Patents by Inventor Ralf Braig

Ralf Braig 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: 11492997
    Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine may include a ring belt, a groove, and an additional groove. The ring belt may extend along an axial direction. The groove may be arranged on the outer circumference of the ring belt and may be configured to receive an oil scraper ring. The additional groove may be arranged on the outer circumference spaced apart from the groove with respect to the axial direction. The additional groove may include a first groove side axially facing away from the groove and a second groove side axially facing the groove. The first groove side may include an axial step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Inventors: Ulrich Bischofberger, Ralf Braig, Kai Schreer, Ioan Stefan
  • Publication number: 20220034280
    Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine may include a ring belt, a groove, and an additional groove. The ring belt may extend along an axial direction. The groove may be arranged on the outer circumference of the ring belt and may be configured to receive an oil scraper ring. The additional groove may be arranged on the outer circumference spaced apart from the groove with respect to the axial direction. The additional groove may include a first groove side axially facing away from the groove and a second groove side axially facing the groove. The first groove side may include an axial step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2021
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Ulrich Bischofberger, Ralf Braig, Kai Schreer, Ioan Stefan
  • Patent number: 10774931
    Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine may include two pin bosses configured to receive a gudgeon pin. The two pin bosses may respectively include a nadir pocket of at least two nadir pockets at ?=180° and extending outward from a piston axis. The at least two nadir pockets may have a respective length that is smaller than a length of a respective pin boss of the at least two pin bosses. The piston may also include a pin boss axis that is axially offset from the piston axis by 0.1-1.0 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: MAHLE INTERNATIONAL GMBH
    Inventors: Juergen Rudi, Ralf Braig
  • Patent number: 10711896
    Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine may include a piston skirt extending in a piston longitudinal direction and defined in the piston longitudinal direction by a piston head. The piston skirt may include a boxed interior space defined by two box walls and two substantially opposing skirt walls. A boss having a through-opening may be arranged on each of the two box walls, the two through-openings being oriented so that they align with one another. The two box walls may each include a boss portion oriented perpendicularly to the boss, and at least one intermediate portion extending between the respective boss portion and one of the skirt walls. The intermediate portion may merge via a bend into the associated boss portion. A radial extent of the boss portion may be greater than a diameter of the through-opening and at least 50% of a diameter of the piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Mahle International GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Braig, Dieter Emmrich, Eric Erbs, Rainer Fischer, Thomas Hettich, Artem Walter, Markus A. Hirsch
  • Patent number: 10655561
    Abstract: A cast light metal piston for an internal combustion engine may include a piston crown and a piston skirt adjoining the piston crown. The piston skirt may include two skirt walls arranged on a pressure side and a counterpressure side, respectively. The piston skirt may have two box walls connecting the skirt walls, which conically taper towards one another in a direction of the piston crown. The piston may include an annularly encircling cooling channel. A thickness of the piston crown may amount to a maximum of 4.5 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Mahle International GmbH
    Inventors: Jochen Adelmann, Ralf Braig, Michael Marquardt
  • Publication number: 20180306320
    Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine may include two pin bosses configured to receive a gudgeon pin. The two pin bosses may respectively include a nadir pocket of at least two nadir pockets at ?=180° and extending outward from a piston axis. The at least two nadir pockets may have a respective length that is smaller than a length of a respective pin boss of the at least two pin bosses. The piston may also include a pin boss axis that is axially offset from the piston axis by 0.1-1.0 mm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2016
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Inventors: Rudi Juergen, Ralf Braig
  • Publication number: 20180266557
    Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine may include a piston skirt extending in a piston longitudinal direction and defined in the piston longitudinal direction by a piston head. The piston skirt may include a boxed interior space defined by two box walls and two substantially opposing skirt walls. A boss having a through-opening may be arranged on each of the two box walls, the two through-openings being oriented so that they align with one another. The two box walls may each include a boss portion oriented perpendicularly to the boss, and at least one intermediate portion extending between the respective boss portion and one of the skirt walls. The intermediate portion may merge via a bend into the associated boss portion. A radial extent of the boss portion may be greater than a diameter of the through-opening and at least 50% of a diameter of the piston.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Inventors: Ralf Braig, Dieter Emmrich, Eric Eric Erbs, Rainer Fischer, Thomas Hettich, Artem Walter, Markus A. Hirsch
  • Publication number: 20150027400
    Abstract: A cast light metal piston for an internal combustion engine may include a piston crown and a piston skirt adjoining the piston crown. The piston skirt may include two skirt walls arranged on a pressure side and a counterpressure side, respectively. The piston skirt may have two box walls connecting the skirt walls, which conically taper towards one another in a direction of the piston crown. The piston may include an annularly encircling cooling channel. A thickness of the piston crown may amount to a maximum of 4.5 mm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventors: Jochen Adelmann, Ralf Braig, Michael Marquardt
  • Patent number: 8863719
    Abstract: Pin bosses of a piston for an internal combustion engine each have a pin bore for supporting a piston pin. In order to reduce the tangential stresses in the zenith area of the pin bores, and thus to extend the service life of the piston, the inner areas of the pin bores as viewed in the direction of the bore axis have areas on both sides of the zenith that have a greater distance from the bore axis than the zenith of the pin bore, and the outer areas of the pin bores, as viewed in the direction of the bore axis, are transversely oval relative to the piston axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Harald Boekle, Gottfried Schnaitmann, Rainer Fischer, Ralf Braig, Helmut Mueller
  • Patent number: 8752521
    Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine may include a piston head and a piston shaft. The piston shaft may have two shaft walls, one arranged on a pressure side and the other arranged on a counter-pressure side. Two box walls may have pin bosses and connect the shaft walls. Each of the box walls may have a first partial wall section and a second partial wall section. The first partial wall section may extend between the pin boss and the shaft wall arranged on the pressure side. The second partial wall section may extend between the pin boss and the shaft wall arranged on the counter-pressure side. A first longitudinal center line of the first partial wall section is may be convergent to a second longitudinal center line of the second partial wall section, wherein the first and second longitudinal center lines—intersect each other outside the piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Mahle International GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Braig, Rainer Fischer, Thomas Hettich, Peter Kleinle, Michael Marquardt
  • Publication number: 20130036997
    Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine may include a piston head and a piston shaft. The piston shaft may have two shaft walls, one arranged on a pressure side and the other arranged on a counter-pressure side. Two box walls may have pin bosses and connect the shaft walls. Each of the box walls may have a first partial wall section and a second partial wall section. The first partial wall section may extend between the pin boss and the shaft wall arranged on the pressure side. The second partial wall section may extend between the pin boss and the shaft wall arranged on the counter-pressure side. A first longitudinal centre line of the first partial wall section is may be convergent to a second longitudinal centre line of the second partial wall section, wherein the first and second longitudinal centre lines—intersect each other outside the piston.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Inventors: Ralf Braig, Rainer Fischer, Thomas Hettich, Peter Kleine, Michael Marquardt
  • Publication number: 20130000591
    Abstract: The invention relates to pin bosses (1) of a piston (2) for an internal combustion engine, each comprising a pin bore (3) for supporting a piston pin (14). In order to reduce the tangential stresses in the zenith area of the pin bores and thus to extend the service life of the piston, the inner areas (16) of the pin bores (3) as viewed in the direction of the bore axis (13) have areas on both sides of the zenith (4) that have a greater distance from the bore axis (13) than the zenith (4) of the pin bore (3), and the outer areas (17) of the pin bores (3) as viewed in the direction of the bore axis (13) are transversely oval relative to the piston axis (7).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: MAHLE INTERNATIONAL GMBH
    Inventors: Harald Boekle, Gottfried Schnaitmann, Rainer Fischer, Ralf Braig, Helmut Mueller
  • Publication number: 20080264376
    Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine has a piston crown, a circumferential top land, and a circumferential ring belt having ring grooves, as well as having a piston skirt that has two skirt walls disposed on the major thrust side and the minor thrust side of the piston, and two box walls, set back with regard to the ring belt, that connect the skirt walls. The box walls have pin bosses with pin bores. The skirt wall disposed on the major thrust side is shorter, in a circumference direction of the piston, than the skirt wall disposed on the minor thrust side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2008
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Inventors: Ralf Braig, Rainer Fischer, Peter Kemnitz, Peter Kleinle