Patents Assigned to Tenneco Automotive Operating Company, Inc.
  • Patent number: 9650939
    Abstract: An isolator mounting apparatus is disclosed for supporting an exhaust component from a body portion of a vehicle. The apparatus has an elastomeric isolator element having at least one hole for receiving a first external hanger. An isolator bracket has a portion which is used for receiving and supporting the isolator element, and a neck portion extending therefrom. A mounting element is configured to engage with at least a portion of the neck portion of the isolator bracket. The mounting element is adapted to be secured to the isolator bracket. The mounting element is further adapted to be fixedly secured to the exhaust component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventor: Troy P. Rodecker
  • Patent number: 9638280
    Abstract: A shock absorber has a pressure tube with a piston assembly slidably disposed within the pressure tube and attached to a piston rod. The pressure tube is disposed within a reserve tube and a working fluid reservoir is formed between the pressure tube and the reserve tube. The piston assembly divides the pressure tube into an upper working chamber and a lower working chamber. A base valve assembly controls a flow of working fluid between the working fluid reservoir and the lower working chamber. The base valve assembly includes a frequency dependent valve system that provides an increased level of damping for each compression stroke of the piston assembly during low frequency movements of the shock absorber. A lesser level of damping is provided for each compression stroke during high frequency movements of the shock absorber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Nowaczyk, Jelle Van de Plas, Jan Vochten
  • Patent number: 9624998
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an electromagnetic rotary shock absorber for damping a wheel suspension component associated with a motor vehicle. The electromagnetic rotary shock absorber has a flywheel and at least one damper. The damper has a first element operably associated with the flywheel for driving the flywheel rotationally, and a second element operably associated with the wheel suspension component. The damper operates to dampen relative movement of the wheel suspension component using an inertia of the flywheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventor: Miguel Dhaens
  • Patent number: 9605726
    Abstract: A shock absorber is disclosed having a secondary dampening assembly for dampening movement of an inner assembly within the shock absorber. The secondary dampening assembly includes a hydraulic stop piston and a hydraulic stop sleeve. The hydraulic stop piston is carried by an extender with a gap defined radially between the hydraulic stop piston and the extender to allow radial movement. The hydraulic stop sleeve has an open end for receiving the hydraulic stop piston and a flow groove that extends longitudinally along an inner surface of the hydraulic stop sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE OPERATING COMPANY INC.
    Inventors: Frederik Baldoni, Etienne Leruth
  • Patent number: 9586456
    Abstract: An automobile includes an active suspension system and a leveling system. The leveling system receives high pressure fluid from the active suspension system in order to change static vehicle height and compensate for static load changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventor: Koen Reybrouck
  • Patent number: 9587703
    Abstract: A shock absorber for a vehicle may include a piston and a valve disc assembly. The piston defines a plurality of passages extending through the piston between an upper working chamber and a lower working chamber of a fluid chamber. The valve disc assembly engages the piston and controls a flow of fluid between the upper working chamber and the lower working chamber through the plurality of passages. The valve disc assembly includes a variable radius spring disc among a plurality of discs. The variable radius spring disc has a varying outer radius. The valve disc assembly has a stiffness that varies circumferentially based on the variable radius spring disc such that an actuation of the valve disc assembly with respect to the piston varies circumferentially.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventor: Chad Rummel
  • Patent number: 9579944
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an air spring apparatus for use with a cabin of a vehicle. The apparatus has an upper assembly, a lower assembly, a shock absorber, a bladder, a flexible bumper element and a control element. The shock absorber has a piston rod protruding therefrom and extending through the other one of the upper and lower assemblies. The bladder is attached to the upper and lower assemblies. The flexible bumper element is secured to the piston rod adjacent one of the upper and lower assemblies, and secured to the other one of the upper and lower assemblies. The control element is secured to the flexible bumper element at a first end, and to a valve at a second end, and controls operation of the valve. The flexible bumper element can flex in response to torsional or tilting forces experienced by the one of the upper and lower assemblies, to thus help to limit these forces from being imparted to the control element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Jacobus Schel, Stijn Eeckhoudt
  • Patent number: 9551257
    Abstract: An exhaust aftertreatment system may include an aftertreatment component and thermoelectric generators. The aftertreatment component is disposed in an exhaust gas passageway. The thermoelectric generators may be disposed in the exhaust gas passageway upstream or downstream of the aftertreatment component. Each of the thermoelectric generators may have a catalytic coating and may include a radially extending fin configured to absorb heat from exhaust gas in the exhaust gas passageway. The fin of at least one of the thermoelectric generators may overlap the fin of at least another one of the thermoelectric generators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Padmanabha Reddy Ettireddy, Adam J. Kotrba, Timothy P. Gardner, Michael Golin
  • Patent number: 9546621
    Abstract: A system may include an engine, an exhaust passage, a carbon dioxide capture system, and a dosing valve. The engine includes a combustion chamber. The exhaust passage receives exhaust gas from the engine. The carbon dioxide capture system receives exhaust gas from the exhaust passage and may include a separation device, a pump and a first tank. The separation device removes carbon dioxide from the exhaust gas. The pump pumps the removed carbon dioxide to the first tank. A second tank may receive and store carbon dioxide from the first tank. The dosing valve may be in fluid communication with and disposed downstream of the second tank. The dosing valve may regulate a flow of carbon dioxide from the second tank to the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Yong Sun, Timothy P. Gardner, Benjamin Shade, Adam J. Kotrba
  • Patent number: 9534525
    Abstract: An exhaust aftertreatment system may include an injector, an aftertreatment device and a mixer assembly. The injector may be configured to inject a fluid into an exhaust passageway that receives exhaust gas from a combustion engine. The aftertreatment device may be disposed in the exhaust passageway downstream of the injector. The mixer assembly may be disposed in the exhaust passageway upstream of the aftertreatment device and may include a first stage having a plurality of parallel plates and a second stage connected to the first stage and disposed downstream of the first stage. The second stage may include an auger blade. The mixer assembly may divide an exhaust stream into at least two flow paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence Dalimonte, Peter J. Mattei, Michael Golin
  • Patent number: 9518496
    Abstract: An exhaust after-treatment system for treating an exhaust produced by an engine, including an exhaust passage in communication with the engine; an injector for dosing an exhaust treatment fluid into the exhaust passage, a mixing device positioned downstream from the injector, the mixing device operable to intermingle the exhaust treatment fluid and the exhaust; an irregularly-shaped exhaust treatment substrate positioned downstream from the mixing device; and a dispersion device positioned between the mixing device and the irregularly-shaped exhaust treatment substrate. The dispersion device includes a plurality of dispersion members each being operable to direct an exhaust stream flowing through the dispersion device into a plurality of different directions to disperse the exhaust flow over substantially an entire surface of the irregularly-shaped exhaust treatment substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Edward C. Hill, Hyde Kani, John Hardin, Manoj K. Sampath
  • Patent number: 9500251
    Abstract: A shock absorber for a vehicle includes a pressure tube that defines a fluid chamber and a piston disposed within the fluid chamber. The piston divides the fluid chamber into an upper working chamber and a lower working chamber, and defines a compression passage and a rebound passage. A valve disc assembly of the shock absorber engages the piston and controls the flow of fluid between the upper and lower working chambers. The valve disc assembly includes an orifice check disc and an orifice disc. The orifice disc defines a bleed passage between the upper and lower working chambers. The orifice check disc is disposed between the piston and the orifice disc. The orifice check disc closes the bleed passage as the fluid flows in a first direction and opens the bleed passage as the fluid flows in a second direction opposite of the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Chad Rummel, Garl Gordon, Daniel Keil
  • Patent number: 9500255
    Abstract: A shock absorber has a pressure tube with a piston assembly slidably disposed within the pressure tube and attached to a piston rod. The piston assembly divides the pressure tube into an upper working chamber and a lower working chamber. The piston assembly includes a frequency dependent valve assembly attached to the piston rod which defines a housing attached to the piston rod and a spool valve assembly. The spool valve assembly includes a spool valve and first and second bypass valve assemblies that control fluid flow through bypass passage that bypasses the piston assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Nowaczyk, Gunther Bismans
  • Patent number: 9482131
    Abstract: An after-treatment system for treating exhaust gas discharged from a combustion engine, the after-treatment system comprising an exhaust after-treatment component including an exhaust after-treatment substrate, the exhaust after-treatment substrate including an inlet face including a first zone having a first catalyst located at a center of the inlet face, and a second zone having a second catalyst located radially outward from the center of the inlet face, wherein an amount of the exhaust gas that travels through the first zone is greater than an amount of the exhaust gas that passes through the second zone, and a catalyst loading of the first catalyst in the first zone is less than a catalyst loading of the second catalyst in the second zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Padmanabha Reddy Ettireddy, Adam J. Kotrba, Michael Golin
  • Patent number: 9481221
    Abstract: A hydraulic actuator includes a shock absorber and a control system that is separate from the shock absorber and which generates damping loads for the hydraulic actuator. The control system generates the damping load by using a pair of variable valves, a pair of check valves, an accumulator, a pump/motor and a flow controller. The forces are generated in all four quadrants of compression/rebound and active/passive. A device which recuperates the energy generated by the hydraulic actuator can be incorporated into the hydraulic actuator to generate energy in the form of electrical energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventor: Koenraad Reybrouck
  • Patent number: 9441699
    Abstract: A shock absorber for a vehicle includes a pressure tube that defines a fluid chamber. A piston disposed within the fluid chamber divides the fluid chamber into an upper working chamber and a lower working chamber. The piston defines a compression passage and a rebound passage which extend through the piston between the upper working chamber and the lower working chamber. A valve disc assembly engages the piston and controls the flow of fluid between the upper working chamber and the lower working chamber. The valve disc assembly includes a bleed disc that defines an orifice with a substantially non-linear contour. The orifice extends to an outer diameter of the bleed disc, and forms a bleed channel between the upper working chamber and the lower working chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Tim Lawler, Chad Rummel, Elizabeth Robbins, Daniel T. Keil, Jeroen K. Paenhuysen, John McGahey, Dajun Zhang
  • Patent number: 9440204
    Abstract: A mixer for mixing an exhaust flow in an exhaust pipe includes a housing having a first sidewall spaced apart from a second sidewall. The first and second sidewalls each include a free distal end spaced apart from one another. Portions of the first and second sidewalls are adapted to be fixed to the exhaust pipe. A first mixing element is coupled to the housing and includes a deflection element as well as a plurality of correction fins protruding at an angle from the deflection element. A second mixing element interconnects the first and second sidewalls and extends substantially parallel to the first mixing element. A second mixing element includes a mixing fin to change a direction of the exhaust flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Günter Palmer, Daniel R. Tomczak
  • Patent number: 9441700
    Abstract: A shock absorber has a pressure tube with a piston assembly slidably disposed within the pressure tube and attached to a piston rod. The piston assembly divides the pressure tube into an upper working chamber and a lower working chamber. The piston assembly includes a frequency dependent valve assembly attached to the piston rod which defines a housing attached to the piston rod and a spool valve assembly. The spool valve assembly includes a spool valve and a bypass valve assembly that controls fluid flow through bypass passage that bypasses the piston assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Nowaczyk, Jan Vochten
  • Patent number: 9435240
    Abstract: An aftertreatment system may include an exhaust pipe and a mixing pipe. The exhaust pipe receives exhaust gas from an engine. The mixing pipe is disposed in the exhaust pipe and may include a tubular portion and a plurality of blades extending from a longitudinal end of the tubular portion. The tubular portion may include a plurality of openings extending through inner and outer diametrical surfaces of the tubular portion. The tubular portion and the plurality of blades may define an integrally formed unitary body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Manoj K. Sampath, Joshua Hicks, Ryan A. Floyd
  • Patent number: 9410464
    Abstract: An aftertreatment system may include an exhaust pipe and a mixing pipe. The exhaust pipe may receive exhaust gas from an engine and may include a first portion defining a first longitudinal axis and a second portion defining a second longitudinal axis that is angled relative to the first axis. The mixing pipe may be disposed in the exhaust pipe and may include a tubular portion and a collar extending radially outward from the tubular portion. The tubular portion may include a plurality of openings and a plurality of deflectors. The plurality of openings may extend through inner and outer diametrical surfaces of the tubular portion. Each of the plurality of deflectors may be disposed adjacent a corresponding one of the plurality of openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua Hicks, Ryan A. Floyd, Manoj K. Sampath