Patents Examined by Brian P Monahon
  • Patent number: 10247130
    Abstract: A wet cylinder liner for internal combustion engines may include a cylindrical body composed of a ferrous alloy having a circumferential outer surface. The cylindrical body may include a first layer and a second layer disposed sequentially on the outer surface. The first layer may include at least one of at least one silicon and at least one two-component epoxy adhesive. The second layer may include a silane-elastomer compound. The silane-elastomer compound may include nanoparticles of silicon oxide and an adhesion modifier additive. The second layer may be configured as an interface between a cooling fluid and the first layer, as well as to resist erosion by cavitation. The first layer may facilitate an interface for resistance at high temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignees: Mahle Metal Leve S/A, Mahle International GmbH
    Inventors: Paulo Roberto Vieira De Morais, Gisela Ablas Marques
  • Patent number: 10227953
    Abstract: A starting device for feeding a quantity of fuel from the fixed-quantity fuel chamber to an intake passage during start-up having a manually operated primary pump for suctioning/pumping fuel and arranged on a fuel introduction path connected along a fuel-feeding path; and a fixed-quantity fuel chamber for temporarily storing fuel delivered from the primary pump. An internal wall of the fixed-quantity fuel chamber undergoes elastic displacement, allowing its internal capacity to expand/shrink within a predetermined range; the fixed-quantity fuel chamber is connected to a fuel delivery path that communicates with the intake passage side and has a manually operated open/close valve; the valve is opened in a state in which, due to the primary pump being operated, the fixed-quantity fuel chamber is filled with a predetermined quantity of fuel while enlarging its internal capacity, whereby it shrinks due to an elastic contraction force and the fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: ZAMA JAPAN KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideki Watanabe, Tamotsu Saito
  • Patent number: 10221799
    Abstract: A target air amount for achieving a requested torque is back-calculated from the requested torque using a virtual air-fuel ratio. The virtual air-fuel ratio is changed from a first air-fuel ratio to a second air-fuel ratio in response to a condition for switching an operation mode from operation in the first air-fuel ratio to operation in the second air-fuel ratio being satisfied. After the virtual air-fuel ratio is changed from the first air-fuel ratio to the second air-fuel ratio, an interval of time passes and the target air-fuel ratio is then switched from the first air-fuel ratio to a third air-fuel ratio that is an intermediate air-fuel ratio between the first air-fuel ratio and the second air-fuel ratio. The target air-fuel ratio is temporarily held at the third air-fuel ratio, and is thereafter switched from the third air-fuel ratio to the second air-fuel ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru Tanaka, Satoshi Yoshizaki, Yusuke Saito, Ryutaro Moriguchi, Noriyasu Adachi, Yosuke Matsumoto, Naoya Takagi
  • Patent number: 10215124
    Abstract: A fuel injection control device is a control device controlling an injection of fuel by a fuel injector and includes: a setting part that sets a request injection quantity of an injection quantity requested of the fuel injector; a dividing part that divides the request injection quantity set by the setting part into a specified injection quantity and an adjusting injection quantity other than the specified injection quantity; an injection performing part that performs a dividing injection of an adjusting injection and a partial lift injection by the fuel injector, the adjusting injection injecting the adjusting injection quantity of fuel, the partial lift injection finishing a lift of a valve body of the fuel injector in a partial lift state before the valve body reaching a full lift position and injecting the specified injection quantity of fuel; and a learning part that learns an injection characteristic of the fuel injector at the time of the partial lift injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kosuke Nakano, Hiroshi Katsurahara
  • Patent number: 10196999
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for mitigating knock and/or pre-ignition. Each of a spark timing retard, cylinder enrichment, and engine load limiting is adjusted based on a knock sensor output generated in a single defined crank angle window, and not based on knock sensor output generated outside the defined crank angle window. A severity of the mitigating actions is adjusted in proportion to the knock sensor output intensity with the severity of the mitigating action increased as the knock sensor output intensity increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Chris Paul Glugla, Robert Sarow Baskins, James Matthew Kindree, Chris Richard Weber
  • Patent number: 10190562
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a dynamo-electric machine driving an engine, and a calculator calculating an increment in a crank angular acceleration of the engine every certain period from a base time after the driving of the engine by the dynamo-electric machine. The apparatus further includes a determiner determining that the engine has started by the dynamo-electric machine on a condition that the increment calculated by the calculator exceeds a standard value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi Maeda, Hideo Matsunaga, Hitoshi Kamura, Koetsu Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 10190481
    Abstract: A diagnostic system for an engine of a vehicle includes a temperature determination module, a comparison module, and a fault indication module. The temperature determination module receives an indication of whether one or more cylinders within the engine are deactivated and selects a first temperature threshold based on the indication. The comparison module selectively determines whether a temperature of engine coolant is less than the first temperature threshold. The fault indication module diagnoses a fault in response to the comparison module determining that the temperature of the engine coolant is less than the first temperature threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Stephen Paul Levijoki, Eric E. Klauser, John W. Siekkinen
  • Patent number: 10190515
    Abstract: A control system of a vehicle includes a fuel vapor canister that traps fuel vapor from a fuel tank of the vehicle. A purge valve, when open, allows fuel vapor flow into an intake system of an engine at a first location and, when closed, prevents fuel vapor flow to the intake system of the engine. A purge control module controls opening of the purge valve and determines a fuel vapor flow into cylinders of the engine based on: (i) a first pressure at the first location, (ii) a second pressure at a second location between the purge valve and the intake system, and (iii) at least one delay period between opening of the purge valve and fuel vapor reaching cylinders of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Martino Casetti, Darrell W. Burleigh
  • Patent number: 10184437
    Abstract: A fuel injection system has a fuel distributor and multiple fuel injection valves each disposed on a cup of the fuel distributor. At least one injection valve is mounted on the associated cup by way of at least one holding element. An abutment surface is provided on the outer side of the cup. A support surface is configured on the underside of the cup. The holding element is moreover configured as a holding clamp. An abutment surface is provided on an outer side of the fuel injection valve. The holding clamp engages on the one hand behind the abutment surface of the cup and on the other hand behind the abutment surface of the fuel injection valve. The holding clamp furthermore pushes the fuel injection valve toward the support surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Jens Pohlmann, Michael Fischer, Matthias Maess, Goekhan Guengoer, Martin Riemer, Markus Friedrich, Andreas Rehwald, Michael Mayer, Dietmar Uhlenbrock, Venkatesh Kannan
  • Patent number: 10176696
    Abstract: A process for measuring methane emissions by an internal combustion engine includes connecting a methane sensor to an exhaust line of the internal combustion engine such that a portion of the gas in the exhaust line can enter the methane sensor, operating the internal combustion engine so as to produce the exhaust, measuring a methane concentration of the gas from the portion of the gas from the exhaust line with the methane sensor, and producing an output from the methane sensor corresponding to the methane concentration. The methane sensor is plumbed to the exhaust line. The methane concentration is continuously sampled by the methane sensor. The methane sensor can be an electrochemical cell, a catalytic methane sensor, or an infrared methane sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Inventor: Richard Harper
  • Patent number: 10161376
    Abstract: An ignition control apparatus for engines is provided. The ignition control apparatus is designed to control a switch to release energy stored in a capacitor during spark discharge, thereby supplying a primary current to an other end side opposite a one end of a primary winding of an ignition coil connected to a dc power supply. This provides the ignition control apparatus which is capable of minimizing an increase in size or manufacturing cost and stabilizing the state of combustion of an air-fuel mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoru Nakayama, Makoto Toriyama, Akimitsu Sugiura, Masahiro Ishitani, Yuuki Kondou
  • Patent number: 10138828
    Abstract: An evaporated fuel processing device utilizing a flow rate control valve as a valve positioned in a passage connecting a fuel tank with a canister. The device includes: a valve opening means for opening the flow rate control valve at a constant speed; an internal pressure sensor; a valve opening start position detecting means for acquiring a second derivative value of the internal pressure after a valve opening motion of the flow rate control valve has started and for detecting a valve opening start position of the flow rate control valve based on the second derivative value; a learning means for storing the valve opening start position; and a valve opening speed change means for changing a valve opening speed of the valve opening means based on a variation speed of the internal pressure before the valve opening motion of the flow rate control valve has started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: AISAN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Junya Kimoto, Yoshikazu Miyabe
  • Patent number: 10119464
    Abstract: An engine assembly having a cover for catching oil splatted by crankshaft gear and a balance shaft gear is provided. The crankshaft gear is mechanically coupled to the balance shaft gear. The balance shaft gear may be partially submerged in a pool of oil formed at the bottom of the crankcase housing. The cover includes a first cover portion having a back wall and a pair of side walls extending along a top portion and a bottom portion. The top portion covers a respective portion of a circumferential edge of the crankshaft gear. The bottom portion a respective portion of a circumferential edge of the balance shaft gear. Accordingly, oil splattered by the crankshaft gear and the balance shaft gear is caught by the cover, reducing oil entrainment and increasing oil pumping efficiency. Further, the cover helps prevent oil mist from escaping the system so as to reduce oil consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Tenghua Tom Shieh, Swetha Minupuri, Shohei Nomura
  • Patent number: 10119503
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a vacuum generating device. In one example, a vacuum generating device comprises a venturi device upstream of an annular fixture for adjusting an amount of vacuum provided to a vacuum consumption device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Xiaogang Zhang, Jianwen James Yi
  • Patent number: 10107179
    Abstract: An engine control device (1) having a supercharger (30) includes an injection controller (3) that controls injections of fuel through a cylinder injection valve (11) and through a port injection valve (12), based on a rotation speed Ne of an engine (10), and a variable valve controller (5) that controls a variable valve actuating mechanism (40) based on the rotation speed Ne. The variable valve controller (5) provides a valve overlap period in a first rotation speed region, and shortens the valve overlap period in a second rotation speed region of greater rotation speeds Ne than in the first rotation speed region. The injection controller (3), in the period during which the rotation speed is shifting from the first rotation speed region to the second rotation speed region, carries out a cylinder injection and a port injection, and advances timing for injecting the fuel through the port injection valve (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Kawabe, Koji Hata, Fumiaki Hiraishi
  • Patent number: 10087857
    Abstract: Systems and methods for operating an engine in response to a condition of an engine air intake throttle being degraded are presented. In one example, the engine air intake throttle is held closed while a position of a fuel vapor storage canister vent valve is adjusted to control air flow into the engine based on a position of an accelerator pedal. In this way, the engine air amount may be adjusted to provide additional torque from an engine while a throttle is degraded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Aed M. Dudar
  • Patent number: 10077722
    Abstract: A method of controlling engine internal exhaust gas recirculation may include estimating a flow restriction through a diesel particulate filter in an exhaust system of an engine assembly and adjusting a backpressure control valve in the exhaust system downstream of the diesel particulate filter based on the flow restriction. A controlled amount of internal exhaust gas recirculation may be provided to the engine assembly based on adjusting the backpressure control valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Charles Dean, Manuel Angel Gonzalez Delgado, Michael J. Lucido
  • Patent number: 10054070
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for diagnosing sensors in an engine intake by utilizing in an evaporative leak check module pump (ELCM pump). In one example, during engine off conditions, the ELCM pump in an evaporative emission system of the vehicle may be operated in a pressure mode to flow ambient air from the evaporative emissions system to the intake manifold. During humidity sensor diagnostics, the air flow may be used to generate water vapors within the intake manifold, and humidity sensor may be rationalized by monitoring an output of the humidity sensor; and during MAF sensor diagnostics, MAF sensor may be rationalized by monitoring if the MAF sensor output corresponds to a flow rate generated by the ELCM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Aed M. Dudar, Douglas Raymond Martin
  • Patent number: 10054071
    Abstract: A method of operating an internal combustion engine, wherein the engine is operated in an injector learning mode in which an injection parameter associated with a nominal fuel quantity of a pilot injection is learned, includes performing a learning pilot injection based on a candidate value for the injection parameter to influence injection of the nominal fuel quantity and determining a parameter indicative of the actually injected fuel quantity based on the in-cylinder pressure during combustion of the learning pilot injection. The learning pilot injection is operated at an early timing such that combustion thereof complete occurs within a learning window positioned before combustion TDC and before the next combustion starts. The pressure is measured over the learning window, so that the determination of the parameter indicative of the actually injected fuel quantity takes into account essentially the entire combustion event of the learning pilot injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: DELPHI TECHNOLOGIES IP LIMITED
    Inventors: Pierre Allezy, Noureddine Guerrassi, Matthieu Goy, Alessio Ghirlanda
  • Patent number: 9982618
    Abstract: An engine includes a low-pressure delivery pipe that stores fuel to be injected from port injection valves, a feed pump that supplies the fuel to the low-pressure delivery pipe, a high-pressure delivery pipe that stores the fuel to be injected from in-cylinder injection valves, a high-pressure pump driven in response to rotation of the engine, and a fuel pressure sensor that detects a pressure of the fuel stored in the low-pressure delivery pipe. An engine ECU controls the feed pump based on a detection value from a fuel pressure sensor, and when the engine ECU executes an abnormality diagnosis of the fuel pressure sensor, the engine ECU increases a rotational speed of the engine to be higher than a rotational speed when the engine ECU does not execute an abnormality diagnosis of the fuel pressure sensor. This improves the accuracy of an abnormality determination of the fuel pressure sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Suzuki, Tomoya Suzuki, Keisuke Nagakura