Piston Patents (Class 123/193.6)
  • Patent number: 8899190
    Abstract: An engine assembly includes an engine block that defines a cylinder bore. A reciprocating piston is disposed in the cylinder bore, and has a first side and a second side. The first side cooperates with the engine block to partially define a combustion chamber, and the second side is opposite the first side. A piston squirter is disposed adjacent to the second side of the piston and configured to expel a received flow of engine oil onto the piston. A thermal fluid valve is disposed in fluid communication with the piston squirter and is configured to selectively restrict the flow of engine oil to the piston squirter in response to a temperature of the engine oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Thomas A. Spix
  • Publication number: 20140345559
    Abstract: A mechanical component for an internal combustion engine includes a mechanical component body made of one of aluminum and aluminum alloy and used for the internal combustion engine, a nickel plating layer formed to cover a surface of a predetermined portion of the mechanical component body, and a reforming layer formed between the surface of the predetermined portion of the mechanical component body and the nickel plating layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicant: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hajime MINAKI, Hiroaki Sasayama, Akihiro Okamoto, Takuya Niimi
  • Publication number: 20140331961
    Abstract: A piston for balancing combustion efficiency and smoke generation with NOx production includes a combustion face forming a combustion bowl having a compound curvature increased in sharpness in a radially outward direction. An outer bowl surface defines a large radius of curvature adjacent an inner bowl surface, and a medium radius of curvature adjacent a cylindrical wall surface. The inner bowl, outer bowl, and wall surfaces together contour the combustion bowl, such that a diameter of the combustion bowl is about 124 mm so as to establish a bowl to bore ratio of about 0.71 in a direct injection compression ignition engine with a compression ratio of about 15:1 to 17:1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2013
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron Ness, Scott Coulier, Thomas Kammerdiener, Jonathan Kilkenny
  • Publication number: 20140331958
    Abstract: A method for the production of a piston for an internal combustion engine, having a piston head, a piston skirt, and a circumferential recess configured between the piston head and the piston skirt. The piston has a piston base body and a piston ring element. The piston base body has at least a crown region of a combustion bowl as well as the piston skirt. The piston ring element has at least a piston crown, a wall region of the combustion bowl, a circumferential top land, and a circumferential ring belt with ring grooves. The piston ring element has a circumferential cooling channel between the wall region of the combustion bowl and the ring belt, closed with a closure element. The piston base body and the piston ring element are connected by a circumferential joining seam in the region of the combustion bowl.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2014
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Karlheinz BING, Michael T. LAPP, Rainer SCHARP, Michael ULLRICH
  • Patent number: 8881706
    Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine, for example a diesel engine, including a body delimited laterally by a skirt and configured to collaborate with walls of a cylinder of axis of revolution C in which the piston can slide along the axis C, the piston including a transverse face including a central pip, a peripheral ring, and a bowl of axis of revolution B that extends from the central pip towards the peripheral ring to which it connects at a lip of thickness Ep, the bowl including, in substantial vertical alignment with the lip, a torus in profile, for example of dome-shaped, of maximum radius capable of guiding fuel injected under the lip in the region of a re-entrant zone towards the central pip. The tip of the central pip exhibits a flattened region centred on the axis of revolution B of the bowl, of a width Lt ranging between 0 mm and 5 mm, or substantially equal to 2.5 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Renault S.A.S.
    Inventors: Sylvain Augot, Anne-Marie Doisy, Gregory Musq
  • Patent number: 8875674
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for a differential stroke combustion engine. The combustion engine including one or more two-part pistons, each two-part piston having a first piston part and a second piston part. The apparatus comprising: piston-lever element mechanically coupled to the second piston part; a plurality of cam-followers assemblies selectively coupleable with the piston-lever element for controlling operation of the second piston part; and wherein selective engagement of one or more cam-followers assemblies defines an operational mode of the second piston part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Yan Engines, Inc.
    Inventor: Miin Jeng Yan
  • Publication number: 20140318492
    Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine has a piston head having a piston crown, and a piston skirt, a first part of the piston head being formed by a piston base, and a second part of the piston head being formed by a piston head element, and a peripheral cooling channel being provided in the piston head. At least one heat-conducting element is arranged in the cooling channel and is connected to the piston base and the piston head element via an external seam and an internal seam which extend from the piston crown to the cooling channel. The invention further relates to a method for producing the piston.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2012
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: MAHLE INTERNATIONAL GMBH
    Inventors: Timo Linke, Rainer Scharp
  • Patent number: 8869768
    Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine including a piston body (20). The piston body (20) defines a first cooling chamber (46) that is sealed closed and contains a first cooling medium (48) other than air. During operation of the piston, the first cooling medium (48) extracts heat from the surrounding regions of the piston body (20) to cool the piston body (20). The piston body (20) also defines a second cooling chamber (50) adjacent to the first cooling chamber (46). A cooling oil (51) is projected into the second cooling chamber (50) and against the portion of the piston body (20) separating the first and second cooling chambers (46, 50) to extract heat from the first cooling medium (48). The cooling oil (51) is redirected within the second cooling chamber (50) to extract additional heat from the first cooling medium (48) or directly from the piston body (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Federal-Mogul Corporation
    Inventor: Miguel Azevedo
  • Publication number: 20140311439
    Abstract: A piston arrangement for a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine having a variable compression ratio. A piston includes a device for the variable adjustment of the compression ratio associated with the combustion chamber, and a piston pin is coupled to the piston via respective connecting regions, via which piston pin the piston can be coupled to a connecting rod of the internal combustion engine. The device includes the piston pin having at least one eccentric element, which is eccentrically arranged with respect to the connecting regions of the piston pin and via which the piston pin can be coupled to the connecting rod.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Dieter Nowak, Tilmann Roemheld, Michael Wagenplast
  • Patent number: 8863720
    Abstract: A piston for a diesel internal combustion engine including a crown portion at least partially formed of steel and having a combustion surface with a combustion bowl formed therein is provided. The combustion bowl presents a combustion bowl rim area, and a coating including at least one of a noble metal and a refractory metal is applied to substantially only the combustion bowl rim area. The coating is preferably applied in the areas of the combustion bowl rim area that are in line with the sprays of diesel fuel when the piston is in a top dead center position during operation of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Federal-Mogul Corporation
    Inventor: Warran Boyd Lineton
  • Patent number: 8863719
    Abstract: Pin bosses of a piston for an internal combustion engine each have a pin bore for supporting a piston pin. In order to reduce the tangential stresses in the zenith area of the pin bores, and thus to extend the service life of the piston, the inner areas of the pin bores as viewed in the direction of the bore axis have areas on both sides of the zenith that have a greater distance from the bore axis than the zenith of the pin bore, and the outer areas of the pin bores, as viewed in the direction of the bore axis, are transversely oval relative to the piston axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Harald Boekle, Gottfried Schnaitmann, Rainer Fischer, Ralf Braig, Helmut Mueller
  • Patent number: 8863718
    Abstract: A piston and method of construction are provided. The piston includes an upper crown having a combustion surface with an upper land depending therefrom and a lower crown having a pair of pin bosses that depend to a pair of laterally spaced, axially aligned pin bores. The upper crown is constructed as a monolithic piece of a first material having a thermal conductivity within a range of about 7 to 25 W/m-K. The lower crown is constructed from a low grade steel material having a thermal conductivity higher than the upper crown. The upper crown is joined directly to the lower crown, wherein the upper crown acts as a barrier to thermal conductivity and thus, the heat within a combustion chamber housing the piston for reciprocation therein is maintained and maximized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Federal-Mogul Corporation
    Inventors: Jose Rebello, Thomas Egerer
  • Publication number: 20140305401
    Abstract: A method for producing a piston for an internal combustion engine, which piston has at least one cooling channel and is produced from at least one upper part and one lower part. The cooling channel of the piston is formed of the upper part and the lower part where the upper part and the lower part of the piston are each produced by means of a forging process At least one rib-like element, in particular, at least one rib, is additionally forged during the forging of the upper part an area of the cooling channel and/or at least one rib-like element, in particular, at least one rib, is additionally forged during the forging of the lower part in an area of the cooling channel. Two alternative production methods and to a piston for an internal combustion engine are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicant: KS KOLBENSCHMIDT GMBH
    Inventors: Emmerich Ottliczky, Franz Ratzky
  • Publication number: 20140305400
    Abstract: A cylinder head with liquid cooling, and which has an intake port which opens into a combustion chamber, an exhaust port per cylinder, a fuel injection device which opens into the combustion chamber and which adjoins the intake port and the exhaust port, and at least one cooling chamber which is arranged in the cylinder head. A cooling distribution duct, which is drilled or pre-cast, is arranged in a region of the fire deck, and extends substantially parallel to the fire deck and opens into an annular chamber surrounding the fuel injection device. The annular chamber has at least one substantially radial first cooling bore which is directed towards a valve web region formed between the intake port and the exhaust port and which adjoins the fire deck.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2012
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicant: AVL LIST GMBH
    Inventors: Manuel Berger, Christian Auer
  • Patent number: 8857401
    Abstract: Disclosed is a low drag piston for a reciprocating engine that comprises a piston head that reduces mechanical and viscous friction while improving oil lubrication and thermal load dissipation throughout the piston stroke. The piston comprises a cylindrical crown and lower skirt area such that these elements are the only surfaces in contact with the cylinder walls and support a plurality of piston rings, while the interior skirt region is recessed inward in a concave shape to reduce drag, friction and thermal expansion interferences. An additional oil control ring increases oil outflow to further reduce friction and drag, while the pin boss that holds the connection between the piston head and the connecting rods is recessed inward within the inwardly concave central portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Inventor: Rohan Gunning
  • Publication number: 20140299091
    Abstract: A monobloc piston body for an internal combustion engine is provided. The piston body includes a first piece which includes a pair of skirt portions and a pair of pin bosses and a second piece which includes a crown portion with an upper combustion surface and an at least partially enclosed oil gallery. The first and second pieces are joined together at a joint that is located on a side of the oil gallery opposite of the upper combustion surface. The firs piece is made through casting or forging, and the second piece is made through an additive manufacturing process, such as direct metal laser sintering.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: Federal-Mogul Corporation
    Inventors: Carmo Ribeiro, Owen Lu, Thomas Egerer
  • Publication number: 20140290618
    Abstract: The invention relates to a piston (10, 110, 210) for an internal combustion engine, comprising a piston head (11, 111, 211) and a piston skirt, the piston head (11, 111, 211) having a circumferential ring section (15, 115, 215) and a circumferential cooling channel (16, 116, 216) in the region of the ring section (15, 115, 215). The cooling channel has a cooling channel floor (17, 117, 217) and a cooling channel ceiling (18, 118, 218). According to the invention, the cooling channel (16, 116, 216) has a narrowing (20, 120, 220).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2012
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: MAHLE INTERNATIONAL GMBH
    Inventor: Ulrich Bischofberger
  • Publication number: 20140290619
    Abstract: A piston assembly for use in an internal combustion engine is provided by the present disclosure. The piston assembly includes a piston body having an extended piston mantel, a piston face, an internal cavity, and a wrist pin support. Two oil retainer seals are located concentrically about the extended piston mantel near a distal end, each oil retainer seal having an internal groove and being formed of a polymer material. Two compression clips are disposed within the internal grooves of the two oil retainer seals and are adapted to assist the oil retainer seals in establishing contact with an inner wall of a cavity in a cylinder of the internal combustion engine. The piston body is formed of an engineered composite material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Inventor: Heinz-Gustav A. Reisser
  • Patent number: 8839749
    Abstract: A piston has a piston head, a piston pin support projecting from the piston head, and a mantle wall connected to the piston head. The mantle wall is formed with two tubular pieces that are disposed concentrically relative to one another and which are connected at a periphery of the piston head. A hollow space is formed between the tubular pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Mahle Koenig Kommanditgesellschaft GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Franz Laimboeck
  • Patent number: 8839759
    Abstract: A cylinder head of an engine with an integrated exhaust manifold is provided. In one example, the inner exhaust runners and outer exhaust runners have different cross-sectional areas. This arrangement may be beneficial to maintain exhaust flow rates in the integrated exhaust manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: John Christopher Riegger, Shuya Shark Yamada, Todd Jay Brewer
  • Publication number: 20140261283
    Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine is provided. The piston includes a pair of pin bosses formed of aluminum or an aluminum alloy spaced from one another in an axial direction. Each of the pin bosses has a generally circular opening for receiving a wrist pin. The pin bosses are formed integrally with surrounding areas of the piston, and each pin boss has a zone with increased hardness relative to the surrounding areas of the piston. The zone with increased hardness is at the inner periphery of the generally circular opening and resists deformation from forces between the piston and a wrist pin during operation of the internal combustion engine. Preferably, the zone with increased hardness has a dendritic microstructure with primary silicon crystallites dispersed throughout; are substantially free of pores and cracks; and have a Vickers Hardness Value of between 169 and 177.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Federal-Mogul Corporation
    Inventors: Warran Boyd Lineton, Greg Salenbien
  • Publication number: 20140261284
    Abstract: A piston and method of construction are provided. The piston has a piston body with an insert forming at least a portion of an upper combustion surface. The piston body is constructed from a first material having a first thermal conductivity and the insert is constructed from a second material having a second thermal conductivity. The first thermal conductivity is less than the second thermal conductivity. The piston body has an upper crown and a pair of pin bosses depending from the upper crown with the pin bosses presenting pin bores aligned with one another along a pin bore axis. The upper crown includes a recess in which the insert is fixed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Federal Mogul Corporation
    Inventors: Mark McMurray, Marc Brandt
  • Patent number: 8833327
    Abstract: A piston and an engine are provided that includes various precise configuration parameters, including dimensions, shape and/or relative positioning of the combustion chamber features, resulting in a combustion process that yields improved mixing of fuel and intake air and increased uniformity of load on the engine pistons. The piston provides a piston bowl with a concave curvilinear portion that may be semi-spherical and extends inwardly to a depth; an angled surface extends inwardly from the crown surface to intersect the concave curvilinear portion at an edge at a depth; and a curved surface that extends inwardly from the crown surface to intersect the concave curvilinear portion at a tangent at a depth. The angled surface may be part of a frusto-conical surface that may extend from both sides of the angled surface to an area proximate the curved surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Cummins Intellectual Property, Inc.
    Inventors: Rishikesh Venugopal, John M. Deur, Jason W. Mackey
  • Publication number: 20140251255
    Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine may include a surface in a region on a crankshaft side. The piston may include a thermally conductive coating disposed on the surface via thermal spraying.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2012
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: Mahle International GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Beerens, Dieter Emmrich, Christoph Luven, Uwe Mohr, Reinhard Rose
  • Publication number: 20140251254
    Abstract: The invention relates to an oil scraper ring (1) for a piston (13) of an internal combustion engine, comprising several lamellae (2, 3), each having a joint (19, 19?), and a meander-shaped spacer spring (4) having a joint (17). In order to prevent the ends of the spacer spring (4) and the lamella (2) from interlocking, the joint (19) of the lamella (2) encloses an acute angle with the radius of the lamella (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2012
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventor: Holger Franz
  • Publication number: 20140251256
    Abstract: An engine based on a reciprocating piston engine that extracts work from pressurized working fluid. The engine includes a double reed outlet valve for controlling the flow of low-pressure working fluid out of the engine. The double reed provides a stronger force resisting closure of the outlet valve than the force tending to open the outlet valve. The double reed valve enables engine operation at relatively higher torque and lower efficiency at low speed, with lower torque, but higher efficiency at high speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Inventor: Charles L. Bennett
  • Patent number: 8820288
    Abstract: A semifinished product blank, suitable for the production of a steel piston (1) for internal combustion engines having cylinder crankcases made of light metal alloys. Such a steel piston (1) has at least one upper piston part (4) which has a combustion recess (2) and an annular wall (3), and a lower piston part (4?) which has a piston skirt (5) and a connecting rod bearing (6). The semifinished product blank is made of an austenitic steel, that is stabilized with Ni, Mn and N and that has a thermal expansion coefficient in a range of 16 to 21Ă—10?6 K?1. Also disclosed is a steel piston, which at least has a piston skirt (5) made of an austenitic steel that is stabilzed with Ni, Mn, N. The piston skirt (5) has a thermal expansion coefficient in a range of 16 to 21Ă—10?6 K?1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Timotheus Kaiser, Hermann Pfeifer, Wolfgang Rehm, Karl Weisskopf
  • Publication number: 20140238332
    Abstract: A method for producing a cooling-duct piston for an internal combustion engine, composed of a piston upper part and a piston lower part, wherein the piston upper part is detachably connected to a piston lower part and a cooling duct is formed in the region between the piston upper part and the piston lower part which is charged with coolant via at least one inlet opening during the operation of the cooling duct piston and out of which coolant flows again via at least one outlet opening. In a first step, the piston upper part is detached and separated from the piston lower part, and subsequently a ring, which has at least on discharge opening, is fastened to the inlet opening and finally the piston upper part and the piston lower part reconnected. The cooling duct can be charged with coolant via the inlet opening. A cooling duct piston for an internal combustion engine is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2012
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: KS KOLBENSCHMIDT GMBH
    Inventors: Matthias Laqua, Volker Lehnert
  • Publication number: 20140238333
    Abstract: The invention relates to a piston (1) for an internal combustion engine having shaft elements (8, 9) which have inner surfaces (17, 18) that correspond to those regions of the shaft elements (8, 9) in which the shaft elements (8, 9) are thinner than 7% of the piston diameter “D”, and have outer surfaces (14, 19) that define in a radially outward direction those regions of the shaft elements (8, 9) which, viewed in the circumferential direction, lie outside angle ranges (20, 20?) of more than 40° on both sides of the pin bore axis (15). In this connection, the ratio of the content of the inner surface (17, 18) to the ratio of the content of the outer surface (14, 19) is more than 60%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: MAHLE INTERNATIONAL GMBH
    Inventor: Markus Alexander Hirsch
  • Patent number: 8813712
    Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine has a piston head, a piston skirt, and a circumferential recess configured between the piston head and the piston skirt. The piston has a piston base body and a piston ring element. The piston base body has a crown region of a combustion bowl and the piston skirt. The piston ring element has a piston crown, a wall region of the combustion bowl, a circumferential top land, and a circumferential ring belt with ring grooves. The piston ring element has a circumferential cooling channel between the wall region of the combustion bowl and the ring belt, closed with a closure element. The piston base body and the piston ring element have a circumferential joining seam in the region of the combustion bowl, by way of which seam they are non-releasably connected with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Karlheinz Bing, Michael T. Lapp, Rainer Scharp, Michael Ullrich
  • Patent number: 8813713
    Abstract: The piston has a crown forming a piston bowl. The piston bowl has a center portion with a convex spherical shape, a floor having a convex frusto-conical shape adjacent the center portion, and a base having a concave toroidal shape surrounding the floor. The piston bowl also has a cylindrical wall extending tangentially from the base that surrounds the center portion. The piston has a top surface perpendicular to the cylindrical wall along a rim of the piston bowl. A ratio between the piston bowl depth and the cylindrical wall length is less than 4, and a ratio between the piston bowl diameter and the piston bowl depth is 4.7.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: John R. Gladden, Jonathan Kilkenny, Christopher Batta
  • Patent number: 8813357
    Abstract: A piston with a cast bi-metallic dome feature and a method of making the piston. In one form, the piston is for use in a diesel engine, while in another, the piston is for use in a gasoline engine. The dome feature may include a laminate of a relatively high-temperature material (such as stainless steel) and a relatively low temperature material (such as aluminum or aluminum alloys) such that the portion of the dome made from the relatively high-temperature material is directly exposed to combustion within a cylinder into which the piston is placed. In another form, an aluminum coated stainless steel layer is used to form the dome. In one form, an ablation casting process may be used to manufacture the dome.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Joseph C. Kopchick, Mark A. Osborne
  • Publication number: 20140230775
    Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine includes a piston head that has a piston crown, a top land, a ring part, and a combustion bowl with a bowl base, a bowl wall, and an insert which is made of an annular component and which is held in the piston head by means of an undercut section. According to the invention, the component has an inner wall on the bowl side, the inner wall continuously tapering off all the way to the bowl wall or the bowl base in a flush manner, thereby forming a circumferential edge that tapers into a point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventor: Ulrich Bischofberger
  • Publication number: 20140230774
    Abstract: A steel piston with an oil gallery, and process for forming a steel piston oil gallery channel, which corresponds to the complex shape of the combustion bowl in the piston crown. The piston crown is made by a cast metal or powder metal forming process. The oil gallery channel is formed to the basic shape that corresponds to the shape of the walls of the combustion bowl. Machine-turning surfaces in the oil gallery channel can be machine-finished as desired. Surfaces in the oil gallery which cannot be machined with conventional turning operations, such as recesses and protrusions into the channel, are left in the original as-formed condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: Federal-Mogul Corporation
    Inventor: Norbert G. Schneider
  • Patent number: 8807109
    Abstract: A piston and method of construction is provided. The piston includes a top part fixed to a bottom part. The top part has an uppermost surface with annular inner and outer upper joining surfaces depending therefrom. The bottom part has a pair of pin bosses with pin bores aligned with one another along a pin bore axis; a pair of upwardly extending annular inner and outer lower joining surfaces and a combustion bowl wall. Inner and outer weld joints fix the inner and outer upper and lower joining surfaces to one another. An annular cooling gallery is formed laterally between the upper and lower joining surfaces. The inner weld joint joining the top part to the bottom part is located within the combustion bowl wall and configured to minimized the compression height of the piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Federal-Mogul Corporation
    Inventors: Florin Muscas, Eduardo H. Matsuo
  • Patent number: 8807110
    Abstract: A system and method for sampling fluid from a top land piston crevice of a reciprocating piston engine. Access into the crevice is via a length of tubing inserted into a bore through the piston wall. Two valves, first a relief valve and then a piloted check valve, operate together to capture a sample of fluid from the crevice at a time just before TDC of the piston on its compression stroke. The sampled fluid flows from the check valve into a sample container. The valves further cooperate to close fluid communication from the crevice after a sample is taken, which allows the engine to operate normally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
    Inventors: Mitchel A. Smolik, Dustin B. Kramer, Timothy L. Haby
  • Patent number: 8800526
    Abstract: A piston assembly for an internal combustion engine is provided. The piston assembly includes a piston crown including an upper surface defining a bowl region, a side portion and a lower surface, a piston skirt depending from the side portion of the piston crown, a sensor, at least partially coated by a visualization material, disposed within the piston crown at a location proximate to the bowl region, and a sensor data telemetry system coupled to the sensor. Methods for manufacturing a piston assembly for an internal combustion engine are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Caterpillar, Inc.
    Inventor: Jay L. Richerson
  • Patent number: 8794208
    Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine has a piston head and a piston skirt delimited by a lower skirt edge. The piston skirt has a working surface assigned to its major thrust side (DS) and a working surface assigned to its minor thrust side (GDS), and a zone is assigned to each of the two working surfaces, which zone proceeds from the lower skirt edge and is exposed to a maximal stress during operation of the internal combustion engine. The zone of the working surface assigned to the major thrust side (DS) and/or the zone of the working surface assigned to the minor thrust (GDS) side is provided with a coating that has grooves that run vertically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventor: Rolf-Gerhard Fiedler
  • Patent number: 8789509
    Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine includes a piston base material and a film of lubrication coating composition. The coating composition has an inner coating layer formed on a surface of the piston base material and an outer coating layer formed on a surface of the inner coating layer. Each of the inner coating layer and the outer coating layer contains at least one of a polyamide-imide resin, a polyimide resin and an epoxy resin as a binder. The inner coating layer contains 0 to 50 wt % of at least one of graphite and molybdenum disulfide as a solid lubricant, whereas the outer coating layer contains 50 to 95 wt % of at least one of graphite and molybdenum disulfide as a solid lubricant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masato Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20140202404
    Abstract: A monobloc piston assembly for an internal combustion engine is provided. The piston assembly includes a piston body which extends along an axis and is formed of at least two pieces of material which are joined together at least one friction weld joint which extends continuously through an annular shape around the axis. One of the pieces has an upper surface with a combustion bowl having a rotationally asymmetrical shape around the axis formed therein. Another of the pieces has a dome-shaped receiving surface which is rotationally symmetrical around the axis for slidingly receiving a portion of a connecting rod.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2014
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: Federal-Mogul Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Weinenger, Florin Muscas
  • Publication number: 20140190443
    Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine, having a piston base body, a piston ring element having at least an inner region of a piston crown, and a piston skirt. The piston is provided with pin bosses having pin bores and the ring element has at least an outer region of a piston crown having a circumferential top land and a circumferential ring belt provided with ring grooves. The piston base body and piston ring element are joined together by way of corresponding, conical joining surfaces configured on them.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: MAHLE INTERNATIONAL GMBH
    Inventors: Helmut EDEL, Andreas SEEGER-VAN NIE, Volker WEISSE, Achim FEDYNA, Christian PESCHKE, Rainer SCHARP
  • Patent number: 8770590
    Abstract: An oil scraper piston ring includes a ring body having two radial outer running webs on the ring body, which are arranged one behind the other in relation to the run direction of the piston and are spaced apart from one another by an external depression. Each running web respectively has two scraper lips and a wear protection coating is provided on each scraper lip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Federal-Mogul Burscheid GmbH
    Inventor: Peter Esser
  • Patent number: 8770168
    Abstract: A piston for a four valve direct injection diesel engine defines a combustion chamber comprising a recess (10) in the piston crown, which is rotationally symmetrical about the axis of the piston in axial cross-section and is defined by a base and a side wall. A generally conical projection (5) is upstanding from the base. The recess (10) includes a lower toroidal portion (8) and an upper portion (10), whose diameter progressively increases towards the piston crown. The upper and lower portions of the recess are separated by an annular, arcuate lip (12) extending into the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Ricardo UK Limited
    Inventors: Richard Cornwell, Fabrizio Conicella
  • Publication number: 20140174395
    Abstract: A piston assembly for an internal combustion engine is provided. The piston assembly includes a piston crown including an upper surface defining a bowl region, a side portion and a lower surface, a piston skirt depending from the side portion of the piston crown, a sensor, at least partially coated by a visualization material, disposed within the piston crown at a location proximate to the bowl region, and a sensor data telemetry system coupled to the sensor. Methods for manufacturing a piston assembly for an internal combustion engine are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR INC.
    Inventor: Jay L. Richerson
  • Publication number: 20140174396
    Abstract: A piston for a free piston engine generator, comprising one or more elements arranged coaxially along a piston shaft wherein the length of the piston is at least five times its maximum diameter, wherein at least one of the elements is formed from a magnetically permeable composite material having isotropic electrical resistivity at least twice that of electrical steel this arrangement providing improved free piston position control, more consistent combustion and improved electrical conversion efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: LIBERTINE FPE LTD.
    Inventor: Sam Cockerill
  • Patent number: 8757124
    Abstract: A movable wall member, in form of an exhaust valve spindle (1) or a piston (7) for an internal combustion engine, comprises a base portion (17, 20) of an alloyed steel having a carbon-content in the range from 0.15 to 0.35% by weight, and an outer portion (14, 5) forming the surface of the wall member facing a combustion chamber. The outer portion is of a hot-corrosion-resistant alloy, which is nickel-based, chromium-based or cobalt-based. At least one buffer layer (18, 21) of an alloy is located in between the base portion and the outer portion. The alloy of the buffer layer is different from the alloyed steel of the base portion and different from the hot-corrosion-resistant alloy of the outer portion. The alloy of the buffer layer comprises from 0% to at the most 0.09% C in percent by weight of the buffer layer, and that the buffer layer has a thickness of at least 1.5 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Man Diesel, Filial AF Man Diesel SE, Tyskland
    Inventor: Harro Andreas Hoeg
  • Publication number: 20140166513
    Abstract: Processing used pistons includes receiving defective and non-defective pistons removed from service, sorting the used pistons into standard and expanded processing categories, and repairing a defect in pistons in the expanded processing category via welding. An inventory of interchangeable replacement pistons is populated with remanufactured pistons from both the standard and expanded processing categories.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: Caterpillar, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald G. Clark
  • Publication number: 20140165954
    Abstract: A system and method for sampling fluid from a top land piston crevice of a reciprocating piston engine. Access into the crevice is via a length of tubing inserted into a bore through the piston wall. Two valves, first a relief valve and then a piloted check valve, operate together to capture a sample of fluid from the crevice at a time just before TDC of the piston on its compression stroke. The sampled fluid flows from the check valve into a sample container. The valves further cooperate to close fluid communication from the crevice after a sample is taken, which allows the engine to operate normally.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Mitchel A. Smolik, Dustin B. Kramer, Timothy L. Haby
  • Patent number: 8752521
    Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine may include a piston head and a piston shaft. The piston shaft may have two shaft walls, one arranged on a pressure side and the other arranged on a counter-pressure side. Two box walls may have pin bosses and connect the shaft walls. Each of the box walls may have a first partial wall section and a second partial wall section. The first partial wall section may extend between the pin boss and the shaft wall arranged on the pressure side. The second partial wall section may extend between the pin boss and the shaft wall arranged on the counter-pressure side. A first longitudinal center line of the first partial wall section is may be convergent to a second longitudinal center line of the second partial wall section, wherein the first and second longitudinal center lines—intersect each other outside the piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Mahle International GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Braig, Rainer Fischer, Thomas Hettich, Peter Kleinle, Michael Marquardt
  • Publication number: 20140150747
    Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine, has a piston crown, two pin bosses, and pin bores introduced into the pin bosses. Respective lubricating grooves are formed in the nadir and equator regions of the pin bores. In order to improve the lubrication of the pins, the lubricating grooves are arranged in the radially inner edge area of the respective pin bore and additionally in a plane lying at an angle to the piston axis, such that the lubricating grooves open into the radial inner faces of the pin bosses, where lubricating oil can enter the lubricating grooves. The lubricating grooves are produced by a lathe tool, the rotational axis of which is tilted relative to the pin bore axis and which is moved in a direction pointing away from the piston crown during the turning.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: MAHLE INTERNATIONAL GMBH
    Inventor: Roland Lochmann