Patents Examined by Joseph Dallo
  • Patent number: 10196994
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a transmission, a torque converter coupled to the transmission, a controller in communication with the transmission and the torque converter; a driver seat, a passenger seat, and a back seat coupled to the transmission, and sensors configured to detect occupancy of the seats. The sensors are in communication with the controller. The controller is programmed to receive data from the sensors, determine an occupancy status based on the occupancy data, set an engine operating parameter of one of the transmission and the torque converter based on the occupancy status, and control one of the transmission and the torque converter to operate according to the parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas G. Leone, Kenneth James Miller, Chris James Hocking
  • Patent number: 10197131
    Abstract: In a vehicle power unit having an internal combustion engine, a pair of power transmission gears for transmitting rotation of a crank shaft to a balancer shaft is arranged between a crankcase and a crankcase cover, and a fluid pump is provided on a power transmission gear shaft supporting a power transmission gear, by which the backlash between the crank shaft and the balancer shaft is reduced and the friction and the noise of the gears are restrained while achieving downsizing of the gears of the crank shaft and the balancer, weight reduction and downsizing of the power unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hodaka Mukohara
  • Patent number: 10190510
    Abstract: A fuel storage apparatus includes a fuel tank, a heat exchanger, a fuel pipe, and a medium pipe. The heat exchanger performs heat exchange between fuel inside the fuel tank and a heat exchange medium. The fuel pipe is provided inside the fuel tank and delivers the fuel to the heat exchanger. The medium pipe is provided outside the fuel tank and delivers the heat exchange medium to the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger includes a first joint and a second joint. The first joint is provided inside the fuel tank and is connectable to the fuel pipe. The second joint is provided outside the fuel tank and is connectable to the medium pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kengo Ishimitsu
  • Patent number: 10190556
    Abstract: A cryogenic LNG fuel system is provided that includes a tank for storing LNG and a LNG fill system including a LNG inlet passage for directing a flow of LNG into the tank. A cryogenic pump is in fluid communication with the tank and includes a pumping element at least partially immersed in the LNG for directing the LNG out of the tank and a seal. A lubricant system is provided that includes a lubricant reservoir and a lubricant inlet passage in communication with the lubricant reservoir and the LNG inlet passage. The lubricant system is adapted to introduce the lubricant into the flow of LNG in the LNG inlet passage such that at least a portion of the lubricant is entrained in the LNG in the LNG inlet passage and carried into the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua T. Perko, Dana R. Coldren, Glenn B. Cox
  • Patent number: 10184413
    Abstract: A control system comprising a variable valve timing mechanism (B) able to set a closing timing of an intake valve (7), a fuel injector (13) for feeding fuel to a combustion chamber (5), an intake air amount detector (17) for detecting an amount of intake air fed to an intake passage from the outside air, and a pressure sensor (16) for detecting the pressure in the intake passage downstream of a throttle valve (16). When air in the combustion chamber (5) is blown back to the intake passage when injection of fuel is restarted after the fuel injection is stopped at the time of deceleration operation, the basis for calculation of the fuel injection amount in the initial cycle when fuel injection is restarted is switched from the amount of intake air detected by the intake air amount detector (17) to the pressure in the intake passage detected by the pressure sensor (18).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yukihiro Nakasaka
  • Patent number: 10184419
    Abstract: A cooling device for an internal combustion engine includes a HT cooling system, a LT cooling system, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to, if a HT temperature has reached a HT determination value, control an operation state of the HT cooling system to start cooling for maintaining the HT temperature at a HT target temperature. The electronic control unit is configured to, if a LT temperature being a temperature of a LT cooling medium has reached a LT determination value, start a LT cooling control for maintaining the LT temperature at a LT target temperature under a specific condition where an early warm-up of the internal combustion engine is not required. The electronic control unit is configured to start the LT cooling control if the HT temperature has reached the HT determination value under a condition where the early warm-up is required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoko Tofukuji, Yoshihiro Furuya
  • Patent number: 10184424
    Abstract: The invention provides a cylinder head gasket installed by being sandwiched between a cylinder block and a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine. The cylinder head gasket has bore holes each having a circular plane at positions which are lapped over a combustion chamber in said cylinder block, and surface pressure generation portions constructed by three-dimensional shapes surrounding said bore holes at positions which are lapped over partition walls between the combustion chamber in said cylinder block and a water jacket portion. The surface pressure generation portions are arranged at fixed positions in a thickness direction of said partition wall and are arranged closer to the combustion chamber side or the water jacket portion side than the fixed positions in the thickness direction of said partition wall partly on a circumference around the bore holes. Therefore, bore deformation can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: NOK Corporation
    Inventors: Takeo Morimoto, Misaki Gushiken, Namieki Osawa
  • Patent number: 10184385
    Abstract: A motor vehicle can be powered by a combustion engine or an electric machine or both. Coolant is conveyed in the coolant circuit first to the electric machine before being conveyed from the electric machine to the combustion engine for cooling both the combustion engine and the electric machine. A cooling device adjusts a temperature of the coolant in the coolant circuit in such a way that the cooling device adjusts the coolant to a first temperature, when the motor vehicle is powered by the combustion engine, and to a second temperature which is less than the first temperature, when the motor vehicle is powered by the electric machine and the combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Andreas Apelsmeier, Guenter Vetter
  • Patent number: 10174689
    Abstract: A method for operating a drive system including an internal combustion engine, the drive system including an electromotively-assisted exhaust-driven supercharging device or a strictly electrically operated supercharging device, the method including checking on whether a gear change has been initiated and a drive train has been disengaged accordingly; upon detecting an initiated gear change, adjusting the compressor power of the supercharging device by additionally facilitating electric power to the electromotively-assisted exhaust-driven supercharging device or to the strictly electrically operated supercharging device, in such a way that, at least toward the end of the gear change, a charging pressure is made available in a charging pressure section of the drive system which is higher than a charging pressure resulting at a compressor power, which corresponds to the exhaust gas enthalpy of the internal combustion engine provided during the gear change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Florian Schmitt, Udo Schulz
  • Patent number: 10174667
    Abstract: A prechamber ignition device for a spark-ignited internal combustion engine has a prechamber in fluid communication with a main combustion chamber by way of a plurality of ports. An outer opening of each of the plurality of ports is formed in an exterior surface of a prechamber body and circumferentially offset from a corresponding inner opening formed in an interior surface of the prechamber body, the interior surface forming a prechamber wall having a taper that assists in maintaining velocity of a charge of air and fuel to displace a flame kernel from a spark gap in the prechamber such that quenching of the flame kernel is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: James Cress
  • Patent number: 10174701
    Abstract: A method for detecting the commencement of opening of the nozzle needle of an injector of an injection system. In the detection method, the coil of the solenoid injector has a voltage applied to it which is so low that the armature is moved toward the nozzle needle at such a low speed that the abutment causes a stoppage of the armature movement, without the nozzle needle being opened. In this case, the idle travel is overcome, but no injection process is initiated. The abutment of the armature against the nozzle needle is detected, in the current profile, as the commencement of opening of the nozzle needle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Denk, Nikolay Belyaev, Christian Hauser, Anatoliy Lyubar, Gerd Roesel, Markus Stutika
  • Patent number: 10167786
    Abstract: A method for operating a gaseous-fuelled internal combustion engine by directly injecting the gaseous fuel into the combustion chamber is disclosed wherein the gaseous fuel is injected at injection pressures higher than 300 bar and the pressure ratio between the gaseous fuel injection pressure and the peak cylinder pressure is between 1.6:1 and 3:1, and preferably between 2.5:1 to 2.8:1. The injection pressure is selected to be between 300 and 540 bar and preferably between 300 bar and 440 bar. The injection pressure can be selected based on a preferred range for the pressure ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: WESTPORT POWER INC.
    Inventors: Gordon P. McTaggart-Cowan, Kenneth R. Mann, Jian Huang, Sandeep Munshi
  • Patent number: 10166986
    Abstract: A method for operating a drive device for a motor vehicle includes: during a coasting operation of the motor vehicle in which a shifting clutch is open and the internal combustion engine stands still starting the internal combustion engine in a first operating mode with the electric machine and in a second operating mode by at least partially closing the shifting clutch with a coupling torque set at the shifting clutch, thereby operatively connecting the internal combustion engine with at least one wheel, wherein the internal combustion engine is started in the first operating mode when a predictively determined wheel slip predictive value exceeds a wheel slip setpoint value, and wherein when the internal combustion engine is started in the second operating mode the electric machine is used for starting the internal combustion engine and for driving the at least one wheel when a wheel slip actual value exceeds the wheel slip setpoint value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: Thomas Theel, Andras Eppel, Jörg Au
  • Patent number: 10161339
    Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to correct deviation in the injection amount and changes in the injection timing when the voltage of a high-voltage source for a drive device decreases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Ryo Kusakabe, Tomoaki Horii, Shingo Kimura, Takaki Itaya, Mitsuru Nagase, Shirou Yamaoka
  • Patent number: 10161501
    Abstract: A system according to the principles of the present disclosure includes a transmission fluid temperature sensor and a coolant valve control module. The transmission fluid temperature sensor measures a temperature of transmission fluid that is circulated through a transmission. The coolant valve control module controls at least one coolant valve to adjust coolant flow from an engine to a transmission fluid heat exchanger and at least one of a radiator, an engine oil heat exchanger, and a heater core. When the transmission fluid temperature is less than a first temperature, the coolant valve control module controls the at least one coolant valve to allow coolant flow from the engine to the transmission fluid heat exchanger and prevent coolant flow from the engine to the at least one of the radiator, the engine oil heat exchanger, and the heater core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Eugene V. Gonze, Michael J. Paratore, Jr., Sergio Quelhas
  • Patent number: 10151280
    Abstract: An exhaust gas recirculation (“EGR”) power module configured for a wire harness of an altimetric/barometric pressure sensor and/or an ambient air sensor of an EGR system for an engine includes a set of wires and a circuit. The set of wires is configured to match the wire harness on the altimetric/barometric pressure sensor and/or the ambient air sensor for the engine. The circuit provides a resistance or resistances to the wire harness through the set of wires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Inventor: Anthony Stephen Hanak
  • Patent number: 10145314
    Abstract: A control unit for controlling a phase angle of a first camshaft of an internal combustion engine includes a first characteristic diagram signal generator for determining a dynamic setpoint phase angle of the first camshaft, a second characteristic diagram signal generator for determining a static setpoint phase angle of the first camshaft, and a first interpolator for determining a corrected setpoint phase angle of the first camshaft based on the dynamic setpoint phase angle of the first camshaft and on the static setpoint phase angle of the first camshaft. A motor vehicle including a control unit for controlling a phase angle of a first camshaft of an internal combustion engine and a method for controlling a phase angle of a first camshaft of an internal combustion engine are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Henrik Hoffmeyer, Lars Petersen, Stephan Schwieger
  • Patent number: 10145313
    Abstract: A method for controlling valve timing of a continuous variable valve duration engine may include: classifying a plurality of control regions depending on an engine speed and an engine load; applying a maximum duration to an intake valve and controlling a valve overlap between an exhaust valve and an intake valve by using an exhaust valve closing (EVC) timing in a first control region; advancing an intake valve closing (IVC) timing and applying a maximum duration to the exhaust valve in a second control region; advancing the IVC timing and the EVC timing in a third control region; controlling the EVC timing in a fourth control region; controlling a throttle valve to be fully opened and controlling the IVC timing in a fifth control region; and controlling the throttle valve to be fully opened and advancing the IVC timing in a sixth control region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: In Sang Ryu, Kyoung Pyo Ha, You Sang Son, Kiyoung Kwon
  • Patent number: 10145444
    Abstract: Systems are provided for a damper cover for an engine crankshaft damper. In one example, a damper cover may include a frame and an inset, with extensions of the frame adapted to couple to slots of an engine crankshaft damper, and with portions of the inset positioned between each extension and each corresponding slot. As one example, the frame may be comprised of metal and the inset may be comprised of a damping material such as foam or rubber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Shashin Shah, Shaji Mathews, Chuck Raymond Kvasnicka, Nathaniel David Hansen, Tom Xu
  • Patent number: 10137872
    Abstract: An acceleration/deceleration control apparatus includes a mode switching portion configured to switch a normal mode of performing acceleration control in response to an operation on an accelerator pedal and also performing deceleration control in response to an operation on a brake pedal, and a one-pedal mode of performing both the acceleration control and the deceleration control in response to the operation on the accelerator pedal according to a switching operation performed by a driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventor: Daisuke Goto