Patents by Inventor Thierry Collet

Thierry Collet 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: 11761405
    Abstract: A fuel vapor emissions control device includes: —an absorbent filter; —a purge circuit including: a pump equipped with an intake and with a delivery outlet; an upstream duct; and a downstream duct. The pump includes an intake chamber into which the intake opens. The upstream duct is connected by one of its ends to the absorbent filter and via the other of its ends opens into the intake chamber. The downstream duct includes a double tubular wall defining two separate conduits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventor: Thierry Collet
  • Patent number: 11679666
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for detecting pinching or twisting of a discharge pipe connecting a fuel tank and an absorbent filter of an evaporation system of a motor vehicle. The method includes the steps, with the valve being initially in its closed position, of moving the valve by the gases circulating in the absorbent filter, of measuring, in the absence of control of the solenoid, the voltage generated at the terminals of the solenoid by the movement of the valve, and of detecting pinching or twisting of the discharge pipe when the voltage measured is between a first predetermined threshold and a second predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventor: Thierry Collet
  • Patent number: 11619195
    Abstract: Disclosed is a device for evaporating vapors of a fuel stored in a motor vehicle tank. The evaporation device includes a bypass circuit and a bypass valve configured to move between a so-called “absorption” position, in which the bypass valve allows the gases to flow between the tank and an absorbent filter and a so-called “leak detection” position, in which the bypass valve allows the gases to flow between a purge circuit and the tank via the bypass circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignees: VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventor: Thierry Collet
  • Publication number: 20220243687
    Abstract: A fuel vapor emissions control device includes: —an absorbent filter; —a purge circuit including: a pump equipped with an intake and with a delivery outlet; an upstream duct; and a downstream duct. The pump includes an intake chamber into which the intake opens. The upstream duct is connected by one of its ends to the absorbent filter and via the other of its ends opens into the intake chamber. The downstream duct includes a double tubular wall defining two separate conduits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventor: Thierry COLLET
  • Patent number: 11204005
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for diagnosing sealing in a fuel vapor recirculation system for an engine of a motor vehicle. An electronic module is integrated into the engine control unit that is woken up and placed on standby periodically while the engine is off, at the start and end of time intervals in order to perform a respective leak diagnosis, the fuel vapor temperature Tsys being estimated as a function of a time t ending at the start of each interval and starting when the engine is switched off according to the following equation, in which Tamb is the ambient temperature measured, Tsys0 is the fuel vapor temperature when the vehicle is switched off, and tsys is a system response time: Tsys(t)=Tamb+(Tsys0?Tamb)e?t/tsys.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventor: Thierry Collet
  • Publication number: 20210260990
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for detecting pinching or twisting of a discharge pipe connecting a fuel tank and an absorbent filter of an evaporation system of a motor vehicle. The method includes the steps, with the valve being initially in its closed position, of moving the valve by the gases circulating in the absorbent filter, of measuring, in the absence of control of the solenoid, the voltage generated at the terminals of the solenoid by the movement of the valve, and of detecting pinching or twisting of the discharge pipe when the voltage measured is between a first predetermined threshold and a second predetermined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventor: Thierry COLLET
  • Publication number: 20210199070
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for diagnosing sealing in a fuel vapor recirculation system for an engine of a motor vehicle. An electronic module is integrated into the engine control unit that is woken up and placed on standby periodically while the engine is off, at the start and end of time intervals in order to perform a respective leak diagnosis, the fuel vapor temperature Tsys being estimated as a function of a time t ending at the start of each interval and starting when the engine is switched off according to the following equation, in which Tamb is the ambient temperature measured, Tsys0 is the fuel vapor temperature when the vehicle is switched off, and tsys is a system response time: Tsys(t)=Tamb+(Tsys0?Tamb)e?t/tsys.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventor: Thierry COLLET
  • Patent number: 11040866
    Abstract: A method for detecting defective gas flow in a vent line of a device for purging a fuel vapor absorption filter of a vehicle's internal combustion engine during filling the vehicle's tank with fuel from a filler nozzle having a venturi effect duct, so as to stop the filling when the duct is full of fuel. The vent line connecting the fuel tank to the filter. The tank having: a filler pipe, at the end of which is a stopper designed so that, during filling with fuel from the filling nozzle, fuel vapors are evacuated through the vent line. At least one gauge measures fuel volume in the tank. The detection method continuously measuring the volume of fuel in the tank during filling and comparing a volume profile thus measured with respect to time against a predetermined volume profile. A defective flow detected if the two profiles do not match.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Inventor: Thierry Collet
  • Publication number: 20210040919
    Abstract: Disclosed is a device for evaporating vapors of a fuel stored in a motor vehicle tank. The evaporation device includes a bypass circuit and a bypass valve configured to move between a so-called “absorption” position, in which the bypass valve allows the gases to flow between the tank and an absorbent filter and a so-called “leak detection” position, in which the bypass valve allows the gases to flow between a purge circuit and the tank via the bypass circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Inventor: Thierry COLLET
  • Publication number: 20200377360
    Abstract: A method for detecting defective gas flow in a vent line of a device for purging a fuel vapor absorption filter of a vehicle's internal combustion engine during filling the vehicle's tank with fuel from a filler nozzle having a venturi effect duct, so as to stop the filling when the duct is full of fuel. The vent line connecting the fuel tank to the filter. The tank having: a filler pipe, at the end of which is a stopper designed so that, during filling with fuel from the filling nozzle, fuel vapors are evacuated through the vent line. At least one gauge measures fuel volume in the tank. The detection method continuously measuring the volume of fuel in the tank during filling and comparing a volume profile thus measured with respect to time against a predetermined volume profile. A defective flow detected if the two profiles do not match.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventor: Thierry Collet
  • Patent number: 10767580
    Abstract: A method for checking a measurement of pressure in a fuel tank, implemented in a vehicle having a fuel tank and a fuel vapor breather circuit including: a filter, a tank isolation valve interposed between the tank and the filter, and a purge line, connected to the filter, downstream thereof, a pressure sensor, and a purge valve. The method includes, when the purge valve is closed: measuring a value of the pressure in the tank when the isolation valve is closed, then measuring a temporal extreme value for the pressure in the purge line following an opening of the isolation valve, and determining, from the measured values, that there is an anomaly in the measured pressure in the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignees: Continental Automotive France, Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Aurélien Groussard, Thierry Collet
  • Patent number: 10549629
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling depressurization in a fuel tank of a motor vehicle, including: the initial controlled opening of the isolation valve in order to lower the pressure inside the tank; determination of a blockage condition in the roll over valve on the basis of at least one item of information relating to the pressure gradient in the tank following the initial opening of the isolation valve; and, if the roll over valve blockage condition is met, the controlled closing of the isolation valve, followed by its controlled re-opening in order to continue lowering the pressure in the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignees: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH, AUDI AG
    Inventors: Thierry Collet, Oliver Grunwald, Aurélien Groussard
  • Patent number: 10416688
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for monitoring pressure, for a vessel assembly including a sealed vessel capable of holding a liquid, a filter capable of capturing vapors from the liquid, a pipe connecting the vessel to the filter, and an isolation valve arranged to selectively shut off the pipe, including a detection of the boiling of the liquid contained in the vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignees: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Aurelien Groussard, Thierry Collet
  • Patent number: 10399434
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling the pressure inside a fuel tank of a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle including a fuel vapor vent circuit connecting the tank to a fuel vapor canister, the vent circuit including an isolation valve for isolating the tank and a rollover valve. The pressure control method includes steps of: determining an activation duration required for the isolation valve to transition from a closed state to a fully open state, referred to as the “full opening duration”, when a predefined rollover valve closure risk criterion is satisfied: controlling the isolation valve in repeated activations of respective durations that are shorter than the full opening duration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignees: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH, AUDI AG
    Inventors: Oliver Grunwald, Thierry Collet, Aurelien Groussard
  • Publication number: 20190178177
    Abstract: A method for checking a measurement of pressure in a fuel tank, implemented in a vehicle having a fuel tank and a fuel vapor breather circuit including: a filter, a tank isolation valve interposed between the tank and the filter, and a purge line, connected to the filter, downstream thereof, a pressure sensor, and a purge valve. The method includes, when the purge valve is closed: measuring a value of the pressure in the tank when the isolation valve is closed, then measuring a temporal extreme value for the pressure in the purge line following an opening of the isolation valve, and determining, from the measured values, that there is an anomaly in the measured pressure in the tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Inventors: Aurélien Groussard, Thierry Collet
  • Patent number: 10280851
    Abstract: Disclosed are a method and device for determining a model of flowrate for a valve, including: instantiation of the model initially equal to an approximate model; choosing flowrate setting; determination of an initial command corresponding to the flowrate setting by the model; application of the initial command to the valve; observation of a discrepancy indicative of a difference between the flowrate setting and a flowrate achieved; if the discrepancy is not zero, application of a correction to the initial command, and return to the application step; if the discrepancy is zero, correction of the model by replacing, for the flowrate setting, the initial command by the corrected command, where the flowrate passing through the valve ends up in a combustion engine admission collector including a small-area controller regulating the flowrate of air admitted, and where the discrepancy of the observation step is the deviation of the small-area controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignees: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventor: Thierry Collet
  • Patent number: 10247141
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining a flow rate (Q) through an on-off valve (1) controlled by means of a pulse width modulated control signal (C) comprising a period (c) of updating the control signal and a control cycle (D), characterized in that, said control signal updating period (c) being a divisor of said control cycle (D), said method of determination comprises a determination period (d), the determination period (d) being shorter than or equal to the updating period (c) of the control signal (C) and being synchronized with the control signal (C), said determination period (d) being a period of refreshment of a determination of said flow rate (Q) through said on-off valve (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignees: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventor: Thierry Collet
  • Publication number: 20190001811
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling depressurization in a fuel tank of a motor vehicle, including: the initial controlled opening of the isolation valve in order to lower the pressure inside the tank; determination of a blockage condition in the roll over valve on the basis of at least one item of information relating to the pressure gradient in the tank following the initial opening of the isolation valve; and, if the roll over valve blockage condition is met, the controlled closing of the isolation valve, followed by its controlled re-opening in order to continue lowering the pressure in the tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2016
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Inventors: Thierry COLLET, Oliver GRUNWALD, Aurélien GROUSSARD
  • Publication number: 20180195444
    Abstract: Disclosed are a method and device for determining a model of flowrate for a valve, including: instantiation of the model initially equal to an approximate model; choosing flowrate setting; determination of an initial command corresponding to the flowrate setting by the model; application of the initial command to the valve; observation of a discrepancy indicative of a difference between the flowrate setting and a flowrate achieved; if the discrepancy is not zero, application of a correction to the initial command, and return to the application step; if the discrepancy is zero, correction of the model by replacing, for the flowrate setting, the initial command by the corrected command, where the flowrate passing through the valve ends up in a combustion engine admission collector including a small-area controller regulating the flowrate of air admitted, and where the discrepancy of the observation step is the deviation of the small-area controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2016
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Inventor: Thierry COLLET
  • Publication number: 20180170173
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling the pressure inside a fuel tank of a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle including a fuel vapor vent circuit connecting the tank to a fuel vapor canister, the vent circuit including an isolation valve for isolating the tank and a rollover valve. The pressure control method includes steps of: determining an activation duration required for the isolation valve to transition from a closed state to a fully open state, referred to as the “full opening duration”, when a predefined rollover valve closure risk criterion is satisfied: controlling the isolation valve in repeated activations of respective durations that are shorter than the full opening duration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2016
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventors: Oliver GRUNWALD, Thierry COLLET, Aurelien GROUSSARD