Patents by Inventor Wolfgang Eulerich
Wolfgang Eulerich 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).
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Patent number: 11815128Abstract: A ball joint, in particular a chassis joint, which has a housing and a ball socket that comprises a ball bearing section for receiving a joint ball. An anti-rotation member prevents movement of the ball socket within the housing. To improve operational performance of the ball joint, the anti-rotation member is formed by a connecting element of the housing and a mating connecting element of the ball socket. The connecting elements have corresponding holding profiles so that, in an assembled condition, the connecting elements form a shape-enclosing plug-in connection.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2019Date of Patent: November 14, 2023Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventors: Michael Hahn, Wolfgang Eulerich, Manfred Heidemann
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Patent number: 11414144Abstract: A method for producing a vehicle component (10), in which a joint housing (1) is inserted in a predetermined insertion direction (13) into a through-hole (12) of a structural component (11). The insertion of the joint housing (1) into the through-hole (12) in the insertion direction (13) terminates when an stop element (6) of the joint housing (1) abuts against the structural component (11). After the insertion, the joint housing (1) is connected to the structural component (11) in a materially-merged manner. To reduce the complexity and/or the production costs, the method includes the joint housing (1) being inserted into the through-hole (12) with its housing bottom (4) first.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2018Date of Patent: August 16, 2022Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventors: Marcel Ahlbrand, Wolfgang Eulerich
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Publication number: 20220003266Abstract: A ball joint, in particular a chassis joint, which has a housing and a ball socket that comprises a ball bearing section for receiving a joint ball. An anti-rotation member prevents movement of the ball socket within the housing. To improve operational performance of the ball joint, the anti-rotation member is formed by a connecting element of the housing and a mating connecting element of the ball socket. The connecting elements have corresponding holding profiles so that, in an assembled condition, the connecting elements form a shape-enclosing plug-in connection.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2019Publication date: January 6, 2022Inventors: Michael HAHN, Wolfgang EULERICH, Manfred HEIDEMANN
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Publication number: 20210147019Abstract: A method for producing a vehicle component (10), in which a joint housing (1) is inserted in a predetermined insertion direction (13) into a through-hole (12) of a structural component (11). The insertion of the joint housing (1) into the through-hole (12) in the insertion direction (13) terminates when an stop element (6) of the joint housing (1) abuts against the structural component (11). After the insertion, the joint housing (1) is connected to the structural component (11) in a materially-merged manner. To reduce the complexity and/or the production costs, the method includes the joint housing (1) being inserted into the through-hole (12) with its housing bottom (4) first.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 16, 2018Publication date: May 20, 2021Inventors: Marcel AHLBRAND, Wolfgang EULERICH
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Patent number: 10570951Abstract: A method of producing a chassis module (1) with a structural component (3) having a through-going aperture (5) into which a ball joint housing (7) is inserted. An outer periphery of the ball joint housing (7) is connected all round to an edge section (9) of the aperture (5) by a first material-cohesive joining (11) without a filler. In order to stabilize the ball joint housing (7) in the aperture (5), the ball joint housing (7) is additionally connected all round to an inner wall section (13) of the aperture (5) at a location spaced away from the edge section (9), by a second material-cohesive joining (15) without a filler. The chassis module (1) is produced by the method, and the chassis module is in the form of a flanged connector (1) or a multi-point link.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2016Date of Patent: February 25, 2020Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AGInventors: Wolfgang Eulerich, Andreas Welzel, Guido Kohlbrecher
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Publication number: 20180163775Abstract: A ball joint having a housing, an opening and an inner circumferential surface facing the opening and extending around a longitudinal axis. The housing holds a ball socket that opens toward the opening and has an overlap region that is inclined radially inward, in the direction of the opening, and which, with the circumferential surface, delimits an annular space. A ball pin having a joint ball is mounted in the socket and extends out of the housing through the opening. A locking ring is inserted into the annular space and fixed axially between the socket and an inner shoulder located adjacent the opening. An outer circumferential surface of the locking ring abuts the circumferential surface and a surface which abuts an area of the overlap region and which is inclined inwardly toward the longitudinal axis in the direction of the pin opening. The locking ring is an open ring.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2016Publication date: June 14, 2018Inventors: Jürgen GRÄBER, Harold HOPKINSON, Wolfgang EULERICH
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Publication number: 20170129040Abstract: A method of producing a chassis component which includes a housing that is connected to a structural component by a weld. A receiving opening is formed in the structural component and the housing is pushed into the receiving opening, where a surface on the housing and a surface on the structural component are in contact with one another. At least one of the two surfaces in contact is formed as an oblique surface relative to the other of the two surfaces so that, before welding, a line contact exists between the two surfaces. Alternatively, the receiving opening in the structural component can be made slightly undersize relative to the housing geometry that is pushed into the receiving opening.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 19, 2015Publication date: May 11, 2017Inventors: Wolfgang EULERICH, Andreas WELZEL, Guido KOHLBRECHER
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Publication number: 20160281772Abstract: A method of producing a chassis module (1) with a structural component (3) having a through-going aperture (5) into which a ball joint housing (7) is inserted. An outer periphery of the ball joint housing (7) is connected all round to an edge section (9) of the aperture (5) by a first material-cohesive joining (11) without a filler. In order to stabilize the ball joint housing (7) in the aperture (5), the ball joint housing (7) is additionally connected all round to an inner wall section (13) of the aperture (5) at a location spaced away from the edge section (9), by a second material-cohesive joining (15) without a filler. The chassis module (1) is produced by the method, and the chassis module is in the form of a flanged connector (1) or a multi-point link.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 23, 2016Publication date: September 29, 2016Inventors: Wolfgang EULERICH, Andreas WELZEL, Guido KOHLBRECHER
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Patent number: 9175720Abstract: A ball joint with a ball pin and a steel ball pin with a joint ball. The ball joint and ball pin are suitable for use when, for example, solid-on-solid friction predominates under high static pre-loading or high operational loads and with small joint movements. A portion of the surface of the ball pin has surface layer hardening in order to increase a fatigue strength of the ball pin. The ball pin and the ball joint, on portion of the ball pin without the any surface layer hardened, includes a nitrided layer as wear protection. The ball pin and the ball joint provide an advantageous combination of high fatigue strength, good corrosion protection and high wear-resistance. The nitrided layer of ball joints, previously only regarded as improving corrosion protection, also functions as a wear protection. Thus, these ball pins overcome the mutual exclusion between surface layer hardening and nitriding.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2012Date of Patent: November 3, 2015Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventors: Dirk Adamczyk, Wolfgang Kleiner, Klaus Pape, Wolfgang Eulerich, Martin Rechtien, Thomas Wiegmann, Manfred Heidemann, Jochen Kruse, Johannes Tabor, Rainer Jasper, Ulrich Schefzyk
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Publication number: 20130071175Abstract: A ball joint with a ball pin and a steel ball pin with a joint ball. The ball joint and ball pin are suitable for use when, for example, solid-on-solid friction predominates under high static pre-loading or high operational loads and with small joint movements. A portion of the surface of the ball pin has surface layer hardening in order to increase a fatigue strength of the ball pin. The ball pin and the ball joint, on portion of the ball pin without the any surface layer hardened, includes a nitrided layer as wear protection. The ball pin and the ball joint provide an advantageous combination of high fatigue strength, good corrosion protection and high wear-resistance. The nitrided layer of ball joints, previously only regarded as improving corrosion protection, also functions as a wear protection. Thus, these ball pins overcome the mutual exclusion between surface layer hardening and nitriding.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 30, 2012Publication date: March 21, 2013Applicant: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AGInventors: Dirk Adamczyk, Wolfgang Kleiner, Klaus Pape, Wolfgang Eulerich, Martin Rechtien, Thomas Wiegmann, Manfred Heidemann, Jochen Kruse, Johannes Tabor, Rainer Jasper, Ulrich Schefzyk