Patents Examined by Carl S. Miller
  • Patent number: 7334559
    Abstract: A canister is furnished to store evaporative fuel. A purge line is furnished to ensure that the canister communicates with an internal combustion engine intake path. The purge line is provided with a D-VSV (purge control valve) that controls the continuity of the purge line. Further, a check valve is furnished to control the pressure propagation from the intake path to the canister at the time of backfiring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akinori Osanai
  • Patent number: 7331333
    Abstract: A direct fuel injection/spark ignition engine control device is configured to enable compression stroke injection when the fuel pressure is low at startup and immediately after startup, and to reduce the wall flow and amount of HC exhaust. When the catalyst requires warming, fuel is injected in the compression stroke, and the fuel injection timing in the compression stroke is set in accordance with the fuel pressure. When the fuel pressure is low, the fuel injection timing injects fuel in the first half of the compression stroke. The fuel injection timing is delayed as the fuel pressure increases until the optimum fuel injection timing is reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takao Maitani
  • Patent number: 7328690
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system and method for detecting a closing of a solenoid. The system includes a capacitive charge circuit electrically coupled to the solenoid. The capacitive charge circuit conditions the current flow through the solenoid to increase the current in response to the closing of the solenoid. The invention also relates to a system and method that includes detecting a current through the solenoid and determining a current slope characteristic. The current slope characteristic is a function of the current and time. The method also includes conditioning an electrical characteristic of the solenoid such that the conditioning is in response to a current slope parameter. The current slope parameter defines a change in the current after removal of an electrical charge to the solenoid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ahmed Esa Sheikh, Suresh Baddam Reddy, Samraj Jabez Dhinagar, Bo Nilson Almstedt, Andreas Peterson, Thomas Dovheim, Lennart Rudander
  • Patent number: 7325537
    Abstract: A high-pressure fuel pump and methods for controlling this high-pressure fuel pump are described in which the pumping quantity regulation does not cause significant heating of the fuel to be pumped. The partial-load efficiency of the high-pressure fuel pump, triggered in accordance with the invention, is also very good.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Uwe Mueller, Bernd Schroeder, Timm Hollmann
  • Patent number: 7322344
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a direct injector for injecting fuel directly into a combustion chamber of the engine, an intake passage injector for injecting fuel into an intake passage of the engine, and a vaporized fuel processing unit for purging purge gas containing a vaporized fuel into the intake passage. A fuel injection control apparatus includes a detecting section and an injection control section. The detecting section detects the amount of the vaporized fuel in the purge gas. The injection control section changes a fuel injection mode of at least one of the direct injector and the intake passage injector depending on the detected amount of the vaporized fuel. As a result, hampering of engine combustion due to purge gas is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Yonezawa
  • Patent number: 7320310
    Abstract: A fuel injector for injecting fuel into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, including a pressure booster, whose booster piston separates a work chamber, subjected to fuel via a pressure reservoir, from a pressure-relievable differential pressure chamber. A pressure change in the differential pressure chamber is effected via an actuation of a servo valve, which opens or closes a hydraulic connection of the differential pressure chamber to a first low-pressure-side return. The servo valve has a piston guided between a control chamber and a first hydraulic chamber. On this servo valve piston, a hydraulic face that positions the servo valve piston constantly in the opening direction when system pressure is applied and a first sealing seat that closes or opens a low-pressure-side return are embodied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2008
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Nadja Eisenmenger, Hans-Christoph Magel
  • Patent number: 7318423
    Abstract: In the DME fuel supply device for a diesel engine, the time necessary to retrieve DME fuel remaining in the injection system after stopping the diesel engine into the fuel tank can be reduced. In a non-injection state, a three-way valve (71) is controlled to be OFF to form a communication passage in the direction indicated by the arrow B and a two-way valve (72) is controlled to be ON. DME fuel delivered from a feed pump (5) is delivered to an aspirator (7), passed from an inlet (7a) to the outlet (7b) thereof and returned to a fuel tank (4). That is, the DME fuel circulates via the aspirator. A vapor-phase pressure delivery pipe switching solenoid valve (75) is controlled to be ON and opened so that flow can pass through a vapor-phase pressure delivery pipe (73) connecting the vapor-phase (4a) in the fuel tank (4) and the inlet of the fuel gallery (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Bosch Automotive Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Shinya Nozaki, Toshifumi Noda, Daijo Ushiyama, Teruaki Ishikawa, Yukihiro Hayasaka
  • Patent number: 7318417
    Abstract: An injection unit has an injector arrangement connected to a pressure reservoir by a pressure line arrangement The injector arrangement has at least one servo injection valve and a control valve for the release of fuel from a control chamber into a fuel return line leading to the fuel tank The Valve may be operated by a piezoelectric actuator to cause a displacement of a nozzle body in the direction of an injection passage opening for initiating an injection process by pressure reduction in the control chamber. The fuel return line has a controllable valve, which restricts the fuel flow in the fuel return line in the actuated state. It is, thus, possible to reduce the effects of a change of length of the piezoelectric actuator, which exceeds the so-called tolerance gap in the servo injection valve, which are detrimental to the operation of the injection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Richard Lang, Gerald Plank
  • Patent number: 7316220
    Abstract: A control device of a fuel injection system of an engine calculates command injection timing for starting an injection at target injection timing, and a command injection period for obtaining a target injection quantity. The control device monitors a charging voltage of a capacitor immediately before the command injection timing and estimates the charging voltage at the command injection timing based on the monitored value. If the estimated value is less than a specified value, the control device performs correction for advancing the command injection timing and correction for lengthening the command injection period in accordance with the decrease in the charging voltage. Thus, an injector can start the injection at the target injection timing and can inject the target injection quantity of fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Kikutani
  • Patent number: 7311087
    Abstract: A fuel pump for an internal combustion engine including a fuel pump housing, a cylindrical bore having a central axis and being defined by a bore wall surface, a receiving hole formed in the housing, and a tappet assembly received in the cylinder bore. The tappet assembly includes an outer peripheral surface with an elongated key slot longitudinally extending parallel to the central axis. A guide key partially received in the receiving hole is provided, the guide key including a head that extends into the cylindrical bore to engage the elongated key slot of the tappet assembly. The head has an outer dimension that is larger than a dimension of the receiving hole along the central axis. Methods for guiding a reciprocating tappet assembly in a fuel pump and assembling a fuel pump are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony A. Shaull, Wesley R. Thayer
  • Patent number: 7302938
    Abstract: A mechanical returnless fuel system comprises a fuel pump having an output for supplying fuel to fuel injectors of an automotive engine. The fuel system includes a pressure regulating valve that returns a portion of the pump output in excess of engine fuel usage to the fuel supply. The pressure regulating valve results in a fuel pressure that varies as a function of engine fuel demand. During operation, a controller determines a projected engine fuel demand, then determines an estimated fuel pressure based upon the projected engine fuel demand. The controller utilizes the estimated fuel pressure to provide a more accurate calculation of the opening time for the fuel injectors and thereby improve engine control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: DeQuan Yu, Stephen T. Kempfer
  • Patent number: 7299791
    Abstract: A fuel delivery system includes a filter 19 for filtering fuel. The filter 19 has an internal wall 20 defining a pocket 14. A fuel pump 12 is provided in the pocket 14 for pumping filtered fuel to an engine. A pump spacer structure 10 surrounds at least a portion of the fuel pump and positions the fuel pump within the pocket The pump spacer structure 10 has a portion 18 that engages the internal wall 20 of the filter 19. Dampening structure 22 is provided between the pump spacer structure 10 to dampen vibration generated by the fuel pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive Corp.
    Inventor: Jeffery J. Milton
  • Patent number: 7290530
    Abstract: A fuel injection system having an injection valve, a line supplying fuel at high pressure to the injection valve a control valve controlling the pressure in a control chamber communicating with the line. The control valve has a movable valve part is actuatable by an actuator via a hydraulic coupler having two pistons cooperating with a booster chamber of the coupler. A seat of the movable valve part has an inside cross-sectional area f3, with means for filling the booster chamber via guide gaps of the pistons with fuel under pressure. The pistons are located parallel to and inside one another and a booster chamber is located on the ends of the pistons toward the actuator. In the interior of the outer piston defines a filling chamber which communicates with the line and one of the pistons has a cross-sectional area f4 is mechanically coupled to the actuator via a rod having a cross-sectional area f5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Friedrich Boecking
  • Patent number: 7287515
    Abstract: A fuel control method and system is provided for delivering fuel to an engine that employs an engine controller that is configured to the fuel injection quantity delivered to the engine. The engine controller is configured to: calculate a fuel injection quantity based on at least one operating condition of an engine; calculate an estimated fuel pressure value of the high pressure fuel that will be acting on a fuel injection valve when the prescribed fuel injection timing is reached at a prescribed calculation time occurring before the prescribed fuel injection timing; correct the fuel injection quantity that was previously calculated to a corrected fuel injection quantity based on the estimated fuel pressure value that will exist at the prescribed fuel injection timing; and open the fuel injection valve at the prescribed fuel injection timing to discharge a quantity of fuel equal to the corrected fuel injection quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Manabu Okamura, Takashi Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 7287517
    Abstract: In the DME fuel supply device for a diesel engine, the time necessary to retrieve DME fuel remaining in the injection system after stopping the diesel engine into the fuel tank can be reduced. In a non-injection state, a three-way valve (71) is controlled to be OFF to form a communication passage in the direction indicated by the arrow B and a two-way valve (72) is controlled to be ON. DME fuel delivered from a feed pump (5) is delivered to an aspirator (7), passed from an inlet (7a) to the outlet (7b) thereof and returned to a fuel tank (4). That is, the DME fuel circulates via the aspirator. A vapor-phase pressure delivery pipe switching solenoid valve (75) is controlled to be ON and opened so that flow can pass through a vapor-phase pressure delivery pipe (73) connecting the vapor-phase (4a) in the fuel tank (4) and the inlet of the fuel gallery (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Bosch Corporation
    Inventors: Shinya Nozaki, Toshifumi Noda, Daijo Ushiyama, Teruaki Ishikawa, Yukihiro Hayasaka
  • Patent number: 7284540
    Abstract: A fuel pump system for a fuel tank having a first and a second section has a fuel pump and a jet pump disposed in the first section. The jet pump draws fuel from the second section of the fuel tank through a transfer line and delivers it to the first section of the fuel tank. A check valve is located in the second section of the fuel tank to prohibit flow from the first section to the second section but to allow flow from the second section to the first. In this manner, the fluid is retained within transfer line so that a siphoning action can occur between the second section and the first section of the fuel tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignees: Denso International America, Inc., DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: William Attwood, Norihiro Hayashi
  • Patent number: 7284530
    Abstract: A suction pump introduces negative pressure into a reference-pressure-detecting portion. A driving voltage V of the suction pump is adjusted in such a manner that pressure Pr in the reference-pressure-detecting portion is within a target pressure range. When the pressure Pr is brought into the target pressure range, the driving voltage V of the suction pump is stored as a first driving voltage V1 and the pressure Pr is stored as a reference pressure Pr. When pressure detection and leak detection process are conducted, the suction pump is driven at the first driving voltage V1 to introduce the negative pressure. The computer compares the pressure Pr with a leak determination value to determine whether a leak exists.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Nagasaki, Tokiji Ito, Hideki Miyahara
  • Patent number: 7284539
    Abstract: A fuel pressure control device has a feedback control section for setting a feedback control amount (F/B control amount) in accordance with a deviation between target fuel pressure and actual fuel pressure and a feedforward control section for setting a feedforward control amount (F/F control amount) in accordance with a required fuel injection amount and engine rotation speed. When an engine operation state is an off-idling condition, F/F-F/B combination control for validating the F/F control amount and for setting a control amount of a high-pressure pump by adding the F/F control amount to the F/B control amount is performed. When the engine operation state changes from the off-idling condition to an idling condition, control is switched to F/B single control for invalidating the F/F control amount and for using only the F/B control amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventor: Osamu Fukasawa
  • Patent number: 7281512
    Abstract: An intake manifold assembly (10) includes a plenum (14) and a variable volume assembly (20). The variable volume assembly (20) includes a deformable member (22) and a biasing member (24). The biasing member (24) positions the deformable member (22) at a predetermined position in response to a vacuum pressure within the plenum (14) to define a volume within the deformable member (22) to change the operational characteristics of the intake manifold assembly (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive, Inc.
    Inventor: John Francis Marentette
  • Patent number: 7281521
    Abstract: The sealing element has a ring consisting of an elastic material. The ring consists of a continuous support section, a first sealing lip, formed thereon for sealing the injector casing and a second sealing lip for sealing the cylinder head. The sealing lips project substantially inwards in a radial direction and together with the support section form a continuous groove of the ring. An alignment member is at least partially positioned in the groove of the ring, the alignment member is configured such that when a valve stem portion of the injector casing is positioned through the ring, the alignment member physically contacts the valve stem portion at two or more distinct locations to fix the ring non-positively around the valve stem portion such that the ring is prevented from physically contacting the valve stem portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Martin Neumaier