Patents by Inventor Armin Diez

Armin Diez 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).

  • Publication number: 20070231664
    Abstract: In order to produce a fuell cell stack which comprises a plurality of fuel cell units succeeding one another in the direction of the pile and wherein each of the fuel cell units comprises a housing incorporating at least one housing part consisting of a metallic material, such that the fuel cell units thereof are of simple construction and also exhibit an adequate electrically insulating effect and adequate mechanical rigidity even at a high operating temperature of the fuel pile, it is proposed that the fuell cell stack should comprise at least one distributor element which comprises at least one gas distribution channel for supplying a fuel gas or an oxidizing agent to a plurality of fuel cell units or for removing an exhaust gas or surplus oxidizing agent from a plurality of fuel cell units, wherein at least one housing part of at least one fuel cell unit is brazed to the at least one distributor element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Inventors: Hans-Rainer Zerfass, Armin Diez, Peter Schenk, Wolfgang Fritz
  • Publication number: 20060169099
    Abstract: In order to provide a housing cover for fixing to a housing, in particular to a gear housing or a steering gear housing, which is simple to produce and to fit, it is proposed that the housing cover is configured as a sheet metal formed part, that the housing cover is provided with a plurality of fastening means through-apertures and with a sealing bead, which comprises an elastomeric material, and that when the housing cover is in a rest state prior to tightening the housing cover against the housing by means of the fastening means, at least one contact region portion of the inside of the housing cover which faces the housing when the housing cover is in the fitted state, said contact region portion being located between two fastening means through-apertures and carrying a portion of the sealing bead, projects, at least in a section thereof, over the inside edges of the two adjacent fastening means through-apertures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2006
    Publication date: August 3, 2006
    Inventor: Armin Diez
  • Publication number: 20060131818
    Abstract: In order to produce a gasket that is adapted to be arranged between two components requiring sealing of which at least one contains a first metallic material which is less noble than aluminium and said gasket comprises at least one gasket layer including a plate consisting of a second metallic material which is nobler than the first metallic material, such that contact corrosion on the components requiring sealing is reduced or completely prevented, it is proposed that the gasket layer should comprise a sealing element which is arranged at an outer boundary region of the plate, should consist of an elastomer material and, in the installed state of the gasket, should gasket the gap between the gasket layer and the component which contains the first metallic material in a substantially fluid-tight manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Publication date: June 22, 2006
    Inventors: Armin Diez, Bernd Weis, Thomas Anhorn
  • Publication number: 20060121334
    Abstract: A fuel cell and/or electrolyzer, and a method of producing a fuel cell and/or electrolyzer. The fuel cell and/or electrolyzer has an electrolyte layer, one side of which is in contact with a cathode layer and the other side of which is in contact with an anode layer. The anode layer is electrically and/or mechanically in contact with a first interconnector. In the area of a free side of the cathode layer a contacting device is arranged, which is connected in an electrically conductive and mechanically material-to-material and/or positive manner with a second interconnector as well as with the cathode layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2005
    Publication date: June 8, 2006
    Inventors: Olav Finkenwirth, Erich Bittner, Carola Schneider, Armin Diez
  • Publication number: 20060103078
    Abstract: Cylinder head gasket with a ring-shaped combustion chamber sealing element comprising a metallic sealing strand and enclosing a combustion chamber through-opening, the combustion chamber sealing element being shaped and held in the cylinder head gasket so that when the gasket is clamped between engine component sealing surfaces, and the engine component sealing surfaces become displaced parallel to the gasket plane and relative to one another during operation of the engine, sealing element sections are tiltable about the longitudinal center axis of the sealing strand; to minimize frictional wear on the engine component sealing surfaces during operation of the engine, the gasket is shaped so that for pressing the combustion chamber sealing element against the engine component sealing surfaces, the combustion chamber sealing element is uncovered at the two main surfaces of the cylinder head gasket and, in cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal center axis of the sealing strand, is of such spherical sha
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2005
    Publication date: May 18, 2006
    Inventor: Armin Diez
  • Publication number: 20060103079
    Abstract: Cylinder head gasket with a ring-shaped metallic sealing element extending around a through-opening of the gasket, wherein, for automatic adaptation to changes in the width of the sealing gap to be sealed by the cylinder head gasket, the sealing element is of such spherical shape in cross section at its sides facing the two main surfaces of the gasket as to result in convex surfaces of the sealing element that face the main surfaces of the gasket and each have a crest, and, in the unpressed state of the gasket, these crests, in cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal center axis of a metallic sealing strand forming the sealing element, are laterally offset from one another in the direction of a gasket plane defined by the gasket so that the spacing of planes running parallel to the gasket plane and tangentially to the convex surfaces of the sealing element varies when these convex surfaces tilt about the longitudinal center axis of the sealing strand.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2005
    Publication date: May 18, 2006
    Inventor: Armin Diez
  • Publication number: 20060083978
    Abstract: In order to provide a sealing assembly for a fuel cell stack comprising a plurality of fuel cell units, which are arranged consecutively in a stacking direction, wherein each of the fuel cell units comprises a housing with at least one housing part made of a metallic material, which also has an adequate electrical insulation effect and an adequate mechanical strength at a high operating temperature of the fuel cell stack, it is proposed that the sealing assembly comprises at least one intermediate element made of a metallic material, wherein the intermediate element is soldered to a housing part of a first fuel cell unit at at least one location by means of a metal solder and is secured to a housing part of a second fuel cell unit at at least another location, wherein the intermediate element and/or the housing part of the first fuel cell unit is provided with a coating made of a ceramic material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Publication date: April 20, 2006
    Inventors: Hans-Rainer Zerfass, Armin Diez, Peter Schenk, Wolfgang Fritz, Peter Lamp, Manfred Wier, Joachim Tachtler
  • Publication number: 20060055121
    Abstract: Cylinder head gasket having a single-layered or multilayered metallic gasket plate with sealing beads in at least one metal layer, which are elastically deformable in height and surround the combustion chamber through-openings, and deformation delimiting devices which delimit the flattening of the sealing beads; in order to achieve as good a sealing function as possible in the long term and as good a protection as possible of the sealing beads against inadmissibly high deformations during operation of the engine, deformation delimiting devices, one of which is formed by a meandering bead stamped into a metal layer, and the other by a plurality of elevations stamped out of a metal layer, are provided radially inside and radially outside the sealing beads.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2005
    Publication date: March 16, 2006
    Inventors: Thomas Tiefenbach, Armin Diez, Wolfgang Fritz
  • Patent number: 7004472
    Abstract: A metallic cylinder head gasket for an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber. The gasket includes at least one sheet-metal layer having at least one opening corresponding to the at least one combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine and at least one bore extending from the outer edge to the edge of the opening. A membrane, closing the bore at the combustion-chamber side is exposed to the gas pressure of the combustion chamber. A pressure sensor disposed in the sheet-metal layer is pressurized axially relative to the bore by movement of the membrane by the gas pressure of the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: ElringKlinger AG
    Inventors: Armin Diez, Gerald Eifler, Claudio Cavalloni, Peter Wolfer, Michael Schnepf
  • Publication number: 20050269790
    Abstract: In order to achieve good sealing in both a cold and a warm engine by means which are as simple as possible, an at least substantially metallic cylinder head gasket comprises a gasket plate with only one layer of sheet steel extending over the entire gasket plate, around each combustion chamber opening of the gasket plate a combustion chamber sealing element forming on at least one side of the gasket an elevation with a gasket sealing surface surrounding the combustion chamber opening in a closed manner for being pressed against an engine component sealing surface, the height profile of the gasket sealing surface corresponding prior to installation of the gasket to the topography of the sealing gap to be sealed off by the gasket when the gasket is installed, and the elevation having a metallic main body whose material is selected and whose cross section is designed such that the main body will not be deformable in its height under the maximum load occurring when the cylinder head gasket is installed and the en
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Publication date: December 8, 2005
    Inventors: Armin Diez, Tobias Gruhler, Ulrich Werz, Peter Schenk
  • Publication number: 20050233196
    Abstract: In order to provide a fuel cell unit, comprising a housing which limits at least one gas chamber and has a gas opening in a first housing wall and a gas opening in a second housing wall located opposite the first housing wall, the housing of which has an adequate deformation stability in relation to the sealing surface pressure required for a flat seal even at high temperatures, it is suggested that the fuel cell unit comprise at least one supporting element which is arranged between the first housing wall and the second housing wall and keeps the two housing walls at a distance from one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2005
    Publication date: October 20, 2005
    Inventor: Armin Diez
  • Publication number: 20050191538
    Abstract: In order to create a fuel cell unit, comprising a cathode-anode-electrolyte unit and a contact plate which is in electrically conductive contact with the cathode-anode-electrolyte unit, which requires only small production resources and is thus suitable for large-scale production it is suggested that the fuel cell unit comprise a fluid guiding element which is connected to the contact plate in a fluid-tight manner, forms a boundary of a fluid chamber having fluid flowing through it during operation of the fuel cell unit and is designed as a shaped sheet metal part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Publication date: September 1, 2005
    Inventor: Armin Diez
  • Publication number: 20050170111
    Abstract: In order to provide a fuel cell unit, comprising a housing which limits at least one gas chamber and has a gas opening in a first housing wall and a gas opening in a second housing wall located opposite the first housing wall, the housing of which has an adequate deformation stability in relation to the sealing surface pressure required for a flat seal even at high temperatures, it is suggested that the fuel cell unit comprise at least one supporting element which is arranged between the first housing wall and the second housing wall and keeps the two housing walls at a distance from one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2005
    Publication date: August 4, 2005
    Inventor: Armin Diez
  • Publication number: 20050170231
    Abstract: In order to provide a fuel cell unit, comprising a housing which limits at least one gas chamber and has a gas opening in a first housing wall and a gas opening in a second housing wall located opposite the first housing wall, the housing of which has an adequate deformation stability in relation to the sealing surface pressure required for a flat seal even at high temperatures, it is suggested that the fuel cell unit comprise at least one supporting element which is arranged between the first housing wall and the second housing wall and keeps the two housing walls at a distance from one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2005
    Publication date: August 4, 2005
    Inventor: Armin Diez
  • Patent number: 6921602
    Abstract: In order to provide a fuel cell unit, comprising a housing which limits at least one gas chamber and has a gas opening in a first housing wall and a gas opening in a second housing wall located opposite the first housing wall, the housing of which has an adequate deformation stability in relation to the sealing surface pressure required for a flat seal even at high temperatures, it is suggested that the fuel cell unit comprise at least one supporting element which is arranged between the first housing wall and the second housing wall and keeps the two housing walls at a distance from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignees: Elringklinger AG, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrte.V.
    Inventors: Armin Diez, Michael Lang
  • Publication number: 20050147865
    Abstract: In order to provide a fuel cell unit, comprising a housing which limits at least one gas chamber and has a gas opening in a first housing wall and a gas opening in a second housing wall located opposite the first housing wall, the housing of which has an adequate deformation stability in relation to the sealing surface pressure required for a flat seal even at high temperatures, it is suggested that the fuel cell unit comprise at least one supporting element which is arranged between the first housing wall and the second housing wall and keeps the two housing walls at a distance from one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2005
    Publication date: July 7, 2005
    Inventor: Armin Diez
  • Patent number: 6875533
    Abstract: In order to provide a fuel cell unit, comprising a housing which limits at least one gas chamber and has a gas opening in a first housing wall and a gas opening in a second housing wall located opposite the first housing wall, the housing of which has an adequate deformation stability in relation to the sealing surface pressure required for a flat seal even at high temperatures, it is suggested that the fuel cell unit comprise at least one supporting element which is arranged between the first housing wall and the second housing wall and keeps the two housing walls at a distance from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: ElringKlinger AG
    Inventor: Armin Diez
  • Publication number: 20050006854
    Abstract: A metallic cylinder head gasket for an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber. The gasket includes at least one sheet-metal layer having at least one opening corresponding to the at least one combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine and at least one bore extending from the outer edge to the edge of the opening. A membrane, closing the bore at the combustion-chamber side is exposed to the gas pressure of the combustion chamber. A pressure sensor disposed in the sheet-metal layer is pressurized axially relative to the bore by movement of the membrane by the gas pressure of the combustion chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2004
    Publication date: January 13, 2005
    Inventors: Armin Diez, Gerald Eifler, Claudio Cavalloni, Peter Wolfer, Michael Schnepf
  • Patent number: 6814357
    Abstract: Cylinder head gasket with a gasket plate having at least one combustion chamber opening and comprising at least two sheet metal layers, a first one of which is provided with at least one bead which is elastically deformable in its height and encloses the combustion chamber opening, and a second one of which is provided with at least one deformation delimiting device delimiting deformation of the bead and surrounding the combustion chamber opening; in order to achieve as rigid a delimitation of the deformation as possible, the original second sheet metal layer is formed by a steel sheet which is plastically deformable by cold flow pressing, and in a plan view of the second sheet metal layer the deformation delimiting device forms a two-dimensional pattern of discrete, cup-like depressions, with the total volume of the depressions stamped by flow pressing being approximately equal to the total volume of the elevations formed by the material of the second sheet metal layer that is displaced during the stamping o
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: ElringKlinger AG
    Inventors: Armin Diez, Tobias Gruhler, Wolfgang Fritz, Karl Schmauder
  • Publication number: 20040160017
    Abstract: In a cylinder head gasket with a metallic gasket plate comprising a combustion chamber opening enclosed by a bead which is elastically deformable in its height, and a stopper surrounding the combustion chamber opening and delimiting the deformation of the bead, the stopper being formed by elevations of a sheet metal layer of the gasket plate which are obtained by deformation * of this sheet metal layer, in order to obtain such a stopper which is resistant to deformation, the stopper is designed such that in sections through the sheet metal layer along circular cylindrical surfaces coaxial with the combustion chamber opening the stopper respectively comprises a row of discrete elevations following one another in a circumferential direction of the combustion chamber opening and corresponding depressions located directly opposite these elevations in the sheet metal layer, and in a plan view of the sheet metal layer in the area of the stopper, the total area occupied by the elevations is at least half of the tota
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2004
    Publication date: August 19, 2004
    Applicant: Elringkilnger AG.
    Inventors: Armin Diez, Tobias Gruhler, Wolfgang Fritz