Electric Regulator Patents (Class 123/458)
  • Patent number: 11408365
    Abstract: A method for operating an injection system of an internal combustion engine, including: providing the injection system includes a high pressure accumulator; regulating a high pressure in the high pressure accumulator in a normal operation by way actuating a low pressure-side suction throttle; regulating the high pressure in a first operating mode of safety operation by way of actuating at least one high pressure-side pressure control valve; carrying out a switchover from the normal operation into the first operating mode of safety operation if the high pressure reaches or exceeds a first limit pressure value; and carrying out a switchover from the first operating mode of safety operation into the normal operation if, starting from above a setpoint pressure value, the high pressure reaches or undershoots the setpoint pressure value, which is lower than the first limit pressure value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Solutions GmbH
    Inventor: Armin Dölker
  • Patent number: 11261817
    Abstract: A method determines an inflection point OP of a parameter profile i, n which is representative of a component tolerance and a state of wear of a fuel pump. The fuel pump is provided for a fuel supply system for use in a device equipped with an internal combustion engine. The device being a passenger car, utility vehicle and/or a stationary or mobile power generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Vitesco Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Kleineberg, Mariz Abdelmalek, Marc Völker, Andreas Sausner
  • Patent number: 11215134
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method of operating an internal combustion engine comprising a controllable injector for injecting fuel into a combustion chamber, the injector communicating with a fuel accumulator through which it is supplied with fuel, the method comprising the following steps: determining a first pressure value of the pressure in the fuel accumulator on the basis of a first pressure measurement, determining a second pressure value of the pressure in the fuel accumulator on the basis of a second pressure measurement carried out after the first pressure measurement, and determining an injector opening duration depending on the first and the second pressure value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Liebherr-Components Deggendorf GmbH
    Inventors: Brice Petitjean, Francois Masson, Josef Aspelmayr
  • Patent number: 11203997
    Abstract: A method for calibrating a fuel pump for use in a fuel supply system of a device having internal combustion engine includes determining a tolerance-conditioned and wear-conditioned deviation of the fuel pump with respect to its delivery behavior so that the calibration permits energy-consumption-optimized actuation of the fuel pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Vitesco Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Kleineberg, Mariz Abdelmalek, Marc Völker, Andreas Sausner
  • Patent number: 11143131
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a control device of an injector capable of suppressing the influence of pressure reduction boiling even if pressure in a combustion chamber is low. In a case where the temperature of fuel injected from a fuel injection valve is within a set high temperature region and the pressure of the combustion chamber is within a set low pressure region, the control device of an in-cylinder direct injection-type injector according to the present invention controls to increase a lift amount of the injector as compared to the case of a low temperature region or a high pressure region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Hosaka, Taisuke Sugii, Eiji Ishii, Kazuki Yoshimura, Yoshihiro Sukegawa, Masayuki Saruwatari
  • Patent number: 11078864
    Abstract: A method of controlling a fuel injection amount of an internal combustion engine includes a target injection amount calculation step, a component-by-component wear amount estimation step at which a component-by-component wear amount of an injector component is estimated, the injector component being a plurality of members or a part of the member constituting the injector and selected in advance as the injector component affects an accuracy of the fuel injection amount, a component-by-component correction amount calculation step, a total correction amount calculation step, and a total correction amount reflection step at which the injector injects a corrected target injection amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI
    Inventor: Atsushi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11047351
    Abstract: Electronic fuel injection for an internal combustion engine maintains an operator-specified air-to-fuel ratio during engine operations in high-speed, high-volume, mixed fuel applications. A microprocessor-based controller executes a program stored in memory to calculate a fuel flow value as a function of the specified air-to-fuel ratio and specified density ratio of mixed fuels. The controller outputs a control signal to a variable fuel flow relief valve and receives feedback from an engine fuel flow sensor. The controller adjusts the control signal until the feedback matches the fuel flow value. The program optimizes the fuel flow value by accounting for engine air flow, water vapor density, and dry air density effects in the calculation, based on signals received by the controller from various environmental sensors. The system has particular application in dragster engines that burn a mixture of nitromethane and methanol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Inventor: Donald John Jackson
  • Patent number: 10914260
    Abstract: Various methods and systems are provided for indexing an injector map and subsequently controlling fuel injection to an engine. In one embodiment, a method for the engine includes injecting fuel via activating an injector for a determined activation time, the activation time determined based on a commanded fuel value and a function of a modified pressure difference across an orifice of a nozzle of the injector, where the modified pressure difference is based on a difference between a rail pressure and peak cylinder pressure, the peak cylinder pressure scaled by a function of engine speed and injection timing and the pressure difference offset by a correction factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: TRANSPORTATION IP HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventors: Lindsey Dodis, Michael Mangus, Pisey Leute, Luke Henry, James Mischler
  • Patent number: 10895205
    Abstract: A multi-port injection system for injecting fluid into a plurality of fluid injection ports during a plurality of fluid injection cycles. The system provides highly accurate measurement of the volume of fluid injected into each injection port during each fluid injection cycle. The system generally includes a fluid holding tank, measuring tubes, a pump, a plurality of port valves coupled to the fluid injection ports, a fluid return valve, volume sensors, and a control unit. During a fluid injection cycle the control unit causes a portion of fluid to be pumped from a measuring tube to a port valve. After each fluid injection cycle, the control unit causes the fluid return valve to return the portion of fluid that was not injected to the measuring tube before the volume of fluid injected is measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: FlowCore Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Ian C. Black, Alec J. Driscoll, Charles D. Black, Steven E. Hayden
  • Patent number: 10760521
    Abstract: A control device for a motor-driven fuel pump adapted for an internal combustion engine is provided. The fuel pump includes a cylinder, a mover in the cylinder, and an electric actuator configured to move the mover. The control device is configured to perform energization control on the electric actuator to reciprocate the mover so that the fuel pump draws in and discharges fuel. The control device is also configured to control a discharge count and a unit discharge amount based on an operating state of the internal combustion engine. The discharge count is a number of times of discharging fuel from the fuel pump to the fuel pipe during a period between a fuel injection from the fuel injection valve and the next fuel injection, and the unit discharge amount is an amount of fuel for one fuel discharge from the fuel pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Seiji Okamura
  • Patent number: 10634085
    Abstract: A control device for an fuel pump includes an electronic control unit. The fuel pump is an electric fuel pump configured to supply fuel to a fuel pipe to which a fuel injection valve disposed within a cylinder of an engine is coupled. The electronic control unit executes an inter-injection discharge control of executing fuel discharge from the fuel pump at a predetermined timing between an Nth fuel injection and an (N+1)th fuel injection from the fuel injection valve. The electronic control unit changes a discharge ratio in accordance with an operational state of the internal combustion engine during the execution of the inter-injection discharge control. The discharge ratio is a ratio of the number of times of fuel discharge from the high-pressure fuel pump to the number of times of fuel injection from the fuel injection valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Seiji Okamura
  • Patent number: 10557435
    Abstract: In the present disclosure, pressurized fuel is directly injected from a fuel injection valve into a cylinder, and a fuel pressure is controlled to a target fuel pressure. A target fuel pressure during early depressurization is calculated on the basis of a target amount of intake air that is a target load of an internal-combustion engine, a target fuel pressure during a normal state is set on the basis of an actual amount of intake air that is an actual load of the internal-combustion engine, and a lower one of the target fuel pressure during early depressurization and the target fuel pressure during a normal state is set as the target fuel pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masatoshi Nakajima, Yujiro Tsutsumi, Junya Iino, Kentaro Miki, Toru Nakashima, Keita Kamase
  • Patent number: 10550814
    Abstract: A characteristic determining device is provided which determines fuel injection characteristics of a plurality of fuel injectors for an internal combustion engine. The characteristic determining device includes a pressure sensor and a plurality of pipes each of which connects between the pressure sensor and one of the fuel injectors. The pressure sensor is designed to have a plurality of pressure inputs from the respective fuel injectors through the pipes and outputs a signal indicative of a level of pressure in each of the fuel injectors. The characteristic determining device analyzes the signals from the first pressure sensor to determine the fuel injection characteristics of the respective fuel injectors. These arrangements result in a simplified structure of the characteristic determining device and a decreased manufacturing cost thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Furukawa
  • Patent number: 10520106
    Abstract: A normally closed solenoid valve includes a valve sleeve, a pole core fixedly positioned in the sleeve, an axially displaceable armature, a spring, a closing element, a valve seat, and an elastic component. The spring acts between the pole core and the armature in order to push the closing element into the valve seat. The closing element interacts with the armature. A prestressing force of the spring causes a deformation of the elastic component, which is positioned between the armature and the pole core, such that an impact of the armature on the pole core is damped via a regression of the deformation of the elastic component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Pascal Godbillon, Massimiliano Ambrosi, Michael Eisenlauer, Edgar Kurz, Norbert Alaze
  • Patent number: 10480467
    Abstract: A flow limiting valve, comprising a valve body adjustable between a closed position and an open position, wherein in the open position a flow channel for a conveying fluid is opened in the flow limiting valve and in the closed position the flow channel is closed, whereby the adjustment of the valve body is subject to conveying fluid pressure; wherein a control valve is integrated into a housing of the flow limiting valve through which the valve body is adjustable between open and closed positions, regardless of the conveying fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: L'Orange GMBH
    Inventor: Markus Kalenborn
  • Patent number: 10400731
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for testing an electrically activated actuator in a fuel delivery device (10) of an internal combustion engine, wherein the electrical actuator is a controllable valve (15) that is arranged on the inlet side of a high-pressure pump (16). The high-pressure pump (16) conveys fuel into a fuel store (17) having a pressure controller (20). The fuel store (17) is connected to at least one injector (23).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Patrick Weiss, Yiping Chen
  • Patent number: 10370238
    Abstract: A fuel tank system, comprising: a fuel tank configured to store a liquid fuel and a pressurized gaseous fuel capable of partially dissolving in the liquid fuel; a refueling conduit coupled to the fuel tank via a tank access valve; a first high pressure refueling port coupled to the refueling conduit; a low pressure refueling port coupled to the refueling conduit via a check valve. In this way, pressurized gaseous fuel or a pre-pressurized mix of fuels may be added to the fuel tank without active control any time the fuel pressure in the fuel tank is below a maximum allowable pressure, and liquid fuel may be added to the fuel tank with active control whenever the fuel pressure and liquid fuel level in the fuel tank are below threshold levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas G. Leone, Mark Allen Dearth
  • Patent number: 10330063
    Abstract: A fuel injector includes an injector housing, a longitudinally movable nozzle needle, and a force sensing element. The injector housing defines a nozzle chamber, a pressure chamber, and a measuring chamber. The nozzle chamber is configured to be supplied with pressurized fuel via a feed line formed in the injector housing. The pressure chamber is configured to be hydraulically connected to the feed line. The nozzle needle is disposed in the nozzle chamber and is configured to open and to close at least one spray hole. The force sensing element is disposed in the measuring chamber and is configured to detect a pressure in the pressure chamber. The measuring chamber is separated from the pressure chamber by a diaphragm-like intermediate wall. The force sensing element supports the intermediate wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Martin Bernhaupt
  • Patent number: 10309547
    Abstract: A solenoid includes a molded coil having a hole at the center of a coil of a plurality of turns, a solenoid body having a case covering the outer perimeter of the molded coil, a movable plunger inserted in the hole, and a magnetic attraction portion disposed in a direction in which the plunger is moved and attracted by magnetic force produced by the coil, an annular plate adjacent to the coil of the molded coil opposite to the solenoid body, and a sleeve facing the magnetic attraction portion via an air gap and supporting one end of a rod connected to the plunger, in which a magnetic circuit L is formed through the magnetic attraction portion, the case, the sleeve, and the plunger, and back to the magnetic attraction portion, and the plunger has at least one outer edge extension formed by an outer edge portion extended axially.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: EAGLES INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shuji Fukunaga
  • Patent number: 10247126
    Abstract: A feedback control method for a fuel delivery system of an internal combustion engine, having a fuel delivery pump for supplying fuel, the fuel delivery pump having a pump mechanism driven by an electric motor, which is controlled by a generated control signal. The current fuel volume delivered by the fuel delivery pump and the prevailing fuel requirement of the internal combustion engine are included in the control signal. The prevailing fuel requirement is determined using characteristic variables that characterize the operating state of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Gerald Behrendt
  • Patent number: 10072558
    Abstract: A compression-ignition low octane gasoline engine. The engine uses low octane gasoline and a compression-ignition method, does not require a spark plug, and compared with ordinary gasoline engines, increases thermal efficiency by approximately 40% and reduces green-house effects caused by emissions by approximately 45%. The “compression-ignition” of the low octane gasoline engine is a diffusion charge compression-ignition, differing from a homogeneous charge compression-ignition. The compression ratio in a cylinder can be 14 to 22, while an ordinary gasoline engine has a compression ratio of 7 to 11. The low octane gasoline engine has a simple structure, easy combustion control, a low noise level, and a low failure rate. As the low octane gasoline can be free of aromatic hydrocarbons, and not require the addition of antiknock agents such as MTBE and MMT, the present novel gasoline engine is a highly efficient, clean, and environmentally friendly internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Inventor: Xiangjin Zhou
  • Patent number: 10030648
    Abstract: Fault detection and response systems and processes can be used for pumps, e.g., pump/motors used in hybrid vehicles. The fault detection systems determine when certain operating conditions, which may affect the proper operation of the system, occur. The response systems take appropriate action based on which fault conditions are triggered. Example fault detection systems and processes include detection systems for different types of leaks, sensor malfunctions, or operation errors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited
    Inventors: Michael Anthony Stoner, Thomas D. Hawkins, Douglas D. Simpson
  • Patent number: 10030649
    Abstract: A high-pressure pump includes a plunger, a cylinder, a pressuring chamber, a pump body, a main fuel chamber, an auxiliary fuel chamber and a return passage. The cylinder slidably houses the plunger therein. The pump body houses the cylinder and has an end surface on an opposite side of the pump body relative to the pressurizing chamber in an axial direction. The main fuel chamber is in the pump body. The auxiliary fuel chamber has a side defined by one end of the cylinder on an opposite side of the cylinder relative to the pressurizing chamber. The return passage is inside the pump body and is in fluid communication with an external cooling unit. Fuel leaking out from the pressurizing chamber through a clearance between the cylinder and the plunger is collected inside the auxiliary fuel chamber, and the collected fuel flows toward the external cooling unit through the return passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideaki Ukai, Eiji Itoh, Hiroshi Inoue
  • Patent number: 9920683
    Abstract: Various methods and systems are provided for maintaining combustion stability in a multi-fuel engine. In one example, a system comprises a first fuel system to deliver liquid fuel to at least one cylinder of an engine, a second fuel system to deliver gaseous fuel to the at least one cylinder, and a controller. The controller is configured to supply the gaseous fuel to the at least one cylinder, inject the liquid fuel to the at least one cylinder thereby to ignite the liquid fuel and the gaseous fuel in the at least one cylinder via compression-ignition, and adjust an amount of the gaseous fuel relative to an amount of the liquid fuel based on a measured parameter associated with auto-ignition of end gases subsequent to the compression-ignition of the liquid fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Daniel Yerace, Adam Edgar Klingbeil, James Robert Mischler
  • Patent number: 9920727
    Abstract: To reduce collision noise created by the operation of an electromagnetic suction valve provided on a high pressure fuel supply pump. In the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, the mass of a member which collides by magnetic attractive force is reduced to reduce the noise to be generated. The thus configured present invention provides the following advantageous effects. The noise generated when a core and an anchor collide with each other by magnetic attractive force depends on the magnitude of the kinetic energy of a moving element. The kinetic energy to be consumed in the collision is only the kinetic energy of the anchor. The kinetic energy of a rod, being absorbed by a spring, does not contribute to the noise; thus, the energy when the anchor and the core collide with each other can be reduced, whereby the noise to be created can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuo Kawano, Kenichiro Tokuo, Satoshi Usui, Hiroyuki Yamada, Katsumi Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 9920703
    Abstract: At least after off of an injection pulse of partial lift injection, a first filtered voltage Vsm1 being a negative terminal voltage Vm of a fuel injection valve filtered by a first low-pass filter having a first frequency f1 as a cutoff frequency, the first frequency f1 being lower than a frequency of a noise component, is acquired, and a second filtered voltage Vsm2 being the negative terminal voltage Vm filtered by a second low-pass filter having a second frequency f2 as a cutoff frequency, the second frequency f2 being lower than the first frequency f1, is acquired. Time from a predetermined reference timing to a timing when a difference Vdiff (=Vsm1?Vsm2) between the filtered voltages has an inflection point is calculated as voltage inflection time Tdiff, and the injection pulse of the partial lift injection is corrected based on the voltage inflection time Tdiff.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Katsurahara, Nobuyuki Satake
  • Patent number: 9920704
    Abstract: At least after off of an injection pulse of partial lift injection, a difference between a first filtered voltage being a negative terminal voltage of a fuel injection valve filtered by a first low-pass filter and a second filtered voltage being the terminal voltage filtered by a second low-pass filter is calculated, and time from a predetermined reference timing to a timing when the difference between the filtered voltages has an inflection point is calculated as voltage inflection time. Subsequently, an injection quantity corresponding to current voltage inflection time is estimated for each of injection pulse widths with a relationship between the voltage inflection time and the injection quantity, the relationship being beforehand stored for each of the injection pulse widths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Katsurahara, Nobuyuki Satake, Keisuke Yanoto
  • Patent number: 9897016
    Abstract: On the basis of a decrease in a high-pressure detection value and a low-pressure detection value during fuel control using a CNG injector, an electronic control unit automatically switches the combustion control to combustion control using a gasoline injector even when the amount of CNG remaining is insufficient. When the first shutoff valve is forcibly switched to an closed state by inputting a forcible shutoff command of a first shutoff valve to a terminal and the combustion control using the CNG injector is performed, a switching process to the combustion control using the gasoline injector is inhibited regardless of the decrease in the high-pressure detection value and the low-pressure detection value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISAN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akito Onishi, Hirotaka Shirasawa
  • Patent number: 9885310
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating a lift pump of an engine fuel system. In one example, a method may comprise closed loop operating a lift pump of a fuel system based on a difference between a desired fuel rail pressure and an estimated fuel rail pressure, and open loop operating the lift pump to the desired fuel rail pressure in response to a fuel flow rate in a direction of a fuel rail through a check valve positioned between the lift pump and the fuel rail decreasing to a threshold. Thus, outputs from a fuel rail pressure sensor may not be used to adjust lift pump operation when an amount of fuel flowing to the fuel rail decreases to a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ross Dykstra Pursifull, Justin Trzeciak, Joseph Norman Ulrey
  • Patent number: 9874128
    Abstract: A fluid injector includes a valve assembly constructed and arranged to control flow of fluid from an inlet to an outlet of the injector. A metal housing surrounds at least a portion of the valve assembly. A plastic body is molded over at least a portion of the housing. A distal end of the body defines an integral stepped portion extending from the body. A carrier surrounds at least the distal end of the body. A seal member is in contact with at least the stepped portion and a surface of the carrier to prevent liquid from entering a space between the housing and the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert W. McFarland, Todd M. Detweiler, Keith A. Shaw
  • Patent number: 9856844
    Abstract: A fuel pump for a direct injection system having: a pumping chamber; a piston, which is mounted in a sliding manner on the inside of the pumping chamber; an intake channel, which originates from a wall of the pumping chamber and has a housing portion; an intake valve, which is inserted into the housing portion of the intake channel; and a locking ring nut with an annular shape, which is threaded and is screwed into the housing portion of the intake channel so as to strike against the intake valve; the housing portion has an annular abutment, which reduces the diameter of the housing portion and against which the intake valve strikes; the locking ring nut is screwed into the housing portion with a tightening force that is sufficient to determine a plastic deformation of the annular abutment against the intake valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: MAGNETI MARELLI S.p.A.
    Inventors: Michele Petrone, Enrico Vezzani, Massimo Mattioli
  • Patent number: 9850867
    Abstract: In a control system that includes a pressure accumulating portion that supplies CNG to a fuel injection valve and a regulator that adjusts a pressure in the pressure accumulating portion to a set pressure and of which a valve element opens when CNG is supplied to the pressure accumulating portion and closes when supply of CNG to the pressure accumulating portion is shut off, a control parameter relating to a combustion state in an internal combustion engine is controlled on the basis of a length of a period during which an opening degree of the valve element reduces from a first predetermined opening degree to a second predetermined opening degree when the pressure in the pressure accumulating portion is adjusted to the set pressure by the regulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISAN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kouseki Sugiyama, Satoshi Taniguchi, Masahiko Masubuchi, Hiroshi Eto
  • Patent number: 9845778
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a residual pressure holding valve provided downstream a feed pump of a fuel to hold a pressure in a fuel pipe leading to the port injection valve. Residual pressure holding valve is opened to return the fuel in the fuel pipe to the fuel tank when the pressure in the fuel pipe exceeds a valve opening pressure, and closed when the pressure in the fuel pipe is lower than the valve opening pressure. At the time of a request to reduce a target pressure of the fuel to be supplied to the electric feed pump, a control device refrains from causing the target pressure to decrease when a load of the engine is smaller than a prescribed value, and causes the target pressure to decrease when the load of the engine is greater than the prescribed value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryuhei Mitsuoka
  • Patent number: 9831508
    Abstract: A fuel injection apparatus includes a valve element provided with a flow passage allowing a fuel to flow therethrough, a valve seat which the valve element will contact with or separate from, and a casing accommodating therein the valve element and the valve seat. During valve opening in which the valve element is separated from the valve seat, the fuel flowing through the flow passage is discharged through a gap between the valve element and the valve seat. A direction in which the valve seat is placed relative to the valve element is the same as a direction of the fuel flowing in the flow passage. The fuel injection apparatus further includes a discharge-side flow passage in which the fuel to be discharged during valve opening is allowed flow. The discharge-side flow passage is formed outside an outer peripheral portion of the valve seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: AISAN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Sadatsugu Nagata
  • Patent number: 9745937
    Abstract: The required fuel supply amount of an internal combustion engine is reduced by limiting the throttle opening when a high-pressure fuel pump is required to discharge fuel that exceeds the fuel delivery capacity thereof. Further, when the throttle opening is limited, the operation of a return valve, through which fuel and vapor thereof can be discharged from the high-pressure fuel pump, is prohibited. By performing the abovementioned control, a reduction in the fuel delivery amount of the high-pressure fuel pump due to the operation of the return valve is prevented when there is a possibility that the fuel deliver amount of the high-pressure fuel pump runs short and the fuel supply amount of the internal combustion engine runs short.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takeshi Tokuda
  • Patent number: 9657700
    Abstract: An inlet valve arrangement for a pump head of a fuel pump for use in a common rail fuel injection system comprises an inlet valve member moveable between open and closed positions to control the flow from a source of low-pressure fuel to a pumping chamber of the fuel pump. The inlet valve member is arranged to open in response to the pressure difference between the fluid pressure of fuel on an inlet side of the inlet valve member and the fluid pressure in the pumping chamber exceeding a threshold value. The inlet valve arrangement comprises means for selectively applying a closing force on the inlet valve member to bias it toward the closed position, such that, in use, the application of the closing force by said means acts to increase the threshold value of the pressure difference at which the inlet valve member opens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Delphi International Operations Luxembourg SARL
    Inventors: Robert Schanz, Paul Buckley, Rainer Jorach
  • Patent number: 9624867
    Abstract: Proposed is a method for open-loop and closed-loop control of an internal combustion engine (1), the rail pressure (pCR) being controlled via a low pressure-side suction throttle valve (4) as the first pressure-adjusting element in a rail pressure control loop. The invention is characterized in that a rail pressure disturbance variable is generated to influence the rail pressure (pCR) via a high pressure-side pressure control valve (12) as the second pressure-adjusting element, by means of which fuel is redirected from the rail (6) into a fuel tank (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: MTU FRIEDRICHSHAFEN GMBH
    Inventor: Armin Dölker
  • Patent number: 9587578
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for closed loop operation of a high pressure fuel pump connected to the direct injectors of an internal combustion engine. During operation of the high pressure pump a dead zone may exist where a substantial change in the pump duty cycle does not correspond to a substantial change in the fuel rail pressure. To operate outside the dead zone, a relationship between the pump duty cycle and fuel rail pressure is learned upon completion of several pump and engine conditions, thereby improving high pressure pump operation and reducing pump degradation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Gopichandra Surnilla, Mark Meinhart, Joseph F. Basmaji, Ross Dykstra Pursifull, Hao Zhang
  • Patent number: 9528610
    Abstract: An injection valve assembly includes a valve body having a central longitudinal axis and a cavity with fluid inlet and outlet portions, a valve needle axially movable in the cavity to control a fluid flow through the fluid outlet portion. The valve needle includes a radially extending retainer element. An electro-magnetic actuator unit including an armature axially movable in the cavity and designed to actuate the valve needle via the retainer element, and a pole piece fixedly coupled to the valve body and including an inner recess, the retainer element being at least partially arranged in the inner recess. The pole piece includes a stop element extending radially into the inner recess of the pole piece. The stop element has a stop surface facing the fluid outlet portion and the retainer element. The stop surface of the stop element limits the axial movement of the retainer element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Francesco Lenzi, Valerio Polidori, Stefano Filippi
  • Patent number: 9506428
    Abstract: A system which includes a turbo bypass switching valve (BSV) positioned at a beneficial location as a direct mount on an air box to achieve compliance to OBD hose-off requirement via electronic actuation of the BSV and monitoring of the fuel tank pressure sensor for pressure change. When the turbocharger unit is generating pressurized air, the turbo BSV is open, and vapor is passing through the purge valve, some level of vacuum in the fuel tank is sensed. By closing the BSV, flow through the venturi is reduced, producing both less vacuum and a change in fuel tank pressure. The pressure change does not occur if any of the hoses become disconnected. This results in a simple OBD “venture hose off” check without additional components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Douglas Jefford, Benjamin Dominick Manton Williams, David William Balsdon, David Rene Forgeron, Adrian Ovidiu Crisan
  • Patent number: 9494116
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fuel injector having a nozzle body (I) and having an injector body (2). In the nozzle body (I) there is formed a high-pressure bore (3) for accommodating a nozzle needle (4) which can perform a stroke movement and via the stroke movement of which at least one injection opening (5) can be opened up or closed off, the fuel injector further including a low pressure chamber (6) coupled to the needle (4) via a coupling device (8) having a first and a second disk-shaped coupler body (9, 10), the low pressure chamber (6) accommodating a piezoelectric actuator (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Nadja Eisenmenger, Hans-Christoph Magel
  • Patent number: 9470191
    Abstract: A pneumatic fuel pressure regulator and a mechanical fuel pressure regulator are disclosed wherein the pneumatic fuel pressure regulator uses a mechanical adjustment screw to position a spring locator and spring force exerted on a diaphragm assembly controlling flow through a base fuel block. The mechanical fuel pressure regulator includes a stepper motor and a threaded drive shaft to control pressure exerted on a diaphragm assembly to regulate passage through a base fuel block. A dual stage system combines the pneumatic and mechanical regulators in a dual base unit having two ports separately controlled by the separate regulators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Inventor: Serge V. Monros
  • Patent number: 9429094
    Abstract: A module for managing mass flow and dampening pressure pulsations in the supply line of a gaseous fuelled internal combustion engine comprises a hollow body defining an expanded volume that is fluidly connected directly to a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor. The module is placed along the supply line of a gaseous fuel engine between a fuel pressure increasing device and the fuel rail that supplies fuel to the engine. The module can comprise a filter that filters the impurities from the gaseous fuel supplied to the engine and an overpressure protection device that can vent some of the gaseous fuel from the module to protect it from over-pressurization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: WESTPORT POWER INC.
    Inventors: Derek S. Newcombe, Buerebista Ursu, Gregory A. Batenburg
  • Patent number: 9394857
    Abstract: A fuel system includes a low pressure fuel system, a high-pressure fuel pump, a common rail, at least one fuel injector, and an engine management system. The engine management system may initiate a recirculating cooling fuel flow through the high-pressure fuel pump for avoiding fuel boiling by either increasing the target pressure of the fuel within the common rail above a threshold level, which triggers opening a high-pressure fuel relief valve, such that fuel supplied by the high-pressure fuel pump is returned to the low pressure fuel system via the high-pressure fuel relief valve, or providing increased internal fuel leakage within the at least one fuel injector, such that fuel supplied by the high-pressure fuel pump is returned to the low pressure fuel system by a return line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB
    Inventor: Sergi Yudanov
  • Patent number: 9388760
    Abstract: When a given learning performance condition is met, a partial lift injection for opening a fuel injector is performed by an injection pulse which brings about a partial lift state in which a lift quantity of a valve body of the fuel injector does not reach a full lift position, and an integrated value of a drive current is calculated which flows through a drive coil of the fuel injector after an injection pulse of the partial lift injection is turned off. An inductance of the drive coil is calculated in consideration of a direct current superposition characteristic of the drive coil on the basis of the integrated value of the drive current, whereby the inductance of the drive coil is calculated with high accuracy. Then, the lift quantity of the valve body is estimated on the basis of the inductance, whereby the lift quantity of the valve body is estimated with high accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroshi Katsurahara
  • Patent number: 9303601
    Abstract: The evaporative fuel treatment apparatus includes: a fuel tank configured to store fuel for an engine; a sub-tank that communicates with the fuel tank; an adsorber provided inside the sub-tank and configured to adsorb evaporative fuel generated inside at least one of the fuel tank and the sub-tank; a purge mechanism configured to carry out purging for introducing evaporative fuel from the adsorber into the engine; and an in-tank fuel adjustment unit configured to adjust an amount of fuel inside the sub-tank in response to an operating state of the engine, the in-tank fuel adjustment unit including a fuel introduction pump configured to be able to introduce fuel from an outside of the sub-tank to an inside of the sub-tank, the fuel introduction pump being formed of a jet pump configured to be driven by at least part of fuel discharged from the fuel pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shuichi Aso
  • Patent number: 9267496
    Abstract: To reduce collision noise created by the operation of an electromagnetic suction valve provided on a high pressure fuel supply pump. In the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, the mass of a member which collides by magnetic attractive force is reduced to reduce the noise to be generated. The thus configured present invention provides the following advantageous effects. The noise generated when a core and an anchor collide with each other by magnetic attractive force depends on the magnitude of the kinetic energy of a moving element. The kinetic energy to be consumed in the collision is only the kinetic energy of the anchor. The kinetic energy of a rod, being absorbed by a spring, does not contribute to the noise; thus, the energy when the anchor and the core collide with each other can be reduced, whereby the noise to be created can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuo Kawano, Kenichiro Tokuo, Satoshi Usui, Hiroyuki Yamada, Katsumi Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 9243588
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for varying fuel injection pressure in a gaseous-fueled vehicle. A mechanical pressure regulator may be modified to regulate the pressure of gaseous fuel to varying pressures based on electronic pressure feedback and engine operating conditions. In one example, a regulating pressure in a low pressure chamber of a pressure regulator may be varied by controllably flowing gaseous fuel into or out of a reference chamber of the pressure regulator, and the gaseous fuel exhausted from the reference chamber may be directed to the engine for combustion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Ross Dykstra Pursifull
  • Patent number: 9080527
    Abstract: In a fuel injection system of an internal combustion engine, fuel is delivered from a high-pressure pump into a fuel rail. The quantity of the delivered fuel is influenced by a quantity control valve which is activated by an electromagnetic actuating device. The level of control of the quantity control valve during the transition from the closed state to the open state of the quantity control valve is provided in the form of a sufficiently flat, descending progression which allows a robust control of the opening motion with regard to the varying specimen properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Rainer Wilms, Matthias Schumacher, Joerg Kuempel, Matthias Maess
  • Patent number: 9032933
    Abstract: Provided is a fuel supply control device that performs power supply control of a shut-off valve including a first valve body that is disposed at a fuel supply path ranging from a gaseous fuel tank to a regulator and is opened in advance during power supply, and a second valve body that is opened due to a decrease in a differential pressure between upstream and downstream after the first valve body is opened, and fuel injection control. The fuel supply control device includes a control unit that sets a delay time from an initiation time of power supply to the shut-off valve to an initiation time of fuel injection in correspondence with a first fuel pressure upstream of the shut-off valve and a second fuel pressure downstream of the regulator, and initiates fuel injection after the delay time has passed after the initiation of the power supply to the shut-off valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: KEIHIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshio Saito, Yohei Kuriyagawa