Patents by Inventor Erwin Achleitner

Erwin Achleitner 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: 20130253804
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for estimating a fuel leakage quantity which enters from a leaking injection valve during a shut-down time of a motor vehicle into an intake tract or into a cylinder of an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle and is added to a fuel mixture to be combusted during a starting process. The method may include: measuring a first start index characteristic of a starting behavior of the engine during a first starting process; determining a first injected fuel quantity during the first starting process; measuring a second start index characteristic of a starting behavior of the engine during a second starting process; determining a second injected fuel quantity during the second starting process; and estimating the fuel leakage quantity based on the measured first start index, the determined first injected fuel quantity, the measured second start index and the determined second injected fuel quantity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Inventors: Gerd Rösel, Erwin Achleitner
  • Patent number: 8459574
    Abstract: A valve for the injection of fuel has a valve body (4) which has a recess (5) in which a valve needle (6) that is movable in the axial direction is arranged. The valve needle (6) together with the valve body (4) forms an injection nozzle (7) in a downstream zone. In a closed position the valve needle (6) prevents a stream of fuel from passing through the injection nozzle (7) but otherwise leaves it unimpeded. At a downstream end the injection nozzle (7) has a deflecting element (20) so arranged that a stream of fuel is deflected from taking a predominantly upstream course from the deflecting element (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Erwin Achleitner, Claus Anzinger, Willibald Schürz
  • Publication number: 20130104636
    Abstract: A method is provided for determining a time duration for an electric actuation of a valve which has a coil drive, in particular of a direct-injection valve for an internal combustion engine. The method may include a deactivation of a current flow through a coil of the coil drive, such that the coil is in a currentless state, a detection of a time profile of a voltage induced in the currentless coil, a determination of the closing time of the valve on the basis of the detected time profile, and a determination of a time duration of the electric actuation of the valve for a future injection process on the basis of the determined closing time. A corresponding device and a computer program for carrying out the described method are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Inventors: Johannes Beer, Erwin Achleitner
  • Patent number: 8397697
    Abstract: In a method and a device for operating an injection valve, a relevant time (t_ACT) is determined during a catch phase (PH_CATCH) when the electromagnetic actuator reaches a predetermined fraction value of the electric current, which value is smaller than a maximum current value, and a fraction of interval (T_FRAC) since the start of the respective catch phase (PH_CATCH) is determined depending thereon and the injection valve is diagnosed depending on the fraction of interval (T_FRAC) and the predetermined minimum and maximum threshold interval values (THD_T_MIN, THD_T_MAX).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Erwin Achleitner, Dirk Baranowski, Franz Kunz
  • Patent number: 8087400
    Abstract: An injection valve has a magnetic actuator and an injector needle able to be moved axially by the magnetic actuator. To meter a fluid by the injection valve the magnetic actuator is activated for an individual metering process with at least one actuation signal with a first or second signal waveform. The two actuation signals differ from one another in that, on activation of the magnetic actuator by the actuation signal with the first signal waveform, less energy is transmitted to a magnet unit of the magnetic actuator than during activation of the magnetic actuator by the actuation signal with the second signal waveform. The magnetic actuator is activated by the actuation signal with the second signal waveform if an activation of the magnetic actuator by the actuation signal with the first signal waveform leads to an undesired premature closure of the injector needle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Erwin Achleitner, Dirk Baranowski, Franz Kunz
  • Patent number: 7913666
    Abstract: In order to reduce the quantity deviation of a fuel injection valve, it is proposed according to the various embodiments that a test injection be carried out during an overrun cut-off phase of a motor vehicle in operation. In the process, the fuel rail (2) is closed on the inlet side and the selected injection valve (1) is activated. A quantity difference between the predetermined setpoint and the actual value can be determined by measuring a pressure difference in the fuel rail (2) before and after the test injection. This results in a correction factor with which the activation for the selected injection valve (1) is corrected for subsequent injections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Erwin Achleitner, Thomas Maurer, Carlos Eduardo Migueis
  • Patent number: 7885753
    Abstract: In a first operating state, the fuel metering of one of the cylinders is controlled in first metering pulses with the same pulse characteristic during a respective one working cycle, and the metering of fuel into the other cylinders by at least one second metering pulse with a different pulse characteristic. The first pulse number and characteristic is predefined such that the same fuel mass should be metered based on an assumed injection valve characteristic as with the one second metering pulse. Depending on the measurement signal, a correction value for the one cylinder is determined. To meter the fuel based on the assumed injection valve characteristic, a single first metering pulse would be generated during a respective one working cycle. The correction value for the one cylinder is used during the rest of the operation to adapt the first metering pulse in the second operating state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Erwin Achleitner, Dirk Baranowski, Carlos Eduardo Migueis, Paul Rodatz
  • Publication number: 20100192914
    Abstract: In a method and a device for operating an injection valve, a relevant time (t_ACT) is determined during a catch phase (PH_CATCH) when the electromagnetic actuator reaches a predetermined fraction value of the electric current, which value is smaller than a maximum current value, and a fraction of interval (T_FRAC) since the start of the respective catch phase (PH_CATCH) is determined depending thereon and the injection valve is diagnosed depending on the fraction of interval (T_FRAC) and the predetermined minimum and maximum threshold interval values (THD_T_MIN, THD_T_MAX).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2008
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Inventors: Erwin Achleitner, Dirk Baranowski, Franz Kunz
  • Patent number: 7624719
    Abstract: Disclosed is a fuel supplying device of an internal combustion engine, comprising a low-pressure circuit, a high-pressure pump coupled to the low-pressure circuit and conveys fuel into a fuel reservoir, a volume flow control valve assigned to the high-pressure pump, an electromechanical pressure regulator connected to the fuel reservoir and the low-pressure circuit and can direct fuel from the fuel reservoir into the low-pressure circuit, a regulating mechanism which generates an actuation signal for the volume flow control valve by a first controller in a first mode which generating an actuation signal for the electromechanical pressure regulator with the aid of a second controller in a second mode. The mode of the fuel supplying mechanism is switched in accordance with a fuel pressure error value resulting from a detected fuel pressure and a predefined fuel pressure. The mode can additionally be switched according to the throughput of the high-pressure pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Erwin Achleitner, Martin Cwielong, Gerhard Eser
  • Patent number: 7607417
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling an internal combustion engine is provide. The engine has a fuel-supply device, a low-pressure circuit and a high-pressure pump, to which a control valve for a volumetric flow is allocated is provided. Said pump is coupled on the inlet side to the low-pressure circuit and transports fuel to a fuel accumulator. An estimated value of the drive torque of the high-pressure pump is determined in accordance with the fuel pressure in the fuel accumulator. A loss torque is determined in accordance with the estimated value for the drive torque of the high-pressure pump and additional loss-torque fractions, which are dependent on a motor speed and additional operating variables. A target torque is determined in accordance with the loss torque and an actuating signal for controlling an actuator of the internal combustion engine is generated from the target torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Erwin Achleitner, Martin Cwielong, Gerhard Eser
  • Publication number: 20090177366
    Abstract: In order to reduce the quantity deviation of a fuel injection valve, it is proposed according to the various embodiments that a test injection be carried out during an overrun cut-off phase of a motor vehicle in operation. In the process, the fuel rail (2) is closed on the inlet side and the selected injection valve (1) is activated. A quantity difference between the predetermined setpoint and the actual value can be determined by measuring a pressure difference in the fuel rail (2) before and after the test injection. This results in a correction factor with which the activation for the selected injection valve (1) is corrected for subsequent injections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2007
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Inventors: Erwin Achleitner, Thomas Maurer, Carlos Eduardo Migueis
  • Publication number: 20090150046
    Abstract: A control method for an internal combustion engine with at least one pressure accumulator in which fuel is stored under pressure, in order to supply pressurized fuel to at least one injection valve, and at least two high-pressure pumps which are connected to the at least one pressure accumulator in such a way that they can supply fuel to this at least one pressure accumulator either jointly or separately, with, if at least one condition is fulfilled, the high-pressure pumps being operated in a special operating mode in which only one of the high-pressure pumps supplies fuel to the at least one pressure accumulator, and with the high-pressure pumps being otherwise operated in a normal operating mode in which the at least two high-pressure pumps jointly supply fuel to the at least one pressure accumulator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2008
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Inventors: Erwin Achleitner, Christopher Forster, Christoph Kollner
  • Publication number: 20090078799
    Abstract: An injection valve has a magnetic actuator and an injector needle able to be moved axially by the magnetic actuator. To meter a fluid by the injection valve the magnetic actuator is activated for an individual metering process with at least one actuation signal with a first or second signal waveform. The two actuation signals differ from one another in that, on activation of the magnetic actuator by the actuation signal with the first signal waveform, less energy is transmitted to a magnet unit of the magnetic actuator than during activation of the magnetic actuator by the actuation signal with the second signal waveform. The magnetic actuator is activated by the actuation signal with the second signal waveform if an activation of the magnetic actuator by the actuation signal with the first signal waveform leads to an undesired premature closure of the injector needle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2008
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Inventors: Erwin Achleitner, Dirk Baranowski, Franz Kunz
  • Patent number: 7503313
    Abstract: The invention relates to an internal combustion engine comprising a fuel supplying device. Said fuel supplying device comprises a low-pressure circuit provided with a low-pressure pump and a high-pressure pump that is coupled to the low-pressure circuit on the input side and transports fuel into a fuel accumulator. A fuel transporting flow of the low-pressure pump is corrected according to an actual and a previously pre-determined nominal value of the fuel pressure in the fuel accumulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Erwin Achleitner, Martin Cwielong, Gerhard Eser
  • Publication number: 20090070012
    Abstract: In a first operating state, the fuel metering of one of the cylinders is controlled in first metering pulses with the same pulse characteristic during a respective one working cycle, and the metering of fuel into the other cylinders by at least one second metering pulse with a different pulse characteristic. The first pulse number and characteristic is predefined such that the same fuel mass should be metered based on an assumed injection valve characteristic as with the one second metering pulse. Depending on the measurement signal, a correction value for the one cylinder is determined. To meter the fuel based on the assumed injection valve characteristic, a single first metering pulse would be generated during a respective one working cycle. The correction value for the one cylinder is used during the rest of the operation to adapt the first metering pulse in the second operating state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2007
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Inventors: Erwin Achleitner, Dirk Baranowski, Carlos Eduardo Migueis, Paul Rodatz
  • Patent number: 7493804
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fuel supplying device comprising a low-pressure circuit, a high-pressure pump which is coupled to the low-pressure circuit on the input side thereof and transports fuel into a fuel accumulator, and an actuator which controls the fuel flow rate of the high-pressure pump. In the event of a stationary load, a first value of a fuel pressure and a first actuating signal of the actuator are determined, a second value of the fuel pressure is set, and said second value being larger or smaller than the first value of the fuel pressure by a pre-determined amount, a second actuating signal of the actuator is determined once the second value of the fuel pressure has been set, and an error in the fuel supplying device is detected according to the first and second actuating signals of the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Erwin Achleitner, Martin Cwielong, Gerhard Eser
  • Publication number: 20080269984
    Abstract: Disclosed is a fuel supplying device of an internal combustion engine, comprising a low-pressure circuit, a high-pressure pump coupled to the low-pressure circuit and conveys fuel into a fuel reservoir, a volume flow control valve assigned to the high-pressure pump, an electromechanical pressure regulator connected to the fuel reservoir and the low-pressure circuit and can direct fuel from the fuel reservoir into the low-pressure circuit, a regulating mechanism which generates an actuation signal for the volume flow control valve by a first controller in a first mode which generating an actuation signal for the electromechanical pressure regulator with the aid of a second controller in a second mode. The mode of the fuel supplying mechanism is switched in accordance with a fuel pressure error value resulting from a detected fuel pressure and a predefined fuel pressure. The mode can additionally be switched according to the throughput of the high-pressure pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2005
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Inventors: Erwin Achleitner, Martin Cwielong, Gerhard Eser
  • Publication number: 20080264155
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fuel supplying device comprising a low-pressure circuit, a high-pressure pump which is coupled to the low-pressure circuit on the input side thereof and transports fuel into a fuel accumulator, and an actuator which controls the fuel flow rate of the high-pressure pump. In the event of a stationary load, a first value of a fuel pressure and a first actuating signal of the actuator are determined, a second value of the fuel pressure is set, and said second value being larger or smaller than the first value of the fuel pressure by a pre-determined amount, a second actuating signal of the actuator is determined once the second value of the fuel pressure has been set, and an error in the fuel supplying device is detected according to the first and second actuating signals of the actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2005
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Inventors: Erwin Achleitner, Martin Cwielong, Gerhard Eser
  • Patent number: 7328689
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fuel supply device pertaining to an internal combustion engine. Said fuel supply device has a regulating device comprising a first regulator, which is provided with at least one integral part and which produces, in a first mode of operation, a regulating signal for a volume flow control valve, and a second regulator that produces a regulating signal for an electromechanical pressure regulator in a second mode of operation. In the first mode of operation, an error in the fuel supply device is identified according to the integral part of the first regulator. In the second mode of operation, an error in the fuel supply device is identified according to a detected fuel pressure and the regulating signal for the electromechanical pressure regulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Erwin Achleitner, Martin Cwielong, Gerhard Eser
  • Publication number: 20070295310
    Abstract: The invention relates to an internal combustion engine comprising a fuel supplying device. Said fuel supplying device comprises a low-pressure circuit provided with a low-pressure pump and a high-pressure pump that is coupled to the low-pressure circuit on the input side and transports fuel into a fuel accumulator. A fuel transporting flow of the low-pressure pump is corrected according to an actual and a previously pre-determined nominal value of the fuel pressure in the fuel accumulator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2005
    Publication date: December 27, 2007
    Inventors: Erwin Achleitner, Martin Cwielong, Gerhard Eser