Patents Examined by Douglas J. Duff
  • Patent number: 7716929
    Abstract: An arrangement for recirculation of exhaust gases in a supercharged combustion engine. The arrangement includes an exhaust line operable to lead exhaust gases out from the combustion engine, an inlet line operable to lead air at above atmospheric pressure to the combustion engine, a return line which comprises a connection to the exhaust line and a connection to the inlet line, so that via the return line it is possible to recirculate exhaust gases from the exhaust line to the inlet line. A first cooler incorporated in the return line for cooling the exhaust gases in the return line before they are mixed with the air in the inlet line. The exhaust gases in the first cooler are cooled by a first medium which is at a temperature substantially corresponding to the temperature of the surroundings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Scania CV AB (publ)
    Inventors: Magnus Pelz, Henrik Skog, HÃ¥kan Sarby
  • Patent number: 7717690
    Abstract: A casing with housing space for retaining a first gear and a second gear in a condition where the tooth tips and both side surfaces slide, comprises a main casing which retains the first gear in a manner which allows rotation but restricts movement in the axial direction, and a gear holder which can move in the rotating shaft direction in the main casing and which rotatably retains the second gear. The main casing contains a biasing member which applies a biasing force to bias the gear holder to one side in the rotating shaft direction, and a piston which is acted on by hydraulic pressure and presses the gear holder on the other end side in the rotating shaft direction to counteract the biasing force. The gear holder is acted on by the hydraulic force from the piston to counteract the bias from the biasing member and moves in the rotating shaft direction according to the hydraulic force so that the engagement width between the first gear and the second gear which is retained by the gear holder is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: TBK Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Hoji, Satoshi Nagao, Keisuke Shinozaki
  • Patent number: 7707988
    Abstract: An engine includes an in-cylinder injector injecting fuel into a cylinder, a port injector injecting fuel into an intake manifold, and a valve-opening-characteristic changing mechanism changing at least lift or opening duration of an intake valve. When the engine is in a predetermined operating region and the valve-opening-characteristic changing mechanism decreases the lift or the opening duration of the intake valve, the ratio of fuel injected by the in-cylinder injector is increased according to an amount of the decrease of the lift or the opening duration and accordingly a decrease in tumble ratio is compensated for by the injection flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuyuki Irisawa
  • Patent number: 7695258
    Abstract: A hydraulic device includes a gerotor assembly, a wobble stick, an output shaft, a housing assembly, a first port in the housing assembly, a second port in the housing assembly, first brake disks, second brake disks, a piston, and a biasing member. The gerotor assembly includes a rotor and a stator. The wobble stick connects at a first end to the rotor. The output shaft connects to a second end of the wobble stick. The housing assembly receives the gerotor assembly, the wobble stick and the output shaft. The first port is in communication with the gerotor assembly. The second port is also in communication with the gerotor assembly. The first brake disks connect to the output shaft. The second brake disks connect to the housing assembly. The piston is disposed in the housing assembly adjacent at least one of the brake disks. The piston cooperates with the housing assembly to define a brake pressure chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: White Drive Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Hollis N. White, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7690200
    Abstract: A device for imparting a whirling motion on the flow of air for supplying a turbo-supercharged internal-combustion engine is designed to be interposed in the duct for supplying the air upstream of the supercharger for supercharging the engine. The device comprises an elbow-shaped portion of duct and partializing means, which are able to limit the section of passage in the upstream branch the aforesaid elbow portion to an area which constitutes a fraction of the total section of the duct and which is adjacent to a wall of the duct. In this way, the downstream branch of the elbow portion is reached by a tangential flow that gives rise to a helical flow of the air in said downstream branch. The device enables creation upstream of the supercharger of a negative pressure sufficient for enabling a recirculation of exhaust gases, upstream of the supercharger, and at the same time imparts on the air flow a whirling movement that enables the supercharger to be exploited in the most efficient way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: C.R.F. Società Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Marco Tonetti, Giovanni Cornetti
  • Patent number: 7677227
    Abstract: An opening of a waste gate vale is adjusted to control an actual supercharging pressure of intake air. Abnormality in a changing characteristic of the actual supercharging pressure relative to a change in a TCV control duty value can be detected. When an engine is in a steady operation condition, the TCV control duty value is forcibly changed repeatedly by a predetermined amount from 0% to 100%. A deviation between a target supercharging pressure corresponding to the TCV control duty value and an actual supercharging pressure is calculated each time the TCV control duty value is changed by the predetermined amount. This deviation is compared with an abnormality determination value to determine presence/absence of the abnormality in the changing characteristic of the actual supercharging pressure relative to the change in the TCV control duty value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuo Sagisaka, Yasuo Mukai, Masahiko Yamaguchi, Kuniaki Ueda
  • Patent number: 7665448
    Abstract: A method for determining the exhaust pressure (Pr) of a turbocharged internal combustion engine, including a solenoid by-pass valve for the exhaust gas, characterized in that an exhaust pressure (Pi) is determined as a function of the inlet air flow to the engine, (Ar), the engine speed (Rr) and the degree of opening of the solenoid exhaust by-pass valve (Tr), by interpolation from a reference map having exhaust gas pressure values (Pc) for given inlet air flow values (Ac), the engine speed (Rc) and the degree of opening of the solenoid exhaust by-pass valve (Tc), and the exhaust pressure determined by the interpolation (Pi) is corrected as a function of ambient pressure values (Pa, Po).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Continental Automotive France
    Inventors: Laure Carbonne, Patrick Cremona, Roger Rouphael
  • Patent number: 7654078
    Abstract: A particle collector includes a housing within an internal chamber having inlet and outlet ports. The housing can comprise two joined-together housing members. A collector element is disposed in the internal chamber and includes a particulate passage extending axially therethrough. A gas passageway is disposed within the chamber between a housing inside diameter and a collector element outside diameter, and is sized to produce a minimal pressure drop through the particle collector. The collector element is connected to the housing. A collection port is connected with the collector element and extends from the particulate passage to a location outside of the internal chamber for removing collected particulate matter from within the housing when the particle collector is placed into operation within an exhaust gas flow stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Honeywell International, Inc.
    Inventors: Damien Marsal, Phillipe Renaud, Jerome Mlika
  • Patent number: 7647772
    Abstract: An exemplary vane fronting surface for a variable geometry turbine includes a white layer that comprises nitrides. Such a layer may be formed using gas nitriding. As described, trials demonstrate that such nitriding reduces friction between a vane fronting surface and vanes of a variable geometry turbine. Consequently, nitriding can enhance longevity and controllability of a variable geometry turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Lorrain Sausse, Daniel Frank, Clemence Filou, Gary Agnew, Tanguy Domange
  • Patent number: 7640744
    Abstract: A method for compensating for the torque response of an internal combustion engine having a compressor coupled thereto for boosting cylinder air amount is presented. According to the method, a motor of a hybrid vehicle may assist the internal combustion engine to improve vehicle response. The method may improve driver perception of vehicle response and may reduce lag that can be associated with operating an engine having a compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: John Rollinger, Alexander Zaremba
  • Patent number: 7637107
    Abstract: A control system and method that compensates for changes in backpressure of an engine includes a pressure sensor that senses the backpressure. A boost compensation module that communicates with the pressure sensor, determines an averaged BC factor, and adjusts a variable geometry turbo based on the averaged BC factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventor: Ravishankar Ramamurthy
  • Patent number: 7631497
    Abstract: A turbocharger (10) with a heat shield (60) positioned between the turbine wheel (30) and the bearing housing (20), wherein the heat shield defines a gap (70) between the turbine wheel (30). The heat shield (60) and is provided with at least one rib (80) extending into the gap. In this gap, in the case of a conventional flat heat shield, the turbine wheel backface may act in the manner of a centrifugal pumping, pumping gas out from within the gap, creating a region of reduced pressure adjacent the outboard side of the turbine shaft bearing, drawing oil out the shaft bearing and into the space between the turbine wheel backface and the heat shield. The inventive heat shield has raised structures designed to interfere with the rotational and centrifugal flow of gas in the gap between heat shield and turbine wheel backface, thus prevent oil bypass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventor: Edward Panek
  • Patent number: 7628015
    Abstract: There is provided a method for controlling an electrically driven supercharger of an internal combustion engine. The method comprises operating the supercharger at a first speed during a first engine operating condition. The method further comprises operating the supercharger at a second speed during a second engine operating condition, the second speed being lower than the first speed and increasing as the capacity of the electric power source decreases. According to the method, during a transition from the second engine operating condition to the first engine operating condition, the speed of the supercharger is increased from the second speed to the first speed. At that time, the second speed is increased as the capacity of the electric power source decreases, and as a result, the supercharger speed increase that results from the transition may become smaller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Masaharu Marumoto, Yoshihisa Nakamoto, Naoyuki Yamagata, Mikihito Fujii
  • Patent number: 7621126
    Abstract: A method for controlling cylinder air charge of an engine having a compressor is presented. In one example, the description includes a method for coordinating the control of the throttle, turbo charger, and valves such that the desired cylinder air charge may be achieved while engine pumping work may be decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: Ford Global Technoloigies, LLC
    Inventors: Ilya Kolmanovsky, Alex Gibson, Donald Lewis
  • Patent number: 7614863
    Abstract: A pump (10) possesses a rotor (70), the rotor collar (120) of which laterally delimits a pumping duct (124) with an inlet (152) and an outlet. An axially adjustable sealing slide (182) bears sealingly against the rotor collar (120) on both sides in the axial direction and subdivides the pumping duct (124) between the inlet (152) and the outlet. A first bearing point for the drive shaft (60), for the supporting mounting of the drive shaft in the radial direction, is present within the clear space region occupied in the axial direction by the rotor (70).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Inventor: Manfred Sommer
  • Patent number: 7607904
    Abstract: A rotary compressor includes a compression mechanism in which a piston is disposed inside a cylinder chamber of a cylinder. The cylinder and the piston eccentrically rotate relative to each other. The cylinder chamber is sectioned into a high pressure chamber and a low pressure chamber in order to prevent production of vibration and noises due to pressure pulsation caused in a suction process. A low pressure space communicating with a suction side of the compression mechanism and a high pressure space communicating with a discharge side of the compression mechanism are formed in the casing. A suction pipe communicating with the high pressure space and a discharge pipe communicating with the high pressure space are disposed in the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masanori Masuda
  • Patent number: 7604466
    Abstract: An improved muffler system for a compressor assembly where the muffler is disposed within the compressor housing and a peripheral edge of the muffler abuts, and expansively engages, the interior surface of the housing in an interference fit relationship. The compressor pump is attached to the muffler where the pump is substantially thermally and vibrationally isolated from the housing. The muffler, the compressor pump and the compressor housing define a series of chambers in which noise generated by the compressor pump is dissipated. The dimensions of the chambers are chosen to cause acoustical waves having specific, undesirable frequencies to cancel each other out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Tecumseh Products Company
    Inventors: Nelik I Dreiman, John S Kosco, Robert J Reynolds
  • Patent number: 7604467
    Abstract: A positive displacement supercharger includes a housing defining a rotor cavity with a pair of positive displacement rotors operative to carry air axially from an inlet end to an outlet in the cavity wall near an outlet end of the cavity. The outlet communicates with an outlet plenum partially defined by the cavity wall. The cavity wall includes a stiff portion defining a plurality of lightening recesses, such as a waffle pattern, limiting distortion of the wall by pulsations in the plenum. The recesses may be time and cost efficiently converted to Helmholtz tuners by covering the recesses with a cover plate, which may be perforated to include at least one tuning opening (perforation) into each tuning chamber (recess) and forming tuning volumes of the tuning chambers and their associated tuning openings effective to attenuate selected frequencies of pulsations in the plenum and thereby reduce undesired noise emanating from the air system of the supercharger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory P. Prior
  • Patent number: 7600490
    Abstract: The invention concerns an internal-combustion engine, the engine comprising an engine housing having a first wall delimiting a first combustion chamber, a first connecting rod having a first piston and a second connecting rod having a second piston. The pistons also delimit the first combustion chamber. The first wall defines at least a section of a torus, and the pistons are guided along a curved path defined by the section of the torus. The connecting rods are coupled to an intermediate member, which travels bi-directionally between two end positions and the intermediate member is coupled to a crankshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Inventor: Heinz-Gustav A. Reisser
  • Patent number: 7597088
    Abstract: A supercharger (10) is positioned in the valley of an automobile engine (60) so that it fits under the engine hood (25). The supercharger (10) has a low profile air inlet (14) at the top that passes air to an inlet tube (16). The height of the inlet tube (16) decreases and its width expands as the inlet tube (16) extends away from the air inlet (14) to keep a low profile while minimizing restrictions to airflow. The inlet tube (16) supplies air to a compressor (18) at the bottom. The pressurized air flows through a large and thin intercooler (24) directly above the compressor (18). The cooled air is fed to long and straight intake manifold runners (28) positioned above the engine heads (61, 62) of the engine (60). The supercharger (10) provides a large volume of low pressure and low temperature air charge to the engine (60).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: MJ Acquisitions, Inc.
    Inventor: William Tally