Patents Examined by John Zaleskas
  • Patent number: 10202958
    Abstract: A system includes an ultra-capacitor and battery system comprising a battery, a DC-DC converter, and an ultra-capacitor. An auto stop/start module is configured to perform an auto stop event of an engine of a vehicle and an auto start event of the engine of the vehicle based on operating parameters while an ignition is ON. A voltage monitoring module is configured to, in response to a request for an auto start event, selectively discharge the ultra-capacitor during cranking for the auto start event, accumulate a plurality of voltage delta values while the ultra-capacitor discharges during the cranking, and selectively disable the auto stop/start module based on the plurality of voltage delta values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: John W. Siekkinen, Daniel W. Jecks, Junhong Dai
  • Patent number: 10202916
    Abstract: In a diesel engine, displacement of an amount of fuel injection is calculated on the basis of a reference amount of heat production and an actual amount of heat production, and an amount of fuel injection from an injector is corrected on the basis of the displacement of an amount of fuel injection. Displacement of a heat production rate gradient is calculated by subtracting an actual heat production rate gradient from a reference heat production rate gradient, displacement of an amount of intake air on the basis of the displacement of heat production rate gradient and the displacement of the amount of fuel injection, and the amount of intake air is corrected by adjusting a supercharging pressure of a turbocharger on the basis of the displacement of the amount of intake air. Accordingly, it is possible to adjust the amount of fuel injection and the amount of intake air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shota Nagano
  • Patent number: 10203060
    Abstract: A vibration damper (1) operating in accordance with the mass-spring principle, which is provided for fitting on an injection line pipe, includes a main body (2) which comprises an elastomeric vibration-damping material and has an inside hollow space (3) which passes therethrough in the longitudinal direction and which in the fitted condition surrounds the injection line pipe, the longitudinal axis (4) of the inside hollow space (3) coinciding with the longitudinal axis of the pipe, and is characterized in that it has a mass distribution eccentric with respect to its longitudinal axis (4) and can be non-rotatably fitted on the injection line pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Inventors: Hans-Jurgen Guido, Jürgen Ernst
  • Patent number: 10203027
    Abstract: A reciprocating piston mechanism comprises a crankcase and a crankshaft. The crankshaft is supported by the crankcase and rotatable with respect thereto about a crankshaft axis. The mechanism further comprises at least a connecting rod including a big end and a small end, a piston which is rotatably connected to the small end, and a crank member which is rotatably mounted on the crankpin. The crank member comprises at least a bearing portion and has an outer circumferential wall which bears the big end of the rod such that the rod is rotatably mounted on the bearing portion of the crank member via the big end. The crank member is provided with a crank member gear. The crank member gear meshes with at least an intermediate gear, which also meshes with an auxiliary gear. The auxiliary gear is fixed to an auxiliary shaft that extends concentrically through the crankshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: GOMECSYS B.V.
    Inventor: Lambertus Hendrik De Gooijer
  • Patent number: 10202953
    Abstract: An injector for a combustion engine may include a valve housing, a valve needle, an electromagnetic actuator, and a damping element. The valve needle may be axially movable within a valve cavity of the housing. The electromagnetic actuator may comprise a pole piece coupled with the valve housing and an armature axially movable within the valve cavity. The pole piece may have a central recess extending axially there through. The central recess may include a step defining a first portion and a second portion, the first having a larger cross-sectional area than the second, and a stop surface defined by a radially extending surface of the step. The valve needle may include an armature retainer in the first portion of the central recess. The armature may be axially displaceable with respect to the valve needle and interact with the valve needle by means of the retainer for actuating the valve needle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Stefano Filippi, Valerio Polidori, Francesco Lenzi
  • Patent number: 10202897
    Abstract: A free-piston (“FP”) engine is a type of internal combustion engine with no crankshaft, so that its piston trajectory is no longer constrained by the mechanical linkage. FP engines have a high potential in terms of energy saving given their simple structure, high modularity and high efficiency, among other attributes. One of the technical barriers that affect FP engine technology is a lack of precise piston trajectory control. For example, the presence of a transient period after a single combustion event can prevent the engine from continuous firing. The present subject matter provides a control scheme that can utilize a reference and control signal shifting technique to modify the tracking error and the control signal to reduce the transient period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Regents of the University of Minnesota
    Inventors: Zongxuan Sun, Ke Li
  • Patent number: 10202956
    Abstract: A method for starting an internal combustion engine using a starter generator to which the engine is connected via a belt drive, the belt drive including a belt pulley of the starter generator, a belt pulley of the internal combustion engine, and a belt connecting the belt pulleys in a torque-transmitting manner, includes operating the starter generator such that its drive torque output to the belt pulley of the starter generator is according to a drive torque curve by which an output torque generated temporarily on the belt pulley of the internal combustion engine exceeds the drive torque of the starter generator, taking a gear ratio of the belt drive into consideration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: SEG AUTOMOTIVE GERMANY GMBH
    Inventors: Benjamin Klein, Martin Henger
  • Patent number: 10196990
    Abstract: An intake module of a fresh air system for an internal combustion engine may include a housing having a plurality of openings through which fresh air is flowable, and a control device for controlling a cross-section of at least one of the openings. The control device may include at least one control staff and at least one control valve arranged on the control shaft in a rotationally fixed manner for the at least one opening. The control shaft may be mounted on the housing by at least one bearing bracket such that the control shaft is rotatable about a rotational axis. The housing may have at least one bearing receiving portion for receiving the bearing bracket. The bearing receiving portion may have an insertion opening through which the bearing bracket may be inserted in an insertion direction oriented perpendicular to the rotational axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Mahle International GmbH
    Inventors: Marco Dettinger, Mathias Endress, Wolfgang Gueth
  • Patent number: 10183547
    Abstract: An idle stop control system and method for a vehicle includes at least one electronic control unit disposed within the vehicle that is configured to determine whether an idle stop condition for the vehicle is satisfied and whether the vehicle is in a stopped condition. The at least one electronic control unit is further configured to idle stop an engine of the vehicle when determined that both the idle stop condition is satisfied and that the vehicle is in the stopped condition. The at least one electronic control unit is also configured to determine whether an engine restart condition is satisfied after the engine is idle stopped and to restart the engine when determined that the engine restart condition is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD
    Inventors: Chris Hall, Junichi Kanemaru
  • Patent number: 10180115
    Abstract: A combustion chamber for an opposed-piston engine is defined between a pair of pistons disposed for opposing reciprocal movement in a cylinder. The combustion chamber is formed between crowns of the pistons and has a radius that decreases from the longitudinal axis of the cylinder. Each crown includes a periphery, a bowl within the periphery defining a concave surface with a first portion curving inwardly toward the interior of the piston and a second portion curving outwardly from the interior, and a convex surface within the periphery curving outwardly and meeting the second portion of the concave surface to form a ridge. Each ridge has a height that decreases with the distance from a longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: ACHATES POWER, INC.
    Inventors: Tristan M. Burton, Fabien G. Redon
  • Patent number: 10082116
    Abstract: A control device actuates at least one fuel injection valve with a high voltage and a comparatively lower voltage in temporally consecutive phases. The control device has supply connections for supplying energy from a motor vehicle battery. One of the connections is connected to vehicle ground. First output connections provide a positive first output voltage with respect to vehicle ground, the voltage being smaller than or equal to a hazard voltage of 60 volts of direct current according to TRBS2131. Second output connections provide a positive second output voltage with respect to vehicle ground, the voltage being greater than the hazard voltage and smaller than a sum of the first output voltage and the hazard voltage. The positive potentials of the first and second output voltages (U1, U2) are linked together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Volker Eichenseher, Jens Maase
  • Patent number: 10066545
    Abstract: In an opposed-piston engine, two or more fuel injectors are mounted to a cylinder for direct side injection into the cylinder. The injectors are controlled so as to inject either a single fuel pulse or a plurality of fuel pulses per cycle of engine operation in order to initiate combustion during varying engine speeds and operating conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: ACHATES POWER, INC.
    Inventors: Clark A. Klyza, Fabien G. Redon
  • Patent number: 10054065
    Abstract: In one aspect of the invention there is provided a motor vehicle comprising an engine, the vehicle being operable automatically to stop the engine responsive to a determination that the engine is not required to provide torque to drive the vehicle, wherein the vehicle comprises control means operable to monitor a value of one or more parameters associated with the vehicle during a drive cycle, the control means being arranged automatically to determine whether a current driving style of a driver corresponds to an economy-oriented driving style or a performance-oriented driving style responsive to the value of the one or more parameters over time during the drive cycle, the control means being operable to over-ride stopping of the engine when it is determined that the driving style of the driver corresponds to a performance-oriented style.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITED
    Inventors: Clement Dextreit, Yiannis Eftychiou
  • Patent number: 10054102
    Abstract: An engine has an ignition source in a combustion chamber of the engine. An inner housing is provided that includes one or more jet apertures and defines an inner chamber containing the ignition source. An outer housing (or pre-chamber) is provided that includes one or more jet apertures in communication with the main combustion chamber and defines an outer chamber containing the inner housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Woodward, Inc.
    Inventors: Domenico Chiera, Gregory James Hampson
  • Patent number: 10054083
    Abstract: An exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system for an internal combustion engine having two dedicated EGR cylinders. A dual valve system is used to control the output of the dedicated EGR cylinders so that the engine may intake EGR exhaust from both, only one, or neither of the dedicated EGR cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Martin Selway, Ian Paul Gilbert, Marc C. Megel
  • Patent number: 10012152
    Abstract: A control device for an internal combustion engine including a variable compression ratio mechanism for changing a compression ratio by using an electric actuator prohibits control of changing the compression ratio to a higher compression ratio when a failure occurs in the variable compression ratio mechanism. Thereby, upon failure occurrence, the compression ratio of the variable compression ratio mechanism at the time of the failure occurrence is maintained or reduced to less than this compression ratio so as to protect the electric actuator and prevent abrupt changes in torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuya Shinozaki, Naoki Okamoto, Akira Kiyomura
  • Patent number: 9989026
    Abstract: A fuel system including a high pressure fuel pump with a quite fuel metering valve is disclosed. In one example, the quite fuel metering valve may be driven via a rotating motor. The fuel system may reduce engine noise and may provide improved fuel pressure control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Zeng, Vince Paul Solferino, Kyi Shiah, Joseph Basmaji, Patrick Brostrom, Scott Lehto
  • Patent number: 9982642
    Abstract: A coupling device for mechanically and hydraulically coupling a fuel injector to a fuel rail of a combustion engine is disclosed. The coupling device includes a fuel injector cup having a central longitudinal axis and extending from an inlet side for hydraulically coupling to the fuel rail and an outlet side for engaging a fuel inlet portion of the fuel injector, and a collar element coupled to the fuel injector cup. The collar element includes at least one leg portion having a bridge section and at least one branch section extending radially away from the fuel injector cup. The branch section(s) are arranged radially outwardly of the bridge section and project beyond the bridge section in both (b) a tangential direction perpendicular to the radial direction and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and (b) a longitudinal direction parallel to the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Davide Matteini, Daniel Marc, Marco Pasquali
  • Patent number: 9951732
    Abstract: An EFI-ECU determines an initial value of a correction value ekthwst for correcting an injection correction amount with reference to a non-heating initial value map if a heater is in operation, and determines the initial value of the correction value ekthwst for correcting the injection correction amount with reference to a heating initial value map if the heater is out of operation. It should be noted herein that the initial value of the correction value ekthwst is set lower under the same condition in the heating initial value map than in the non-heating initial value map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Seo, Tomoyuki Uchiyama, Takuya Takei, Tomohiko Satomi
  • Patent number: 9932919
    Abstract: In an engine, a controller is configured to fully close the opening of EGR valve when a cut condition is satisfied and variably control the opening when a cut release condition is satisfied. An operating zone is defined as a zone surrounded by a characteristic curve indicating a relationship between rotation speed and torque. The operating zone comprises a high operating zone containing an NTE zone, and a low operating zone that is set at a lower torque side and at a lower rotation speed side with respect to the high operating zone. The cut condition is that an operating condition specified by the rotation speed and the torque is kept within the low operating zone during a predetermined time or more. The cut release condition is that the operating condition falls within the high operating zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Yanmar Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Nakano, Ryou Yuuki