The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 30, 2009
Filed:
Oct. 22, 2005
Uwe Steinkamp, Osnabrück, DE;
Martin Kornhage, Merzen, DE;
Alfons Hegemann, Merzen, DE;
ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Friedrichshafen, DE;
Abstract
A load-sensing system is provided with at least one ball and socket joint and a ball and socket joint for load sensing is provided. The ball and socket joint of the load-sensing system has a joint housing, in which the joint ball of a ball pivot () can be received in a slidingly movable manner. The ball pivot () comprises a shaft area and a joint ball, a load-sensing means () being arranged in the shaft area of the ball pivot. The load-sensing system is characterized according to the present invention by an evaluating means, which is set up such that the signals of the load-sensing means () are output as a vector in a cartesian coordinate system. The load sensing makes it possible to reliably determine the operating or load state not only of individual components but rather of entire assembly units of a motor vehicle and with which the vehicle dynamics can be adjusted.