Patents Examined by Ching Chang
  • Patent number: 10731517
    Abstract: A valvetrain includes a rocker arm assembly having a rocker arm and an electromagnetic latch assembly. A magnet of the latch assembly is housed within a chamber formed by the rocker arm. The chamber may be a retrofit hydraulic chamber. The magnet may be an electromagnet or a permanent magnet. A flux shifting bi-stable latch provides a sufficiently compact design. Isolation of the magnet within the rocker arm chamber may provide protection from metal particles carried by oil in an operating environment for the rocker arm assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited
    Inventors: Petr Liskar, Dale Arden Stretch, James Edward McCarthy, Nicholas Peter Gillette, Andrei Dan Radulescu
  • Patent number: 10704429
    Abstract: A rocker arm includes an outer arm and an inner arm which selectively pivots relative to the outer arm. The rocker arm also includes a lock pin which is displaced along a lock pin axis between a coupled position and a decoupled position. The rocker arm also includes a linkage and a linkage guide which guides the linkage along a linkage axis. One surface of the linkage engages an actuator while another surface of the linkage engages the lock pin such that the linkage translates motion from the actuator to motion of the lock pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: DELPHI TECHNOLOGIES IP LIMITED
    Inventors: Robert M. Mariuz, Kevin R. Keegan, Peter R. Charles, Hermes A. Fernandez
  • Patent number: 10704431
    Abstract: A regenerative valve hydraulic actuator includes a high-pressure accumulator fed by a high-pressure feed hydraulic pump, an actuator defining an actuator hydraulic chamber for actuating—by way of a progressive lever arm ratio lever—a valve provided with a valve return device, a valve lifter hydraulic valve placed between the high-pressure accumulator and the actuator hydraulic chamber, a lifter check valve which connects a low-pressure accumulator to the actuator hydraulic chamber, a valve closure hydraulic valve placed between the chamber and a closure and regeneration hydraulic motor which recovers energy previously invested to open the valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Inventor: Vianney Rabhi
  • Patent number: 10697333
    Abstract: A camshaft phaser assembly, including: an axis of rotation; a first hydraulic camshaft phaser including a stator arranged to receive rotational torque and including a plurality of radially inwardly extending protrusions, a rotor including a plurality of radially outwardly extending protrusions circumferentially interleaved with the plurality of radially inwardly extending protrusions, and a plurality of phaser chambers, each phaser chamber circumferentially bounded by a respective radially inwardly extending protrusion included in the plurality of radially inwardly extending protrusions and a respective radially outwardly extending protrusion included in the plurality of radially outwardly extending protrusions; a second hydraulic camshaft phaser; a cap; and a fluid chamber bounded in part by the cap and in fluid communication with a phaser chamber included in the plurality of phaser chambers; and a bolt arranged to non-rotatably connect the rotor and the cap to a camshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Michael Kandolf
  • Patent number: 10677113
    Abstract: A rocker arm arrangement for a valve drive of an internal combustion engine may include a roller shaft including at least one roll and an adjusting arrangement configured to adjust the roller shaft between a first position and a second position. The rocker arm arrangement may also include a first cam and a second cam respectively having a cam stroke region and an idle speed region and secured to a cam shaft. The adjusting arrangement may include a first engagement pin and a second engagement pin arranged on the roller shaft and adjustable into a switching position and into a home position. The first guide track and the second guide track may be respectively arranged on the cam shaft in a circumferential direction of the cam shaft at least partially overlapping one of the cam stroke region of the first cam and the cam stroke region of the second cam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Mahle International GmbH
    Inventors: Patrick Altherr, Herrn R. Kirschner
  • Patent number: 10677173
    Abstract: A control system for internal combustion engines having four valves per cylinder. An inlet valve and an exhaust valve are controlled by a basic camshaft. Another inlet valve and another exhaust valve are controlled by a control camshaft. The two camshafts are connected to a crankshaft and engine torque is managed by an electronic control unit. The system comprises a motor/generator unit, connected to the control camshaft; a differential, connected to the crankshaft and to the control camshaft; a control shaft, connected to the differential; an actuator, connected to the control shaft; a one-way restrictor valve connected to a shut-off valve and to the actuator; an oil circuit, connected to the actuator by means of the shut-off valve and a control solenoid that acts on the shut-off valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Inventor: Amadeo Perez Fernandez
  • Patent number: 10677115
    Abstract: A valve train device, in particular for an internal combustion engine, includes at least one camshaft which has at least one cam element with at least one multi-track cam. The cam element is provided to be axially displaced by a maximum displacement path. The valve train device further includes a limiting mechanism which is provided to limit in at least one operating state the displacement path of the cam element to a switching path of the switching operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Dietmar Schroeer, Thomas Stolk, Alexander Von Gaisberg-Helfenberg
  • Patent number: 10669902
    Abstract: A valve drive for an internal combustion engine may include a cam shaft including at least two cams rotationally attached thereto. The valve drive may also include a cam follower including a roller bolt including a rotatable roller arranged thereon. Additionally, the valve drive may include a lever device drivingly connected to the cam follower configured to adjust the cam follower between a first position and a second position. The valve drive may further include a rotatably supported control lever drivingly connected to the cam follower configured to adjust at least one valve of an internal combustion engine. The valve drive may include an actuator drivingly connected to the lever device configured to adjust the cam follower between the first position and the second position, the actuator may be connected to the cam follower in an articulated manner via the lever device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Mahle International GmbH
    Inventors: Juergen Rommel, Christoph Steinmetz
  • Patent number: 10662830
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system for intermittently operating poppet valves in an internal combustion engine when desired by the selective locking or unlocking of one or more cam lobes with the camshaft. One or more cam lobes, with a small radial clearance, ride on a camshaft such that an engagement mechanism may be activated as desired to lock the cam lobe to the camshaft, thereby activating the respective poppet valve. The cam lobe is prevented from moving axially to ensure correct alignment with a follower. A suitable holding device may be used to ensure the non-activated cam lobes are restrained at a suitable orientation relative to the cam follower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Yelir, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael B. Riley
  • Patent number: 10662829
    Abstract: A housing is rotatable synchronously with a crankshaft of an engine. A plurality of external teeth arrangements is respectively shaped into a ring form and is formed integrally with the housing in one piece and is configured to mesh with a plurality of chains, respectively, each of which is wound around the crankshaft or a sprocket that is rotatable. A cam plate is connected to a camshaft of the engine and is rotatable relative to the housing. A plurality of stoppers is formed integrally with the housing in one piece while the stoppers are configured to limit relative rotation between the housing and the cam plate within a predetermined range when the stoppers contact the cam plate. Each stopper is placed at a position, at which the stopper does not overlap with any of the external teeth arrangements in a view taken in an axial direction of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Iwasaki, Genki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10655506
    Abstract: Multiple tubular members 40 that include multiple cam members 41 and 42 having cam parts 11 are connected to each other to form a single cam tube 12. Multiple female splines 45, which are partially arranged on an inner tube surface 44 of the tubular members which include the cam members 41 and 42, mate with male splines 47 formed on the outer tube surface 46 of a drive shaft 13, and the cam tube 12 rotates integrally with the drive shaft 13, and is capable of moving freely in the axial direction thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: ISUZU MOTORS LIMITED
    Inventor: Hiroshi Tsunoda
  • Patent number: 10655545
    Abstract: Disclosed is a verification system including a throttle actuation verification system. The verification system may include one or more sensors positioned at a location that will receive a force applied by an operator when a throttle lever is engaged or loaded for the intention to be actuated by the operator. A signal from the sensor is compared to a throttle position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Polaris Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Hedlund, Joseph D. Tharaldson
  • Patent number: 10655507
    Abstract: In a control device and a control method for an internal combustion engine according to the present invention, when a crank angle signal is behaving abnormally, a phase angle of an exhaust camshaft relative to a crankshaft is set to a reference phase angle, and a phase angle of an intake camshaft relative to the crankshaft is determined based on an intake cam signal and an exhaust cam signal. Furthermore, the phase difference between the exhaust cam signal generated when the relative phase angle of the exhaust camshaft is set to the reference phase angle and the intake cam signal generated when the relative phase angle of the intake camshaft is set to a target value is greater after a start-up of the internal combustion engine than during the start-up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hirokazu Shimizu
  • Patent number: 10648374
    Abstract: A spark-ignited gas engine system comprises a combustion chamber defined by a piston, a head with a spark plug mechanism, and a cylinder having an associated intake valve and an associated exhaust valve, into which a mixture of combustible gas and air is entered via an intake manifold of the engine to drive a crankshaft. The system further comprises at least one turbocharger to compress the mixture. The system further comprises at least one camshaft, driven by the crankshaft via a gear assembly connected to the crankshaft, that comprises at least one cam that actuates the intake valve and the exhaust valve, at least one camphaser, coupled to the crankshaft via the gear assembly, and a controller to adjust a cam angle operation of the intake valve and the exhaust valve by adjusting the camphaser to a desired phase position to meet a target rotational phase of the camshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Philipe F. Saad, Edward J. Lyford-Pike, Milan K. Visaria, Agneya Turlapati, Anamitra Bhattacharyya, Jason R. Griffin, Brendan C. Norton
  • Patent number: 10648373
    Abstract: A device for actuating at least one valve in an internal combustion engine includes a camshaft arrangement including a hollow outer shaft and an inner shaft, which is concentrically mounted inside of the outer shaft to be pivotable relative to the outer shaft. A first cam lobe is mounted on one of the inner shaft and the outer shaft in a rotationally fixed manner and a second cam lobe is mounted on the other of the inner shaft and the outer shaft in a rotationally fixed manner. The device further includes a rocker arm arrangement including a first primary rocker arm, which is arranged to follow the first cam lobe and arranged to actuate a first valve when it follows the first cam lobe. The rocker arm arrangement further includes an auxiliary rocker arm, which is arranged to follow the second cam lobe. The auxiliary rocker arm is adapted to actuate the first primary rocker arm so that an opening tune of the first valve may be extended by the auxiliary rocker arm following the second cam lobe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventor: Per Persson
  • Patent number: 10648372
    Abstract: A sliding cam system for an internal combustion engine. The sliding cam system includes a cam shaft and a cam carrier, arranged rotationally fixedly and axially movably on the cam shaft. The cam carrier including a first shifting gate and a second shifting gate. The sliding cam system includes a first actuator with an element able to move along a longitudinal axis of the cam shaft, especially a pin, which can be brought into contact with the first shifting gate for the axial movement of the cam carrier in a first direction. The sliding cam system includes a second actuator with an element able to move along the longitudinal axis of the cam shaft, especially a pin, which can be brought into contact with the second shifting gate for the axial movement of the cam carrier in a second direction which is opposite to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: MAN TRUCK & BUS AG
    Inventors: Steffen Hirschmann, Jens Dietrich
  • Patent number: 10648377
    Abstract: A variable valve actuation mechanism is provided for an internal combustion engine including at least one valve for control of gas admission to a cylinder of the engine and/or gas exhaust from the cylinder. The mechanism includes two concentrically arranged camshafts, a cam set comprising two cams, each fixed to a respective of the camshafts, whereby the camshafts are arranged to be turned in relation to each other, so as to change the combined profile of the cams, and a cam follower adapted to follow the combined profile of the cams and to actuate at least one of the at least one valve in dependence on the combined profile of the cams, wherein the cam follower includes two rollers, each roller being adapted to follow a respective one of the cams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Johan Karlsson, David Norén, Hans Bondeson
  • Patent number: 10641140
    Abstract: An early exhaust valve opening (EEVO) module increases a no-load engine speed so an engine can smoothly transition to driving a load when necessary. The EEVO module includes a drive piston engaging an injector rocker and a driven piston engaging an exhaust rocker. The pistons are fluidly connected by a activation fluid passage so that the drive piston compresses air in the passage when an injector cam rotates the injector rocker and causes movement of the driven gear and the exhaust rocker to open an exhaust valve to release exhaust energy during a piston expansion stroke to limit the energy transferred to a crankshaft. A low pressure timing valve may drain pressurized fluid from the passage during an initial portion of the movement of the drive piston so driven piston does not move to open the exhaust valve until a desired amount of energy has been transferred to the crankshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Craig Phillip Hittle, David Andrew Pierpont
  • Patent number: 10641138
    Abstract: A valve drive for an internal combustion engine may include a cam shaft, a cam follower, and an adjusting device. The cam shaft may include at least one first cam and at least one second cam The cam follower may be drivingly connected to the at least one first cam when in a first position and drivingly connected to the at least one second cam when in a second position. The adjusting device may include a first engagement element configured to cooperate with a first sliding guide and a second engagement element configured to cooperate with a second sliding guide. The first engagement element and the second engagement element may be adjustable between a switching position and an inactive position. The adjusting device may further include a joint actuator configured to adjust at least one of the first engagement element and the second engagement element into the switching position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Mahle International GmbH
    Inventors: Patrick Altherr, Thorsten Ihne, Markus Walch
  • Patent number: 10641137
    Abstract: A variable valve train module has a valve control block positioned on a cylinder head of the engine. The valve control block has a first block and a second block and variable valve train components. These components include at least one valve, a rocker arm, a brake, and a pump configured to receive input from a camshaft. The components are positioned with respect to the blocks such that the first block receives a first portion of the pump and the second block receives a second portion of the pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Kevin Sittner, Donald Dixon, Béla Hofer, Todd Simcina