Patents by Inventor Friedrich Schäfer

Friedrich Schäfer 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: 11773768
    Abstract: Valves for gas engines are disclosed, in particular for wastegates arranged upstream of a turbocharger. Accordingly, a valve for a gas engine, comprises a metal housing having an opening for providing a fluid flow out of the valve, and a metal valve member configured for adjustably restricting the fluid flow through the opening, wherein the housing is made of a first material comprising a steel and wherein the valve member is made of a second material having a thermal expansion coefficient being lower than the first material. By providing the valve member and the valve housing with materials with different thermal expansion coefficients, the expansion of the valve member may be reduced during a rapid temperature increase or heating up of the valve member e.g. when the gas engine is started or accelerated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Caterpillar Energy Solutions GmbH
    Inventor: Friedrich Schaefer
  • Publication number: 20220228524
    Abstract: The present invention relates to valves for gas engines, in particular for wastegates arranged upstream of a turbocharger. Accordingly, a valve for a gas engine, is suggested comprising a metal housing having an opening for providing a fluid flow out of the valve, and a metal valve member configured for adjustably restricting the fluid flow through the opening, wherein the housing is made of a first material comprising a steel alloy and wherein the valve member is made of a second material having a thermal expansion coefficient being lower than the first material. By providing the valve member and the valve housing with materials with different thermal expansion coefficients, the expansion of the valve member may he reduced during a rapid temperature increase or heating up of the valve member e.g. when the gas engine is started or accelerated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Applicant: Caterpillar Energy Solutions GmbH
    Inventor: Friedrich SCHAEFER
  • Patent number: 9982588
    Abstract: A pre-chamber assembly for an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The pre-chamber assembly may have a pre-chamber main body configured to be mounted to the internal combustion engine and defining at least a portion of a pre-chamber extending along a longitudinal axis. The pre-chamber assembly may also have an ignition electrode. The ignition electrode may have a center electrode and at least one electrode arm extending from the center electrode at least partially into the pre-chamber. The at least one electrode arm may extend in both a radial direction with respect to the longitudinal axis and an axial direction with respect to the longitudinal axis. Additionally, the pre-chamber assembly may have a mass element including at least one radial inner face facing the at least one electrode arm. The at least one radial inner face may be non-parallel with respect to the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Caterpillar Energy Solutions GmbH
    Inventor: Friedrich Schäfer
  • Publication number: 20170145898
    Abstract: A pre-chamber assembly for an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The pre-chamber assembly may have a pre-chamber main body configured to be mounted to the internal combustion engine and defining at least a portion of a pre-chamber extending along a longitudinal axis. The pre-chamber assembly may also have an ignition electrode. The ignition electrode may have a center electrode and at least one electrode arm extending from the center electrode at least partially into the pre-chamber. The at least one electrode arm may extend in both a radial direction with respect to the longitudinal axis and an axial direction with respect to the longitudinal axis. Additionally, the pre-chamber assembly may have a mass element including at least one radial inner face facing the at least one electrode arm. The at least one radial inner face may be non-parallel with respect to the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Publication date: May 25, 2017
    Applicant: Caterpillar Energy Solutions GmbH
    Inventor: Friedrich Schäfer
  • Publication number: 20150219006
    Abstract: A cylinder head of a static spark-ignited gas engine may include at least two exhaust ports, at least two inlet ports, at least one cylinder axis, and a bottom side. Each inlet port runs to the bottom side of the cylinder head and may have a valve seat for inlet valve. Each valve seat may have a corresponding center axis. At least one inlet port has a countersink in the border area of the bottom side. The countersink may have an offset axis shifted from the corresponding center axis. The countersink may also have a maximum radius with reference to the corresponding center axis. The maximum radius and a straight line may form an angle ?. The straight line may connect the cylinder axis with the corresponding center axis. The angle ? may fulfill the following condition: 70°<=?<=110°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2013
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR ENERGY SOLUTIONS GMBH
    Inventors: Jürgen Bittner, Robert Böwing, Michael Braun, Friedrich Schäfer
  • Publication number: 20150176520
    Abstract: A spark plug may include a shell surrounding a lower part of an insulator. The shell may be provided with a tool engaging portion, a seal face configured to contact a corresponding seal of a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine, a cylinder engaging threaded portion having a thread diameter (D) configured to screw the spark plug in a threaded bore of the cylinder head, and an intermediate portion extending between the shoulder and the cylinder engaging threaded portion. The intermediate portion may have a length (L1), wherein: 0.20<=L1/D<=0.80 and L1 is the length and D is the thread diameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2013
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR ENERGY SOLUTIONS GMBH
    Inventors: Olaf Berger, Friedrich Schaefer