Patents Examined by Charles Brauch
  • Patent number: 10221758
    Abstract: The invention relates to a power unit, in particular for a hybrid vehicle, having a two-cylinder reciprocating piston engine which comprises two pistons guided in two cylinders in a tandem arrangement and two counter-rotating crankshafts connected to the pistons by connecting rods, and having an alternator that can rotate in the opposite direction to the first crankshaft and in the same direction as the second crankshaft. The invention is characterized in that the alternator is in driving engagement with at least the first crankshaft via a traction mechanism and comprises a counterbalance, wherein the first crankshaft is connected via a timing chain or a timing belt to a balancing shaft which carries a further balancing mass. The invention also relates to a vehicle, in particular a hybrid vehicle, having such a power unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: OBRIST TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventors: Franz Laimboeck, Frank Obrist
  • Patent number: 10221753
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a radiator, a bypass passage, a first valve, a second valve, and a controller. Cooling water is circulated through the radiator independently of a cylinder block and a cylinder head of an engine. The radiator cools the cooling water. The cooling water is circulated through the bypass passage while bypassing the radiator. The first valve switches between an open state in which cooling water is circulated through the cylinder block and a closed state in which cooling water is not circulated through the cylinder block. The second valve receives cooling water circulated through the cylinder head and cooling water circulated through the cylinder block via the first valve. The second valve uses an intermediate opening to adjust a flow rate of cooling water circulated through the radiator and the bypass passage. The controller controls opening and closing of the first valve and the opening of the second valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigeru Sakamoto, Itsumi Suda, Yusuke Yamauchi, Yutaka Takahashi, Yoshiyuki Kanesaka
  • Patent number: 10208710
    Abstract: An apparatus for filling a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) vehicle with LPG may include an auxiliary chamber disposed in an LPG bombe of the LPG vehicle, an auxiliary injection line branched from a fuelling line extending to the LPG bombe from a fuel inlet port for connection to the auxiliary chamber, a solenoid valve mounted in the auxiliary injection line to selectively allow or block a flow of LPG to the auxiliary chamber, a temperature sensor to detect a temperature in the bombe, and a controller to control the solenoid valve to be opened when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is equal to or higher than a critical temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Chang Han Kim, Jae Hwa Park, Jong Ki Kim, Jae Min Lee, Keun Soo Kim
  • Patent number: 10208647
    Abstract: There is provided a saddle-ridden type vehicle. A cooling water flow control unit includes a first passage, a second passage, a bypass passage communicating the first and second passages and a thermostat. An engine outlet piping connects a water jacket and the first passage. A radiator inlet piping connects the first passage and a radiator. A radiator outlet piping connects the radiator and the second passage. A water pump inlet piping connects the second passage and a water pump. The water pump is disposed at a side part of a crank case and in front of a crankshaft. The cooling water flow control unit is disposed above a cylinder head cover. The radiator inlet piping, the radiator outlet piping and the water pump inlet piping are disposed between the engine and the radiator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Okita, Takaya Suzuki, Shintaro Yagi
  • Patent number: 10202935
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a multi-piece, in particular at least two-piece, piston (1) for an internal combustion engine having a longitudinal axis (L), comprising a piston outer part (10) having a closed piston head (11), which in the fitted state defines a combustion chamber, and a piston body (13) extending axially away from the piston head (11), and a piston inner part (20), which in the fitted state is connected to a connecting rod. An outer surface (2) radially defining the piston (1) is formed exclusively by at least one portion of the piston body (13) of the piston outer part (10). The piston inner part (20), viewed in an axial direction, is arranged radially entirely inside the piston body (13) or its circumferential surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Hirschvogel Umformtechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Armin Ihle, Thomas Brücher
  • Patent number: 10202900
    Abstract: The invention relates to an internal combustion engine having an adjustable variable compression ratio, a crankshaft having a crankshaft center line and at least one counterweight, which has an extent with a maximum distance from the crankshaft center line, at least one connecting rod, an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the adjustable variable compression ratio, a switchover element for switching the adjusting mechanism, wherein the switchover element is arranged on the connecting rod, and an actuating element for switching over the switchover element from a first position, which corresponds to a first compression ratio, into a second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: FEB GmbH
    Inventors: Uwe Schaffrath, Christoph Muller, Paul Grzeschik
  • Patent number: 10196991
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to an engine having a cylinder head which is divided into multiple sections which each delimit a combustion chamber of a cylinder of the engine and which each comprise inlet and outlet ducts, inlet and outlet valves, and a spark device which is fastened in a through hole of the cylinder head section, for at least one cylinder head section a throttle flap being provided for completely closing the corresponding inlet duct in the event of a deactivation of the associated cylinder. In the at least one cylinder head section, a first gas flow duct is formed between the through hole and the outlet duct, and the spark device is in the form of a rotary slide valve with integrated spark electrodes and is configured to selectively either keep the first gas flow duct closed or connect said first gas flow duct to the associated combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hans Guenter Quix, Maziar Khosravi
  • Patent number: 10190528
    Abstract: Technology is provided for a cylinder with a carbon scraper for use in an opposed piston engine. The cylinder includes a cylinder body having first and second piston bores extending along a central axis for reciprocation of corresponding first and second pistons therein. A chamber bore is located between the first and second piston bores and first and second annular grooves are located on opposite ends of the chamber bore. The chamber bore extends between and is inclusive of a top-dead-center position of a top land of each of the first and second pistons. The first and second piston bores have a piston diameter and the chamber bore has a chamber diameter smaller than the piston diameter. For example, the chamber diameter can be between about 0.004 and about 0.020 inches smaller than the piston diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Fairbanks Morse LLC
    Inventor: Justin Ferguson
  • Patent number: 10190489
    Abstract: In a turbine housing of a twin entry type turbocharger, a first scroll chamber communicating with a first exhaust manifold, and a second scroll chamber communicating with a second exhaust manifold are provided. A surface area of the first exhaust manifold is configured to be larger than a surface area of the second exhaust manifold, and these exhaust manifolds are cooled by a cooling mechanism. In the turbine housing, a first and second cooling water passages are respectively provided to cover the first and second scroll chambers. An internal combustion engine includes a cooling device that causes cooling water to flow into the first and second cooling water passages, and the cooling device is configured so that a temperature of the cooling water that is introduced into the second cooling water passage becomes lower than a temperature of cooling water that is introduced into the first cooling water passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Fumio Takamiya
  • Patent number: 10190452
    Abstract: An engine lubrication structure supplies oil from an oil pump to individual components of an engine in which a balancer shaft is disposed parallel with a crank shaft in a crank case, the engine includes a turbocharger which compresses intake air using exhaust gas of the engine; a main gallery which supplies oil to a bearing of the crank shaft and a bearing of the balancer shaft and a sub-gallery which supplies, to individual components of the engine, oil that has been supplied to the bearing of the balancer shaft are provided in the crank case; and an oil passage which supplies oil to the turbocharger is connected to the sub-gallery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kohei Tsukamoto, Shintaro Yagi
  • Patent number: 10184362
    Abstract: An intake device of an internal combustion engine, includes: a plurality of intake ports which have outer walls and partition walls and are adjacent to each other via the partition walls; a valve body which is provided in each of the intake ports, and switches a flow path of the intake port by rotation around a rotation shaft; a holding member which is installed on each of the outer walls and the partition walls; and a rolling bearing which is mounted on at least one of the holding members, and supports the valve body to be freely rotatable, wherein the holding member includes a wall surface between the rolling bearing and the valve body in a direction in which the rotation shaft extends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kyohei Ninomiya, Toshiyuki Oiwa
  • Patent number: 10184430
    Abstract: A diagnosis device for an evaporated fuel processing device includes: a pump arranged to pressurize or depressurize a system including the fuel tank and the canister; at least one pressure sensor arranged to sense a pressure within the system; and a fuel temperature sensor arranged to sense a temperature of a fuel within the fuel tank, the diagnosis device being configured to select a first leakage diagnosis using a positive pressure or a negative pressure existing within the fuel tank, or a second leakage diagnosis using a forcible pressurization or a forcible depressurization by the pump, based on a temperature difference between a fuel temperature at a start of driving, and a fuel temperature after an end of the driving, with respect to a request of a leakage diagnosis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Watanabe, Kazuki Toyoda, Hitoshi Oohashi, Toshiaki Inoue
  • Patent number: 10184391
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for operating an internal combustion engine in a six-stroke mode, wherein the engine comprises at least one cylinder with a reciprocating piston, each cylinder having at least one inlet and outlet valve. The method involves performing a first stroke where a gas comprising at least air is induced into a combustion chamber from an intake conduit; a second stroke where the gas and injected fuel is compressed; a third stroke where the compressed fuel/gas mixture is expanded following an ignition; a fourth stroke where combusted exhaust gas is expelled through a catalyst body into a first exhaust conduit; a fifth stroke where pressurized fuel and pressurized heated water is injected into the combustion chamber to be expanded; and a sixth stroke where steam and gaseous fuel mixture is expelled through the catalyst body into a second exhaust conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Fredrik Ekstrom
  • Patent number: 10184395
    Abstract: A multi-joint crank drive of an internal combustion engine includes at least one coupling member rotataby supported on a crankpin of a crankshaft for rotation about a coupling member rotation axis; and at least one connecting rod supported on a crankpin of an eccentric shaft for rotation about an eccentric rotation axis, wherein the coupling member is connected with a piston rod of a piston of the internal combustion engine for pivoting about a piston rod rotation axis and with the connecting rod for rotation about a connecting rod rotation axis, said coupling member having a bearing eye receiving the crankpin of the crankshaft, wherein a coupling angle between an imagined straight line though the coupling member rotation axis and the connecting rod rotation axis and an imagined straight line through the coupling member ration axis and the piston rod rotation axis is at least 140° and at most 180°, wherein a center point of the coupling member is arranged outside the bearing eye, and on a side of a first plan
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Matthias Brendel, Markus Meyer
  • Patent number: 10180291
    Abstract: A charge-air cooler for a fresh-air system of an internal combustion engine may include a cooler box and an upper shell such as a flange plate. The cooler box may include a cooler box passage opening, and the flange plate may include a flange plate passage opening arranged complementary with the cooler box passage opening. An adapter element may have a first end section and a second end section. The adapter element may be connected to a rim of the cooler box that borders the cooler box passage opening. A pipe element may be detachably secured to the adapter element and have a first end section and a second end section. The first end section of the adapter element and the first end section of the pipe element may define a clip-type connection when the adapter element and the pipe element are secured to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: Mahle Behr GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Ellen Hohmann, Tobias Isermeyer, Timm Roeschmann
  • Patent number: 10180090
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine, which can improve an annual energy consumption efficiency, is provided. A gas engine 1 includes: an oil cooler 11 having a passage via which heat is exchanged between engine cooling water and lubricating oil; and a control unit 12 configured to control a temperature of the engine cooling water to a constant temperature so as to cool the lubricating oil during high load operation and to heat the lubricating oil during low to medium load operation. The control unit 12 increases the temperature of the engine cooling water during low to medium load operation compared with the temperature of the engine cooling water during high load operation. An oil jet 18a, which is configured to inject the lubricating oil into a rear surface of a piston 17, is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: Yanmar Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Nakazono, Khandoker Abu Raihan, Hiroyuki Okada
  • Patent number: 10174708
    Abstract: A cooling structure of a multi-cylinder engine is provided, which includes a water jacket formed in a cylinder block to surround cylinder bores of cylinders arranged inline, a spacer, and a coolant inlet. The spacer includes openings at positions corresponding to inter-cylinder-bore portions and a rectifying part extending outwardly on a lower side of the openings. The rectifying part inclines continuously upwardly while extending in one of an exhaust- and intake-side section of the jacket from a first end side to a second end side that is the opposite side from the first end side in a cylinder line-up direction, extending on the second end side from the one of the exhaust- and intake-side sections to the other one of the exhaust- and intake-side sections, and then extending from the second end side to the first end side in the other one of the exhaust- and intake-side sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Uichiro Mori, Yoshiaki Hayamizu, Daisuke Tabata, Daisuke Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 10174728
    Abstract: A heat storage device including a fuel tank holding a fuel to be combusted in an engine, a heat storage vessel including a heat storage material that dissipates heat by adsorbing or chemically reacting with a fuel gas that has been vaporized, and that stores heat by desorption by heating the fuel gas, a first flow path to feed the fuel from the fuel tank to the heat storage vessel, and a second flow path to feed the fuel gas from the heat storage vessel to the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA CHUO KENKYUSHO
    Inventors: Takafumi Yamauchi, Yasuki Hirota
  • Patent number: 10174649
    Abstract: An engine block, an engine subassembly, and method for providing and manufacturing an engine block. The engine block includes a plurality of cylinder barrels positioned in the engine block, at least one oil jacket channel formed in the engine block, and an oil inlet port positioned in a peripheral wall of the engine block and connected to the at least one oil jacket channel. The at least one oil jacket channel includes a plurality of curved channel sections. Each curved channel section in the plurality of curved channel sections extends about at least a portion of a circumferential portion of a respective cylinder barrel in the plurality of cylinder barrels. The at least one oil jacket channel extends between adjacent cylinder barrels of the plurality of cylinder barrels in the engine block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron S. Quinton, John Jerl Purcell, III, Nathaniel P. Hassall
  • Patent number: 10174726
    Abstract: An intake manifold is provided with a surge tank and a plurality of branch pipes branching from the surge tank, and is made up of a plurality of separate pieces. Each of the branch pipes is provided with an intake outlet for outflow of intake air to each cylinder of an engine. The intake manifold further includes a single gas inflow port, a plurality of gas outflow ports opening one in each of the branch pipes, and a gas passage extending in a branch form from the gas inflow port to each of the gas outflow ports. Each of the gas outflow ports is located away from the intake outlet of the corresponding branch pipe by a predetermined passage length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: AISAN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenji Kusuda