Patents Examined by Ka Chun Leung
  • Patent number: 7451751
    Abstract: A nitrous-oxide system for an engine includes a nozzle coupled to a nitrous-oxide bottle by a nitrous oxide line. A nitrous-oxide valve is coupled to the nitrous-oxide line between the nitrous-oxide bottle and the nozzle. A control switch, operatively coupled to the nitrous-oxide valve. A pressure regulator, coupled to the nitrous-oxide line between the nitrous-oxide bottle and the nozzle, and is capable of regulating pressure of the nitrous-oxide. The nozzle can be positioned adjacent a carburetor inlet to force nitrous-oxide into a carburetor throat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Inventor: Jim Atherley
  • Patent number: 7445000
    Abstract: An ultrasonic fuel/power enhancer for producing sound and ultrasound at different wind speeds and conditions is provided. The enhancer is mountable in an air intake of a vehicle with the vehicle having a predetermined number of cylinders and each cylinder having a combustion chamber. The enhancer comprises at least one band and at least one tubular whistle. A whistle connection mechanism is wrapped around the whistle with the whistle connection mechanism having at least one band receiving aperture and the band insertable through one of the band receiving apertures. At least one stabilizing tab is mounted to the whistle connection mechanism wherein the whistle is shaped and designed to produce sonic and ultrasonic sounds thereby atomizing gas droplets being supplied to the combustion chamber of each cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Inventor: Kenneth Livingston
  • Patent number: 7444977
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method (and corresponding system) of reducing fuel consumption in a diesel engine (300) when operating at less than full power, the method comprising the step of: adjusting (101) a viscosity of a system oil (301) from the engine (300) resulting in a modified system oil (301?), where the viscosity is adjusted so that the mechanical efficiency of the engine (300) is increased when the modified system oil (301?) is provided to the engine (300) and wherein the step of adjusting is done on the basis at least one parameter representing an actual load of the engine (300) and a viscosity parameter of the system oil (301). In this way, the mechanical efficiency of the engine when operating at less than full speed/at partial speed is increased. This reduces the fuel consumption of a diesel engine and reduces the emissions of a diesel engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S
    Inventor: Jorn Dragsted
  • Patent number: 7441528
    Abstract: An outboard motor mounted to a hull of a watercraft includes a V-type engine having right and left cylinder banks positioned in a cowling and having a crankshaft generally vertically disposed when the watercraft is under a running condition. A surge tank is disposed in the cowling. Right and left side long intake conduits and right and left side short intake conduits both connect the surge tank to intake ports of respective right and left banks of cylinders. The associated long intake conduits and short intake conduits can be selectively established depending on information about operational conditions of the hull and/or the outboard motor. The outboard motor includes right and left shut-off valves interchanging the long intake conduits and the short intake conduits. Right and left actuators individually actuate the right and left shut-off valves in accordance with information about operational conditions. A control means individually controls operations of the respective actuators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Yamaha Marine Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Osakabe, Yoshibumi Iwata
  • Patent number: 7438064
    Abstract: A mixture-lubricated internal combustion engine has a cylinder (2) in which a combustion chamber (3) is formed. The combustion chamber (3) is delimited by a piston (5) mounted to move back and forth. The piston (5) drives a crankshaft (7) rotatably journalled in a crankcase (4). The engine has an inlet channel (9) which supplies fuel and combustion air into the combustion chamber (3) as well as an exhaust outlet (13) from which exhaust gases flow from the combustion chamber. The intake inlet (11) and the exhaust outlet (13) are valve controlled. A flow connection is present between the crankcase (4) and the inlet channel (9). A good idle stability and a good idle acoustic of the engine are achieved in that at least one control valve (23, 33, 43, 63) is mounted in the flow connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Andreas Stihl AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Jan Borchardt, Kai-Ulrich Machens, Rainer Ziegler, Robert Wirtz
  • Patent number: 7438028
    Abstract: A four stroke engine with piston strokes all of equal length whereby the intake stroke displacement and the compression stroke displacement are smaller than the expansion stroke displacement and the exhaust stroke displacement. This is accomplished using the fuel saving sleeve that has a projection on one end. A magnetic force is used to keep the fuel saving sleeve at the top of the engine cylinder during the intake and compression strokes. This makes the sleeve act as an air displacer during the intake and compression strokes. The projection transfers the pressure of burning gases on the sleeve to the piston during the expansion stroke. It also transfers force from the piston to the sleeve during the exhaust stroke. This makes the sleeve act as an enlargement of the piston during the expansion and exhaust strokes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Inventor: Edward Lawrence Warren
  • Patent number: 7434562
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine which includes two parallel crankshafts positioned in crankcases, a cylinder positioned on a side of the crankcases, a piston movably disposed within the cylinder, and connecting rods linked to the piston and extending from respective crankshafts. Positions at which the two connecting rods are linked to the piston and the crankshafts are constantly kept symmetrical with respect to a cylinder axis when the two crankshafts rotate in opposite directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kengo Ishimitsu
  • Patent number: 7434549
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine including at least one engine cylinder includes a cylinder cavity with first and second stopping members interconnected by a cylinder wall, the cylinder further includes two piston members slidably moveable within said cylinder cavity and between extreme positions intermediate between two stopping members, two piston members combust between their faces and cylinder wall pushing them with their power transmittal members alternatively to revolve the cogwheel and axle. By the ratchet function of power transmittal member or cogwheel, each piston has its free returning movement without clinging with the cogwheel and axle, allowing each piston continuously and alternatively revolves the axle without waste of energy for returning movements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Inventor: Kwong Wang Tse
  • Patent number: 7426910
    Abstract: A propulsion system for a vehicle, comprising of an internal combustion engine, a thermoelectric device in thermal communication with the engine, and a control system for controlling the engine and the thermoelectric device during a first mode, supply electrical energy to the thermoelectric device to cause the thermoelectric device to produce at least some heat, and during a second mode, operate the engine to produce at least some heat, where the thermoelectric device is operated to convert a temperature gradient at the thermoelectric device to electrical energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2008
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Shane Elwart
  • Patent number: 7421996
    Abstract: An lubrication device for an engine includes: a crank case which freely rotatably supports a crank shaft and also which stores oil at its lower part; an oil strainer which is so arranged as to be fixed in the crank case; and an oil pump which suctions the oil at the lower part in the crank case via the oil strainer. In the lubricating device, the machining efficiency can be improved by reducing the time of machining to a crank case to thereby decentralize machining processes, and also the oil temperature can be reduced. A crank case cover covering part of a crank case and coupled with the crank case is provided with an oil suction passage which leads to an oil pump, and an oil strainer communicates with the oil suction passage via a connecting pipe which is a member different from the crank case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenji Oki
  • Patent number: 7415957
    Abstract: A vehicular air intake system including a resonator for eliminate the possibility of dust and water droplets collecting in the resonator. An end portion of an air intake duct is branched into a resonator and an air intake section. In the air intake section, a chamber is formed having an air intake port for taking in outside air. The resonator is disposed upwardly of the air intake port. A branch pipe section and the chamber are positioned such that they are slightly inclined downwardly toward a main pipe section. In this arrangement, the air intake duct is disposed downwardly of a seat and a resin cover such that the air intake port is located a required distance away from a rear external surface of a fuel tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Yasuda, Shinji Kawatani
  • Patent number: 7412958
    Abstract: A piston-crank mechanism links crankpins of a crankshaft with piston pins of pistons by using a plurality of links. The piston-crank mechanism allows an upward inertia force produced near a top dead center of each piston to be smaller than a downward inertia force produced near a bottom dead center of the piston in order to reduce secondary vibration occurring during operation. In a four-cycle inline four-cylinder internal combustion engine, a total force of inertia forces exerted from adjacent cylinders to each of second and fourth crankshaft bearings becomes a downward force, which reinforces a downward force produced in response to combustion pressure. These second and fourth crankshaft bearings have a rigidity higher than the remaining crankshaft bearings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Takahashi, Yoshiaki Tanaka, Hideaki Mizuno, Kenshi Ushijima, Yoshimi Nunome
  • Patent number: 7412957
    Abstract: A crankcase of an internal combustion engine with at least one main lubricant channel for supplying the internal combustion engine with lubricant and with at least one oil return flow channel (10) for return guidance of the excess lubricant into a reservoir container (11), wherein the oil return flow channel (10) exhibits a peg-shaped widening (12), which is formed by the attachment a bearing support of an oil channel core (18). An oil channel core as well as a process for producing a crankcase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Uwe Bindel, Werner Hofheinz
  • Patent number: 7409942
    Abstract: A recoil starter includes: a rope reel; a cylindrical cam; a coil spring; a reel spindle; an extending cylindrical portion; a recess; a hook; an engaging groove; an inner annular portion; and an outer annular portion, wherein: the extending cylindrical portion is inserted in the inner side of the recess; the coil spring is wound on the outer side of the extending cylindrical portion; the hook is engaged with the engaging groove; an end portion opposite the hook of the coil spring is engaged with the cylindrical cam; the inner annular portion is made flush; and the outer annular portion is made such that a portion corresponding to the engaging groove is formed to have the same height as that of the inner annular portion whereas an opposite side is formed to have a larger height than that of the inner annular portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Starting Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideki Hashiba
  • Patent number: 7398858
    Abstract: The invention relates to an oil pan arrangement for an internal-combustion engine including a cover part, a bottom part for the oil pan and at least one suction pipe which opens out into an suction region of the bottom part. The suction pipe is connected to the suction region and the bottom part in one piece manner. The suction region comprises a wall portion which incorporates at least one suction window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Wolf-Dietrich Bicker, Peter Eichert, Torsten Löhnert
  • Patent number: 7395794
    Abstract: In an engine which starts using a recoil starter, ignition chance during inertia rotation is not missed. If the engine 42 is rotated by the recoil starter 41, output of a power generator which is directly connected to the engine 42 is increased, and a CPU 27 is reset at timing t0. At timing t1, if pulse P1 is input from a revolution number sensor 29 to the CPU 27, the CPU 27 outputs first ignition instructions when predetermined time T1 is elapsed (t2). At timing t3, second pulse P2 is input. At that time point, since the CPU 27 is normally operated, ignition timing is obtained from an ignition timing map 30 in accordance with the revolution number calculated by a time interval between the pulses P1 and P2, and the ignition instructions are output at timing t4 in accordance with the ignition timing. Thereafter, the ignition timing is determined using the ignition timing map 30.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Riyuuhei Tamamoto, Makoto Yamamura, Mitsuyoshi Kanai
  • Patent number: 7395798
    Abstract: An engine for a leisure vehicle including a lubricating oil pump configured to feed a lubricating oil to engine components, and an actuator drive oil pump that is provided separately from the lubricating oil pump and is configured to drive an actuator operating with an oil pressure. The actuator drive oil pump is configured to feed an oil with a discharge pressure higher than a discharge pressure of the lubricating oil pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Patent number: 7389760
    Abstract: An engine cover for a vehicle includes a frame extending generally about the perimeter of the cover and adapted for mounting to an engine of the vehicle, and a skin extending across and secured to the frame. In one embodiment, the frame is made of a moulded plastic material and the skin is a stamped metal, such as aluminum. In another embodiment, the skin comprises multiple sections each secured to the frame so that one or more sections may be modified to alter the appearance of the cover and/or location of service items, such as an oil fill cap or dip stick for different applications while minimizing the number of components that need modification. A method for covering an engine according to the present invention includes securing at least one engine cover skin to an engine cover frame and securing the frame to an engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Jimmey Fogolini
  • Patent number: 7387101
    Abstract: An oil level sensor for detecting an oil level is arranged in an engine oil pan. The oil level sensor includes a mounting section and a sensing section. An air hole is formed at an upper end of a cover member of the sensing section. The air hole is surrounded by a tubular portion of a shield member attached to a baffle plate of the oil pan. Therefore, any splashed engine oil in the oil pan is restricted from entering the cover member of the sensing section through the air hole. Also, a clearance (?) for venting air is formed between the tubular portion and the baffle plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Fujiki, Osamu Murakami, Masayuki Ueno, Masaki Kanehiro, Seiji Kosaka
  • Patent number: 7383795
    Abstract: A surge tank comprises a liquid inlet portion designed to dissipate the energy of coolant flowing into the surge tank. Desirably, fluid is delivered into a pool of liquid in an initial chamber rather than into an air gap above a pool of liquid such that the pool of liquid assists in dissipating energy of the entering coolant. Coolant from the last of a series of initial chambers desirably exits in a manner that reduces the distance air bubbles must rise to separate from the coolant. Also, when coolant flows from one initial chamber to at least one other initial chamber, desirably the direction of flow of at least a major volume of the coolant is changed, such as by locating an outlet passage from one chamber at a lower portion thereof and the passage from a subsequent chamber at an upper portion thereof. Passageways between the various chambers may be of a progressively increasing total cross-sectional area to assist in reducing the velocity of fluid flow from one chamber to the next.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Daimler Trucks North America LLC
    Inventors: Patrick N. Lawrence, Frederick W. Menche, Antonio Edgar