Patents Examined by Noah Kamen
  • Frictionless rocking joint
    Patent number: 8746204
    Abstract: Reciprocating motion can be converted to rotary motion through a crankshaft and a connecting rod. In a joint between a connecting rod and a piston, the connecting rod rocks with respect to the piston. In some situations, the connecting rod is a pullrod always in tension or a pushrod always in compression making it difficult to lubricate the bearing surfaces. A joint is disclosed in which the bearing surfaces rock with respect to each other with no sliding between the surfaces. The connecting rod has a bearing surface that is part of a cylinder having a radius equal to a distance between a central axis of the journal to which the connecting rod is coupled and the bearing surface. The pin has a convexly- or concavely-curved bearing surface and the local radius is based on material properties and the local peak force that the rocking joint is designed to transmit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: EcoMotors, Inc.
    Inventor: Peter P. Hofbauer
  • Power transmission system of crank structure
    Patent number: 8739759
    Abstract: A crank arm of a internal combustion engine is replaced by an elliptical gear 3 and another elliptical gear 4 having the same size and shape is assembled to engage and rotate such that the positions moved by a predetermined distance along the major axes of ellipses from centers 8 and 9 of the ellipses become rotation centers 5 and 7 of the elliptical gears 3 and 4 to alternately change the distances from the rotation centers of the engaged elliptical gears to a power transmission point 6 in accordance with the direction of power transmission. The present invention provides a power transmission assembly for improve on fuel efficiency of a internal combustion engine that makes it possible to improve acceleration force and hill climbing ability by generating larger torque and to generate large effective power by reducing the loss of power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Inventor: Young Hee Lee
  • Piston cooling apparatus
    Patent number: 8739747
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a piston cooling device for cooling a piston. The piston cooling device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: a cooling channel that is formed in a piston such that cooling fluid flows, and communicates with an intake port through which cooling fluid flows inside from the outside at a point and with an exhaust port through which the cooling fluid is discharged outside at another point; and a flow guide part that is formed in the cooling channel and guides the cooling fluid, which flows in the cooling channel through the intake port when the piston moves up or down, to flow to the exhaust port through the cooling channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Doosan Infracore Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Won Nyun Kim
  • Cooling system and method
    Patent number: 8739745
    Abstract: A cooling system for an engine. The cooling system includes a flow control element including an inlet in fluidic communication with an outlet of a cylinder head water jacket, a first outlet port in fluidic communication with a heat exchanger, and a second outlet port in fluidic communication with an inlet of an engine block water jacket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hans Guenter Quix, Jan Mehring, Bernd Brinkmann
  • Intake duct for vehicles
    Patent number: 8739752
    Abstract: An intake duct for a vehicle having an inlet port formed so that the open side faces obliquely upward. The intake duct includes an inlet part formed in a flat shape expanding in the lateral direction crossing an air stream direction and a deflector provided in an air stream passage of the inlet part and extending in the left-and-right direction of the air stream passage. The intake duct further includes a first support member, which is provided between the deflector and the lower wall portion of the inlet part, and a second support member, which is provided between the deflector and the upper wall portion of the inlet part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Inoac Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Honzawa, Shinya Makihara, Koichi Hosaka
  • Variable compression ratio apparatus
    Patent number: 8733302
    Abstract: A variable compression ratio apparatus may include a crankshaft, a connecting rod, first and second eccentric links mounted at both sides of the connection rod, respectively, and having one ends at which the piston pin may be eccentrically and rotatably installed, a swing link of which one end may be branched into two parts to form first and second branches, the first and second branches being connected to the other ends of the first and second eccentric links, and a control device connected to the other end of the swing link to control the swing link, wherein the crank arm includes guide surfaces formed in a predetermined thickness at an inner circumferential surface of the crank arm so that the first and second branches of the swing link slide to move between the guide surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Yoonsik Woo, Jin Kook Kong, Dong Seok Lee, Eun Ho Lee, Soo Hyung Woo
  • Iron-based sintered alloy for valve seat, and valve seat for internal combustion engine
    Patent number: 8733313
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a valve seat product in which the amount of hard particles added to improve the wear resistance of a valve seat of an internal combustion engine is increased, and is excellent in the mechanical strength and machinability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Nippon Piston Ring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Sato, Hiroshi Oshige, Takeshi Haniu
  • Casting core for forming a cooling channel in a piston
    Patent number: 8733315
    Abstract: A soluble and substantially ring-shaped casting core may include a cooling channel in a piston having at least one inflow and at least one outflow. The casting core may form a closed ring and the inflow may be arranged directly adjacent to the outflow. The casting core may have a cross-sectional taper for forming a choke in the circumferential direction between the inflow and the outflow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Mahle International GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Kollotzek, Thomas Hettich, Frank Ehmann
  • Apparatus for reducing engine torque fluctuations
    Patent number: 8733314
    Abstract: An apparatus for reducing torque fluctuations of a combustion engine includes a crankshaft mounted in the engine, flywheel coupled to the crankshaft, and a first actuator and a second actuator coupled to the flywheel. The flywheel generates a counter torque to the torque generated by the engine during combustion, and the first and the second actuators are operated to adjust the magnitude and the phase of the counter torque generated by the flywheel to suppress fluctuations associated the engine torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, LLC
    Inventors: Shushan Bai, Donald L. Dusenberry
  • Engine including crank pin with angled oil passageway
    Patent number: 8726877
    Abstract: A motorcycle includes a frame and an engine, with the engine including components forming a crankshaft assembly, such as a flywheel, a pinion shaft supporting the flywheel for rotation, a piston assembly including a connecting rod with a base end portion having a bearing support structure, a bearing, and a crank pin. An uninterrupted oil passageway is formed by an axial hole in the pinion shaft, a radial hole in the pinion shaft, an aligned hole in the flywheel, an angled hole in the crank pin, at least one radial hole in the crank pin. The angled hole in the crank pin extends between the inner and outer surfaces, with the angled hole starting on the outer surface at a location along a distance L1 and extends to the inner surface exiting at a location inboard of the distance L1, the angled hole being linear along its length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: S & S Cycle, Inc.
    Inventor: Justin Bramstedt
  • Fuel activation method and fuel supply system
    Patent number: 8726852
    Abstract: A process in which liquid fuel is saturated with a gas to provide a fuel/gas solution said fuel/gas solution fed to a combustion engine, a first portion of said fuel/gas solution that is fed to said combustion engine is combusted, a second portion of said fuel/gas solution that is fed to said combustion engine is not combusted, the temperature of said second portion of said fuel/gas solution is reduced in a heat exchanger to produce a reduced temperature second portion, evaporated gas in said reduced temperature second portion is then removed in a separator, and the fuel/gas solution thus produced is then fed back into the combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Helpful Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Victor Gurin, Mark Goldsman, Serguei Permiakov, Pavel Pikul
  • System and method for electrically-coupled heat engine and thermal cycle
    Patent number: 8726857
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, there is provided a device for generating electrical energy using a thermal cycle of a working gas. The device comprises at least one piston movably mounted in a container to form a working chamber between the at least one piston and the container, the working chamber containing the working gas performing the thermal cycle. An electrical circuit is mounted stationary relative to the container, the electrical circuit being electromagnetically coupled to provide a motive force to the at least one piston. An electronic power converter is electrically connected to the electrical circuit and to an electrical bus, and an electrical storage device is electrically connected to the electrical bus. The at least one piston is movably mounted such that its motion electromagnetically induces current in the electrical circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Altor Limited LC
    Inventor: Jonathan R. Wood
  • Rotational energy heat generation apparatus and methods
    Patent number: 8726870
    Abstract: A hydrodynamic heater is provided having a rotational member and a stationary member. The rotational member is operable to rotate relative to the stationary member about an axis so as to induce fluid shear and therefore, thermal energy to the working fluid. The hydrodynamic heater may be a component of a heat generation system comprising an internal combustion engine having a drive shaft for rotating the rotational member of the hydrodynamic heater. The heat generated by the hydrodynamic heater, as well as the heat generated by the engine from the engine exhaust and engine cooling system, is combined to heat a working fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Inventor: Patrick M. Cronin
  • Internal combustion engine with plate-mounted cam drive system
    Patent number: 8726869
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine for a vehicle, such as a motorcycle, includes a crankcase, two banks of cylinders projecting from the crankcase in a 56-57 degree V-configuration, a plurality of pushrods, and a plurality of camshafts supported by the crankcase. The two banks of cylinders include a first cylinder bank that projects from the crankcase to a first cylinder head, and a second cylinder bank that projects from the crankcase to a second cylinder head. The plurality of intake and exhaust valve pushrods extend between the crankcase and the first and second cylinder heads, driven by one intake camshaft and two exhaust camshafts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: S & S Cycle, Inc.
    Inventors: Geoffrey Burgess, Roy Meyer, Scott Sjovall, Jeffrey Bailey, Dan Kinsey
  • Oil separator for internal combustion engine
    Patent number: 8726876
    Abstract: An oil separator disposed inside a cylinder head cover of an internal combustion engine. The oil separator includes a body section defining an elongate separator chamber and having a blowby gas inlet and a blowby gas outlet. A partition wall is disposed to divide the separator chamber into an inlet chamber at side of the blowby gas inlet and an outlet chamber at side of the blowby gas outlet. The partition wall is formed with a plurality of passage holes each of which is triangular in cross-section. A collision plate is disposed inside the outlet chamber and located opposite to the passage holes of the partition wall. A slit-like opening is defined by a lower section of the collision plate and communicated with a drain section for discharging oil separated from blowby gas into a valve operating chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Mahle Filter Systems Japan Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiro Kobayashi, Atsushi Nonaka, Masanori Suto
  • Method for operating an internal combustion engine
    Patent number: 8726855
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating an internal combustion engine with a crankcase, a crankcase vent and an intake system. According to the invention, the pressure in the crankcase can be reduced, depending on a differential pressure between the intake system and the crankcase, to maximally ?500 mbar, in particular maximally ?300 mbar, with respect to ambient pressure for reducing lubricant consumption of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: Udo Ingelfinger, Matthias Rosenbäck
  • Oil filtering and cooling system for a vehicle compression ignition engine
    Patent number: 8720408
    Abstract: An oil distribution system for a vehicle diesel engine having a replacement oil cooler block which directs oil to a remote oil filter block. Filtered oil is routed across the supply passage of a thermostat to an oil-to-air oil cooler. Oil from the cooler is directed via a return passage to the oil cooler block for distribution to the engine. The thermostat will bypass oil directly to the return passage when the oil temperature is below a preset level. The system may be an OEM system or a retrofit modification to existing engines. The system may include multiple oil-to-air heat exchangers and may be adapted to retain existing components such as a stock oil-to-coolant oil cooler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Inventors: Kennieth Neal, Gene Neal
  • Engine blower scroll
    Patent number: 8720392
    Abstract: A blower system for an engine includes a base of a blower scroll coupled to an engine crankcase. The base has a bottom wall with an opening sized to accommodate an end of a crankshaft. The base also has a sidewall extending away from the crankcase. The blower system further includes a blower housing fastened to the base, without the use of threaded fasteners. Together the blower housing and the base form a chamber having an inlet and an outlet. Also, the blower system includes a fan within the chamber. The fan is driven by the crankshaft and is designed to direct a flow of air through the outlet of the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Briggs & Stratton Corporation
    Inventors: Carl T. Tiefenthaler, Benjamin R. Miller, Chad J. Gartzke, John R. Schneiker, Greg Hupfer, David W. Branski
  • Oil squirter with damping vent
    Patent number: 8720409
    Abstract: An oil squirter for an engine includes a piston-type valve having a damping vent configured to damp oscillations of the valve piston during opening and closing. The valve piston may be spring biased and the valve may opened by oil pressure exerted on the piston at or above a cracking pressure. The damping vent controls displacement of the valve piston by creating delta pressure in oil contained in a piston chamber in opposition to axial piston movement during opening and closing of the valve, to stabilize the axial movement of the piston thereby damping valve oscillation during valve opening and closing. The damping vent operates to increase cracking stability and eliminate cyclic contact of the valve piston and valve seat to prevent noise, wear, binding, and oil system pressure fluctuations due to squirter valve instability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Liyun Zheng, Neil G. Klueber, Karl R. Gilgenbach
  • Pre-combustion cycle pressurisation system
    Patent number: 8720391
    Abstract: A two stroke internal combustion engine (1) incorporating an asymmetric exhaust port/transfer port inversion device (2) characterized in that the device includes a hollow flap valve (100) adapted to pivot about a hollow pivot shaft (101) between a closed position and an open position wherein pivoting the device (2) to the open position as the piston (3) begins the compression stroke allows the transfer of air to continue after the leading edge of the piston has closed off the exhaust port (105) thereby advancing the timing of the exhaust port closing and extending the duration of air transfer from the crankcase primary compression chamber (103).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Mace Engineering Limited
    Inventor: Paul Anthony McLachlan