Patents Examined by Jaime Corrigan
  • Patent number: 6412458
    Abstract: A control system controls an intake air quantity to an engine by controlling an intake valve closing timing, instead of, or in cooperation with, a throttle valve. A controller estimates a quantity of internal EGR gases remaining in a cylinder, and controls the intake valve closing timing to a desired target timing determined in due consideration of the estimated internal EGR quantity. The estimated internal EGR quantity is a sum of a base quantity and an increase correction quantity determined in accordance with a valve overlap period, its middle angular position in crankshaft rotation and intake pressure. The target intake valve closing timing is determined in accordance with a target intake air quantity and the estimated internal EGR quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Kawasaki, Masahiro Arai
  • Patent number: 6412455
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine is provided with a variable valve train capable of altering opening and closing timings and/or opening amounts of at least one of an intake valve and an exhaust valve of an internal combustion engine. The internal combustion engine is characterized in that the internal combustion engine is further provided with a negative pressure mechanism that operates using intake pipe negative pressure generated in an intake passage of the internal combustion engine, a throttle valve for adjusting the flow rate of intake air flowing through the intake passage, and negative pressure generating device that controls at least one of the variable valve train and the throttle valve to generate the intake pipe negative pressure, when the intake pipe negative pressure for operation of the negative pressure mechanism is insufficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Makoto Ogiso, Mitsuru Saitoh, Isao Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 6412462
    Abstract: A cam phaser wherein the stator is integral with either the back plate or the front cover plate. The integral stator may be formed by any desired forming technique, such as, for example, by machining, casting, welding, or injection molding. Preferably, however, the integral stator is formed in a single molding step by powdered metal forming using powdered aluminum. Cap seals are provided for sealing the hydraulic chambers of the cam phaser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Howard Lichti, Michael James Fox, Gary John Deangelis
  • Patent number: 6412456
    Abstract: A valve control system for controlling an electromagnetic valve unit is arranged to detect a characteristic of a free vibration of a vibration system in the electromagnetic valve unit when a pair of electromagnets of the electromagnetic valve unit are de-energized and to estimate at least one of a friction quantity and a spring constant of the vibration system on the basis of the detected characteristic of the free vibration. The control system executes the control of the electromagnetic valve unit on the basis of a control parameter determined by one of the estimated friction quantity and the estimated spring constant. This arrangement improves a certainty of softly landing a movable member of the electromagnetic valve unit on the electromagnets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kumaki, Ikuhiro Taniguchi, Taketoshi Kawabe, Shigeru Nakajima
  • Patent number: 6408808
    Abstract: A DOHC diesel engine cylinder head includes a plurality of combustion chamber head sections having the same configuration, two camshafts rotationally mounted over the combustion chamber head sections, each having cam lobes for activating intake and exhaust valves, synchronizing means for driving the camshafts, the synchronizing means being connected to the camshafts, a camshaft carrier mounted on a top surface of the cylinder head for supporting the camshafts, and a valve cover for covering the cylinder head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Se-Young Yi
  • Patent number: 6397797
    Abstract: A method of controlling valve landing in a camless engine including a valve movable between fully open and fully closed positions, and an electromagnetic valve actuator for actuating the valve is provided. The method includes providing at least one discrete position measurement sensor to determine when the valve is at a particular position during valve movement. The velocity of the valve is calculated at the particular position based upon current and rate of change of current in the electromagnetic valve actuator when the valve is at the particular position. Valve landing is controlled based upon the calculated velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ilya V Kolmanovsky, Mohammad Haghgooie, Mazen Hammoud, Michiel Jacques van Nieuwstadt
  • Patent number: 6394053
    Abstract: A valve train for a small size diesel engine includes a pair of camshafts rotatively supported by and passing over a top of a cylinder head, one pair of intake and exhaust cams on each camshaft for each cylinder, two intake ports and two exhaust ports formed on the cylinder head over and around a bore center of each cylinder for communicating with the cylinder bore, two intake valves and two exhaust valves installed into the corresponding ports for selectively opening and closing the ports, rocker arms of which one end of each is connected to upper ends of the corresponding valves, and lash adjusters connected to other ends of the corresponding rocker arms for adjusting lash between the rocker arms and the cams, wherein the intake and exhaust ports are arranged in an alternative zigzag fashion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Buom-Sik Shin
  • Patent number: 6390044
    Abstract: A valve timing control apparatus in an internal combustion engine is feedback controlled by a sliding mode control and an abnormality of the sliding mode control is diagnosed. During a slight abnormality other than a crucial abnormality which makes the feedback control impossible, the system is feedback controlled to converge to a target value using only a non-linear term calculated by the sliding mode control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Unisia Jecs Corporation
    Inventors: Hidekazu Yoshizawa, Norio Moteki
  • Patent number: 6390036
    Abstract: In an electromagnetically powered engine valve control apparatus of an internal combustion engine having an electromagnetic actuator which drives the engine valve electromagnetically, and a valve-lift sensor which detecting a valve lift of the engine valve, a control unit operates the engine valve in a selected one of a normal operating mode enabling both powered opening and powered closing of the engine valve by energization of the electromagnetic actuator, and a free-fly operating mode enabling a kinetic system of the engine valve to be free to fly according to a damped vibration system by deenergization of the electromagnetic actuator. The control unit calculates a damping coefficient as a ratio of a valve lift detected during the free-fly operating mode to a valve lift detected during the normal operating mode, and also calculates a desired valve open period from a time when the engine valve starts to open to a time when the engine valve closes, based on engine speed. and engine load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuya Yuuki
  • Patent number: 6386168
    Abstract: A valve cam mechanism for a four-cycle engine includes an improved construction. The engine includes at least one camshaft having cam lobes to actuate intake and exhaust valves. A decompression actuator is affixed to the camshaft for pivotal movement. A holder section of the actuator is arranged to hold the intake or exhaust valve in an open position when the actuator exists in an initial position. A weight section is disposed opposite to the holder section relative to the pivot axis to place the holder section in the initial position. The actuator pivots when the weight section moves by centrifugal force to release the holder section from the initial position. The camshaft further has a projection extending radially and defining a first surface on which the stopper section abuts to inhibit the actuator from pivoting beyond a preset range. The cam lobe includes a base circle portion and a nose portion protruding from the base circle of the cam lobe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Suzuki, Yasuhiko Shibata
  • Patent number: 6386162
    Abstract: A fully variable valve drive (10) for throttle-free load control of an internal combustion engine is proposed. It is particularly characteristic of the invention, that a transmission component (4) is provided for a valve activation component (13) that is produced with two distinguishable parts. The one includes a lever (4a) that communicates at one end with a cam (2), and on the other hand of a catch (4b). This catch (4b) is attached at an end (5) of the lever (4a) that is away from the cam (2) in a manner that allows for pivotable movement. The catch (4b) communicates with a contact range (15) of a rotatable adjustment mechanism (9) on the one hand. On the other hand, it works on the valve activation component (13) through a swing movement. This can be influenced by assignment of the location of the rest range (15) with reference to a target (12) of the handle (4b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: Ina Walzlager Schaeffler OHG
    Inventor: Frank Himsel
  • Patent number: 6378473
    Abstract: An electromagnetic valve unit in an internal combustion engine is controlled by determining a difference between the output of a displacement sensor when a valve head is in an open position and the output of the displacement sensor when the valve head is in a closed position in each period of an opening and closing action of the valve head. The difference corresponds to a full displacement of the valve head between the open position and the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiro Yamaki, Minoru Nakamura, Jiro Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 6374785
    Abstract: This invention pertains to a vane-cell positioning device with an external rotor (1) driven by the crankshaft of an internal combustion engine and an internal rotor (2) fixed to and turning with a camshaft which has pivoting vanes (15) that fit inside vane mounting notches (16), said vanes being loaded with pressurized oil in hydraulic work spaces (31) of the external rotor (1). The danger of the pivoting vanes (15) lifting off of the radial sealing surfaces is eliminated by loading the bottoms of the pivoting vanes (15) with pressurized oil as the internal combustion engine is running.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: Ina Walzlager Schaeffler OHG
    Inventors: Jens Schäfer, Martin Steigerwald, Matthias Kapp
  • Patent number: 6374783
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling an electromagnetically operated engine valve to an initial condition before an engine startup is disclosed. The apparatus is adapted for determining a viscosity of an engine lubricating oil and executing either one of a resonant initialization, in which the engine valve is oscillated to be moved from a mid-open position to a closed or full open position and held therein by alternately energizing two electromagnets of an electromagnetic actuator, and a one-shot initialization, in which the engine valve is moved from the mid-open position to the closed or full open position and held therein with one stroke by onetime energizing one of the electromagnets, depending on the determined viscosity of an engine lubricating oil. A method for controlling the engine valve to the initial condition is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaki Toriumi
  • Patent number: 6371066
    Abstract: A torque based cam timing system and method for an engine having dual independent camshafts is disclosed that includes a first set of ROM based calibration tables containing values for intake valve closing and valve overlap that provide best fuel economy and emissions over the operating range of engine speed and engine indicated torque and a second set of ROM based calibration tables containing values for intake valve closing and valve overlap for optimal power over the operating range of engine speed. A power index value that indicates the change in driver desire from fuel economy to power, is used to interpolate over the range of values in the first set of tables to the values in the second set of tables to calculate values of intake valve closing and valve overlap that are optimal for all altitudes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael John Cullen
  • Patent number: 6367438
    Abstract: The invention concerns a rotary piston adjuster (1, 1′) for hydraulic phase adjustment of a camshaft of an internal combustion engine relative to a drive pinion (6), said adjuster comprising a rotor (3, 3′) fixed to the camshaft and cooperating with the drive pinion (6) for effecting phase adjustment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Ina Walzlager Schaeffler oHG
    Inventor: Dieter Neller
  • Patent number: 6367434
    Abstract: The Invention concerns g solenoid valve, more particularly a proportional hydraulic valve which is arranged within a hydraulic system of a device for varying the valve timing of gas exchange valves in an internal combustion engine. The solenoid valve (1) generally comprises an electromagnet (2) having a hollow cylindrical magnet housing (3), at least one coil winding (4) and an armature (5) as Well as a first pole shoe (6) and a second pole shoe (7) and further comprises a valve member (8) having a hollow cylindrical valve housing (9) for receiving a spool valve which is displaceable relative to the valve housing (9) by the armature (5) of the electromagnet (2). According to the invention, the electromagnet (2) and the valve member (8) are connected and fixed radially and axially to each other by force locking and/or positive engagement by the second pole shoe (7) of the electromagnet (2) which is arranged adjacent the valve member (8) and configured as a plug-in lock for the valve housing (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Ina Walzlager Schaeffler oHG
    Inventors: Martin Steigerwald, Jens Schäfer, Matthias Dohr
  • Patent number: 6357403
    Abstract: A method of controlling an internal combustion engine having an electromagnetically actuated intake valve for a cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hirofumi Yano
  • Patent number: 6349685
    Abstract: A method of operating one or more valves of a camless internal combustion engine via electronically controlled valve actuators includes the steps of measuring noise related to valve operation, deriving a control signal based at least in part on the measured noise, and applying the valve control signal to one or more of the valve actuators to reduce the effects of noise attributable to valve operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2002
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ilya Vladimir Kolmanovsky, Mohammad Haghgooie, Mazen Hammoud, Michiel Jacques van Nieuwstadt
  • Patent number: 6338320
    Abstract: A hydraulically-assisted engine valve actuator and method for assisting in the actuation of an engine valve includes a translatable pilot valve that is operably coupled to and controlled by a pilot valve positioning system. A servo piston is in fluid communication with the pilot valve and is operably coupled to the engine valve. The pilot valve positioning system controls translation of the pilot valve to meter hydraulic fluid under pressure to and from the servo piston. The hydraulic fluid under pressure causes the servo piston to closely follow the translation of the pilot valve to effect a desired profile of translational opening and closing motion of the engine valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2002
    Assignee: International Truck & Engine Corporation
    Inventor: William De Ojeda