F1前燃油流量计供应商在美國大奖赛前起诉继任者
F1前燃油流量计供应商Sentronics Holdings Ltd在美国得克萨斯州起诉德国制造商Allengra GmbH，称目前每辆F1赛车使用的传感器侵犯其专利。该诉讼于10月16日提交至美国得克萨斯州西区联邦地区法院，距奥斯汀美国大奖赛仅数日。
F1前燃油流量计供应商在美國大奖赛前起诉继任者
Sentronics曾是国际汽联的燃油流量计供应商，供应至2025年，该公司称目前每辆F1赛车安装的传感器侵犯其专利
F1前燃油流量计供应商Sentronics Holdings Ltd在美国得克萨斯州将其继任者告上法庭。该公司称，目前锦标赛中每辆赛车使用的传感器侵犯其专利。
这家英国公司于10月16日在美国得克萨斯州西区联邦地区法院对德国制造商Allengra GmbH提起诉讼。此时距奥斯汀美国大奖赛仅数日。根据法院案卷，Sentronics已要求陪审团审理，并随起诉书提交了两份证据。
什么是燃油流量计？
燃油流量计测量到达每台发动机的燃油量，使国际汽联能够监管技术法规中规定的流量限制。国际汽联希望密切关注这一点，因为燃油流量的变化意味着内燃机产生的功率发生变化。
据PlanetF1报道的投诉内容，Sentronics在2018年至2025年期间是国际汽联的独家供应商，之后Allengra于2024年11月赢得了2026年至2030年的合同。两家公司如今正面交锋，Sentronics声称Allengra的流量计侵犯了其美国专利11,391,609，该专利于2022年7月授予Sentronics。
该专利名为“流量计”，涉及“一种用于测量车辆燃油流速的方法及相关流量计”。专利解释说，超声波流量计的工作原理是“超声波信号在流体中两点固定之间传播的时间，取决于信号是顺流方向还是逆流方向传播，顺流传播时信号传播更快”。Sentronics的方法向相反方向发送成对信号，并改变其相位来测量流量。
起诉书称，Sentronics 自己在 2024 年底的实验室测试确认了侵权行为。起诉书还称，Sentronics 根据保密协议与 FIA 分享了技术细节。
除了直接侵权外，Sentronics 还指控 Allengra 鼓励 FIA 和各车队在美国使用这些流量计，包括在奥斯汀、迈阿密和拉斯维加斯的比赛中。
起诉书声称该侵权行为是蓄意选择，并补充说 Allengra 已于 2025 年 8 月被告知该专利的欧洲版本。Sentronics 的律师于 2026 年 4 月发出了一封要求函，Allengra 的美国律师对此提出异议。
根据起诉书，FIA 确认于 2025 年 9 月 17 日收到了 Sentronics 早先的通知，并表示其内容已"正式记录在案"。
Sentronics 现在请求法院永久禁止 Allengra 在美国制造、销售或供应这些计量表。不出所料，该公司还寻求赔偿自 2022 年以来损失的利润和特许权使用费。事实上，它希望将赔偿金额提高三倍，因为它称侵权行为是故意的。
美国大奖赛会受到影响吗？
不会，比赛周末完全不会受到影响，因为 Sentronics 并未申请紧急禁令来阻止这些部件的使用，而基米·安东内利正在为他的冠军胜利而战。法院已被要求发出传票，这是送达案件的正常步骤。
英文原文
F1’s former fuel flow meter supplier sues its replacement ahead of US GP
Sentronics, the FIA’s fuel flow meter supplier until 2025, claims the sensors now fitted to every F1 car infringe its patent
Formula 1’s former fuel flow meter supplier, Sentronics Holdings Ltd, has taken its replacement to court in Texas. The company claims that the sensors now used by every car in the championship infringe its patent.
The British company filed the case against German manufacturer Allengra GmbH in the US District Court for the Western District of Texas on 16 October. This comes just days before the United States Grand Prix in Austin. According to the court docket, Sentronics has demanded a jury trial and filed two exhibits alongside its complaint.
What are fuel flow meters?
Fuel flow meters measure how much fuel reaches each engine, allowing the FIA to police the flow limits set out in the technical regulations. The FIA wants to keep an eye on this, because a change in fuel flow means a change in power produced by the internal combustion engine.
According to the complaint, as reported by PlanetF1, Sentronics was the FIA’s exclusive supplier from 2018 to 2025 before Allengra won the contract for 2026 to 2030 in November 2024. The two companies are now butting heads, as Sentronics claims Allengra’s meters infringe its US patent, 11,391,609, which was granted to Sentronics in July 2022.
The patent, titled "Flow meter", relates to "a method and an associated flow meter for measuring fuel flow rate in a vehicle". It explains that ultrasonic flow meters work on the principle that "the propagation time of ultrasonic signals travelling through a fluid between two fixed points varies depending on whether the signal travels in the direction of flow or against the direction of flow, with signals propagating more quickly when travelling with the flow". Sentronics' method sends pairs of signals in opposite directions and alters their phase to measure the flow.
The complaint says Sentronics’ own laboratory testing in late 2024 confirmed the infringement. It also says Sentronics shared technical details with the FIA under a non-disclosure agreement.
As well as direct infringement, Sentronics accuses Allengra of encouraging the FIA and the teams to use the meters in the United States, including at the races in Austin, Miami and Las Vegas.
The complaint alleges the infringement was a deliberate choice, adding that Allengra was told about the European version of the patent in August 2025. Sentronics’ lawyers sent a demand letter in April 2026, which Allengra’s US counsel disputed.
According to the complaint, the FIA confirmed receiving Sentronics’ earlier notice on 17 September 2025, saying its contents were "duly noted".
Sentronics is now asking the court to permanently ban Allengra from making, selling or supplying the meters in the US. Unsurprisingly, it is also seeking damages for lost profits and royalties dating back to as far as 2022. In fact, it wants those damages tripled because it says the infringement was wilful.
Will the US Grand Prix be affected?
No, the race weekend won't be affected at all as Sentronics hasn't asked for an emergency ban that would stop the usage of these parts as Kimi Antonelli fights for his championship win. The court has been asked to issue a summons, which is a normal step for serving the case.
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