Patents Examined by James J Kim
  • Patent number: 12292012
    Abstract: A coating for reducing high-temperature oxidation of a piston for an internal combustion engine is provided. This coating is obtained by means of a composition containing titanate or zirconate, wherein at least one metal pigment is introduced into the coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: Federal-Mogul Numberg GmbH
    Inventors: Margrit Dannenfeldt, Wolfram Cromme, Jurgen Reitenspies
  • Patent number: 12291990
    Abstract: Internal combustion engines, including engines producing power from solid or slow burning fuel(s), such as biological-based or petroleum-based fuels, wood, corn, biomass, coal, and waste products, and/or possibly other liquid or gaseous fluids, as well as methods for operating or implementing such engines, are disclosed herein. In an example embodiment, the engine includes a crankshaft, a piston, a cylinder having an internal cavity and several ports, and an assembly having a chamber having a first region within which solid fuel can be situated and combusted. The assembly further includes a diverter valve so that, depending upon a setting of the valve and during engine operation, first and second amounts of compressed air respectively proceed to the first region and to bypass the first region, and a combination of combustion products and the second amount proceeds via one of the ports to the part of the internal cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Inventor: David L. Stenz
  • Patent number: 12291989
    Abstract: Provided are systems and methods for transport vehicles using recyclable metallic fuels. The method includes capturing fuel products, including a metal oxide and unburnt fuel from the combustion of a metallic fuel, storing the unburnt metallic fuel and the fuel products, and recycling the metal oxide to recreate the metallic fuel and/or byproducts. Heat generated by the combustion and/or sintering of the metallic fuel may be transferred to a working fluid to drive the production of electricity and/or to provide propulsion in land, air and water vehicles and spacecraft. Furthermore, the thermal energy harvesting system may be used to generate electricity. The system includes a thermal (heat) engine having an induction heating assembly for heating the metallic fuel. Processes for complete combustion of the metallic fuel and recycling the metallic fuel in a sintering loop are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: Oqab Dietrich Induction Inc.
    Inventors: Haroon B. Oqab, George B. Dietrich
  • Patent number: 12292009
    Abstract: A method for operating an internal combustion engine includes a step of providing an oxygen-containing gas having greater than 22 volume percent oxygen and combining the oxygen-containing gas with a fuel to form a combustible mixture. The combustible mixture is provided to an internal combustion engine wherein combustion of the combustible mixture drive the internal combustion engine. An internal combustion system executing the method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: Gas Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Walter Breidenstein, Ryan Anthony Garf, Craig Alan Karavas, Robin Parsons
  • Patent number: 12291303
    Abstract: A control device is provided for controlling an adjusting device of a human-powered vehicle. The adjusting device adjusts a front initial sag amount of a front suspension of the human-powered vehicle in a state in where a rider is riding the human-powered vehicle and a rear initial sag amount of a rear suspension of the human-powered vehicle in a state where the rider is riding the human-powered vehicle. The control device comprises an electronic controller configured to output a front control signal that adjusts the front initial sag amount of the front suspension of the human-powered vehicle, and output a rear control signal that adjusts the rear initial sag amount of the rear suspension of the human-powered vehicle to the adjusting device based on traveling information related to traveling of the human-powered vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventors: Nobukatsu Hara, Toyoto Shirai, Yuta Mizutani
  • Patent number: 12286948
    Abstract: A GDi fuel pump comprising an inlet valve assembly arranged in an inlet passage of the pump housing. The inlet valve assembly comprises a check valve comprising a seat member cooperating with a valve member; and an actuator assembly having a needle assembly reciprocally moveable by means of a magnetic field to actuated the valve member. The needle assembly includes an actuating needle, an armature, a washer with a plurality of through holes and an obturating member. The obturating member comprises a plurality of flexible blades, each blade comprising an obturating pad configured to be moveable between a rest position, wherein the obturating pad rests on the washer and closes a respective through hole thereof, and a raised position, raised from the washer when the needle moves away from the check valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: PHINIA DELPHI LUXEMBOURG SARL
    Inventors: Cyrille Lesieur, Christophe Breant
  • Patent number: 12286137
    Abstract: A vehicle controller includes a processor configured to determine whether there is fogging on a window of a vehicle or a sign of fogging thereof, based on a fogginess sensor signal indicating a physical index related to the degree of fogging of the window of the vehicle or operation of a vehicle-mounted device of the vehicle capable of defogging operation. The fogginess sensor signal is obtained by a fogginess sensor provided on the vehicle. The processor is further configured to change a driving control level applicable to the vehicle so as to increase or prevent decreasing the degree of a driver's involvement in driving the vehicle, depending on the driving control level currently applied to the vehicle, upon determination that there is fogging on the window of the vehicle or a sign of fogging thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takuya Fujiki, Ryusuke Kuroda
  • Patent number: 12286947
    Abstract: An intake manifold for an engine includes a premixing chamber, a pressure stabilizing chamber, and multiple intake passages. The intake passages are connected with a bottom of the pressure stabilizing chamber. A first end of the premixing chamber includes an intake end having an air inlet. A second end of the premixing chamber is communicated with the pressure stabilizing chamber and is close to a top of the pressure stabilizing chamber. An exhaust gas inlet is disposed on the premixing chamber and close to the air inlet. The engine includes an engine body and the intake manifold for the engine. The vehicle includes a vehicle body and the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: BYD COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Li Li, Nan Zhang, Shiyi Pan, Peng Guo, Kuicong He
  • Patent number: 12281626
    Abstract: A linear electric machine includes a shaft and at least one piston assembly operably coupled with the shaft. The piston assembly includes a piston, a piston body, and an expansion chamber. The piston body defines a dome structure at the expansion chamber. The piston is a domed piston corresponding to the dome structure. The linear electric machine also includes a heater body positioned at an outer end of the expansion chamber adjacent to the dome structure. The piston body further defines an exterior surface corresponding to a shape of the dome structure. The exterior surface includes a plurality of surface features protruding therefrom and is arranged between the heater body and the dome structure. The plurality of surface features decrease a heat load across the exterior surface of the piston body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2025
    Assignee: Hyliion Holdings Corp.
    Inventors: Kevin Michael Van de Voorde, Victor Luis Marrero Ortiz, Joshua Tyler Mook
  • Patent number: 12281628
    Abstract: An intake assembly for an internal combustion engine, includes an intake manifold including a first plenum and a plurality of intake runners, the first plenum including an air supply inlet, the intake runners configured to be couplable to a cylinder head of the engine for supplying an air-fuel mixture thereto, the intake manifold configured such that, in use, air is supplied from the air supply inlet to the intake runners via the first plenum; a plurality of fuel injectors, each arranged to inject a fuel into one of the intake runners; and a fuel rail coupled to the plurality of fuel injectors, the fuel rail including a fuel supply inlet, and configured to supply fuel from the fuel supply inlet to the plurality of fuel injectors, in use. The fuel rail is mounted to the first plenum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2025
    Assignee: JCB Research
    Inventors: Frank Zhu, Kevin Browne, John Griffin
  • Patent number: 12276216
    Abstract: A film formation portion is formed on an annular edge portion along an opening portion (16a) of an intake port (16) or an opening portion (17a) of an exhaust port (17). The cross section, along the radial direction of the intake port (16) or the exhaust port (17), of the film formation portion, on which a metal film (5) is formed by spraying a raw material powder using a cold spray method, is formed in a groove shape that includes a flat bottom surface (G1) and a pair of side surfaces (G2) adjacent to the bottom surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2025
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Moriyuki Nogami, Masatoshi Inoguchi, Hidenobu Matsuyama, Hirohisa Shibayama, Yoshitsugu Noshi, Koukichi Kamada, Naoya Tainaka
  • Patent number: 12276255
    Abstract: An arrangement includes a transmission, a pitch tube, and a fixation device configured to affix the pitch tube in the transmission. The fixation device is electrically insulated from the pitch tube. The pitch tube can be axially movable relative to the fixation device. The pitch tube can be fixed in a shaft or a rotatably-mounted planet carrier of the transmission by the fixation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2025
    Assignees: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG, ZF WIND POWER ANTWERPEN N.V., VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Dirk Strasser, Dietmar Weist, Deyan Stoyanov, Ralf Sperlich
  • Patent number: 12276228
    Abstract: An epicyclic power gear box for a gas turbine engine delivers torque from a low speed shaft to the primary fan. The gear box includes a planet gear and a bearing pin for the planet gear, sun gear and ring gear. The planet gear and bearing pin are arranged so that a clearance between the two is maintained during a takeoff condition for the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2025
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kedar S. Vaidya, Bugra H. Ertas
  • Patent number: 12276235
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes an engine block, a piston, and a cylinder head. The engine block includes a cylinder block having a cylinder bore, a crankcase defining a crankcase chamber with a crankshaft positioned within the crankcase chamber, and a cylinder sleeve fabricated from a self-lubricating plastic material. The cylinder head is coupled to the cylinder block to form a combustion chamber. The piston includes a piston top adjacent the combustion chamber, a piston body including a wrist pin hole configured to receive a wrist pin, a first piston ring positioned on the piston body, and a non-metallic gasket positioned on the piston body closer to the combustion chamber than the first piston ring and structured to prevent combustion gases from escaping the combustion chamber. The crankcase chamber is oilless.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2025
    Assignee: Briggs & Stratton, LLC
    Inventors: Jacob Zuehl, Richard Sebzda, Vernon Moss
  • Patent number: 12275407
    Abstract: Provided is an electronic control device that estimates a presence of a vehicle incapable of performing vehicle-to-vehicle communication ahead of a communication partner vehicle is estimated. An electronic control device 30 detects, on map data, an intersection 60 located ahead in a traveling direction of a host vehicle 10 based on location data and the map data of the host vehicle 10, calculates a stop position (first position) 71 where a communication partner vehicle 11 is supposed to pass through or stop when the communication partner vehicle 11 stops at the intersection 60, based on vehicle information of the communication partner vehicle 11 that is traveling toward the intersection 60, and determines whether or not there is another vehicle 13 ahead in the traveling direction of the communication partner vehicle 11, based on the stop position (first position) 71 and an intersection area 20 (second position 72) set before the intersection 60.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2025
    Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
    Inventor: Isao Kowase
  • Patent number: 12269471
    Abstract: An apparatus may be configured to determine whether to adjust an acceleration limit level associated with an acceleration limit operation for a corresponding vehicle speed range. The adjustment may be performed by using driver information acquired based on biometric information of a driver. The apparatus may be configured to control an adjustment of the acceleration limit level. The apparatus may be configured to change a limit acceleration of the vehicle that is accelerated based on a degree of accelerator pedal manipulation by the driver and the adjusted acceleration limit level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventors: Do Hwa Kim, Hui Un Son, Sung Il Jung
  • Patent number: 12270351
    Abstract: A method for moving a vehicle in a reverse direction is provided. The method includes: providing an internal combustion engine, a transmission, and an electric machine; adjusting a valve timing of either an intake valve or an exhaust valve during a non-firing mode of the internal combustion engine to reduce a rotational resistance; and, rotating the internal combustion in a backwards or reverse direction so that the vehicle moves in a reverse direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Jeffrey Mossberg, Andrew Mlinaric
  • Patent number: 12264617
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a dimethyl ether-fueled (DME-fueled) generator. Since the DME-fueled generator uses DME which is a clean fuel, there is no fine dust in the exhaust gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: BIO FRIENDS INC.
    Inventors: Wonjun Cho, Jeseol Lee, Youngsoo Lee, Wonaje Cho, Hyejin Yu, Junwoo Lee
  • Patent number: 12264636
    Abstract: A piston may have an annular body including a crown portion defining a longitudinal axis, a radial direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, a plane containing the longitudinal axis and the radial direction, and a contoured combustion bowl. In the plane containing the longitudinal axis and the radial direction, the crown portion includes a radially outer squish surface, and a swirl pocket having a reentrant surface that extends axially downwardly and radially outwardly from the squish surface defining a tangent that forms a reentrant angle with the squish surface that ranges from 53.0 degrees to 57.0 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron S. Ness, Andrew J. Loetz, John R. Brubaker, Christopher L. Batta
  • Patent number: 12257540
    Abstract: A filter element has a filter mat web (10) with free, mutually adjacent web ends (12) joined along a joint (16) forming a hollow body. The joint (16) is made of at least one connecting part (18), which is provided with groove-shaped receiving channels (20, 22. Each of the receiving channels is used to receive one web end (12) of the filter mat (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: HYDAC FILTERTECHNIK GMBH
    Inventor: Harald Mees