Patents Examined by Hai Huynh
  • Patent number: 9611817
    Abstract: A method for a fuel system, comprising: during a first condition, purging fuel vapor from a fuel vapor canister to a fuel vapor accumulator; and then during a second condition, evacuating fuel vapor from the fuel vapor accumulator to a fuel tank. The fuel vapor accumulator increases the volume of the fuel system, providing a temporary storage for desorbed fuel vapor. In this way, canister breakthrough of hydrocarbons can be mitigated, thereby reducing bleed emissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Aed M. Dudar, Dennis Seung-Man Yang, Russell Randall Pearce
  • Patent number: 9611818
    Abstract: An integrated exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve housing includes: a temperature control passage configured to include a first cooling channel which connects a water jacket formed in an engine to a radiator and a second cooling channel which is branched from the first cooling channel and extends to an EGR cooler cooling re-circulated exhaust gas; and an auxiliary cooling passage configured to guide cooling water introduced into the second cooling channel to the EGR valve housing, whereby it is possible to easily dispose the EGR valve housing in the engine compartment by integrating the parts through which the cooling water is discharged from the engine with the cooling water channel connected to the EGR valve housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Il Suk Yang, Kyoung Hee Kim
  • Patent number: 9605644
    Abstract: A dual coil ignition system is provided. The dual coil ignition system includes a first inductive ignition coil including a first primary winding and a first secondary winding, and a second inductive ignition coil including a second primary winding and a second secondary winding, the second secondary winding connected in series to the first secondary winding. The dual coil ignition system further includes a diode network including a first diode and a second diode connected between the first secondary winding and the second secondary winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Garlan J. Huberts, Qiuping Qu, Michael Damian Czekala
  • Patent number: 9599059
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an input module structured to interpret a fuel pressure command indicative of a target fuel pressure within an accumulator and a target fuel injection characteristic, a pump module structured to control a pump assembly to provide fuel to the accumulator to maintain the target fuel pressure within the accumulator, an injector module structured to control a plurality of fuel injectors to inject fuel into an engine based on the target fuel injection characteristic, a pressure module structured to interpret pressure data regarding an actual fuel pressure within the accumulator and to determine a pressure difference between the target fuel pressure and the actual fuel pressure, and a modulation module structured to determine a final fuel injection command responsive to the pressure difference exceeding a first magnitude threshold where the final fuel injection command is based on the pressure difference and the target fuel injection characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Cummins, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark N. Bays, Michael R. Tidwell
  • Patent number: 9593655
    Abstract: A fuel delivery system for a direct injection internal combustion engine having two fuel rails and a plurality of fuel injectors attached to and fluidly connected with each fuel rail. A first fuel pump has its output connected with the first fuel rail while a second fuel pump has its output connected with the second fuel rail. A crossover pipe fluidly connects the outlets of both the first and second pumps. Both the first pump and the second pump each have an intake stroke and a pumping stroke. Furthermore, the intake stroke of the first pump coincides with the pumping stroke of the second pump and vice versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Donald J. McCune, Harsha Badarinarayan, Pilar Hernandez Mesa, George Saikalis
  • Patent number: 9593654
    Abstract: An injector sleeve adapted to be mounted in a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine, where the injector sleeve comprises a tapered inner surface which constitutes a sealing surface for an injector, where the hardness of the tapered inner surface is higher than the hardness of the outer surface of the injector sleeve. The injector sleeve is produced in a cold forming process. The advantage of the invention is that the injector sleeve is provided with a sealing surface for an injector which is harder than the outer surface of the injector sleeve. In this way, a sealing surface for an injector having small tolerances is obtained without further machining, where the outer surface may be turned to the desired dimensions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB
    Inventors: Morgan Martinsson, Harald Karlsson
  • Patent number: 9593632
    Abstract: A method of operating an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) valve of an engine is provided. The method includes monitoring an operating condition of the engine based at least on a speed of the engine and a load of the engine. The method also includes determining an amount of Carbon Monoxide (CO) in an exhaust from the engine and comparing the amount of CO with a threshold CO value. The method further includes adjusting open loop parameters of the EGR valve based on the comparison during a predetermined operating condition for the engine. The EGR valve is controlled based on the open loop parameters during switching between a closed loop control and an open loop control of the EGR valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Xinyu Ge
  • Patent number: 9587615
    Abstract: A device designed to be a fixture for a commercially available battery operated drill/driver gun to start an internal combustion engine such as a model airplane engine by pressing the device onto the nose cone of the engine. The portion of the device which comes into contact with the nose cone of the engine is a cylinder connected to a shaft with a one way clutch. A rubber or silicone adapter is inserted into the cylinder attached to the shaft; the adaptor cone of the engine fits into the rubber or silicone adapter on the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: K Square Machine Works, LLC
    Inventor: Robert H. Koehler
  • Patent number: 9581093
    Abstract: The invention relates to a bi-fuel system (100) and a method for operating such a system, in which the following steps are performed by a control system (104) being part of the bi-fuel system (100): determining whether a relative amount of first fuel in the second fuel tank (2) is less than a predetermined minimum relative amount of first fuel in the second fuel tank (MIX %_min), and if said relative amount is less than MIX %_min, supplying first fuel via the fuel return line (18) to the second fuel tank (2), by temporarily opening the return line shut-off valve (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: INDOPAR B.V.
    Inventors: Sebastiaan M. E. ten Broeke, Jeroen Visscher
  • Patent number: 9573440
    Abstract: A method is provided for calibrating an engine throttle position sensor operation of a refrigeration system powered by a fuel fired engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Stockbridge, John R. Reason, John T. Steele
  • Patent number: 9574528
    Abstract: An exhaust gas recirculation adapter for an air intake system of an engine is disclosed. The exhaust gas recirculation adapter includes a tube portion defining an interior space therein. The exhaust gas recirculation adapter also includes a protrusion projecting into the interior space of the tube portion. The protrusion is configured to provide a surface for impacting of exhaust gases thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron L. Hartzler, Marian Avram
  • Patent number: 9574537
    Abstract: A first fuel rail of an engine connects to first fuel injectors and a second fuel rail connects to second fuel injectors. The first fuel injectors each includes a tip portion projecting through an opening in the cylinder head into the combustion chamber. The second fuel injectors each includes a tip portion projecting through an opening in a bottom portion of an intake port. The first fuel rail includes first mounting brackets each including an aperture, and outwardly projecting mounting bosses, and fixedly attaches to the cylinder head via fasteners that pass through the apertures of the first mounting brackets and attach to the mounting bosses of the cylinder head. The second fuel rail includes second mounting brackets each including an aperture. The second fuel rail fixedly attaches to the first fuel rail via fasteners that attach to the mounting bosses of the first fuel rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Alan W. Hayman, Eric C. Douse
  • Patent number: 9567916
    Abstract: An engine control apparatus for controlling an engine which drives a hydraulic pump to discharge operation oil, the engine control apparatus includes: a pump driving power limit unit configured to limit pump driving power, which is power used to drive the hydraulic pump, based on pressure of the operation oil discharged by the hydraulic pump when in a state in which a part of the operation oil discharged by the hydraulic pump is released because pressure of the operation oil discharged by the hydraulic pump has become equal to or higher than preset relief pressure; and an engine output control unit configured to control output of the engine so that target speed, which is speed of the engine set as a target, becomes equal to or higher than a value of a point of time when limiting of the pump driving power is started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Kawaguchi, Kentaro Murakami
  • Patent number: 9567967
    Abstract: An auxiliary current amount that is used in an auxiliary that is mounted in a vehicle is calculated. A stop time ratio of the vehicle is calculated based on a running history of the vehicle, and an estimated stop time of the vehicle that is estimated based on the stop time ratio is calculated. An SOC threshold is set based on an estimated consumption current amount that is obtained from the estimated stop time and the auxiliary current amount. A generator that is mounted in the vehicle is operated such that a value of a storage state of the battery recovers to become larger than the SOC threshold when the value of the storage state of the battery is smaller than the SOC threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Michihiro Miyashita, Tomoharu Maeda, Kohei Tochigi, Tomomi Katsumata
  • Patent number: 9567930
    Abstract: An engine is provided with an ECU for executing engine control by using various control parameters. The ECU includes a learning map storing a learning value of the control parameter and executes weighting learning control of the learning value. In the weighting learning control, each time the control parameter is acquired, a weight wkij decreasing larger if a distance from a position of an acquired value zk of the control parameter to a grid point is larger is set to each of the grid points of the learning map. Then, on the basis of the acquired value zk of the control parameter and the weight wkij, the learning values Zij(k) at all the grid points are updated. As a result, all the learning values can be efficiently updated in one session of the learning operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Sakayanagi, Mitsuji Sampei, Kazuma Sekiguchi, Kohei Tahara, Hironori Ito
  • Patent number: 9562507
    Abstract: An engine start switch includes, a case member which includes a tubular support portion having an opening portion formed on the front side, a slide member which is slidably supported in a front-rear direction in the inner portion of the tubular support portion, an operation member which is connected to the front side of the slide member, and is movably supported in the front-rear direction in front of the tubular support portion, an annular coil antenna configured to radiate a radio wave signal forward, a wiring substrate which is electrically connected to the coil antenna, and detection means for detecting a rearward movement of the operation member. The coil antenna is attached to the front side of the wiring substrate to configure an antenna substrate assembly, and the antenna substrate assembly is attached to the case member to be positioned between the slide member and the operation member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: ALPS ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Sago, Kazuma Sato
  • Patent number: 9556802
    Abstract: A method for detecting coking in the intake tract of an internal combustion engine having direct fuel injection is provided. The internal combustion engine has variable intake valve control. The variable intake valve control makes it possible to change the open time of the intake valves in relation to the crank angle of the crankshaft. In the method, the internal combustion engine is operated in idling mode at an idling rotational speed that is elevated in comparison with the normal idling operation. In order to perform the measurement, the open time of the intake valves is also shifted in an advanced direction. An uneven-running characteristic value of the internal combustion engine that is characteristic of the uneven running of the internal combustion engine is determined, and the presence of coking in the intake tract can be detected on the basis of the uneven-running characteristic value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Sebastian Grasreiner
  • Patent number: 9556818
    Abstract: A two-stroke uniflow engine is provided with: a cylinder; a piston; an exhaust valve that is opened and closed in order to discharge exhaust gas that is generated inside the cylinder; a scavenging port that takes active gas into the interior of the cylinder in accordance with a sliding movement of the piston; a fuel injection port that is provided in the internal circumferential surface of the cylinder; a fuel injection valve that injects fuel gas into the fuel injection port; and a fuel injection control unit that executes control of the injection of the fuel gas in the fuel injection valve, wherein the fuel injection control unit decides at least one of an injection pressure and an injection time of the fuel injection valve based on a change in pressure inside the cylinder that is caused by a reciprocating movement of the piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: IHI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayuki Yamada, Takayuki Hirose, Yasunori Ashikaga, Takahiro Kuge, Takeshi Yamada
  • Patent number: 9556787
    Abstract: A system and method for improving engine starting and stopping is described. In one example, turbine vanes are adjusted to increase engine exhaust backpressure to reduce engine stopping time and to limit engine speed overshoot during engine starting. The system and method may reduce engine emissions and improve a vehicle driving experience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joe F. Stanek, John A. Lockwood, Sam Hashemi, Donald Charles Franks
  • Patent number: 9556840
    Abstract: The invention describes a method and an arrangement for the regulation of the rail pressure in an internal combustion engine. In the method, the rail pressure is regulated, with a target high pressure being predefined. Said target high pressure is filtered, before being input, by way of a target high pressure filter which is configured as a dynamic target high pressure filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH
    Inventor: Armin Dölker