Patents Examined by Kevin A Lathers
  • Opposed piston engine and elements thereof
    Patent number: 11092071
    Abstract: An opposed piston engine includes an engine housing (20), at least one cylinder housing (300) coupled to the engine housing, and a cylinder (210) supported by the at least one cylinder housing (300). The cylinder has a first end and a second end opposite the first end. Each of the first and second cylinder ends is directly supported by the engine housing (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Enginuity Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: James C. Warren
  • Charge air cooler (CAC) condensate dispersion system and method of dispersing condensate from a CAC
    Patent number: 11085405
    Abstract: A charge air cooler (CAC) condensation dispersion system including a compressor for generating a hot compressed air flow; a CAC having an inlet tank for receiving the hot compressed air flow and an outlet tank for discharging a cooled compressed air flow; a condensate pickup tube having an inlet disposed in a lower volume of space within the outlet tank and an opposite outlet; and a condensate conveyance tube having a first end connected to the outlet of the pickup tube and an opposite second in in fluid connection with the inlet of the compressor. A solenoid actuated control valve is disposed in-line with the condensate conveyance tube. A controller configured to send a signal to the solenoid valve to selectively cycle the control valve between an open state and a closed state. An in-line orifice plate is disposed adjacent the second end of the condensate conveyance tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Bin Li, Guangzhi Zhao
  • Bearing guide device of a combustion piston for a variable compression ratio engine
    Patent number: 11078835
    Abstract: A bearing guide device of a combustion piston for a variable compression ratio engine. The movement of the combustion piston from a top dead center to a bottom dead center drives the movement of a synchronized roller made up of a cylindrical body and a pinion from a first position to a second position relative to first and second racks. According to the disclosure, the first and/or second racks have a different circular pitch than the pinion so that the flanks of the teeth of the pinion engage with the flanks of the teeth of the first and second racks only when the pinion is in the first or second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignees: MCE 5 Development, Vianney Rabhi
    Inventors: Sylvain Bigot, Maxence Pister
  • Method for operating an internal combustion engine, and internal combustion engine
    Patent number: 11073079
    Abstract: A method for operating an internal combustion engine having an engine with a first number of cylinders and a second number of cylinders and a supercharger arrangement, wherein a charge air flow supplied to the engine is compressed by means of at least one compressor and at least one turbine is acted on by an exhaust gas flow discharged from the engine. In a main operating mode, the engine operates the first number of cylinders in two-stroke operation and the second number of cylinders in four-stroke operation. A scavenging gradient of the engine is greater for the cylinders operated in the two-stroke operation than for the cylinders operated in the four-stroke operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH
    Inventors: Günther Schmidt, Ralf Speetzen
  • Systems and methods for coupling a cylinder head to a cylinder block
    Patent number: 11067029
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a cylinder head and a cylinder block. The cylinder head includes a first boss cylinder head conduit portion and a first boss cylinder head cavity portion. The first boss cylinder head conduit portion is configured to receive a first fastener without threadably engaging the first fastener. The first boss cylinder head conduit portion has a first diameter. The first boss cylinder head cavity portion is aligned with the first boss cylinder head conduit portion. The first boss cylinder head cavity portion is configured to receive the first fastener without threadably engaging the first fastener. The first boss cylinder head cavity portion has a second diameter greater than the first diameter. The cylinder block is coupled to the cylinder head. The cylinder block includes a first boss cylinder block threaded portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: David M. Barnes, David J. Eckroth
  • Cooling apparatuses for marine engines having a crankcase and an intake plenum
    Patent number: 11066968
    Abstract: A marine engine has a crankcase containing lubricant; an intake plenum for conveying intake air for combustion in the marine engine; and a cooling apparatus located between the crankcase and the intake plenum. The cooling apparatus is configured to cool both the lubricant in the crankcase and the intake air in the intake plenum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas F. Nickols, James E. Clevenger, Daniel P. Hoffman
  • Systems for a multi-fuel capable engine
    Patent number: 11060469
    Abstract: Various methods and systems are provided for a multi-fuel capable engine. The system includes a liquid fuel system to deliver liquid fuel to an engine, a gaseous fuel system to deliver gaseous fuel to the engine, and a control system. The control system, during a gaseous fuel system test mode, controls the liquid fuel system and the gaseous fuel system to deliver the liquid fuel and the gaseous fuel to the engine over a range of engine operating points, and indicate degradation of the gaseous fuel system based on engine output at each of the engine operating points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: TRANSPORTATION IP HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventor: Kevin Michael Fisher
  • Methods and system for a coupling device
    Patent number: 11047412
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a coupling device. In one example, the coupling device may maintain a position of an accessory component within its mount as one or more bolts are tightened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: James M. Basile, Scott Willis, Kwan Jamal Barber
  • System for cooling exhaust valve of a reciprocating engine
    Patent number: 11041414
    Abstract: A system includes an engine head that mounts to an engine block of a reciprocating engine, and the engine head includes an intake flow path, an exhaust flow path, a coolant flow path, and first and second sealing registers disposed on opposite sides of the coolant flow path. In addition, the first and second sealing registers are configured to receive a valve guide that supports a valve stem of an exhaust valve. Moreover, the first sealing register is disposed in a wall separating the exhaust flow path and the coolant flow path. Also, a first wall portion of the wall extends between the first sealing register and an exhaust valve seat configured to receive a valve head of the exhaust valve, and a second wall portion of the wall extends from the first sealing register away from the first wall portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: AI ALPINE US BIDCO INC
    Inventors: Michael Feldner, Ryan Michael Peters, Amy Lindblad
  • Activation response of injectors of an internal combustion engine
    Patent number: 11035306
    Abstract: A control device is provided for a cooling liquid injection system for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle. The cooling liquid injection system includes at least two activatable injectors for introducing a cooling liquid into the internal combustion engine, which injectors can be controlled by the control device. The injectors can be supplied with cooling liquid by way of a common rail, and the control device is designed to receive an inclination variable, which characterizes an inclination of the rail, to determine an activation response for the injectors in dependence on the inclination variable, and to activate the injectors using the determined activation response in order to empty or fill the rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Martin Boehm, Stefan Detterbeck, Bjoern Hussmann
  • Inside-cooled disc valve and a semi-finished product and method for its production
    Patent number: 11035261
    Abstract: A method for the production for a semi-finished valve product (4), includes casting, forging, deep-drawing, pressing and/or drop-welding of one or several metal material into a semi-finished valve product (4) that corresponds to a circle segment of a valve cut open in the axial direction. A valve is produced by welding together at least two semi-finished valve products (4) into an internally cooled valve, with the weld running in the axial direction of the valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Federal-Mogul Valvetrain GmbH
    Inventors: Andre Mareau, Stefan Kellermann, Antonius Wolking, Oliver Schulze, Andreas Heinek, Guido Bayard, Daniel Eisenring
  • Purge system for fuel evaporation gas of vehicle
    Patent number: 11022076
    Abstract: A purge system for fuel evaporation gas may include an ejector, having a nozzle configured to allow driving fluid to pass therethrough, a driving inlet through which the driving fluid is supplied into the ejector, a suction inlet through which purge gas including a fuel component is drawn as suction fluid from a canister into the ejector, a diffuser outlet through which a mixture of the driving fluid that has passed through the nozzle and the drawn purge gas is discharged out of the ejector, and a suction passage extending from the suction inlet toward a downstream side of the nozzle based on a flow direction of the driving fluid, and a bypass passage coupled from the suction inlet to the driving inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Jong Hwan Lee, Ju Tae Song
  • Methods and systems for a cooling arrangement
    Patent number: 11022021
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a cooling arrangement. In one example, the cooling arrangement comprises flowing coolant to only an upper portion of a cylinder head during a cold-start. The cooling arrangement comprises flowing coolant to a cylinder block, a lower portion of the cylinder-head, and the upper portion of the cylinder head outside of the cold-start.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hans Guenter Quix, Bas van den Heuvel, Andreas Kuske, Wilbert Hemink, Christian Winge Vigild
  • Methods and systems for high and low temperature coolant circuits
    Patent number: 11015516
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a cooling arrangement of a hybrid vehicle. In one example, a system comprises a high-temperature coolant circuit with a pressure line shaped to actuate an actuator of a pressure-actuated valve arranged in a low-temperature coolant circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hans Guenter, Jan Mehring
  • Water pump for vehicle
    Patent number: 11015514
    Abstract: A water pump for a vehicle includes a shaft for receiving rotational power from the engine; an impeller mounted on the shaft to pump the coolant discharged from the engine; and a housing where the shaft and the impeller are embedded, disposed in a direction opposite to the direction to which the shaft is connected with respect to the impeller to have a coolant inflow passage, into which the coolant discharged from the engine flows, formed therein, disposed along the edge of the impeller to have a coolant discharge passage for discharging the coolant pumped by the impeller to the heat exchanging means formed therein, and disposed in the direction to which the shaft is connected to have a bypass passage for discharging the coolant to the engine formed therein, and the housing has a connecting passage for connecting the coolant inflow passage and the bypass passage formed therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jeong Hyun Na
  • Small internal combustion engine and garden tool with the same
    Patent number: 11015496
    Abstract: A small internal combustion engine includes a housing and an internal combustion engine body arranged in the housing. The internal combustion engine body includes a cylinder, a crankcase, a piston arranged in the cylinder, a crankshaft arranged in the crankcase and driving the piston, and an oil pan arranged at a bottom of the crankcase. The oil pan has an oil pan inlet, and the housing has a housing oil inlet. A hose connected to the oil pan inlet and the housing oil inlet forms a fluid passage for lubricating oil to flow from the housing oil inlet to the oil pan. A related garden tool includes a power source assembly that drives a working assembly to operate via a power transmission assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Suzhou Cleva Precision Machinery and Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhao Kong, Yu Feng, Ning Guo
  • Engine cooling system with two thermostats, including a closed loop in a Rankine cycle
    Patent number: 11008928
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a cooling system (1) of an internal-combustion engine. Cooling system (1) comprises a closed cooling loop and it includes a closed loop in a Rankine cycle allowing part of the coolant heat to be recovered. According to the invention, the cooling loop comprises two thermostats (6; 20) and evaporator (19) of the Rankine loop is arranged between the two thermostats (6; 20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: IFP ENERGIES NOUVELLES
    Inventor: Pascal Smague
  • Acoustic knock detection in dual-fuel engines
    Patent number: 10995683
    Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method that includes determining a gas supplement ratio (GSR) of a mixture of natural gas and diesel, identifying a start event of a stroke of a piston of a combustion cylinder of a dual-fuel engine, identifying a first observation period that is offset from the start event based on the GSR, identifying a second observation period based on the GSR, receiving signals representative of vibration of the combustion cylinder during the stroke, identifying an abnormal combustion event based on the signals, determining that abnormal combustion occurred during at least one of the first observation period and the second observation period, and causing a change in operation of the engine based determining that abnormal combustion occurred during at least one of the first observation period and the second observation period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Woodward, Inc.
    Inventors: Suraj Nair, Jason Barta
  • Thermally insulated engine components using a ceramic coating
    Patent number: 10995661
    Abstract: A component for exposure to a combustion chamber of a diesel engine and/or exhaust gas, such as a cylinder liner or valve face, is provided. The component includes a thermal barrier coating applied to a body portion formed of steel. A layer of a metal bond material can be applied first, followed by a mixture of the metal bond material and a ceramic material, optionally followed by a layer of the ceramic material. The ceramic material preferably includes at least one of ceria, ceria stabilized zirconia, yttria stabilized zirconia, calcia stabilized zirconia, magnesia stabilized zirconia, and zirconia stabilized by another oxide. The thermal barrier coating is applied by thermal spray or HVOF. The thermal barrier coating has a porosity of 2% by vol. to 25% vol., a thickness of less than 1 mm, and a thermal conductivity of less than 1.00 W/m·K.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Tenneco Inc.
    Inventors: Warran Boyd Lineton, Miguel Azevedo, Greg Salenbien
  • Engine cooling structure
    Patent number: 10995693
    Abstract: An engine cooling structure includes a cylinder block including a block inner peripheral wall and a block outer peripheral wall that define a water jacket, and a spacer housed in the water jacket. The block outer peripheral wall includes a coolant inlet for introducing a coolant into the water jacket at one end in a cylinder row direction. The spacer includes a peripheral wall surrounding the block inner peripheral wall, and a dividing wall and a distribution wall provided on the peripheral wall. The dividing wall is provided along a circumferential direction of the peripheral wall and protrudes outward from the peripheral wall between a lower end and an upper end of the coolant inlet. The distribution wall includes an upper distribution wall extending upward from the dividing wall and a lower distribution wall extending downward from the dividing wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji Watanabe, Tatsuya Takahata, Yoshiaki Hayamizu, Keita Watanabe, Mikimasa Kawaguchi