Patents Examined by J. Page Hufty
  • Patent number: 7930088
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine is with an injection valve for metering a fuel directly into a combustion chamber during injection. The injection valve is provided with an injection needle whose stroke can be variably adjusted for a given injection process. During the homogenous operation of the internal combusting engine with a desired homogenous fuel distribution, the inventive method consists in predefining a fuel pressure set value, in associating a predefined minimum stroke set value with an injection needle stroke set value, in adjusting a meterable fuel mass set value by modifying an injection duration set value when said injection duration is equal to or less than a predefined maximum duration value. If not, the injection needle stroke set value is modified until the injection duration set value is equal or greater than said predefined maximum duration value. Afterwards, the injection needle stroke and injection duration set value is respectively adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Hong Zhang
  • Patent number: 7900594
    Abstract: A method for controlling the operation of at least one fuel injector in a four stroke internal combustion engine is provided. The method includes the steps of initiating fuel injection into a combustion chamber during an expansion stroke of the engine, injecting fuel into the combustion chamber during an exhaust stroke of the engine, injecting fuel into the combustion chamber during an intake stroke of the engine, and terminating fuel injection into the combustion chamber during a compression stroke of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Jesse M. Gwidt, Karen Margaret-Bell Gwidt
  • Patent number: 7891338
    Abstract: The injection system (1) includes a storage volume (6) of pressurized fuel supplied by a high-pressure pump (7) along a delivery pipe (8); and a control unit (16) for defining the required fuel pressure of the storage volume (6) as a function of the operating conditions of the engine (2). The regulating device includes a bypass solenoid valve (14); and a pair of non-return valves (32, 33) connected antiparallel and located between the bypass valve (14) and the storage volume (6). One of the non-return valves (32, 33) permits fuel drainage from the storage volume (6) to the bypass valve (14) when the control unit (16) defines a predetermined reduction (?p) in the fuel pressure of the storage volume (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Mario Ricco, Sisto Luigi De Matthaeis, Annunziata Anna Satriano, Raffaele Ricco
  • Patent number: 7882822
    Abstract: Method for driving an electromagnetic actuator in a diaphragm carburettor for control of air/fuel ratio foresees at least the following steps: associating an electromagnetic actuator in a diaphragm carburettor for control of air/fuel ratio with the current generation device in an internal combustion engine; driving the aforementioned electromagnetic actuator with pulses suitable for generating the force necessary to actuate the actuator; generating said drive pulses of the actuator in the moments when the current pulses of the aforementioned current generator are such that the maximum current is available during the cycle of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Selettra S.R.L.
    Inventors: William T. Cobb, Jr., Massimo Casoni
  • Patent number: 7881852
    Abstract: A method for checking an exhaust-gas section of a combustion engine for a leak, including the following: introducing secondary air into the exhaust-gas section of the combustion engine via a secondary-air valve, determining a measured value that indicates the magnitude of the relative pressure changes due to the expelling of exhaust gas from the combustion engine upstream from the secondary-air valve, and detecting the leak in the exhaust-gas section as a function of the measured value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH, Audi AG
    Inventors: Detlef Heinrich, Anette Luther
  • Patent number: 7874070
    Abstract: An injection valve has a nozzle body, a valve needle positioned in the nozzle body, an actuator for actuating the valve needle, and an orifice plate fixed at an end of the nozzle body. The orifice plate has a valve seat for cooperating with the valve needle and an orifice for injecting a fluid. The orifice plate is provided with a projection having a convex-curved surface on an orifice outlet side of the orifice plate. A flat surface portion is formed in the area of the convex-curved surface, and the outlet of the orifice is located in the flat surface portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Gunji, Keiji Kawahara, Shuichi Shimizu, Atsushi Sekine, Masafumi Nakano
  • Patent number: 7856963
    Abstract: A method of operating a fuel injector having a piezoelectric actuator operable by applying a drive pulse thereto, wherein the drive pulse has a frequency domain signature. The method includes i) determining at least one resonant frequency of an injector installation in which the injector is received, in use, and ii) modifying the drive pulse such that a maximum of the frequency domain signature thereof is remote from the determined resonant frequency of the injector installation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies Holding S.arl
    Inventors: Daniel J Hopley, Stephen A Noyce, Colin Almond
  • Patent number: 7845333
    Abstract: When a condition for the prediction of the occurrence transient knocking has held, that is, when a cooling water temperature ?w is not less than a threshold value ?wref and an intake air flow Qa is not less than a threshold value Qaref and a deviation of the intake air flow ?Qa is not less than a threshold value ?Qaref (S550 to S570), ignition is performed with timing on the delay angle side compared to timing FT1 by a delay angle amount ? that tends to decrease as an amount increase coefficient Kf increases (S600 to S680). Because of this, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of knocking without causing the ignition timing to be delayed more than necessary. As a result of this, it is also possible to suppress the worsening of drivability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hitoki Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 7827957
    Abstract: A control device is provided that controls the injection quantity and injection timing of fuel injected into the cylinder of a diesel engine, in which are provided two control modes of: a normal injection mode in which the injection quantity and injection timing are controlled so that the injected fuel ignites near compression top dead center during an injection period; and a premixed injection mode in which the injection quantity and injection timing are controlled so that fuel injection is completed before compression top dead center and the injected fuel ignites near compression top dead center after a premixing period, and target values of control parameters (pilot injection timing, and the like) are set in advance separately for each control mode, the control device comprising change means for gradually changing target values V1 of one control mode into the target values V2 of the other control mode when switching from one control mode to the other control mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Isuzu Motors Limited
    Inventor: Naoya Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 7827963
    Abstract: In a method for adaptation of closed-loop control of a pressure in a common-rail injection system (3) for an internal combustion engine (1), with the closed-loop control having a pilot control and the common-rail injection system (3) with at least a correction device (11) able to corrected by corrective signals in each case corresponding to corrective values for influencing the pressure, a pilot control value for generating at least one corrective signal for the correction device (11) is determined, and using the pilot control value by generating the at least one corrective signal and issuing it to a correction device, the current pressure is corrected to a predetermined setpoint pressure. For adaptation the pilot control is adapted as a function of at least one current value of an operating parameter of the internal combustion engine (1) and of the corrective value corresponding to the at least one corrective signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Hui Li, Diego Valero-Bertrand
  • Patent number: 7810463
    Abstract: The invention relates to an internal combustion engine operable in homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) combustion mode and in conventional spark ignited combustion mode and a method for restart of HCCI combustion therein. Whilst cranking the exhaust valve is arranged to be closed before top dead center (TDC) during an exhaust stroke. The intake valve is arranged to be opened after TDC during an induction stroke. Fuel injection control means are arranged to perform a first fuel injection after closing of the exhaust valve and before TDC of the exhaust stroke. The ignition control means are arranged to cause said spark plug to ignite the first injected quantity of fuel before said opening of the intake valve. The fuel injection control means are arranged to perform at least one further fuel injection in the interval after TDC of the exhaust stroke and before TDC of a subsequent compression stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rob J. Otterspeer, Lucien Koopmans
  • Patent number: 7806104
    Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including the steps of: detecting an engine speed NE, engine load, and engine coolant temperature (S100, S110, S115); when determination is made of being in an idle region (YES at S120), determining whether in a cold idle region, a transitional region, or a warm idle region (S130); injecting fuel from an intake manifold injector alone when in the cold idle region (S140); injecting fuel from the intake manifold injector and injecting fuel from an in-cylinder injector at the feed pressure when in the transitional region (S150); and injecting fuel from the in-cylinder injector at the feed pressure when in the warm idle region (S160).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinji Sadakane, Motoki Ohtani, Kazutaka Fujioka
  • Patent number: 7789069
    Abstract: The invention relates to a check valve with a spherical valve element whose service life and operating reliability is considerably increased in relation to conventional check valves. The improved check valve is used in an injector for a fuel injection system of an internal combustion engine, having a hydraulic pressure booster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Nestor Rodriguez-Amaya, Markus Leimser, Michael Stengele, Andreas Theurer, Christoph Butscher, Alexander Giehl
  • Patent number: 7779814
    Abstract: A fuel injection apparatus includes an accumulator, an injector, a fuel supplier supplying fuel to the accumulator, and a controller controlling a fuel supply rate of the fuel supplier through manipulation of a manipulated variable. The controller is configured to set a target fuel supply rate, determine a base target value of the manipulated variable as a first function of the target fuel supply rate, determine a correction value as a second function of the target fuel supply rate, correct the base target value of the manipulated variable using the correction value to obtain a final target value of the manipulated variable, and manipulate the manipulated variable to have the final target value, thereby bringing the fuel supply rate of the fuel supplier into agreement with the target fuel supply rate. The first and second functions are predefined prior to the installation of the fuel injection apparatus to an engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Akitaro Ishihara
  • Patent number: 7779810
    Abstract: A fuel injection method for internal combustion engines with gasoline direct fuel injection systems comprises receiving a crankshaft position signal from a crankshaft position sensor. A position of a crankshaft is determined from the crankshaft position signal. Fuel is commanded at a first rate when the position of the crankshaft is within a first selectable range during a combustion cycle of an engine cylinder and fuel is commanded at a second rate when the position of the crankshaft is within a second selectable range during the combustion cycle of the engine cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Inventors: Jesse M. Gwidt, David P. Sczomak, Michael J. Lucido, James R. Reeder, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7771641
    Abstract: A lid component part of an internal combustion engine with integrated elastic seal, such as, for example, is provided to a cylinder head gasket or oil pan and a process for its manufacture. The component part exhibits a circumferential flange area for the arranging of the integrated seal. The component part is based on a plastic-material, while the seal essentially comprises an organic elastomer material. The component part and the seal are chemically bonded with one another. The seal is applied by injection molding onto the component part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Federal Mogul Sealing Systems Bretten GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Salameh, Timo Walz
  • Patent number: 7765991
    Abstract: A method of controlling an internal combustion engine having a fuel vapor purging system and a fuel delivery system including a fuel pump and a fuel pressure sensor for detecting the fuel pressure provided by the fuel pump is disclosed. In one example, the method includes, during a degraded condition of the fuel pressure sensor, adjusting the fuel pump output in response to an operating condition, adjusting at least one of a condition of the fuel vapor purging system and adaptive learning of a characteristic of the fuel delivery system; and further adjusting the fuel pump output in response to an output of an exhaust gas sensor while also adjusting an amount of fuel injected into a cylinder of the engine in response to said output of the exhaust gas sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Thomas, James Kerns
  • Patent number: 7765976
    Abstract: A lid component part of an internal combustion engine with integrated elastic seal, such as, for example, is provided to a cylinder head gasket or oil pan and a process for its manufacture. The component part exhibits a circumferential flange area for the arranging of the integrated seal. The component part is based on a plastic-material, while the seal essentially comprises an organic elastomer material. The component part and the seal are chemically bonded with one another. The seal is applied by injection molding onto the component part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Federal Mogul Sealing Systems Bretten GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Salameh, Timo Walz
  • Patent number: 7765990
    Abstract: A device for delivering fuel having a delivery unit, a main filter with a filter housing situated downstream of the delivery unit, and a drive line for driving a suction jet pump embodied in the filter housing of the main filter. As a result, the assembly and manufacture costs of the device are reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Hans-Peter Braun, Thomas Wieland, Petr Simek, Pavel Motka
  • Patent number: 7757673
    Abstract: Prior art fuel line check valves remain closed after engine off and cool down. Diurnal heating and the resultant pressure increase in the fuel line causes fuel vapor emissions through small openings in the fuel line (e.g., at the injector tips). The invention provides a check valve for a vehicle fuel line which opens in response to engine cooling and remains open while the engine is off to relieve subsequent increasing pressure in the fuel line due to diurnal heating thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David H. Burke, William L. Villaire, Dennis P. McGrath, John G. Fischer