Patents Examined by Jorge Leon, Jr.
  • Preignition restraining device
    Patent number: 9470155
    Abstract: An ECU has an output-value obtaining portion, a preignition estimating portion and a valve-opening-time controller. The output-value obtaining portion obtains the output value of the knock sensor, which corresponds to an intensity of an engine knocking. A preignition estimating portion estimates that a preignition will be generated in an internal combustion engine, when the obtained output value is greater than or equal to the specified threshold. When the preignition estimating portion estimates that a preignition will be generated, the exhaust-valve timing control mechanism advances the opening time of the exhaust valve to suppress the preignition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kuniaki Oka
  • Trapped support pin for spiral spring retention in a camshaft phaser
    Patent number: 9470117
    Abstract: A camshaft phaser, including: an axis of rotation; a drive sprocket arranged to receive torque; a stator non-rotatably connected to the drive sprocket; a rotor at least partially rotatable with respect to the stator, arranged to non-rotatably connect to a camshaft and including first and second radially disposed sides facing, respectively, in first and second opposite axial directions parallel to the axis of rotation, a through-bore connecting the first and second radially disposed sides, and a support pin including a first portion disposed in the through-bore and a second portion extending past the second radially disposed side in the second axial direction; and a positioning spring engaged with the second portion and the stator to urge the rotor in a circumferential direction, wherein a line parallel to the axis of rotation passes through the first portion and material forming the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Sarah Hopkins
  • Assembly and method for reducing ammonia in exhaust of internal combustion engines
    Patent number: 9470126
    Abstract: A system for reducing ammonia in exhaust gas generated from a lean burn internal combustion engine includes an oxidation catalyst, a selective reduction catalyst (SCR), a cooling unit, and a three-way catalyst. Exhaust gas generated by the engine passes through the oxidation catalyst to oxidize carbon monoxide from the exhaust gas to form carbon dioxide. Nitrous oxide (NOx) compounds in the exhaust gas are reduced in the SCR to form nitrogen and water. The exhaust gas is then cooled in a cooling unit and then passed over the three-way catalyst. The three-way catalyst causes ammonia in the cooled exhaust stream to react to form less harmful compounds, such as nitrogen and water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Tecogen Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph B. Gehret, Robert Panora, Ranson Roser, Jean P. Roy
  • Control device of internal combustion engine and variable valve device of internal combustion engine
    Patent number: 9464541
    Abstract: A control device of an internal combustion engine includes: a variable valve device including: first and second rocker arms; a cam; a rocker shaft provided with a lubricating oil passage; a pin switching the first and second rocker arms between a coupling state and a non-coupling state; a biasing member biasing the pin; a switching oil passage capable of supplying oil pressure to the pin in a direction opposite to a biasing direction; a lash adjuster; and a supplying oil passage, capable of supplying oil pressure to the pin in the biasing direction of the biasing member and supplying oil pressure into the lash adjuster, a hydraulic pump; an oil pressure control valve; and a control unit controlling the oil pressure control valve to always supply the supplying oil passage with oil pressure higher than oil pressure within the lubricating oil passage, during driving of an internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Haga
  • Exhaust heat recovery control device
    Patent number: 9458751
    Abstract: An exhaust heat recovery control device includes a recovered heat adjusting unit configured to adjust an amount of heat recovered of exhaust gas by an exhaust heat recoverer recovering heat of exhaust gas and a control unit configured to control the recovered heat adjusting unit so as to prevent or suppress freezing in an exhaust pipe based on a traveling history of a vehicle on which the exhaust heat recovery control device is mounted when the freezing in the exhaust pipe is predicted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takato Ishihata, Yuichiro Hirata, Toshio Murata, Nakaya Takagaki, Hideyuki Komitsu, Yojiro Iriyama, Kazutoshi Wakatsuki
  • Hydraulic support element
    Patent number: 9447707
    Abstract: The invention relates to a hydraulic support element for valve drive of a combustion engine, with a pot cylindrical casing and a hollow cylindrical piston guided axially movably therein, the inner end of which is supported via a spring on the bottom wall of the casing, whose outer end projects past the outer margin of the casing and is formed as a hemispherical bearing head, and whose inner space is subdivided by means of a partition element into an axially inner supply-pressure space and an axially outer switching-pressure space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Jürgen Kretschmer, Peter Sailer, Wolfgang Christgen, Matthew Evans, David Kehr, Chad Lee
  • Multi-position camshaft phaser with two one-way wedge clutches
    Patent number: 9447709
    Abstract: A camshaft phaser, including a stator arranged to receive torque from an engine; a rotor arranged to be non-rotatably connected to a camshaft; first and second ramp rings radially disposed about the rotor and non-rotatably connected to the rotor; a first wedge plate radially disposed between the stator and the first ramp ring; a second wedge plate radially disposed between the stator and the second ramp ring; and a displacement assembly arranged to, for an advance mode, displace the first ramp ring in a first axial direction to enable rotation of the rotor, with respect to the stator, in a first circumferential direction, and for a retard mode, displace the second ramp ring in a second axial direction, opposite the first axial direction, to enable rotation of the rotor, with respect to the stator, in a second circumferential direction, opposite the first circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Debora Manther
  • Exhaust gas purification system and exhaust gas purification method
    Patent number: 9447743
    Abstract: Exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine is made to pass through an exhaust gas purification device after passing through a pre-oxidation catalyst. When a first temperature of the exhaust gas on an upstream side of the device is lower than a first set temperature, multistage temperature rise injection is performed. When the first temperature becomes the first set temperature or more, post injection is performed in addition to the multistage temperature rise injection, and feedback control of the post injection is executed so that a second temperature of the exhaust gas on a downstream side of the exhaust gas purification device becomes a second set temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: ISUZU MOTORS LIMITED
    Inventors: Daiji Nagaoka, Teruo Nakada, Tomohiro Korenaga
  • Valve system for a multi-cylinder engine
    Patent number: 9441510
    Abstract: A valve system includes: a cam shaft including a shaft section and a plurality of cam element sections; and a plurality of operation members that moves the cam element sections in an axial direction. The plurality of operation members include a common operation member that is provided in common between end face cams opposed to each other of the cam element sections of two cylinders disposed adjacent to each other and continuous in ignition order and that engages with the respective end face cams when both the cam element sections are close to each other, and individual operation members that are individually provided for end face cams opposed to each other of the cam element sections of two cylinders disposed adjacent to each other and discontinuous in ignition order and end face cams located at opposite ends of a cylinder row and that engage with the respective end face cams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Noda, Shigeki Komatsu, Yukio Misaki
  • Diesel engine
    Patent number: 9441514
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a diesel engine in which an engine body, a DPF case and an SCR catalyst case can be placed compactly. In the diesel engine including the engine body, the DPF case and the SCR catalyst case, a DPF is accommodated in the DPF case and an SCR catalyst is accommodated in the SCR catalyst case, the DPF case and the SCR catalyst case are mounted on the engine body, the DPF case is supported by the engine body through an exhaust gas introducing pipe, and the SCR catalyst case is supported by the DPF case through an exhaust gas relay pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Tamon Tanaka, Koichi Funaki, Hirozumi Kuwabara, Soichiro Watanabe, Yoshitaka Taira, Tetsuya Kosaka, Satoshi Inayama
  • Electronic active lock pin control method for middle phase type continuously variable valve timing system
    Patent number: 9435232
    Abstract: An electronic active lock pin control method may include checking whether a default position of a lock pin is present, determining whether the checked default position of the lock pin is due to lock pin parking or limphome, entering the default position of the lock pin into an active mode at a time of the lock pin default position by the lock pin parking, while entering the default position of the lock pin into a passive mode at a time of the lock pin default position by the limphome, and performing a phase control mode to track the middle phase type CVVT target value after the passive mode or the active mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Sung-Joo Kim
  • Control system for internal combustion engine
    Patent number: 9435278
    Abstract: The present invention pertains to a control system for an internal combustion engine equipped with an exhaust gas purification apparatus including an NOx catalyst having an ability of reducing NOx and a particulate filter, and its object is to prevent deterioration in the acceleration performance while preventing an increase in exhaust emissions when the temperature of the NOx catalyst is low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuki Iwatani
  • Method of estimating catalyst temperature of a multi-displacement internal combustion engine
    Patent number: 9429090
    Abstract: A method of estimating temperature of a catalyst associated with a cylinder bank of a multi-displacement internal combustion engine having multiple cylinder banks associated with multiple catalysts. A temperature estimate of the catalysts associated with the multiple cylinder banks is set substantially equal to a base model temperature. Deactivation of a cylinder bank of the multiple cylinder banks is determined, and a catalyst cooldown correction is identified for the catalyst associated with the deactivated cylinder bank from a catalyst cooldown model including time elapsed since deactivation of the cylinder bank. The catalyst cooldown correction is applied to the temperature estimate of the catalyst associated with the deactivated cylinder bank to update the temperature estimate of the catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Gerald Lee Kennie, Kevin Scott Freeman, James J. Daley
  • Method and an apparatus for warming a catalyst in an internal combustion engine
    Patent number: 9429057
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine which is provided with a fuel injector which injects fuel into a cylinder, an exhaust purification catalyst, and a secondary air feed device which feeds air to an engine exhaust passage. First catalyst warm-up control performs stratified combustion to retard an ignition timing, while second catalyst warm-up control feeds air to the engine exhaust passage. A first temperature range of engine cooling water at which the first catalyst warm-up control is performed and a second temperature range of engine cooling water at which the second catalyst warm-up control is performed are set. The second temperature range is set to be included inside the first temperature range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Naoya Kaneko, Daisuke Uchida
  • Support element for a valve train of an internal combustion engine, and method for production of support element
    Patent number: 9429048
    Abstract: A support element for the valve train of an internal combustion engine, having a hollow cylindrical housing that holds a displaceable piston. The piston has a hollow cylindrical pressure part and a pot-shaped work part axially adjacent thereto. An inner space of these parts forms a storage space for hydraulic medium. A high pressure space is defined by a base of the work part and the housing. The storage space and the high pressure space are connected hydraulically by a non-return valve with a ball for automatic lash compensation of the valve train. The piston is supported by a compression spring on the housing base, and a retaining ring is arranged radially between the pressure part and the housing, which limits axial travel of the piston. The ball is movably held in the base of the work part in an axial ball guide having first and second integrally formed ball seats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Stefan Dupke, Horst Gredy, Jochen Blasch
  • Engine equipped with secondary air supply device
    Patent number: 9416718
    Abstract: An engine equipped with a secondary air supply device includes: a fuel tank disposed over a cylinder head for storing fuel of the engine; an exhaust muffler disposed beneath the fuel tank and below the exhaust port in a region lateral of the cylinder head; an exhaust pipe connecting the exhaust port to the exhaust muffler; a secondary air introduction pipe connected to the exhaust pipe for introducing air into the exhaust muffler; and a tailpipe for discharging exhaust gas of the exhaust muffler to the outside, the exhaust muffler and the fuel tank defining therebetween a space, the tailpipe being disposed to meander in the space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Ninomiya, Chisako Takahashi, Takanori Sato
  • Diesel engine
    Patent number: 9416707
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a diesel engine in which a DPF case and an SCR catalyst case can be placed compactly. The diesel engine includes an engine body, the DPF case and the SCR catalyst case, a DPF is accommodated in the DPF case, an SCR catalyst is accommodated in the SCR catalyst case, and the DPF case and the SCR catalyst case are mounted on the engine body. The SCR catalyst case is placed in a direction which extends along the DPF case. The DPF case is placed directly above a flywheel housing and right behind a cylinder head cover, and the SCR catalyst case is placed directly above the cylinder head cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: KUBOTA Corporation
    Inventors: Tamon Tanaka, Koichi Funaki, Hirozumi Kuwabara, Soichiro Watanabe, Yoshitaka Taira, Tetsuya Kosaka, Satoshi Inayama
  • Exhaust manifold
    Patent number: 9410470
    Abstract: An exhaust manifold for installation onto a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine includes a housing having plural inlet openings and an outlet opening. The housing includes an inner shell and an outer shell in surrounding relationship to the inner shell to define a gap there between. The inner shell is floatingly arranged in the outer shell and rests at a side of the cylinder head upon a guide plate which is formed with the plural inlet openings and includes guide members respectively arranged about a circumference of the inlet openings. The outer shell has a cylinder-head-proximal marginal region formed with an outwardly bent flange that rests upon the guide plate and is joined in gastight manner to the guide plate by a material joint. The flange has an outer side in opposition to the guide plate, with a collar being arranged on the outer side of the flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: BENTELER AUTOMOBILTECHNIK GMBH
    Inventors: Mario Wegener, Elmar Grussmann, Uwe Fischer, Tobias Gockel
  • Internal combustion engine
    Patent number: 9410461
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine, in particular a large multi-fuel diesel internal combustion engine, and includes an SCR catalytic converter that can be bypassed, and at least one control element for switching the flow in an exhaust gas line between a first position where the SCR catalytic converter is active and a second position where the SCR catalytic converter is bypassed, and at least one flow path bypassing the SCR catalytic converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: AVL LIST GMBH
    Inventor: Thomas Obenaus
  • Method and system for control of emissions in exhaust aftertreatment system
    Patent number: 9399965
    Abstract: A system includes a controller configured to compare a nitrogen oxides (NOX) concentration within treated exhaust gases from a combustion engine after flowing through a first catalyst assembly and a second catalyst assembly relative to a NOX threshold value, to determine a change in O2 concentration within the treated exhaust gases between the first and second catalyst assemblies upstream of a location of oxidant injection into the treated exhaust gases, and to adjust an air-fuel ratio of the combustion engine based on the change in O2 concentration in the treated exhaust gases if the NOX concentration is greater than the NOX threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: James Kristopher von der Ehe, Maruthi Narasinga Rao Devarakonda, Dennis John Spaulding