Patents Examined by Carl S. Miller
  • Patent number: 7007673
    Abstract: A vehicle fuel rail system for fuel delivery and liquid fuel retainment therein. The vehicle fuel rail system comprises a fuel rail and a chassis connector in fluid communication with the fuel rail. The fuel rail has a first bank and a second bank connected to the first bank by way of a crossover line. The first bank has a first top portion and a first bottom portion and the second bank has a second top portion and a second bottom portion. The crossover line has a first end disposed at the first bottom portion and a second end disposed at the second top portion. The chassis connector has a tank end and an rail end wherein the tank end is connected to the vehicle fuel tank and the rail end is disposed at the first top portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignee: Automotive Components Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher J. Treusch
  • Patent number: 7007674
    Abstract: A fuel rail assembly configured for coupling to an engine, the fuel rail including a body having therein a fuel passageway, and a fuel injector coupled to the body and in fluid communication with the fuel passageway. A portion of the body is configured to interconnect with the engine assembly to secure the fuel rail assembly to the engine without using conventional threaded fasteners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignee: Robert Bosch Corporation
    Inventors: Michael T. Streb, William M. Warner
  • Patent number: 7004146
    Abstract: An engine of an outboard motor includes a fuel injection system that is configured to increase the accuracy of fuel pressure measurements and more precisely control the amount of fuel injected. In a preferred mode, the fuel injection system can include a pressure dampening device that is connected to the direct fuel injected system. The system can also include a vibration dampening apparatus that protects a pressure sensor from damage that can be caused by engine vibrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Sanshin Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masahiko Kato
  • Patent number: 7004151
    Abstract: A fuel delivery system arrangement is provided for the internal combustion engine. The arrangement includes a fuel rail with an outlet and a fuel injector for metering flow of fuel from the fuel rail into the internal combustion engine. The fuel injector has a body with an inlet, which inlet has an opening. A first sealing member is provided for engaging the fuel rail outlet and sealing the fuel injector inlet opening from a portion of the fuel injector body. A second sealing member is provided which engages the fuel rail outlet and seals the injector body providing a sealed control volume between the first sealing member and the second sealing member adjacent to the fuel injector body. A vent is provided connecting a sealed control volume with an area external to the fuel injector rail and the fuel injector body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Millennium Industries Corp.
    Inventor: Michael J. Zdroik
  • Patent number: 7004141
    Abstract: An engine control system in a vehicle including a variable displacement internal combustion engine, an intake manifold coupled to the internal combustion engine, a throttle coupled to the intake manifold, a controller for controlling the throttle and the engine, an accelerator pedal having an accelerator pedal accelerator sensor electronically coupled to the controller, and where the controller controls the position of the throttle to maintain a substantially consistent pedal position to generate substantially the same torque for different displacements of the engine, where changes in the displacement of the engine are transparent to the operation or operator of the accelerator pedal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory Paul Matthews, Charles Henry Folkerts
  • Patent number: 7004150
    Abstract: A control a control for an injector includes an energizing device actuated by a fluid pressure during an injection event to provide a monitoring voltage. The control unit is used with an injector and is capable of monitoring the variables of the injector such as opening and closing times of the spool valve by using a pressure of the working fluid. The control unit can control the opening and closing of the injector by determining the opening times based on a generated voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Siemens Diesel Systems Technology VDO
    Inventor: Ulrich Augustin
  • Patent number: 7000600
    Abstract: In controlling power supply time, a variation in the fuel injection quantity caused by a variation in the fuel injection rate at the in-cylinder pressure of the engine (detected or estimated value in the running state of the internal combustion engine) relative to the fuel injection rate at a reference in-cylinder pressure (under the condition of an injector characteristic measuring benchmark test), and in addition, a variation in the fuel injection start time is corrected. In the calculation of the variation in the fuel injection quantity, a fuel injection rate changing behavior model in which changing behavior of the fuel injection rate is modeled as a trapezoid is used to calculate the areas of ?q1 and ?q2. The variation in the fuel injection start time ??d is calculated based on the rail pressure and the variation in the in-cylinder pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takafumi Yamada, Yoshimasa Watanabe
  • Patent number: 6997166
    Abstract: A fuel injector for use in an internal combustion engine, comprising a supply passage for high pressure fuel and an injection nozzle for receiving high pressure fuel. The injection nozzle includes a valve needle which is engageable with a valve needle seating to control fuel delivery from the injector. A surface associated with the valve needle is exposed to fuel pressure within a control chamber and a first restricted flow path provides communication between the supply passage and the control chamber. A supplementary flow path also provides communication between the supply passage and the control chamber under the control of a control valve, so as to allow high pressure fuel to flow from the supply passage into the control chamber through two flow paths when it is required to terminate an injection of fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Stringfellow
  • Patent number: 6988487
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fuel injection control device which can prevent the occurrence of a phenomenon that when a pressure of fuel in the inside of a pressure storage chamber is elevated during a fuel cut, and the injection of fuel is restarted, the fuel is injected at a high fuel pressure largely different from a target fuel pressure. Accordingly, the fuel injection control device can prevent the deterioration of an exhaust gas and the occurrence of an engine stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takahiko Oono, Toshiaki Date
  • Patent number: 6988491
    Abstract: The invention relates to a pump unit arranged in an inner tank (3) of a fuel tank, comprising a fuel pump (5) which is used to pump fuel to the internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle; an ejector pump (21) which is connected to the fuel pump (5) and used to pump fuel out of the fuel tank into the inner tank (3); and at least one filter element (20:31) which is used to filter fuel, wherein a housing part which is connected to the fuel pump (5) is provided with at least one channel (30;33;35;47) for guiding said fuel. In order to simplify the structure of the pump unit (2) and to enable substantial pre-assembly, the housing part (24;40) is configured in such a way that it can hold the at least one filter element (20;31), and the channel (30;33;35;47) is exclusively guided inside the housing part (24; 40) from the ejector pump (21) and/or the fuel pump (5) to the filter element (20;31).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Sabine Burhenne, Johannes Deichmann, Joerg Deubner, Peter Marx, Hans-Peter Osburg
  • Patent number: 6988488
    Abstract: A fuel pressure relief valve is provided to minimize evaporative emissions due to fuel leakage through the fuel injectors. The fuel pressure relief valve is sealed during operation to prevent flow through the valve. When the automotive vehicle is not operating and the temperature has cooled, the valve unseals. Thereafter, temperature rises that would otherwise result in pressure buildup are prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ross D. Pursifull, David R. Gimby
  • Patent number: 6986340
    Abstract: A device including an internal combustion engine, an engine control device coupled to the internal combustion engine and manually operable to stop operation of the engine, a fuel tank for providing fuel to the engine, and a fuel vent closure device automatically operable in response to the manual operation of the engine control device to substantially seal the fuel tank when the engine is stopped, thereby substantially preventing emissions from the fuel tank. The device also preferably includes a fuel shutoff device automatically operable in response to the manual operation of the engine control device to substantially block the supply of fuel to the engine when the engine is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignee: Briggs & Stratton Corporation
    Inventors: Gary J. Gracyalny, John H. Thiermann
  • Patent number: 6981491
    Abstract: A coupling valve structure 26 is provided for a fuel supply module 20. The module has a fuel pump 20 disposed in a fuel reservoir 18, a feed line 21 in fluid communication with an outlet of the fuel pump for feeding fuel to a high pressure pump 16 and thus to an engine, and a return line 22 for returning excess fuel from the engine or high pressure fuel pump to the reservoir 18. The coupling valve structure 26 includes a check valve 28 constructed and arranged to communicate with the feed line to permit fuel to be delivered to the engine and to prevent the fuel from draining back to the fuel pump, and a pressure relief valve 30 integrally connected with the check valve via a conduit 23.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive Corporation
    Inventors: Jochen Schmitt, Holger Dilchert, Michael Teichert, Andreas Bernert
  • Patent number: 6978766
    Abstract: A control module (1) for an injector designed to control and guide a valve body (8) comprises a high-pressure supply element (2), a guiding device (3) for guiding the valve body, a control compartment (4), a control valve (10), a supply choke (5), first and second output chokes (6, 7). The supply choke physically represents a connection between the high pressure supply element (2) and a valve compartment (9). The first output choke (6) connects the control compartment linked to one end of the valve body, to the valve compartment (9). The second output choke (7) connects the valve compartment (9) to the control valve (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Willibald Schürz
  • Patent number: 6976476
    Abstract: A fuel pump drive system for an internal combustion engine uses a cam-to-cam gear from a double overhead camshaft to rotate a fuel pump gear. The fuel pump drive system may have a primary camshaft, a secondary camshaft, and the fuel pump. The primary camshaft has a camshaft gear and the cam-to-cam gear. The secondary camshaft has a cam gear. The cam gear engages the cam-to-cam gear. The fuel pump has a fuel pump gear that engages the cam-to-cam gear. The fuel pump gear drives the fuel pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: International Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC
    Inventor: Subhash V. Mantri
  • Patent number: 6976477
    Abstract: An invention for controlling hydrocarbon emissions diffusing from a throttle body through an air path of an air induction system after engine shut-off. The invention includes a pourous membrane loaded with carbon positioned in fluid communication with the emissions for adsorbing the emissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David R. Gimby, Neville J. Bugli
  • Patent number: 6971368
    Abstract: A fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine includes a fuel supply pump, a fuel pressure detector, and a control unit. The fuel supply pump supplies pressurized fuel to a fuel injection valve in the internal combustion engine. The fuel pressure detector detects the pressure of the fuel supplied. The control unit controls the amount of the fuel supplied based on a deviation between an actual fuel pressure and a target fuel pressure. The control unit includes an integral term calculator and an integral term holder. The integral term calculator adds an integral compensation quantity and a last-time integral term to calculate a this-time integral term based on an integral compensation quantity that is updated according to the deviation. The integral term holder stops the updating of the integral compensation quantity and retains the last-time integral term when a defect in the fuel supply pump is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Ken Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 6971375
    Abstract: A pump generates a gas flow within a measurement passage having an orifice. A differential pressure sensor detects a pressure difference between both ends of the orifice. Switching valves are disposed in the measurement passage to create a first concentration measurement state in which the measurement passage is opened at both ends thereof and the gas flowing through the measurement passage is the atmosphere, and a second concentration measurement state in which the measurement passage is in communication at both ends thereof with a canister and the gas flowing through the measurement passage is a fuel vapor-containing air-fuel mixture provided from the canister. An ECU calculates a fuel vapor concentration by based on a pressure difference detected in the first concentration measurement state and a pressure difference detected in the second concentration measurement state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Noriyasu Amano, Takanobu Kawano, Koichi Inagaki, Nobuhiko Koyama, Masao Kano, Shinsuke Takakura, Yoshichika Yamada
  • Patent number: 6971370
    Abstract: When a pressure-feeding period of a supply pump and an injection period of an injector overlap and an actual injection quantity is affected by a pump pressure-feeding quantity of fuel supplied by the supply pump, an engine control unit (ECU) calculates the pump pressure-feeding quantity supplied during the injection period and calculates a correction value in accordance with the pump pressure-feeding quantity. The ECU corrects a command injection quantity with the correction value. Thus, even if injection start timing changes in accordance with a change in an operating state and if the pump pressure-feeding quantity supplied during the injection period changes because of the change in the injection start timing, variation in the actual injection quantity can be inhibited. As a result, the injector can inject an optimum quantity of the fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Ryo Suenaga, Namoru Oki
  • Patent number: 6966503
    Abstract: A sprinkler includes a shunt, a water-control shaft, a switch and a detergent storage pipe, wherein the shunt is provided with axial hole vertically connected to radial notch. Both sides of this shunt are vertically equipped with diversion holes. The top ends and bases of both diversion holes are separately connected to radial notch; the rotatable water-control shaft is linked to the radial notch of shunt. The middle section of the rod is provided with a concave main notch and a water panel. Both sides of main notch are equipped with two secondary notches. The radial positions of secondary notches are staggered, of which opposite internal edges of secondary notches are connected to main notch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: Shin Tai Spurt Water of the Garden Tools Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chin-Yuan Chen