Patents Examined by Carl Staubach
  • Patent number: 9638140
    Abstract: A low pressure valve for controlling exhaust gas recirculation in an internal combustion engine for a vehicle includes a housing, which contains a channel section for exhaust gas guidance, and a valve element disposed in the housing to control the exhaust gas passage in the channel section. An actuating drive is mounted on the housing and adjusts the valve element. The actuating drive is formed of an electromagnetic rotary actuator with a drive shaft thereof. The drive shaft is routed in an extended manner out of a rotary actuator housing and is in the form of an actuating shaft. The actuating shaft extends continuously to the housing and protrudes into the housing transversely to the flow direction, engages therein at the valve element in a non-rotatable manner and can be rotationally adjusted about the axis to actuate the valve element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Gustav Wahler GmbH u. Co. KG
    Inventor: Bernd Bareis
  • Patent number: 9638154
    Abstract: A fuel pump manifold pressure control system may be effective to provide a compact and more effective fuel pump mechanism for compression ignition engines, such as diesel and some natural gas engines. The fuel pump manifold pressure control system includes a fuel pump manifold, at least one fuel injection accumulator adapted for supplying pressurized fuel to at least one fuel injector, a pressure control valve, a pressure sensor, and a pressure relief valve, all contained within a compact fuel pump housing. The pressure control valve and pressure sensor are each adapted for signal communication with electronic controller, and for fuel communication with the fuel pump manifold. The pressure relief valve is adapted for fuel communication with the fuel pump manifold. Each of the control valve, sensor, and relief valve are fixedly mounted to and internally contained within the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Michael D. Gerstner
  • Patent number: 9624852
    Abstract: A method for controlling fuel pressure in an internal combustion engine consuming a gaseous fuel and a liquid fuel comprises steps of determining a gaseous fuel pressure target value as a function of an engine operating condition, pressurizing the liquid fuel to a liquid fuel pressure based on the gaseous fuel pressure target value, and regulating gaseous fuel pressure from the liquid fuel pressure. The gaseous fuel pressure equals the gaseous fuel pressure target value to within a predetermined range of tolerance. A corresponding system controls fuel pressure in a gaseous fuelled internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: WESTPORT POWER INC.
    Inventors: Alain M. J. Touchette, Jamie Y. Wardlaw
  • Patent number: 9624897
    Abstract: A control device for an internal combustion engine capable of controlling an intake-pipe pressure within a range which allows restartability to be ensured. A control device for an internal combustion engine includes: an idle-stop control section for restarting the engine in response to generation of a restart request; and an intake-air amount control section for setting a control amount of an intake system so that the intake air amount becomes zero when an intake-pipe pressure of the engine upon generation of the automatic stop request is higher than a predetermined pressure and setting the control amount of the intake system so that the intake air amount becomes larger than the amount upon generation of the automatic stop request, and then becomes zero when the intake-pipe pressure is lower than the predetermined pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takeru Okabe, Osamu Ishikawa, Tomohisa Shoda, Hideaki Tani, Toru Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9617966
    Abstract: A high frequency plasma ignition device for the ignition of a fuel/air mixture in a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, having a series resonant circuit of an electric inductor and an electric capacitor connected in series, and a high frequency generator with a first electrical terminal and a second electrical terminal for the resonant excitation of the series resonant circuit, a first electrical contact point being provided in which one end of the capacitor and one end of the inductor are connected to one another electrically. An electrical connecting device connects the high-frequency generator to the inductor and to the capacitor such that an output signal of the high-frequency generator is applied to the series resonant circuit. An electric voltage is applied across the capacitor for igniting a plasma between free ends of a first and second electrode. An electric voltage is further applied to maintain the plasma after ignition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Gunnar Armbrecht, Michael Wollitzer, Thomas Schmid
  • Patent number: 9599089
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine has an internal combustion engine body formed with a combustion chamber and an ignition device that ignites an air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber. Repetitive combustion cycles, including ignition of the air-fuel mixture by the ignition device and combustion of the air-fuel mixture, are executed. The internal combustion engine further has an electromagnetic (EM) wave-emitting device that emits EM radiation to the combustion chamber; a plurality of receiving antennas located on a zoning material that defines the combustion chamber, where the antennas resonate to the EM radiation emitted to the combustion chamber from the EM wave-emitting device; and a switching means that switches the receiving antenna resonating to the EM radiation emitted to the combustion chamber from the EM wave-emitting device among the plurality of receiving antennas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: IMAGINEERING, INC.
    Inventor: Yuji Ikeda
  • Patent number: 9574525
    Abstract: A purge solenoid valve is opened to introduce an atmospheric pressure into a fuel tank, the purge solenoid valve is closed to operate a negative pressure pump, and set an internal pressure of the tank to a reference pressure Pb. Then, a changeover valve is closed, and the purge solenoid valve is opened to cause a canister to communicate with an intake passage. Further, the changeover valve is opened, and the purge solenoid valve is closed. Then, a first tank internal pressure Po is detected and subtracted from the reference pressure Pb. If a calculated first pressure deviation ?Po is larger than a first threshold ?P1, it is determined that there is no open sticking in a sealing valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideo Matsunaga, Katsuhiro Furuta, Hisakazu Ikedaya, Hitoshi Kamura
  • Patent number: 9562490
    Abstract: A method for controlling a direct-injection internal combustion engine includes monitoring internal combustion engine operational parameters, determining a start of injection in response to the engine operational parameters, monitoring an intake air flow comprising a residual gas component, monitoring an exhaust gas flow, monitoring a fuel flow, determining a time constant corresponding to an intake air flow reaction time based upon the intake air flow, the exhaust gas flow, and the fuel flow, modifying the start of injection with the time constant, and operating the engine subject to the modified start of injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Ibrahim Haskara, Yue-Yun Wang
  • Patent number: 9551284
    Abstract: Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for controlling an engine of construction equipment, the apparatus including: a lever for generating a first signal when a state of the construction equipment is switched to an operation state or a neutral state; and an auto idle switch for generating a second signal when an auto engine idle mode is on; in which when a state of the lever is switched to a neutral state in an on state of the second signal, an engine speed is reduced to a step engine speed, when a first speed reducing step is maintained for a predetermined time, the engine speed is further reduced to an idle engine speed, and when a state of the lever is switched to an operation state while the second speed reducing step is maintained, the engine speed returned to the step engine speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: DOOSAN INFRACORE CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Won Sun Sohn
  • Patent number: 9546629
    Abstract: A control device of a diesel engine is provided. The diesel engine includes an injector for injecting fuel into a cylinder, and a turbocharger for compressing intake air by using exhaust energy. The control device includes a calculating module for setting a basic injection timing determined according to an operating state of the engine, as a timing of injecting the fuel from the injector, and an injection control module for injecting the fuel from the injector at the set basic injection timing at least while the engine is in a steady operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Morinaga, Issei Oiso, Shingo Harada, Motonori Yoshida
  • Patent number: 9546605
    Abstract: The present invention addresses a solution of improving precision with which requested torque at a time of a transient operation is realized in a control device for an internal combustion engine that controls torque that is generated by an internal combustion engine by control of an air amount by means of a throttle. To this end, the present control device calculates a target intake pipe pressure for realizing a target air amount, and calculates predicted pump loss from the target intake pipe pressure. By adding the predicted pump loss to requested torque to the internal combustion engine, 360° indicated requested torque that should be realized in a compression/expansion strokes is calculated. An air amount for realizing the 360° indicated requested torque is calculated as the target air amount, and an opening of the throttle is determined based on the target air amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yukikazu Ito
  • Patent number: 9541049
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a cable-operated actuating device for a motor vehicle, in particular for a transmission, comprising: an actuating means having a recess for inserting a coupling connector of a cable control, a blocking means which is radially displaceable in the recess and in a radially outer position permits an axial displacing of the coupling connector in the recess and in a radially inner position axially fixes the coupling connector against an inserting direction in a positively connected and/or frictionally connected manner, a housing, which receives a connecting point between the coupling connector and the recess, and an actuating means for radially displacing the blocking means, which can be actuated outside the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Dino Demma, Dirk Eisinger
  • Patent number: 9534549
    Abstract: A method for purging a fuel tank includes providing a three-way valve connected to the fuel tank via a first purging line, connected to a second purging line opening into a suction duct and connected to a third purging line opening into an adsorption container. A first path can be released in the three-way valve, based on the pressure inside the fuel tank exceeding a first predetermined opening pressure inside the fuel tank and the engine being in operation, such that the fuel vapors are caused to be purge out of the fuel tank into the suction duct. A second path can also be released in the three-way valve, based on the pressure inside the fuel tank exceeding a second predetermined opening pressure inside the fuel tank and the engine being not in operation, such that the fuel vapors are caused to be purged out of the fuel tank into the adsorption container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Etienne Costa-Patry, Michael Knieling
  • Patent number: 9512798
    Abstract: A method is provided which mitigates the noise of a direct injection system in a port fuel injection and direct fuel injection (PFI-DI) engine and reduces NVH hardware. During a cold-start, the engine idle speed may be increased to mitigate the direct injection noise and during a warm idle, the engine cooling fan may be turned on during a direct injector cleanout cycle to mitigate the direct injection noise. This allows the PFI-DI engine to be run more efficiently without concern of the noise produced by the direct injectors and high pressure pump of the direct injection system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Zeng, Vince Paul Solferino
  • Patent number: 9506438
    Abstract: In a fuel injection valve support structure, a pair of contact surfaces are formed on an intermediate portion of the valve so as to be opposite to each other with a plane therebetween, the plane including a center axis of the valve and a center line of a coupler, the elastic support member includes a base plate placed on a second load receiving portion, an elastic piece extending from the base plate, coming into pressure contact with a fuel supply cap elastically, and biasing the valve against an engine by a reaction force resulting from the contact, and a pair of rotation locking pieces extending from the base plate and coming into contact with the respective contact surfaces to restrict rotation of the valve about the axis, and at least one of the contact surfaces has a positioning groove for elastically engaging corresponding one of the rotation locking pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Keihin Corporation
    Inventors: Yutaka Inomata, Atsushi Kamahora, Yuzuru Sasaki, Takahiro Yasuda
  • Patent number: 9494102
    Abstract: A method for operating a fuel injection system of an internal combustion engine is described in which pressurized fuel is provided in a pressure storage device and a fuel pressure prevailing in pressure storage device is regulated with the aid of a pressure regulation, during a first measuring interval at least one fuel withdrawal from the pressure storage device taking place, and during a second measuring interval no fuel withdrawal from the pressure storage device of this type taking place, and during the first and the second measuring intervals a performance quantity of the pressure regulation being ascertained in each case, and the fuel quantity withdrawn during the first measuring interval being ascertained for the at least one withdrawal from a difference of the ascertained performance quantities of the pressure regulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Markus Strasser
  • Patent number: 9494074
    Abstract: An arrangement and method for a combustion engine with direct injection and in particular to switching between two types of fuel is disclosed. A high-pressure pump (10) is connected to a combustion engine and the high-pressure rail for the direct injection of a fuel. At least two fuel storages (21,27) containing petrol and liquefied gas are present. The arrangement allows for switching from one fuel to another. Switching occurs by purging a fuel from the high-pressure pump (10) and the fuel supply line connected thereto by temporarily collecting the fuel in a purge unit (28). The purge unit (28) is arranged for purging the high-pressure pump (10), thus forcing out the prevailing fuel and replacing it with the new fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: VIALLE GROUP B.V.
    Inventors: Maria Servatius Alfons Jaasma, Piet Van Eijck
  • Patent number: 9488150
    Abstract: An ignition system for an internal combustion engine that utilizes a single primary coil and a single secondary coil to drive a pair of spark plugs. Current flowing in both a first direction and a second direction passes through the primary coil. The current flowing through the primary coil induces corresponding current in the secondary coil, which flows from the secondary coil to one of two spark plugs. Each spark plug is coupled to the secondary coil such that each of the two spark plugs receives current flowing only in a single direction. The current flowing through the ignition system can be from either a power source or created by the rotation of a flywheel having a series of magnet clusters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Briggs & Stratton Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. Koenen, Andrew Paskov
  • Patent number: 9488122
    Abstract: A system for measuring an injection process in a combustion engine includes a tank configured to hold a fuel. A storage container is configured to hold a compressed fuel. At least one injection valve is arranged at the storage container. A fuel line in which a fuel conveying pump and a high-pressure fuel pump are arranged. The fuel conveying pump and the high-pressure fuel pump are configured to convey the fuel into the storage container. A first pressure sensor is configured to measure a pressure in the storage container. A detection device is configured to detect control data of the at least one injection valve. A measuring device is arranged in the fuel line. The measuring device is configured to measure a temporally resolved volumetric or gravimetric flow process. A processor is connected to the measuring device and to the first pressure sensor via a data transmission line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: AVL LIST GMBH
    Inventor: Heribert Kammerstetter
  • Patent number: 9470173
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for modeling an oil dilution qualitative indicator based on an integrated difference between a commanded air-to-fuel ratio and an engine air-to-fuel ratio as determined via an oxygen sensor, cumulative cold engine temperature operating duration, and fuel injection characteristics (timing, duration, number of injections) allowing fuel injection timing modifications that minimize oil dilution when the oil dilution qualitative indicator is greater than a threshold level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Allen Lehmen, Marcus William Fried, Shuya Shark Yamada, Steven Paul Penkevich