a fixed valve carrier, forms a slide valve which has two flow directions. The slide sleeve is impinged with damping medium on a front side and on a rear side in an incident flow direction, and the front side of the slide sleeve and rear side of the slide sleeve are impinged hydraulically in parallel by damping medium during the incident flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Publication date: June 7, 2018
    Inventors: Stefan SCHMITT, Thomas MANGER, Alexander SCHWARZ
  • Patent number: 9982741
    Abstract: A damping valve device (27), includes a damping valve housing (31) with a tube part (33) and an outer top housing part (35), wherein an intermediate housing wall (39) which is fixed with respect to the tube part (33) spatially separates a coil assembly (37) from a valve region (73), and the outer top housing part (35) forms a back iron body for the coil assembly (37), wherein an inner sleeve (69) together with a base (71) closes the valve region (73), wherein the outer top housing part (35) is a component part which is separate from the intermediate housing wall (39), and the inner sleeve (69) is connected to the intermediate housing wall (39) in a pressure-tight manner independent from the outer housing part (35), and wherein a protective cap (93) which is separate from the outer top housing part (35) covers the outer top housing part (35).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Thomas Manger, Stefan Schmitt, Lukas Ruhmann