Patents Examined by John Zaleskas
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Patent number: 9388746Abstract: Embodiments for generating vacuum at a throttle are presented. In one example, a system comprises a throttle positioned in an intake of an engine, and a peripheral venturi proximate the throttle, the venturi having an inlet positioned to interface with an edge of the throttle when the throttle is in a partially open position. In this way, vacuum may be generated by flow air through the venturi.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 2012Date of Patent: July 12, 2016Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventor: Stephen George Russ
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Patent number: 9347392Abstract: A control system and a control method of a gasoline direct injection engine may include determining whether the engine is stopped and can improve NVH of a vehicle by keeping the fuel high-pressure pump input valve of the high-pressure pump operating for a predetermined time and preventing fuel from flowing backward to the low-pressure pump.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2012Date of Patent: May 24, 2016Assignee: Hyundai Motor CompanyInventors: Heungseok Lee, Wan Soo Oh
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Patent number: 9316187Abstract: This invention relates to an aerating device for a fuel system, and in particular, to an aerating device for a fuel system supplying fuel to an engine from a fuel tank. The invention includes, for example, a solenoid valve accessing a flow path to the fuel tank, and a control unit opening a closing the solenoid valve, such that opening of the solenoid valve permits fuel and air to flow back through the flow path to the fuel tank and naturally separate.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2011Date of Patent: April 19, 2016Assignee: Carter Fuel Systems, LLCInventors: John Lee Saler, Kyle Dean Achor
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Patent number: 9284906Abstract: Controlling combustion in a spark-ignition direction-injection internal combustion engine includes providing an initial injected fuel mass timing and an initial spark ignition timing. A combustion phasing error is monitored and compared with each of the initial injected fuel mass timing and the initial spark ignition timing. An adjusted injected fuel mass timing and an adjusted desired spark ignition timing is determined based on the comparing for maintaining a desired combustion phasing.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2011Date of Patent: March 15, 2016Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Hanho Yun, Nicole Wermuth, Paul M. Najt, Jun-Mo Kang, Chen-Fang Chang
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Patent number: 9273658Abstract: A handheld work apparatus includes a fuel tank, into which a flexible fuel line projects. A suction head is arranged at the free end of the fuel line. The suction head is connected via the fuel line to a fuel supply device of an internal combustion engine of the work apparatus. The suction head has at least one weight member. The weight member is formed at least partially as a magnet to achieve good cleaning of the fuel without a substantial increase in the weight of the work apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 2012Date of Patent: March 1, 2016Assignee: Andreas Stihl AG & Co. KGInventors: Arno Kinnen, Christopher Tost, Wolfgang Layher, Michael Dietenberger, Felix Mayer
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Patent number: 9267451Abstract: An internal combustion engine operates in a homogeneous-charge compression-ignition combustion mode. A method for controlling the internal combustion engine in response to a fast transient event from a low-load state to a high-load state includes operating the engine with a negative valve overlap between an intake valve and an exhaust valve, and determining a preferred combustion phasing responsive to the high-load state. A preferred EGR mass and a preferred intake valve timing corresponding to the preferred combustion phasing are determined. A first intake valve timing is determined in response to a difference between the preferred EGR mass and an actual EGR mass. The intake valve timing is controlled in response to a difference between the preferred intake valve timing and the first intake valve timing.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2011Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Jun-Mo Kang, Chen-Fang Chang, Hanho Yun
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Patent number: 9200605Abstract: An apparatus for preventing cavitation damage to a diesel engine fuel injection pump comprises a valve member mounted on a barrel port to shut the barrel port during an early stage of fuel compression performed by the upward movement of a plunger to increase the pressure in the barrel port, a valve housing installed in the deflector or the barrel of a pump housing to support the valve member, and a pressure control valve constituted by a spring interposed between the valve member and the valve housing to elastically support the valve member. The barrel port is shut to increase the pressure therein during the early stage of fuel compression, and when the pressure of fuel in the barrel port exceeds a level higher than an open level, the barrel port opens to discharge fuel.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2009Date of Patent: December 1, 2015Assignee: HYUNDAI HEAVY INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.Inventors: Dong-Hun Kim, Seung-Hyup Ryu, Sang-Hak Ghal, Sang-Lip Kang, Ju-Tae Kim
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Patent number: 9163588Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for an engine including a humidity sensor. Degradation of the humidity sensor may be determined based on a change in intake air relative humidity as compared to a change in intake air temperature or pressure, under selected conditions. An amount of exhaust gas recirculated to an engine intake is adjusted differently based on whether the humidity sensor is degraded or functional.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2011Date of Patent: October 20, 2015Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Gopichandra Surnilla, Imad Hassan Makki, James Michael Kerns, Robert Roy Jentz, Timothy Joseph Clark, Michael James Uhrich, Richard E. Soltis
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Patent number: 9127976Abstract: Embodiments for detecting crankcase breach are provided. In one example, a method includes indicating both crankcase ventilation system degradation and a crankcase oil sump level based on a common crankcase sensor. In this way, the same sensor can provide both crankcase breach detection and oil level determination.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2012Date of Patent: September 8, 2015Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventor: Ross Dykstra Pursifull
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Patent number: 9109475Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a hydraulically-driven variable valve timing device for adjusting the opening timing and the closing timing of an intake valve and configured to include a start retard position for decompression that is retarded further from the most retarded position during a normal operating state, and a control system configured to start a cranking operation of the internal combustion engine while the variable valve timing device is positioned in the start retard position for decompression, to determine during the cranking operation whether operating oil has drained from the variable valve timing device, when it has been determined that oil has drained from the variable valve timing device, to set a delay time between the cranking operation start and an advance operation of the variable valve timing device longer than the situation in which operating oil is replete.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2012Date of Patent: August 18, 2015Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventor: Hideo Mitsuhashi
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Patent number: 9109558Abstract: First and second recessed portions are respectively formed on first and second wall surfaces of a cam chamber, in order that a plunger head and a coil spring would not come in touch with the first and second wall surfaces even in such a virtual situation. In the virtual situation, it is supposed that the plunger head would be separated from a plunger, the plunger head remains in contact with a contact surface of a cam ring so that the plunger head would not move relative to the contact surface, and a cam member would be continuously rotated.Type: GrantFiled: January 19, 2012Date of Patent: August 18, 2015Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventor: Masashi Suzuki
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Patent number: 9097196Abstract: A system for a vehicle includes a time stamping module, a period determination module, a stochastic pre-ignition (SPI) indication module, and an SPI remediation module. The time stamping module generates first and second timestamps when a crankshaft of an engine is in first and second crankshaft positions during an engine cycle, respectively. The period determination module determines a period between the first and second timestamps. The SPI indication module selectively indicates that an SPI event occurred within a cylinder of the engine based on the period. The SPI remediation module selectively adjusts at least one engine operating parameter in response to the SPI indication module indicating that the SPI event occurred within the cylinder.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2011Date of Patent: August 4, 2015Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Kenneth J. Buslepp, Daniel G. Brennan, Julian R. Verdejo, David S. Mathews
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Patent number: 9074561Abstract: A fuel vapor processing device may include a casing having an adsorption chamber defined therein, an adsorption material disposed within the adsorption chamber, a heating device capable of heating the adsorption material, and a passage member communicating between the adsorption chamber and the atmosphere. The passage member defines a flow space facing to an outer circumferential surface of the casing, so that heat can be transmitted between the adsorption chamber and the flow space.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2012Date of Patent: July 7, 2015Assignee: AISAN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Katsuhiko Makino
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Patent number: 9074551Abstract: A method to control an internal combustion engine includes controlling the engine in a homogeneous charge compression ignition mode and depending upon the operating range of the engine operating both intake and exhaust valves with one of a high-lift profile or a low lift profile or the exhaust valves with a low-lift profile and the intake valves with a high-lift profile.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2011Date of Patent: July 7, 2015Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Hanho Yun, Nicole Wermuth, Paul M. Najt, Jun-Mo Kang, Barry L. Brown
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Patent number: 8973563Abstract: An internal combustion engine control apparatus includes means that detects an inlet temperature that is a temperature in a vicinity of an inlet of a purification catalyst disposed in an exhaust path and means that detects a turbine temperature that is a temperature in a vicinity of an exhaust turbine of a turbo-supercharger disposed in the exhaust path, and also includes means that controls a valve overlap that is a state in which an intake valve and an exhaust valve of the internal combustion engine are open simultaneously. When the inlet temperature is lower than an inlet high temperature reference value, and the turbine temperature is higher than a turbine high temperature reference value that is higher than the inlet high temperature reference value, the valve overlap amount is increased so as to be greater than a turbine high temperature time reference amount.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2010Date of Patent: March 10, 2015Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Akira Eiraku
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Patent number: 8967118Abstract: A method includes: retarding spark timing relative to a predetermined spark timing when an engine torque output reduction is requested for a gear shift; estimating a first torque output of an engine based on N cylinders of the engine being fueled, an engine speed, an air per cylinder (APC), and the predetermined spark timing; estimating a second torque output of the engine based on M cylinders being fueled, the engine speed, the APC, and the spark timing. determining an initial pressure ratio across a turbocharger compressor; determining an adjustment based on M and the first and second torque outputs; generating a desired pressure ratio across the turbocharger compressor based on the adjustment and the initial pressure ratio; and controlling opening of a turbocharger wastegate based on the desired pressure ratio. N is a total number of cylinders of the engine and M is less than or equal to N.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2011Date of Patent: March 3, 2015Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Christopher E. Whitney, Jeffrey M. Kaiser, Per Andersson, Timothy L. Gibbs
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Patent number: 8931456Abstract: A method for engine braking of an engine which has at least one exhaust-gas turbocharger with an exhaust-gas turbine acted on by an exhaust-gas flow and a charge air compressor. A device for throttling exhaust-gas flow is arranged between exhaust outlet valves and the exhaust-gas turbocharger, and a bypass line conducts the exhaust-gas flow past the throttling device, the exhaust-gas flow being conducted through the at least one bypass line to a turbine wheel of the exhaust-gas turbine. An exhaust gas counter-pressure and a charge air pressure are measured. Based on the measurement, an optimum position of the throttling device to obtain a predetermined braking action is determined. The exhaust-gas counter-pressure and the charge air pressure are subsequently controlled by adjusting the throttling device corresponding to the determination of the optimum position of the throttling device.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2011Date of Patent: January 13, 2015Assignee: Man Nutzfahrzeuge Oesterreich AGInventors: Franz Rammer, Franz Leitenmayr, Gottfried Raab
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Patent number: 8925532Abstract: A method for controlling the power supply of a radiofrequency spark plug in an internal combustion engine up to an electric voltage sufficient for generating a highly branched spark. To this end, the electric voltage for powering the spark plug is increased step by step up to an adequate voltage adapted for ignition.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2009Date of Patent: January 6, 2015Assignee: Renault S.A.S.Inventors: Maxime Makarov, Frédéric Auzas
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Patent number: 8881710Abstract: A deflector mounts a carbon scrubber element at an atmospheric port of an evaporative emissions canister. A substantially cylindrical shell has an open end and a closed end. A spacer plate extends outwardly from the shell. An elastomeric ring is overmolded within the shell at a longitudinal position between the ends. The elastomeric ring has an inner diameter configured to sealingly receive the carbon element. A plurality of vapor apertures are formed in the shell between the spacer plate and the elastomeric ring. A plurality of elastomeric ribs are overmolded by the interior surface within the shell the vapor apertures and the closed end, and are configured to be spaced around the carbon element to suspend the carbon element spaced away from the shell without blocking a gaseous flow from the vapor vents to the carbon element.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 2012Date of Patent: November 11, 2014Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Jhun-Sou Lin, Mark E. Hipp, Christopher M. Kersman, Mark Cobb
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Patent number: 8880321Abstract: Examples of the present invention include air charge estimation models using linear programming support vector regression (LP-SVR). Air model parameters may be updated during operation of a vehicle, allowing the air model performance to be improved in the presence of part-to-part variation and part aging.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2011Date of Patent: November 4, 2014Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., The Regents of the University of MichiganInventors: Jing Sun, Kenneth R. Butts, Jacob Edward Faust