Patents by Inventor Hans Guenter Quix

Hans Guenter Quix 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: 20170130623
    Abstract: Embodiments for a lubrication system for an internal combustion engine are provided. In one example, a lubrication system for an internal combustion engine comprises a lubricant circuit, a radiator for cooling the lubricant, a heat accumulator arranged upstream of the engine for warming up the lubricant, the heat accumulator connected in parallel to the radiator, and a valve for switching over the lubricant circuit between the radiator and the heat accumulator. In this way, the oil may be rapidly heated during cold engine start conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2017
    Publication date: May 11, 2017
    Inventors: Hans Guenter Quix, Jan Mehring
  • Patent number: 9630497
    Abstract: An immobilizer system for a motor vehicle having an starter mechanism and a substance detector for detecting impairing drugs/substances in a driver's bode, the allowing the vehicle to be started/operated only when the substance detector delivers a result which is below a limit value. An electronic controller of the immobilizer system is programmed by the driver to pre-specify which restrictions the starter mechanism is subject to if the substance detector delivers a positive test result (above a limit level). The immobilizer may be programmed to either a) prevent operation of the vehicle, or b) allow operation but present a notification to the driver. The driver may set a future time interval during which a selection of option a) cannot be changed by the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hans Guenter Quix, David Van Bebber, Monika Angst
  • Patent number: 9593621
    Abstract: Embodiments for a lubrication system for an internal combustion engine are provided. In one example, a lubrication system for an internal combustion engine comprises a lubricant circuit, a radiator for cooling the lubricant, a heat accumulator arranged upstream of the engine for warming up the lubricant, the heat accumulator connected in parallel to the radiator, and a valve for switching over the lubricant circuit between the radiator and the heat accumulator. In this way, the oil may be rapidly heated during cold engine start conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hans Guenter Quix, Jan Mehring
  • Publication number: 20160363046
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for determining the length of a traction mechanism that is part of a traction drive of an engine. In one example, a method includes determining a position of a movable tensioning device relative to a traction mechanism drive using measuring technology, determining an actual length LAS? of a traction mechanism computationally using the position of the tensioning device, determining a length change ?L with respect to a predefinable setpoint length LAS computationally using the computationally determined actual length LAS?, and adjusting one or more operating parameters based on the length change.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2016
    Publication date: December 15, 2016
    Inventors: Denis Pendovski, David van Bebber, Hans Guenter Quix
  • Patent number: 9500115
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for separately providing liquid-cooling to a cylinder head and a cylinder block. In one example, a method includes selectively pumping coolant with a single pump to each of a first cylinder head coolant jacket and a cylinder block coolant jacket based on engine temperatures. The method further includes discharging coolant from the first cylinder head coolant jacket to a heating circuit line including a vehicle interior heater and discharging coolant from the cylinder block cooling jacket and back to the single pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hans Guenter Quix, Sebastiaan Lambertus van den Heuvel, Wilbert Hemink, Jan Mehring, Anselm Hopf, Klaus-Peter Heinig
  • Publication number: 20160312670
    Abstract: An example oil system is provided, including at least one oil chamber forming an oil sump, an oil reservoir, which is arranged separately from the oil chamber, and at least partially arranged at the same geodetic height as the oil chamber, and at least one fluid connection which connects the oil chamber to the oil reservoir. An electric shut-off unit may block the fluid connection of the oil chamber to the oil reservoir in a blocking state and at least partially release the same in a release state. In order to extend oil changing intervals, a number of regeneration operations and an estimate of an instantaneous degree of dilution of oil present in the oil chamber, may be used for activating the electric shut-off unit to connect or block the fluidic connection between the oil chamber and the oil reservoir.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Inventors: Hans Guenter Quix, Brendan Patrick Carberry, Mario Balenovic
  • Publication number: 20160303967
    Abstract: An immobilizer system for a motor vehicle having an starter mechanism and a substance detector for detecting impairing drugs/substances in a driver's bode, the allowing the vehicle to be started/operated only when the substance detector delivers a result which is below a limit value. An electronic controller of the immobilizer system is programmed by the driver to pre-specify which restrictions the starter mechanism is subject to if the substance detector delivers a positive test result (above a limit level). The immobilizer may be programmed to either a) prevent operation of the vehicle, or b) allow operation but present a notification to the driver. The driver may set a future time interval during which a selection of option a) cannot be changed by the driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2016
    Publication date: October 20, 2016
    Inventors: Hans Guenter QUIX, David VAN BEBBER, Monika ANGST
  • Publication number: 20160215681
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a coolant system. In one example, a method may include flowing coolant to active cylinder during a cold-start.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2016
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Inventors: Franz J. Brinkmann, Vanco Smiljanovski, Joerg Kemmerling, Hans Guenter Quix, Volker Haupts, Helmut Matthias Kindl, Werner Willems
  • Publication number: 20160215680
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a split cooling system for an engine. In one example, a system may include a valve with a plurality of positions for diverting coolant or mixing coolant based on engine conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2016
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Inventor: Hans Guenter Quix
  • Publication number: 20160201583
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to an engine having a cylinder head which is divided into multiple sections which each delimit a combustion chamber of a cylinder of the engine and which each comprise inlet and outlet ducts, inlet and outlet valves, and a spark device which is fastened in a through hole of the cylinder head section, for at least one cylinder head section a throttle flap being provided for completely closing the corresponding inlet duct in the event of a deactivation of the associated cylinder. In the at least one cylinder head section, a first gas flow duct is formed between the through hole and the outlet duct, and the spark device is in the form of a rotary slide valve with integrated spark electrodes and is configured to selectively either keep the first gas flow duct closed or connect said first gas flow duct to the associated combustion chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2016
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Inventors: Hans Guenter Quix, Maziar Khosravi
  • Patent number: 9371071
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes determining, via a vehicle computer, that a current fuel-tank fill-level matches a stored fill-level, stored prior to a refueling process. The method also includes calculating an average fuel-consumption when the current fill-level matches the stored fill-level, based on distance traveled since the refueling process and a total amount of fuel received by the vehicle, as indicated by stored fuel-dispensed data received from one or more fuel pumps, since the stored fill-level was stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hans Guenter Quix, David Van Bebber, David Mondrzyk
  • Patent number: 9347364
    Abstract: A temperature control arrangement for transmission oil in a motor vehicle comprises a coolant circuit which fluidly connects an internal combustion engine and a cooler. The coolant circuit includes a thermostat configured to direct at least a fraction of a coolant leaving the internal combustion engine back to the internal combustion engine, either directly or through the cooler. The temperature control arrangement is configured to direct some of the coolant, flowing back through the cooler or directly, first through the heat exchanger and then to the internal combustion engine. The thermostat is fluidly connected to an interior heater, to the cooler, and to a bypass configured to direct a fraction of the coolant directly back to the internal combustion engine, bypassing the cooler. A suitable method for controlling the temperature of transmission oil in a motor vehicle using a temperature control arrangement of this kind is furthermore indicated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hans Guenter Quix, David Van Bebber
  • Publication number: 20160102629
    Abstract: An auto-ignition engine system is provided. The auto-ignition engine system includes a cylinder having an intake valve and an exhaust valve coupled thereto, an opening in a cylinder head defining a portion of the boundary of the cylinder, a glow plug heating element extending through the opening into the cylinder, an insert at least partially surrounding a glow plug heating element and coupled thereto, and an adjustment mechanism configured to alter the position of the glow plug heating element and the insert in the cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Publication date: April 14, 2016
    Inventors: Hans Guenter Quix, Klaus-Peter Heinig, Florian Huth
  • Patent number: 9243545
    Abstract: One approach to provide engine cooling for an internal combustion engine includes pumping coolant from a pump output, in parallel, directly to a block and a head upper coolant jacket; flowing coolant from the block directly to a head lower coolant jacket; discharging coolant from the upper and lower jackets only to a control block; and selectively directing cooling from the control block to each of: a cabin heater; radiator bypass line; and the radiator. In this way, an increased demand for pre-warmed coolant can be met, for example in the case of low outside temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Hans Guenter Quix
  • Publication number: 20160003186
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a cylinder head, a cylinder block serving as an upper crankcase half for holding a crankshaft in at least two crankshaft bearings, at least one further shaft mounted in at least two shaft bearings, an oil circuit with oil-conducting lines for supplying oil to at least two bearings, and an exhaust-gas recirculation arrangement. A heat conductor runs between at least one of the bearings and a thermally more highly loaded region of the internal combustion engine which, at least in the warm-up phase of the internal combustion engine, is at a higher temperature than the associated bearing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2015
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Inventors: Jan MEHRING, Stefan QUIRING, Bernd STEINER, Hans Guenter QUIX, Moritz Klaus SPRINGER
  • Patent number: 9222399
    Abstract: A liquid cooled internal combustion engine having a bypass line with a controllable shut off element so that coolant can bypass the cylinder head in certain engine operating conditions. The bypass line branches off from the coolant circuit upstream of the cylinder head and returns to the coolant circuit downstream of the cylinder head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Hans Guenter Quix, Bernd Brinkmann, Jan Mehring
  • Patent number: 9222398
    Abstract: A cooling system for an engine is provided. In one embodiment, an internal combustion engine comprises a cabin heat exchanger circuit including a connecting line opening on an inlet side into a cylinder block coolant jacket, a main coolant pump arranged in the cabin heat exchanger circuit, an auxiliary coolant pump arranged in the connecting line, and a check valve. In this way, additional cooling and/or heating may be provided to the engine and associated components by the auxiliary coolant pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jan Mehring, Kai Sebastian Kuhlbach, Bernd Steiner, Michael Tobergte, Hans Guenter Quix
  • Publication number: 20150369139
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adjusting a compression ratio of a combustion chamber. In one example, a method may include altering an axial position and rotational orientation of a control element in response to an engine operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: Hans Guenter Quix, David van Bebber, Florian Huth
  • Publication number: 20150360535
    Abstract: A method and a device for operating a heat accumulator in a motor vehicle are provided. When the driver switches off the ignition, it is determined on the basis of the current coolant temperature whether there is a need for heat accumulation at this time and whether the benefit thereof depends on when the internal combustion engine is activated again. If the response to both of these is positive the driver is requested to state whether heat accumulation is to be carried out now. Heat accumulation is carried out or is not carried out depending on the driver's response.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Inventor: Hans Guenter QUIX
  • Patent number: 9144761
    Abstract: Various systems and methods are provided for supplying heat to a passenger compartment during a filter regeneration event. In one example, a first phase of a filter regeneration event is initiated for a filter in an internal combustion engine based on one or more parameters, with heat produced by the engine then supplied to a heater core during the first phase, and the first phase extended if heating is requested for a duration based on ambient temperature. The engine may be operated at reduced efficiency during the filter regeneration event, and in some embodiments, the method may further include injecting an additional amount of fuel during a second phase of the filter regeneration event after the first phase ends to cause soot combustion in the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hans Guenter Quix, Markus Markowitz, Sandra Trachte, Tobias Emig, Christoph Boerensen, Dietmar Fischer, Ger Cronin