Patents Examined by Jason Benton
  • Patent number: 7093568
    Abstract: Method and system embody a valve timing strategy to control the autoignition timing of a four stroke internal combustion engine (10) operated in an HCCI mode at different engine operating conditions such as different engine speed and torque. A particular valve timing strategy varies lift timing of the intake valve (20) relative to the exhaust valve (28), or vice versa, and relative to top dead center in response to a change in engine torque, for example, to vary amount of trapped residual burned gas in the combustion chamber (12) flowing to an intake or exhaust port (16,18) and back to the combustion chamber during which the residual gas is cooled. Control of the flow of residual gas between the combustion chamber and intake or exhaust port and thus its temperature by the valve timing strategy, in turn, is used to control the temperature of the fresh air/residual gas/fuel mixture in the combustion chamber (12) and thus autoignition timing in response to a change in engine torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Jialin Yang
  • Patent number: 7089890
    Abstract: A cooling system pumps coolant through parallel connections to a crankcase and an EGR cooler in an internal combustion engine with exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). A crankcase supply conduit connects a coolant pump to a coolant channel formed by the crankcase. The coolant channel is connected to a coolant chamber formed by the cylinder head. An EGR cooler supply conduit connects the EGR cooler to the coolant pump. The EGR cooler is connected to the coolant chamber. Coolant flows from the coolant pump into the crankcase supply conduit and into the EGR cooler supply conduit at essentially the same time and at essentially the same temperature. The coolant circulates from the coolant pump through the coolant channel into the coolant chamber. The coolant circulates from the coolant pump through the EGR cooler into the coolant chamber. The coolant returns to the coolant pump from the coolant chamber in the cylinder head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: International Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC
    Inventor: T. Yomi Obidi
  • Patent number: 7086355
    Abstract: Head cooling passages are formed around intake ports and exhaust ports provided in a cylinder head, and a flow control member which controls the volume of cooling medium flowing toward the intake ports to be larger than the volume of cooling medium flowing toward the exhaust ports is provided in the vicinity of a supply port via which cooing medium is supplied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akimasa Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7086356
    Abstract: To simplify a coolant piping around an engine in an engine cooling structure, which has a pump mounted on a crankcase for circulating a coolant between cylinder and head jackets. A crankcase has coolant supply passages for guiding a coolant from a pump and coolant return passages for guiding a coolant delivered out of cylinder jackets. The coolant supply passages and the coolant return passages extend substantially parallel to the axis of a crankshaft. The cylinder jackets and head jackets are formed wherein the coolant supplied from the coolant supply passages returns from the cylinder jackets via the head jackets to the cylinder jackets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Minoru Matsuda
  • Patent number: 7082897
    Abstract: An electrostatic precipitator has a collector electrode collecting particulate ionized in an electric field created by a high voltage corona discharge electrode pulse energized by a pulsed high voltage power supply. The corona discharge electrode is pulsed between a baseline voltage and a peak pulse voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Fleetguard, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott P. Heckel, Gregory W. Hoverson, Mark J. Johnson
  • Patent number: 7082903
    Abstract: An engine cooling system has a primary cooling circuit with a pump to circulate liquid coolant through an engine, the coolant being returned to the pump via a radiator and a bypass arranged in parallel. A temperature-responsive control valve controls flow as between said radiator and the bypass. The valve housing defines: a hot inlet connected to the bypass, a cold inlet connected to the radiator, and a valve chamber. The valve further includes a first valve member in the valve chamber movable between two limits to control the flow of coolant from the hot inlet to the outlet, a second valve member in the valve chamber movable between two limits to control coolant flow from the cold inlet to the outlet; and a temperature-responsive actuator to move the first and second valve members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: William R. Hutchins
  • Patent number: 7082898
    Abstract: The present invention aims at expanding an operation range for allowing a compression ignition combustion operation. The present invention provides an internal combustion engine of a compression ignition type that is capable of operating with a compression ignition combustion scheme in a given operation range. The ECU of the internal combustion engine detects an operating condition of the internal combustion engine and determines, according to the detected operating condition, which mode is to be used operate the internal combustion engine, a 4-cycle compression ignition mode or a 2-cycle compression ignition mode. The ECU controls the internal compression engine to perform the compression ignition mode determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Tohru Kitamura, Tomio Kimura, Shohei Okazaki, Akira Kato, Toshihiro Yamaki, Katsura Okubo, Moriyoshi Awasaka, Junji Yasuda, Yasuhiro Urata, Takashi Kakinuma, Yoshimasa Kaneko
  • Patent number: 7082905
    Abstract: In order to appropriately control the temperature state of multiple equipment having differing management temperatures, while preventing complication of the apparatus structure, a cooling apparatus for a hybrid vehicle is provided with a seventh flow path 30g which flows coolant which has flowed only through a main flow path 22a of a radiator 22 to a water jacket 25 via a first thermostat 23 which has an induction temperature set relatively high; an eighth flow path 30h which flows coolant which has flowed through the main flow path 22a and a sub flow path 22b of the radiator 22 to the water jacket 25 via a second thermostat 24 which has an induction temperature set relatively low, and also supplies the coolant to a PDU 14 and a downverter 15; and a bypass flow path 30j which connects a fifth flow path 30e which supplies coolant discharged from the water jacket 25 to the radiator 22, and a position of the eighth flow path 30h on a downstream side of the second thermostat 24.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Fukuda, Hideo Kimura, Naoki Hotta, Noriyuki Abe, Tetsuya Hasebe, Osamu Saito
  • Patent number: 7080612
    Abstract: A cylinder block for an internal combustion engine has a water jacket formed between cylindrically configured cylinder walls and a jacket sidewall. The cylinder walls is arranged to slideably retain pistons therein. The jacket sidewall is disposed around an external periphery of the cylinder walls. A pair of external block walls is provided on transverse sides of the cylinder block to extend almost an entire longitudinal length of the cylinder block. The external block walls are spaced apart from the jacket sidewall in a transverse direction to form gaps therebetween. The top end portions of the external block walls constitute an external flange portion of a top deck of the cylinder block. Thus, the rigidity of the top deck of the cylinder block is improved, and the sealing between the cylinder block and a cylinder head via a head gasket is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2006
    Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Aichi Machine Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoyuki Satou, Fumiyuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7080611
    Abstract: An engine-driven work machine enables the work machine and its electrical components to be properly cooled. An engine-driven work machine comprises an engine, a work machine driven by an engine, and electrical components belonging to the work machine, and supplies an output for work while being driven by the engine; the engine-driven work machine has an open machine accommodating section, which is provided in a main body of the work machine and accommodates an engine and a work machine driven by the engine, and a control box for accommodating part of the engine, electrical components of the work machine, and a fuel tank; the control box is provided above the machine accommodating section, and has a ventilation path that connects to a fan fitted to the engine, the electrical components and the fuel tank being arranged along the ventilation path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2006
    Assignee: Denyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Noboru Chosei
  • Patent number: 7080609
    Abstract: An engine system with a thermal storage device is capable of efficiently supplying heat from a thermal storage device to an internal combustion engine. The engine system equipped with the thermal storage tank supplies the hot water stored in the thermal storage tank to a cylinder head of the internal combustion engine before the starting thereof. At this time, an electronic control unit sets a target value of the temperature of the internal combustion engine at the start of the hot water supply in such a manner that the lower the temperature of the internal combustion engine, the lower the target value becomes. As a result, a variation in combustion states between cylinders can be suppressed at the starting of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2006
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kuze, Takayuki Otsuka, Hiroki Ichinose, Yukio Kinugasa
  • Patent number: 7077077
    Abstract: The invention relates to a coolable annular support (1) for internally cooled piston rings, comprising an annular body (2) embodied as a circular ring and a cooling channel plate (3), the cooling channel plate (3) being a component of the cooling channel, and a method for the production thereof. The components forming the annular body (2) and the cooling channel plate (3) are connected together by means of laser beams from at least one laser in a continuous wave operation. The cooling channel plate (3) is U-shaped and has openings (6) which act as an inlet or an outlet for the cooling material in conjunction with tubular-shaped bodies. It is possible to simultaneously compensate variations in volume by different air temperatures during welding. At least one edge of the annular body (2) and the cooling channel plate form a cavity (5) for the cooling material by connecting the end areas of the limbs of the cooling channel plate to said edge of the annular body (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: A.I.M.L. GmbH
    Inventor: Susanne Mayr-Kohn
  • Patent number: 7073475
    Abstract: A power generator unit incorporates a generator driven by an engine. The engine has a fuel tank. A fuel petcock is connected through fuel hoses between the fuel tank and the engine. An insulating cover surrounds the generator, the engine and the fuel tank. A control panel is positioned on the insulating cover. A fuel control lever is pivotally mounted on the control panel. The fuel control lever is connected to the fuel petcock through a flexible transmitter to open and close the fuel petcock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masami Wada
  • Patent number: 7073492
    Abstract: A light metal cylinder crankcase for combustion engines has cylinder bushings with a running layer that forms the running surface and a rough, external bonding layer for bonding the cylinder bushings to the cylinder crankcase while pouring the cylinder crankcase. At least 60% of the bonding layer relative to the jacket surface of the bonding layer is connected with the casting material of the cylinder crankcase in a material tight manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignees: Atz-Evus Applikations-Und Technikzentrum, Hyrdro Aluminium Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Dietmar Hoffmann, Josef Steibl, Frank Dornenburg, Markus Nolte, Achim Sach, Berthold Aumuller, Klaus Dotzler
  • Patent number: 7069900
    Abstract: A module for an internal combustion engine formed as a unit comprising an oil filter for lubricating oil of the engine and an oil separator for crankcase ventilation gas and which, as a whole, is attached to the engine by a flange connection with flow connections. An oil duct for oil to be filtered and an oil duct for filtered oil extend through the flange. A ventilation duct for ventilation gas and an oil return duct for separated oil also extent through the flange. A drain duct connected to the crankcase via the flange connection is provided for draining the oil filter upon a replacement of the filter element. The drain duct, the ventilation duct and the oil return duct are united in the flange connection and along at least a part of their length in the module in a single combined gas-and-oil duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Hengst GmbH & Co., KG
    Inventor: Wilhelm Ardes
  • Patent number: 7069881
    Abstract: The invention relates to a cooled ring carrier that is cast into a piston for internal combustion engines. According to the invention, the zone of the ring carrier facing the cooling channel is coated, thereby preventing air from escaping from the cooling channel through the ring carrier material to the melt during alfination of the cooled ring carrier, and forming oxides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: MAHLE GmbH
    Inventor: Karlheinz Bing
  • Patent number: 7066136
    Abstract: An intake electromagnetic driving valve and an exhaust electromagnetic driving valve are provided which use electromagnetic force to drive an intake valve and an exhaust valve, respectively. In step 102, the ratio between the number of combustion execution cycles and the number of combustion halts is set to obtain a desired target output value. Output control patterns that each consist of combustion execution timing equivalent to the required number of combustion execution cycles, and combustion halt timing equivalent to the required number of combustion halts are set in step 106, 114. In steps 108 to 112, or 118 to 122, in accordance with the output control patterns, whether combustion is to be executed is set with respect to the explosion timing that arrives in each cylinder in order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Makoto Ogiso
  • Patent number: 7066155
    Abstract: A system and method of adjusting the rate of supplementary fuel flow to an engine while monitoring the operating characteristics of an engine. The amount of pressure to apply to a regulator valve is determined based at least in part upon the operating conditions of the engine and information included in a stored fuel grid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Autotronic Controls Corporation
    Inventors: Brandon K. Uhde, Ezell R. Clarke, Stephen C. Masters, Douglas B. Waits
  • Patent number: 7066134
    Abstract: In a vertical engine, a bulged portion protrudes upwards, in conformity to a partially cylindrical outer wall of uppermost one of cylinders, on an upper surface of a cylinder block forming a bottom wall of a chain chamber accommodating a chain for driving a camshaft and a balancer shaft through a crankshaft. A pair of oil return bores for returning an oil in the chain chamber to an oil pan are provided in lower portions of the bottom wall on opposite sides of an axis of the bulged portion. The oil which has lubricated the chain in the chain chamber flows so that it is distributed to the opposite sides of the axis, and the oil is returned smoothly from the oil return bores formed in the bottom wall to the oil pan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Fukuda, Hiroki Tawa, Kazuhiro Ishizaka
  • Patent number: 7063074
    Abstract: An apparatus for protecting a fuel system component disposed on an engine body in a vehicle, the apparatus including a protector including a first wall and a second wall connected with the first wall. The first and second walls extend toward the engine body and cooperate with each other to surround the fuel system component. The second wall has one end opposed to the engine body with a clearance. A first fastening member fixes the first wall to the engine body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., LTD, Aichi Machine Industry Co., Ltd., Renault s.a.s. societe par actions Simplifiee
    Inventors: Takehiro Horibe, Koji Asano, Syoji Kobiyama, Akio Iwamoto, Takahiro Yata