Adjustable Plenum Patents (Class 123/184.51)
  • Patent number: 9534572
    Abstract: An intake manifold with a single and dual plane adapter is provided. The intake manifold includes a plenum chamber. The plenum chamber may include a first side, a second side, a bottom portion, and a top portion. The adapter may include a guide rail attached to the plenum chamber and forming a channel in between. A divider is formed to fit within the channel. An actuator is operatively connected to extend and retract the divider within the channel. Therefore, the divider includes an extended position forming a dual chamber within the plenum chamber, and a retracted position forming a single chamber within the plenum chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Inventor: Simon Thomas Mills
  • Patent number: 8991366
    Abstract: A dual path fresh air system, having a first air supply path, the first path supplies air to at least one first cylinder set; a second air supply path, the second path supplies air to at least on second cylinder set; a first exhaust gas recirculation inlet fluidly connected to the first path to introduce recirculated exhaust gas into the first path; a second exhaust gas recirculation inlet fluidly connected to the second path to introduce recirculated exhaust gas into the second path; a first valve member, which is arranged upstream of the first exhaust gas recirculation inlet in the first path, wherein the first valve member controls fluid flowing through a cross section of the first path; and a second valve member which is arranged upstream of the second exhaust gas recirculation inlet in the second path, for controlling fluid flowing through a cross section of the second path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Mahle International GmbH
    Inventors: Alfred Elsässer, Achim Gommel, Marco Warth
  • Patent number: 8863725
    Abstract: An apparatus for reducing a pumping loss may include an auxiliary runner formed in an air-intake unit supplying air to a cylinder, wherein intake air may be temporarily stored in the auxiliary runner by using a flow of an exhaust gas during an exhaust stroke, and the intake air stored in the auxiliary runner may be supplied to the cylinder together with the air introduced to the air-intake unit during an intake stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Sung Yup Park
  • Patent number: 8640667
    Abstract: A mounting device can mount an intake manifold to an engine and includes a bending moment applying device applying a bending moment to the intake manifold as the intake manifold is mounted to the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Aisan Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ichiro Hisada, Shoubin Han, Hironori Tanikawa
  • Patent number: 8302576
    Abstract: A variable intake system may include a single plenum that is connected to runners and that has a space formed therein, a first barrier that divides the space inside the plenum into a first space and a second space, a first variable valve that is mounted on the first barrier to connect or isolate the first space and the second space to/from each other, a variable pipe of which one side thereof is connected to the plenum and the other side is closed, a second barrier that divides the variable pipe into at least two spaces, and a second variable valve that is mounted on the second barrier to connect or isolate the at least two spaces to/from each other to improve intake efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Jaeseok Choi
  • Patent number: 8201535
    Abstract: An air intake device for a vehicle is provided. The air intake device includes a housing that defines a plenum and is configured for mounting on a vehicle. The air intake device also includes an air scoop that is movably coupled to the housing. The air scoop is movable between a stowed position and a deployed position. The air intake device also includes a valve assembly coupled to the air scoop. The air scoop defines at least one ram air inlet port having a flow area. The at least one ram air inlet port is positioned to receive ram air and is in fluid communication with the plenum when the air scoop is in the deployed position. The valve assembly is operable for varying the flow area of the at least one ram air inlet port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Philip A. Oakes
  • Patent number: 8186324
    Abstract: A resin molded body constituting a resin intake apparatus includes a surge tank and a plurality of branch passages each branching off from the surge tank. A communication passage is formed in a wall forming the surge tank to communicate a bottom of the surge tank with one of the branch passages. The resin molded body is formed by two split molded parts integrally welded to each other at welded portions so that the communication passage is formed between the welded portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Aisan Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinji Iwata
  • Patent number: 8156904
    Abstract: An engine includes a crankshaft rotatable about a crankshaft axis. A compression piston is slidably received within a compression cylinder and operatively connected to the crankshaft such that the compression piston is operable to reciprocate through an intake stroke and a compression stroke during a single rotation of the crankshaft. An expansion (power) piston is slidably received within an expansion cylinder and operatively connected to the crankshaft such that the expansion piston is operable to reciprocate through an expansion stroke and an exhaust stroke during a single rotation of the crankshaft. A variable volume crossover passage interconnects the compression and expansion cylinders, and includes a variable volume housing to controllably regulate the air flow from the compression cylinder to the expansion cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Scuderi Group, LLC
    Inventors: Ambrogio Giannini, Stephen Scuderi
  • Patent number: 8051823
    Abstract: A combined actuator provided with: a mobile element; a driver for displacing the mobile element; and a rheological control brake, which is mechanically coupled to the mobile element to adjust the displacement of the mobile element; the rheological control brake has: two contiguous adjustment chambers; a rheological fluid contained in the two adjustment chambers; a sliding piston, which tightly separates the two adjustment chambers and is mechanically connected to the mobile element; at least one external connection pipe, which reciprocally connects the two adjustment chambers; and a driving device which is coupled to the external connection pipe so as to apply a variable electromagnetic field to the rheological fluid contained in the external connection pipe for varying the viscosity of the rheological fluid between a minimum value and a maximum value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Magneti Marelli Powertrain S.p.A.
    Inventors: Andrea Spaggiari, Eugenio Dragoni, Nazario Bellato, Michele Pecora, Federico Lancioni, Stefano Fornara, Andrea Baldassari
  • Patent number: 7966985
    Abstract: A valve operating system that includes a drive shaft, a drive lever that is fixedly provided thereon and can pivot in a direction of movement of a valve body, a follower arm that is fixedly provided on the valve body, a link, a first connecting shaft that connects one end of the link and the drive lever, and a second connecting shaft that connects the other end of the link and the follower arm; in response to a movement of the valve body from a first position to a second position by pivoting of the drive lever, a center of the first connecting shaft approaches from one side a straight line connecting two centers of the drive shaft and the second connecting shaft, and after the valve body reaches the second position, further pivoting of the drive lever is carried out through a predetermined angle so that the center of the first connecting shaft moves to the other side of a dead point on the straight line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Keihin Corporation
    Inventors: Shigehiko Ota, Fumio Kawamata, Makoto Hirata, Takashi Fukuda
  • Patent number: 7779806
    Abstract: An air intake manifold assembly includes an air intake manifold and a insert that is permanently bonded to an inner surface of the air intake manifold. By bonding the insert to the manifold, a dead space is formed between the insert and the manifold, which reduces the plenum volume within the manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Mann + Hummel GmbH
    Inventor: Kevin Vichinsky
  • Publication number: 20100114456
    Abstract: A variable intake system may include a single plenum that is connected to runners and that has a space formed therein, a first barrier that divides the space inside the plenum into a first space and a second space, a first variable valve that is mounted on the first barrier to connect or isolate the first space and the second space to/from each other, a variable pipe of which one side thereof is connected to the plenum and the other side is closed, a second barrier that divides the variable pipe into at least two spaces, and a second variable valve that is mounted on the second barrier to connect or isolate the at least two spaces to/from each other to improve intake efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2009
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Applicants: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Jaeseok Choi
  • Patent number: 7559305
    Abstract: An intake plenum has a bottom and a continuous side wall. The plenum has at least one tube opening there into. There is at least one intake tube, with each tube having an inflow end and an outflow end. Each inflow end is coupled to a plenum tube opening. There is a plenum airflow regulator housed within the plenum. There is at least one fuel injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Inventor: David Scott
  • Patent number: 7404387
    Abstract: An intake system for an internal combustion engine having at least two cylinder bank rows, each being assigned an intake bend having individual tubes leading to the cylinders, where the intake bends are interconnected in terms of fluid flow via a distributor tube (38) and at least one resonance tube (30) equipped with a switch valve, where the resonance tube and the distributor tube are combined in a central intake module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Erwin Rutschmann, Matthias Benz
  • Patent number: 7322333
    Abstract: An air intake structure is provided with an air intake control valve disposed in the air intake passage. The air intake control valve has a valve element pivotally mounted at one end adjacent to a passage wall of the air intake passage. The air intake control valve is configured to control a gas flow based on the rotational position of the valve element. At least one horizontal partitioning plate extends along the flow direction of an intake air. The horizontal partitioning plate can be stationary or moveable with the valve element. Optionally, the valve element has a swirl-producing notch and a vertical partitioning plate extends substantially perpendicular to the horizontal partitioning plate from a position corresponding to a vertical side edge of the swirl-producing notch when the air intake control valve is fully closed. The vertical partitioning plate can be stationary or moveable with the valve element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Isaji, Kouichi Mori, Shunichi Mitsuishi, Kimiyoshi Nishizawa
  • Patent number: 7270102
    Abstract: A resin intake manifold is provided with two separated bodies manufactured by connecting protrusions of weld portions of the separated bodies to each other in accordance with a vibration welding, and a cover wall in which one of the weld portions is arranged in an inner side or an outer side of the protrusion with leaving space with the protrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Aisan Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hironori Tanikawa, Kazuhiro Aiki
  • Patent number: 6805087
    Abstract: An air intake structure of an engine has a first intake air passage and a second intake air passage provided independently and having downstream end portions branched into a plurality of intake ducts connected to a plurality of cylinders of the engine. The neighborhood of the downstream end portion of the first intake air passage and the neighborhood of the down stream end portion of the second intake air passage can be brought into communication by a first communication element. The first intake air passage and the second intake air passage are rendered communicable by a second communication element upstream from the first communication element in the flowing direction of intake air. The first communication element and the second communication element are controlled in accordance with the operating state of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinori Yakabe, Hidetoshi Ono, Atsuhito Ito, Katumi Ezaki
  • Patent number: 6557511
    Abstract: A suction system has an arrangement for utilizing resonance effects and is suitable for an internal-combustion engine having opposed cylinder banks. The suction system has a resonance container which has boundary walls. On the one hand, the resonance container is connected with the atmosphere and, on the other hand, it is connected with cylinders of the internal-combustion engine, the arrangement being provided in the resonance container as a control device which can vary the resonance cross-section, and the resonance container is connected with a feeding device having separate feeding pipes. For optimizing the torque behavior of the internal-combustion engine, the control device is fixed from the idling to a medium rotational speed range in a first end position and, together with the feeding pipes of the feeding device, forms two guiding channels which supply the cylinders the two cylinder banks with air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Erwin Rutschmann, Armin Schweizer
  • Patent number: 6302076
    Abstract: A four stroke combustion engine and method of operation of use and control is disclosed. The engine includes a combustion chamber with an intake manifold coupled to the combustion chamber. A one-way valve is located within the intake manifold. The engine includes an intake valve for modulating the flow of a fuel-air mixture into and out of the combustion chamber. The engine preferably employs a fixed, late closing intake valve. A plenum chamber is located in the intake manifold. The plenum chamber is located downstream of the one-way valve and upstream of the intake valve. During the compression stroke of the engine, a pressurized charge of fuel-air mixture is stored within the manifold and plenum. The amount of the fuel-air mixture stored within the plenum is controlled by adjusting the volume of the plenum, or, alternatively, a plenum valve is used to regulate the amount of fuel-air mixture entering/exiting a fixed volume plenum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Inventor: Joseph M. Bredy
  • Patent number: 6192850
    Abstract: A suction system for an internal-combustion engine has an arrangement for utilizing resonance effects. The arrangement includes a control device which is arranged inside the resonance container and by way of which the resonance cross-section can be varied as a function of parameters of the internal-combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche AG
    Inventors: Erwin Rutschmann, Armin Schweizer