Patents Examined by Bibhu Mohanty
  • Patent number: 7383820
    Abstract: A system and method to control engine valve timing to during the start of an internal combustion engine. Electromechanical valves are controlled in a manner to reduce hydrocarbon emissions during the start of an internal combustion engine. The method controls intake valves so that smaller adjustments are made to cylinder spark advance and air-fuel over a range of operating conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Donald J. Lewis, John D. Russell
  • Patent number: 7059299
    Abstract: A multi-stage air throttle valve assembly is provided for use in a multiple cylinder engine. The valve assembly provides a series of shiftable valve plates to provide full, maximum opening of air ports having passageways therethrough for introduction of air into the combustion cylinders of the engine. By use of two or more such sliding plates, the port size through the assembly may be maximized for enhanced volumetric entry of air into the combustion chambers. A combined reed valve assembly, fuel injectors and/or an air velocity assembly with engine are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Inventor: Arvel L. Clark
  • Patent number: 7055482
    Abstract: A cover for the spark plug boot and an ignition wire connected with spark plug of an engine includes a woven fiberglass sheath surrounding the spark plug insulator and spark plug boot and having an entrance cuff formed with an inner end flap stitched to form a pocket for capturing the end strands of the sheath, forming a four plug end construction that maintains the circularity of the opening and reduces the harmonic vibration in the sheath during engine operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Inventor: Ernest T. Jefferson
  • Patent number: 7051703
    Abstract: In a method for operating an internal combustion engine, the fuel is supplied via at least one injection valve. The injection fuel quantity is influenced by the injection duration. In order that the internal combustion engine be operated optimally with respect to emission and comfort, it is suggested that it is predicted whether a requested injection duration of the injection valve become greater that a maximum possible injection duration. If the prediction yields that a case is imminent, at least a quantity, which is decisive for the combustion, is on influence that the torque (M) is gently reduce.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Thomas Wenzler
  • Patent number: 7044105
    Abstract: A first method is for determining a variable, which characterizes a fuel injection, in an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle in a hot-start situation wherein fuel is injected directly into at least one combustion chamber from a high-pressure region of a fuel supply system; the variable, which characterizes the injection quantity, is corrected at least in dependence upon a variable which represents a temperature of the fuel. A second method is for determining a hot-start situation in an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle wherein a hot-start situation is determined at least based on a variable, which represents a temperature of the fuel, and based on a fuel pressure. The invention relates likewise to corresponding arrangements, a corresponding control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, a corresponding computer program having program-code means and a corresponding computer program product having program-code means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Gerd Grass, Ruediger Weiss, Markus Amler, Hansjoerg Bochum
  • Patent number: 7036489
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the method for operating an exhaust system can comprise determining a stream temperature of an exhaust stream, and desulfating the NOx adsorber. Desulfating the NOx adsorber can comprise determining an amount of oxygen needed to increase an initial temperature of a NOx adsorber to a desulfation temperature of greater than or equal to about 600° C., producing reformate comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide in an on-board reformer, introducing the amount of oxygen to the NOx adsorber, and introducing a sufficient amount of reformate to the NOx adsorber to attain an air to fuel ratio that is less than a combustion stoichiometric A/F ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ming-Cheng Wu, Taeyoung Han, Galen B. Fisher
  • Patent number: 7017535
    Abstract: The present invention provides a carburetor that can be adapted to a variety of engines with different positional relationships between the location for feeding the air/fuel mixture and the location for feeding scavenging air. The carburetor a carburetor main body (22) with an air intake passage (24) forming a portion of the air/fuel mixture passage (23) and is provided with an air passage (33) that forms a portion of an air channel (32) for scavenging air. The air passage (33) is positioned parallel to an air intake passage (24), and the front end thereof is positioned further to the base end side than to the engine-side front end face of the carburetor main body (22), enhancing the degree of freedom for placing the conduit pipe (34) for connecting the air passage (33) to the scavenging air feed port (9). Also, the throttle valve (26) and the air valve (35) are butterfly valves with mutually parallel valve stems, and the interlocking mechanism thereof has a simple configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Zama Japan
    Inventors: Satoru Araki, Kimio Koizumi
  • Patent number: 7013869
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electronically-controlled fuel injector, for an internal combustion engine, comprising a downstream fuel injection valve located near an air intake port of each cylinder or inside a cylinder, an air intake passage which bypasses the throttle valve located upstream of a downstream fuel injection valve, and a fuel vaporizing section including an upstream fuel injection valve, and a heater which vaporizes fuel injected from the upstream fuel injection valve; and further having an air intake port located upstream of the throttle valve, air flow control section for controlling an amount of air, said fuel vaporizing section, vaporized-fuel branch section for supplying vaporized fuel to each cylinder, and a vaporized-fuel distribution passage which extends from the vaporized-fuel branch section to an opening located in each air intake pipe located downstream of the throttle valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masami Nagano, Takanobu Ichihara, Hiroaki Saeki
  • Patent number: 7013881
    Abstract: The invention is a method for controlling ignition parameters of a spark plug (16) for an internal-combustion engine whose ignition is controlled by an engine control calculator, with the spark plug receiving a high voltage (U_HT) and a current (I_HT) from an ignition emulator (E). The method establishes a target current and/or voltage values (Ucible_HT, Ucible_Boost, Icible_HT, Icible_Boost) to obtain the desired electric arc at the spark plug electrodes, stores the target values in a parametering unit (32), measuring at regular intervals, after an ignition command by the calculator, at least one of a voltage (U_HT, U_Boost, U_Batt) and current (I_HT, I_Boost) parameter coming from the emulator, comparing the parameters with the target values, and when variation occur between the measured parameters and the target values, adjusting the parameters to reach the target values for controlling the ignition parameters of a spark plug for an internal-combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignees: Institut Francais du Petrole, Societe Apojee
    Inventor: Olivier Metzelard
  • Patent number: 6997168
    Abstract: The invention proposes a fuel supply system for internal combustion engines, having a fuel tank (1) and a fuel reservoir (5) disposed therein, having a fuel pump (11), which drives one or more jet pumps (13), each by means of a supply line (21), the jet pumps (13) in turn filling the fuel reservoir (5) with fuel from the fuel tank (1). There is also a fuel line (7), which hydraulically connects the fuel reservoir (5) to the engine. During the starting of the engine, the fuel pump (11) feeds fuel into the fuel line (7), thus improving the starting behavior of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Schueler, Thomas Droege
  • Patent number: 6994077
    Abstract: Cylinders of a diesel engine 1 are provided with cylinder pressure sensors 29a to 29d for detecting combustion chamber pressures. An electronic control unit (ECU) 20 of the engine selects optimum combustion parameters in accordance with a fuel injection mode of fuel injectors 10a to 10d of the engine and a combustion mode determined by the amount of EGR gas supplied from the EGR valve 35 from among a plurality of types of combustion parameters expressing the combustion state of the engine calculated based on the cylinder pressure sensor output and feedback controls the fuel injection amount and fuel injection timing so that the values of the combustion parameters match target values determined in accordance with the engine operating conditions. Due to this, the engine combustion state is controlled to the optimum state at all times regardless of the fuel injection mode or combustion mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobuki Kobayashi, Shizuo Sasaki, Taro Aoyama, Kouji Yoshizaki, Hiroki Murata, Yoshiki Hashimoto, Kazuhisa Inagaki, Kiyomi Nakakita, Shoji Nakahara, Yoshihiro Hotta
  • Patent number: 6994074
    Abstract: In a method of controlling rotational speed for an internal combustion-generator unit, a filtered rotational speed is monitored with respect to rotational speed oscillations. When such oscillations are detectd, their frequency is compared with a first limit value, and as a function of the comparison, a first mode or a second mode is set. In the first mode, the filter is altered and, in the second mode, parameters of a rotational-speed controller are adapted to eliminate the oscillations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH
    Inventor: Armin Doelker
  • Patent number: 6990947
    Abstract: A homogeneous charge compression ignition engine that prevents knocking and misfires when changing output and when the load or air-fuel ratio changes due to one reason or another when operating under a predetermined condition. A controller determines whether or not the air-fuel ratio is changing in such a manner that there is a possibility of knocking or misfires occurring by using a map defining a range, in which stable homogeneous charge compression ignition operation is enabled, in relation with the air-fuel ratio and the intake air temperature. When the air-fuel ratio indicates that there is a possibility of knocking or misfires occurring, the controller controls an intake air temperature adjustor to adjust the intake air temperature based on the map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kuzuyama, Sigeru Aoki
  • Patent number: 6990957
    Abstract: The invention takes account of the residual gas exiting from the cylinder in order to reliably determine the air mass drawn in. To this end, the dependency of the air mass drawn in on the intake pressure is divided into three areas, from which the average area is modeled as a non-linear dependency of the air mass drawn in on the intake pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jürgen Dingl, Michael Henn
  • Patent number: 6990937
    Abstract: A variable valve control system for an internal combustion engine includes first and second variable valve control mechanisms capable of varying valve lift characteristics of one of an intake valve and exhaust valve, and a controller that controls the first and second variable valve control mechanisms. The controller includes a detecting section for detecting a malfunction of the first variable valve control mechanism, and a control section that controls the second variable valve control mechanism upon detection of the malfunction of the first variable valve control mechanism so that an intake valve opening timing coincides with or is retarded from an exhaust valve closing timing. A variable valve control method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeki Shindou, Masaki Toriumi, Tsuneyasu Nohara
  • Patent number: 6990950
    Abstract: An electronic control unit (an ECU) of a fuel injection system performs a learning injection based on a learning injection quantity and obtains multiple influence values of an operating state of an engine generated through the learning injection. The ECU calculates a learning value for correcting the injection quantity in a normal operation based on the multiple influence values. The ECU determines whether the influence value obtained during the learning injection is within a predetermined range of the influence value. The ECU calculates a provisional learning injection quantity for bringing a subsequent influence value into the predetermined range if the influence value obtained in an early stage of the obtainment is out of the predetermined range. Then, the ECU calculates the other influence values by performing the other learning injections based on the provisional learning injection quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Asano, Yoshihiro Narahara, Eiji Takemoto, Akira Umehara
  • Patent number: 6990962
    Abstract: An evaporative fuel control system for an internal combustion engine having a canister that absorbs evaporative fuel generated in the fuel tank. An atmosphere open passage connects the canister with the atmosphere. A purge valve is disposed between the intake passage and the canister. A purge controller controls the purge valve so that the evaporative fuel absorbed by the canister is purged and supplied to the intake passage. A leak check system examines leakage in the evaporative fuel control system by causing negative pressure in the evaporative fuel control system during stop of the engine. The leak check system includes a factory test mode which is provided with a decreased leak check time which is shorter than that for normal leak check when the evaporative fuel control system receives a factory test signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
    Inventor: Ryoji Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6983730
    Abstract: A homogeneous charge compression ignition engine includes a combustion chamber and a piston for compressing and igniting an air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber. A variable valve actuation mechanism opens and closes an exhaust valve to perform internal exhaust gas recirculation. A heater heats the mixture before the mixture is supplied to the combustion chamber. A storage device stores correspondence information of the amount of internal exhaust gas recirculation and heated state of the mixture heated by the heater that are necessary to perform homogeneous charge compression ignition in relation with the load of the engine and the rotation speed of the output shaft. A controller controls the variable valve actuation mechanism and the heater to achieve the amount of internal exhaust gas recirculation and heated state of the mixture in correspondence with the load and speed required for the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
    Inventor: Hiroshi Kuzuyama
  • Patent number: 6983739
    Abstract: The present invention provides an evaporative fuel control system for an internal combustion engine. In this system, a canister is disposed on an evaporative fuel control passage that connects an intake passage of the engine with a fuel tank to absorb the evaporative fuel. An atmosphere open passage connects the canister with the atmospheric air. A purge valve is located between the intake passage and the canister for a purge control of the evaporative fuel generated in the fuel tank and absorbed by the canister. This system includes a switching valve, a reference pressure detecting means, a pressure reducing means, a leak diagnosis means, and a failure determination means. The switching valve communicates/shuts the atmosphere open air passage with/to the atmosphere. The pressure reducing means vacuums or reduces the pressure inside of the evaporative fuel control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
    Inventor: Ryoji Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6983731
    Abstract: A method for operating a fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine is provided, in which monitoring is performed as to whether an overlapping occurs between a time interval in which one piezoelectric element for injecting fuel into a cylinder is to be charged or discharged, and a time interval in which a different piezoelectric element for injecting fuel into a different cylinder is to be charged or discharged. The monitoring is performed as to whether, in the context of a lower-priority injection, the charging or discharging occurs within a predefined time interval around the point in time of a charging or discharging of a higher-priority injection, the spacings of time-related charging and/or discharging edges (edge overlaps) being determined during operation of the fuel injection system, and the magnitude of the shift and/or shortening of the lower-priority injections with respect to the higher-priority injections being determined therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas-Juergen Rohatschek, Udo Schulz