Patents Examined by Susan E Scharpf
  • Patent number: 10612484
    Abstract: Control apparatus for an engine includes a failure determination unit which determines whether there is a failure in an operating engine, and an A/F (air-fuel ratio) feedback control unit which performs feedback control to bring actual A/F in the engine to a target set in advance. The failure determination unit includes a failure determination section, a failure code storing section, a similar operating condition recording section, and a return-to-normal control section. The A/F feedback control unit includes an A/F target setting section, and the target set is stored in the similar operating condition recording section as a factor defining the operating condition of the engine. The return-to-normal control section eliminates the failure code if the failure determination section does not determine that there is a failure when the engine is operating in an operating condition similar to that recorded in the similar operating condition recording section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi Maeda, Junya Kitada, Hideo Matsunaga, Katsuhiro Furuta
  • Patent number: 10605217
    Abstract: A vehicle propulsion system includes an engine configured to be selectively activated to provide torque to propel the vehicle and a starter module coupled to the engine and configured to start the engine from an inactive state. The starter module includes a brushless electric machine to generate an output torque to crank start the engine. The starter motor also includes a pinion gear coupled to the electric machine, where the pinion gear is actuatable to selectively engage a cranking input of the engine. A controller assembly is programmed to cause actuation of the pinion gear to engage the cranking input of the engine and transfer a cranking torque to activate the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Chandra S. Namuduri, Lei Hao, Thomas W. Nehl
  • Patent number: 10605184
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adjusting a throttle based on an intake oxygen sensor output. In one example, a method may include adjusting a position of a throttle based on a dilution threshold and a total aircharge dilution level, the total dilution aircharge level based on an output of an intake oxygen sensor. Additionally, spark timing may be adjusted based on the total aircharge dilution level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Gopichandra Surnilla, Michael Howard Shelby, James Alfred Hilditch, Jason Williams
  • Patent number: 10598119
    Abstract: A control system for an aero compression combustion drive assembly, the aero compression combustion drive assembly having an engine member, a transmission member and a propeller member, the control system including a sensor for sensing a pressure parameter in each of a plurality of compression chambers of the engine member, the sensor for providing the sensed pressure parameter to a control system device, the control system device having a plurality of control programs for effecting selected engine control and the control system device acting on the sensed pressure parameter to effect a control strategy in the engine member A control method is further included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Engineered Propulsion Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven M. Weinzierl, Michael J. Fuchs, Alexander Seybold-Epting
  • Patent number: 10598118
    Abstract: A high-pressure pump includes: a low-pressure chamber, into which low-pressure fuel discharged from a low-pressure pump flows; a pressurizing chamber, which pressurizes the low-low-pressure fuel; and a leak chamber, into which leaked fuel from the pressurizing chamber flows. The leaked fuel of the leak chamber is suctioned into and is pressurized in the pressurizing chamber together with the low-pressure fuel of the low-pressure chamber, so that the leaked fuel is discharged to an outside of the high-pressure pump as high-pressure fuel. Furthermore, a suction check valve, which is placed between the low-pressure chamber and the leak chamber, limits backflow of the leaked fuel of the leak chamber to the low-pressure chamber when the high-pressure pump does not supply the high-pressure fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masaharu Nakaoka
  • Patent number: 10598114
    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: April 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Keita Imai
  • Patent number: 10598187
    Abstract: A heat-dissipation fan includes a rotary assembly and a plurality of rotary cylinders mounted on an outer surface of the rotary assembly to serve as cylindrical fan blades of the heat-dissipation fan. The rotary assembly includes a plurality of first electrical conducting units and a second electrical conducting unit. The rotary cylinders move along with the rotary assembly when the latter rotates and are correspondingly electrically connected to the first electrical conducting units to be rotatable about their respective centerlines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: ASIA VITAL COMPONENTS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Bor-Haw Chang, Chung-Shu Wang
  • Patent number: 10590949
    Abstract: The invention relates to a ventilator wheel which is produced in the form of a radial or a diagonal ventilator wheel, and comprises a bottom disc and a plurality of ventilator blades arranged, on said bottom disc, so as to be distributed about an axial rotational axis, said bottom disc comprising a circumferential radial outer edge section that, when viewed in cross-section, extends in a curved shape in at least some sections and thus forms an elliptical transition of said bottom disc from a radial extension into an axial extension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: ebm-papst Mulfingen GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Daniel Gebert, Jens Mueller, Alexander Konzal, Michael Strehle
  • Patent number: 10563611
    Abstract: A method for operating a fuel delivery system for an engine is provided. The method includes sending a voltage above a threshold value to a lift pressure pump, determining a volumetric efficiency of the direct injection pump when the lower pressure fuel pump is above a threshold pressure, and controlling the lift pump based on the volumetric efficiency of the direct injection pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Norman Ulrey, Ross Dykstra Pursifull
  • Patent number: 10526984
    Abstract: A fuel evaporative emission control device including an electronic control unit that, when fuel tank inner pressure exceeds a first predetermined pressure, performs tank purge of closing a bypass valve and opening a sealing valve, discharging fuel evaporative gas inside the fuel tank into an air intake path of an engine in an operated state through a purge pipe and a vapor pipe, and treating the fuel evaporative gas, where, when tank purge is performed, if a first predetermined period of time passes after closing of the bypass valve without the fuel tank inner pressure falling to or below the first predetermined pressure, the sealing valve is closed and tank purge is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Wakamatsu, Kenichi Kunii
  • Patent number: 10518869
    Abstract: A turboprop including a propeller including a blade extending in a direction, which also includes a root, a leading edge, a trailing edge, and a wing tip, and an inner air stream channel, wherein the inner air stream channel includes an inlet located at the root of the blade and an outlet leading to the trailing edge of the blade transversely directed in relation to the main elongation direction, such that an inner stream of air flowing in the inner air stream channel by entering via the inlet adjacent to the root of the blade is discharged via the outlet adjacent to the trailing edge of the blade by forming a stream of blown air that moves away from the trailing edge in a direction which is transverse to the main elongation direction and which has a component in the direction of a skeleton line of the blade at the trailing edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Safran Aircraft Engines
    Inventors: Paul Antoine Foresto, Anthony Binder, Alexandre Gerard Francois Couilleaux, Norman Bruno Andre Jodet
  • Patent number: 10519877
    Abstract: A control system for a dual fuel engine having a liquid fuel supply and a gaseous fuel supply is disclosed. The control system may include at least one sensor operably coupled to a cylinder of the dual fuel engine and configured to monitor cylinder condition and transmit a cylinder condition signal. Additionally, a controller may be communicably coupled with the at least one sensor and the controller may be configured to receive the cylinder condition signal and determine whether the cylinder is operating in an abnormal operating condition. Whereas the controller determines the cylinder is operating in the abnormal operating condition, the controller sends a control signal for the liquid fuel supply to provide an amount of liquid fuel which is greater than an amount of liquid fuel supplied to the cylinder during a normal operating condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Alan R. Stockner, Thomas J. Crowell, Scott F. Shafer
  • Patent number: 10519798
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine comprises a plurality of variable guide vanes, a unison ring, and a lever arrangement connecting the unison ring to the variable guide vanes. The lever arrangement comprises a lever pin received by the unison ring, and a bush provided between the lever pin and the unison ring. The bush comprises a sprung region biased outwardly away from the lever pin towards the unison ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Michael G. Kennedy
  • Patent number: 10508603
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling an internal combustion engine is provided. An engine includes a compression release mechanism and a fuel injection valve. The compression release mechanism variably controls the opening degree of a valve member, and thereby connects the combustion chamber of the engine with at least one of the intake passage and the exhaust passage in order to release in-cylinder pressure during at least the compression stroke. A controller controls the fuel injection valve to execute coasting with the fuel cut off in which the fuel is cut off under a predetermined condition, and while executing coasting with the fuel cut off, controls the compression release mechanism to increase the opening degree of the valve member of the compression release mechanism as the speed of the engine is higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideyuki Nishida, Tatsuo Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 10508611
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a control device and a control method for an internal combustion engine including a fuel injection valve and an electric fuel pump. In stopping the internal combustion engine, the control device stops driving of the fuel pump and then fuel injection by the fuel injection valve, and increases the total amount of fuel injection by the fuel injection valve after stopping of driving of the fuel pump as the temperature of fuel in stopping the internal combustion engine decreases, thereby reducing a fuel pressure in a stop period. In this manner, fuel leakage from the fuel injection valve in the stop period can be reduced with a simple configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshitatsu Nakamura, Tomoyuki Murakami
  • Patent number: 10495015
    Abstract: A diagnostic device incorporates a processor and a memory and diagnoses a failure related to a fuel injection system for an engine whose air-fuel ratio of is feedback-controlled. The diagnostic device includes a calculation unit which calculates a corrected value of a fuel injection amount according to a difference between a target value and a measured value of the air-fuel ratio. The diagnostic device includes a setting unit which sets a mask period in which a failure diagnosis is suspended, according to the corrected value upon switchover of a fuel injection mode. The diagnostic device includes a diagnostic unit which does not carry out the diagnosis in the mask period and carries out the diagnosis outside the mask period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Junya Kitada, Hideo Matsunaga, Satoshi Maeda
  • Patent number: 10480471
    Abstract: A vehicle which supplies a fuel from a fuel tank to an air-intake passage comprises a first injector which injects the fuel into the air-intake passage; a second injector which is disposed to be apart from the first injector in a flow direction of intake-air and injects the fuel into the air-intake passage; a fuel pump which discharges the fuel from the fuel tank; a first fuel tube, a first end of which is connected to the fuel pump; a second fuel tube, a first end of which is connected to the second injector; and a connector which is connected to a second end of the first fuel tube, a second end of the second fuel tube, and the first injector, and distributes the fuel from the first fuel tube, to the second fuel tube and the first injector, and the connector is firmly coupled to the first injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masaya Otsuka
  • Patent number: 10458348
    Abstract: In a control apparatus applied to an internal combustion engine in which when an opening degree of a valve body of a waste gate valve is less than the predetermined opening degree, the extension line intersects a wall surface of an exhaust passage located upstream of the upstream side end face of the exhaust gas purification catalyst, the control apparatus controls the waste gate valve so that at the time of execution of fuel cut off processing, when the temperature of the exhaust gas purification catalyst is less than a predetermined temperature, the valve body is fully closed, whereas when the temperature of the exhaust gas purification catalyst is not less than the predetermined temperature, the opening degree of the valve body is made to a deterioration suppression opening degree which is larger than when the valve body is fully closed and which is smaller than the predetermined opening degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi Kimura, Norihisa Nakagawa, Takanobu Hosoya, Takuya Okubo
  • Patent number: 10422292
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for activating a universal exhaust gas oxygen (UEGO) sensor activation during each of a pre-delivery phase and a post-delivery phase of a vehicle. In one example, a method may include during the pre-delivery phase, following an engine start, using a lower current flowing via a heater coupled to the UEGO sensor to heat the UEGO sensor and during the post-delivery phase, following an engine start, once exhaust temperature reaches a threshold temperature, using a higher current flowing via the heater coupled to the UEGO sensor to heat the UEGO sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Chris Paul Glugla
  • Patent number: 10408158
    Abstract: A method of adjusting operation of an internal combustion engine includes injecting fuel into cylinders of the internal combustion engine (first fuel operation); obtaining a first fuel exhaust temperature profile during the first fuel operation; injecting two fuels into the cylinders in a dual fuel operation; obtaining a dual fuel exhaust temperature profile; and adjusting the injection quantity and/or an injection timing of one fuel in a cylinder(s), based on a difference between the first fuel exhaust temperature profile and the dual fuel exhaust temperature profile. Other methods of operating with single fuel and using sensors other than exhaust temperature sensors are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC
    Inventor: Adam Edgar Klingbeil