Patents by Inventor Andrea Nepote
Andrea Nepote 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: 11072220Abstract: A suspension including a spring interposed between the body (B) of the vehicle and the wheel (W); a regenerative hydraulic shock-absorbing unit comprising a hydraulic shock-absorber arranged parallel to the spring, a motor and pump unit with a volumetric hydraulic machine and an electric machine coupled to the hydraulic machine), and an electronic control unit arranged to control the torque of the electric machine. A hydraulic actuator is arranged in series with the spring. A reservoir and a hydraulic circuit are connected to each other, the hydraulic shock-absorber, the hydraulic machine the hydraulic actuator and the reservoir. The hydraulic circuit includes a valve assembly for controlling the flow of a working fluid between the hydraulic shock-absorber, the hydraulic machine, the hydraulic actuator and the reservoir.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2017Date of Patent: July 27, 2021Assignees: SISTEMI SOSPENSIONI S.p.A., MAGNETI MARELLI S.p.A.Inventors: Piero Antonio Conti, Giordano Greco, Andrea Nepote, Nicola Amati, Renato Galluzzi, Andrea Tonoli
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Publication number: 20200324610Abstract: A suspension including a spring interposed between the body (B) of the vehicle and the wheel (W); a regenerative hydraulic shock-absorbing unit comprising a hydraulic shock-absorber arranged parallel to the spring, a motor and pump unit with a volumetric hydraulic machine and an electric machine coupled to the hydraulic machine), and an electronic control unit arranged to control the torque of the electric machine. A hydraulic actuator is arranged in series with the spring. A reservoir and a hydraulic circuit are connected to each other, the hydraulic shock-absorber, the hydraulic machine the hydraulic actuator and the reservoir. The hydraulic circuit includes a valve assembly for controlling the flow of a working fluid between the hydraulic shock-absorber, the hydraulic machine, the hydraulic actuator and the reservoir.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 23, 2017Publication date: October 15, 2020Applicants: SISTEMI SOSPENSIONI S.p.A., MAGNETI MARELLI S.p.A.Inventors: Piero Antonio Conti, Giordano Greco, Andrea Nepote, Nicola Amati, Renato Galluzzi, Andrea Tonoli
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Patent number: 10170927Abstract: An apparatus and a method for managing the energy supplied to a low-voltage system of a vehicle. The low-voltage system includes a battery, which supplies the first voltage on a low-voltage bus. A system for charging the battery includes an alternator for supplying a charging voltage to the battery, and motor-vehicle loads supplied by the battery and/or by the alternator. A high-voltage system operates at a second voltage higher than said first voltage. The high-voltage system includes the vehicle energy-recovery stage. The second voltage is supplied through an intermediate energy-storage system and a DC-DC converter. A control module that carries out energy-management operations at least by the alternator. The second voltage of the DC-DC converter is regulated via a control procedure of a hysteretic type.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2017Date of Patent: January 1, 2019Assignees: Magneti Marelli S.p.A., Sistemi Sospensioni S.p.A.Inventors: Andrea Nepote, Giordano Greco, Piero Antonio Conti
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Patent number: 10164453Abstract: An apparatus and a method for managing the energy supplied to a low-voltage system of a motor vehicle that comprises an energy-recovery stage. The low-voltage system, operating at a first voltage, comprises a battery, a system for charging the battery, and motor-vehicle loads supplied by the battery and/or by the alternator. A high-voltage system operates at a second voltage higher than the first voltage. The high-voltage system includes the vehicle energy-recovery stage, which supplies the second voltage. The second voltage is supplied through an intermediate energy-storage system and a DC-DC converter, which converts the second voltage into the first voltage on the low-voltage bus. A module regulates the alternator, that activates at least one first operating mode in which the alternator regulates a voltage of the battery at a nominal operating value.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2017Date of Patent: December 25, 2018Assignees: Magneti Mirelli S.p.A., Sistemi Sospensioni S.p.A.Inventors: Andrea Nepote, Giordano Greco, Piero Antonio Conti
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Patent number: 10052926Abstract: The shock-absorber comprises: a cylinder containing a hydraulic working fluid; a piston slidably arranged in the cylinder so as to split the cylinder into two variable-volume working chambers, namely a first working chamber, or extension chamber, and a second working chamber, or compression chamber; an auxiliary conduit in fluid communication on one side with the first working chamber and on the other with the second working chamber; a train of permanent magnets slidably arranged in the auxiliary conduit so as to reciprocally move along the auxiliary conduit, dragged by the working fluid flowing between the first and second working chambers through the auxiliary conduit as a result of the reciprocating motion of the piston in the cylinder; and electric energy generating device for generating electric energy by exploiting the movement of the train of permanent magnets along the auxiliary conduit.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 2015Date of Patent: August 21, 2018Assignees: SISTEMI SOSPENSIONI S.p.A., MAGNETI MARELLI S.p.A.Inventors: Piero Antonio Conti, Giordano Greco, Andrea Nepote, Francesco Inglese, Mario Milazzo, Cesare Stefanini
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Publication number: 20180131213Abstract: An apparatus and a method for managing the energy supplied to a low-voltage system of a motor vehicle that comprises an energy-recovery stage. The low-voltage system, operating at a first voltage, comprises a battery, a system for charging the battery, and motor-vehicle loads supplied by the battery and/or by the alternator. A high-voltage system operates at a second voltage higher than the first voltage. The high-voltage system includes the vehicle energy-recovery stage, which supplies the second voltage. The second voltage is supplied through an intermediate energy-storage system and a DC-DC converter, which converts the second voltage into the first voltage on the low-voltage bus. A module regulates the alternator, that activates at least one first operating mode in which the alternator regulates a voltage of the battery at a nominal operating value.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 6, 2017Publication date: May 10, 2018Applicants: Magneti Marelli S.p.A., Sistemi Sospensioni S.p.A.Inventors: Andrea Nepote, Giordano Greco, Piero Antonio Conti
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Publication number: 20180131222Abstract: An apparatus and a method for managing the energy supplied to a low-voltage system of a vehicle. The low-voltage system includes a battery, which supplies the first voltage on a low-voltage bus. A system for charging the battery includes an alternator for supplying a charging voltage to the battery, and motor-vehicle loads supplied by the battery and/or by the alternator. A high-voltage system operates at a second voltage higher than said first voltage. The high-voltage system includes the vehicle energy-recovery stage. The second voltage is supplied through an intermediate energy-storage system and a DC-DC converter. A control module that carries out energy-management operations at least by the alternator. The second voltage of the DC-DC converter is regulated via a control procedure of a hysteretic type.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 6, 2017Publication date: May 10, 2018Applicants: Magneti Marelli S.p.A., Sistemi Sospensioni S.p.A.Inventors: Andrea Nepote, Giordano Greco, Piero Antonio Conti
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Publication number: 20180001728Abstract: The shock-absorber comprises: a cylinder containing a hydraulic working fluid; a piston slidably arranged in the cylinder so as to split the cylinder into two variable-volume working chambers, namely a first working chamber, or extension chamber, and a second working chamber, or compression chamber; an auxiliary conduit in fluid communication on one side with the first working chamber and on the other with the second working chamber; a train of permanent magnets slidably arranged in the auxiliary conduit so as to reciprocally move along the auxiliary conduit, dragged by the working fluid flowing between the first and second working chambers through the auxiliary conduit as a result of the reciprocating motion of the piston in the cylinder; and electric energy generating device for generating electric energy by exploiting the movement of the train of permanent magnets along the auxiliary conduit.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 12, 2015Publication date: January 4, 2018Inventors: Piero Antonio CONTI, Giordano GRECO, Andrea NEPOTE, Francesco INGLESE, Mario MILAZZO, Cesare STEFANINI
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Patent number: 6601567Abstract: A method for control of an injector in an internal combustion engine in which for a specific engine cycle, a control unit calculates a desired value of the opening time of the injector and forwards this desired value to a drive circuit of the injector, a supervision device calculates an actual value of the opening time of the injector during the injection phase, compares this actual value with the desired value and generates an error signal if the difference between the desired value and the actual value is outside a predetermined acceptability range.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2001Date of Patent: August 5, 2003Assignee: Magneti Marelli Powertrain S.p.A.Inventors: Paolo Marceca, Luca Poggio, Michele Cagnoni, Piero Carbonaro, Andrea Nepote
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Patent number: 6584961Abstract: A method and device for driving an injector in an internal combustion engine in which a current wave which is variable over time, which comprises an initial section substantially of a pulse type and having a relatively high current intensity, an intermediate section during which the current intensity is rapidly reduced to substantially zero values and a final section having a substantially constant and relatively low current intensity, is caused to circulate through a control circuit of the injector.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2001Date of Patent: July 1, 2003Assignee: Magneti Marelli Powertrain S.p.A.Inventors: Paolo Marceca, Luca Poggio, Michele Cagnoni, Piero Carbonaro, Andrea Nepote
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Publication number: 20020017279Abstract: A method for control of an injector in an internal combustion engine in which for a specific engine cycle, a control unit calculates a desired value of the opening time of the injector and forwards this desired value to a drive circuit of the injector, a supervision device calculates an actual value of the opening time of the injector during the injection phase, compares this actual value with the desired value and generates an error signal if the difference between the desired value and the actual value is outside a predetermined acceptability range.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 3, 2001Publication date: February 14, 2002Inventors: Paolo Marceca, Luca Poggio, Michele Cagnoni, Piero Carbonaro, Andrea Nepote
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Publication number: 20020014223Abstract: A method and device for driving an injector in an internal combustion engine in which a current wave which is variable over time, which comprises an initial section substantially of a pulse type and having a relatively high current intensity, an intermediate section during which the current intensity is rapidly reduced to substantially zero values and a final section having a substantially constant and relatively low current intensity, is caused to circulate through a control circuit of the injector.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 3, 2001Publication date: February 7, 2002Inventors: Paolo Marceca, Luca Poggio, Michele Cagnoni, Piero Carbonaro, Andrea Nepote
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Patent number: 6140770Abstract: The circuit comprises a switched dc/dc converter of the "fly-back" type, a second switched dc/dc converter of the "feed-forward" type, an H-shaped bridge switching circuit which is connected to the dc/dc converters and in the central branch of which the discharge lamp and an associated reactive starter device are disposed, and a control circuit which can drive the dc/dc converters and the bridge switching circuit in a manner such that, each time the lamp is switched on, a very high voltage is applied initially, in particular, in order to start the lamp, and subsequently a low voltage is applied, but with a high electrical power, in order to support the passage of a large current through the lamp during the heating (warming-up) of the lamp and during the subsequent steady operation of the lamp.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 1994Date of Patent: October 31, 2000Assignee: Marelli Autornica S.p.A.Inventors: Andrea Nepote, Dario Decurti
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Patent number: 5329209Abstract: The circuit including a capacitor which is alternately discharged and charged in synchronism with the signal which develops across the terminals of a resistor operating to detect the current in the lamp. A sawtooth wave form is thus obtained, which is compared with a threshold level which is varied in dependence on the current which it is necessary to provide to the lamp. On the basis of this comparison logic signals are produced which are utilized to control the power switches of the inverter which controls the lamp.Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 1992Date of Patent: July 12, 1994Assignee: Marelli Autronica S.p.A.Inventor: Andrea Nepote
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Patent number: 5151634Abstract: The device includes a circuit for generating signals indicative of a reference current which is variable in steps and, during successive time intervals defined by a clock-signal generator, decreases according to respective predetermined functions as the voltage detected across the lamp increases, these functions corresponding substantially to respective predefined constant values of the power supplied to the lamp, and a differential comparator circuit which compares the values of the reference current generated with the current detected in the lamp and generates an error signal in dependence on the difference between them. The error signal can be used to control the device for supplying the lamp.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 1991Date of Patent: September 29, 1992Assignee: Marelli Autronica SpAInventors: Andrea Nepote, Marcello Boella