Patents Examined by Ka Chun Leung
  • Patent number: 7322750
    Abstract: A locking engine splay cap apparatus and method of use and manufacture comprising a splay cap and an engine block base having uniquely positioned and formed slots and protrusions which integrally mate. The mating provides optimum register of the internal combustion engine main bearing caps whereby cap chatter and inward deformation is minimized. The method of use allows smaller displacement and more efficient engines to produce higher powers without compromising reliability and durability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Inventor: Ronnie Besselman
  • Patent number: 7323103
    Abstract: A multifunctional shutting device for a lubrication filter includes a safety device with triple valve shutting. The safety device includes a first valve for closing the oil intake in the filter with a view to dismantle the filter, a second bypass valve that opens when the filter is blocked and a third valve that opens in the event of excess pressure in the hydraulic circuit. The multiple valve structure is particularly applicable to the lubrication system in an aircraft engine but can be used in other hydraulic circuits subject to similar issues.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Techspace Aero S.A.
    Inventor: Bernard Pierret
  • Patent number: 7318405
    Abstract: An engine for a vehicle for which the work of replacing an oil filter or an oil cooler is easily executed. The vehicle engine is provided with a crank case, a cylinder head having an exhaust passage outlet in a front face, an oil pan being independently formed from the crank case and attached to a lower surface of the crank case, an oil supply path communicating the oil pan with lubricated positions of the engine so as to circulate oil in the oil pan, an oil pump drawing the oil from the oil pan and pressure feeding the oil to the lubricated positions via the oil supply path, and an oil filter or an oil cooler interposed in the middle of the oil supply path and attached to a front face, a side face or a rear face of the oil pan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ichiro Tanaka, Yoshiharu Matsuda
  • Patent number: 7318397
    Abstract: A piston (10), a spring (15) operatively coupled to a piston, the spring being inside (21) or outside (41) the piston, and if the spring is inside the piston, the diameter of the spring is equal to 0.7 to 0.9, and if it is outside of the piston it is an external coil spring which is outside the cylinder which contains the piston and is able to provide a force of thousands of pounds per inch, and furthermore so that at light load the compression ratio (CR) is greater than 13 to 1 designated as CR0, at medium load has a compression ratio less then CR0 but greater than CReff, and at wide open throttle (WOT) has a CR equal to Creff, the CR is less than CR0 as would occur at medium or higher load which would lead to a flexing of the spring, and the cycle on the compression stroke is known as the HCX cycle where the pressure goes between Ppre and less than or equal to Pf.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Combustion Electromagnetics Inc.
    Inventor: Michael A. V. Ward
  • Patent number: 7308997
    Abstract: A combustion-operated setting tool for driving fastening elements in a constructional component includes a device (30) for adjusting setting energy applied to a setting piston (15) axially displaceable in a guide space (4) of a piston guide (13). The adjusting device (30) has a separation member (31) adjustably arranged between the receptacle (18) and the guide space (14) of the piston guide (13) and dividing the combustion chamber (20) in a first sub-chamber (21) arranged between the receptacle (18) and the separation member (31) and a second sub-chamber (22) arranged between the separation member (31) and the guide space (14) of the piston guide (13), the separation member (31) having a plurality of through-openings (34, 35) for controlling flow of the combustion gases into the guide space (14) of the piston guide (13), with an active opening cross-section of at least a portion of the through-openings (34, 35) changing dependent on an adjustable position of the separation member (31).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: Hilti Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jens Neumann, Norbert Heeb, Tilo Dittrich, Thomas Sperrfechter
  • Patent number: 7305957
    Abstract: A control apparatus includes a driving device that is capable of operating regardless whether the engine is running or not. A variable valve actuation mechanism is driven by the driving device. During an idling operation of the engine, a control section controls the driving device such that the variable valve actuation mechanism maintains the valve timing at a valve timing advanced relative to a most retarded valve timing. The control section controls the driving device such that the variable valve actuation mechanism changes the valve timing to the most retarded valve timing after a stopping operation of an autonomous operation of the engine is initiated. Therefore, shock due to the initiation of the engine starting operation is reduced without decreasing fuel economy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Zenichiro Mashiki
  • Patent number: 7299772
    Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine defining an axis of motion and including an annular cooling gallery defined within the piston. The cooling gallery extends annularly about the axis of motion of the piston. A plurality of annularly spaced fan blades is positioned within the cooling gallery. Each fan blade is oriented diagonally within the cooling gallery to direct a cooling fluid in an annular direction about the axis of motion of the piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: William J. Hardin
  • Patent number: 7293536
    Abstract: To provide a two cycle combustion engine provided with scavenging passages of a structure, which is effective to minimize a deposit of fuel contained in an air/fuel mixture and allows the mixture to be injected into a combustion chamber so as to avoid the blow-off of the air/fuel mixture, the engine includes a cylinder block 1 having a cylinder bore 1a, a scavenging-passage-defining wall member 34 made separate from the cylinder block 1 and fitted to the cylinder block 1. A scavenge regulating segment 37, 38 secured to the scavenging-passage-defining wall member 34 is spaced from an outer diametric surface 24C, 27C of the scavenging passage 24, 27 and two side surfaces 24A, 24B or 27A, 27B of the scavenging passage 24, 27 that are opposed to each other in a direction circumferentially of the cylinder bore 1a and occupies a circumferential center portion of the scavenging passage 24, 27.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tsuneyoshi Yuasa
  • Patent number: 7290519
    Abstract: An air intake apparatus configured to combine air filtered separately through a plurality of air cleaners and lead it to a single throttle body suppresses or prevents variation in the pressure of airflow introduced from a plurality of intake paths to the single throttle body. Outside air is introduced to the plurality of air cleaners by a single air cleaner inlet. The air cleaner inlet has a chamber of a predetermined capacity which has a single intake duct, and a plurality of branching passages which branch off from the chamber into the same number as there are air cleaners and are connected to the separate air cleaners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Tohru Ohba, Akira Suzuki, Atsushi Hirota, Kazuhiro Hayashi
  • Patent number: 7287502
    Abstract: An air intake apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes an air intake manifold that has a plurality of branch pipes that are connected to an internal combustion engine and has a collecting pipe to which a throttle body is connected, in which an air intake quantity that is taken into the internal combustion engine is adjusted using a throttle valve of the throttle body, and in which a fuel injection quantity is adjusted in accordance with the air intake quantity. In this air intake apparatus for an internal combustion engine, an air flow meter that detects a quantity of air that is taken into the internal combustion engine is provided in each branch pipe of an air intake manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Keihin Corporation
    Inventor: Shogo Hattori
  • Patent number: 7287501
    Abstract: A coil driving a contact of an ignition and injection relay is connected to a connection line of a main relay and an ECU. When an ignition switch is turned off, the ECU drives an ignition device and an injection device for a prescribed period thereafter. Then, the ECU turns off a main relay to perform self-shutting-off, and the ignition and injection relay is turned off interlocked with an operation of the main relay being turned off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazumi Yamada
  • Patent number: 7284511
    Abstract: A combustion-engined setting tool for driving fastening elements in a constructional component end including a combustion chamber (13) for combusting a gas mixture, an inlet/outlet device (40) for opening the combustion chamber (13) in its first position and for closing the combustion chamber (13) in its second position and having a valve element for reversibly displacing the inlet/outlet device (40) between its first and second positions, a locking element (37) for locking the valve element of the inlet/outlet device (40) in the second position of the device, a trigger (30) for actuating the locking element (37), a release switch (22) for triggering ignition in the combustion chamber (13), an electronic control unit (20) for controlling start of the ignition in the combustion chamber (13), and an initialization switch connected with the control unit (20), the control unit (20) initiating the ignition in the combustion chamber (13) when a time period between switching-on of the initialization switch and switc
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Hilti Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Mario Zahner, Peter Stauss, Rolf Erhardt
  • Patent number: 7284528
    Abstract: A crank shaft support assembly for increasing stiffness and reducing thermal mismatch distortion in a crank shaft bore of an engine comprising different materials. A cylinder block comprises a first material and at least two crank journal inserts are insert-molded into respective crank journal regions of the cylinder block and comprise a second material having greater stiffness and a lower thermal coefficient of expansion that the first material. At least two bearing caps are bolted to the respective crank journal inserts and define, along with the crank journal inserts, at least two crank shaft support rings defining a crank shaft bore coaxially aligned with a crank shaft axis. The bearing caps comprise a material having higher stiffness and a lower thermal coefficient of expansion than the first material and are supported on the respective crank journal inserts independently of any direct connection to the cylinder block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Robert J. Natkin, Bret Oltmans, John E. Allison, Thomas J. Heater, Joy Adair Hines, Grant K. Tappen, Dietmar Peiskammer
  • Patent number: 7275509
    Abstract: A method is provided for engaging a starter pinion of a starter with a starter ring gear of an internal combustion engine during the running-down of the internal combustion engine, which internal combustion engine has an arrangement for determining rotational speed and rotational direction of a crankshaft. The starter pinion is engaged with the starter ring gear when the following conditions are satisfied: a) the speed of the internal combustion engine is below a maximum speed and above a minimum speed; and b) the rotational direction corresponds to the forward rotational direction of the crank shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Uwe Kassner
  • Patent number: 7275512
    Abstract: The invention relates to a suction device for an internal combustion engine provided with a first manifold (1) having a slot (3). A first suction line (5) is extended from an input orifice (7) which enters the first manifold (1) to an output orifice (9) which connects the first suction line (5) to the suction line of a cylinder head of the internal combustion engine. The inventive device also comprises a second suction line (11) and a second manifold (13) provided with a second slot (15) which are orientable and interconnectable. When the second suction line is in the first pivoting position, intake air passes through the first slot (3) to the first manifold (1) and afterwards, flows to the first suction line (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Siegfried Deiss, Peter Fischer
  • Patent number: 7270101
    Abstract: An arrangement for attaching a blade to a shaft for use in intake manifolds, uses fasteners that create a load on the blade. Fasteners are inserted through fastener holes in the blade and through shaft holes in the shaft. Once inserted outward pressure by the fastener on the shaft and the blade places the assembly under a constant load. The load prevents the shaft and the blade from vibrating against each other during engine operation. The same attachment method can also be used to retain and bias a shaft locater to the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: MAHLE Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark Letourneau
  • Patent number: 7267084
    Abstract: In a cooling and heating device for an internal combustion engine having a main coolant pump supplying coolant to the engine and a coolant return line with a return flow control unit which directs the coolant return flow to the main coolant pump selectively via a large cooling circuit, in which an air/fluid cooler is arranged, or via a small cooling circuit bypassing the air/fluid cooler, an oil/coolant heat exchanger is provided for heating or cooling a flow of oil, the flow of coolant through the oil/coolant heat exchanger being controlled by means of a coolant flow control unit directing the flow through the oil/coolant heat exchanger only after a predefined coolant temperature has been reached so that, below this temperature, no heat is extracted from the coolant by the oil/coolant heat exchanger and rapid heating of the internal combustion engine is ensured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Roland Lütze, Heiko Sass
  • Patent number: 7263954
    Abstract: A cooling system for an internal combustion engine 1 is disclosed in which an electronically controlled flow control valve 9 is used to control the flow of coolant exiting the engine 1. The electronically controlled flow control valve 9 is able to control the cooling of the engine 1 irrespective of the speed at which a pump 2 used to urge coolant to flow into the engine 1 is rotated by a drive belt 3 connected to an output 4 from the engine 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mitchell Piddock, Ian Pegg, Les Routledge
  • Patent number: 7263962
    Abstract: The purpose of the intake system, which is disposed in a limited space above the engine, is to improve engine performance by preventing increase in both temperature and resistance of intake air, and also to reduce noise of the intake air. In the intake system, a rear wall extending downwardly is formed in a lower half body that is joined to a rear end of an engine cover, and a mounting frame section for attaching an element is formed in a rear wall section. An upstream-side casing is formed forward of the rear wall section. An intake duct has a downstream end connected to a front surface of the upstream-side casing adjacent to a transmission. Further, the intake duct extends widthwise of the vehicle and has an upstream end opened to the side edge of the engine cover adjacent to the transmission. A resonance chamber casing is joined to the side departing from the transmission through a communication pipe forward of the upstream-side casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
    Inventor: Minao Ohara
  • Patent number: 7258096
    Abstract: The number of constituent parts for an oil filter fixing system such as a bracket, are reduced, and the oil leaks during filter element exchange are avoided. The oil filter fixing system comprises a V bank of a V type engine, a crankcase fixed with the V bank and an oil filter fixed with the crankcase. A horizontal fixing plane is formed at a part of an outer surface of the crankcase and the oil filter is directly fixed with and hung down from the horizontal plane. Further, the horizontal fixing plane is provided at an outer surface of the crankcase and moreover under a cam fixing portion provided in the crankcase. The oil filter is disposed in a space which is formed by the horizontal fixing plane and a lower vertical side surface of the crankcase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiichi Mori, Manabu Enari