Patents by Inventor Kai Sutter

Kai Sutter 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: 7905136
    Abstract: A method for operating an injection valve, in particular a fuel injector of an internal combustion engine, in which a trigger voltage is able to be applied to an actuator, designed as piezoelectric element, of the fuel injector in order to induce an injection of fluid, in particular fuel, supplied to the fuel injector via a supply system. A specifiable test voltage is applied to the actuator in a test triggering, and a fluid pressure prevailing in the supply system is detected at least during the test triggering in order to derive information about an operating state of the fuel injector and/or the actuator from the test voltage and the detected fluid pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Kai Sutter, Oliver Becker
  • Patent number: 7607336
    Abstract: In a method for ascertaining the control voltage of a piezoelectric element, the voltage drop at the piezoelectric element following a charge process is measured and the control voltage of the piezoelectric element is inferred from this voltage drop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Kai Sutter, Andreas Rau
  • Publication number: 20090045267
    Abstract: A method for operating an injection valve, in particular a fuel injector of an internal combustion engine, in which a trigger voltage is able to be applied to an actuator, designed as piezoelectric element, of the fuel injector in order to induce an injection of fluid, in particular fuel, supplied to the fuel injector via a supply system. A specifiable test voltage is applied to the actuator in a test triggering, and a fluid pressure prevailing in the supply system is detected at least during the test triggering in order to derive information about an operating state of the fuel injector and/or the actuator from the test voltage and the detected fluid pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2008
    Publication date: February 19, 2009
    Inventors: Kai Sutter, Oliver Becker
  • Patent number: 7467543
    Abstract: A method for diagnosing a fuel injection device which includes a piezoelectric actuator, with which a valve element is actuated. The fuel injection device is connected to a diagnostic device which applies a defined voltage to the piezoelectric actuator. The charge introduced into the piezoelectric actuator, and from that a capacitance of the piezoelectric actuator, are ascertained by means of the diagnostic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2008
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Schoor, Kai Sutter
  • Patent number: 7456545
    Abstract: A method for determining the activation voltage of a piezoelectric actuator of at least one injector which is used to inject a liquid volume under high pressure into a cavity, in particular into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, the activation voltage being varied as a function of the pressure used to pressurize the liquid volume. A drift of the activation voltage (voltage requirement) required for a predefined lift of a control valve of the injector is controlled on an injector-specific basis by controlling the difference between the cutoff-voltage threshold and the final steady-state voltage to a setpoint value predefined for one operating point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Huber, Kai Sutter, Marco Gangi, Jens Bloemker
  • Publication number: 20070182280
    Abstract: A method for determining the activation voltage of a piezoelectric actuator of at least one injector which is used to inject a liquid volume under high pressure into a cavity, in particular into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, the activation voltage being varied as a function of the pressure used to pressurize the liquid volume. A drift of the activation voltage (voltage requirement) required for a predefined lift of a control valve of the injector is controlled on an injector-specific basis by controlling the difference between the cutoff-voltage threshold and the final steady-state voltage to a setpoint value predefined for one operating point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2004
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Applicant: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Andreas Huber, Kai Sutter, Marco Gangi, Jens Bloemker
  • Publication number: 20070000303
    Abstract: In a method for ascertaining the control voltage of a piezoelectric element, the voltage drop at the piezoelectric element following a charge process is measured and the control voltage of the piezoelectric element is inferred from this voltage drop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2004
    Publication date: January 4, 2007
    Inventors: Kai Sutter, Andreas Rau
  • Publication number: 20070001545
    Abstract: A method for diagnosing a fuel injection device which includes a piezoelectric actuator, with which a valve element is actuated. The fuel injection device is connected to a diagnostic device by means of which a defined voltage is applied to the piezoelectric actuator. The charge introduced into the piezoelectric actuator, and from that a capacitance of the piezoelectric actuator, are ascertained by means of the diagnostic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2004
    Publication date: January 4, 2007
    Inventors: Ulrich Schoor, Kai Sutter