Patents Examined by Kevin R Steckbauer
  • Patent number: 11459962
    Abstract: A method of controlling an electronically controllable valve of an engine includes receiving, from one or more operation sensors, operation data including sensor data corresponding to a condition of the engine, control inputs indicative of operation of equipment that includes the engine, or a combination thereof. The method includes determining, using a trained valve control model, an operating characteristic of the valve at least partially based on the operation data, and generating a control signal to effect operation of the valve in accordance with the operating characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: SPARKCOGNITTON, INC.
    Inventor: Sridhar Sudarsan
  • Patent number: 11453487
    Abstract: An aircraft rotor system includes a rotating pitch change shaft which rotates about an axis, a translating element disposed within the rotating pitch change shaft and movable along the axis and a pitch change bearing assembly which transfers movement of the translating element to the pitch change shaft. The pitch change bearing assembly includes a primary bearing and a secondary bearing coupled to the rotating pitch change shaft via the translating element when the primary bearing is in a first mode. A thrust shoulder is coupled to the translating element. The thrust shoulder is movable into engagement with the secondary bearing in response to failure of the primary bearing such that in a second mode, movement of the translating element is primarily transferred to the pitch change shaft via the secondary bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin M. Wittke, Bertrand J. Howard
  • Patent number: 11454144
    Abstract: Lubricant dilution detection systems and methods are disclosed. A method for detecting lubricant dilution for a lubrication system includes detecting a shutdown event of the lubrication system. The method includes measuring lubricant pressure during the shutdown event. The method further includes determining lubricant dilution based on the measured lubricant pressure during the shutdown event. In accordance with a determination that there is lubricant dilution, the method includes outputting an indication of the lubricant dilution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph L. Kennedy, Michael J. Campagna, Andrew W. Billing
  • Patent number: 11448146
    Abstract: A method for starting an internal combustion engine (ICE) having a crankshaft and an electric turning machine (ETM) operatively connected to the crankshaft comprises energizing an absolute position sensor adapted for providing an indication of an angular position of a rotor of the ETM and applying a current to the ETM to generate a sufficient torque to rotate the crankshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: BOMBARDIER RECREATIONAL PRODUCTS INC.
    Inventors: Normand Lebreux, Michel Bernier, David Monfette, Bruno Schuehmacher
  • Patent number: 11448178
    Abstract: A switch control circuit controls a switch element connected to a primary coil of an ignition coil in accordance with an ignition signal. The switch element includes a transistor and a protection element connected between a collector and gate of the transistor. The switch control circuit uses a voltage at a gate terminal controlling the transistor or a voltage corresponding to a collector current of the transistor as a detection voltage and generates a status detection signal corresponding to a change in the detection voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Taguchi, Akira Daicho
  • Patent number: 11433870
    Abstract: A method for control and/or regulation of a hybrid powertrain of a motor vehicle, wherein exhaust gas is taken from an exhaust system and delivered to a fresh air supply of an internal combustion engine, wherein the residual recirculated exhaust gas is purged from the fresh air supply in the event of a negative load jump. After the negative load jump, the internal combustion engine continues to run with a smaller load and simultaneously the torque supplied by the internal combustion engine is recuperated by means of the electric machine, wherein no positive torque in total is applied to the output of the powertrain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Gerald Block, Kerstin Brandes, Andreas Grote, Christian Maas
  • Patent number: 11428174
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a system for controlling ignition of an air/fuel mixture intake charge directed into an internal combustion engine. The system may have a longitudinally movable inner cylinder liner configured to fit within a cylinder wall portion of an internal combustion engine, and able to receive a piston of the engine therein. A portion of the inner cylinder liner defines an internal volume forming a combustion chamber, and the internal volume controls a compression ratio of the cylinder. The system also has a cylinder head assembly operatively associated with the inner cylinder liner and able to move linearly to cause longitudinal displacement of the inner cylinder liner relative to the cylinder wall portion. This enables the volume of the combustion chamber to be further varied, to thus further vary the compression ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventor: Daniel L. Flowers
  • Patent number: 11428173
    Abstract: A phase adjuster assembly configured to adjust a phase between a driving component and a driven component of an internal combustion engine is generally provided. The assembly includes an input gear assembly comprising an input gear configured to engage a driving component, and a spline carrier. An output gear assembly includes an output gear configured to engage a driven component, and a drive plate configured to drivingly engage with the spline carrier. Various components disclosed herein are formed as stamped sheet metal components. Additionally, various connections between adjacent components are provided via relative uncomplicated processes, such as welding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO. KG
    Inventor: Nicholas Hrusch
  • Patent number: 11421641
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a system and method for providing supplemental power to start one or more cranking motors. The supplemental starting system includes a starting-signal isolator configured to connect to one or more electrical starting-signal wires providing starting signal to one or more cranking motors, a resetting relay electrically connecting to the starting-signal isolator, a programmable logic controller (PLC) electrically connecting to the resetting relay, a supplemental battery relay electrically connecting to the starting-signal isolator and the PLC, a supplemental battery electrically connecting to the supplemental battery relay, and a positive output-terminal electrically connecting to the supplemental battery relay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: KOLD-BAN INTERNATIONAL LTD.
    Inventors: James O. Burke, Dean R. Solberg
  • Patent number: 11421567
    Abstract: A controller for a vehicle is configured to execute a lubricating oil degradation degree acquisition process that calculates a degradation degree of a lubricating oil that lubricates an internal combustion engine, a battery degradation degree acquisition process that calculates a degradation degree of a battery, and an oil change time calculation process that calculates an oil change time for the lubricating oil from the degradation degree of the lubricating oil and the degradation degree of the battery. The oil change time calculation process includes calculating the oil change time so as to become earlier as the degradation degree of the battery increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Noriya Ishizaki
  • Patent number: 11415096
    Abstract: An electric turning machine (ETM) operatively connected to an internal combustion engine (ICE) is operated as a motor with a first control strategy and as a generator with a second control strategy. In the first control strategy, electric power is delivered from a power source to the ETM selectively through at least one transistor of an electrical converter. After switching from the first control strategy to the second control strategy, the ETM delivers electric power to an accessory selectively through the at least one transistor of the electrical converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: BOMBARDIER RECREATIONAL PRODUCTS INC.
    Inventors: Normand Lebreux, Michel Bernier, Jasmin Rouleau, David Monfette
  • Patent number: 11408329
    Abstract: An engine system employs a pre-assembled and/or removable cartridge. In another aspect, an ignitor, a fuel injector and an air inlet valve are all accessible from a top of a cartridge even after assembly of the cartridge to an engine cylinder head. A further aspect positions centerlines of an ignitor, a fuel injector and an air inlet valve angularly offset from each other and also angularly offset from a vertical centerline of a cartridge to which they are mounted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Board of Trustees of Michigan State University
    Inventors: Harold J. Schock, Thomas R. Stuecken
  • Patent number: 11408326
    Abstract: An engine including an engine block having a cylinder defining a front of the engine, a blower housing coupled to the engine block and defining a hot half and a cool half opposite the front half, a starter mount assembly coupled to the blower housing and positioned within the cool half, an electric starter motor retained by the starter mount assembly, and a battery mounted to the blower housing and positioned in the cool half. The battery is electrically coupled to the electric starter motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Briggs & Stratton, LLC
    Inventors: Mark Meyer, David W. Procknow, James Michael Busse
  • Patent number: 11408383
    Abstract: In at least some implementations, an assembly includes a reservoir, a primary fuel pump having an inlet in communication with the reservoir's internal volume, an outlet, a motor and a pumping element driven by the motor and a secondary fuel pump with a body having first and second inlets and an outlet. The first inlet receives fuel from the primary fuel pump and a nozzle is communicated with the first inlet and fuel flows out of the nozzle into the body via the first inlet. The second inlet is in communication with the reservoir inlet, and the outlet is in communication with the internal volume. The flow of fuel through the nozzle draws fuel from the fuel source through the second fuel inlet and that fuel is combined with the flow of fuel from the nozzle and discharged into the reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Walbro LLC
    Inventors: Elton J. Fisch, Douglas W. Salowitz, Jr., Edward J. Talaski
  • Patent number: 11408389
    Abstract: An ignition apparatus for internal combustion engine includes an ignition coil in which a main primary coil and an auxiliary primary coil are magnetically coupled with a secondary coil that is connected to a spark plug. In the ignition apparatus, a main ignition circuit unit controls energization of the main primary coil and performs a main ignition operation in which a spark discharge is generated in the spark plug. An energy supply circuit unit controls energization of the auxiliary primary coil and performs an energy supply operation in which a current that has the same polarity as a secondary current that flows through the secondary coil as a result of the main ignition operation is superimposed on the secondary current. The auxiliary primary coil includes a plurality of auxiliary-primary-coil portions. The energy supply circuit unit performs the energy supply operation using one or more of the plurality of auxiliary-primary-coil portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kanechiyo Terada
  • Patent number: 11401906
    Abstract: An engine driving apparatus includes an engine, a starter motor, and a starter motor controller. The engine includes a plurality of cylinders. When any one of the plurality of cylinders enters a compression stroke, another one of the cylinders enters an expansion stroke. The starter motor is coupled to a crankshaft of the engine. The starter motor controller is configured to control the starter motor. Before restarting the engine, the starter motor controller performs pre-restart control for adding torque to the crankshaft by using the starter motor to open an exhaust valve of the cylinder in the expansion stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshinori Soda, Naoki Furune, Yuta Okada
  • Patent number: 11397133
    Abstract: A misfire detection device for an internal combustion engine is provided. A mapping takes time series data of instantaneous speed parameters as inputs. Each instantaneous speed parameter corresponds to one of a plurality of successive second intervals in a first interval. The instantaneous speed parameters correspond to the rotational speed of the crankshaft. The first interval is a rotational angular interval of the crankshaft in which compression top dead center occurs. The second interval is smaller than an interval between compression top dead center positions. The mapping outputs a probability that a misfire has occurred in at least one cylinder that reaches compression top dead center in the first interval. The mapping data defining the mapping has been learned by machine learning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Harufumi Muto, Satoshi Takamoto, Akihiro Katayama, Tatsunobu Murai
  • Patent number: 11396856
    Abstract: A fuel supply device includes a fuel pump, a sub-tank configured to store a fuel, a leakage passage configured to return a part of a pressurized fuel discharged from the fuel pump into the sub-tank, and a fuel filter disposed at a bottom part of the sub-tank. The fuel filter includes a filter member that is configured to filter the fuel to be suctioned into the fuel pump. A downstream end of the leakage passage includes a linear passage part linearly extending from a position above the filter member toward the filter member. The fuel supply device also includes a direction change wall part configured to change the flow direction of the pressurized fuel jetted from the linear passage part so as to prevent the pressurized fuel from directly impacting the filter member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: AISAN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinya Higashi, Koji Yoshida, Satoshi Nakamura, Masashi Go
  • Patent number: 11391253
    Abstract: A vehicle including an air intake system for an engine component includes a vehicle frame including one or more frame components, at least one of the one or more frame components includes an engine air passage and at least one intake port in communication with the engine air passage. At least one duct port of the frame component is in communication with the engine air passage. An engine component is coupled with the vehicle frame, and an intake duct extends from the at least one duct port to the engine component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: ARCTIC CAT INC.
    Inventors: Brent Thomas Gilge, Ryan John Hughes
  • Patent number: 11378041
    Abstract: An exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) passage is connected with an intake passage (a bypass passage bypassing a supercharger) of an engine. The EGR passage includes, in a position close to a connection port to the intake passage, an expanding portion in which a passage cross-sectional area expands and which lowers a flow speed of EGR gas so as to reduce an uneven flow, in the connection port, of the EGR gas flowing into the intake passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Jiro Kato, Taketoshi Yamauchi, Mitsunori Wasada, Ken Yoshida, Kenji Takami, Ryo Yamamoto, Haruna Yanagida, Masayoshi Higashio, Kensuke Ashikaga