Patents by Inventor Ralf Christmann

Ralf Christmann 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: 10302123
    Abstract: A coupling rod fitting (1) having a first end piece (2); a second end piece (3); and having an intermediate piece (4) which connects the first end piece (2) and the second end piece (3). The intermediate piece (4) is formed as a connecting rod and the first end piece (2) and the second end piece (3) have in each case one sleeve (5 and 6 respectively), which sleeves are pushed onto the connecting rod (4) and are fixed in an adjustable final assembly position on the connecting rod (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventors: Leif Heidingsfelder, Nico Kanoffsky, Ralf Christmann
  • Patent number: 10066540
    Abstract: A control arrangement (1) of an exhaust-gas turbocharger having a bearing bushing (3); a control shaft (4) which is connected at a first end (5) to a first adjustment lever (6) and which is guided in the bearing bushing (3); and a second adjustment lever (9) which is connected to a second end (8) of the control shaft (4) and which, on a free end region (10), bears a control device (11), wherein the free end region (10) is designed to be cranked in the direction of the first adjustment lever (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventors: Ralf Christmann, Raduz Zahoransky
  • Patent number: 9995312
    Abstract: An exhaust-gas turbocharger (1) having a turbine (2) which has a turbine housing (3) and which has an exhaust-gas control device (4, 5) arranged in the turbine housing (2); and having an actuator (12; 12?) which is operatively connected to the exhaust-gas control device (4, 5) via a drive train (6), with at least one damping connecting element (8; 8I; 8II; 8III; 8IV; 8V; 8VI) arranged in the drive train (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventors: Ralf Christmann, Bjoern Bergner
  • Patent number: 9909454
    Abstract: An exhaust-gas turbocharger (1) having a compressor (2) which has a compressor housing (3), a turbine (4) which has a turbine housing (5), a bearing housing (6) between the compressor housing (3) and the turbine housing (5), and a control capsule (7) which has a housing (8) on which is provided a retaining device (9) which interacts with a fastening device (10) on the turbocharger in order to fix the control capsule (6) to the compressor housing (3), the turbine housing (5) or the bearing housing (6). The retaining device (9) is arranged on an outer circumferential region (11) of the control capsule (7), and the fastening device (10) fixes the retaining device (9) in a non-positively locking manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventors: Leif Heidingsfelder, Thomas Ramb, Thomas Fitting, Michael Stilgenbauer, Ralf Christmann
  • Patent number: 9856752
    Abstract: An exhaust-gas turbocharger (1) having a charger housing (2) which has a compressor housing (3), a turbine housing (4) and a bearing housing (5), and having a control capsule (6) which is fastened to the charger housing (2) and which has a housing lower part (7) and a housing upper part (8). The charger housing (2) has a fastening bracket (9), and the control capsule housing lower part (7) and housing upper part (8) are formed as individual parts which can be preassembled to form the control capsule (6) and which are separate from the charger housing (2) and which, in the mounted state of the control capsule (6), are connected to the fastening bracket (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventor: Ralf Christmann
  • Patent number: 9726081
    Abstract: An exhaust-gas turbocharger having a compressor with a compressor wheel, a turbine with a turbine wheel, a shaft on which the compressor wheel and the turbine wheel are arranged, a control rod for actuating an adjustment apparatus of the exhaust-gas turbocharger, and an actuator for moving the control rod. A damping apparatus with an elastic element is fixedly connected to the control rod and projects in two opposite directions from the control rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventors: Raduz Zahoransky, Ralf Christmann
  • Patent number: 9708984
    Abstract: The invention relates to a regulating method for a turbocharger (1) with a turbine (4) which has a variable turbine geometry (VTG) provided with adjustable guide blades (5), having the following method steps: a) closing the guide blades (5) of the variable turbine geometry (VTG), as a function of the present operating point of the internal combustion engine which is turbocharged by means of the turbocharged (1), to the maximum possible closing position of the guide blades (5) for said operating point, and b) regulating the charge pressure (P2) by adjusting the position of the guide blades (5) in a closed regulating loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventors: Volker Mueller, Ralf Christmann, Gerd Spinner
  • Publication number: 20160369836
    Abstract: A coupling rod fitting (1) having a first end piece (2); a second end piece (3); and having an intermediate piece (4) which connects the first end piece (2) and the second end piece (3). The intermediate piece (4) is formed as a connecting rod and the first end piece (2) and the second end piece (3) have in each case one sleeve (5 and 6 respectively), which sleeves are pushed onto the connecting rod (4) and are fixed in an adjustable final assembly position on the connecting rod (4).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2016
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Inventors: Leif Heidingsfelder, Nico Kanoffsky, Ralf Christmann
  • Patent number: 9488459
    Abstract: A position sensor module (1) for control capsules (2), having a base carrier (3) which base carrier (3) has a first receiving space (4) in which is arranged a sensor chip (5) and a second receiving space (6) in which is arranged a plug contact strip (7) of a plug contact arrangement (8) which is connected to chip contacts (9) of the sensor chip (5), and a cover part (10) which covers the first receiving space (4) and the second receiving space (6). The cover part leaves open an access opening (11) to the plug contact strip (7), and fixes the sensor chip (5) and the plug contact arrangement (8) to the base carrier (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventor: Ralf Christmann
  • Patent number: 9359909
    Abstract: An exhaust-gas turbocharger (1) having a compressor (2); a turbine (3) which has a turbine housing (4); a bearing housing (5) which has a compressor-side flange and a turbine-side flange (6); a VTG cartridge (7) which has an adjusting ring (8); and an adjusting shaft (9) which is guided through the turbine-side flange (6) of the bearing housing (5), which has an inner lever (10) which engages into the adjusting ring (8) of the VTG cartridge (7), and which has an outer lever (11, 11?, 11?, 11??) which is connected to an actuating element (12) of an actuator (13), wherein the outer lever (11, 11?, 11?, 11??) has an open rounded fastening receptacle (14) into which an associated shaft portion (15) of the adjusting shaft (9) engages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventors: Leif Heidingsfelder, Thomas Ramb, Ralf Christmann, Nermin Osmanovic
  • Publication number: 20160153357
    Abstract: An exhaust-gas turbocharger having a compressor with a compressor wheel, a turbine with a turbine wheel, a shaft on which the compressor wheel and the turbine wheel are arranged, a control rod for actuating an adjustment apparatus of the exhaust-gas turbocharger, and an actuator for moving the control rod. A damping apparatus with an elastic element is fixedly connected to the control rod and projects in two opposite directions from the control rod.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Publication date: June 2, 2016
    Inventors: Raduz ZAHORANSKY, Ralf CHRISTMANN
  • Publication number: 20160069253
    Abstract: A control arrangement (1) of an exhaust-gas turbocharger having a bearing bushing (3); a control shaft (4) which is connected at a first end (5) to a first adjustment lever (6) and which is guided in the bearing bushing (3); and a second adjustment lever (9) which is connected to a second end (8) of the control shaft (4) and which, on a free end region (10), bears a control device (11), wherein the free end region (10) is designed to be cranked in the direction of the first adjustment lever (6).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Inventors: Ralf CHRISTMANN, Raduz ZAHORANSKY
  • Patent number: 9255582
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an exhaust-gas turbocharger for use in an internal combustion engine and to a method for assembling and/or setting an exhaust-gas turbocharger. According to the invention, the exhaust-gas turbocharger comprises a regulating mechanism and an actuator device for actuating the regulating mechanism, wherein the actuator device comprises a control rod with a first part and a second part. The second part of the control rod has a guide, which is designed in such a way that it at least partially surrounds the first part. Moreover, the second part has at least one hole, wherein the first part is connected to the second part by a welded or assembly joint, which is arranged in the at least one hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventors: Ralf Christmann, Sebastian Vorlaeufer
  • Patent number: 9222585
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a valve control device (1) having a housing (2) which has a vacuum chamber (3) and an atmospheric pressure chamber (4) which are separated from one another in a gas-tight manner by a spring-loaded diaphragm (5); having a diaphragm plate (8) arranged on the diaphragm (5); and having a regulating rod (6) which, in the region of a regulating rod head (6A), is operatively connected to the diaphragm (5), wherein the diaphragm plate (8) is formed as a plastic injection-molded part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventor: Ralf Christmann
  • Publication number: 20150308448
    Abstract: An exhaust-gas turbocharger (1) having a turbine (2) which has a turbine housing (3) and which has an exhaust-gas control device (4, 5) arranged in the turbine housing (2); and having an actuator (12; 12?) which is operatively connected to the exhaust-gas control device (4, 5) via a drive train (6), with at least one vibration damping element (8 to 8VI) arranged in the drive train (6).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2013
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Inventors: Ralf CHRISTMANN, Bjoern BERGNER
  • Publication number: 20150233381
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an exhaust-gas turbocharger for use in an internal combustion engine and to a method for assembling and/or setting an exhaust-gas turbocharger. According to the invention, the exhaust-gas turbocharger comprises a regulating mechanism and an actuator device for actuating the regulating mechanism, wherein the actuator device comprises a control rod with a first part and a second part. The second part of the control rod has a guide, which is designed in such a way that it at least partially surrounds the first part. Moreover, the second part has at least one hole, wherein the first part is connected to the second part by a welded or assembly joint, which is arranged in the at least one hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Inventors: Ralf Christmann, Sebastian Vorlaeufer
  • Publication number: 20150107404
    Abstract: A coupling rod (1) having a first end piece (2); a second end piece (3); and an intermediate piece (4) which connects the first end piece (2) and the second end piece (3). The intermediate piece (4) is formed as a connecting rod and the first end piece (2) and the second end piece (3) have in each case one sleeve (5 and 6 respectively), which sleeves are pushed onto the connecting rod (4) and are fixed in an adjustable final assembly position on the connecting rod (4).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventors: Leif Heidingsfelder, Nico Kanoffsky, Ralf Christmann
  • Publication number: 20150110650
    Abstract: An exhaust-gas turbocharger (1) with a housing (2), a shaft (3) mounted in the housing (2), a compressor wheel (5) which is arranged on the shaft (3) and which has a plurality of blades (6), and a turbine wheel (4) which is arranged on the shaft (3) and which has a plurality of blades (6), with a rotary measurement arrangement having a pressure sensor (8), wherein the pressure sensor (8) is arranged to detect pressure fluctuations (10) in the gas at the compressor wheel (5) or turbine wheel (4).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventor: Ralf Christmann
  • Publication number: 20140144133
    Abstract: A overrun air recirculation valve (1) having a housing (2) which delimits a housing interior (3); a diaphragm (4) which has a diaphragm area (AO) and which divides the housing interior (3) into a first chamber (5) and a second chamber (6); and a valve plunger (7) which has a plunger area (AU), which is connected to the diaphragm (4) via a valve rod (8) and which is preloaded into a closed position by means of a spring (9). The diaphragm area (AO) is greater than the plunger area (AU).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: BORGWARNER INC.
    Inventor: Ralf Christmann
  • Patent number: 8733100
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a valve control device (1) having a housing (2), which comprises a first low pressure chamber (3) and a first atmospheric pressure chamber (4), which are separated from each other in a gas-tight manner by means of a spring-loaded first membrane (5); having a control rod (6) for controlling the position of a locking element of the bypass valve (7), wherein the control rod (6) is operatively connected to the first membrane (5), further having a second low pressure chamber (8), which is flow-connected to the first low pressure chamber (3), and having a second spring-loaded membrane (9), which is arranged in the second low pressure chamber (8) and is coupled to the first membrane (5), wherein the control rod (6) is mounted on the second membrane (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventor: Ralf Christmann