Patents by Inventor Philippe Grass
Philippe Grass 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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Publication number: 20160274054Abstract: A sensor for detecting a gas content includes: a sensor body; an electrode chamber arranged in the sensor body; a first heating element embedded in the sensor body and configured to heat a specified region to a specified operating temperature; and an inlet duct, in the sensor body, coupled to the electrode chamber and having an inlet on the surface of the sensor body. The inlet duct is arranged such that, during operation of the sensor at the specified operating temperature, the inlet is axially spaced from the electrode chamber such that the sensor body is at a maximum temperature at the surface of the sensor body in a region around the inlet, which temperature is less than or equal to a temperature threshold that ensures that an air-fuel mixture flowing past the inlet will not be ignited.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 19, 2014Publication date: September 22, 2016Inventors: Johannes ANTE, Philippe GRASS
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Publication number: 20160265489Abstract: An air intake system for an internal combustion engine may include an air intake channel, an exhaust gas return channel opening into the air intake channel, an exhaust gas cooler arranged in the exhaust gas return channel, a capture device, and a sensor. The capture device may capture cooling liquid from the exhaust gas cooler in the region of the opening point of the exhaust gas return channel into the air intake channel. The sensor may detect cooling liquid in the capture device.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2014Publication date: September 15, 2016Applicant: Continental Automotive GmbHInventors: Manfred Weigl, Philippe Grass
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Publication number: 20160238013Abstract: A compressor for a turbocharger may include a compressor wheel with compressor blades mounted in a housing defining a compressor inlet. The compressor inlet may include an inner pipe and an outer pipe surrounding said inner pipe. The inner pipe may be directed toward the radially inner region of the compressor blades and the outer pipe directed toward the radially outer region of the compressor blades. The passage cross section of the outer pipe and/or of the inner pipe may be at least partially shut off by means of shutoff devices.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 25, 2014Publication date: August 18, 2016Applicant: Continental Automotive GmbHInventors: Manfred Weigl, Philippe Grass
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Publication number: 20160231146Abstract: A sensor element may include a measuring element and a functional housing at least partially surrounding the measuring element including a plastic molded housing. The measuring element may include a hot plate mounted on a carrier substrate by means of narrow arms in a broadly thermally decoupled manner. The carrier substrate may be provided with contacts leading to the measuring element and terminating in contact/bonding points on the carrier substrate. The carrier substrate together with the contact/bonding points may be at least partially integrated into the plastic molded housing, leaving the hot plate exposed. The housing may include connection wiring for the contact/bonding points.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 2014Publication date: August 11, 2016Applicant: Continental Automotive GmbHInventors: Willibald Reitmeier, Philippe Grass, Johannes Ante
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Publication number: 20160167510Abstract: A fuel tank system has a fuel tank and a storage element. In monitoring the fuel tank system, to check the sealing action of the fuel tank system at regular intervals during driving of the motor vehicle, a first valve is arranged in the first line upstream of the storage element as viewed in the direction of the fresh-air flow, an air pump is arranged between the first valve and the storage element, and a second valve is arranged in the second line between the storage element and the intake line. A mass flow sensor is arranged in the first line between the first valve and the storage element.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 23, 2014Publication date: June 16, 2016Inventors: Manfred WEIGL, Philippe GRASS
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Patent number: 9335288Abstract: A storage vessel for a liquid has an arrangement for measuring the electric conductivity of the liquid situated in the vessel. The arrangement has a first contact and a second contact, which are wetted by the liquid and between which the conductivity is measured. The storage vessel has a first conductor loop with a first open end coupled electrically to the first contact and a second open end coupled electrically to the second contact.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2012Date of Patent: May 10, 2016Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbHInventors: Philippe Grass, Manfred Weigl
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Publication number: 20160084207Abstract: A method for monitoring for a rupture in a storage element of a fuel tank system having a fuel tank includes: detecting, by a mass flow sensor, thermal conductivity of an unmoved air mass in a first line of the fuel tank system; and identifying a rupture in the storage element if the detecting by the mass flow sensor detects a change in the thermal conductivity of the unmoved air mass in the first line when a second valve is in a closed state and/or when an air pump is at a standstill.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 23, 2014Publication date: March 24, 2016Inventors: Manfred WEIGL, Philippe GRASS
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Patent number: 9217351Abstract: A method for operating a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system having a urea solution supply and an ultrasound based urea concentration sensor, the measurement signal of the urea concentration sensor being representative of a propagation time of an ultrasonic pulse along a predefined path length in a fluid of the urea solution supply includes: heating at least the fluid in a detection region of the urea concentration sensor from a predefined first temperature to a predefined second temperature; during the heating, detecting the measurement signal at at least a third and fourth temperature, and in each case determining a raw concentration characteristic value as a function of the respective measurement signal, which raw concentration characteristic value is representative of the propagation time of the ultrasonic pulse; and determining a concentration characteristic value, representative of a concentration of urea in the fluid, as a function of the raw concentration characteristic values.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2012Date of Patent: December 22, 2015Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbHInventors: Philippe Grass, Denny Schädlich
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Patent number: 9194835Abstract: A method and device for determining a fuel portion in a motor oil of a motor vehicle. The motor oil is brought between at least two electrodes forming a capacitor. The capacitance of the capacitor is determined while the motor oil is located between the electrodes, and the fuel portion in the motor oil is determined from the capacitance of the capacitor.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2008Date of Patent: November 24, 2015Assignees: Continental Automotive GmbH, Continental Automotive FranceInventors: Rudolf Bierl, Philippe Grass, Jan Haag, Armin Hollstein, Denny Schädlich
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Patent number: 9027386Abstract: A hydrogen sensor includes a support having a first temperature sensor, a heating element and an evaluation unit. The hydrogen sensor furthermore includes a mass flow reduction apparatus by which a gas mass flow over the first temperature sensor and the heating element is reduced. The evaluation unit determines a hydrogen concentration in a gas or gas mixture based on a first temperature detected by the first temperature sensor. A detection method for hydrogen concentration having the hydrogen sensor and a motor vehicle having a fuel cell drive having the hydrogen sensor.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2010Date of Patent: May 12, 2015Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbHInventors: Rudolf Bierl, Philippe Grass, Stephan Heinrich, Thorsten Knittel, Andreas Wildgen
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Publication number: 20150107354Abstract: In a method for measuring the fill level of a fluid in a housing using an ultrasound sensor, detected multiple echoes in relation to a signal are reflected from a reference point and level echoes in relation to the signal reflected from the fluid level are evaluated in relation to their fluctuation width. The level echoes can be identified in this manner and the fill level determined from the transit times of the signals to the reference point and to the fluid level.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 6, 2013Publication date: April 23, 2015Inventors: Philippe Grass, Stephan Heinrich, Markus Herrmann, Torsten Reitmeier, Denny Schädlich
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Patent number: 9011659Abstract: A sensor apparatus includes a first electrode and a second electrode at a predefined distance from one another. The sensor apparatus includes a substrate arranged in a predefined first region of the sensor carrier such that the first electrode and the second electrode are substantially electrically decoupled from one another if the outer side of the sensor carrier is substantially free of particles. A third electrode is coupled to a solid electrolyte that is additionally coupled to the second electrode. A diffusion barrier is coupled to the third electrode in a predefined third region and the exhaust gas is applied to the third electrode only in the third region via the diffusion barrier.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2012Date of Patent: April 21, 2015Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbHInventor: Philippe Grass
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Patent number: 8956043Abstract: A tank device for storing a liquid medium for reducing pollutant levels in exhaust gases includes a container for storing the liquid medium, having a container wall, which is a first plastic at least in a first contact area. The tank device furthermore includes a support element, which is arranged in an aperture in the container wall and has an overmolding which is a second plastic at least in a second contact area. The second contact area is coupled to the first contact area of the container wall in a substantially liquid-tight manner.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2012Date of Patent: February 17, 2015Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbHInventors: Philippe Grass, Stephan Heinrich
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Patent number: 8935950Abstract: A sensor for the measurement of the hydrocarbon content in a flow of gas in a purge line. The sensor can measure the hydrocarbon content in the flow of gas in the purge line from a hydrocarbon storage device to an internal combustion engine. The sensor has at least one heating element and at least one thermal detector, with the heating element heating the flow of gas while the thermal detector determines the temperature of the flow of gas, which temperature is evaluated as a measurement of the hydrocarbon content in the flow of gas.Type: GrantFiled: September 3, 2007Date of Patent: January 20, 2015Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbHInventors: Rudolf Bierl, Philippe Grass, Stephan Heinrich, Manfred Weigl, Andreas Wildgen
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Publication number: 20140144416Abstract: The internal combustion engine includes at least one cylinder, an exhaust gas tract having a measuring device, and a tank ventilation system having a purge air line, which provides pneumatic communication between the tank ventilation system and the cylinder. The purge air line has a sensor for ascertaining a hydrocarbon content of a gas flow from the tank ventilation system to the at least one cylinder. Fuel metering into the cylinder is controlled dependent on the ascertained hydrocarbon content. An exhaust gas characteristic of an exhaust gas flow that flows in the exhaust gas tract is detected by the measuring device and compared with a specified target value. If the ascertained difference between the detected exhaust gas characteristic and the specified target value exceeds a specified threshold, a test is carried out to determine whether the sensor has a malfunction.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 13, 2011Publication date: May 29, 2014Inventors: Stephan Heinrich, Brian Woods, David W. Balsdon, Philippe Grass
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Publication number: 20140096511Abstract: A method for operating a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system having a urea solution supply and an ultrasound based urea concentration sensor, the measurement signal of the urea concentration sensor being representative of a propagation time of an ultrasonic pulse along a predefined path length in a fluid of the urea solution supply includes: heating at least the fluid in a detection region of the urea concentration sensor from a predefined first temperature to a predefined second temperature; during the heating, detecting the measurement signal at at least a third and fourth temperature, and in each case determining a raw concentration characteristic value as a function of the respective measurement signal, which raw concentration characteristic value is representative of the propagation time of the ultrasonic pulse; and determining a concentration characteristic value, representative of a concentration of urea in the fluid, as a function of the raw concentration characteristic values.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2012Publication date: April 10, 2014Inventors: Philippe Grass, Denny Schädlich
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Publication number: 20140070826Abstract: A storage vessel for a liquid has an arrangement for measuring the electric conductivity of the liquid situated in the vessel. The arrangement has a first contact and a second contact, which are wetted by the liquid and between which the conductivity is measured. The storage vessel has a first conductor loop with a first open end coupled electrically to the first contact and a second open end coupled electrically to the second contact.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 15, 2012Publication date: March 13, 2014Inventors: Philippe Grass, Manfred Weigl
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Publication number: 20140034495Abstract: A sensor apparatus includes a first electrode and a second electrode at a predefined distance from one another. The sensor apparatus includes a substrate arranged in a predefined first region of the sensor carrier such that the first electrode and the second electrode are substantially electrically decoupled from one another if the outer side of the sensor carrier is substantially free of particles. A third electrode is coupled to a solid electrolyte that is additionally coupled to the second electrode. A diffusion barrier is coupled to the third electrode in a predefined third region and the exhaust gas is applied to the third electrode only in the third region via the diffusion barrier.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 5, 2012Publication date: February 6, 2014Inventor: Philippe Grass
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Publication number: 20130298640Abstract: A method for operating a soot sensor that has an interdigital electrode structure, to which a measurement voltage is applied. Soot particles from an exhaust gas flow are deposited onto the interdigital electrode structure and the measurement current is evaluated as a measure of the soot load of the soot sensor. The interdigital electrode structure is burned clean at or above a predetermined soot load, which is detected by means of an upper current threshold. The method includes burning the interdigital electrode structure clean by heating up the soot sensor after the upper current threshold has been reached; monitoring the measurement current while the interdigital electrode structure is being burned clean; and stopping the burning clean when the value of the measurement current has reached a lower current threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2011Publication date: November 14, 2013Applicant: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GmbHInventors: Johannes Ante, Philippe Grass, Markus Herrmann, Willibald Reitmeier, Denny Schädlich, Manfred Weigl, Andreas Wildgen
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Publication number: 20130255645Abstract: An internal combustion engine having a fuel tank, a fuel vapor store for storing fuel vapors that escape from the fuel tank, having a connecting line between the fuel vapor store and an air intake tract to conduct fuel vapors from the fuel vapor store into the air intake tract during a regeneration phase, a valve arranged in the connecting line, an aeration line for the fuel vapor store, and having a valve arranged in the aeration line for controlling the aeration of the fuel vapor store. A purge air pump arranged in the aeration line is integrated into the valve unit for controlling the aeration of the fuel vapor store. Effective purging or regeneration of the fuel vapor store is attained even when no negative pressure or only a low negative pressure is provided by the air intake tract.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2011Publication date: October 3, 2013Inventors: Philippe Grass, Manfred Weigl