Patents by Inventor Tomas Smetana

Tomas Smetana 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: 9067582
    Abstract: A drive unit (1) including an electric motor (2) and a first planetary drive (7) with a first shifting clutch (3) for selecting a first connection between the electric motor (2) and a driven element (6) of the drive unit, and with a second shifting clutch (4) for selecting a second connection between the electric motor (2) and the driven element (6). A transmission connection is formed between the electric motor (2) and the first shifting clutch (3) by the first planetary drive (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Tomas Smetana, Philip Wurzberger
  • Publication number: 20150176687
    Abstract: An axle drive system for a motor vehicle, having a dynamoelectric drive motor (1), a shiftable superimposing transmission having a first and a second gear stage (3, 4), a shift actuator system (5) for shifting the superimposing transmission, as well as a power divider (8) driving two output shafts (10, 12). The drive motor (1), power divider shafts (9, 11), output shafts (10, 12) and dynamoelectric drive motor (1) are arranged coaxially to each other and perpendicular to the direction of travel of the motor vehicle. A particularly compact design is achieved for the axle drive system of the aforementioned type in that the shift actuator system (5) having an electric motor (14) provided for actuation purposes is in its entirety disposed in a space bounded by the first gear stage (3) on one side and the second gear stage (4) on the other side in the axial direction of the drive system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2013
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Applicant: Schaeffler Technologies GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Tomas Smetana, Philip Wurzberger
  • Publication number: 20150152947
    Abstract: An axle drive system includes a first dynamoelectric drive motor having a first rotor shaft radially mounted on a housing at two bearing points; a superimposing transmission and a power divider having a first power divider shaft driving a first output shaft, and having a second power divider shaft driving a second output shaft; the power divider shafts, the output shafts and the first rotor shaft rotationally mounted about a common axis of rotation oriented transversely to the direction of travel. A transmission input shaft is connected to the first rotor shaft for co-rotation therewith; at one end facing the first rotor shaft, the transmission input shaft is radially mounted on the housing at a further bearing point; the first rotor shaft and the transmission input shaft are intercoupled axially displaceably; the first and the second output shafts are each mounted relative to the housing by a radial bearing and relative to each other by another radial bearing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2013
    Publication date: June 4, 2015
    Inventor: Tomas Smetana
  • Publication number: 20150151634
    Abstract: An electric axle for a vehicle, including an electric motor, a reduction gear section, a torque-distributing differential and two output shafts, where the electric motor, the torque-distributing differential and the two output shafts are disposed coaxially with a main transmission axis, and where the electric motor generates a drive torque which is reduced by the reduction gear section and distributed to the two output shafts via the torque-distributing differential, and further including a differential mechanism. The torque-distributing differential is designed as a planetary differential, and the differential mechanism is operatively connected to the torque-distributing differential via a shaft means disposed coaxially with the main transmission axis. The differential mechanism makes it possible to vary a speed difference and/or torque difference between the output shafts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2013
    Publication date: June 4, 2015
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventor: Tomas Smetana
  • Patent number: 9033837
    Abstract: A planetary gear and a drive unit having the planetary gear, the planetary gear being characterized by very good integratability. For this purpose, a planetary gear (5) for transmitting a drive torque in a vehicle is proposed, having a first sun wheel attachment (12a) and a second sun wheel attachment (12b), each of the sun wheel attachments (12a, b) being coupled to a shaft (2a, b) in a rotationally fixed manner, and the sun wheel attachments (12a, b) being rotatable relative to one another, and the sun wheel attachments (12a, b) being situated in an overlapping area (11), overlapping in the radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Tomas Smetana, Philip Wurzberger
  • Patent number: 9022890
    Abstract: A transmission device or an electric axle which has improved operational characteristics compared to known solutions. Said aim is achieved by providing a transmission device (1) including an electric motor (3) provided with a rotor (6), a planetary gear (4) provided with at least one sun gear (9), and a shaft arrangement (7,8), the rotor (6) being coupled in a rotationally fixed manner to the sun gear (9) by the shaft arrangement (7, 8). The shaft arrangement (7,8) includes at least one compensation interface (21) which is designed such that it is possible to change the distance and/or tilting between the motor (6) and sun wheel (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Tomas Smetana, Philip Wurzberger
  • Patent number: 8979699
    Abstract: A planetary gear system having at least two planetary steps, each of which is made up of at least one set of planets and one sun, whereby the teeth of the gearwheels in the planetary drive mesh with each other in such a way that, in each of the meshing points, at least one first tooth on a first toothing of first teeth positively engages into a tooth gap of a second toothing of second teeth. First teeth of the first toothing have a tooth flank profile concavely arched, and second teeth of the second toothing have a tooth flank profile convexly arched, so that the tooth flanks in contact with each other are arched in the same directions, at least when in contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Thorsten Biermann, Tomas Smetana, Florian Doerrfuss
  • Patent number: 8974341
    Abstract: A drive device having at least one electric machine, a gearbox, a differential which can be driven by the electric machine by means of the gearbox, at least one torque-fixed first operative connection between a first drive shaft of the electric machine and the gearbox.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Tomas Smetana, Philip Wurzberger
  • Patent number: 8967303
    Abstract: A displaceable system is provided including at least one set of at least two wheels arranged in pairs for movement in a plane, the set being disposed on at least one wheel axle parallel to the plane. A single electric drive motor, a differential having variable torque distribution, and an electric servomotor are provided on the wheel axle for both wheels of a set. The electrical servomotor acts on the differential such that the torque generated by the single electric drive motor is distributed within the wheel axle individually to the wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Tomas Smetana, Raphael Fischer, Bernd Gombert
  • Publication number: 20150057122
    Abstract: A drive device for a vehicle is provided having an electric motor for generating a drive torque for the vehicle having a reduction gear section; the reduction gear section being operatively connected to the electric motor and reducing the drive torque; having a power divider section operatively connected to the reduction gear section; the power divider section distributing the reduced drive torque to the two output shafts; the power divider section and the reduction gear section being configured coaxially to a main transmission axis; and the power divider section being configured as a planetary gear set, a planetary drive being associated with each of the output shafts; the planetary gears of the two planetary drives being configured on a common planetary-gear carrier in a common pitch-circle diameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2013
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: Schaeffler Technologies GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Tomas Smetana
  • Patent number: 8950289
    Abstract: A controlled axial biasing unit (1) is provided which substantially includes a first ramp disk (11) and a second ramp disk (12), each of which disks is configured with a plurality of ramp contours (8). An annular cage (2) that carries a plurality of rolling elements (3) is inserted between the first ramp disk (11) and the second ramp disk (12). At least the first ramp disk (11), the second ramp disk (12) and the cage (2) are made by a shaping method without chip removal. Each of the first ramp disk (11) and the second ramp disk (12) is configured with a continuous wall (32). Likewise through this shaping method, the first ramp disk (11) and the second ramp disk (12) have on an outer periphery (UA) an integrally formed safety stop device (14) for respective end positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Norbert Radinger, Tomas Smetana, Fritz Wiesinger
  • Publication number: 20140349802
    Abstract: A pinion shaft bearing arrangement including a pinion shaft, which is mounted by means of at least two rolling bearings in a pinion shaft housing, the pinion shaft bearing housing being a bearing cartridge, having running surface formed on the inner circumference for the rolling elements of the rolling bearings. The pinion shaft housing is sealed in the direction of the pinion shaft by means of a sealing element, and a first lubricant channel is provided in the region between the rolling bearings and a second lubricant channel is provided in the region in front of the sealing element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO. KG
    Inventors: Frank Steiner, Ramon Jurjanz, Tomas Smetana
  • Patent number: 8850911
    Abstract: A preload unit module, which has at least one ramp disk and a cage, which carries a plurality of rolling bodies that are held axially against one another in a positively locking fashion. The cage is rotationally pivotable relative to the at least one ramp disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Ramon Jurjanz, Fritz Wiesinger, Tomas Smetana
  • Publication number: 20140260788
    Abstract: The invention addresses the objective of providing a gearbox device with an actively cooled oil sump area. For this purpose a gearbox device is disclosed, including: a gearbox section 7, the gearbox section 7 being designed as a power-transmitting device; a gearbox housing section 13, said gearbox section 7 being arranged in a gearbox interior 16 of the gearbox housing section 13 and cooled and/or lubricated in the gearbox housing section 13 by a gearbox oil, and an oil sump area 11 for receiving the gearbox oil from the gearbox housing section 13, the oil sump area 11 being cooled by at least one cooling channel 19, the gearbox device having a partition wall 20 between the oil sump area 11 and the gearbox interior 16 so that these form two separate chambers, and including a passage area 21 connecting the two separate chambers fluidically to one another, so that the oil sump area 11 is constructed as a dry-sump area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Schaeffler Technologies GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Tomas Smetana
  • Publication number: 20140235394
    Abstract: A drive unit (1) including an electric motor (2) and a first planetary drive (7) with a first shifting clutch (3) for selecting a first connection between the electric motor (2) and a driven element (6) of the drive unit, and with a second shifting clutch (4) for selecting a second connection between the electric motor (2) and the driven element (6). A transmission connection is formed between the electric motor (2) and the first shifting clutch (3) by the first planetary drive (7).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: Schaeffler Technologies GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Tomas Smetana, Philip Wurzberger
  • Publication number: 20140123794
    Abstract: A shifting device including at least one coupling device, a shaft, a sliding sleeve-of the coupling device which is arranged in an axially moveable and rotationally fixed manner on the shaft and an actuator arrangement of the coupling device for axially moving the sliding sleeve. At least one coupling toothing is associated with the coupling element which can rotate about a rotational axis with respect to the shaft and a counter toothing corresponding to the coupling toothing is associated with the sliding sleeve in a rotationally fixed manner. At least one annular actuator element of the actuator arrangement surrounds the periphery of the sliding sleeve about the rotational axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Tomas Smetana
  • Publication number: 20140106930
    Abstract: A drive device having at least one electric machine, a gearbox, a differential which can be driven by the electric machine by means of the gearbox, at least one torque-fixed first operative connection between a first drive shaft of the electric machine and the gearbox.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Tomas Smetana, Philip Wurzberger
  • Publication number: 20140087908
    Abstract: An oil retaining plate for attachment to a planetary gear carrier. The oil retaining plate forms an annular pocket that is open toward the planetary gear carrier and has base wall sections that bulge radially outward to the radial level of the planetary gear axes of the planetary gear carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO. KG
    Inventors: Tomas Smetana, Ramon Jurjanz
  • Publication number: 20140066247
    Abstract: A transmission device or an electric axle which has improved operational characteristics compared to known solutions. Said aim is achieved by providing a transmission device (1) including an electric motor (3) provided with a rotor (6), a planetary gear (4) provided with at least one sun gear (9), and a shaft arrangement (7,8), the rotor (6) being coupled in a rotationally fixed manner to the sun gear (9) by the shaft arrangement (7, 8). The shaft arrangement (7,8) includes at least one compensation interface (21) which is designed such that it is possible to change the distance and/or tilting between the motor (6) and sun wheel (9).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Tomas Smetana, Philip Wurzberger
  • Publication number: 20140062229
    Abstract: A drive device having an electric drive. A drive device (1) includes at least one housing (15), at least one electric drive, the electric drive having a rotor arrangement with a rotor shaft (7) which is designed for rotation about a rotational axis (17), and a bearing arrangement (14 a,b) for mounting the rotor arrangement. The bearing arrangement (14 a,b) supports the rotor arrangement in relation to the rotational axis (17) radially inwardly, the bearing arrangement (14a,b) supporting the rotor shaft in relation to a support section (15, 16) that is fixed to the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Tomas Smetana