Patents Represented by Attorney Nicolas E. Seckel
  • Patent number: 7298104
    Abstract: The invention concerns a system for electrically regulating a power transmission device between the heat engine and a pair of electrical machines and the drive wheels of a motor vehicle, the heat engine being connected to the two electrical machines via a mechanical assembly, while an electrical connection device located between the two electrical machines provides a direct passage for power from one machine to the other, the connection transferring electric power between the two electrical machines being carried out via two static converters connected to a bus whereof the two lines are connected to a bus whereof the two lines are connected by a capacitor. The invention is connected by a capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA
    Inventors: Sébastien Alain Joël Besnard, Jacques Augustin Laeuffer
  • Patent number: 7287513
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling the opening and closing of the intake valves of an internal combustion engine with a direct fuel injection system, comprising at least one first intake valve and a second intake valve per cylinder, wherein each valve respectively opening or closing a first and second intake duct per cylinder can be controlled independently of the other valve, wherein at least one of the ducts is supplied with fuel and at least one of the other ducts is not supplied with fuel. According to the invention, said method consists in controlling the valve or valves corresponding to the intake ducts supplied with fuel during the time intervals when the injection system does not function. The invention also relates to a system for the application of said method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA
    Inventor: Cédric Morin
  • Patent number: 7251930
    Abstract: A system for triggering purging of depollution means including a NOx trap and integrated in a vehicle diesel exhaust line comprises respective elements for establishing: a first coefficient representing the extent to which the trap is full of NOx; a second coefficient representative of the capacity of the trap to reduce the NOx as a function of its temperature; a third coefficient representative of the capacity of the engine to purge the trap as a function of the engine operating point; and a fourth coefficient representative of the capacity of the engine to purge the trap as a function of the corresponding excess fuel consumption; together with a device for combining these various coefficients in order to obtain a fifth and final coefficient, and a comparator for comparing the fifth coefficient with a threshold so that in the event of the threshold being exceeded, a request is issued to trigger purging of the trap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA
    Inventor: Arnaud Audouin
  • Patent number: 7243634
    Abstract: The invention concerns an internal combustion engine with at least one engine member, the engine member including a combustion chamber (4) of a combustible mixture with fuel components and oxidants, an ignition system of the combustible mixture by an igniter (7), sequential let-through devices for the fuel and oxidant components and for the combustion products, the engine being of the supercharging type by boost pressure of the oxidant components upstream of the engine member. According to the invention, the ignition system includes a closed head (6) (12a) substantially spherical enclosing the igniter in a precombustion chamber, the head including a set of orifices (5) intended to communicate the combustion chamber and the precombustion chamber so that combustible mixture may flow into the precombustion chamber. In a variation of the invention, at least one of the let-through devices is a direct injector in the combustion chamber for, in all or in part, the fuel components and/or fuels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA
    Inventors: Nicolas Tourteaux, Cyril Robinet
  • Patent number: 7237526
    Abstract: The invention concerns an internal combustion engine with at least one engine member, the engine member including a combustion chamber (4) of a combustible mixture with fuel and oxidant components fitted with a compression system (9), an ignition system (7) of the combustible mixture by an igniter, sequential let-through devices for the fuel and oxidant components and for the combustion products. According to the invention, the ignition system includes a closed head (6)(12a) substantially spherical enclosing the igniter in a precombustion chamber, the head including a set of orifices (5) intended to communicate the combustion chamber and the precombustion chamber so that combustible mixture may flow into the precombustion chamber, and at least one of the let-through devices is a direct injector in the combustion chamber for the fuel and/or oxidant components, in all or in part. A method and an application are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA
    Inventors: Nicolas Tourteaux, Cyril Robinet
  • Patent number: 7225611
    Abstract: Process for the decontamination of the emissions from an internal combustion engine (1), the exhaust line (5) of which is equipped with a particle filter (7), characterized in that an NOx trap additive is added to the fuel, so that the said additive is found trapped within the soot, and in that, at the time of the regenerations of the particle filter (7), the engine (1) is controlled with a richness balance according to at least one alternation of a lean-mixture phase and of a rich-mixture phase, in order to bring about the adsorption of the NO2 from the exhaust gases by the said additive during the lean-mixture phase or phases and to bring about the oxidation of the soot particles by the adsorbed NO2 during the rich-mixture phase or phases. Device for the implementation of this process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA
    Inventor: Rémi Noirot
  • Patent number: 7225608
    Abstract: A NOx trap is associated with oxidation catalyst-forming structure integrated in a common medium, and is located in an exhaust line of a motor vehicle diesel engine. The engine can be controlled at least with a rich mixture control strategy and with lean mixture control strategies of level 1 and level 2. The system acquires the temperatures upstream and downstream torn the trap, and on detecting a request to purge sulfate, it compares the temperatures with first and second curves for controlling operation of the engine with a rich mixture if the temperatures lie between said curve, and otherwise with a lean mixture. The system also compares the temperatures with third and fourth curves for controlling operation of the engine to apply the level 2 strategy if the temperatures lie between said curves, Or otherwise to apply the level 1 strategy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA
    Inventor: Arnaud Audouin
  • Patent number: 7219492
    Abstract: This system for assisting regeneration of a storage/release NOx trap integrated into an exhaust system (5) of a motor vehicle diesel engine (4) is characterized in that it includes means (11) for injecting fuel into the cylinders of the engine (4) in the form of pilot injections and main injections and means (12) for controlling the injection means (11) to switch the engine (4) periodically from a standard mode of operation using a lean mixture and pilot injection and main injection, in which NOx are stored in the trap (6), to a regeneration mode of operation using a rich mixture, with at least two pilot or main injections depending on the engine load, in which NOx, are released from the trap (6) and the trap is regenerated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA
    Inventors: Yvon Beauge, Ali Chaouche, Djamal Medioun, Piet Ameloot, Mickael Gascoin
  • Patent number: 7210447
    Abstract: The invention concerns an ignition device for internal combustion engine, containing: a main chamber (1) designed for including a main combustible mixture, and fitted with a compression system of said mixture, and an igniter (11) containing a precombustion chamber (2) designed for receiving reactants and an ignition system (13,14) of the reactants contained in the precombustion chamber (2), said precombustion chamber (2) being defined by a precombustion chamber body (12) having a head (12a) including at least one passageway (15), said head (12a) of the precombustion chamber body separating the precombustion chamber (2) from the main chamber (1) and communicating the precombustion chamber (2) and the main chamber (1) by dint of the passageway(s) (15), characterised in that the head (12a) is coated at least partially externally with a coating layer (R) of at least one refractory material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA
    Inventors: Cyril Robinet, Nicolas Tourteaux
  • Patent number: 7204079
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for determining the mass of NOx stored in a NOx trap in an exhaust line of a motor vehicle engine, the device comprising means for acquiring the richness of the exhaust gases, the NOx flowrate on the upstream side of the trap, and the temperature of the trap. This device further comprises means for comparing the richness to a predetermined value, first means for determining, when the exhaust gases are lean, the increase in the mass of NOx stored as a function of the mass of NOx already stored, the temperature of the trap, and the NOx flowrate on the upstream side of the trap, and second means for determining, when the exhaust gases are rich, the reduction of the mass of NOx stored as a function of the temperature of the trap and the richness of the exhaust gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA
    Inventor: Arnaud Audoin
  • Patent number: 7155900
    Abstract: This system for assisting the maintenance of a particle filter integrated into an exhaust line of a motor vehicle diesel engine is characterized in that it comprises means (1) for calculating the volume of ash from the engine lubricating oil, means (2) for calculating the volume of ash from the engine fuel, means (4) for calculating the usable volume (V.u) of the particle filter from a total volume of said filter when new (V.new) and the previously calculated volumes of ash, and means (5) for calculating a degree of clogging of the particle filter (d.c.) from the total volume of the filter when new (V.new) and the previously calculated usable volume (V.u) to trigger a maintenance request (Maint.Req.) if the degree of clogging (d.c.) exceeds a predetermined threshold (threshold).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA
    Inventor: Christophe Colignon
  • Patent number: 7152397
    Abstract: This system, in which the engine is associated with a turbocharger and with a feed device adapted to implement first and second regeneration strategies depending on different engine operation control parameters to obtain different temperatures in the exhaust line, acquires the temperature in the line, compares it with a safety threshold for the turbocharger turbine so that if the threshold is exceeded while applying the second strategy, the feed device is controlled so that one of the engine operation control parameters is regulated to reduce the temperature, and if it does not drop back below the threshold at the end of a first time period, the feed device is controlled to switch over to the first strategy, and if it still does not drop back below the threshold at the end of a second time period, the feed device is controlled to stop the regeneration strategy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA
    Inventor: Christophe Colignon
  • Patent number: 7124612
    Abstract: The invention relates to a crimping blade with a profile such that the angle of attack ? of the sheet metal to be crimped remains constant during the entire crimping phase. In this way, the force applied to the sheet metal is always at the same angle in relation to the sheet metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Process Conception Ingenierie
    Inventor: Gabriel Le Guevel
  • Patent number: 7124020
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system for calibrating apparatus (28) for acquiring the pressure in a cylinder (10) of a motor vehicle diesel engine, of the type comprising a cylinder pressure sensor (30) associated with the cylinder and means (32) for conditioning the signal delivered by the sensor (30) as a function of conditioning parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignees: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA, Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Claire Vermonet, Guillaume Meissonnier, Cédric Lorret, Jean-Marie Vespasien
  • Patent number: 7120536
    Abstract: In the method of diagnosing the operating state of a motor vehicle diesel engine of the invention, the engine includes a pressure acquisition system associated with each cylinder of the engine to acquire the pressure in that cylinder, an engine shaft angle acquisition system adapted to deliver the crankshaft angle of each cylinder, and onboard correction system adapted to correct a predetermined set of malfunctions and drifts of the cylinders and the acquisition systems. The method includes an analysis step of analyzing the operation of each cylinder and the cylinder pressure and engine shaft angle acquisition systems by identifying an operating state of the set comprising that cylinder and those systems based on predetermined characteristics of the signal delivered by the cylinder pressure acquisition system, and a correction step of correcting identified malfunctions and drifts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignees: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA, Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ludovic Peron, Guillaume Meissonnier, Claire Vermonet, Cédric Lorret
  • Patent number: 7118168
    Abstract: A chassis for a motor vehicle comprises two lateral longitudinal members. The following elements extend between these members and are affixed to them: the front and rear floor parts; a cross member known as the heel board cross member having upper and lower longitudinal sides which are fixed to the front and rear floor parts, respectively; and a cross member, having a length approximately equal to that of the heel board cross member, which extends underneath the lower longitudinal side of the heel board cross member and is affixed to it. Each of the ends of the cross member is fixed to one of the lateral longitudinal members. The invention also relates to station wagon-type motor vehicle having such a chassis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA
    Inventor: Richard Vincenti
  • Patent number: 7110489
    Abstract: The invention concerns a device produced in the form of an assembly which can be integrated in any installation (13) for radioscopy of the product and comprising means for driving the product (5) in rotation about an axis (5a) perpendicular to the tomographic section plane to be obtained, a unit controlling (15, 16) the means (14) driving the product (5) in rotation, to drive the product (5) in rotation about the axis (5a) and an image acquisition and processing unit (16) including means for automatically acquiring and storing radioscopy images of the product (5) while the product (5) is rotating, in digital form, and calculating means for processing the digital images and constructing tomographic sections using a calculating algorithm. The device enables fault controls or geometrical and dimensional controls in mechanical parts for the automotive industry such as cylinder heads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA
    Inventors: Francis Roy, Olivier Vignon
  • Patent number: 7104245
    Abstract: The invention concerns an ignition device for internal combustion engine, containing: a main chamber (1) designed for including a main combustible mixture, and fitted with a compression system of said mixture, an igniter (11) containing a precombustion chamber (2) designed for receiving reactants and an ignition system (13,14) of the reactants contained in the precombustion chamber, said precombustion chamber (2) being defined by a precombustion chamber body (12) having a head (12a) including at least one passageway (15), said head (12a) of the precombustion chamber body separating the precombustion chamber (2) from the main chamber (1) and communicating the precombustion chamber (2) and the main chamber (1) by dint of the passageway(s) (15), characterised in that said precombustion chamber body (12) is made of a material having a thermal conductivity at 20° C. of at least 10 W/K/m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA
    Inventors: Cyril Robinet, Nicolas Tourteaux
  • Patent number: 7082920
    Abstract: The invention concerns an ignition device for internal combustion engine comprising: a main combustion chamber (1) fitted with a compression system; and an igniter (11) comprising a precombustion chamber (2) and an ignition system (13, 14), the precombustion chamber being defined by a precombustion chamber body (12) having a head (12a) including passageways (15), the head (12a) of the precombustion chamber body (12) separating the precombustion chamber (2) from the main chamber (1) and communicating the precombustion chamber (2) and the main chamber (1) through the passageways (15), characterized in that the passageways comprise at least one passageway enabling the propagation of a flame front of the precombustion chamber (2) to the main chamber (1) when the engine operates on low load and at least one passageway not enabling the propagation of a flame front while enabling the passageway of unstable compounds of the precombustion chamber (2) to the main chamber (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA
    Inventors: Cyril Robinet, Nicolas Tourteaux
  • Patent number: 7059121
    Abstract: A system for providing assistance in regenerating a storage/destorage NOx trap integrated in an exhaust system of a motor vehicle engine, comprising means for controlling the operation of means for injecting fuel into the cylinders of the engine to cause the engine to switch from a standard mode of operation during which NOx is stored in the trap to a regeneration mode in which NOx is destored from the trap and the trap is regenerated, the system including two ? probes placed at equal distances from the NOx trap downstream therefrom in the exhaust system, the outputs from the probes being connected to differential measurement means for measuring the output signals from the probes in order to determine the quantity of NOx in the exhaust gas so as to cause the control means to trigger a stage of regenerating the trap when the measurement exceeds a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Peugeot Citron Automobiles SA
    Inventor: Véronique Coillard