Patents by Inventor Apostolos Tsakiris

Apostolos Tsakiris 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: 9494122
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for meshing a starter pinion (19) of a starting device (16) into a ring gear (13) of an internal combustion engine (10). The internal combustion engine (10) has a driveshaft (22), and the starting device (16) has a starter motor (25), said driveshaft (22) having a variable rotational speed (n). The internal combustion engine (10) is switched off in a method step (S1), and the starter pinion (19), which is not being rotationally driven by the starter motor (25), is then advanced in the direction of the ring gear (13) by a toe-in actuator (28) by means of a toe-in force (FV) in a method step (S2) until the starter pinion contacts the ring gear. A meshing force (FE) is then exerted onto the starter pinion (19) in a controlled manner in an additional method step (S3) in order to mesh the starter pinion (19) into a tooth gap (34) of the ring gear (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Tumback, Juergen Gross, Ewald Mauritz, Markus Roessle, Matthias Cwik, Apostolos Tsakiris
  • Publication number: 20140350829
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for meshing a starter pinion (19) of a starting device (16) into a ring gear (13) of an internal combustion engine (10). The internal combustion engine (10) has a driveshaft (22), and the starting device (16) has a starter motor (25), said driveshaft (22) having a variable rotational speed (n). The internal combustion engine (10) is switched off in a method step (S1), and the starter pinion (19), which is not being rotationally driven by the starter motor (25), is then advanced in the direction of the ring gear (13) by a toe-in actuator (28) by means of a toe-in force (FV) in a method step (S2) until the starter pinion contacts the ring gear. A meshing force (FE) is then exerted onto the starter pinion (19) in a controlled manner in an additional method step (S3) in order to mesh the starter pinion (19) into a tooth gap (34) of the ring gear (13).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicant: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Tumback, Juergen Gross, Ewald Mauritz, Markus Roessle, Matthias Cwik, Apostolos Tsakiris
  • Patent number: 8884450
    Abstract: The invention relates to a starter (100), to a device for starting a starter motor, to a device for detecting an engaged state of a starter pinion, to a method for starting a starter motor, to a method for detecting an engaged state of a pinion (101) in a corresponding gearwheel, to a computer program and to a computer program product, wherein the method for detecting an engaged state of a pinion (101) in a corresponding gearwheel, in particular an engaged state of a starter pinion in a gear rim of a starter (100), comprises applying a current to a starter relay (110) for switching the pinion (101) and detecting at least one current flow parameter of the current flow, wherein the detected current flow parameter is set in relation to potential pinion positions and a pinion position associated with the detected current flow parameter is selected and is thus detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Apostolos Tsakiris, Markus Roessle, Juergen Gross
  • Patent number: 8881704
    Abstract: In a method of a start-stop control for an internal combustion engine including briefly stopping and starting the internal combustion engine using an electric machine as a starter, the internal combustion engine is switched off by an engine control when switch-off conditions obtain, and the start-stop control queries whether a start signal exists on the basis of switch-on conditions. In order to ensure that a restart of the internal combustion engine is able to be performed more quickly, the start-stop control acts on the internal combustion engine using an operating strategy within a time period t until the internal combustion engine comes to a standstill.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Neuburger, Karl-Otto Schmidt, Apostolos Tsakiris
  • Patent number: 8857397
    Abstract: A device having a first gearing part for meshing with a second gearing part, in particular a starter device having a pinion for meshing with a ring gear of an internal combustion engine, in which at least one arrangement is provided whereby a motion state of the first gearing part and a motion state of the second gearing part are ascertainable. A method for operating a device having a first gearing part for meshing with a second gearing part, in particular a starter device having a pinion for meshing with a ring gear of an internal combustion engine, in which at least one arrangement is provided whereby a motion state of the first gearing part and a motion state of the first gearing part and a motion state of the second gearing part are ascertained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Heyers, Jie Ge, Apostolos Tsakiris, Jochen Heusel, Martin Neuburger
  • Publication number: 20130026767
    Abstract: The invention relates to a starter (100), to a device for starting a starter motor, to a device for detecting an engaged state of a starter pinion, to a method for starting a starter motor, to a method for detecting an engaged state of a pinion (101) in a corresponding gearwheel, to a computer program and to a computer program product, wherein the method for detecting an engaged state of a pinion (101) in a corresponding gearwheel, in particular an engaged state of a starter pinion in a gear rim of a starter (100), comprises applying a current to a starter relay (110) for switching the pinion (101) and detecting at least one current flow parameter of the current flow, wherein the detected current flow parameter is set in relation to potential pinion positions and a pinion position associated with the detected current flow parameter is selected and is thus detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Apostolos Tsakiris, Markus Roessle, Juergen Gross
  • Publication number: 20120216634
    Abstract: A method for checking engagement of a pinion of a starter system with a ring gear of a drive unit to be started, including measuring a variable indicating a speed of the pinion or a speed of the drive unit to be started, and checking the engagement on the basis of the measured variable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2010
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Apostolos Tsakiris, Jie Ge, Stefan Tumback
  • Publication number: 20110174255
    Abstract: In a method of a start-stop control for an internal combustion engine including briefly stopping and starting the internal combustion engine using an electric machine as a starter, the internal combustion engine is switched off by an engine control when switch-off conditions obtain, and the start-stop control queries whether a start signal exists on the basis of switch-on conditions. In order to ensure that a restart of the internal combustion engine is able to be performed more quickly, the start-stop control acts on the internal combustion engine using an operating strategy within a time period t until the internal combustion engine comes to a standstill.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2009
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Inventors: Martin Neuburger, Karl-Otto Schmidt, Apostolos Tsakiris
  • Publication number: 20100282199
    Abstract: A device having a first gearing part for meshing with a second gearing part, in particular a starter device having a pinion for meshing with a ring gear of an internal combustion engine, in which at least one arrangement is provided whereby a motion state of the first gearing part and a motion state of the second gearing part are ascertainable. A method for operating a device having a first gearing part for meshing with a second gearing part, in particular a starter device having a pinion for meshing with a ring gear of an internal combustion engine, in which at least one arrangement is provided whereby a motion state of the first gearing part and a motion state of the first gearing part and a motion state of the second gearing part are ascertained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2007
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Inventors: Klaus Heyers, Jie Ge, Apostolos Tsakiris, Jochen Heusel, Martin Neuburger
  • Publication number: 20100186703
    Abstract: The invention relates to a starter for starting of an internal combustion engine, comprising a starter relay (1) having a relay switch (2). A main current path (7) to a starter motor (4) can be opened or closed with said relay switch. The service life of the starter relay (1) can be increased considerably if a further switch (9) is provided in addition to the relay switch (1), the further switch being actuated by means of an electronic system (10) such that it is closed at least at the time at which the relay switch (2) opens and/or closes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2007
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Inventors: Jochen Heusel, Martin Neuburger, Jie Ge, Klaus Heyers, Apostolos Tsakiris
  • Publication number: 20100064786
    Abstract: A method for determining the speed of a starter for starting internal combustion engines. The starter speed may be ascertained in a particularly simple and cost-effective manner in that it is calculated from different electrical variables and is calibrated by comparison to the internal combustion engine speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2007
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Inventors: Jie Ge, Klaus Heyers, Apostolos Tsakiris
  • Publication number: 20090020091
    Abstract: The invention relates to a starter device (10) for internal combustion engines (15) in motor vehicles with a controller (19), a starter relay (12), a starter pinion (13) and a starter motor (11), whereby on each start/stop process in the stop phase (first step) the starter relay engages the starter pinion in the toothed ring (14) of the engine and in the start phase (second step) the engine is turned over by the starter motor. According to the invention, the starter pinion (13) may be engaged as quietly as possible for a subsequent starting process on switching off the engine (10) and held in position until starting, whereby, in the first step of the starting process, the armature (28) of the starter relay (12) is withdrawn with reduced force to a position with open switch contact (18) and held there until the start of the second step, whereupon the armature (28) closes the switch contact (18) of the starter motor with full force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2006
    Publication date: January 22, 2009
    Inventors: Thomas Botzenhard, Birgit Kuettmer, Sven Hartmann, Klaus Heyers, Steffi Grellscheid, Walter Gerschwitz, Karl-Otto Schmidt, Apostolos Tsakiris