Abstract: A medical workstation and workstation system for patients includes a bed for positioning the patient in the lying position, a plurality of mobile work units, which are connected to the bed, a control unit, which is arranged at the bed and which can be connected via a first supply cable to a stationary media port, on the one hand, and via a second supply cable to a mobile media port, on the other hand, for supplying a work unit. The control unit is designed as a distribution unit, to which a plurality of mobile work units (4, 4?) are connected via connection cables.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 9, 2008
Date of Patent:
May 1, 2012
Assignee:
Dräger Medical GmbH
Inventors:
Dieter Settgast, Sven Pasdzior, Claus Bunke, Gerald Panitz, Jürgen Manigel, Hermann Hopermann, Kay Frensch, Martin Wunderlich
Abstract: A system and a method of facilitating fuel vaporization in a directly injected internal combustion engine are provided. As one example, the method comprises: closing an exhaust valve of the cylinder; opening an intake valve after the exhaust valve has closed; moving a piston of the cylinder away from top dead center between the closing of the exhaust valve and the opening of the intake valve to expand the cylinder volume and reduce a pressure within the cylinder to below a pressure of an air intake manifold of the cylinder; and initiating an injection of fuel directly into the cylinder via an in-cylinder injector after the exhaust valve has closed.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 28, 2011
Date of Patent:
May 1, 2012
Assignee:
Ford Global Technologies, LLC
Inventors:
Jianwen James Yi, Claudia Olivia Iyer, FooChern Ting, George Carver Davis
Abstract: A personal watercraft configured to eject water rearward from a body thereof to generate a propulsive force, includes a pair of right and left resistive elements which are attached to the body and configured to be able to receive water resistance during travel of the watercraft. The resistive elements are configured to move between an operating position and a non-operating position, the water resistance being larger in the operating position than in the non-operating position. Each of the resistive elements includes a pressure receiving section configured to receive the water resistance in the operating position, and wherein in the operating position, at least a portion of the pressure receiving section is located outward relative to a coupling portion where the resistive element is coupled to the body, in a width direction of the body.
Abstract: A method of operation of an internal combustion engine including an intake valve coupled to a combustion chamber, and a port fuel injector positioned upstream of the intake valve in an intake manifold including a throttle, the port fuel injector fluidly coupled to a fuel rail included in a fuel delivery system housing a fuel at least partially composed of alcohol. The method including, during a start-up operation when the temperature of the engine is below a threshold value and fuel is actively being injected into the intake manifold, adjusting a cone angle of a fuel spray from the port fuel injector, via adjustment of the throttle and/or fuel delivery system, based on the position of the intake valve.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 16, 2011
Date of Patent:
May 1, 2012
Assignee:
Ford Global Technologies, LLC
Inventors:
David Karl Bidner, John M. Roth, Mark Peters
Abstract: A method for controlling an amount of a liquid electrolyte in a polymer-electrolyte membrane of a fuel cell is provided. The method comprises enriching one or more of a fuel flow and an air flow with a vapor of the liquid electrolyte, the liquid electrolyte being unreplenishable via an electrochemical reaction of the fuel cell. The method further comprises delivering the vapor of the liquid electrolyte to the fuel cell including the polymer-electrolyte membrane via one or more of the gas-permeable anode and or the gas-permeable cathode. In this manner, loss of liquid electrolyte from the PEM membrane of the fuel cell can be reduced, leading to improved fuel-cell endurance.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 19, 2011
Date of Patent:
May 1, 2012
Assignee:
ClearEdge Power, Inc.
Inventors:
Yang Song, Craig E. Evans, Nicolas DeFalco, Jason M. Tang
Abstract: The air-cooled thermal management of a fuel cell stack is disclosed. One disclosed embodiment comprises a cooling plate apparatus for an air-cooled fuel cell stack, where the cooling plate comprises a body configured to receive heat from one or more fuel cells in thermal communication with the body, and airflow channels formed in the body and configured to allow a flow of a cooling air to pass across the body. An insulating structure is disposed in the airflow channels, wherein the insulating structure has decreasing thickness from a cooling air inlet toward a cooling air outlet.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 20, 2009
Date of Patent:
May 1, 2012
Assignee:
ClearEdge Power, Inc.
Inventors:
George W. Hawkins, Zakiul Kabir, Qimin Ming, Yang Song
Abstract: Device for discarding trims formed by cutting machines during the cutting of paper logs, comprising an advancing plane on which paper rolls (R) and trims (RT, RC) advance along a given direction (A), wherein the trims can fall through a discontinuity provided on said advancing plane. The said advancing plane is formed by a first extendible conveyor (1) and a second extendible conveyor (2). Each of said conveyors (1, 2) is connected with extension and retraction means. The said discontinuity on the advancing plane is realized or eliminated depending on the extended or not extended configuration of said conveyors (1, 2).
Abstract: A system and method for reducing noise in an automotive heating, ventilation, and cooling system is described. A noise attenuation device using radial vanes upstream of a flow discontinuity, such as a bend in the ducting, and downstream of a blower fan is used to reduce noise.
Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating a fuel system in an engine, the fuel system including a supply pump for delivering fuel to the fuel system and pressurizing fuel received from a feed pump, a fuel tank, a fuel filter for filtering fuel, a fuel rail, and a fuel injector. One example method comprises, during an engine cold-start, operating the supply pump, and adjusting a supply pump operation mode between at least a pressure-controlled mode and a volume-controlled mode based on a fuel temperature and pressure.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 31, 2009
Date of Patent:
May 1, 2012
Assignee:
Ford Global Technologies, LLC
Inventors:
Gopal Krishna Chamarthi, Brien Lloyd Fulton, Christopher Oberski, Peter Mitchell Lyon
Abstract: A selection device for shifting a vehicle transmission, with a operating element (4), which can be rotated into different shift positions (6, 7, 8, 9) about an axis of rotation (5) and with a shaft (21), which is connected to the operating element (4) and is rotatable about the axis of rotation. An angle of rotation sensing device (32) is connected to the shaft, by which a rotation of the operating element (4) about the axis of rotation (5) can be sensed. An actuator (22) is provided by which a torque can be applied to the shaft (21) or a torque can be applied to oppose a rotation of the shaft (21). A control is connected to the angle of rotation sensing device (32) and to the actuator (22) for controlling the torque.
Abstract: A system for controlling a variable compression ratio in an engine is provided. The system includes a cylinder, an outer piston located inside the cylinder, the cylinder and the outer piston collectively defining a combustion chamber, an inner piston, variably positioned inside the outer piston, the outer piston and the inner piston collectively defining an auxiliary chamber, a connecting rod including an air duct in fluid communication with the auxiliary chamber, and a crankshaft including an air passage in fluid communication with the air duct of the connecting rod during at least a portion of an engine cycle.
Abstract: A refilling system for a vehicle including a body panel having a fixed opening, an adjustable refilling assembly partially enclosed by the body panel, the adjustable refilling assembly including a first port and a second port, the adjustable refilling assembly movable between at least a first configuration in which the first port is aligned with the fixed opening and a second configuration in which the second port is aligned with the fixed opening.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 18, 2008
Date of Patent:
May 1, 2012
Assignee:
Ford Gobal Technologies, LLC
Inventors:
Doug Vandervoort, Grant A. Compton, Stanley Jay Novak, Brenda Johnson, Kirk Rasmussen, Marius Efstate
Abstract: A medical electrode is provided for detecting and transmitting electric pulses from the body surface of a patient to an electric pulse processor. The medical electrode includes an outer carrier and at least one inner carrier (3, 3?, 3?). The outer carrier and the inner carrier are connected at a defined number of geometrically distributed points (2). The points (2) form an outer edge (4) of the inner carrier and are perforated, so that the outer carrier and the inner carrier can be separated at these points (2). An adhesion area (5) is formed on the underside of the outer carrier (1) and of the inner carrier for adhering the medical electrode to the patient body surface. A contact element (7) is provided with a conductive area arranged concentrically to the contact element (7) for establishing contact with the body surface of the patient. The contact element (7) and the conductive area (8) are arranged within the inner carrier.
Abstract: A method for adjusting an air-fuel ratio of an engine is disclosed. In one example, the engine air-fuel ratio is adjusted in response to a duty cycle and frequency of a post catalyst oxygen sensor. The method may improve catalyst efficiency.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 8, 2011
Date of Patent:
April 24, 2012
Assignee:
Ford Global Technologies, LLC
Inventors:
Dennis Craig Reed, Bruce Colby Anderson
Abstract: A method comprising receiving a fuel injection signal from a first driver circuit via a control line, feeding the fuel injection signal to a second fuel injector driver circuit, sending a control signal output from the second fuel injector driver circuit to a fuel injector, monitoring the fuel injector for degradation based on operation according to the control signal, and in response to degradation of the fuel injector, changing a state of the control line.
Abstract: Systems and methods for supplying air to an engine are disclosed. In one example, an air inlet throttle is at least partially closed in response to a change in engine torque request. In another example, the air inlet throttle is adjusted in conjunction with adjusting an engine throttle. The approach can reduce compressor noise and may reduce the possibility of compressor surge.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 29, 2011
Date of Patent:
April 24, 2012
Assignee:
Ford Global Technologies, LLC
Inventors:
Joseph Norman Ulrey, Jeffrey Allen Doering, Ross Dykstra Pursifull, Donald J. Lewis
Abstract: Systems and methods of operating an engine, the engine including an injector configured to directly inject fuel into an engine cylinder. One example method comprises, during an engine cold start, performing compression direct fuel injection, and retarding a timing of the compression injection as a fuel alcohol content of the fuel increases.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 22, 2009
Date of Patent:
April 24, 2012
Assignee:
Ford Global Technlogies, LLC
Inventors:
Gopichandra Surnilla, David Karl Bidner, Peter Charles Moilanen
Abstract: A system and method for improving emissions of an engine capable of combusting a multi-component fuel comprised of two or more fuels is presented. According to the method, the passage exhaust gases are processed in said exhaust system is determined in part from the concentration of one component fuel.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 5, 2008
Date of Patent:
April 24, 2012
Assignee:
Ford Global Technologies, LLC
Inventors:
Mark William Peters, John M. Roth, Ken O. Jahr, Jason Eugene Devries, John Hedges
Abstract: The present invention relates to an internal combustion engine that can be operated in a homogeneous charge combustion mode as well as a method and a computer readable storage device for controlling such an engine. The engine comprises at least one fuel injector, a fuel injection controller that controls a fuel amount injected into a first cylinder, and a piston in the first cylinder whose compression causes an air and fuel mixture to be ignited. The engine further comprises at least one intake valve, at least one exhaust valve, a valve operation controller, and at least one sensor for measuring an engine operation parameter in the first cylinder. The engine is particularly characterized in that the valve operation controller is adapted to determine the opening and closing of the intake and exhaust valves of the first cylinder on the basis of a first fuel injection or injections.
Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for starting an engine in a vehicle. In one example, two or more energy storage devices are coupled in series to improve engine starting. The method and system may reduce engine starting time.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 26, 2009
Date of Patent:
April 24, 2012
Assignee:
Ford Global Technologies, LLC
Inventors:
Alex O'Connor Gibson, Allan Roy Gale, Joseph Norman Ulrey, Ross Dykstra Pursifull, John DeMarco