Patents Examined by Stephen K. Cronin
  • Patent number: 10060985
    Abstract: A system includes an ultra-capacitor and battery system comprising a battery, an ultra-capacitor, a DC-DC converter, a first temperature sensor to sense a battery temperature, a second temperature sensor to sense an ultra-capacitor temperature and a third temperature sensor to sense a DC-DC converter temperature. An auto stop/start module is configured to selectively stop and restart an engine of a vehicle while an ignition system is ON based on operating parameters. A temperature sensing module communicates with the auto stop/start module and is configured to determine differences between temperatures sensed by the first sensor, the second sensor and the third sensor and to selectively disable the auto stop/start module based on the differences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: John W. Siekkinen, Daniel W. Jecks, Junhong Dai
  • Patent number: 10056738
    Abstract: A corona comprises a central electrode surrounded by an insulator, which is surrounded by a conductive component. The conductive component includes a shell and an intermediate part both formed of an electrically conductive material. The intermediate part is a layer of metal which brazes the insulator to the shell. An outer surface of the insulator presents a lower ledge, and the layer of metal can be applied to the insulator above the lower ledge prior to or after inserting the insulator into the shell. The conductive inner diameter is less than an insulator outer diameter directly below the lower ledge such the insulator thickness increases toward the electrode firing end. The insulator outer diameter is also typically less than the shell inner diameter so that the corona igniter can be forward-assembled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Federal-Mogul LLC
    Inventors: John Antony Burrows, John E. Miller, Kristapher I. Mixell, James D. Lykowski
  • Patent number: 10054101
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for determining a type of spark plug fouling. In one example, a method may include differentiating spark plug fouling due to soot accumulation from spark plug fouling due to fuel additive accumulation based on a current on a control wire of the spark plug following application of a dwell command. Further, exhaust oxygen sensor degradation and/or exhaust catalyst degradation may be determined based on switching frequencies of one or more exhaust oxygen sensors and the type of spark plug fouling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Chris Paul Glugla, Garlan J. Huberts, Nelson William Morrow, Qiuping Qu
  • Patent number: 10047693
    Abstract: A fuel injection control device controls fuel injection of a spark-ignition internal combustion engine for direct injection into a cylinder and independently controls circulation of a coolant in a head-side cooling channel and in a block-side cooling channel. The fuel injection control device is provided with a controller that sets a fuel injection timing for cooling the inside of the cylinder such that an intake valve closing timing occurs during a reduction in gas temperature inside the cylinder due to evaporative latent heat of the injected fuel, while the coolant circulates in the head-side cooling channel and the circulation of the coolant in the block-side cooling channel is stopped. The controller injects the fuel based on the fuel injection timing for cooling the inside of the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Imaoka, Takao Inoue
  • Patent number: 10030599
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus is provided that can maintain an automatic engine stop function when an abnormality occurs in a preceding vehicle following control function. The vehicle control apparatus includes a first control unit configured to include a preceding vehicle following control function to control vehicle speed, based on a traveling state of a preceding vehicle, and to output a prohibition request to an automatic engine stop function; and a second control unit configured to include the automatic engine stop function, and to maintain the automatic engine stop function, contrary to the prohibition request output from the first control unit, when an abnormality occurs in the preceding vehicle following control function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenichi Ishii, Hiroto Miura
  • Patent number: 10030618
    Abstract: An exhaust recirculation valve includes: a valve housing including an exhaust gas path; a valve element provided to the exhaust gas path and configured to open and close the exhaust gas path; and a stem connected to the valve element and movable in an axial direction, in which the valve housing includes: an inlet from which fluid is supplied from the outside; a recess configured to flow the fluid flowed from the inlet toward the stem; and a throttle in a form of an opening extending from the inlet and oriented toward the stem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiro Miki, Hideyuki Seiyama, Masashi Karasawa
  • Patent number: 10024282
    Abstract: A fuel supply device includes a fuel pump and a filter case that houses a fuel filter, a fuel pumped by the fuel pump from inside a fuel tank is filtered by the fuel filter and supplied from inside the filter case toward an internal combustion engine, and the filter case includes a case body having a closed bottom shape that forms a housing chamber of the fuel filter, a case cap that covers an aperture of the case body by being joined to the case body, and a residual pressure retention valve that, when the fuel pump is stopped, retains a pressure of the fuel supplied from inside the filter case toward the internal combustion engine, the residual pressure retention valve being disposed at a joint boundary of the case body and the case cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, KYOSAN DENKI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka Niwa, Hideto Takahashi, Tetsuro Okazono, Hironobu Oki, Akinari Sugiyama, Akihiro Ishitoya
  • Patent number: 10018423
    Abstract: A heat exchanger for cooling particulate matter from a high-temperature industrial process or warming material from a cryogenic process is disclosed. The heat exchanger comprises a structure comprising a rectangular frame, piping that is supported by the rectangular frame and completes at least one circumference around the rectangular frame, and a fan. The piping is supported to the frame on a series of moving supports. The piping comprises an inlet end and an outlet end, and the piping contains external cooling fins. The structure is sealed except for where the finned piping is located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Johnson Matthey Public Limited Company
    Inventors: Martin Evans, Charles Radcliffe
  • Patent number: 10012178
    Abstract: An injector, in particular a blow-in injector for gaseous fuel, including a first sealing element and a second sealing element, and in the closed state of the injector a first sealing region is configured between the first and second sealing element, at least one of the sealing elements having an elastic deformation region, the elastic deformation region being set apart from the sealing region between the first and second sealing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Dietmar Schmieder, Martin Mueller, Sven Krissler, Olaf Schoenrock, Hagen Kuckert, Andreas Vogt
  • Patent number: 10001092
    Abstract: An air cleaner mounted on a motorcycle for purifying an engine intake air includes a lower casing forming a cleaner main body, a covering for covering an upward region of the lower casing, a cleaner element disposed inside the lower casing and positioned below a mating interface between the lower casing and the covering, and a partition wall formed in the lower casing for supporting the cleaner element and forming a part of a wall of a clean chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akira Soeda, Yota Katsukawa, Yoshitaka Awazu, Satoshi Matsumoto, Kenta Matsubara
  • Patent number: 9995231
    Abstract: A method for controlling a cold starting of a diesel engine vehicle may include determining whether a cold starting condition is satisfied by detecting data for controlling a diesel engine, determining torque generated by combustion for starting the diesel engine when the cold starting condition is satisfied, determining a combustion delay and a combustion phase based on the torque and detected data, determining a main injection timing according to the determined combustion delay and combustion phase, determining a latent heat of fuel based on the torque and detected data, determining a pilot injection amount according to the determined latent heat of fuel, determining a total amount of heat by combustion based on the torque and detected data, determining a main injection amount according to the determined total amount of heat, and controlling an operation of an injector based on the main injection timing, pilot injection amount and main injection amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Hyungmin Kim, Kyoungchan Han
  • Patent number: 9995243
    Abstract: An engine cover for covering an engine including: a cover body configured to cover the engine from above; and at least one fixing part projecting from the cover body toward an engine side and being configured to be attached to the engine side, wherein the cover body and the fixing part are integrally formed of an urethane foam, and the fixing part has an infirm portion formed at a periphery thereof so that the fixing part is configured to be deformed toward a specific direction due to the infirm portion upon input of a load to the cover body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignees: SUMITOMO RIKO COMPANY LIMITED, TOKAI CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kondo, Kimio Ishii
  • Patent number: 9995226
    Abstract: A control device causes the engine to start with a throttle valve being set to a first throttle position when required power required in an engine is smaller than a first threshold value and a detected fuel pressure detected by a low-pressure fuel sensor is lower than a second threshold value. The control device causes the engine to start with the throttle valve being set to a position larger than the first throttle position when the required power is smaller than the first threshold value and the detected fuel pressure is higher than the second threshold value. With this structure, a control device for a vehicle can be provided which allows intermittent operation of the engine with reduced variation in air-fuel ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9989028
    Abstract: A pressure limiting valve for a fuel injection system may include a sleeve, a fixing pin, a spring, a sealing element, and a seat. The sleeve may have a longitudinal axis. The fixing pin protruding through a cavity enclosed by the sleeve. The spring may have a first end supported on the sleeve and a second end supported by the sealing element. The seat may provide a sealing surface for the sealing element to block a fluid flow through the valve when closed position, and allow this flow to pass in other positions. The outer circumference of the sleeve may vary within predefined tolerances along the longitudinal axis. The fixing pin may be shaped to plastically deform by a movement of the fixing pin along the longitudinal axis, in order to press the sleeve into the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Ulf Steinert, Hans-Joerg Koch
  • Patent number: 9989022
    Abstract: A fuel system includes a low-pressure fuel delivery unit; a high-pressure fuel delivery unit which has a drive region and a delivery region such that the drive region supplies fuel to the delivery region and such that the delivery region supplies fuel to a high-pressure fuel injector; a low-pressure fuel supply passage which supplies fuel from the low-pressure fuel delivery unit to the drive region of the high-pressure fuel delivery unit; a cooling passage which receives fuel from the drive region of the high-pressure fuel delivery unit; and a low-pressure fuel injector supply passage which is in direct fluid communication with the low-pressure fuel supply passage and which supplies fuel to a low-pressure fuel injector from the cooling passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: DELPHI TECHNOLOGIES IP LIMITED
    Inventors: Joseph G. Spakowski, Timothy D. Spegar
  • Patent number: 9988988
    Abstract: A slider control module, based on a mode command: selectively extends pins into one or more slider actuators of a camshaft slider. Contact between the pins and the grooves in the slider actuator(s) during rotation of a camshaft slides the camshaft slider axially along the intake camshaft. An actual mode module: determines a last stored indicator of the mode command; commands the slider control module to extend one of the pins to slide the camshaft slider and achieve the last stored indicator of the mode command; and, based on whether the one of the pins extended in response to the command, indicates that an actual mode is either: (i) the last stored indicator of the mode command; or (ii) another mode. The mode command module updates the mode command to the actual mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: David N. Hayden, Kevin Andrew Gady
  • Patent number: 9982616
    Abstract: A fuel injection controller includes an increase control portion applying the boost voltage to the coil to increase a coil current to a first target value, and a constant current control portion applying a voltage to the coil to hold the coil current to a second target value. A threshold is an energization time period that is necessary to reach a boundary point between a seat throttle area of a property line and an injection-port throttle area of the property line from an energization start time point. An initial-current applied time period is from the energization start time point that the boost voltage starts to be applied to the coil to a time point that the coil current is decreased to the second target value. The increase control portion controls the coil current such that the initial-current applied time period is less than the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Keita Imai
  • Patent number: 9976451
    Abstract: There is provided an internal combustion engine, provided with a crankshaft and one or several cylinders provided on the wall thereof with exhaust ports and closed at the top by a cylinder head provided with intake ports; each cylinder accommodating an engine piston connected to the crankshaft and a coaxial auxiliary piston opposite the engine piston, defining an intake chamber and a combustion chamber; said auxiliary piston axially determining on the side of the combustion chamber a housing that communicates with the intake chamber via transfer ports, the housing of which includes a secondary piston which opens and closes the transfer ports in a back-and-forth movement between a rear position and a forward position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Inventor: Benoit Laurent Philippe
  • Patent number: 9970408
    Abstract: A corona igniter (20) comprises a central electrode (22) surrounded by an insulator (26), which is surrounded by a conductive component. The conductive component includes a shell (34) and an intermediate part (36) both formed of an electrically conductive material. An outer surface (50) of the insulator (26) presents a lower ledge (52), and the intermediate part (36) is typically attached to the insulator (26) above the lower ledge (52) prior to inserting the insulator (26) into the shell (34). The conductive inner diameter (Dg) is less than an insulator outer diameter (Dio) directly below the lower ledge (52) such the insulator thickness (ti) increases toward the electrode firing end (40). The corona igniter (20) can be reversed-assembled by inserting an upper end (42) of the insulator into a firing end (56) of the shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Federal-Mogul LLC
    Inventors: John Antony Burrows, John E. Miller, Kristapher I. Mixell, James D. Lykowski
  • Patent number: 9964030
    Abstract: A system including a combustion engine is disclosed. The combustion engine includes a first cylinder orientated along a first axis. The combustion engine also includes a first piston, fitted within the first cylinder, to move in reciprocating motion by alternately moving in a first linear direction along the first axis responsive to a first power stroke or a second linear direction along the first axis responsive to a second power stroke. The combustion engine includes a tensile band affixed to a first end and a second end of the first piston. The first piston is to exert a first tensile force on the tensile band in the first linear direction in response to the first power stroke. The first piston is to exert a second tensile force on the tensile band in the second linear direction in response to the second power stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Inventor: Nolton C. Johnson, Jr.