Patents Examined by Noah P. Kamen
  • Patent number: 7104248
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method defining particular exceptional situations in the operation of an HCCI internal combustion engine, whereby an HCCI operation is either suppressed or enforced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Frank Weiss
  • Patent number: 7100564
    Abstract: A variable angle cam-drive engine in which the torque output generated at a given engine speed (as represented by, for example, piston reciprocation frequency) can be varied by changing the operating angle of cam mechanisms in a power conversion mechanism of the engine. A power conversion mechanism, having a plurality of cam mechanisms and a cam-angle mechanism, for use in a variable angle cam-drive engine that can vary the torque output generated at a given engine speed by changing the cam-angle of the plurality of cam mechanisms using the cam-angle mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: Attegro Inc.
    Inventor: Antonio Cannata
  • Patent number: 7100545
    Abstract: A cylinder head for a water-cooled, multi-cylinder piston internal combustion engine comprises a lower wall and an upper wall enclosing a cavity. A well extends into the cavity for receiving a fuel injector and/or an ignition device. An intake port and/or an exhaust port extends through the cavity. A cooling-water carrying region comprises areas of the cavity surrounding the well, intake port, and exhaust port. Portions of the cooling-water carrying region are provided with an intermediate web for reinforcing the cylinder head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: FEV Motorentechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Franz Maassen, Ralf Gruner
  • Patent number: 7096829
    Abstract: A spraying head for the humidification of intake air of a piston engine has a body and channels for supplying a spraying medium from an inlet to nozzles. A shutting/regulating mechanism respectively shuts off/regulates the channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Marioff Corporation OY
    Inventors: Timo Mahlanen, Jan Rönnberg, Aimo Honkanen, Göran Sundholm, Harry Metzger, Maarit Tuomisaari
  • Patent number: 7096831
    Abstract: In a thermostatic valve for a cooling system of an internal combustion engine with an inlet connection, a first outlet connection and a second outlet connection, and first, second and third valve elements for closing and opening the inlet and first and second outlet connections, at least two wax cartridge thermostats are provided for operating the valve elements and at least one of the wax cartridge thermostats is connected to an electric heating element for influencing the operation of the respective wax thermostat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Hansjörg Finkbeiner, Harald Gellner, Telse Hollander
  • Patent number: 7096846
    Abstract: The present invention provides a motorcycle including a front wheel, a rear wheel, a frame supported by the front and rear wheels, a crankcase including a first interface portion and a first passageway exposed to the first interface portion, a reservoir located remotely from the crankcase adapted to contain a lubricant, and a transmission case supported by the frame and including a second interface portion and a second passageway exposed to the second interface portion. The second passageway is in fluid communication with the reservoir. The first interface portion is coupled to the second interface portion. The first passageway is in fluid communication with the second passageway. The first and second passageways provide fluid communication between the reservoir and the crankcase through the first and second interface portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Harley-Davidson Motor Company Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian P. Dondlinger, Robert P. Marino, Sean A. Rusch, Ben M. Lund, John Schanz
  • Patent number: 7093570
    Abstract: A two-stroke internal combustion engine includes at least one gaseous communication charge passage between a crankcase chamber and a combustion chamber of the engine and a piston to open and close the top end of the passage and a rotary valve to open and close the lower end of the transfer passage. The air inlet port to the transfer passage for stratified scavenging is opened and closed by the crank-web that has passages and cutouts. The rotary valve replaces the one-way reed valve used in stratified scavenged and charged two-stroke engines. The air passes from the lower end of transfer passage to the top end and into the crankcase through the piston passage, alternatively air may also pass through the adjacent transfer passage directly or through a passage in the piston into the crankcase. A two-stroke engine also consists of a charge injection system controlled by the crank web eliminating the one-way valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Inventors: Nagesh S Mavinahally, Jay S. Veerathappa
  • Patent number: 7089903
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine including a valve actuating mechanism, a vibration control member made of vibration control alloy is interposed in a path of vibration transmission between a camshaft and a cylinder head. The vibration control alloy has a vibration isolation capability comparable to that of rubber, but provides a durability and a resistance to degradation comparable to those of metal and alloy that are typically used in internal combustion engines. Therefore, a desired vibration control can be achieved while ensuring a required reliability, durability and resistance to degradation. The present invention is particularly useful when the valve actuating mechanism is provided with a variable lift, variable timing or variable compression mechanism because such a variable mechanism increases the stress to the engine, and tends to cause more vibrations than a more conventional non-variable valve actuating mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Noriaki Fujii, Akiyuki Yonekawa, Katsunori Nakamura, Keiko Yoshida, Masaki Nagakura, Tomoya Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 7089892
    Abstract: A straddle seat type vehicle with a two-cycle internal combustion engine with a crankcase fuel injector. The crankcase fuel injector is mounted through a wall of the crankcase and injects fuel in a jet directed at incoming air entering into the crankcase. The engine may also include a transfer passage fuel injector that injects fuel in a jet directed generally transverse to the direction of airflow through the transfer passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: Polaris Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence J. Hosaluk, Darren J. Hedlund, Kevin D. Ness
  • Patent number: 7089901
    Abstract: A resonator comprises a housing arranged in an intake member for defining an opening to communicate with an intake passage and a volume portion to communicate with the opening portion, a movable partition which can change the volume of the volume portion, and a movable cover associated with the movable partition for changing the opening area of the opening portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Kino, Yutaka Ogasawara
  • Patent number: 7089904
    Abstract: A lubricating structure for engines, wherein an oil feed pump and an oil recovery pump are disposed so as to avoid interference between the oil feed and recovery pumps and a clutch mechanism and an increase in the size of the engine. The clutch mechanism 38 is disposed at a location toward a left end of a crankshaft 7 as an output shaft 7a, which is rotatably supported between an upper crankcase 5 and a lower crankcase 6, that is, disposed on a left side of an engine room. A magnet cover 60 is fixed to right side parts of the two crankcases 5, 6. A magnet MG is disposed between the two crankcases 5, 6 and the magnet cover 60 at a location toward a right end 7b of the crankshaft 7. An oil pump FEP for feeding lubricating oil is disposed between the two crankcases 5, 6 and the magnet cover 60, and an oil pump SCP for recovering lubricating oil is disposed between the two crankcases 5, 6 and the magnet cover 60.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Hideshi Morii, Toshio Hayashi, Osamu Sekimoto, Yuji Sonoda
  • Patent number: 7089893
    Abstract: A valve system for a combustion engine that includes at least one combustion chamber is disclosed. The combustion chamber includes an intake port and an exhaust port. The valve system includes cylindrical valve shaft, the cylindrical valve shaft having a cylindrical surface, a central axis along the cylindrical valve shaft and containing at least two recessed areas, the recessed areas being at one hundred eighty degrees to one another along the axis of the valve shaft, the recessed areas extending approximately ninety degrees about the axis and along the cylindrical surface, or about 25 percent of the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Inventor: David Ostling
  • Patent number: 7086371
    Abstract: To reduce the number of parts, improve the mountability and maintainability, and allow for a reduction in the size and weight an engine is provided having a crankshaft, a crankcase having a plurality of bearing portions for rotatably supporting the crankshaft with each of the bearing portions being dividable along a divisional plane arranged on the axis of the crankshaft. Cylinder barrels are connected to the crankcase and include cylinder bores with cylinder heads connected to the cylinder barrels. The cylinder heads are integrated with portions of the cylinder barrels forming at least the cylinder bores to form cylinder blocks. The cylinder blocks and the crankcase are fastened together by a plurality of fastening bolts having axes parallel to the axes of the cylinder bores and extending through at least the cylinder blocks, with a compressive structure in the axial direction of the fastening bolts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Sanada, Shumpei Hasegawa, Minoru Matsuda
  • Patent number: 7086355
    Abstract: Head cooling passages are formed around intake ports and exhaust ports provided in a cylinder head, and a flow control member which controls the volume of cooling medium flowing toward the intake ports to be larger than the volume of cooling medium flowing toward the exhaust ports is provided in the vicinity of a supply port via which cooing medium is supplied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akimasa Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7086356
    Abstract: To simplify a coolant piping around an engine in an engine cooling structure, which has a pump mounted on a crankcase for circulating a coolant between cylinder and head jackets. A crankcase has coolant supply passages for guiding a coolant from a pump and coolant return passages for guiding a coolant delivered out of cylinder jackets. The coolant supply passages and the coolant return passages extend substantially parallel to the axis of a crankshaft. The cylinder jackets and head jackets are formed wherein the coolant supplied from the coolant supply passages returns from the cylinder jackets via the head jackets to the cylinder jackets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Minoru Matsuda
  • Patent number: 7086354
    Abstract: A cooling nozzle assembly includes a mounting plate, a pin body and a nozzle tube. The mounting plate has a pin aperture and a fastener aperture. The pin body has a head portion and a shaft portion. The shaft portion of the pin body has a blind bore that extends from an open first end of the shaft portion to the head portion. The shaft portion of the pin body is fitted into the pin aperture of the plate and affixed to the plate. A hole is cross-drilled in the assembly to intersect the blind bore of the shaft portion of the pin body. The nozzle has an interior passage. The nozzle tube is mounted to the plate and pin body assembly by fitting it into the hole. The interior passage is in fluid communication with the blind bore of the pin body. An engine cylinder block includes a cylinder with a piston assembly disposed therein. A mounting surface is provided in the cylinder block for mounting the cooling nozzle assembly proximal to the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Stephen Leo Dunbar, Paul Michael Wynthein, Larry Linn Kriener, Mark Ashley Sanborn, Mohammed Akbar Qureshi
  • Patent number: 7086384
    Abstract: A vehicle fuel intake system (10) includes an intake manifold (14), an injector pack assembly (18) and an air cleaner assembly (16). The injector pack assembly (18) includes an encapsulated lead frame (36) that provides electrical communication to fuel injectors (26). The intake manifold defines a fuel rail (22) and a cavity (24). Fuel vapors permeating from the fuel rail (22) are trapped in the cavity (24) and channeled back into the air intake passages (20). The air cleaner assembly (16) includes a filter (28) for absorbing fuel vapor emissions from unburned fuel escaping a non-operating engine (12). An actuator (30) moves the filter (28) between an open and closed position. Once the engine begins operation, the actuator (30) opens the filter (28) to allow unrestricted airflow through the intake manifold (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotives Inc.
    Inventors: Ki-Ho Lee, James Kenneth Vanderveen
  • Patent number: 7082897
    Abstract: An electrostatic precipitator has a collector electrode collecting particulate ionized in an electric field created by a high voltage corona discharge electrode pulse energized by a pulsed high voltage power supply. The corona discharge electrode is pulsed between a baseline voltage and a peak pulse voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Fleetguard, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott P. Heckel, Gregory W. Hoverson, Mark J. Johnson
  • Patent number: 7082898
    Abstract: The present invention aims at expanding an operation range for allowing a compression ignition combustion operation. The present invention provides an internal combustion engine of a compression ignition type that is capable of operating with a compression ignition combustion scheme in a given operation range. The ECU of the internal combustion engine detects an operating condition of the internal combustion engine and determines, according to the detected operating condition, which mode is to be used operate the internal combustion engine, a 4-cycle compression ignition mode or a 2-cycle compression ignition mode. The ECU controls the internal compression engine to perform the compression ignition mode determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Tohru Kitamura, Tomio Kimura, Shohei Okazaki, Akira Kato, Toshihiro Yamaki, Katsura Okubo, Moriyoshi Awasaka, Junji Yasuda, Yasuhiro Urata, Takashi Kakinuma, Yoshimasa Kaneko
  • Patent number: 7082918
    Abstract: An oil lubrication and control system, for an engine having cylinder deactivation switching lifters operated at the pressure of the full oil system, is provided with an auxiliary pressure relief valve which opens to control maximum oil pressure in the system whenever the engine speed and temperature conditions lie beyond the ability of the oil pump pressure control unit to maintain the maximum pressure limit. Addition of the auxiliary pressure relief valve allows extended operation of the switching lifters, which are limited by their construction to operation below a prescribed pressure limit. In a preferred embodiment, the auxiliary pressure relief valve is mounted in the engine crankcase in a bore connected directly with the main oil gallery to provide mounting and actuation of the auxiliary pressure relief valve with a minimum of modifications to the engine oil system design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Frederick J. Rozario, William C. Albertson, James B. Hicks