Patents Represented by Attorney C. K. Veenstra

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  • Engine air inlet pressure measurement
    Patent number: 4489595
    Abstract: The pressure of the air delivered to an internal combustion engine is measured by sensing the difference between the pressure in the inlet of the engine induction passage and the pressure in an accelerated air flow region of the engine induction passage when the engine throttle is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 25, 1984
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Edward D. Klomp, Rodney B. Rask
  • Engine induction system
    Patent number: 4475486
    Abstract: A port fuel injection system for an automotive engine has injectors delivering fuel across an air gallery and through subsonic nozzles into the engine inlet manifold to provide enhanced mixing of air and fuel for combustion in the engine. A staged throttle mechanism operates a primary throttle controlling air flow through the air gallery and a secondary throttle controlling air flow directly into the manifold so that the air gallery provides substantially the entire air flow required for low speed light load engine operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1982
    Date of Patent: October 9, 1984
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: David R. Kessler
  • Fuel rail assembly and clip
    Patent number: 4475516
    Abstract: A clip received in a groove about an engine fuel injector and rotated into grooves in a fuel rail body secures the injector in its socket in the fuel rail body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 9, 1984
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Terrance J. Atkins, Martin J. Field, Andrew J. Makusij
  • Progressive throttle positioning system
    Patent number: 4476068
    Abstract: A drive lever mounted adjacent a throttle shaft is connected through a link to a throttle lever secured to the throttle shaft. The link is contorted to initially engage the throttle lever at a location which provides a large lever arm for initial throttle opening movement and to thereafter engage the throttle lever at a location which provides a smaller lever arm for subsequent throttle opening movement. The link further engages the throttle lever in a manner which assures throttle closing movement of the throttle lever over the entire range of throttle closing movement of the drive lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 9, 1984
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Michael D. Griffin, Donald J. Lamirande
  • Valve assembly
    Patent number: 4474150
    Abstract: Induction air flow to an internal combustion engine is controlled or measured by a butterfly valve which extends into undercut recesses on opposite sides of the valve bore. The valve member rotates in excess of 90.degree. between its minimum air flow position and its maximum air flow position and offers a relatively low normalized change in the flow area around the valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1982
    Date of Patent: October 2, 1984
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin M. Foley, Donald D. Stoltman
  • Self oscillating vacuum actuator
    Patent number: 4470338
    Abstract: A vacuum actuator, suitable for use in an automatic belt tensioning system, oscillates automatically when connected to a source of constant vacuum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1982
    Date of Patent: September 11, 1984
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth H. Clayton, Melvin H. Hallmann, Gerald O. Huntzinger, Burr E. Stephens
  • Energy efficient building structure and panel therefor
    Patent number: 4467859
    Abstract: A building structure is constructed from a plurality of sheathed, foam cored structural panels which are adapted to receive solar energy conversion or heat storage devices and are adapted to be connected in an air flow loop to provide integral heating and/or cooling systems for the building structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 28, 1984
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas J. Carroll, James K. Paisley
  • Dual fuel supply system
    Patent number: 4463735
    Abstract: A dual fuel supply system for an automotive engine has a fuel tank adapted to contain both methane and propane at pressures up to 17,000 kPa. A switching valve assembly directs methane to the engine fuel metering apparatus when the fuel tank pressure exceeds 1400 kPa and directs propane to the engine fuel metering apparatus when the fuel tank pressure is less than 1400 kPa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1983
    Date of Patent: August 7, 1984
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Donald D. Stoltman
  • Throttle system
    Patent number: 4462357
    Abstract: Engine air flow is controlled by principal and supplementary throttles--the principal throttle being positioned by a stepper motor but also having a mechanical linkage to assure at least partial throttle opening when required, and the supplementary throttle being positioned by a mechanical linkage to permit primary control of engine output by the principal throttle while assuring that engine output is minimized when required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1982
    Date of Patent: July 31, 1984
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Bruce D. Lockhart
  • Engine air induction system
    Patent number: 4461732
    Abstract: In an engine air induction passage, a throttle controls air flow and an air valve is biased to a position which is a measure of the air flow. Linkage between the throttle and the air valve opens the air valve as the throttle is opened and closes the air valve as the throttle is closed; the linkage contains a dashpot which allows the air valve to move gradually from the position to which it is urged by the throttle to its air flow measuring position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1983
    Date of Patent: July 24, 1984
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Kevin M. Foley
  • Fuel injection system
    Patent number: 4458650
    Abstract: A throttle body fuel injection system has a pressure regulator which reduces the pressure of the fuel supplied to its electromagnetic injector as the engine induction passage pressure decreases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1982
    Date of Patent: July 10, 1984
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: David R. Kessler, Noreen L. Mastro, Jerry R. Scheller, George L. Schultz
  • Fuel injector
    Patent number: 4452396
    Abstract: The injection valve in a diesel engine fuel injector directs fuel onto the surface of a spinning disc which is effective to disperse the fuel into a finely divided spray of substantially uniformly sized fuel droplets. The disc is mounted on a shaft driven by an air turbine rotor and supported by air bearings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1982
    Date of Patent: June 5, 1984
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Roy S. Cataldo
  • Supplementary fuel system for enhancing low temperature engine operation
    Patent number: 4441475
    Abstract: A supplementary fuel system adds propane to the induction passage of an ethanol fueled engine to start and sustain operation of the engine at low temperatures. The propane flow is cycled on and off during cranking of the engine and the propane delivery pressure is varied with induction passage pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1984
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick M. Bouchard, Jack B. King
  • Supplementary fuel system for enhancing low temperature engine operation
    Patent number: 4441467
    Abstract: A supplementary fuel system adds gasoline to the induction passage of an ethanol fueled engine to start and sustain operation of the engine at low temperatures. The gasoline is added during cranking of the engine and in response to a rapid increase in induction passage pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1984
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Thomas M. Powell
  • Fuel pressure regulator
    Patent number: 4436112
    Abstract: The fuel supplied to an injector is maintained at substantially constant pressure by a fuel pressure regulator which balances the fuel pressure with the bias of a coil spring. To establish the desired pressure, a spring housing is deformed to move a spring seat to the position which causes the spring to exert the required bias. The spring seat is connected to the diaphragm by a tie rod which simplifies assembly of the pressure regulator. Slits in the outer portion of the diaphragm allow separation of the diaphragm along an arcuate line while maintaining a continuous peripheral seal about the pressure regulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1982
    Date of Patent: March 13, 1984
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Terrance J. Atkins, Martin J. Field
  • Valve assembly
    Patent number: 4428496
    Abstract: In an air management valve assembly for an automotive engine exhaust air injection system, the pressure relief valve corner has a plurality of cantilevered fingers which releasably lock the valve cover to the valve body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1982
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1984
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Sante P. Sardano
  • Fuel injector
    Patent number: 4427151
    Abstract: An injector for delivering fuel directly to an engine combustion chamber has a sleeve which responds to the combustion chamber pressure and cooperates with a piston in the injector to pressurize the fuel. A single valve in the injector is controlled both to permit supply of fuel to the injector and to allow injection at the appropriate time and in an appropriate amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1979
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1984
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Myron U. Trenne
  • Engine air flow regulator
    Patent number: 4421083
    Abstract: A balanced dual valve member is positioned by a pressure responsive diaphragm and a solenoid reference device to provide an air flow through an engine throttle bypass passage which does not vary with changes in engine manifold pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1982
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1983
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Donald D. Stoltman
  • Engine control suitable for exhaust gas recirculation control
    Patent number: 4399799
    Abstract: An exhaust gas recirculation control valve is positioned by a diaphragm responsive to the difference between a control pressure and atmospheric pressure. The control pressure is adjusted so that its absolute value is maintained equal to a command which varies with engine operating conditions, whereby exhaust gas recirculation is reduced automatically upon a decrease in atmospheric pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1982
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1983
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Edward R. Romblom, Arthur R. Sundeen
  • Exhaust gas recirculation control
    Patent number: 4399798
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, recirculation of exhaust gases is controlled to maintain the control pressure in a zone of the recirculation passage proportional to a reference pressure and thus to provide exhaust gas recirculation as a proportion of induction air flow. A duty cycle modulated valve controls an exhaust back-pressure port and an atmospheric pressure port to create the reference pressure, whereby the proportion of exhaust gases recirculated is established by the duty cycle and is independent of the induction air flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1982
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1983
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Donald D. Stoltman