Patents Examined by Phutthiwat Wongwian
  • Patent number: 11773804
    Abstract: An engine controlling method is provided, which includes, during motoring of the engine, outputting, by an in-cylinder pressure sensor, to a controller a signal indicative of a reference pressure corresponding to a pressure change after an intake valve of a cylinder of the engine is closed when not performing fuel injection, and then injecting, by an injector, fuel for analysis into the cylinder at a specific timing after the intake valve is closed. The method includes, by the controller, acquiring a crank angle period from the intake valve close timing, through the fuel injection, to a timing of the in-cylinder pressure reaching the reference pressure based on signals from the in-cylinder pressure sensor and a crank angle sensor, and determining a property of the injected fuel by comparing the acquired crank angle period with that of a standard fuel based on stored information on a property of the standard fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Nou, Fumihiko Saito
  • Patent number: 11767928
    Abstract: A solenoid valve having an explosion-proof structure, a fuel feeding system, and a method of manufacturing the solenoid valve having an explosion-proof structure are provided. The solenoid valve having an explosion-proof structure includes: a body including a channel through which a fluid flows; a housing connected to the body and having one surface opened; a solenoid assembly arranged inside the housing and electrically connected to a controller; an armature, at least a portion of which is arranged in the channel and which opens or closes the channel by moving relative to the solenoid assembly by a magnetic field generated by the solenoid assembly; and a cover plate arranged on the one surface of the housing to face the armature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignees: HANWHA AEROSPACE CO., LTD., LUMIR INC.
    Inventors: Young Wan Kim, Joon Won Lee, Myeong Ryong Nam, Min Seock Kim
  • Patent number: 11761415
    Abstract: An ignition coil unit includes: an ignition circuit including a primary coil and a secondary coil; a power generator including a generator coil; a controller configured to control an ignition timing of the ignition circuit by an input signal generated by an induced voltage of the generator coil; and a sensor configured to input load information to the controller. The controller includes a memory configured to store working time information which corresponds to operating information based on the input information and the load information, as matrix data composed of the operating information, the load information and time data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignees: OPPAMA INDUSTRY CO., LTD., YAMABIKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takuo Yoshizaki, Atsushi Hoshino, Yuichi Tsuyuki, Kousuke Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11754030
    Abstract: Methods and systems are described for optimizing engine restarts. In one aspect, the system includes an engine, a brake pedal sensor, and a controller. The controller is configured to shut off the engine when a vehicle stops during an Idle Stop and Go (ISG) operation. The controller operates the engine to shut off during the ISG operation in response to detecting the vehicle being stopped. The controller detects a driving condition indicating that the engine is required to be on. The controller operates the engine to turn on based on the driving condition. The controller detects force satisfying a second threshold at the brake pedal based on the brake pedal sensor. The controller operates the engine to maintain an engine-off state in response to detecting force satisfying the second threshold at the brake pedal based on the brake pedal sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventors: Jason Hoon Lee, Jinho Ha, Justin Holmer, Yong Sun
  • Patent number: 11754029
    Abstract: A recoil starter includes: a starter case provided with a reel support shaft; and a ratchet guide rotatably attached to the reel support shaft in a state in which a frictional resistance is applied. The ratchet guide includes: a through hole into which the reel support shaft is insertable; and a locking portion configured to be engaged with the reel support shaft on an inner periphery of the through hole. A movement of the ratchet guide in an axial direction of the reel support shaft is restricted in a state in which the locking portion is engaged with the reel support shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: STARTING INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Horikoshi, Shigemitsu Chigira, Hideki Hashiba
  • Patent number: 11746717
    Abstract: A first arrival flow rate that is a flow rate of evaporative fuel gas that has arrived in a throttle downstream portion located downstream of a throttle valve in an intake pipe via a second purge passage after passing through a purge control valve is estimated based on a valve passage flow rate that is a flow rate of evaporative fuel gas that has passed through the purge control valve, and a first response delay in the flow of evaporative fuel gas through a route extending from the purge control valve to the throttle downstream portion via the second purge passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masanao Idogawa, Takahiro Uchida, Masahiro Kachi, Reiko Goh, Hirokatsu Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11732624
    Abstract: Provided is a device that uses a high-temperature exhaust gas released from an internal combustion engine to produce a fuel. The present invention relates to the fuel production device including the internal combustion engine, an electrolysis device connected to the internal combustion engine, and a hydrogenation reactor connected to the electrolysis device, wherein the electrolysis device is a device for decomposing high-temperature water vapor contained in the exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine into hydrogen and oxygen, and the hydrogenation reactor is a device for converting the hydrogen resulting from the decomposition to the fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Hasegawa, Yuzo Shirakawa, Hiroto Naito, Takao Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 11725619
    Abstract: An alignment system includes an optical sensor device that may be inserted into a passage of a body that is located between a fuel injector and a combustion chamber of an engine cylinder. The body is shaped to transmit fuel ejected from a spray hole in a fuel injector into the combustion chamber of the engine cylinder. The system also includes a controller that may examine output of the optical sensor device and determine whether the passage of the body is aligned with the spray hole of the fuel injector based on the output from the optical sensor device. The controller may change a position of one or more of the body or the fuel injector responsive to determining that the passage of the body is not aligned with the spray hole of the fuel injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: TRANSPORTATION IP HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventors: Jay Richerson, Adam Edgar Klingbeil, Eric Dillen, Kevin Bailey, Kent Jeffries, Brett Heher, Manuel Licon Flores
  • Patent number: 11712959
    Abstract: A system for controlling a lock-up of engine clutch may include an engine and a motor; the engine clutch mounted between the engine and the motor and configured to selectively transmit power of the engine between the engine and the motor; a hybrid starter generator (HSG) connected to a crank pulley of the engine and driven to start the engine; and a controller connected to the HSG and configured to determine a virtual engine speed in an engine firing process and a torque reduction ratio of the HSG according to the virtual engine speed after an engine cranking process and determine a correction reduction ratio with respect to the torque reduction ratio of the HSG using a difference value between the virtual engine speed and an actual engine speed, and adjust an increase or a decrease of the torque reduction ratio of the HSG to synchronize an engine speed with a motor speed for the lock-up of the engine clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Hong Chul Shin
  • Patent number: 11679683
    Abstract: A method for implementing virtual internal combustion engine vibration in an electric vehicle includes collecting operation variable information for determining a torque instruction and implementing the virtual internal combustion engine vibration, determining a virtual internal combustion engine vibration characteristic based on the collected operation variable information, determining a vibration torque instruction having the determined virtual internal combustion engine vibration characteristic, correcting the vibration torque instruction by correcting the determined virtual internal combustion engine vibration characteristic of the vibration torque instruction and/or a value of the vibration torque instruction, based on a basic motor torque instruction determined by the collected operation variable information and preset backlash occurring area information, determining a final motor torque instruction using the basic motor torque instruction and the corrected vibration torque instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Ji Won Oh, Dong Chul Park, Jeong Soo Eo, Tae Kun Yun
  • Patent number: 11661872
    Abstract: An exhaust purification system may include at least one catalyst in an exhaust flow path of an internal combustion engine to decrease gaseous pollutants from an exhaust gas, a first particulate filter downstream of the catalyst, and a second particulate filter with a porosity lower and a lower mean pore size than the first particulate filter and in a bypass flow line downstream of the first particulate filter, the bypass flow line being configured to open and close based on at least one condition of the exhaust purification system or conditions of the exhaust gas. The second particulate filter may be configured to be removed and replaced when full. A method of purifying an exhaust gas through the exhaust purification system is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Emmanuel Laigle, Christophe Chaillou, Caroline Norsic, André Nicolle
  • Patent number: 11649787
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for diagnosing a heating element coupled to a canister of an evaporative emissions control (EVAP) system. In one example, a method (or system) may include evacuating the canister at different temperature conditions, and diagnosing the heating element based on the different times taken to evacuate the canister at the different temperature conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Aed Dudar
  • Patent number: 11643956
    Abstract: A method for determining a reference value of a presence of at least one substance (NOx) occurring in an exhaust gas stream of an internal combustion engine (101), wherein the at least one substance is subjected to exhaust treatment, the exhaust treatment being carried out in dependence on the reference value (Emref; Emref,1; Emref,2) When the internal combustion engine (101) is started: accumulating the occurrence (EmACC,1; EmACC,2) of the at least one substance (NOx) downstream from the exhaust treatment during a first period, and determining whether to redetermine the reference value (Emref; Emref,1; Emref,2) based on the accumulated occurrence (EmACC,1; EmACC,2) of the at least one substance (NOx).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Scania CV AB
    Inventor: Martin Lindell
  • Patent number: 11639679
    Abstract: Disclosed is a process for the dynamic monitoring of the flow rate of liquid additive consumed by a liquid-additive injector of an exhaust gas treatment system of a motor vehicle. The measurement of the pressure of the liquid makes it possible firstly to deduce the flow rate circulating through the orifice and secondly, by knowing the operating characteristic of the pump, to determine the flow rate of liquid additive actually delivered to the system for treating polluting gases. The process also provides a phase of characterizing the pump, including commanding the closure of the injector, measuring at least two pressure values for two different operating speeds of the pump, and updating the pump operating characteristics table on the basis of the pressure values measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: ACTBLUE EUROPE S.A R.L.
    Inventor: Georges Maguin
  • Patent number: 11635052
    Abstract: An electro-pneumatic starter for use with a natural gas powered, reciprocating internal combustion engine in oil and gas industrial applications, and a method of starting an internal combustion engine, are provided. A novel combination of an electric motor and a pneumatically actuated transmission are provided for the innovation as claimed, wherein power is translated from an output shaft and motor gear, through a transmission gear and transmission shaft, and to an output gear mated with a ring gear of a host engine, the transmission shaft being extendable by means of a pneumatically controlled piston. When the transmission shaft is extended it is in the engaged position, capable of providing torque to the ring gear of the host engine; when retracted, the same is disengaged from the host engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Inventor: Charles DiPasquale, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11635348
    Abstract: A method for detecting damage to a bearing of an engine using a knocking sensor includes a data storing step, which stores a vibration signal output from the knocking sensor in a data storing unit, a by-frequency amplitude calculating step, which performs Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) for the vibration signal and calculates an amplitude for each frequency, a detection frequency integrating step, which obtains a detection frequency integration value by adding all amplitudes of detection frequencies, a noise determining step, which determines whether the vibration signal is the vibration signal irrelevant to damage to the bearing by determining whether exclusion frequencies correspond to a preset condition, a counter increasing step, which increases a damage counter, when the detection frequency integration value is greater than a preset damage threshold, and a damage confirming step, which confirms damage to the bearing, when the damage counter equals or exceeds a preset confirmation counter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventors: Jung-Suk Han, Chang-Jin Oh
  • Patent number: 11629672
    Abstract: A gas-leak-detection device for detecting a gas leakage from an evaporative emission system includes an electric-wire-connection portion and a passage connection portion that are disposed to overlap with at least one of appearance components in a vehicle when the vehicle is seen in a viewing direction, and are disposed closer to the at least one appearance component than a center plane perpendicular to the viewing direction when the vehicle is in an upright state, the center plane being one of an imaginary-lateral-center plane that is an imaginary vertical plane perpendicular to the left-right direction, an imaginary-longitudinal-center plane that is an imaginary vertical plane including a center in the front-rear direction and being perpendicular to the front-rear direction, or an imaginary-vertical-center plane that is an imaginary horizontal plane including a center in the top-bottom direction and being perpendicular to the top-bottom direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsuya Hidai, Hisatoshi Kinoshita, Kazuteru Iwamoto, Atsushi Hirano, Tatsuya Kasahara
  • Patent number: 11629623
    Abstract: An exhaust gas treatment system includes an exhaust gas pathway configured to receive exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine. The exhaust gas treatment system further includes a treatment element configured to reduce an emissions component of the exhaust gas, and a sample collector positioned within the exhaust gas pathway downstream of the treatment element. The sample collector includes a plurality of inlet openings spaced about a periphery of the exhaust gas pathway and configured to receive a sample of exhaust gas from the exhaust gas pathway, and an outlet in fluid communication with the plurality of inlet openings. A sensor located at the outlet of the sample collector is configured to measure a characteristic of the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Craig W. Lohmann, Austin G. Richardson
  • Patent number: 11623627
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a powertrain and a controller. The powertrain has an engine and an electric machine that are each configured to generate power within the powertrain to propel the vehicle. The controller is programmed to, generate a powertrain power output profile required to propel the vehicle over a predetermined route based on navigation data. The controller is further programmed to, in response to the electric machine operating to propel the vehicle over the predetermined route while the engine is shutdown and an upcoming increase in the powertrain power output profile to a value that is greater than a threshold, initiate an engine start at a predetermined time period before the upcoming increase in the powertrain power output profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Walter Joseph Ortmann, Naginder Gogna
  • Patent number: 11619195
    Abstract: Disclosed is a device for evaporating vapors of a fuel stored in a motor vehicle tank. The evaporation device includes a bypass circuit and a bypass valve configured to move between a so-called “absorption” position, in which the bypass valve allows the gases to flow between the tank and an absorbent filter and a so-called “leak detection” position, in which the bypass valve allows the gases to flow between a purge circuit and the tank via the bypass circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignees: VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventor: Thierry Collet