Patents by Inventor Warren Smook

Warren Smook 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: 12680532
    Abstract: A housing for a wind turbine gearbox, including at least two bolt eyes for receiving a respective bolt for fixing a housing in a nacelle-fixing means. In each case two bolt eyes are mirror-symmetrical to each other with respect to a first longitudinal plane. The bolt eyes are arranged entirely on a same side of a second longitudinal plane which runs orthogonally to the first longitudinal plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2026
    Assignees: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG, ZF WIND POWER ANTWERPEN N.V.
    Inventors: Warren Smook, Sven Moers, Alf Trede
  • Publication number: 20260177034
    Abstract: A mounting system for a drive train of a wind turbine on a nacelle of the wind turbine. The mounting system includes a rotor bearing housing, a stationary component, and a first bearing. The first bearing is mounted in the rotor bearing housing for rotatably supporting a rotor shaft of the drive train. The rotor bearing housing is configured to be mounted to a machine support structure of the nacelle. The mounting system is configured to fix the rotor shaft to the stationary component for removal of the first bearing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2025
    Publication date: June 25, 2026
    Inventor: Warren SMOOK
  • Publication number: 20260168478
    Abstract: A drive train for a wind turbine includes a nacelle having a machine support structure, a generator, a gearbox disposed radially within the generator, and a rotor bearing housing configured to be mounted to the machine support structure of the nacelle. At least one bearing for rotatably supporting the rotor shaft is mountable in the rotor bearing housing. The gearbox is mountable to the machine support structure via the rotor bearing housing. The generator is mountable to the machine support structure via the rotor bearing housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2025
    Publication date: June 18, 2026
    Inventor: Warren SMOOK
  • Publication number: 20260104034
    Abstract: A bearing arrangement for a gearbox has at least one planet carrier, a stationary element, and a bearing. The at least one planet carrier has a first end region and an axially opposite second end region. The first end region is configured to be permanently connected to a shaft for conjoint rotation. The second end region forms a first bearing region, on which the bearing is supported by a radial outer side. The stationary element forms a second bearing region, on which the bearing is supported by a radial inner side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2025
    Publication date: April 16, 2026
    Inventor: Warren SMOOK
  • Patent number: 12553496
    Abstract: An arrangement including a planetary stage, a shaft, a connecting element that forms a rotationally fixed connection of a planet carrier of the planetary stage to the shaft and is configured to be flexible with respect to tiltings of the planet carrier relative to the shaft, and a center axis of a ring gear of the planetary stage that is tilted relative to an axis of rotation of the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2026
    Assignees: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG, ZF WIND POWER ANTWERPEN N.V.
    Inventor: Warren Smook
  • Patent number: 12546388
    Abstract: An arrangement, including a gearbox, a generator, an intermediate shaft configured as a hollow shaft which is mounted at least partially in a housing of the gearbox, wherein a rotor of the generator is non-rotatably connected to the intermediate shaft and is supported by the intermediate shaft, and an intermediate piece arranged at least partially in the intermediate shaft. An output shaft of the gearbox is non-rotatably and detachably connected to the intermediate piece. The intermediate piece is non-rotatably and detachably connected to the intermediate shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2026
    Assignees: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG, ZF WIND POWER ANTWERPEN N.V.
    Inventors: Warren Smook, Burkhard Lips, Sven Moers
  • Patent number: 12467435
    Abstract: A drive arrangement for a wind turbine includes a main shaft, a housing, and a nacelle-mounted support structure. The main shaft of the drive arrangement for the wind turbine is completely supported in the housing. The housing of the drive arrangement for the wind turbine is at least partially resiliently mounted in the support structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2025
    Assignees: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG, ZF WIND POWER ANTWERPEN N.V.
    Inventor: Warren Smook
  • Publication number: 20250198389
    Abstract: A housing for a wind turbine gearbox, including at least two bolt eyes for receiving a respective bolt for fixing a housing in a nacelle-fixing means. In each case two bolt eyes are mirror-symmetrical to each other with respect to a first longitudinal plane. The bolt eyes are arranged entirely on a same side of a second longitudinal plane which runs orthogonally to the first longitudinal plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2023
    Publication date: June 19, 2025
    Inventors: Warren SMOOK, Sven MOERS, Alf TREDE
  • Publication number: 20250198467
    Abstract: An arrangement including a first planetary stage and a second planetary stage. A sun shaft of the first planetary stage is connected to a planet carrier of the second planetary stage for conjoint rotation by a spline joint. A web of the planet carrier is arranged axially between planet gears of the first planetary stage and planet gears of the second planetary stage. The spline joint is axially spaced apart from the web.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2023
    Publication date: June 19, 2025
    Inventors: Warren SMOOK, Sven MOERS
  • Publication number: 20250198483
    Abstract: An arrangement including a planetary stage, a shaft, a connecting element that forms a rotationally fixed connection of a planet carrier of the planetary stage to the shaft and is configured to be flexible with respect to tiltings of the planet carrier relative to the shaft, and a center axis of a ring gear of the planetary stage that is tilted relative to an axis of rotation of the shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Publication date: June 19, 2025
    Inventor: Warren SMOOK
  • Patent number: 12221953
    Abstract: A drive arrangement for a wind turbine includes a sun shaft, which is non-rotatably connected or connectable to a sun gear arranged on a rotor side with respect to the sun shaft, and a shaft or hub for receiving a rotor of a generator. The drive arrangement includes a connecting element, which is connected non-rotatably to the sun shaft and the shaft or hub and which is arranged inside the shaft or hub or on a generator side relative to the shaft or hub, and one or more spring and/or damping elements that decouple the connecting element from the sun shaft and/or the shaft or hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignees: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG, ZF WIND POWER ANTWERPEN N.V.
    Inventor: Warren Smook
  • Publication number: 20240410461
    Abstract: An arrangement, including a gearbox, a generator, an intermediate shaft configured as a hollow shaft which is mounted at least partially in a housing of the gearbox, wherein a rotor of the generator is non-rotatably connected to the intermediate shaft and is supported by the intermediate shaft, and an intermediate piece arranged at least partially in the intermediate shaft. An output shaft of the gearbox is non-rotatably and detachably connected to the intermediate piece. The intermediate piece is non-rotatably and detachably connected to the intermediate shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Publication date: December 12, 2024
    Inventors: Warren Smook, Burkhard Lips, Sven Moers
  • Publication number: 20240167459
    Abstract: A drive arrangement for a wind turbine includes a main shaft, a housing, and a nacelle-mounted support structure. The main shaft of the drive arrangement for the wind turbine is completely supported in the housing. The housing of the drive arrangement for the wind turbine is at least partially resiliently mounted in the support structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2022
    Publication date: May 23, 2024
    Inventor: Warren Smook
  • Publication number: 20240151210
    Abstract: A drive arrangement for a wind turbine includes a sun shaft, which is non-rotatably connected or connectable to a sun gear arranged on a rotor side with respect to the sun shaft, and a shaft or hub for receiving a rotor of a generator. The drive arrangement includes a connecting element, which is connected non-rotatably to the sun shaft and the shaft or hub and which is arranged inside the shaft or hub or on a generator side relative to the shaft or hub, and one or more spring and/or damping elements that decouple the connecting element from the sun shaft and/or the shaft or hub.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Inventor: Warren Smook
  • Patent number: 11913538
    Abstract: A wind turbine transmission including a first planetary stage and a second planetary stage, wherein a sun gear of the first planetary stage and a planet carrier of the second planetary stage are interconnected for conjoint rotation by means of a spline joint, the sun gear integrally forms an internal toothing, and a first web of the planet carrier or a sun shaft integrally connected to the first web integrally forms an external toothing of the spline joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignees: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG, ZF WIND POWER ANTWERPEN N.V.
    Inventor: Warren Smook
  • Publication number: 20230250871
    Abstract: A wind turbine transmission including a first planetary stage and a second planetary stage, wherein a sun gear of the first planetary stage and a planet carrier of the second planetary stage are interconnected for conjoint rotation by means of a spline joint, the sun gear integrally forms an internal toothing, and a first web of the planet carrier or a sun shaft integrally connected to the first web integrally forms an external toothing of the spline joint.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Inventor: Warren SMOOK
  • Patent number: 11073193
    Abstract: A planetary carrier includes a first cheek, a second cheek, at least one pin, and at least one bushing. A first axial end of the pin is fixed in the first cheek, and a first axial end of the bushing is fixed in the second cheek. At least a portion of the pin protrudes into the bushing, and a second axial end of the pin is fixed in the bushing. A second axial end of the bushing is free-floating, and the bushing forms at least a first cavity and a second cavity. The portion of the pin that protrudes into the bushing protrudes into the first cavity. The bushing forms a wall that separates the first cavity and the second cavity from each other and at least one stiffening rib extends through the second cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignees: ZF Friedrichshafen AG, ZF Wind Power Antwerpen N.V.
    Inventor: Warren Smook
  • Publication number: 20210172509
    Abstract: A series of transmissions includes a first transmission and a second transmission. The transmissions each have a first planetary stage and a second planetary stage. The first planetary stage and the second planetary stage each have a ring gear, a planetary carrier with one or more planetary gears and a sun gear. A width of the planetary gears of the first planetary stage of the first transmission is smaller than a width of the planetary gears of the first planetary stage of the second transmission. A width of the planetary gears of the second planetary stage of the first transmission is smaller than a width of the planetary gears of the second planetary stage of the second transmission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Inventor: Warren Smook
  • Patent number: 10995822
    Abstract: A series of transmissions includes a first transmission, a second transmission, a third transmission, and a fourth transmission. Each of the first, second, third and fourth transmissions has a first planetary stage and a second planetary stage. The first planetary stage and the second planetary stage in each case have an internal gear, a sun gear, a planetary carrier, and one or more planetary gears. The planetary carriers of the first planetary stages of the first transmission and of the second transmission are structurally identical. The planetary carriers of the first planetary stages of the third transmission and of the fourth transmission are structurally identical. A width of teeth of the planetary gears of the first planetary stage of the first transmission is smaller than a width of teeth of the planetary gears of the first planetary stage of the second transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignees: ZF Friedrichshafen AG, ZF Wind Power Antwerpen N.V.
    Inventor: Warren Smook
  • Publication number: 20200332859
    Abstract: A planetary carrier includes a first cheek, a second cheek, at least one pin, and at least one bushing. A first axial end of the pin is fixed in the first cheek, and a first axial end of the bushing is fixed in the second cheek. At least a portion of the pin protrudes into the bushing, and a second axial end of the pin is fixed in the bushing. A second axial end of the bushing is free-floating, and the bushing forms at least a first cavity and a second cavity. The portion of the pin that protrudes into the bushing protrudes into the first cavity. The bushing forms a wall that separates the first cavity and the second cavity from each other and at least one stiffening rib extends through the second cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Inventor: Warren Smook