Patents by Inventor Timo Stifel

Timo Stifel 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).

  • Publication number: 20170149216
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a corona ignition device having: an insulator, which bears an electrically conductive coating, which forms a tubular face; a central electrode, which sits in the insulator and leads to at least one ignition tip; and a holder, in which the insulator sits. According to this disclosure, the insulator has an annular shoulder, on which is situated the end of the tubular face of the coating that faces away from the at least one ignition tip. A method for producing a corona ignition device is also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Publication date: May 25, 2017
    Inventors: Timo Stifel, Johannes Hasenkamp, Alexander Schenk, Martin Allgaier
  • Patent number: 9644598
    Abstract: A corona ignition device for igniting fuel in an internal combustion engine by means of a corona discharge. The device comprises a center electrode, an insulator into which the center electrode is inserted, a coil body onto which a coil that is connected to the center electrode is wound, and a shielding cap which is fitted onto an end section of the coil body. The end section faces the insulator. According to this disclosure, the shielding cap comprises one or a plurality of slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: BorgWarner Ludwigsburg GmbH
    Inventors: Tom Achtstätter, Timo Stifel
  • Patent number: 9593662
    Abstract: The invention relates to a corona ignition device for igniting fuel in a combustion chamber of an engine by means of a corona discharge, comprising an insulator, a center electrode, which plugs into the insulator and carries an ignition head having a plurality of ignition tips, a coil, which is connected to the center electrode, and a housing, which surrounds the coil and into which the insulator plugs, wherein the ignition head has main body formed from sheet metal. In accordance with the invention, the ignition tips consist of a different material compared to the main body and are fastened to a side face of the main body. The invention also relates to an ignition head for such a corona ignition device and to a method for production thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: BorgWarner Ludwigsburg GmbH
    Inventors: Timo Stifel, Werner Niessner, Helmut Müller
  • Patent number: 9574540
    Abstract: The invention relates to a corona ignition device for igniting fuel in a combustion chamber of an engine by means of a corona discharge, comprising an insulator, which has a continuous channel, a central electrode, which plugs into the channel of the insulator and leads to at least one ignition tip, a glass seal, which seals in the channel a gap between the central electrode and the insulator, and a housing, into which the insulator plugs. In accordance with the invention, the central electrode has a sealing face, which, together with a sealing face of the insulator, forms a seat, and an annular air gap that is open towards the ignition tip is provided in an end portion of the channel, facing the ignition tip, between the central electrode and the insulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: BORGWARNER BERU SYSTEMS GMBH
    Inventor: Timo Stifel
  • Patent number: 9553427
    Abstract: The invention relates to a corona ignition device for igniting fuel in an internal combustion engine by means of a corona discharge, comprising a central electrode, an insulator, into which the central electrode plugs, a housing, into which the insulator plugs, a bobbin, onto which a coil which is attached to the central electrode is wound, and a shield cap, which is plugged onto an end portion of the bobbin facing the insulator. According to the invention, a portion of the central electrode protrudes through a bottom of the shield cap, or a circumferential wall of the shield cap has one or more slots, or the shield cap has a circumferential wall, which protrudes only on one side beyond the bottom of the shield cap only on one side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: BorgWarner Ludwigsburg GmbH
    Inventors: Tom Achtstätter, Timo Stifel
  • Patent number: 9525272
    Abstract: Described is a corona ignition device comprising an insulator, a housing that is closed at its front end by the insulator, a center electrode that protrudes out of a front end of the insulator and has at least one ignition tip, wherein the insulator protrudes out of the housing and widens outside of the housing. The insulator curves in a dome-shaped manner over the front end of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: BorgWarner Ludwigsburg GmbH
    Inventors: Steffen Bohne, Timo Stifel, Johann Weissenbacher
  • Patent number: 9464618
    Abstract: The invention relates to corona ignition device for igniting fuel in a combustion chamber of an engine by means of a corona discharge, comprising an insulator, a center electrode, which plugs into the insulator and carries an ignition head having a plurality of ignition needles, and a housing, into which the insulator plugs. In accordance with the invention, the ignition needles and the center electrode plug into the ignition head. The invention also relates to a method for producing an ignition head for a corona ignition device, wherein a green compact of the ignition head is produced by injection molding of metal powder, and the green compact is sintered while ignition needles and/or a center electrode plug thereinto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: BorgWarner Ludwigsburg GmbH
    Inventors: Timo Stifel, Helmut Müller
  • Patent number: 9425586
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a corona ignition device, in which a center electrode is plugged into an insulator and is connected to a coil, the coil is arranged in a housing tube, a mount for the insulator is fastened to a front end of the housing tube, and a plug connector is fastened to a rear end of the housing tube, and the housing tube is filled with insulating gas. In accordance with this disclosure, the insulating gas is introduced into the housing tube through a bore which is later sealed by welding. In one embodiment, a peg is plugged into the bore to facilitate sealing. In another embodiment, the bore is drilled into the plug connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: BorgWarner Ludwigsburg GmbH
    Inventors: Tom Achtstätter, Timo Stifel, Johannes Hasenkamp
  • Patent number: 9373941
    Abstract: The invention relates to a corona ignition device for igniting fuel in a combustion chamber of an engine by means of a corona discharge, comprising a tubular housing, a coil arranged in the tubular housing, an insulator, which plugs into the tubular housing, and a center electrode, which is connected to the coil, plugs into the insulator and leads to at least one ignition tip. In order to increase the service life of the ignition tip, said ignition tip consists in part or completely of an iridium-based alloy containing 3 to 30% by weight of rhodium or is coated by a burn-up layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: BorgWarner Ludwigsburg GmbH
    Inventors: Tom Achtstätter, Timo Stifel
  • Patent number: 9366221
    Abstract: The invention relates to a corona ignition device for igniting fuel in a combustion chamber of an engine by means of a corona discharge, said corona ignition device comprising an insulator, a center electrode, which is held in the insulator, a housing, in which the insulator is held, and coil turns, which are disposed in a cylindrical main part of the housing and are connected to the center electrode. According to an aspect of this disclosure, the housing widens on the side of the main part remote from the insulator and further coil turns are disposed there, in a wider housing part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: BorgWarner Ludwigsburg GmbH
    Inventors: Timo Stifel, Andreas Ehrhardt
  • Patent number: 9341371
    Abstract: The invention relates to corona ignition device comprising a housing, an insulator surrounded by the housing, an inner conductor leading through the insulator to an ignition tip, and a coil connected to the inner conductor, the coil comprising an elongate coil former and a winding formed from wire wound onto the coil former, wherein the coil former comprises at least one indentation filled with adhesive, and the wire crosses the indention such that wire portions which are arranged above the indentation are adhesively bonded to the coil former by means of the adhesive arranged in the indentation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: BorgWarner Ludwigsburg GmbH
    Inventor: Timo Stifel
  • Publication number: 20160049773
    Abstract: A corona ignition device comprising a center electrode that leads to at least one ignition tip, an insulator in which the center electrode is located, a metal housing that holds the insulator, wherein the insulator has an electrically conductive coating extending on the outside of the insulator over a portion of the length thereof. According to this disclosure an end section of the coating that faces away from the ignition tip is covered by a dielectric coat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2015
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Inventors: Timo Stifel, Markus Müller
  • Publication number: 20150200522
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a corona ignition device, comprising a center electrode, an insulator, into which the center electrode plugs, a coil, which is connected to the center electrode, and a housing, in which the coil is arranged. The housing is closed at one end by the insulator and at the other end carries an HF plug connector, which has an inner conductor connected to the coil and an outer conductor connected to the housing. In accordance with this disclosure, the HF plug connector contains a glass body, which seals an annular gap between the inner conductor and the outer conductor. This disclosure also relates to an HF plug connector suitable for such an HF ignition device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Publication date: July 16, 2015
    Inventors: Timo Stifel, Martin Zebhauser, Wolfgang Lankes
  • Publication number: 20150116888
    Abstract: Described is a corona ignition device comprising an insulator, a housing that is closed at its front end by the insulator, a center electrode that protrudes out of a front end of the insulator and has at least one ignition tip, wherein the insulator protrudes out of the housing and widens outside of the housing. The insulator curves in a dome-shaped manner over the front end of the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2014
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: Steffen Bohne, Timo Stifel, Johann Weissenbacher
  • Publication number: 20150114332
    Abstract: Ignition device for igniting fuel/air mixtures in a combustion chamber of an internal combustion chamber by a corona discharge. The device includes an ignition electrode and an outer conductor surrounding the ignition electrode. The outer conductor has a front end and a rear end, and comprises an electrical insulator arranged between the ignition electrode and the outer conductor, from which insulator at least one tip of the ignition electrode protrudes. The at least one tip of the ignition electrode is arranged in a space that is shielded by a cap associated with the insulator, said cap having an inner side facing the insulator and an outer side facing away from the insulator as well as one or more holes, by means of which the shielded space is connected to a space arranged on the outer side of the cap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2014
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: Timo Stifel, Alexander Schenk
  • Publication number: 20150075472
    Abstract: A corona ignition device for igniting fuel in an internal combustion engine by means of a corona discharge. The device comprises a center electrode, an insulator into which the center electrode is inserted, a coil body onto which a coil that is connected to the center electrode is wound, and a shielding cap which is fitted onto an end section of the coil body. The end section faces the insulator. According to this disclosure, the shielding cap comprises one or a plurality of slots.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventors: Tom Achtstätter, Timo Stifel
  • Publication number: 20140328003
    Abstract: The invention relates to a corona ignition device, comprising a center electrode, an insulator surrounding the center electrode, a coil, which is connected to the center electrode, and a housing pipe, in which the coil is arranged. The housing pipe comprises a substrate layer and a conducting layer arranged radially inwardly of the substrate layer. The conducting layer is made of a material having a greater electrical conductivity than the material of the substrate layer. The conducting layer has a thickness of at least 0.1 mm. Also disclosed is a method for producing a corona ignition device, in which, to produce the housing pipe, an inner pipe is inserted into an outer pipe. The invention also relates to a corona ignition device of which the coil is surrounded by a soft-magnetic shielding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Inventors: Tom Achtstätter, Timo Stifel, Felizitas Heilmann, Ganghua Ruan, Gerd Bräuchle
  • Publication number: 20140310947
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a corona ignition device, in which a center electrode is plugged into an insulator and is connected to a coil, the coil is arranged in a housing tube, a mount for the insulator is fastened to a front end of the housing tube, and a plug connector is fastened to a rear end of the housing tube, and the housing tube is filled with insulating gas. In accordance with this disclosure, the insulating gas is introduced into the housing tube through a bore which is later sealed by welding. In one embodiment, a peg is plugged into the bore to facilitate sealing. In another embodiment, the bore is drilled into the plug connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Inventors: Tom Achtstätter, Timo Stifel, Johannes Hasenkamp
  • Patent number: 8857396
    Abstract: An igniter for igniting a fuel-air-mixture in a combustion chamber, in particular in a combustion engine with one or several combustion chambers, by generating a high frequency corona discharge, said ignitiger comprising an assembly comprising an ignition electrode, an outer conductor surrounding the ignition electrode, which has a front end and a rear end, and an electrical insulator arranged between the ignition electrode and the outer conductor, wherein the ignition electrode is part of an electrical high-frequency resonant circuit, protrudes over the front end of the outer conductor, and is connected to an alternate current source or alternate voltage source which feeds the HF-resonant circuit, and delivers a high frequency alternate current or a high frequency alternate voltage, respectively. The ignition electrode is branched into more than four electrode branches extending away from the outer conductor, in different directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Borgwarner Beru Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Giffels, Timo Stifel, Steffen Bohne, Helmut Müller
  • Publication number: 20140261273
    Abstract: The invention relates to a corona ignition device for igniting fuel in a combustion chamber of an engine by means of a corona discharge, comprising a tubular housing, a coil arranged in the tubular housing, an insulator, which plugs into the tubular housing, and a center electrode, which is connected to the coil, plugs into the insulator and leads to at least one ignition tip. In order to increase the service life of the ignition tip, said ignition tip consists in part or completely of an iridium-based alloy containing 3 to 30% by weight of rhodium or is coated by a burn-up layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventors: Tom Achtstätter, Timo Stifel