Patents by Inventor Christopher Albrecht

Christopher Albrecht 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: 12285995
    Abstract: A method for initiating a defrosting process of a heat exchanger of a heat pump of a motor vehicle, wherein the heat exchanger and a coolant heat exchanger of a cooling circuit of the motor vehicle are arranged in a common air path, involves determining a coolant outlet temperature of a coolant from the coolant heat exchanger, determining a state of icing of the heat exchanger using the coolant outlet temperature, and initiating a defrosting process of the heat exchanger if icing of the heat exchanger is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Jochen Westhäuser, Jan-Christoph Albrecht, Sven Twenhövel
  • Publication number: 20240316569
    Abstract: A grinding machine includes first feed screw, first head, first center pin, first knife assembly, bushing and first orifice plate. Second feed screw is coupled to first center pin and rotates within second head. Second feed screw is positioned against the bushing such that the bushing acts as a thrust bearing. Second center pin is coupled to second feed screw and is configured to rotate a second knife assembly. Second orifice plate is arranged on second center pin. Second mounting ring can be linearly adjusted relative to second head to axially position second orifice plate between a stop shoulder of second head and a lip of second mounting ring. Second feed screw may include a plurality of flights arranged in a split flight configuration including one or more ingress end flights and one or more egress end flights.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2024
    Publication date: September 26, 2024
    Applicant: Provisur Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Albrecht
  • Patent number: 12048932
    Abstract: A grinding machine includes first feed screw, first head, first center pin, first knife assembly, bushing and first orifice plate. Second feed screw is coupled to first center pin and rotates within second head. Second feed screw is positioned against the bushing such that the bushing acts as a thrust bearing. Second center pin is coupled to second feed screw and is configured to rotate a second knife assembly. Second orifice plate is arranged on second center pin. Second mounting ring can be linearly adjusted relative to second head to axially position second orifice plate between a stop shoulder of second head and a lip of second mounting ring. Second feed screw may include a plurality of flights arranged in a split flight configuration including one or more ingress end flights and one or more egress end flights.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: PROVISUR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Christopher Albrecht
  • Publication number: 20240246454
    Abstract: Technologies and techniques for electrically charging a drive battery for a vehicle at a charging station. The vehicle may include a refrigerant compressor for cooling the drive battery using a refrigerant; and a fan for cooling the refrigerant. A method may include the steps of cooling the drive battery using the refrigerant compressor during electric charging of the drive battery; and cooling the refrigerant using the fan during electric charging of the drive battery, wherein an upper charging noise level limit is provided and the operating mode of the refrigerant compressor and the operating mode of the fan are adjusted taking into consideration said upper charging noise level limit. A computer program product may be configured for carrying out a method according to the present disclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2022
    Publication date: July 25, 2024
    Inventors: Jan-Christoph Albrecht, Jochen Westhäuser
  • Patent number: 12024047
    Abstract: A method for controlling the charging process of an electrical energy storage device, at an electric charging device, wherein the charging device has a temperature control system and the energy storage device has a temperature control system, including at least the following steps: transfer of electrical energy between the charging device and the energy storage device, transfer of thermal energy between a temperature control system of the charging device and the temperature control system of the energy storage device, and transmission of at least one first item of information from a computing unit associated with the charging device to a computing unit associated with the energy storage device, and/or transmission of at least one second item of information from a computing unit associated with the energy storage device to a computing unit associated with the charging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jan-Christoph Albrecht, Jochen Westhaeuser, Frank Juergen Engler, Carsten Wachsmuth, Arne-Christian Voigt
  • Publication number: 20240057756
    Abstract: A device used in the technical field of producing bristle products. The device (1) includes a tufting tool (3) for tufting bundles of bristles (4) into a provided bristle carrier (5) and a bristle displacer (6) for displacing already tufted bundles of bristles from a tufting region of the tufting tool (3). The tufting tool (3) and the bristle displacement element (6) are connected to a common drive shaft (9) of the device via a respective coupling gear mechanism (7) and/or (8) and are driven by same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Applicant: Zahoransky AG
    Inventor: Christoph ALBRECHT
  • Patent number: 11878571
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a climate-control system (12) for a vehicle (10). According to the invention, total energy efficiencies are determined for a group of operating strategies for the air-conditioning system (12) and an operating strategy with the greatest total efficiency that fulfills the heating output requirement (44) that has been determined, is selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Jan-Christoph Albrecht, Jochen Westhäuser, Carsten Wachsmuth
  • Patent number: 11772458
    Abstract: In order to provide a method for de-icing a heat exchanger of a motor vehicle, which prevents large amounts of melt water from a defrosting process running onto the floor or the road beneath the motor vehicle, freeze again and pose a risk of injury to pedestrians, in a method for defrosting a heat exchanger of a motor vehicle, in which, for a heat exchanger arranged in a motor vehicle, a defrosting process for removing a layer of frozen water or frost formed on a surface of the heat exchanger is carried out, the defrosting process comprising heating the surface, and melt water being produced, it is proposed that the amount of melt water discharged onto a local region of a floor beneath the motor vehicle is limited to a maximum value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Jochen Westhäuser, Jan-Christoph Albrecht
  • Publication number: 20230278041
    Abstract: A grinding machine includes first feed screw, first head, first center pin, first knife assembly, bushing and first orifice plate. Second feed screw is coupled to first center pin and rotates within second head. Second feed screw is positioned against the bushing such that the bushing acts as a thrust bearing. Second center pin is coupled to second feed screw and is configured to rotate a second knife assembly. Second orifice plate is arranged on second center pin. Second mounting ring can be linearly adjusted relative to second head to axially position second orifice plate between a stop shoulder of second head and a lip of second mounting ring. Second feed screw may include a plurality of flights arranged in a split flight configuration including one or more ingress end flights and one or more egress end flights.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Inventor: Christopher Albrecht
  • Patent number: 11728495
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a combined cooling circuit for a motor vehicle that provides a method of cooling a fuel cell of a fuel cell system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignees: AUDI AG, Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Jan-Christoph Albrecht, Jan-Philipp Brinkmeier, Oliver Berger, Frank Jürgen Engler, Carsten Wachsmuth
  • Patent number: 11440542
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for setting a driving speed of a motor vehicle on a route. A control device of the motor vehicle sets the driving speed depending on an operating position limited by two extreme positions of a pedal device of the motor vehicle, which may be operated by a driver, wherein the control device detects the operating position of the pedal device, and depending on the detected operating position, determines in at least one specified driving mode a target driving speed corresponding to the respective operating position, and the control device sets the driving speed corresponding to the respective target driving speed by means of a closed loop control as long as the respective operating position is detected. The setting in this case takes place independently of a current condition of the route. The invention also includes a motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Jan-Christoph Albrecht, Alexander Wess, Hendrik Schröder
  • Publication number: 20220258566
    Abstract: In order to provide a method for initiating a defrosting process of a heat exchanger of a heat pump of a motor vehicle, which method is insensitive to external parameters influencing the air flow through the evaporator, and with which method unnecessary defrosting processes can be avoided, wherein a fan is assigned to the heat exchanger, wherein a power consumption and/or a speed of the fan is monitored, a defrosting process is initiated when the power consumption and/or the speed exceeds and/or falls below a threshold value, and the threshold value is determined as a function of a parameter, wherein the parameter is an indicator of a current relative air speed of the ambient air in relation to the motor vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2022
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Applicant: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jochen WESTHÄUSER, Jan-Christoph ALBRECHT, Sven TWENHÖVEL
  • Publication number: 20220258567
    Abstract: In order to provide a method for initiating a defrosting process of a heat exchanger of a heat pump of a motor vehicle, which method is insensitive to external influences and can also be used in combination with other methods, wherein the heat exchanger and a coolant heat exchanger of a cooling circuit of the motor vehicle are arranged in a common air path, a coolant outlet temperature of a coolant from the coolant heat exchanger is determined, and a state of icing of the heat exchanger is determined using the coolant outlet temperature, and initiating a defrosting process of the heat exchanger if icing of the heat exchanger is determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2022
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Applicant: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Jochen WESTHÄUSER, Jan-Christoph Albrecht, Sven Twenhovel
  • Publication number: 20220185065
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for defrosting an external-air heat exchanger of an electric vehicle. Contrary to the conventional principle of operating systems in an electric vehicle at the lowest possible output power, according to the invention, high output power is used for the defrosting process, to reduce the defrosting time and thus reduce heat loss.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Applicant: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Jan-Christoph ALBRECHT, Jochen WESTHÄUSER, Carsten WACHSMUTH
  • Publication number: 20220055453
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a climate-control system (12) for a vehicle (10). According to the invention, total energy efficiencies are determined for a group of operating strategies for the air-conditioning system (12) and an operating strategy with the greatest total efficiency that fulfills the heating output requirement (44) that has been determined, is selected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Applicant: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Jan-Christoph ALBRECHT, Jochen WESTHÄUSER, Carsten WACHSMUTH
  • Patent number: 11203022
    Abstract: A grinding machine for grinding food-products, such as meat or the like, includes an orifice plate at the outlet of a grinding head. The orifice plate has collection passages that discharge a mixture of soft material and hard material through the orifice plate. A separator assembly, including a separator screw, separation chamber, metering auger, and metering cone, is located downstream of the orifice plate for separating the soft material from the hard material. The metering auger is fixedly coupled to a distal end of the separator screw and has a reduced diameter relative to the separator screw. The metering auger advances in a downstream direction the hard material of the mixture of soft material and hard material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: PROVISUR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: E. William Wight, Timothy Hahn, Kyle Schinkowsky, Christopher Albrecht, Nathan Levande
  • Publication number: 20210379966
    Abstract: In order to provide a method for de-icing a heat exchanger of a motor vehicle, which prevents large amounts of melt water from a defrosting process running onto the floor or the road beneath the motor vehicle, freeze again and pose a risk of injury to pedestrians, in a method for defrosting a heat exchanger of a motor vehicle, in which, for a heat exchanger arranged in a motor vehicle, a defrosting process for removing a layer of frozen water or frost formed on a surface of the heat exchanger is carried out, the defrosting process comprising heating the surface, and melt water being produced, it is proposed that the amount of melt water discharged onto a local region of a floor beneath the motor vehicle is limited to a maximum value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2021
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Applicant: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Jochen WESTHÄUSER, Jan-Christoph ALBRECHT
  • Patent number: 11173497
    Abstract: A grinding machine for grinding food-products, such as meat or the like, includes an orifice plate at the outlet of a grinding head. The orifice plate has collection passages that discharge a mixture of soft material and hard material through the orifice plate. A separator assembly, including a separator screw and separation chamber, is located downstream of the orifice plate for separating the soft material from the hard material. A ring adjustment assembly includes a ring valve having an internal conical portion in communication with a nose portion of the separator screw, and a ring valve carrier configured to reciprocally displace the ring valve in an axial direction relative to the separator screw so as to vary a gap between the nose portion of the separator screw and the internal conical portion of the ring valve. Adjustment of the gap distance determines an amount of the hard material that is passed toward the discharge outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: PROVISUR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: E. William Wight, Timothy Hahn, Kyle Schinkowsky, Christopher Albrecht, Nathan Levande
  • Publication number: 20210265852
    Abstract: A method for controlling the charging process of an electrical energy storage device, at an electric charging device, wherein the charging device has a temperature control system and the energy storage device has a temperature control system, including at least the following steps: transfer of electrical energy between the charging device and the energy storage device, transfer of thermal energy between a temperature control system of the charging device and the temperature control system of the energy storage device, and transmission of at least one first item of information from a computing unit associated with the charging device to a computing unit associated with the energy storage device, and/or transmission of at least one second item of information from a computing unit associated with the energy storage device to a computing unit associated with the charging device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Applicant: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jan-Christoph ALBRECHT, Jochen WESTHAEUSER, Frank Juergen ENGLER, Carsten WACHSMUTH, Arne-Christian VOIGT
  • Publication number: 20210265853
    Abstract: A method for controlling the charging process of an electrical energy storage device, at an electric charging device, wherein the charging device has a temperature control system and the energy storage device has a temperature control system, including at least the following steps: transfer of electrical energy between the charging device and the energy storage device, transfer of thermal energy between a temperature control system of the charging device and the temperature control system of the energy storage device, obtaining charging progress information, and closed-loop or open-loop control of at least a first temperature of a cooling medium in the temperature control system of the charging device and/or of the energy storage device as a function of the charging progress information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Applicant: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jan-Christoph ALBRECHT, Jochen WESTHAEUSER, Frank Juergen ENGLER, Carsten WACHSMUTH, Arne-Christian VOIGT