Patents Examined by Jacob Amick
  • Fuel injection system
    Patent number: 9964083
    Abstract: A fuel injection system for a reciprocating engine, comprising injectors for injecting pressurized fuel into the cylinders of the engine, a high pressure pump for pressurizing fuel to be injected, a supply pipe for feeding fuel from the high pressure pump toward the injectors and feed pipes for feeding fuel from the supply pipe to the injectors. The first ends of the feed pipes are connected to the injectors and the second ends to the supply pipe. Each fuel injector is provided with a pressure accumulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: WARTSILA FINLAND OY
    Inventors: Kjell Eklund, Mikael Troberg, Anton Wintersteller, Vesa Voutilainen
  • Fuel pump system for bubble control
    Patent number: 9964081
    Abstract: A fuel system includes an air residence chamber operative to receive fuel from a fuel tank and allow degassed air to separate from fuel to an upper portion, and a boost pump including a boost pump inlet and a boost pump outlet. The boost pump inlet is in fluid communication with a lower portion of the air residence chamber to pump fluid from the air residence chamber. The system also includes an accumulator in fluid communication with the boost pump outlet. The accumulator includes a reservoir having a reservoir inlet in fluid communication with the boost pump outlet and a reservoir outlet. The accumulator also includes a piston slidably disposed in the reservoir. The piston is operative to push fluid through the reservoir outlet when a pump pressure of the boost pump drops below a predetermined pressure value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Steven A. Heitz
  • Lubrication circuit layout
    Patent number: 9964008
    Abstract: An engine-case component and a variable displacement oil pump are provided for an internal combustion engine. The engine-case component includes, but is not limited to a first oil channel suitable for connecting an oil outlet of the variable displacement oil pump with a primary control chamber of the same variable displacement oil pump, a second oil channel suitable for being independently connected with a secondary control chamber of the variable displacement oil pump, and a seat communicating with the first oil channel and the second oil channel, which is suitable for accommodating an electrically driven control valve for selectively opening and closing the communication between the first and the second oil channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Giuseppe Maccarrone
  • Windowed intake valve stem
    Patent number: 9957855
    Abstract: An intake valve for an internal combustion engine is provided. The intake valve includes a valve stem with a hole in the valve stem forming an air channel there through that allows intake air to flow from an intake passage, through the air channel, into a cylinder of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO International America, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve D. Tripp, Rachel E. Chao
  • Gear backlash control for an opposed-piston engine
    Patent number: 9958057
    Abstract: An opposed-piston engine includes a backlash reducing gear with at least a first and second gear that move relative to each other because of a hydraulic pressure applied within the gear. A backlash control system that includes the backlash reducing gear can dynamically adjust backlash between at least two gears in the gear train of the engine during operation of the engine instead of setting backlash prior to operation of the engine. A method for adjusting backlash in a two-stroke-cycle, opposed-piston engine with a backlash reducing gear includes providing hydraulic fluid, such as oil, to the gear, and allowing the backlash reducing gear to adapt to changes in the engine that include temperature changes, torque reversals, changes in load and the like. The backlash reducing gear adapts to changes in the engine by controlled leaking and intake of oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: ACHATES POWER, INC.
    Inventors: Abhishek B. Sahasrabudhe, Sumanth Kashyap, John J. Koszewnik
  • Adjusting a fuel on-board a vehicle
    Patent number: 9957903
    Abstract: A fuel separation system includes a fuel separator configured to receive a fuel stream and separate the fuel stream, based on a volatility of the fuel stream, into a vapor stream defined by a first auto-ignition characteristic value and a first liquid stream defined by a second auto-ignition characteristic value, the second auto-ignition characteristic value greater than the first auto-ignition characteristic value; and a control system communicably coupled to the fuel separator and operable to receive an input from an engine, the input including an engine operating condition, the control system configured to adjust an operating parameter of the fuel separator, based at least in part on the engine operating condition, to vary at least one of the first or second auto-ignition characteristic values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Esam Z. Hamad, Ibrahim M. Algunaibet
  • Systems and methods for a latchable refueling valve
    Patent number: 9956867
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a latchable refueling valve designed to reduce noise associated with opening and closing the valve. In one example, a system may include a valve armature with first and second latch indices formed on an outer diameter of the armature. The latch indices may be rounded and configured to engage with a latch guide to enable rotation between the armature and the latch guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Ognjanovski, Jr., Dennis Seung-Man Yang, Kevin Lucka, Russell Randall Pearce
  • Oil separator for crankcase ventilation of an internal combustion engine
    Patent number: 9957860
    Abstract: An oil separator may be used in a variety of contexts, one of which is for crankcase ventilation of an internal combustion engine. The oil separator may include a hollow member that extends along a longitudinal axis and is configured to receive a gas flow that is charged with oil. The oil separator may also include an oil separation member disposed within the hollow member and against which the gas flow flows. A redirection member may be disposed proximate the oil separation member in the hollow member, wherein the redirection member redirects at least a portion of the gas flow traveling substantially along the longitudinal axis radially outwards so as to impact an inner side of the oil separation member. As a result of an impactor effect from the gas flow striking the oil separation member as well as the inertia of the oil, the oil may remain in and/or pass through the oil separation member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: THYSSENKRUPP PRESTA TECCENTER AG
    Inventors: Robert Reichelt, Ulf Müller, Jürgen Meusel
  • Method for heating the engine oil of an internal combustion engine and internal combustion engine for performing such a method
    Patent number: 9951664
    Abstract: A method for operation of a lubrication circuit in an internal combustion engine is provided herein. The method comprises during a first operating condition, operating an oil agitation device to increase the turbulence of oil in the lubrication circuit, the oil agitation device positioned downstream of an oil pump in a supply line in fluidic communication with a lubricant receiving component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Bert Pingen, Hans Guenter Quix, Michael Tobergte, Kay Hohenboeken, Jan Mehring
  • Bearing structure for multi-link-type piston crank mechanism for internal combustion engines
    Patent number: 9951686
    Abstract: A crankshaft bearing part (11) has a pair of main bearing metals (41), and lubricating oil is guided from an oil gallery to an inner circumferential oil groove (43) through an in-block oil passage (33) and a first oil hole (42). Some of the lubricating oil is supplied to a control shaft bearing part (17) via a second oil hole (44) and an in-cap oil passage (34). Lubricating oil is guided from a third oil hole (46) in a pair of control shaft bearing metals (45) to an inner circumferential oil groove (47). The oil groove (43) in the crankshaft bearing part (11) functions also as an oil passage for supplying lubricating oil to the control shaft bearing part (17), thereby achieving a simple configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Hoshikawa
  • Method and fuel supply system for a progressive impulse internal combustion engine
    Patent number: 9945319
    Abstract: A piston system includes a piston housing having a cylindrical body and forming an opening; a piston head positioned within and slidingly engaged with the opening; a first conduit extending from a side of the piston head to a top surface of the piston head; a first pocket extending partially within the cylindrical body of the piston housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Inventor: Richard Truhill
  • Cooling system for air-cooled engines
    Patent number: 9945281
    Abstract: A cooling system for an air-cooled engine includes a plurality of electric fans, a plurality of ducts, each duct configured to receive one of the plurality of electric fans, a housing, the housing configured to be coupled to the engine and to include at least one opening, each opening is configured to be coupled to receive one of the plurality of ducts to direct air from the electric fans to a plurality of target locations, a sensor, the sensor is configured to acquire sensor data regarding the operation of the engine, and a processing circuit, the processing circuit is configured to receive the sensor data from the sensor and to control operation of the plurality of electric fans in accordance with the sensor data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Briggs & Stratton Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Pitcel, David Procknow, Jacob Zuehl
  • Six-stroke engine and method of operating six-stroke engine
    Patent number: 9945296
    Abstract: A six-stroke engine includes a cylinder, a piston, a cylinder head, a combustion chamber, an intake port, an exhaust port, an intake valve, an exhaust valve, a fuel injector, and an ignition plug. The six-stroke engine includes a valve gear that operates the intake valve and the exhaust valve to execute an intake stroke, a compression stroke with ignition, an expansion stroke with combustion, an exhaust stroke, an expansion stroke without combustion, and a compression stroke without ignition. The valve gear opens, only for a predetermined period of time while the piston is located at top dead center, at least one of the intake valve and the exhaust valve within a period from the exhaust stroke to the intake stroke. A valve overlap state is produced at least once within the period from the exhaust stroke to the intake stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ei Tsukahara
  • Piston assembly including a polymer coating with hard particles applied to sliding surfaces
    Patent number: 9945480
    Abstract: A piston assembly comprises a piston body, a connecting rod, and a wrist pin. The piston body includes a pair of first cross bores presenting a piston sliding surface. The connecting rod includes a second cross bore presenting a rod sliding surface which is axially aligned with the first cross bores of the piston body. A wrist pin is disposed in the aligned cross bores and couples the piston body to the connecting rod. The wrist pin also presents a pin sliding surface facing the rod sliding surface and the piston sliding surfaces. A coating is applied to at least one of the sliding surfaces, such as by dipping, brushing, atomizing, spraying, printing, or screen printing. The coating includes a polymer matrix, such as polyamide imide (PAI), and hard particles, such as Fe2O3, disposed throughout the polymer matrix. The hard particles have a hardness of at least 600 HV/0.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Federal-Mogul LLC
    Inventors: Troy Kantola, Andrew J. Miller, Steven Krause, Achim Adam, Joachim Schlueter
  • Homogenizing fuel enhancement system and gas processor for use therein
    Patent number: 9945299
    Abstract: A fuel enhancement system and method for supplying an engine with a pressurized homogenized mixture of a liquid fuel and a gaseous component. In one embodiment the system comprises a controller; a gaseous component flow control device, a homogenization system, and a gas processor. In another embodiment, the system comprises a controller; a gaseous component flow control device, a device for generating signals indicative of liquid fuel flow, and a homogenization system. Particular embodiments of the gas processor and device for generating signals indicative of liquid fuel flow are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: EXEN Holdings, LLC
    Inventor: Morten A. Lund
  • Intake manifold
    Patent number: 9938940
    Abstract: An intake manifold assembly has one or more shells coupled together and coupled to a cover. When the manifold cover, or other exterior surface, is rounded, the manifold does not sit stably on a flat surface when the rounded surface is placed onto the flat surface. The manifold may roll off a table and be damaged. To mitigate such situation, the rounded surface is provided with at least two standoffs extending outwardly from a surface of the cover with distal ends of the standoffs substantially lying in a common plane. The standoffs have a central axis and the standoffs extend outwardly from the surface along the central axis at least as far as any other feature of the intake manifold assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: David Born, John Carl Lohr
  • Vehicle having a cooling system for cooling an engine and a generator
    Patent number: 9938884
    Abstract: A vehicle includes: an engine including cylinder, a piston, a crankshaft unit, a balancing shaft unit, and an engine cooling passage; a power generating system including a generator and a generator cooling passage; and a cooling system that includes a mechanical water pump driven by the crankshaft unit, a first heat exchanger in fluid communication with the mechanical water pump and the engine cooling passage to constitute a first cooling circuit, an electrically controlled water pump, a second heat exchanger in fluid communication with the electrically controlled water pump and the generator cooling passage to constitute a second cooling circuit, and a controlling unit for controlling operation of the electrically controlled water pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Kwang Yang Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wei-Chung Li, Wen-Tso Cheng, Sai-Dai Yang
  • Ventilation system for supercharged combustion engines
    Patent number: 9938868
    Abstract: A ventilation system for a crankcase for the transport of blow-by gases from the crankcase to the intake section of an internal combustion engine with supercharger. A ventilation line reaches from the crankcase to the segment of the intake section between the supercharger and the air inlet valve. An air-oil separator is arranged in the ventilation line, as well as a return line for the return of oil separated in the air-oil separator via a tank and a tank outlet valve into the crankcase. An actuating element is arranged in or at the tank. The actuating element is charged with the pressure in the intake line behind the supercharger as working pressure and which upon sufficiently high pressure transports the oil present in the tank via the tank outlet valve into the crankcase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Reinz-Dichtungs-GmbH
    Inventors: Kai-Uwe Lemke, Robert Baerreiter
  • Fuel system for a combustion engine
    Patent number: 9938933
    Abstract: A fuel system includes an air and fuel mixer configured to mix air and fuel provided to a combustion engine and a fuel path coupled to the air and fuel mixer. The fuel path includes an electronically controlled fuel control valve configured to regulate an air to fuel ratio of an air/fuel mixture provided to the engine, a gas pressure regulator disposed upstream of the fuel control valve and configured to control a pressure of the fuel in relation to an air pressure of the air and fuel mixer, and a manual adjust valve disposed downstream of the gas pressure regulator and configured to mechanically tune a performance of the fuel path to minimize an adjustment by the electronically controlled fuel control valve to regulate the air to fuel ratio. The fuel system is configured to operate with different fuels that differ in physical and chemical properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Gregory Walter Sorge, Michael Thomas Roll, Jerrold Arthur Pratt
  • Cooling water passage structure of internal combustion engine
    Patent number: 9938881
    Abstract: A cooling water passage structure of internal combustion engine includes a cylinder-block-side cooling water passage, a cylinder-head-side cooling water passage, a heat exchanger, and cooling water passage pipes. The cylinder-block-side cooling water passage is formed inside a cylinder block of an engine to cause cooling water to flow through. The cylinder-head-side cooling water passage is formed inside a cylinder head to cause cooling water to flow through. The heat exchanger is configured to dissipate heat of cooling water to external air to decrease a temperature of the cooling water. The cooling water passage pipes couple the heat exchanger and the engine to exchange cooling water. The cylinder head includes a cooling water inlet. The cooling water passage pipe is coupled to the cooling water inlet. The cooling water from the heat exchanger flows into the cooling water inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ikuo Yamada