Patents by Inventor Rainer Bentz

Rainer Bentz 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: 9404408
    Abstract: In an internal-combustion engine exhaust gas system, a storage tank stores the reducing agent, a supply pipe connects the storage tank to a metering unit which introduces the reducing agent into the exhaust gas system. A pump mechanism within the supply pipe conveys the reducing agent. A pressure sensor detects the pressure in the supply pipe downstream of the pump, and a pressure-releasing device has a return pipe connected to the storage tank and comes off the supply pipe. A first valve system is arranged in the supply pipe. A section of the return pipe is located at a higher level than the return pipe to form a storage volume for air present in the supply pipe. A second valve system is arranged in the supply pipe to create, when the second valve system is closed, a storage volume for pressurized reducing agent by way of this pipe branch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Peter Bauer, Rainer Bentz, Hermann Ketterl
  • Patent number: 8555618
    Abstract: In a method for adapting the reducing agent feed in an exhaust gas aftertreatment system having an SCR catalyst for removing nitrogen oxides from the exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine and at least one reducing agent feed device, the minimum opening time of the reducing agent feed device is determined during operation and while suspending nitrogen emission, carrying out the following steps: a) the opening time of the reducing agent feed device is gradually prolonged until b) a reducing agent-sensitive sensor in the exhaust gas aftertreatment system detects a reducing agent signal. An exhaust gas aftertreatment system is designed accordingly for carrying out the method and a device is designed for controlling an exhaust gas aftertreatment system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Bauer, Rainer Bentz, Joris Fokkelman, Joachim Frank, Hermann Ketterl, Ingo Koops, Robert Leinfelder
  • Patent number: 8397491
    Abstract: A device (4) for introducing a liquid reducing agent (5) into an exhaust gas (6) of a combustion system (2) has a reservoir (20), a discharge element (23) for discharging the liquid reducing agent (5) into the exhaust gas (6), a feed line (22), interposed between the reservoir (20) and the discharge element (23), a delivery element (26) arranged in the feed line (22) for delivering the liquid reducing agent (5) in a direction of delivery (29) from the reservoir (20) to the discharge element (23). The feed line (22) is associated with a controllable venting element (34) upstream of the delivery element (26), the discharge element (23) is connected to the reservoir (20) via a return line (32) and a controllable shut-off element (36) is arranged in the return line (32).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Bauer, Rainer Bentz, Joachim Frank, Hermann Ketterl
  • Publication number: 20110047972
    Abstract: In an internal-combustion engine exhaust gas system, a storage tank stores the reducing agent, a supply pipe connects the storage tank to a metering unit which introduces the reducing agent into the exhaust gas system. A pump mechanism within the supply pipe conveys the reducing agent. A pressure sensor detects the pressure in the supply pipe downstream of the pump, and a pressure-releasing device has a return pipe connected to the storage tank and comes off the supply pipe. A first valve system is arranged in the supply pipe. A section of the return pipe is located at a higher level than the return pipe to form a storage volume for air present in the supply pipe. A second valve system is arranged in the supply pipe to create, when the second valve system is closed, a storage volume for pressurized reducing agent by way of this pipe branch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Inventors: Peter Bauer, Rainer Bentz, Hermann Ketterl
  • Publication number: 20100257842
    Abstract: In a method for adapting the reducing agent feed in an exhaust gas aftertreatment system having an SCR catalyst for removing nitrogen oxides from the exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine and at least one reducing agent feed device, the minimum opening time of the reducing agent feed device is determined during operation and while suspending nitrogen emission, carrying out the following steps: a) the opening time of the reducing agent feed device is gradually prolonged until b) a reducing agent-sensitive sensor in the exhaust gas aftertreatment system detects a reducing agent signal. An exhaust gas aftertreatment system is designed accordingly for carrying out the method and a device is designed for controlling an exhaust gas aftertreatment system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2008
    Publication date: October 14, 2010
    Inventors: Peter Bauer, Rainer Bentz, Joris Fokkelman, Joachim Frank, Hermann Ketterl, Ingo Koops, Robert Leinfelder
  • Publication number: 20100205948
    Abstract: A device (4) for introducing a liquid reducing agent (5) into an exhaust gas (6) of a combustion system (2) has a reservoir (20), a discharge element (23) for discharging the liquid reducing agent (5) into the exhaust gas (6), a feed line (22), interposed between the reservoir (20) and the discharge element (23), a delivery element (26) arranged in the feed line (22) for delivering the liquid reducing agent (5) in a direction of delivery (29) from the reservoir (20) to the discharge element (23). The feed line (22) is associated with a controllable venting element (34) upstream of the delivery element (26), the discharge element (23) is connected to the reservoir (20) via a return line (32) and a controllable shut-off element (36) is arranged in the return line (32).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2008
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Inventors: Peter Bauer, Rainer Bentz, Joachim Frank, Hermann Ketterl
  • Publication number: 20080179414
    Abstract: A heating device for heating a storage device (2) for a complex salt in a motor vehicle includes the storage device (2) for the complex salt and at least one mass-ducting hollow pipe (4). A mass flows through the mass-ducting hollow pipe (4) while the motor vehicle is operating and heats up while the motor vehicle is operating, and is thermally coupled to the storage device (2) for the complex salt in such a way that the heated mass in the mass-ducting hollow pipe (4) will heat the storage device (2) for the complex salt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Inventors: Rainer Bentz, Joachim Frank