Patents by Inventor Mauro Grandi
Mauro Grandi 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).
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Patent number: 10094348Abstract: A valve assembly arrangement for an injection valve may have a central longitudinal axis, a valve assembly of the inward opening type, and a valve assembly of the outward opening type, wherein the valve assembly of the outward opening type is axially arranged adjacent and fixedly coupled to the valve assembly of the inward opening type such that the valve assembly of the inward opening type is operable to inject fluid into the valve assembly of the outward opening type for increasing a fluid pressure in the valve assembly of the outward opening type to open the valve assembly of the outward opening type to enable dispensing of the fluid from the valve assembly arrangement.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2012Date of Patent: October 9, 2018Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBHInventor: Mauro Grandi
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Publication number: 20180283334Abstract: The present disclosure relates to valves. Some embodiments may include solenoid injection valves with a valve body; a valve needle with a needle shaft, an upper retaining element, and a lower retaining element; an electro-magnetic actuator comprising a pole piece and an armature spaced from the pole piece by a first axial gap when de-energized. The armature slides on the valve needle between the upper retaining element and the lower retaining element. The valve may include a calibration spring and a spring element arranged between the armature and the upper retaining element. The armature compresses the spring element and travels at least 50% of the first axial gap before an opening force of the valve assembly becomes larger than a total needle closing force.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2016Publication date: October 4, 2018Applicant: Continental Automotive GmbHInventors: Mauro GRANDI, Stefano FILIPPI, Francesco LENZI, Valerio POLIDORI
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Patent number: 10036352Abstract: A fluid injector for a combustion engine is disclosed, including an injector housing having a fluid path wherein the fluid path extends along a longitudinal axis from an injector inlet to an injector outlet; a coil; a pole piece; a first valve adapted to act on the fluid path and having a first armature; a second valve adapted to act on the fluid path and having a second armature. The first armature and the second armature are arranged proximate to the pole piece on antipodal sides of the pole piece along a longitudinal direction.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 2016Date of Patent: July 31, 2018Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbHInventor: Mauro Grandi
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Patent number: 10024273Abstract: A fluid injector is shown and described, including an injector housing and an armature which is coupled to a valve needle. A first bellow surrounds a first space. A first axial end of the first bellow is connected to the injector housing and a second axial end of the first bellow is connected to a first axial side of the armature. A second bellow surrounds a second space. A first axial end of the second bellow is connected to a second axial side of the armature and a second axial end of the second bellow is connected to the housing.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 2016Date of Patent: July 17, 2018Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbHInventors: Stefano Filippi, Mauro Grandi, Francesco Lenzi, Valerio Polidori
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Patent number: 10024287Abstract: A valve body for a fluid injector includes a central longitudinal axis and a one-piece base body. The base body has a side wall defining a recess extending from a fluid inlet side to a fluid outlet side of the base body. The side wall has a thin portion having a decreased wall thickness relative to further portions of the side wall that adjoin the thin portion along the longitudinal direction towards the fluid inlet side and the fluid outlet side. The valve body includes a metallic reinforcement jacket that is rigidly coupled to the base body and which axially overlaps the thin portion having the decreased wall thickness.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2014Date of Patent: July 17, 2018Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBHInventors: Mauro Grandi, Francesco Lenzi, Valerio Polidori
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Patent number: 10018168Abstract: The disclosure relates to a fuel injector with a housing, a valve body, and an adjustment element. The body may have a central area, an end area, and a transition area, with a first outer diameter in the central area, and a second outer diameter in the end area smaller than the first diameter. The adjustment element may be in the transition area to align the fuel injector relative to the recess. In the transition area, an outer diameter of the valve body decreases in stepped fashion from the first diameter to the second diameter in a radially extending step. The adjustment element comprises a ring element through which the transition area extends with a radially extending upper surface which radially overlaps, contacts, and is coplanar to the step and a spherically shaped external surface in a cylinder head contact area.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2014Date of Patent: July 10, 2018Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBHInventors: Mauro Grandi, Francesco Lenzi, Giandomenico Serra
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Patent number: 9995262Abstract: A fluid injection valve has a valve needle and an electromagnetic actuator assembly with a pole piece and an armature. The valve needle includes a retainer element for limiting an axial displacement of the armature with respect to the valve needle in a first axial direction. The pole piece has a central opening with a step so that it has a first section in which a first portion of the retainer element is arranged and a second section for receiving a second portion of the retainer element. The first section of the central opening has a smaller cross-sectional area than the second section.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2014Date of Patent: June 12, 2018Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbHInventors: Mauro Grandi, Francesco Lenzi, Valerio Polidori, Stefano Filippi
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Patent number: 9856989Abstract: A valve body for an electromechanically operable valve is produced by providing a base element with a circumferential sidewall having a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion, the sidewall being made of a ferromagnetic material and enclosing a cavity extending along a longitudinal axis. The third portion is positioned in longitudinal direction between the first portion and the second portion. A thickness of the third portion is smaller than a thickness of the first portion and the second portion. Hardening the third portion is achieved by laser heating, which transforms a material structure of the third portion into a martensitic structure. The locally decreased thickness creates a bottleneck for a magnetic flux, and a magnetic flux bypass in the valve body is reduced due to magnetic saturation; however, a structural resistance of the valve body remains high due to the laser induced hardening.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2014Date of Patent: January 2, 2018Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBHInventors: Francesco Lenzi, Stefano Filippi, Mauro Grandi
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Publication number: 20170292486Abstract: The present disclosure relates to fuel injection systems. The teachings thereof may be embodied in an adjustment device for a fuel injection valve including a ring element to fit a recess of the cylinder head between a valve housing and the cylinder head to align the valve relative to the recess. The ring element may include a metallic coil spring and an elastomeric component surrounding and completely enveloping the metallic component.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2015Publication date: October 12, 2017Applicant: Continental Automotive GmbHInventors: Stefano Filippi, Mauro Grandi, Francesco Lenzi, Valerio Polidori
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Patent number: 9624885Abstract: A valve assembly includes a valve body, a valve needle and a first guiding element that axially guides the valve needle. The first guiding element is bottle shaped and is axially deformable at least in part. The first guiding element is fixedly coupled to the valve needle in a bottle neck section of the first guiding element, and coupled to the wall of the valve body in an axial end section of the first guiding element remote from the bottle neck section. Based on these features of the first guiding element, an axial displacement of the valve needle away from the closing position results in a widening of an outer shape of the first guiding element at least in a fixation section to press it against the wall of the valve body.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2015Date of Patent: April 18, 2017Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBHInventors: Stefano Filippi, Mauro Grandi, Francesco Lenzi, Valerio Polidori
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Publication number: 20170101965Abstract: A fluid injector for a combustion engine is disclosed, including an injector housing having a fluid path wherein the fluid path extends along a longitudinal axis from an injector inlet to an injector outlet; a coil; a pole piece; a first valve adapted to act on the fluid path and having a first armature; a second valve adapted to act on the fluid path and having a second armature. The first armature and the second armature are arranged proximate to the pole piece on antipodal sides of the pole piece along a longitudinal direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 7, 2016Publication date: April 13, 2017Applicant: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBHInventor: Mauro Grandi
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Publication number: 20170101966Abstract: A fluid injector is shown and described, including an injector housing and an armature which is coupled to a valve needle. A first bellow surrounds a first space. A first axial end of the first bellow is connected to the injector housing and a second axial end of the first bellow is connected to a first axial side of the armature. A second bellow surrounds a second space. A first axial end of the second bellow is connected to a second axial side of the armature and a second axial end of the second bellow is connected to the housing.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 7, 2016Publication date: April 13, 2017Applicant: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBHInventors: Stefano Filippi, Mauro Grandi, Francesco Lenzi, Valerio Polidori
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Patent number: 9593652Abstract: A fluid injector has a longitudinal axis (L) and a valve needle (12), which is axially moveable and operable to prevent a fluid injection in a closing position and to permit the fluid injection in further positions. The fluid injector also has an armature (14) which is mechanically coupled to the valve needle (12). Furthermore, the fluid injector has a solenoid assembly (30) which has at least a first and second coil (34, 36) and which is operable to magnetically actuate the armature (14) via an electrical signal (V) applied to at least one predetermined assortment of the at least two coils (34, 36).Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2010Date of Patent: March 14, 2017Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBHInventor: Mauro Grandi
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Patent number: 9551290Abstract: A fluid injector for a combustion engine includes a central longitudinal axis, an injection valve housing with an injection valve cavity, a valve needle axially movable within the injection valve cavity, and an electromagnetic actuator unit that actuates the valve needle. The electromagnetic actuator unit includes a pole piece fixedly coupled to the injection valve housing and an armature axially movable within the injection valve cavity and operable to displace the valve needle. The pole piece has a first contact surface and the armature has a second contact surface which are directed opposite each other, wherein one of the two contact surfaces is designed to have a contact angle of less than 90° with a given fluid, and wherein the other of the two contact surfaces is designed to have a contact angle of at least 90° with the given fluid.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2014Date of Patent: January 24, 2017Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBHInventors: Stefano Filippi, Mauro Grandi, Francesco Lenzi, Valerio Polidori
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Patent number: 9551309Abstract: A fluid injector includes a valve body, a valve needle and axially moveable in the valve body between a closing position that prevents a fluid injection and further positions that permit the fluid injection, an armature coupled to the valve needle for displacing the valve needle away from the closing position, and a solenoid assembly including at least a first and second coil and operable to magnetically actuate the armature via an electrical signal. A method for operating the fluid injector includes applying the electrical signal to the first coil to generate a magnetic field to move the armature for displacing the valve needle away from the closing position, evaluating a voltage across terminals of the first coil, and controlling the second coil with a further electrical signal to saturate a magnetic field in a portion of the valve body between the armature and solenoid assembly during evaluating the voltage.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2014Date of Patent: January 24, 2017Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBHInventors: Stefano Filippi, Mauro Grandi, Francesco Lenzi, Valerio Polidori
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Patent number: 9482196Abstract: A method is disclosed for monitoring an opening of an injection valve. The injection valve includes a valve body with a cavity having a fluid outlet portion, a valve needle movable in the cavity between a closing position preventing fluid flow outlet and other positions allowing fluid flow through the outlet, and an actuator unit for actuating the valve needle. The method includes actuating the actuator unit with a predetermined voltage signal, recording a time-dependent profile of a current through the actuator unit, detecting a first gradient alteration time where the gradient of the recorded current profile changes more than a first threshold, detecting a second gradient alteration time where the gradient of the recorded current profile changes more than a second threshold, and based on the first and second gradient alteration times determining a diagnostic value usable for compensating a long-term drift of the injection valve.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2013Date of Patent: November 1, 2016Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBHInventor: Mauro Grandi
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Publication number: 20160258405Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an injection valve. The valve may comprise a fluid inlet tube with a recess, a valve body, a valve needle, a spring element, and an elastic body. The valve body may have a central longitudinal axis and a cavity with a fluid outlet portion. The valve needle may be arranged in the recess of the fluid inlet tube and movable in the cavity. The spring element and elastic body may be arranged in the recess and interact with a portion of the valve body on one side and with a spring rest fixed to the valve needle on another side. The elastic body and the spring element are compressed as the valve needle is moved along the longitudinal axis away from its closing position. The elastic body, in the presence of a fluid pressure in the recess, exerts a fluid-pressure-dependent longitudinal force on the valve needle.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 13, 2014Publication date: September 8, 2016Applicant: Continental Automotive GmbHInventors: Stefano FILIPPI, Mauro GRANDI, Francesco LENZI, Valerio POLIDORI
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Publication number: 20160258407Abstract: A valve assembly is provided with a valve body, a valve needle and an armature. An actuator assembly surrounds the valve assembly. The actuator assembly includes a housing and a coil. The coil can be energized so as to induce a force for axially displacing the armature. A flow characteristic of fluid to be injected by the injector is adjusted by axially shifting the valve assembly and the actuator assembly relative to one another.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 3, 2016Publication date: September 8, 2016Inventors: STEFANO FILIPPI, MAURO GRANDI, FRANCESCO LENZI, VALERIO POLIDORI
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Publication number: 20160252064Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a fuel injector for injecting fuel into a combustion engine. It may comprise a valve with a movable needle, two springs pushing the needle toward the closed position, and an actuator for opening the valve. The needle may be in a fuel reservoir of a valve body. The actuator may supply pressurized fuel to the fuel reservoir so that the fuel pressure forces the needle away from the closed position against the spring force of the first spring or the first and second springs, respectively. There may be play between the second spring and the needle when the needle is in the closed position.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2014Publication date: September 1, 2016Applicant: Continental Automotive GmbHInventors: Stefano Filippi, Mauro Grandi, Francesco Lenzi, Valerio Polidori
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Publication number: 20160230724Abstract: A fluid injector for a combustion engine has a tubular body which hydraulically connects a fluid inlet end of the injector to a fluid outlet end of the injector. A magnetic core is affixed inside the body, a solenoid is disposed on the outside of the body, and an axially moveable armature is disposed inside the body. A valve assembly controls an axial flow of fluid through the body. The valve assembly has a valve needle to be operated by the armature and a sleeve of diamagnetic material which is located radially between the armature and the body.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 27, 2014Publication date: August 11, 2016Inventors: STEFANO FILIPPI, MAURO GRANDI, FRANCESCO LENZI