Patents Examined by Charles J Brauch
  • Patent number: 11097285
    Abstract: A centrifugal separator for separating blow-by gases into cleaned air and liquid for recirculation through an engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Kuhn Performance Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: John William Kuhn
  • Patent number: 11085402
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for an engine having a pre-chamber ignition system. In one example, a method may include adjusting a valve coupled between a pre-chamber of an engine cylinder and a main chamber of the engine cylinder between a fully open position and a fully closed position based on whether pre-chamber ignition is desired or direct spark ignition is desired. In this way, the engine may be operated with direct spark ignition during conditions when pre-chamber combustion has reduced stability without including additional spark plugs and air injectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Dennis Vroman
  • Patent number: 11085370
    Abstract: A piston internal combustion engine with generator has two cylinders and cylinder heads and pistons with connecting rods and two crankshafts which are connected by gears with a ratio of 1:?1 (with opposite direction of rotation). The first crankshaft with the gear is mounted parallel to the second crankshaft with the second gear in one engine case such, that the gears engage. The first crankshaft is coupled to the first generator rotor and the second crankshaft is coupled to the second generator rotor or the flywheel. The moment of inertia of the first crankshaft assembly with the first gear and the first generator rotor is equal to the moment of inertia of the second crankshaft assembly with the second gear and the second generator rotor or flywheel. The cylinders with the pistons and are positioned perpendicularly to the plane of symmetry between the crankshafts, with the axes of the pair of cylinders lying in a plane with the both pistons being at the top dead center simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Inventor: Vaclav Knob
  • Patent number: 11085407
    Abstract: In at least some implementations, a fuel supply module includes a reservoir and a fuel pump carried by the reservoir. The reservoir may include a body and a lid that define an internal volume to contain a supply of fuel, and the reservoir may include an inlet through which fuel enters the internal volume and an outlet from which fuel is discharged from the fuel supply module. The fuel pump is carried by the reservoir and has a first inlet communicating with the internal volume to take fuel into the fuel pump from the internal volume and a second inlet spaced above the first inlet relative to the direction of the force of gravity to take fluid or vapors into the fuel pump from the internal volume. The fuel pump includes an outlet from which fluid is discharged for delivery to an engine through the reservoir outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Walbro LLC
    Inventors: Eric D. Anderson, Travis P. Baur, Elton J. Fisch, Cyrus M. Healy, Kevin L. Israelson, Gerald J. LaMarr, Jr., Robby L. Linton, Edward J. Talaski
  • Patent number: 11078799
    Abstract: A rotor blade of a turbomachine includes an airfoil. The airfoil includes a root and a tip which define a span of the airfoil therebetween. The airfoil also includes a leading edge and a trailing edge downstream of the leading edge along a flow direction. The leading edge and the trailing edge each extend across the span of the airfoil from the root to the tip. The airfoil further includes a pressure side surface and a suction side surface. The pressure side surface and the suction side surface are continuous about the trailing edge and collectively define an arc centered on the trailing edge. The arc has a semi-major axis and a semi-minor axis. The semi-major axis and the semi-minor axis of the arc define an axis ratio, and the axis ratio varies over the span of the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Marios Karakasis, Robert Piotr Bujnicki, Adam John Fredmonski
  • Patent number: 11073082
    Abstract: A fan blade anti-icing system comprises a fan hub and a fan blade extending radially outwardly from the fan hub. The fan blade has a base and an airfoil extending radially outwardly from the fan base. The airfoil having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a convex side surface between the leading and trailing edge and a concave side surface between the leading and trailing edge. The fan blade further has a radial passage extending from a blade air inlet in the blade base in communication with a source of heated air, and a rearwardly directed passage in communication with the radial passage and having a blade air outlet forward of the trailing edge and oriented tangentially to the convex side surface or concave side surface of the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Richard Ivakitch, David Menheere, Paul Stone
  • Patent number: 11073019
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a metallic shaft for connecting components of a gas turbine engine. Example embodiments include a metallic shaft (400) for connecting components of a gas turbine engine, the shaft (400) having a longitudinal axis (410) and comprising: a first section (401) extending from a first end (403) of the shaft (400) to a joint (405), the first section (401) composed of a material having a first thermal expansion coefficient along the longitudinal axis (410); a second section (402) extending from a second opposing end (404) of the shaft to the joint (405), the second section (402) composed of a material having a second thermal expansion coefficient along the longitudinal axis (410) that is different to the first thermal expansion coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Gareth M Armstrong, Michael P Keenan
  • Patent number: 11067093
    Abstract: In a propeller fan, an air-sending device and an air-conditioning apparatus, between a leading edge and trailing edge of each of blades, a starting point at which the first one of first maximum points is located is closer to the leading edge than a starting point at which the first one of second maximum points are located, distances L1 between minimum points and the first maximum points vary such that the distance L1 increases from the starting point at which the first one of the first maximum points is located, toward the trailing edge, and distances L2 between a connection point and the second maximum points vary in accordance with the position of each of the second maximum points such that the distance L2 increases from the starting point at which the first one of the second maximum points is located, toward the trailing edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahide Tadokoro, Naohiko Honma
  • Patent number: 11066935
    Abstract: Rotor blades and turbomachines are provided. A rotor blade includes a platform and an airfoil extending radially from a root proximate the platform to a tip. The airfoil includes a leading edge and a trailing edge. The airfoil further includes a pressure side surface extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge. The airfoil also includes a suction side surface disposed opposite the pressure side surface and extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge. The leading edge, the trailing edge, the pressure side surface, and the suction side surface collectively define a first profile at the tip and a second profile radially inward from the tip. The first profile includes a suction side overhang, a pressure side overhang, and a pressure side underhang relative to the second profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Alexander Stein, Mark Steven Honkomp, Mehmet Suleyman Ciray
  • Patent number: 11060442
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an engine coolant cooling system for a vehicle, and provides an engine coolant cooling system for a vehicle, which can increase the heat-dissipation performance of a radiator if necessary without increasing the size of the radiator, securing the cooling performance of the coolant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventors: Jae Eun Jeong, Nam Ho Park, Seong Bin Jeong
  • Patent number: 11060411
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine assembly comprises a casing defining a gas path, the casing including a shroud having an annular body having a surface defining a portion of gas path, the shroud having slots configured for receiving inserted vanes. The slots are delimited substantially about their perimeter by respective flanges, the flanges radially offset from the shroud gas path surface so as to be disposed outside of said gas path, the flanges defined by opposed flange surfaces. Vanes received in the slots. Grommets engage the vanes at the slots. Inserts extend between the shroud and the grommets, the inserts having slots configured for engaging both of the opposed flanges, the inserts extending in a radial direction from at least the respective flange to an adjacent said shroud gas path surface to substantially matchingly mate with an inner surface the adjacent shroud gas path surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: PRATT & WHiTNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Tibor Urac, Barry Barnett, Matthew Meschino
  • Patent number: 11053809
    Abstract: A component, such as for a turbine engine, can include an airfoil with an outer wall defining an exterior surface bounding an interior and defining a pressure side and a suction side extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge to define a chord-wise direction and extending between a root and a tip to define a span-wise direction. The component can also include at least one cooling passage within the interior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Daniel Endecott Osgood, David Alan Frey, Kirk D. Gallier, Steven Robert Brassfield
  • Patent number: 11041456
    Abstract: Internal combustion engines having a split crankshaft are disclosed. The engines may also have non-circular, preferably rectangular, cross-section pistons and cylinders. The pistons may include a skirt with a field of pockets that provide a ringless, non-lubricated, seal equivalent. The pistons also may have a domed piston head with depressions thereon to facilitate the movement of air/charge in the cylinder. The engines also may use multi-stage poppet valves in lieu of conventional poppet valves. The engines may use the pumping motion of the engine piston to supercharge the cylinder with air/charge. The engines also may operate in an inverted orientation in which the piston is closer to the local gravitationally dominant terrestrial body's center of gravity at top dead center position than at bottom dead center position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: QUEST ENGINES, LLC
    Inventors: Elario Dino Dalmas, II, Roy A. Blom
  • Patent number: 11035233
    Abstract: A disclosed system includes an impeller for a ventilator. The impeller includes a hub or hub ring configured to rotate about an axis and a plurality of vanes attached to the hub or hub ring. Each vane of the impeller has a leading edge facing a pressure side of the ventilator along the axis, and a trailing edge facing a suction side of the ventilator along the axis. The leading edge of each vane has a corrugated shape characterized by a first wavelength and the trailing edge has a corrugated shape characterized by a second wavelength, with the first wavelength being longer than the second wavelength. The impeller may further include injection molded plastic, die-cast aluminum, stamped sheet metal, or laser cut sheet metal that is embossed. The impeller may further be assembled from separately manufactured pieces that are secured to one another using joining, welding, or by interlocking tabs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: ZIEHL-ABEGG SE
    Inventors: Tobias Gauss, Daniel Seifried, Thomas Bitz, Frieder Loercher, Georg Hofmann, Sven Loenne
  • Patent number: 11035319
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an internal combustion engine for a motor vehicle. The internal combustion engine has a cylinder head, a crankcase and a cylinder head gasket. The cylinder head, the cylinder head gasket and the crankcase form a sealing region for sealing at least one combustion chamber. A first recess is arranged within the sealing region and at a distance from the at least one combustion chamber. A first leakage gas passage extends from the first recess to a first surface exposed to the environment of the internal combustion engine or to a ventilation passage of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: MAN Truck & Bus AG
    Inventors: Armin Berner, Thomas Leitel, Walter Schibalsky
  • Patent number: 11028770
    Abstract: The connecting rod head includes at least one oil chamber and an eccentric comprises a protrusion reaching into the oil chamber, so that an oil pressure in the oil chamber exerts a force on the protrusion to change the eccentric setting of the eccentric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: FEV Europe GmbH
    Inventors: Werner Bick, Martin Koch, Thomas Saupe, Erwin Reichert, Ralf Bey, Christopher Marten, Martin Pieper
  • Patent number: 11028786
    Abstract: A portable generator includes a CO sensor module to sense CO levels in the environment surrounding the portable generator. The CO sensor module senses high levels of CO and sends a signal to shut down the engine on the portable generator. The CO sensor module alerts the user by emitting an LED light whether the CO sensor module is functioning properly, improperly or if high CO levels are detected. The CO sensor module is removable from a control panel of the portable generator to be replaced or maintained by the user per a replacement or maintenance schedule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Briggs & Stratton, LLC
    Inventors: Ryan D. Janscha, Mark Willer
  • Patent number: 11015554
    Abstract: A straddled vehicle includes an air cleaner and a resonator. The air cleaner includes an air cleaner case, an air-cleaning element arranged inside the air cleaner case, and a duct that is attached to the air-cleaning element. At least a portion of the duct is arranged inside the air cleaner case, and the duct guides the air toward the air-cleaning element. The resonator has an outer wall arranged around the duct. The duct and the outer wall together define at least a portion of a resonance chamber of the resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Eigo Kitamura, Naoya Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 11008958
    Abstract: A dual-fuel integrated switch includes a bracket. A valve body is provided on one side of the bracket. The inside of the valve body is provided with a spool adapted to the valve body. The spool rotates in the valve body. The first flow passage and the second flow passage communicating with the first flow passage are provided in the spool, an arc-shaped groove is provided on the outer wall of the spool, and the third flow passage adapted to the groove is provided on the side wall of the valve body. The number of the third flow passages is two, and the arc formed by the third flow passage on the side wall of the valve body is the same as the arc at the outer end of the side wall of the groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: HANGZHOU POWER YOUNG TECHNOLOGY CO.LTD
    Inventors: Tonny Tang, Jerry Li
  • Patent number: 10968916
    Abstract: Disclosed is an embodiment of a dual seal arrangement for the high-speed shaft of a supercharger with a centrifugal compressor and a mechanical speed step-down transmission to the shaft. A ring located about the shaft splits the rotational speed of the shaft between two seals, so that each seal spins at a speed of roughly half the speed of the shaft. The arrangement can also be used to split the shaft speed between two bearings in the same manner. The high-speed shaft may also have a turbine attached, to form a driven turbocharger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: SUPERTURBO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Barry D. Suelter