Patents Examined by Noah Kamen
  • Patent number: 8967110
    Abstract: An engine front cover assembly includes a plastic engine cover. A metal insert is secured within the plastic engine cover and defines a bore configured to receive a rotating engine component. A seal is located in a seal seat defined within the bore of the metal insert and configured to sealingly engage the rotating engine component. The metal insert is overmolded within the plastic engine cover and serves as a datum point to properly locate the seal relative to the rotating engine component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Charles K. Buehler, David R. Staley, Thomas A. Spix
  • Patent number: 8967111
    Abstract: An oil collection and forced lubrication structure of a model engine has an oil-collecting groove provided at a circumferential wall of a passageway of a crankshaft body. The oil-collecting groove is disposed with a lubrication hole extending to pass through a projecting shaft of the crankshaft body. Thus, when oil gas gets into the passageway of the crankshaft body, the oil gas will be cast by the centrifugal force produced by rotation of the crankshaft body and attached on the circumferential wall of the passageway to be collected and pre-stored in the oil-collecting groove. Then, the oil gas will be cast to the outer circumference of the projecting shaft via the lubrication hole to produce forced lubrication effect between the projecting shaft and a piston rod, thus enhancing lubrication effect, enabling the crankshaft to rotate smoothly and elevating engine efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Golden Lion Enterprise Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Lien-Sheng Chang
  • Patent number: 8967128
    Abstract: An air induction system for an engine includes an air filter box configured to receive an air filter that separates the air filter box into an atmosphere side and a filtered air side, a clean-air duct coupled downstream from the air filter box and upstream of the engine relative to a direction of air flow during engine operation, a flow-through hydrocarbon trap positioned within the clean-air duct, and a bypass hydrocarbon trap secured within the air filter box on the filtered air side, the hydrocarbon trap having a plurality of generally flat or coiled layers of hydrocarbon adsorbing material sandwiched together and secured one to another. Mechanical fasteners such as grommets may extend through the plurality of layers to secure the layers together. The fasteners may be secured to ribs extending along an upper surface of the air filter box or an interior surface of the clean-air duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Andrew George Bellis
  • Patent number: 8960138
    Abstract: A dual-crankshaft engine is presented. In one embodiment, the engine includes a first crankshaft and a second crankshaft. The second crankshaft is coupled with the first crankshaft such that the first crankshaft and the second crankshaft are horizontally coplanar. The engine further includes a first piston that is operable to reciprocate in a first horizontal cylinder via coupling with the first crankshaft, and a second piston that is operable to reciprocate in a second horizontal cylinder via coupling with the second crankshaft. The second horizontal cylinder is horizontally collinear with and opposing the first horizontal cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas G. Leone, Alvin Henry Berger
  • Patent number: 8960149
    Abstract: A two-cycle engine having a structure in which the shaft center Ccy of the cylinder 3 is offset onto the exhaust port 32 side with respect to the rotational center Ccr of the crankshaft 4, and the offset amount S of the shaft center Ccy with respect to the rotational center Ccr is set greater than 1 mm and less than 6 mm. Furthermore, in this case, the center of gravity of the counterweight 42 of the crankshaft 4 is shifted onto the rear side in the rotational direction with respect to the line passing the rotational center Ccr of the crankshaft 4 and the center Ccp of the crank pin 41.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Husqvarna Zenoah Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Yuu Sugishita, Mikio Suzuki, Syouta Takeshima
  • Patent number: 8960148
    Abstract: A heat transferring engine valve for an internal combustion engine to increase the combustion efficiency and fuel economy of the engine. The heat transferring valve includes a valve head and a heat transferring member situated at the combustion surface of the valve head and extending toward the combustion chamber. The heat transferring member absorbs heat of combustion during the power stroke of an engine cycle and releases the heat into the combustion chamber during the compression stroke of a succeeding engine cycle, thereby raising the temperature of fuel at the start of combustion. A method for increasing the efficiency of combustion in an internal combustion engine by incorporating at least one heat transferring valve into the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Inventor: George McGinnis
  • Patent number: 8960136
    Abstract: An air flow apparatus and method are provided. The apparatus includes a shroud having a first end for connection to a cooling package, and a second end for connection to a fan ring. The fan ring of the apparatus is configured to mount directly to an engine block and surround a fan of the engine block. The apparatus also includes a duct positioned below the shroud and fan ring. The duct has a first opening that opens to an engine compartment, and a second opening that opens to ambient. A flow path extends between the first and second openings and is arranged to route heated air in proximity to the shroud and fan ring to ambient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Spartan Motors, Inc.
    Inventors: Britt D. Mott, Chad A. McCoige
  • Patent number: 8960134
    Abstract: A cooling system for an engine having a plurality of piston cylinders. The cooling system can include a liquid coolant source having liquid coolant and a cylinder cooling passage network having an inlet and an outlet for receiving and transmitting the liquid coolant. The cylinder cooling passage network having a plurality of individual upstream fluidic passages each being fluidly coupled to the inlet to directly receive the liquid coolant from the liquid coolant source in parallel flow. The cylinder cooling passage network further having a plurality of cylinder jacket passages each extending about at least a portion of a corresponding one of the plurality of piston cylinders and being positioned immediately adjacent thereto. The cylinder jacket passages are fluidly coupled directly to a corresponding one of the plurality of individual upstream fluidic passages to receive the liquid coolant and transmit the liquid coolant to the outlet for improved cooling performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Akram R. Zahdeh, Dan L. Alden, Colin Blacklock Bosman, Robert S. McAlpine
  • Patent number: 8960684
    Abstract: A motorcycle includes a cylinder body, a cylinder head disposed above the cylinder body, and a plurality of dowel pins configured to position the cylinder body and the cylinder head. The cylinder body includes a plurality of cylinders and a plurality of bolt insertion holes. The cylinder head includes first and second passages configured to flow oil or air therethrough. The cylinder body includes a first communication port in communication with the first passage and a second communication port in communication with the second passage. The first communication port is disposed in a front left region, and the second communication port is disposed in a rear right region. The plurality of dowel pins consist of a first dowel pin fitted into the first communication port and the first passage and a second dowel pin fitted into the second communication port and the second passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuji Isechi, Jyouji Sawaoka
  • Patent number: 8955484
    Abstract: An air intake control valve includes a body extending to divide an inner portion of a surge tank of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine into two portions, the body serving as a divided surface to divide the inner portion of the surge tank into the two portions, a valve element operated to rotate for opening and closing a fluid passage formed at the body, and a seal member sealing between a sealed surface of the surge tank and an outer periphery of the body, the seal member including a seal portion constituted by two contact portions that make contact with the sealed surface in a state where the two contact portions extend in directions opposite from each other relative to the divided surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masato Ishii, Yusuke Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8955471
    Abstract: A mechanical coolant pump for an internal combustion engine includes an outlet channel comprising an outlet valve and an outlet channel wall with a passing slit. An impeller is configured to pump a coolant into the outlet channel. The outlet valve comprises a shiftable flat valve plate configured to be shiftable in a transversal plane of the outlet channel through the passing slit of the outlet channel wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Pierburg Pump Technology GmbH
    Inventors: Gilles Simon, Arnaud Fournier
  • Patent number: 8955474
    Abstract: A system and method of reducing soot and/or improving the efficiency of a motor. The system and method regulates the supply of cooling oil to a cooling section of a cylinder based upon observed parameters. These parameters can include such things as engine temperature, load, rpm etc. The control can be provided by using a look up table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Inventors: Patrick J. Derbin, Michael J. Holihan
  • Patent number: 8955468
    Abstract: Method of operating a compression ignition engine on ether containing fuel obtained by on board conversion of an alcohol containing primary fuel and a system for use in the method. The ether containing fuel is prepared by dehydration of liquid alcohol containing fuel in present of a dehydration catalyst arranged in a radial flow reactor within a fuel accumulation chamber in a common rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Haldor Topsoe A/S
    Inventors: Christophe Duwig, Jesper Norsk, Ton V.W. Janssens, Pär L. Gabrielsson
  • Patent number: 8955470
    Abstract: Provided is a gas-liquid mixing nozzle (10) including an internal air discharge path (A), an external air discharge path (D), at least one liquid introduction path (B, C) which is disposed between the internal air discharge path (A) and the external air discharge path (D) and introduces a liquid having water and/or fuel as a main component into a nozzle discharge opening (18), and an impact member (22) with which a mixture of the air and the liquid mixed with each other in the outlets of the internal air discharge path (A) and the liquid introduction path (B, C) collides, the outlet of the internal air discharge path (A) and the outlet of the liquid introduction path (B, C) being disposed on the inside of a nozzle in relation to the nozzle discharge opening (18), and the impact member (22) being disposed between, the outlets of the internal air discharge path (A) and the liquid introduction path (B, C) and the nozzle discharge opening (18).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Lead Industry Company Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasushi Kudoh
  • Patent number: 8955473
    Abstract: A method for operating an engine having a cylinder head, comprising: following light-off of an exhaust catalyst from a cold-start condition, circulating liquid coolant through a cooling jacket of the cylinder head, and at a subsequent engine-off condition, draining at least some of the liquid coolant from the cooling jacket. In this way, at a cold start condition, the cooling jacket of the cylinder head may be filled with air, thus decreasing the amount of time needed for the exhaust catalyst to reach a light-off temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Xiaogang Zhang
  • Patent number: 8950374
    Abstract: Rib configurations for increasing the structural efficiency of a cylinder head, which relates to a peak combustion pressure capability of the cylinder head. In addition to increasing peak combustion pressure, the rib configurations may also improve sealing of the cylinder head and may improve the durability of an associated cylinder head gasket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Cummins Intellectual Property, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Jones, Vipin Prabhakaran, David M. Barnes
  • Patent number: 8950368
    Abstract: In a reciprocating internal combustion engine operating on a two-stroke cycle, the power stroke is followed by an abbreviated exhaust phase which ends with a portion of the exhaust products retained for recirculation, then by an abbreviated intake phase wherein pressurized new air is introduced, then by an abbreviated compression phase which completes the cycle. Fuel injection and ignition then initiate the next power stroke. Intake and exhaust take place through cylinder-head valves. The combination of a full expansion stroke with an abbreviated compression phase can offer efficiency superior to that of existing engines. Due to flexibility in the amount of pressurized air that can be introduced during intake, and because of the recirculation of relatively large amounts of exhaust gas, cylinder temperatures can be reduced, as can the emission of undesirable exhaust products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Inventor: John Allan Strother
  • Patent number: 8944022
    Abstract: In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, an assembly for an internal combustion engine includes a crankshaft, a drive mechanism coupled to the crankshaft and an oil pump actuated by the drive mechanism. The engine also includes a vacuum pump actuated by the drive mechanism, wherein the drive mechanism, oil pump and vacuum pump are disposed in an oil pan and a housing disposed between the oil pump and vacuum pump configured to enclose at least a portion the drive mechanism and restrict a flow of oil from the oil pan into the housing to reduce aeration of the oil during operation of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Michael B. Fleck
  • Patent number: 8944018
    Abstract: A cooling apparatus for an integrated exhaust manifold includes: a first cooling jacket configured to surround a portion of an exhaust manifold; and a second cooling jacket configured to surround another portion of the exhaust manifold. The first cooling jacket includes a first portion sitting atop the second cooling jacket and a second portion adjacent the second cooling jacket and positioned lower than the first portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jody Michael Slike, Paul Thomas Reinhart, Timothy Gerald Taylor, Todd Jay Brewer
  • Patent number: 8939124
    Abstract: A balancing shaft may have at least one unbalance portion and at least one bearing point, wherein the at least one unbalance portion is associated with the at least one bearing point. The balancing shaft on the bearing point may define a transverse opening which separates a first part bearing surface from a second part bearing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Mahle International GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Bergmann, Berthold Repgen, Markus Walch