Patents by Inventor Rainer Drees

Rainer Drees 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: 11815005
    Abstract: A passive prechamber spark plug for use in a combustion chamber of a vehicle engine includes an upper prechamber having an upper opening where the upper prechamber is connectable to the combustion chamber via the upper opening. An air ignition spark is formable via an upper air spark gap. A central electrode is disposed in an upper region of the upper prechamber where a base of the upper prechamber opposite the upper region is an insulator. An electrically conductive element or a slot is guided by the insulator continuously from the upper prechamber into a lower region under the base and the lower region is either a lower prechamber or is arrangeable directly in the combustion chamber. An earth electrode is disposed in the lower region such that a lower air-surface gap spark gap is formed between the earth electrode and the electrically conductive element or the slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Rainer Drees
  • Patent number: 11749972
    Abstract: A passive prechamber spark plug for use in a combustion chamber of a vehicle engine includes an upper prechamber having an upper opening where the upper prechamber is connectable to the combustion chamber via the upper opening. An air ignition spark is formable via an upper air spark gap. A central electrode is disposed in an upper region of the upper prechamber where a base of the upper prechamber opposite the upper region is an insulator. An electrically conductive element or a slot is guided by the insulator continuously from the upper prechamber into a lower region under the base and the lower region is either a lower prechamber or is arrangeable directly in the combustion chamber. An earth electrode is disposed in the lower region such that a lower air spark gap is formed between the earth electrode and the electrically conductive element or the slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Rainer Drees
  • Publication number: 20230093289
    Abstract: A passive prechamber spark plug for use in a combustion chamber of a vehicle engine includes an upper prechamber having an upper opening where the upper prechamber is connectable to the combustion chamber via the upper opening. An air ignition spark is formable via an upper air spark gap. A central electrode is disposed in an upper region of the upper prechamber where a base of the upper prechamber opposite the upper region is an insulator. An electrically conductive element or a slot is guided by the insulator continuously from the upper prechamber into a lower region under the base and the lower region is either a lower prechamber or is arrangeable directly in the combustion chamber. An earth electrode is disposed in the lower region such that a lower air spark gap is formed between the earth electrode and the electrically conductive element or the slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventor: Rainer DREES
  • Publication number: 20230082577
    Abstract: A passive prechamber spark plug for use in a combustion chamber of a vehicle engine includes an upper prechamber having an upper opening where the upper prechamber is connectable to the combustion chamber via the upper opening. An air ignition spark is formable via an upper air spark gap. A central electrode is disposed in an upper region of the upper prechamber where a base of the upper prechamber opposite the upper region is an insulator. An electrically conductive element or a slot is guided by the insulator continuously from the upper prechamber into a lower region under the base and the lower region is either a lower prechamber or is arrangeable directly in the combustion chamber. An earth electrode is disposed in the lower region such that a lower air-surface gap spark gap is formed between the earth electrode and the electrically conductive element or the slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventor: Rainer DREES
  • Patent number: 11401848
    Abstract: An exhaust flap for an exhaust system of a motor vehicle, which has an internal combustion engine and an electronic processing device for a closed-loop control of the internal combustion engine, has a valve element, an actuator for moving the valve element, and a dedicated electronic processing device. The dedicated electronic processing device is configured to receive a first signal which is provided by the electronic processing device of the motor vehicle and which characterizes a first position of the valve element, generate a second signal which characterizes a second position of the valve element as a function of the received first signal, and transmit the second signal to the actuator. The actuator moves the valve element into the second position based on the received second signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Rainer Drees, Mario Zschiegner
  • Patent number: 10746065
    Abstract: An exhaust-gas system for a vehicle having an internal combustion engine includes a Helmholtz resonator and two exhaust-gas lines extending toward the resonator. The resonator has two neck openings to a resonator volume. Each neck opening is coupled to one of the exhaust-gas lines, and the resonator is tuned to damp a dominant engine order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiegesellschaft
    Inventors: Christian Eichmueller, Rainer Drees
  • Publication number: 20200049040
    Abstract: An exhaust flap for an exhaust system of a motor vehicle, which has an internal combustion engine and an electronic processing device for a closed-loop control of the internal combustion engine, has a valve element, an actuator for moving the valve element, and a dedicated electronic processing device. The dedicated electronic processing device is configured to receive a first signal which is provided by the electronic processing device of the motor vehicle and which characterizes a first position of the valve element, generate a second signal which characterizes a second position of the valve element as a function of the received first signal, and transmit the second signal to the actuator. The actuator moves the valve element into the second position based on the received second signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventors: Rainer DREES, Mario ZSCHIEGNER
  • Patent number: 9945276
    Abstract: An exhaust system is provided for an internal combustion engine having at least a first and a second cylinder, wherein the first cylinder is assigned a first exhaust gas pipe and the second cylinder is assigned a second exhaust gas pipe. The first exhaust gas pipe is assigned a first muffler, and the second exhaust gas pipe is assigned a second muffler. A first damping pipe branches off from the first exhaust gas pipe upstream of a first shut-off element. The damping pipe firstly opens into a first reflection chamber and is subsequently led through the first muffler and opens into the second exhaust gas manifold downstream of a second shut-off element. A second damping pipe branches off from the second exhaust gas pipe upstream of a second shut-off element. The second damping pipe firstly opens into a second reflection chamber and is subsequently led through the second muffler and opens into the first exhaust gas pipe downstream of the first shut-off element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Rainer Drees, Christian Eichmueller
  • Patent number: 9945280
    Abstract: An exhaust gas system is provided for an internal combustion engine having at least a first and a second cylinder. A first exhaust gas pipe is associated with the first cylinder and a second exhaust gas pipe is associated with the second cylinder. A first muffler is associated with the first exhaust gas pipe and a second muffler is associated with the second exhaust gas pipe. A first muffling pipe branches off from the first exhaust gas pipe upstream of a first shut-off element, and is fed through the first muffler and leads into the second exhaust gas pipe downstream of a second shut-off element. A second muffling pipe branches off from the second exhaust gas pipe upstream of the second shut-off element, and is fed through the second muffler and leads into the first exhaust gas pipe downstream of the first shut-off element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Christian Eichmueller, Rainer Drees
  • Publication number: 20180016954
    Abstract: An exhaust-gas system for a vehicle having an internal combustion engine includes a Helmholtz resonator and two exhaust-gas lines extending toward the resonator. The resonator has two neck openings to a resonator volume. Each neck opening is coupled to one of the exhaust-gas lines, and the resonator is tuned to damp a dominant engine order.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Publication date: January 18, 2018
    Inventors: Christian EICHMUELLER, Rainer DREES
  • Publication number: 20170198617
    Abstract: An exhaust system is provided for an internal combustion engine having at least a first and a second cylinder, wherein the first cylinder is assigned a first exhaust gas pipe and the second cylinder is assigned a second exhaust gas pipe. The first exhaust gas pipe is assigned a first muffler, and the second exhaust gas pipe is assigned a second muffler. A first damping pipe branches off from the first exhaust gas pipe upstream of a first shut-off element. The damping pipe firstly opens into a first reflection chamber and is subsequently led through the first muffler and opens into the second exhaust gas manifold downstream of a second shut-off element. A second damping pipe branches off from the second exhaust gas pipe upstream of a second shut-off element. The second damping pipe firstly opens into a second reflection chamber and is subsequently led through the second muffler and opens into the first exhaust gas pipe downstream of the first shut-off element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2017
    Publication date: July 13, 2017
    Inventors: Rainer DREES, Christian EICHMUELLER
  • Patent number: 9605580
    Abstract: An exhaust system is provided for an internal combustion engine having at least a first and a second cylinder, wherein the first cylinder is assigned a first exhaust gas pipe and the second cylinder is assigned a second exhaust gas pipe. The first exhaust gas pipe is assigned a first muffler, and the second exhaust gas pipe is assigned a second muffler. A first damping pipe branches off from the first exhaust gas pipe upstream of a first shut-off element. The damping pipe firstly opens into a first reflection chamber and is subsequently led through the first muffler and opens into the second exhaust gas manifold downstream of a second shut-off element. A second damping pipe branches off from the second exhaust gas pipe upstream of a second shut-off element. The second damping pipe firstly opens into a second reflection chamber and is subsequently led through the second muffler and opens into the first exhaust gas pipe downstream of the first shut-off element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Rainer Drees, Christian Eichmueller
  • Publication number: 20160053658
    Abstract: An exhaust system is provided for an internal combustion engine having at least a first and a second cylinder, wherein the first cylinder is assigned a first exhaust gas pipe and the second cylinder is assigned a second exhaust gas pipe. The first exhaust gas pipe is assigned a first muffler, and the second exhaust gas pipe is assigned a second muffler. A first damping pipe branches off from the first exhaust gas pipe upstream of a first shut-off element. The damping pipe firstly opens into a first reflection chamber and is subsequently led through the first muffler and opens into the second exhaust gas manifold downstream of a second shut-off element. A second damping pipe branches off from the second exhaust gas pipe upstream of a second shut-off element. The second damping pipe firstly opens into a second reflection chamber and is subsequently led through the second muffler and opens into the first exhaust gas pipe downstream of the first shut-off element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Inventors: Rainer DREES, Christian EICHMUELLER
  • Publication number: 20160024989
    Abstract: An exhaust gas system is provided for an internal combustion engine having at least a first and a second cylinder. A first exhaust gas pipe is associated with the first cylinder and a second exhaust gas pipe is associated with the second cylinder. A first muffler is associated with the first exhaust gas pipe and a second muffler is associated with the second exhaust gas pipe. A first muffling pipe branches off from the first exhaust gas pipe upstream of a first shut-off element, and is fed through the first muffler and leads into the second exhaust gas pipe downstream of a second shut-off element. A second muffling pipe branches off from the second exhaust gas pipe upstream of the second shut-off element, and is fed through the second muffler and leads into the first exhaust gas pipe downstream of the first shut-off element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Inventors: Christian EICHMUELLER, Rainer DREES
  • Patent number: 8232887
    Abstract: A process is provided for the electronic monitoring of the on-board power supply system, or parts of the on-board power supply system, of a motor vehicle with respect to voltage peaks or voltage drops. The value of the electric voltage is continuously recorded, and a comparator circuit continuously compares a first earlier voltage value with a subsequently determined second voltage value. The comparator circuit keeps available for a predetermined time period the highest voltage value recorded up to that point-in-time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Mathias Baer, Robert Kellner, Rainer Drees
  • Publication number: 20090278525
    Abstract: A process is provided for the electronic monitoring of the on-board power supply system, or parts of the on-board power supply system, of a motor vehicle with respect to voltage peaks or voltage drops. The value of the electric voltage is continuously recorded, and a comparator circuit continuously compares a first earlier voltage value with a subsequently determined second voltage value. The comparator circuit keeps available for a predetermined time period the highest voltage value recorded up to that point-in-time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Publication date: November 12, 2009
    Applicant: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Mathias BAER, Robert Kellner, Rainer Drees