Patents by Inventor Frank Obrist

Frank Obrist 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: 20170234214
    Abstract: The invention relates to a power unit, in particular for a hybrid vehicle, having a two-cylinder reciprocating piston engine which comprises two pistons guided in two cylinders in a tandem arrangement and two counter-rotating crankshafts connected to the pistons by connecting rods and having an alternator that can rotate in the opposite direction to the first crankshaft and in the same direction as the second crankshaft. The invention is characterized in that the alternator is in driving engagement with at least the first crankshaft via a traction mechanism and comprises a counterbalance, wherein the first crankshaft is connected via a timing chain or a timing belt to a balancing shaft which carries a further balancing mass. The invention also relates to a vehicle, in particular a hybrid vehicle, having such a power unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Inventors: Franz Laimboeck, Frank Obrist
  • Publication number: 20170226925
    Abstract: The invention relates to a power unit, in particular for a hybrid vehicle, comprising a reciprocating piston engine and comprising a generator which can be in driving engagement therewith, wherein the reciprocating piston engine has at least two pistons, which are guided in at least two cylinders in tandem arrangement, and two counter-rotating crankshafts, which are connected to the pistons by connecting rods and which are mechanically coupled so as to be in phase, wherein a first generator can be driven by the first crankshaft and a second generator can be driven by the second crankshaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Inventors: Franz Laimboeck, Frank Obrist, Tsuneo Konno, Jochen Kilchert
  • Patent number: 9666912
    Abstract: For a technical object whose temperature is to be controlled, in particular a battery for an electric vehicle drive, there is provided a heat exchanger arrangement, the heat exchanger of which is in the form of a heat-exchanging pouch which has an inflow and outflow duct and which is in heat-conducting contact with internal surfaces of the object whose temperature is to be controlled. The heat-exchanging pouch is produced in a simple manner by means of edge welding of two foil pieces arranged one above the other. The mounting of said heat-exchanging pouch in a narrow gap space of a heat exchanger arrangement, and good heat transfer to adjacent walls, are made possible by means of a pressure pouch which is likewise formed from a foil material and which is filled with a compressible medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: OBRIST TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventors: Frank Obrist, Martin Graz, Peter Giese, Oliver Obrist
  • Patent number: 9559387
    Abstract: The battery has rod cells, which are arranged next to one another in multiple rows and the end-side electrical contacts of which are respectively electrically connected to one another in parallel and in series by a common contact plate. For effective cooling, a flat heat exchange pocket, through which a heat transfer medium flows, abuts against these contact plates. This heat exchange pocket consists of a multilayered thin film having an electrically insulating outer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: OBRIST TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventors: Frank Obrist, Martin Graz, Peter Giese, Oliver Obrist
  • Patent number: 9512840
    Abstract: A scroll-type compressor for a CO2 vehicle air conditioning system, having a movable displacement spiral which is rotatably connected to an eccentric bearing and which engages into a counterpart spiral such that, between the windings of the displacement spiral and of the counterpart spiral, there are formed chambers which travel radially inward in order to compress the refrigerant and discharge the refrigerant into a pressure chamber, wherein the displacement spiral is arranged on the suction side and the counterpart spiral is arranged on the high-pressure side. The scroll-type compressor is wherein the eccentric bearing is arranged in the displacement chamber between the displacement spiral and the counterpart spiral and has a bearing bushing which is formed integrally with the displacement spiral and the base of which is in alignment with the face side of the windings of the displacement spiral.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Obrist Engineering GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Obrist, Oliver Obrist, Christian Schmaelzle, Christian Busch
  • Patent number: 9291165
    Abstract: A scroll-type compressor for a CO2 vehicle air conditioning system, having a mechanical drive which is connected by a drive shaft to an eccentric bearing. A movable displacement spiral is rotatably connected to the eccentric bearing and engages into a counterpart spiral such that, between the displacement spiral and the counterpart spiral, radially inwardly traveling chambers are formed in order to compress the refrigerant and discharge it into a pressure chamber. Wherein the counterpart spiral is movable in alternating fashion relative to the displacement spiral in an axial direction, wherein, between the counterpart spiral and the displacement spiral, there is arranged at least one spring for exerting an axial release force on the counterpart spiral, and at least one piston engages on the counterpart spiral, in order to exert an axial closing force on the latter, adjacent to the pressure chamber in an off-center position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: OBRIST ENGINEERING GMBH
    Inventors: Frank Obrist, Oliver Obrist, Christian Schmaelzle, Christian Busch
  • Patent number: 9103276
    Abstract: The machine combination of an internal combustion engine and the generator of a hybrid drive has two cylinder-piston units, which are arranged parallel to each other in a common housing and each piston of which has a drive connection to an individual crankshaft via connecting rods associated with the pistons. The crankshafts have a counter-rotational connection to each other by gears. This coupling of the two crankshafts by gears allows the internal combustion engine to be combined with a generator in a particularly compact design, in that the shaft of the generator bears a gear, which is arranged in the same plane as the gears of the crankshafts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: OBRIST POWERTRAIN GMBH
    Inventors: Frank Obrist, Bernd Praesent
  • Publication number: 20150014997
    Abstract: A working medium circuit that includes a conveyor unit, a heat exchanger, an expansion unit, and a condenser, includes a device for recovering energy from a waste heat flow of an internal combustion engine in a vehicle. A Clausius-Rankine cycle is carried out within the working medium circuit, and the expansion unit includes an electrical generator or is coupled thereto. The electrical generator is a gap generator and a working medium of the working medium circuit flows through the electrical generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Jan Gaertner, Thomas Koch, Frank Obrist, Christian Schmaelzle
  • Publication number: 20140348681
    Abstract: A scroll-type compressor for a CO2 vehicle air conditioning system, having a movable displacement spiral which is rotatably connected to an eccentric bearing and which engages into a counterpart spiral such that, between the windings of the displacement spiral and of the counterpart spiral, there are formed chambers which travel radially inward in order to compress the refrigerant and discharge the refrigerant into a pressure chamber, wherein the displacement spiral is arranged on the suction side and the counterpart spiral is arranged on the high-pressure side. The scroll-type compressor is wherein the eccentric bearing is arranged in the displacement chamber between the displacement spiral and the counterpart spiral and has a bearing bushing which is formed integrally with the displacement spiral and the base of which is in alignment with the face side of the windings of the displacement spiral.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicant: Obrist Engineering GmbH
    Inventors: Frank OBRIST, Oliver OBRIST, Christian SCHMAELZLE, Christian BUSCH
  • Publication number: 20140348682
    Abstract: A scroll-type compressor for a CO2 vehicle air conditioning system, having a mechanical drive which is connected by a drive shaft to an eccentric bearing. A movable displacement spiral is rotatably connected to the eccentric bearing and engages into a counterpart spiral such that, between the displacement spiral and the counterpart spiral, radially inwardly traveling chambers are formed in order to compress the refrigerant and discharge it into a pressure chamber. Wherein the counterpart spiral is movable in alternating fashion relative to the displacement spiral in an axial direction, wherein, between the counterpart spiral and the displacement spiral, there is arranged at least one spring for exerting an axial release force on the counterpart spiral, and at least one piston engages on the counterpart spiral, in order to exert an axial closing force on the latter, adjacent to the pressure chamber in an off-center position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicant: Obrist Engineering GmbH
    Inventors: Frank OBRIST, Oliver OBRIST, Christian SCHMAELZLE, Christian BUSCH
  • Patent number: 8858197
    Abstract: A compressor has a housing with a sensor coupling hole and a control valve coupling hole. A support plate is configured to contact with the compressor housing, the support plate having perforations. A sensor and a control valve pass through the perforations of the support plate respectively at positions corresponding to the sensor coupling hole and the control valve coupling hole. The sensor and control valve are coupled to the sensor coupling hole and the control valve coupling hole respectively. A washer is mounted on an outer peripheral surface of the sensor. The washer passes through the support plate and is inserted into the sensor coupling hole. The washer is coupled to the sensor coupling hole to fix the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignees: Doowon Technical College, Doowon Electronic Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Hak Soo Kim, Ki Beom Kim, Ik Seo Park, Geon Ho Lee, Ki Jung An, Frank Obrist
  • Publication number: 20140178737
    Abstract: The battery has rod cells, which are arranged next to one another in multiple rows and the end-side electrical contacts of which are respectively electrically connected to one another in parallel and in series by a common contact plate. For effective cooling, a flat heat exchange pocket, through which a heat transfer medium flows, abuts against these contact plates. This heat exchange pocket consists of a multilayered thin film having an electrically insulating outer layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: Obrist Powertrain GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Obrist, Martin Graz, Peter Giese, Oliver Obrist
  • Publication number: 20140162107
    Abstract: For a technical object whose temperature is to be controlled, in particular a battery for an electric vehicle drive, there is provided a heat exchanger arrangement, the heat exchanger of which is in the form of a heat-exchanging pouch (1) which has an inflow and outflow duct and which is in heat-conducting contact with internal surfaces of the object whose temperature is to be controlled. The heat-exchanging pouch (1) is produced in a simple manner by means of edge welding of two foil pieces arranged one above the other. The mounting of said heat-exchanging pouch in a narrow gap space of a heat exchanger arrangement, and good heat transfer to adjacent walls, are made possible by means of a pressure pouch (34) which is likewise formed from a foil material and which is filled with a compressible medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: Obrist Powertrain GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Obrist, Martin Graz, Peter Giese, Oliver Obrist
  • Publication number: 20130319349
    Abstract: The machine combination of an internal combustion engine and the generator of a hybrid drive has two cylinder-piston units, which are arranged parallel to each other in a common housing and each piston of which has a drive connection to an individual crankshaft via connecting rods associated with the pistons. The crankshafts have a counter-rotational connection to each other by gears. This coupling of the two crankshafts by gears allows the internal combustion engine to be combined with a generator in a particularly compact design, in that the shaft of the generator bears a gear, which is arranged in the same plane as the gears of the crankshafts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: OBRIST POWERTRAIN GMBH
    Inventors: Frank Obrist, Bernd Praesent
  • Publication number: 20130280575
    Abstract: A temperature-controlled battery, for a vehicle drive, has numerous flat battery cells electrically interconnected and which are combined parallel to each other and are distributed in several battery chambers in a thermally insulated battery housing to form cell packages. Spacers are arranged between the battery cells. A flowable first heat-transfer medium in contact with the battery cells is enclosed in the battery housing. The first heat-transfer medium exchanges heat with a second heat-transfer medium enclosed in a channel system via the heat-transfer surfaces enclosed in the battery housing. The channel system has a supply line and a discharge line leading out of the battery for the temperature-controlled exchange of heat outside the battery. For forced convection at the battery cells, at least one pump is enclosed in the battery housing. The pump has a flow connection to the first heat transfer medium on the supply and outlet sides.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Applicant: OBRIST POWERTRAIN GMBH
    Inventors: Frank Obrist, Christian Busch, Oliver Obrist
  • Patent number: 8166774
    Abstract: In a heat exchanger unit for conditioning a first fluid, particularly a refrigerant in an air conditioning system, including a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger includes first and second tube element units for heat exchange between a first fluid flowing through the tube elements and a second fluid flowing over the tube elements, wherein the first fluid is supplied first to the first tube element unit so as to flow upwardly therethrough and via an intermediate outlet connector to a compressor stage from where it is transferred to the top of the second tube element unit which is disposed above the first tube element unit and flows downwardly through the second tube element unit to an expansion stage wherein the energy released during expansion in the expansion stage is utilized for the compression of the first fluid in the compressor stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank Obrist, Peter Heyl, Peter Kuhn
  • Patent number: 8141383
    Abstract: A heat exchanger unit is disclosed, the heat exchanger unit including a first tube element unit, a second tube element unit, and an engine machine apparatus having an expansion step unit and a compression step unit. Each of the tube element units is adapted to condition a fluid flowing therethrough. Desirably, the fluid is compressed in the compression step unit and expanded in the expansion step unit in such a manner that technical operation is transferred from the expansion step unit to the compression step unit so that an inner recovery of energy is made possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Heyl, Peter Kuhn, Frank Obrist
  • Publication number: 20110274575
    Abstract: A compressor, in particular a radial piston compressor, further in particular a compressor for CO2 as a refrigerant, including a compressor unit for compressing refrigerant and a drive shaft for driving the compressor unit and a motor chamber bounded substantially by a motor housing, wherein the motor chamber has a fluid connection to a suction gas side, in particular a suction gas chamber, of the compressor by means of a fluid connection formed at least partially in the drive shaft, wherein at least one device for accumulating oil is arranged in the fluid connection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2010
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Applicants: OBRIST ENGINEERING GMBH, GEA BOCK GMBH
    Inventors: Frank Obrist, Martin Graz, Stefan Kross
  • Publication number: 20110135503
    Abstract: A compressor comprises: a compressor housing having a sensor coupling hole and a control valve coupling hole; a support plate configured to contact with the compressor housing and having perforations; a sensor and a control valve passing through the perforations of the support plate respectively at positions corresponding to the sensor coupling hole and the control valve coupling hole, and coupled to the sensor coupling hole and the control valve coupling hole respectively; and a washer mounted on an outer peripheral surface of the sensor passing through the support plate and inserted into the sensor coupling hole, and coupled to the sensor coupling hole to fix the sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Inventors: Hak Soo Kim, Ki Beom Kim, Ik Seo Park, Geon Ho Lee, Ki Jung An, Frank Obrist
  • Patent number: D772805
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: OBRIST TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventors: Frank Obrist, Martin Graz, Jochen Bont