Patents by Inventor Walter Hepperle

Walter Hepperle 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: 10788098
    Abstract: The invention relates to clutch disc comprising a torsional vibration damper which has an inlet part and an outlet part and a spring device operatively arranged in the peripheral direction between the input part and the output part, wherein the spring device is formed from the first and second spring elements connected behind one another and separated by an intermediate flange, and a centrifugal pendulum which has a pendulum mass carrier arranged about an axis of rotation of the clutch disc and pendulum masses accommodated on same on pendulum paths for oscillation and arranged in a distributed manner over the periphery. In order to improve the insulation effect of the torsional vibration damper and the centrifugal pendulum and/or better adjust same to the required application, the pendulum mass carrier is coupled for conjoint rotation with the intermediate flange and centrally accommodated on the output part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO. KG
    Inventors: Uwe Weller, Steffen Lehmann, Alain Rusch, Evgenij Franz, Walter Hepperle
  • Patent number: 10072727
    Abstract: A drive train is disclosed that includes an engine operable in a first engine operating state and a second engine operating state and a torsional-vibration damping system operatively connected to the engine. The torsional-vibration damping system includes a first torsional-vibration damper having a primary inertial mass and a secondary inertial mass, a second torsional-vibration damper, a first centrifugal pendulum arranged on the secondary inertial mass of the first torsional-vibration damper, and a second centrifugal pendulum arranged on the second torsional-vibration damper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Hartmut Mende, Walter Hepperle, Roland Seebacher
  • Publication number: 20180245664
    Abstract: The invention relates to clutch disc comprising a torsional vibration damper which has an inlet part and an outlet part and a spring device operatively arranged in the peripheral direction between the input part and the output part, wherein the spring device is formed from the first and second spring elements connected behind one another and separated by an intermediate flange, and a centrifugal pendulum which has a pendulum mass carrier arranged about an axis of rotation of the clutch disc and pendulum masses accommodated on same on pendulum paths for oscillation and arranged in a distributed manner over the periphery. In order to improve the insulation effect of the torsional vibration damper and the centrifugal pendulum and/or better adjust same to the required application, the pendulum mass carrier is coupled for conjoint rotation with the intermediate flange and centrally accommodated on the output part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2016
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO. KG
    Inventors: Uwe WELLER, Steffen LEHMANN, Alain RUSCH, Evgenij FRANZ, Walter HEPPERLE
  • Publication number: 20180172110
    Abstract: A drive train is disclosed that includes an engine operable in a first engine operating state and a second engine operating state and a torsional-vibration damping system operatively connected to the engine. The torsional-vibration damping system includes a first torsional-vibration damper having a primary inertial mass and a secondary inertial mass, a second torsional-vibration damper, a first centrifugal pendulum arranged on the secondary inertial mass of the first torsional-vibration damper, and a second centrifugal pendulum arranged on the second torsional-vibration damper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2018
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Applicant: Schaeffler Technologies GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Hartmut Mende, Walter Hepperle, Roland Seebacher
  • Patent number: 9574615
    Abstract: A centrifugal pendulum and a clutch disk with a pendulum flange provided thereon, rotational about an axis of rotation, and several pendulum weights distributed over the circumference and received on the pendulum flange in a pivotal fashion. In order to at least reduce noise development due to mass momentum of inertia acting here caused by the centrifugal pendulum, the pendulum flange is received on a rotational part, rotating on an axis of rotation, and a friction clutch is effectively arranged between the pendulum flange and said part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Alain Rusch, Steffen Lehmann, Walter Hepperle
  • Publication number: 20140298952
    Abstract: A drive train including an internal combustion engine having a predefined number of cylinders, and operable in a first engine operating state in which all cylinders are in operation, and a second operating state in which some of the cylinders are not in operation. The drive train has a torsional-vibration damping system with at least one torsional-vibration damper and at least one centrifugal-force pendulum. In order to improve the torsional-vibration behavior of the drive train, a centrifugal-force pendulum and optionally a torsional-vibration damper are adapted to control torsional-vibration behavior of the engine in one operating state, and a torsional-vibration damper and optionally a second centrifugal-force pendulum are adapted to control the torsional-vibration behavior of the engine in the other engine operating state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2012
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: Schaeffler Technologies GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Hartmut Mende, Walter Hepperle, Roland Seebacher
  • Publication number: 20140182993
    Abstract: A centrifugal pendulum and a clutch disk with a pendulum flange provided thereon, rotational about an axis of rotation, and several pendulum weights distributed over the circumference and received on the pendulum flange in a pivotal fashion. In order to at least reduce noise development due to mass momentum of inertia acting here caused by the centrifugal pendulum, the pendulum flange is received on a rotational part, rotating on an axis of rotation, and a friction clutch is effectively arranged between the pendulum flange and said part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Alain Rusch, Steffen Lehmann, Walter Hepperle