Patents Examined by Jonathan R Matthias
  • Patent number: 11181031
    Abstract: A muffler, connected to an engine through an exhaust pipe, includes a shell serving as a muffler body, an inlet pipe configured to introduce exhaust gas from the engine into the shell, an outlet pipe configured to discharge the exhaust gas out of the shell, and a cap configured to be attached to a narrowed portion of the inlet pipe and control the direction in which the exhaust gas flows out. The cap is provided with an opening through which the exhaust gas passes and which regulates the direction in which the exhaust gas flows out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidenori Hamashima, Hiroaki Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 11168604
    Abstract: A housing for an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, includes at least two housing shell areas (12, 14) enclosing a housing interior (26) and connected to one another in a connection area (16). A first housing shell area (12) of the two housing shell areas has a first meshing formation (36) in the at least one connection area (16) and a second housing shell area (14) of the two housing shell areas has a second meshing formation (40) that meshes or can be caused to positive-lockingly mesh with the first meshing formation (36). The first meshing formation (36) includes at least one meshing opening (38) and the second meshing formation (40) includes at least one meshing strap (42) meshing with the at least one meshing opening (38) in association with the at least one meshing opening (38) of the first meshing formation (36).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Purem GmbH
    Inventor: Jan Hänisch
  • Patent number: 11149616
    Abstract: An apparatus includes circuitry configured to: calculate a temperature of exhaust flowing into an exhaust after-treatment system as a first exhaust temperature, calculate a temperature of exhaust flowing out from the exhaust after-treatment system as a second exhaust temperature, calculate a rate of change over time of the first exhaust temperature and a rate of change over time of the second exhaust temperature, and judge if the exhaust after-treatment system is in a removed state removed from the exhaust passage based on a difference between the rate of change over time of the first exhaust temperature and the rate of change over time of the second exhaust temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazumasa Katoh, Takahiko Fujiwara, Kenji Igawa, Kentaro Mineo
  • Patent number: 11149620
    Abstract: An exhaust device includes a first exhaust pipe, a second exhaust pipe, and a third exhaust pipe. The first exhaust pipe is comprised of a pipe member. The second exhaust pipe and the third exhaust pipe are comprised of a tubular member including a merging tubular portion and a downstream tubular portion. In the merging tubular portion, exhaust gas to be discharged from an exhaust port of the second cylinder and exhaust gas to be discharged from an exhaust port of the third cylinder are merged. The merging tubular portion is comprised of combining a plurality of plate members, at least a part of which is formed by press working. A distal end of the first exhaust pipe is disposed inside the downstream tubular portion. The downstream tubular portion is offset on the side of the first cylinder with respect to a center in a cylinder array direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Taku Kuramashi, Keishi Kitabatake, Hirokazu Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 11149615
    Abstract: An apparatus includes circuitry configured to: calculate a temperature of exhaust flowing into an exhaust after-treatment system as a first exhaust temperature, calculate a temperature of exhaust flowing out from the exhaust after-treatment system as a second exhaust temperature, calculate a rate of change over time of the first exhaust temperature and a rate of change over time of the second exhaust temperature, and judge if the exhaust after-treatment system is in a removed state removed from the exhaust passage based on a difference between the rate of change over time of the first exhaust temperature and the rate of change over time of the second exhaust temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazumasa Katoh, Takahiko Fujiwara, Kenji Igawa, Kentaro Mineo
  • Patent number: 11143070
    Abstract: A muffler for an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine includes a housing, a through pipe that conducts exhaust gas during operation of the muffler and is guided through the housing, and a branch pipe fluidically branching off from the through pipe within the housing. The branch pipe has an upstream end at the through pipe and ends freely and open at an end face with a downstream end within the housing. The branch pipe has a length from the upstream to the downstream end or up to a lateral recess which has a cross-sectional area which is greater than half a pipe cross-section of the branch pipe. The branch pipe has downstream perforations in a section from ? of the length as measured from the upstream end A total area of the downstream perforations is smaller than half the pipe cross-section of the branch pipe, and no perforations or upstream perforations have a total area of at most 10% of the pipe cross-section of the branch pipe being present in a section before ? of the length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Inventor: Martin Unbehaun
  • Patent number: 11143079
    Abstract: A thermoelectric generator for a vehicle utilizing heat of exhaust gas discharged from an engine of the vehicle includes a heat exchange unit, through which a coolant circulates, a thermoelectric generation unit for converting thermal energy of exhaust gas into electrical energy, a first flow passage for guiding the exhaust gas to pass through the heat exchange unit, a second flow passage for guiding the exhaust gas to pass through the thermoelectric generation unit, a third flow passage for guiding the exhaust gas to bypass the heat exchange unit and the thermoelectric generation unit without passing therethrough, a first valve for opening or closing the first flow passage, a second valve for selectively opening or closing the second flow passage and the third flow passage, and a driving unit for operating the first valve and the second valve by a single power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ho Chan An, Byung Wook Kim, Hoo Dam Lee, Jin Woo Kwak, Kwang Min Choi, Jong Ho Seon
  • Patent number: 11131224
    Abstract: An exhaust system includes an exhaust pressure sensing system having sensor conduits structured to fluidly connect to an exhaust conduit in an exhaust system and feed exhaust to a differential pressure sensor. The differential pressure sensor produces a pressure signal indicative of a pressure drop across an exhaust aftertreatment element such as an exhaust filter. A plugging-mitigation conduit provides an always-open leakage path to convey condensate in a stream of leaked exhaust between the sensor conduits to prevent formation of deposits that can impact pressure sensing accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Lloyd Dea, James Harris Mutti, Thomas Reilly Fenelon
  • Patent number: 11105247
    Abstract: A control device comprising a first exhaust temperature calculation part calculating a temperature of exhaust flowing into a PM trapping device as a first exhaust temperature, a second exhaust temperature calculation part calculating a temperature of exhaust flowing out from the PM trapping device as a second exhaust temperature, a rate of change over time calculation part calculating a rate of change over time of the first exhaust temperature and a rate of change over time of the second exhaust temperature, and a judgment part judging if the PM trapping device is in a removed state removed from the exhaust passage based on a difference between the rate of change over time of the first exhaust temperature and the rate of change over time of the second exhaust temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazumasa Katoh, Takahiko Fujiwara, Kenji Igawa, Kentaro Mineo
  • Patent number: 11105248
    Abstract: A control device comprising a first exhaust temperature calculation part calculating a temperature of exhaust flowing into a PM trapping device as a first exhaust temperature, a second exhaust temperature calculation part calculating a temperature of exhaust flowing out from the PM trapping device as a second exhaust temperature, a rate of change over time calculation part calculating a rate of change over time of the first exhaust temperature and a rate of change over time of the second exhaust temperature, and a judgment part judging if the PM trapping device is in a removed state removed from the exhaust passage based on a difference between the rate of change over time of the first exhaust temperature and the rate of change over time of the second exhaust temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazumasa Katoh, Takahiko Fujiwara, Kenji Igawa, Kentaro Mineo
  • Patent number: 11098633
    Abstract: The invention relates to an exhaust gas aftertreatment system for an internal combustion engine comprising a first catalytic converter that has a first exhaust gas inlet to admit the exhaust gas into the first catalytic converter and has an exhaust gas outlet positioned on the opposite side, also comprising a second catalytic converter that is arranged downstream from the first catalytic converter and that is flow-connected to the first catalytic converter in order to allow the exhaust gas to pass from the first catalytic converter into the second catalytic converter and that likewise has a second exhaust gas inlet that is at a physical distance from the exhaust gas outlet of the first catalytic converter. The exhaust gas aftertreatment system also comprises a particulate filter that is arranged downstream from the second catalytic converter and that is flow-connected to the second catalytic converter in order to allow the exhaust gas to pass from the second catalytic converter into the particulate filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Onur Ulas Car, Markus Paulovsky
  • Patent number: 11092050
    Abstract: In a control apparatus, a calculation calculates an additional heating amount for an exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine in accordance with an activity of an exhaust purification catalyst in response to the internal combustion engine being required to be started after start of heating of the exhaust purification catalyst by an electric heating device. A drive control unit controls, in accordance with the additional heating amount for the exhaust gas, an amount of heat of the exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Matsumura
  • Patent number: 11085352
    Abstract: There is provided a urea water supply device (25) that is disposed in a urea water pipe line (23) to supply urea water toward a urea water injection valve (21) from a urea water tank (22). A bracket (24) for attaching the urea water supply device (25) is attached to a revolving frame (5) of an upper revolving structure (3). A cover (31) for covering the urea water supply device (25) is attached to the bracket (24). On top of that, a urea water filter (33) that is disposed in the urea water pipe line (23) and traps foreign objects mixed into the urea water is attached to the cover (31).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshinori Fujii, Hitoshi Nishiguchi, Masaharu Imi
  • Patent number: 11085341
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine is provided with an engine body, a housing provided in an exhaust passage of the engine body, a filter held inside the housing and trapping PM in the exhaust, and a microwave device for microwaving the inside of the housing. A control device for the internal combustion engine is configured to control the microwave device when microwaving the inside of the housing to heat the PM so that an amplitude of the microwaves becomes smaller when the amount of PM deposition at the filter is large compared to when it is small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toru Uenishi
  • Patent number: 11078819
    Abstract: A method for operating a particle filter of a vehicle includes creating an ash to be introduced into a filter body of the particle filter by arranging a carrier material of an ash former on an input side of an end face of the filter body, as viewed in a flow direction of an exhaust gas through the particle filter, and combusting the carrier material, where a non-combustible constituent of the ash former is arranged on the carrier material. The created ash is then introduced into the filter body of the particle filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Robert Alig
  • Patent number: 11073066
    Abstract: A control device comprising a first exhaust temperature calculation part calculating a temperature of exhaust flowing into a PM trapping device as a first exhaust temperature, a second exhaust temperature calculation part calculating a temperature of exhaust flowing out from the PM trapping device as a second exhaust temperature, a rate of change over time calculation part calculating a rate of change over time of the first exhaust temperature and a rate of change over time of the second exhaust temperature, and a judgment part judging if the PM trapping device is in a removed state removed from the exhaust passage based on a difference between the rate of change over time of the first exhaust temperature and the rate of change over time of the second exhaust temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazumasa Katoh, Takahiko Fujiwara, Kenji Igawa, Kentaro Mineo
  • Patent number: 11073065
    Abstract: A control device comprising a first exhaust temperature calculation part calculating a temperature of exhaust flowing into a PM trapping device as a first exhaust temperature, a second exhaust temperature calculation part calculating a temperature of exhaust flowing out from the PM trapping device as a second exhaust temperature, a rate of change over time calculation part calculating a rate of change over time of the first exhaust temperature and a rate of change over time of the second exhaust temperature, and a judgment part judging if the PM trapping device is in a removed state removed from the exhaust passage based on a difference between the rate of change over time of the first exhaust temperature and the rate of change over time of the second exhaust temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazumasa Katoh, Takahiko Fujiwara, Kenji Igawa, Kentaro Mineo
  • Patent number: 11066974
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine waste heat utilization system comprises a cooling medium, a cooling medium storage tank (9), a cooling medium delivery pipe (8), a circulation pump (7), a high-pressure pipeline (15), energy storage tanks (14, 12), steam turbines (13,11) and a radiator (10). The cooling medium forms high-temperature and high-pressure gas by absorbing waste heat of an internal combustion engine and exhaust gas, so as to drive the steam turbines to do work and convert thermal energy into kinetic energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Inventor: Lin Zhu
  • Patent number: 11060434
    Abstract: An aftertreatment system comprises a first passageway having a first temperature and a second passageway having a second temperature different than the first temperature. A turbine is disposed downstream from the first passageway and upstream from the second passageway. The turbine is in fluidic communication with the first passageway and the second passageway. The turbine is structured to receive an exhaust gas from the first passageway, generate energy using the exhaust gas flowing through the turbine and communicate the exhaust gas to the second passageway. The aftertreatment system also includes an insertion device structured to insert an exhaust reductant into the first passageway. A selective catalytic reduction system is configured to receive the exhaust gas from the second passageway and treat the exhaust gas. The first temperature can be higher than the second temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Cummins, Inc.
    Inventors: John K. Heichelbech, John G. Buechler, Richard J. Ancimer, Thomas M. Yonushonis
  • Patent number: 11059369
    Abstract: An exhaust after-treatment system associated with a diesel engine includes a diesel exhaust fluid storage unit. The storage unit includes a diesel exhaust fluid tank and a vent system coupled to the tank and configured to regulate flow of air into the tank and fluid vapor out of the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Stant USA Corp.
    Inventors: Jan Nimrichter, Nuno Bras