Patents Examined by Raymond A. Nelli
  • Patent number: 6223718
    Abstract: A drive unit includes a hydrodynamic retarder having a rotor paddle wheel, a stator paddle wheel, and a housing surrounding the rotor and stator wheels. The unit includes a coolant cycle system for an internal combustion engine, the coolant for this coolant cycle also being a working medium of the retarder. The drive unit further includes a working medium container for the coolant which is connected to the coolant cycle system. A connecting pipe is disposed between the working medium container and a hydrodynamic center of the retarder. A valve is disposed in the connecting pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Voith Turbo GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Klaus Vogelsang, Peter Heilinger, Jürgen Friedrich, Karl Mondorf
  • Patent number: 6021370
    Abstract: A vehicle/engine acceleration rate management system includes means for determining vehicle acceleration rate and a control computer providing a fueling signal to an internal combustion engine fueling system. The control computer is responsive to a gear ratio signal indicative of one of a plurality of selectable transmission gear ratios currently engaged with the engine and a vehicle acceleration rate signal to control the vehicle acceleration rate by limiting the fueling signal whenever the vehicle acceleration rate signal exceeds a vehicle acceleration limit function. In one embodiment, such vehicle acceleration rate limiting is performed only for vehicle speeds above a threshold vehicle speed, and an identical engine acceleration rate limiting procedure is performed at vehicle speeds below the threshold vehicle speed. In either case, such acceleration rate limiting is preferably only performed under manual control of engine fueling via an accelerator pedal or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Assignee: Cummins Engine Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven M. Bellinger, John P. Kresse, Matthew W. Workman, John Shoemaker
  • Patent number: 5918583
    Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control device for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle is disclosed. The device controls the air-fuel ratio with a target value which is larger than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, as a control center, in an idle condition. The target value is changed to become small when an amount of intake air in an idle condition is larger than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiro Fukumasu, Yoshiaki Atsumi, Takayuki Otsuka, Hiroshi Kanai
  • Patent number: 5911204
    Abstract: An RFI shielding hood with an integral RFI filter arrangement for a distributor cap, so constructed as to provide strong attenuation in a predetermined broadcast and radio-telephone frequency range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1999
    Assignees: Mercedes-Benz Aktiengesellshaft, Doduco GmbH & Co., Dr. Eugen Durrwachter
    Inventors: Klaus Bahm, Roland Michal, Horst Behnke
  • Patent number: 5894827
    Abstract: When the rotation speed of an in-cylinder injection engine 1 reduces to a rotation speed for increasing the amount of air which has been set on a higher rotation speed side than a fuel supply-return rotation speed, the amount of air is increased. Thereafter, when the rotation speed of the in-cylinder injection engine 1 reduces to the fuel supply-return rotation speed, the supply of fuel is resumed in the fuel cut mode to securely prevent the rotation speed from lowering and to reduce a torque down during resumption of fuel-supply and deteriorated fuel consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1999
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hitoshi Kamura, Kenjiro Hatayama, Atsuyoshi Kojima, Hiroki Tamura
  • Patent number: 5890470
    Abstract: A constant horsepower throttle progression control system and method. In order to improve driveability of a vehicle compared to prior art engine controllers, the present invention operates an engine so as to either produce a constant (or nearly constant) output horsepower at all engine speeds for any throttle position, or so as to produce an output horsepower equal to a predetermined percentage of the range between full rated power and motoring horsepower at all engine speeds for any throttle position. The predetermined percentage may or may not be equal to the percentage of full throttle represented by the throttle position, and may or may not be linearly related thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1999
    Assignee: Cummins Engine Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter V. Woon, Axel O. zur Loye
  • Patent number: 5884211
    Abstract: A system and method for resetting a portion of memory in a vehicle controller include repeatedly comparing data stored in at least one validation address with corresponding data stored in a non-volatile data storage device, transferring data representing nominal control parameter values from the non-volatile storage device to the portion of memory in response to a discrepancy between the data stored in the validation address and the corresponding data stored in the non-volatile data storage device, and modifying data stored in at least one validation address based on a request received via a communication port to generate discrepancy. A memory reset function is provided while limiting access by service technicians to modify values stored in memory and eliminating the need to disconnect the vehicle battery to remove power from the system. As such, other vehicle accessories are not affected by the reset function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Allen Joseph Pauli, Thomas Robert Melville, Kathleen Arlow Grant, David Harold Schmitt
  • Patent number: 5881697
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for adjusting a supplemental quantity of fuel which is supplied to an internal combustion engine during warm-up operation in addition to a basic quantity measured for an operationally warm engine. The method includes the step of basing the adaptation of the supplemental quantity of fuel on an evaluation of the control actuating variable of an idle speed control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Bernd Schott, Klaus Joos, Ralf Klein
  • Patent number: 5875759
    Abstract: A method for maintaining the rotational speed of a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders each having a spark plug wherein a predetermined amount of delivered fuel is to be combusted at a firing time within each of the plurality of cylinders with each rotation of the camshaft or crankshaft includes the step of operating the internal combustion engine, measuring the rotational speed of the crankshaft, defining an expected engine speed, calculating a speed error as the rotational speed of the crankshaft less the expected engine speed, and changing the predetermined amount of delivered fuel to be combusted in each of the plurality of cylinders to reduce the speed error. The preferred embodiment is implemented in fuzzy logic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Lawrence Meyer, Philip William Husak, Michael John Cullen, Steven Ray Whittier, Erich Paul Brandt, William Joseph Maier
  • Patent number: 5870992
    Abstract: In a combustion control device for an internal combustion engine provided with a plurality of fuel injection modes having different target air-fuel ratios, threshold values for detecting deterioration of combustion in the internal combustion engine are determined separately for each fuel injection mode depending on features of variation of combustion in the internal combustion engine in each fuel injection mode. Quantity of variation of combustion in the internal combustion engine is, for example, detected in the form of revolution angular acceleration or revolution angular acceleration deviation of the engine. The detected quantity of revolution fluctuation is compared with a threshold value in the currently chosen fuel injection mode. Thus, deterioration of combustion is surely judged according to each fuel injection mode. In particular, threshold values in a compression stroke injection mode are determined to be larger than threshold values in an intake stroke injection mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1999
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hitoshi Kamura, Kenjiro Hatayama, Atsuyoshi Kojima, Masato Yoshida, Katsuhiko Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 5868112
    Abstract: A piston for reciprocal movement within a combustion chamber (4) of a compression ignition engine (2) having a fuel injector (20) for forming a fuel injection plume (40) having a relatively deep angle (7.degree. to 40.degree. from a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the combustion chamber) and a piston (8) having a centrally located symmetrical upwardly opening cavity for forming a combustion bowl (30) especially arranged to complement the plume in a manner to maintain very low entrainment of soot in the lubrication oil of the engine and to maintain other engine emissions, e.g., CO and smoke, within acceptable ranges suitable to meet TALuft standards. In particular, the combustion bowl (30) as formed by an upwardly opening cavity formed as a surface of revolution having a centrally raised floor section (42) with relatively large radius of curvature R.sup.1 and an upwardly flared outer bowl section 48 having relatively smaller radius of curvatures R.sub.2. The ratio of R.sub.2 divided by R.sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1999
    Assignee: Cummins Engine Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Budhadeb Mahakul, David A. Bolis, George E. Crane
  • Patent number: 5865158
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling the injection of fuel across a plurality of fuel injectors coupled together along a fuel rail in an internal combustion engine is provided. The method and system involve producing a reference fuel delivery control signal for each of the fuel injectors as a function of the desired fuel mass to be injected and subsequently adjusting the pulse width of each fuel delivery control signal as a function of the fuel temperature proximate each of the respective fuel injectors. The temperature of the fuel proximate each of the respective fuel injectors along the fuel rail is ascertained by measuring the temperature of the fuel near the inlet of the fuel rail using a temperature sensor and subsequently determining the temperature of the fuel proximate each of the fuel injectors based on the measured fuel temperature measured and the location of said fuel injector along said fuel rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1999
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Trent J. Cleveland, Thomas J. Crowell
  • Patent number: 5862507
    Abstract: A method and system for detecting engine misfire in an internal combustion engine. A data signal containing a plurality of groups of data points generated from sampling crankshaft rotational displacement over three predetermined angular sampling windows is generated. Each of the plurality of groups of sampled data points represents a cylinder firing event. The data signal is conditioned, and the plurality of groups of sampled data points are mapped into single misfire detection data points. The mapped single misfire detection points are then compared to a misfire detection dynamic threshold, and a misfire detection signal is output if the misfire detection points fall outside the dynamic threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1999
    Assignee: Chrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Zhijian James Wu, Anson Lee
  • Patent number: 5860405
    Abstract: An intake apparatus of an internal combustion engine for a vehicle comprises a duct for taking into a wind during a running of a vehicle, an air cleaner operatively connected to the duct, a fuel supply device for injecting a fuel into an intake air coming from the air cleaner, a movable valve arranged between an outlet port of the duct and an inlet port of the air cleaner, a negative-pressure motor for driving the movable valve, and an electronic control unit for controlling the movable valve. The electronic control unit is connected to an ignition means, and the electronic control unit controls the opening and closing of the movable valve in accordance with a rotational speed of an internal combustion engine, an opening degree of a throttle of the engine and a gear position of the engine as control parameters and carries out a delay angular control of an ignition timing in response to the opening and closing control of the movable valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1999
    Assignee: Suzuki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuhiro Muramatsu, Tetsuo Nojima, Yuji Sonoda
  • Patent number: 5855195
    Abstract: A flow controller in a flow control valve for an internal combustion engine. When the flow control valve is operated in a closing direction upon the occurrence of an abnormal state in the flow control valve such as sticking, resonance frequency vibration is applied to the valve so that a sliding resistance force of a screw mechanism can be lowered and the valve can be closed. To prevent problems with the flow control valve such as being out-of-control, a setting time is added to a drive period according to the variation in the motor torque. Because the flow control valve can be reliably closed, and an out-of-control condition of the flow control valve can be prevented, an incorrect operation of the engine can be avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1999
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuji Oikawa, Masahiro Sato, Seiji Asano
  • Patent number: 5850815
    Abstract: A control system is provided in an internal combustion engine in which a valve timing such as an opening time point and lift amount of an intake valve can be switched to a low-speed or high-speed valve timing within a lean-burn control range established in accordance with the operational state, such as an intake pipe internal absolute pressure and an engine revolution number of the engine, wherein an air-fuel ratio of an air-fuel mixture supplied to the internal combustion engine is enriched for a predetermined time when the valve timing is switched from the low-speed valve timing to the high-speed valve timing while carrying out a lean-burn control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1998
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toru Yano, Isao Komoriya, Yuji Yasui, Takahiro Yonekura, Yutaka Asano, Yusuke Tatara, Eisuke Kimura, Kohei Hanada
  • Patent number: 5842458
    Abstract: An improved sealing boot for a spark plug assembly is provided which includes a sealing and venting feature capable of preventing pressurized contaminants from reaching the spark plug by effectively sealing the spark plug mounting bore while permitting pressurized gas accumulating in the plug well to be vented to the engine overhead. The sealing and venting feature includes at least one annular sealing rib formed on the outer surface of the boot. The radial length and width of the sealing rib, and the resiliency of the material forming the rib, are selected to cause the rib to deflected outwardly an optimal degree, when the assembly is positioned in the bore, and to engage the bore wall with a sealing force so as to permit the desired sealing and venting. The optimal deflection causes the creation of an additional sealing force due to the pressure of fluid against the deflected portion of the rib thereby ensuring sealing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1998
    Assignee: Cummins Engine Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael W. Alstrin, Daniel L. Morin, C. Edward Morris
  • Patent number: 5842456
    Abstract: An ignition system for multi-firing a spark plug of a spark ignition internal combustion engine and for detecting auto-ignition utilizing the spark plug as a feedback element. The ignition system includes a pulse transformer connected to a spark plug, a distribution element coupled to the transformer, a timing element connected to the distribution element, a controller, an engine position sensor and a spark discharge detection circuit. Based on engine parameters, the controller loads the timing element with the appropriate signals and triggers one of three timers. The triggered timer begins to count down and times-out at the appropriate engine position either ignition or simply for auto-ignition. This triggers a second timer which enables yet another timer that provides control signals to the distribution element to produce a series of voltage signals of a predetermined magnitude applied by the transformer at the spark plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1998
    Assignee: Chrysler Corporation
    Inventor: Carl R. Morganti
  • Patent number: 5839421
    Abstract: An evaporation gas intercepting system prevents the entrance of an evaporation gas leaked from a canister into a passenger compartment of a vehicle with an air conditioning system in which an outside air intake or inside air circulation is selected. An engine control unit calculates a fuel injection quantity on the basis of parameters indicating the operating condition of an engine and correction coefficients, and a feedback correction quantity for correcting the fuel injection quantity on the basis of the output signal of an air-fuel ratio detector (oxygen sensor).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasufumi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 5839420
    Abstract: Electronically controlled fuel injectors are capable of complex injection control methods, such as split injection. A calibration code assigned to each injector is used by a logic controller to determine calibrated energizing times based on raw energizing times determined by the engine control unit. Each injector may be individually calibrated to compensate for injector variability, and facilitate balanced power output from each cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Assignee: Detroit Diesel Corporation
    Inventor: Eric Darvin Thomas