Patents by Inventor Wilhelm Härdtle

Wilhelm Härdtle 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: 7445582
    Abstract: A method for the control of an actuator of a starting clutch of a motor vehicle. The actuator is so regulated by a control apparatus that the starting clutch is closed upon the presence of a desire for starting, as well as closed by an adjusted, transmission ratio, and the clutch is opened upon the termination of the starting procedure. For the freeing of a vehicle from a roadway obstruction by way of a rocking process of the vehicle, it is proposed that the starting clutch, during a starting procedure and by way of control of the actuation actuator, is operated in a fully automatic manner in such a way, that the torque (M_K) periodically varies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Wilhelm Härdtle
  • Patent number: 7419455
    Abstract: An apparatus and a process for the prevention of the rollback of a vehicle with a vehicle braking system (18), wherein a braking system (18) comprises a vehicle brake pressure modifying apparatus (20); a device (28, 34, 36) which are enabled to recognize a forward movement of the vehicle, and a brake control apparatus (16), which is connected to the vehicle brake pressure modifying apparatus (20) and the device (28). There is generated in the control apparatus (16) a signal which, upon a standstill of the vehicle, activates a brake and sensor combination (8, 28) which acts upon a transmission (2) of the vehicle, the brake and the sensor combination (8, 28) being supplementary to the brakes of the vehicle brake system (18) and, upon a recognition of a forward motion of the vehicle, the braking fluid pressure in the vehicle brake pressure modifying apparatus (20) is reduced and thus the brake and the sensor combination (8, 28) acting upon the transmission is released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Wilhelm Härdtle, Manfred Schwab
  • Patent number: 7032730
    Abstract: A vehicle gearbox (2) comprises a centrally operating device (28) for releasing the clutch (6), which is provided between the clutch disc and the clutch bell housing of the gearbox (2). A transmission control unit (22) provided on or in the gearbox (2) is both electrically connected directly with the device (28) and the medium for actuating the clutch (6) is received directly from the transmission control unit (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Wilhelm Härdtle
  • Patent number: 6687586
    Abstract: In a method for determining evaluation data for transmissions in vehicles, data is measured in the vehicle via sensors, the measured data is used to form intermediate data specific to the vehicle and then, from the measured data and the intermediate data, evaluation data is determined which is shown, stored or transmitted to a data collecting station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Wilhelm Härdtle, Christoph Rüchardt
  • Patent number: 6626796
    Abstract: A motor vehicle (2) has a transmission (6) with an automated clutch (8) with a control device (20), a gas pedal, a brake pedal and an actuating element (28, 30, 32) which is released for activating an inching procedure. In the method for determining a defined inching procedure, time is measured by the actuating element (28, 30, 32) after the inching procedure has been activated and, after a reference value has been exceeded, the inching procedure starts at a predeterminable speed as long as neither the brake pedal nor the gas pedal has been activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Inventors: Manfred Schwab, Wilhelm Härdtle