Patents Examined by Tony M. Argenbright
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Patent number: 7028672Abstract: In a fuel supply system for an internal combustion engine having two separate storage containers for liquid fuels, both connected to a first controllable valve which is connected, via a connecting line including a fuel pump to an inlet of a second controllable valve having two outlets in communication by separate fuel lines with a fuel injection nozzle of the internal combustion engine, each of the two separate fuel lines includes a fuel pressure regulator, one being in communication with one and the other with the other of the two separate fuel storage containers for returning exess fuel to the fuel storage container from which fuel is being supplied to the fuel injection nozzle.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2005Date of Patent: April 18, 2006Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AGInventors: Andreas Glenz, Guenter Hoenig, Eberhard Holder, Martin Matt, Andreas Posselt
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Patent number: 7028675Abstract: A fuel supply assembly providing vaporized fuel to an engine wherein a quantity of liquid gasoline fuel is controllably heated for a desired vapor emission from the liquid fuel, and a conduit arrangement conducts the vapor, intermixes it with ambient air and conveys the intermixture to the engine's combustion chamber. A sensor in the engine exhaust monitors the hydrocarbon content of the exhaust and control valving controls the vapor to air intermixture in response to the monitor for maintaining a desired intermixture that produces the desired hydrocarbon content.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2005Date of Patent: April 18, 2006Assignee: Vapor Fuel Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Raymond Bryce Bushnell, Danny Robert Lewis
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Patent number: 7028645Abstract: The gas engine of the present invention has a pilot oil fuel valve, a pilot oil pump, and first and second pipes connected to a pilot oil main pipe, for each of a plurality of combustion chambers. An operating pilot oil tank and an ignition stimulant-added pilot oil tank are connected via a switching valve to a third pipe, connected to an end of the pilot oil main pipe. Before operating stops, the pilot oil is discharged by opening an exhaust valve, and thereafter, the switching valve is switched and pilot oil which the ignition stimulant has been added to is supplied into the pipe. Consequently, the pilot oil downstream from the main pipe is replaced with the pilot oil which the ignition stimulant has been added to. Therefore, at the time of the next activation, pilot oil which the ignition stimulant has been added to is sprayed from the fuel valve, and, as a result, misfire at the time of activation is reduced, and a highly reliable engine is obtained.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2002Date of Patent: April 18, 2006Assignee: Niigata Power Systems Co., Ltd.Inventors: Satoru Goto, Yoshifumi Nishi
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Patent number: 7025036Abstract: An engine has a plurality of combustion chambers, each of which is divided into an ignition chamber and a first combustion chamber. The chambers are linked by a transfer tube defining a passageway facilitating communication between the ignition chamber and the first chamber. A valve is provided for selectively opening and closing the passage. A tube is provided with an opening intermediate of its length allowing fuel to be injected via a fuel injector into the passage.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2002Date of Patent: April 11, 2006Assignee: Barrack Combustion Process Pty, Ltd.Inventor: Robert Douglas Lampard
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Patent number: 7027907Abstract: An electronic control unit for an internal combustion engine having a fuel injection system and an ignition system including: timing determination means (2) for determining timing sequences for injection events of the fuel injection system and ignition events of the ignition system and to provide update timing sequence data (10) to a schedule sequencing means (3) adapted to control at least one driver circuit (4) wherein the at least one driver circuit (4) is adapted to provide drive pulses (11) to the fuel injection system and ignition system; wherein the schedule sequencing means (3) is adapted to select between update sequence data to at least one of an injection of ignition event, such that the update timing sequence data is selected when there is no current injection occurring.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2001Date of Patent: April 11, 2006Assignee: Orbital Engine Company (Australia) Pty LimitedInventors: Jean-Yves Rene Le Gall, Luke Newman Andersen, Wayne Andrew Hawken, Craig Bowman, Troy Bradley Epskamp, Peter Truong, Phillip Leo O'Neill, Koon Chul Yang
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Patent number: 7025038Abstract: A fuel rail in a variable intake module is integrated, thereby obtaining a sufficient coupling area and excellent sealing between the variable intake module and intake manifold. The assembly of injector and variable intake module to an engine is improved. A high pressure fuel path is integrally formed at a lower inner side of the variable intake module, wherein the variable intake module includes a plurality of intake paths and a flap placed at each intake path to form a tumble. Furthermore, an injector insertion part is formed at a lower side of each intake path to communicate with the high pressure fuel path.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2004Date of Patent: April 11, 2006Assignee: Hyundai Motor CompanyInventor: Chul-Ho Yu
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Patent number: 7027906Abstract: The Inventor invented a combustion control device which optimizes combustion regardless of the cetane number of a fuel of an internal combustion engine (1) by focusing on the correlation between the cetane number and specific gravity of the fuel, and correcting combustion control based on the specific gravity of the fuel. The combustion control device comprises a sensor (7, 32, 36, 37) which detects the specific gravity of the fuel, a device which adjusts a combustion-related element of the internal combustion engine (1) such as fuel injection, compression end in-cylinder temperature and an intake air swirl (15, 19, 27, 51), and a controller (21) programmed to correct a target value of the element based on the specific gravity of the fuel (S414, S424, S430), and control the adjusting device so that the corrected target value is realized (S415, S425, S430).Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2004Date of Patent: April 11, 2006Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventor: Takashi Araki
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Patent number: 7025040Abstract: A control device for a throttle valve is provided, which, by dispensing a position sensor for the throttle valve, can reduce a cost of the sensor and which is excellent in durability and reliability and is reduced in its control delay. The control device includes an air flow sensor 1 for detecting an air flow rate flowing through an intake pipe of an internal combustion engine, a motor 33 for driving the throttle valve 2 disposed in the intake pipe and an ECU 15 for controlling the driving operation of the motor. The ECU 100 feedback-controls the output of the air flow sensor so that a difference between the output of the air flow sensor 1 and an air flow rate required for the engine reduces.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2005Date of Patent: April 11, 2006Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Masatoshi Hoshino, Minoru Oosuga
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Patent number: 7025037Abstract: The disclosure concerns an internal combustion engine with controlled ignition having at least a combustion chamber (4), means (8, 18) for injection of fuel or an air-fuel mixture into the combustion chamber (4), ignition means (7) to generate an ignition of the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber (4), the ignition means (7) comprising a spark generator (13) arranged in a precombustion chamber (1) delimited by a wall (12), the precombustion chamber (1) communicating with the combustion chamber (4) through at least a port (5) formed in the wall (12), wherein the means (8, 18) for injection are adapted to inject the fuel into the combustion chamber (4) at a pressure of at least 250 bar such as to create an air fuel mixture and to make it easier for a part of this mixture to penetrate inside the precombustion chamber (1).Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2004Date of Patent: April 11, 2006Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SAInventor: Cyril Robinet
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Patent number: 7027911Abstract: A control apparatus for an engine increases an intake air quantity just before engine stop to increase a compression pressure in a compression stroke. As the compression pressure is increased, a negative torque in the compression stroke increases and obstructs engine rotation, and brakes the engine rotation. Thus, a range of crank angle, in which torque is below engine friction, that is, in which engine rotation can be stopped, is reduced. As a result, variation in engine rotation stop position is reduced to be within a small range of crank angle. Information of engine rotation stop position is stored, and the stored information of engine rotation stop position is used at the start of an engine to accurately determine an initial injection cylinder and an initial ignition cylinder to start the engine.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2004Date of Patent: April 11, 2006Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Seiichirou Nishikawa, Yoshifumi Murakami
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Patent number: 7021262Abstract: An air intake system for an outboard motor provides parallel air flow paths between an opening formed in a cowl of the outboard motor and an air intake manifold of an engine under the cowl. A first air path flows in a relatively direct path between the opening in the cowl and the first inlet of a plenum chamber. A second air flow flows in a less direct path from the opening in the cowl to a second inlet of the plenum chamber. The second air flow is used to remove heat from a preselected component, such as an alternator, before it rejoins the first air flow within the cavity of the plenum chamber and is directed, in combination with the first air flow, through an intake air conduit connected to an outlet of the plenum chamber and to an air intake manifold of the engine.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2004Date of Patent: April 4, 2006Assignee: Brunswick CorporationInventors: David J. Belter, Troy J. Kollmann, Wade A. Loberger, Eric S. Mueller, Jeffrey J. Broman
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Patent number: 7021300Abstract: A deterioration failure diagnostic apparatus is provided for diagnosing an exhaust gas sensor disposed in an exhaust passage of an engine. The apparatus has a unit for generating a detecting signal and multiplying the generated signal to a first basic fuel injection amount to produce a second fuel injection amount. The apparatus includes a unit for calculating a feedback representative value based on feedback correction coefficients and multiplying the feedback representative value to the second fuel injection amount to produce a final fuel injection amount to be input to the engine. The apparatus includes a unit for extracting a frequency response corresponding to the detecting signal from an output of the exhaust gas sensor of the engine, the output being responsive to the calculated final fuel injection amount. A condition of the exhaust gas sensor is determined based on the extracted frequency response.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2004Date of Patent: April 4, 2006Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hidetaka Maki, Hiroshi Kitagawa, Masaki Tsuda
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Patent number: 7021288Abstract: An injection quantity control apparatus for accurately performing an injection quantity learning process in a diesel engine creates an environment for obtaining a characteristic value in a one-to-one relationship with an actual injection quantity. A controller performs a one-shot injection operation for a cylinder of an engine while the environment is established. An injection command quantity is corrected based on an engine speed variation caused by the one-shot injection. After establishment of the condition and before the injection, the opening of a valve is controlled to be smaller than a reference and an opening of each of a diesel throttle and variable turbocharger is controlled to be larger than a reference. A composition of an air flowing into a combustion chamber is stabilized to ensure that the characteristic value detected after the one-shot injection is in a one-to-one relationship with the actual injection quantity.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2004Date of Patent: April 4, 2006Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Masahiro Asano, Eiji Takemoto, Akira Umehara
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Patent number: 7021287Abstract: The individual cylinder air to fuel ratio of an internal combustion engine varies due to the fact that the intake manifold cannot distribute airflow into the individual cylinders evenly. This feature of the present invention utilizes minimum timing for best torque MBT timing criterion provided by the ionization signals or by the in-cylinder pressure signals to balance the air to fuel ratios of the individual cylinders. The control method of the present invention comprises: calculating a mean timing coefficient, calculating a timing coefficient error, integrating the minimum timing for best torque timing coefficient error, calculating a raw fuel trim coefficient, resealing the raw fuel trim coefficient, updating a feedforward look-up table based upon the current engine operating conditions, and calculating a final fueling command.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2003Date of Patent: April 4, 2006Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Guoming G. Zhu, Chao F. Daniels
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Patent number: 7024305Abstract: A throttle area compensation system for use with an electronic throttle control of a vehicle includes a compensation datastore of compensation values indexed by pre-compensated throttle area. A compensation vector learning module receives a pre-compensated throttle area and at least one sensed vehicle condition, and informs the compensation datastore based on the pre-compensated throttle area and the sensed vehicle condition. A throttle area compensation module communicates with the compensation datastore, receives the pre-compensated throttle area, and determines a compensated throttle area based on the pre-compensated throttle area and a corresponding compensation value of the compensation data store.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2004Date of Patent: April 4, 2006Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventors: David A. Stamm, Todd R. Shupe
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Patent number: 7017530Abstract: The invention provides a method for controlling a compression ignition internal combustion engine, which can easily deal with a wide range of demand loads with a single fuel. The compression ignition internal combustion engine includes a fuel containing an ignition improver, and as the demand load increases, part of the ignition improver contained in the fuel is changed into a material having a reduced ignitability improvement capability, and the fuel having reduced ignitability is supplied to the compression ignition internal combustion engine. A fuel having part of the ignition improver changed into a material having a reduced ignitability improvement capability, and thus having reduced ignitability, and a fuel with the ignitability improvement capability of the ignition improver maintained are mixed together in any ratio, and supplied to the compression ignition internal combustion engine.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2004Date of Patent: March 28, 2006Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kohtaro Hashimoto, Takahiro Gunji, Kohjiroh Aimoto, Ryogo Sakamoto
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Patent number: 7017550Abstract: In an electronic throttle controller, when an intake air amount detected by an air flow meter is smaller than a stall prevention judging-purpose each cylinder intake amount, a stall prevention adding amount “large” is added to intake throttle opening degree deviation, a DC motor is driven while neglecting a feedback control operation, and an opening degree of the intake throttle is controlled to be further opened from an actual preceding control position. When an execution number of the engine stop avoiding control is larger than a predetermined number within a predetermined period, an abnormal condition of a throttle position sensor is detected, and thus, energizing operation of the DC motor is stopped. The abnormal condition malfunction of the throttle position sensor can be firmly detected while an engine stall is avoided.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2005Date of Patent: March 28, 2006Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Koji Hata, Ken Uchiyama
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Patent number: 7017538Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a method for providing an efficient and powerful engine for internal combustion four stroke engines using a single valve per cylinder as the intake and exhaust valve. Outside air emerging from an air filter is forcibly pumped into the engine head using a blower which then is drawn into the combustion chamber during the intake stroke. The timing for opening and closure of the single valve is controlled by the camshaft which is provided with a cam lobe profile capable of prolonging the valve timing thus enabling the valve to remain open for a longer duration to cater for evacuation of air in the exhaust stroke and the intake of air in the intake stroke thereby permitting the use of only one single valve per cylinder.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2004Date of Patent: March 28, 2006Inventor: Yeap Liang Lim
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Patent number: 7017551Abstract: When a detection value of an intake pressure is normal, an electronically controlled throttle is controlled to attain a target intake pressure, a variable valve mechanism is controlled to attain a target intake air amount, and the control of the variable valve mechanism is corrected based on the detection value of the intake pressure. Contrary to this, when the detection value of the intake pressure is abnormal, the electronically controlled throttle is controlled to attain the target intake air amount, and also, the variable valve mechanism is controlled based on a fixed target opening characteristic.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2005Date of Patent: March 28, 2006Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventor: Hirokazu Shimizu
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Patent number: 7017548Abstract: An unstable idling state immediately after engine start is stabilized. The difference between a target idling engine speed corresponding to the cooling water temperature and an actual engine speed is integrated. The ignition timing is changed toward advance or retard while using a value obtained by multiplying the integration value of the engine speed difference with a gain, as an ignition timing changing amount. Immediately after engine start, the gain is made relatively large to rapidly increase engine speed. When the engine speed approaches the target engine speed, the gain is set to a smaller usual gain, and, in a change to the same advancing or retarding side, a change to an ignition timing in the same side is suppressed using a smaller advancing or retarding gain. In a throttle-off state, an ignition timing corresponding to the cooling water temperature is set to rapidly reduce engine speed.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2002Date of Patent: March 28, 2006Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yuichiro Sawada, Hitoshi Hasegawa, Michiyasu Takahashi