Patents Examined by Katrina B. Harris
  • Patent number: 6763795
    Abstract: An arrangement for a four-cycle, direct injected engine for an outboard motor is disclosed. In one embodiment, the engine is a V-type engine comprising first and second cylinder banks. A high pressure fuel pump is actuated by an intake camshaft of the first bank of cylinders. The engine includes a ventilation system with a lubricant separator being located in an upper portion of the second bank of cylinders. In another embodiment, the engine is an inline type engine. The fuel pump is actuated by the intake camshaft and the lubricant separator is located in an upper portion of an exhaust cam chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Yamaha Marine Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masanori Takahashi
  • Patent number: 6761142
    Abstract: An oil pressure control warning system for an outboard motor which uses timers dependent on various predetermined oil pressures to correctly determine actual harmful lubrication deficiencies and warn the operator of such lubrication deficiencies. The alarm warning can include an audible and visual operation and is turned off as soon as the correct oil pressure is resumed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Yamaha Marine Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaru Suzuki, Sadato Yoshida
  • Patent number: 6761141
    Abstract: A valve stem seal assembly includes a retainer with one or more built-in sprues, a cavity at one end, an annular flange on the opposite end, and a cylindrical interior passageway therebetween. The built-in sprues extend from the bottom surface of the cavity to the annular flange. When the valve stem seal assembly is fitted atop the valve guide, a gap is formed between the bottom surface of the cavity of the retainer and the top surface of the valve guide to accommodate manufacturing tolerances in the height of the valve guide. A jacket is integrally bonded to the retainer by introducing material into the cavity, through the built-in sprues, and out of the bottom of the annular flange. A method of manufacturing the valve stem seal assembly with one or more built-in sprues is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Dana Corporation
    Inventor: Mark Alan Leimer
  • Patent number: 6758173
    Abstract: In an engine of a cylinder-head first cooling type, cooling performance for a cylinder head and a cylinder block is enhanced. Cooling water from a water pump is supplied via a water jacket in a cylinder head to a water jacket in a cylinder block. The water jacket in the cylinder head is defined to extend along opposite sides of a plurality of cylinders disposed in a row, and has a cooling-water inlet and a cooling-water outlet provided at lengthwise one end thereof and the lengthwise other end thereof, respectively. The water jacket in the cylinder block is defined to surround outer peripheries of the plurality of cylinders disposed in the row, and is shielded at one point by a shield member, and has a cooling-water inlet provided on one side of the shield member to communicate with the cooling-water outlet in the water jacket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junya Saito, Kentaro Nonaka
  • Patent number: 6758174
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of operating an internal combustion engine with a six-stroke process involving the following sequence of events: 1st stroke (I): air intake into the combustion chamber, 2nd stroke (II): compression of the air and injection (3a) of a first fraction of gasoline fuel into the combustion chamber, 3rd stroke (III): first working stroke after first ignition (5) of the mixture, said ignition (5) being initiated by an ignition device, 4th stroke (IV): new compression of the contents of the combustion chamber, 5th stroke (V): second working stroke after second ignition (6) of the fuel-air mixture contained in the combustion chamber, 6th stroke (VI): expulsion of the exhaust gases from the combustion chamber, a second fraction of gasoline fuel being injected (3b) prior to the second ignition (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: AVL List GmbH
    Inventor: Alois Fuerhapter
  • Patent number: 6758169
    Abstract: A frame type engine generator having an engine, a generator connected with the engine and driven by the engine and a supporting frame for supporting the engine and generator therein is closed at the front surface of the supporting frame with a control panel, closed at the rear surface thereof with a muffler cover and closed at the top surface thereof with a fuel tank. To raise a noise reduction performance of the engine generator, the left side surface of the supporting frame is closed with a left panel and the right side surface thereof is closed with a right panel. The left and right panels have a double-walled structure including an inner panel and an outer panel, respectively. The left and right panels are detachably attached to the supporting frame through a rubber seal, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Misao Suzuki, Hideki Tomiyama, Tadao Kuwahara, Shinichi Okazaki
  • Patent number: 6755174
    Abstract: An internal-combustion engine, which is suitable for being installed in a motor vehicle, has auxiliaries including a generator and a water pump which are arranged on an exterior side of a housing structure of the internal-combustion engine. In order to construct the auxiliaries in an easily mountable manner and to advantageously accommodate them on the housing structure of the internal-combustion engine, the generator and the water pump form a constructional unit which is connected with the housing structure of the internal-combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Joachim Kloss
  • Patent number: 6748915
    Abstract: A cuff is clamped to a boss on an air resonator. The cuff has an inner leg with an o-ring seal sized to provide a seal against an inner periphery of the air resonator boss. A throttle body has a boss to be received within the inner leg of the cuff, and will also deform the o-ring seal. The inner leg preferably includes a second forward seal which also contacts the throttle body boss. Preferably, this second seal includes a spring for biasing the second seal against the throttle body boss. The cuff is initially placed on the air resonator which may then be mounted within the engine compartment. The throttle body may be then simply snapped into the cuff. In this way, no space around the connection is necessary, while a dust-free connection is still provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive Inc.
    Inventors: Roderic Cole, Mark Letourneau, Frances Warren
  • Patent number: 6745741
    Abstract: A cooling system for an OHC type four-stroke cycle internal combustion engine having a valve chamber lubricated by oil mist. The system includes an accommodating space accommodating a transmission mechanism, a blower fan rotatably driven by a crankshaft, and a cooling air channel extending between a combustion chamber and the valve chamber disposed above the combustion chamber. The cooling air channel includes a primary air channel formed between intake and exhaust ports and extends toward a spark plug located on the downstream side of the cooling air channel. The cooling air channel also includes an air guide channel for guiding the air to an upstream inlet of the primary air channel and is defined by a wall which faces the upstream inlet of the primary air channel and extends laterally. The wall extends vertically in the accommodating space and is formed with an oil mist passage extending vertically therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Kioritz Corporation
    Inventor: Yumin Liu
  • Patent number: 6745727
    Abstract: An engine cooling fan (18) is coupled to an engine (14) of a truck (10) through an electric-operated clutch (20) for selectively placing the cooling fan in driven and non-driven relationship with the engine. A control system (22) processes certain data for indicating when engine speed (N) exceeds a reference engine speed (EFC_N_LMX), for indicating when vehicle speed (VSS) exceeds a reference vehicle speed EFC_VSS_LMX), and for indicating when rate of change of engine speed exceeds a selected rate of change of engine speed. The clutch places the fan in non-driven relationship with the engine when the processing discloses vehicle speed exceeding the reference vehicle speed coincident with the processing of the data disclosing either engine speed exceeding the reference engine speed or rate of change of engine speed exceeding the selected rate of change of engine speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: International Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas M. Kramer, Jeffery D. Jenks, James T. Beaucaire
  • Patent number: 6745728
    Abstract: A coolant circuit and method of operating a coolant circuit is provided for a multi-cylinder internal-combustion engine. A cooling jacket which surrounds a cylinder head housing and a cylinder block and is supplied with cooling liquid by way of a pump. The cylinder cooling jacket and the cylinder head cooling space are provided with a connection for feeding the cooling liquid and with the cooling liquid flowing parallel through the cylinder head housing and the cylinder block. Thus, a cooling of the cylinder block and the cylinder head which meets the requirements takes place without any additional control devices. The engine rapidly reaches its operating temperature, thereby reducing the cold running phase. As a result, the fuel consumption and the crude emissions can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche AG
    Inventor: Manfred Batzill
  • Patent number: 6742490
    Abstract: An apparatus for and method of mounting a flange to an oil pickup tube uses a bracketed flange mounting (201, 203, and 205). The bracketed flange mounting includes a flange (203) with a flange extension (205) in connection with a bracket (201) that is mounted to an oil pickup tube (101) between its two ends. The bracketed flange mounting (201, 203, and 205) may couple to an engine crank case or oil pump inlet in the same way as prior assemblies without a bracketed flange mounting, thus no retooling of any other part of the engine is required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: International Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC
    Inventor: David B. Meisner
  • Patent number: 6742482
    Abstract: A two-cycle engine having improved performance characteristics includes a block and a cylinder head coupled to the block, the cylinder head defining a cylinder bore and a precombustion chamber. The head of piston located in the cylinder bore divides the bore into first and second variable volume intake chambers. An intake port allows fresh air to be drawn into the variable volume intake chamber and be compressed by the moving piston and delivered to the precombustion chamber. Fuel is added to the compressed air, which is heated, and then delivered to the variable volume combustion chamber. In one embodiment, the piston drives a crankshaft which is mounted both for rotation and for translation. Another embodiment of the invention is a lubricating system for a piston where movement of the piston up and down generates a pumping effect moving lubricant through the piston for lubricating piston rings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Inventor: Jorge Artola
  • Patent number: 6732700
    Abstract: An oil pump unit for an engine includes an improved construction. The pump unit includes a housing. A scavenge pump assembly is disposed in series with the feed pump assembly to be driven by the pump shaft. The feed and scavenge pump assemblies each defines end portions spaced apart from each other along the shaft axis. The housing defines a first inlet port and at least one outlet port at one of the end portions of the feed pump assembly, a second inlet port and a second outlet port at one of the end portions of the scavenge pump assembly, and at least a third inlet port at the other end portion of the scavenge pump assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: Yamaha Marine Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Noboru Suganuma
  • Patent number: 6725815
    Abstract: A cam-drive engine having one or more cylinder assemblies detachably affixed to an engine core that does not include a cylinder block per se. Each cylinder assembly can be attached to or detached from the engine core without the need for disassembly of the cylinder assembly unit. This allows cylinder assemblies to be easily removed or replaced for repair or cylinder assemblies to be easily added to an existing engine. The cylinder assemblies can include cylinder pressure and solenoid actuated intake and exhaust valves that facilitate attachment. The engine can further include a catalytic converter contained in a central hub proximate to the cylinder assemblies thereby facilitating rapid warm-up of the catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: Attegro Inc.
    Inventor: Antonio Cannata
  • Patent number: 6722320
    Abstract: A cylinder liner for an internal combustion engine provides a method of replacement of spent cylinder liners, wherein the cylinder liner includes a generally cylindrical body having a flange extending radially outwardly defining a shoulder. The shoulder provides a positive stop in an axial direction against a surface within a cylinder block of the engine. The body has an engagement portion adjacent the shoulder. The engagement portion is necked down from the flange and has lower and upper portions providing an interference fit within the cylinder block. The lower and upper portions of the engagement portion are separated from one another by a channel that extends substantially about the circumference of the body. The channel provides a passage for fluid flow between the lower and upper portions to facilitate cooling of the engagement portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Federal-Mogul World Wide, Inc.
    Inventors: Anh Ngoc Pham, David Y. Nov
  • Patent number: 6722352
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine having an integrally connected pressure swing adsorption (PSA) system to provide oxygen-enriched air or oxygen-deficient air, in situ, to the mixing chamber of a spark-ignition or compression-ignition engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: James Smolarek, David A. Walker, Bernard T. Neu
  • Patent number: 6718932
    Abstract: A lightweight engine poppet valve that has a valve head portion made from a lightweight, heat resistant material is attached to a hollow tube stem portion. The attachment is made with a mechanically locking interfitting joint on an extending portion of the valve head at a preselected distance. Preferably, the mechanically locking interfitting joint is a hydroformed joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Majo Cecur, Marco Querio, Sinharoy Shubhayu, Sundaram L. Narasimhan, Jose F. Masello
  • Patent number: 6718936
    Abstract: Disclosed is a four-cycle engine for a small watercraft including a fuel injector for injecting a fuel into an air-intake passage through an injection nozzle, an openable valve provided in the air-intake passage for regulating an intake amount of air into a cylinder, a fuel supply passage through which the fuel is supplied to the fuel injector, and an oil supply passage connected to the fuel supply passage through forced oil supply means, wherein a proper amount of oil can be sufficiently supplied to the fuel supply passage by the forced oil supply means during engine running, irrespective of a position of the valve in the air-intake passage, that is, the position of an oil supply port in the air-intake passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Patent number: 6715454
    Abstract: An outboard motor includes a water-cooled V-engine. The engine includes right and left cylinder block portions each having plural cylinders formed therein. The cylinders of each cylinder block portion are vertically juxtaposed. Cylinder heads are disposed behind the cylinder block portions. The outboard motor has horizontal and vertical shafts. The outboard motor can tilt up on the horizontal shaft and pivot sideways on the vertical shaft. The cylinders of each cylinder block portion have a cooling jacket formed therein. The lowermost cylinder has a discharge portion formed at an outermost part thereof. The discharge portion is designed to discharge out cooling water remaining in the cooling jacket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Makoto Yonezawa