Patents by Inventor Martin Lenfers

Martin Lenfers 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: 6818111
    Abstract: A probe is described for determining an oxygen concentration in a gas mixture, in particular in the exhaust gas of internal combustion engines, having a Nernst measuring cell, which has a first electrode (Nernst electrode) which is exposed to the gas mixture to be measured via a diffusion barrier, a second electrode (reference electrode) which is exposed to a reference gas, and a solid electrolyte body arranged between the first and the second electrode, and having a pump cell, which has a first electrode (inner pump electrode) which is exposed to the gas mixture via the diffusion barrier, a second electrode (outer pump electrode) which is exposed to the gas mixture, and a solid electrolyte body arranged between the first and the second electrode. The Nernst electrode and the inner pump electrode are connected at least in some sections via a joint supply conductor to a circuit arrangement for controlling and evaluating the probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Lenfers, Walter Strassner, Johann Riegel, Lothar Diehl
  • Patent number: 6811664
    Abstract: A sensor element for determining the concentration of a gas component in a gas mixture, particularly for determining the oxygen concentration in exhaust gases of internal combustion engines. The sensor element includes at least one pump cell, which has at least one first pump electrode located in a measuring gas chamber and at least one second pump electrode, located on a surface of the sensor element facing the gas mixture, as well as at least one concentration cell, which has at least one reference electrode located in a reference gas chamber and at least one measuring electrode, located in the measuring gas chamber, which cooperates with the reference electrode. The measuring gas chamber and the reference gas chamber are essentially located in the same layer level (plane) of the sensor element which has a layered construction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Lenfers, Harry Braun, Walter Strassner, Lothar Diehl
  • Publication number: 20020166765
    Abstract: A sensor element for determining the concentration of a gas component in a gas mixture, particularly for determining the oxygen concentration in exhaust gases of internal combustion engines. The sensor element includes at least one pump cell, which has at least one first pump electrode located in a measuring gas chamber and at least one second pump electrode, located on a surface of the sensor element facing the gas mixture, as well as at least one concentration cell, which has at least one reference electrode located in a reference gas chamber and at least one measuring electrode, located in the measuring gas chamber, which cooperates with the reference electrode. The measuring gas chamber and the reference gas chamber are essentially located in the same layer level (plane) of the sensor element which has a layered construction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2001
    Publication date: November 14, 2002
    Inventors: Martin Lenfers, Harry Braun, Walter Strassner, Lothar Diehl
  • Patent number: 6301951
    Abstract: In a method of controlling a sensor for determining an oxygen concentration in a gas mixture, in particular in the exhaust gas of internal combustion engines, a detection voltage supplied by a Nernst measurement cell and corresponding to the oxygen concentration is transformed by a circuit arrangement into a pump voltage for a pump cell, and an anodic or cathodic limit current flows over the pump cell, depending on the oxygen content of the gas mixture. In stable operation of the sensor, during which an anodic limit current flows for a selectable period of time, the pump cell and/or the Nernst measurement cell receives at least one voltage pulse supplied independently by the measured detection voltage or the pump current thus established, so that the sensor is depolarized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Lenfers, Lothar Diehl, Jürgen Schwarz
  • Patent number: 6270639
    Abstract: An electrochemical sensor determining a gas concentration of the measuring gas. The sensor has an electrochemical element including a first solid electrolyte body having an electrochemical pump cell and a first (external pump) and a second (internal pump) electrode and having a gas chamber which is connected to the measuring gas chamber via a gas supply opening and in which the second electrode is arranged. The electrochemical element also includes a second solid electrolyte body having an electrochemical sensor cell (e.g., a Nernst cell) and a third and fourth electrode, each electrode having a lead for the electrical contacting. The leads of the first and second electrodes are decoupled capacitively from the lead of at least the fourth electrode by a device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Lenfers, Olaf Jach, Harald Neumann, Walter Strassner, Johann Riegel, Lothar Diehl
  • Patent number: 5562811
    Abstract: A device for temperature measurement at an oxygen probe, in particular a lambda probe, having a solid electrolyte arranged between two electrodes. At least one of the electrodes is provided with two spaced terminals for measuring an electrical resistance of the electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1996
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Martin Lenfers
  • Patent number: 5360266
    Abstract: The reaction heat sensor and control and analysis devices for measuring the concentration of reactive species in a medium includes a temperature dependent measuring resistor and a reference resistor connected in series. Both resistors, which are supplied with a constant alternating current by a constant current generator, are heated with a heating resistor. By analysis of the voltage drop at the reference resistor the heating resistor is regulated so that the temperature of the reference resistor and thus its reference resistance is kept constant. Thus it is guaranteed by control circuitry that the temperature of the measuring resistance is kept constant when no heat is generated by reaction on exposure to the medium. If a reaction occurs at the measuring resistor, the temperature of the measuring resistance changes and with it the voltage drop across the measuring resistor, which is analyzed and is a direct measure of the heat produced by the reaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1994
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Lenfers, Johann Riegel
  • Patent number: 4658772
    Abstract: A glow plug electrically heated during start-up to help bring the air-fuel mixture of an internal combustion engine to ignition temperature when the engine is cold, instead of being turned off as soon as the engine is running, has its heating current controlled so as to maintain the glow plug temperature within a desired range, as the result of which the engine can be made to run more quietly and more smoothly under many conditions. The current control unit which varies the glow plug current responds to the output signal of a computing unit responsive to various engine operation parameters, including especially a signal representative of the rate of feeding fuel to the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1987
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Werner Auth, Martin Lenfers, Johannes Locher, Hans-J. Peter, Hannes Pflug, Michel Friedbert, Josef Steiner