Patents Examined by Ruben Picon-Feliciano
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Patent number: 10240566Abstract: A throttle device for controlling a fuel quantity to be supplied to a fuel injection nozzle includes a control chamber and a supply device for supplying fuel to the control chamber. The supply device includes an inlet throttle having a length selected such that a fuel flowing through the inlet throttle, when in operation, flows through the inlet throttle in a turbulent flow. An injection device including the throttle device is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2015Date of Patent: March 26, 2019Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbHInventors: Axel Burkhardt, Sandeep Kumar Mouvanal
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Patent number: 10227948Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine is formed from an upper part connected to a lower part. The upper part has a combustion bowl, a top land, and a ring belt extending circumferentially around the piston upper part. The lower part contains pin bosses and a piston skirt. A circumferential cooling channel is formed by joining the upper and lower parts. There is an oil inlet formed in one piece with the piston lower part. The inlet has a lower extremity and an upper extremity that terminates at the floor of the cooling channel. A bore extends through the oil inlet from the lower extremity up though the floor of the cooling channel. The circumference of the bore increases from the upper extremity to the lower extremity, so the oil inlet forms a funnel shape.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2015Date of Patent: March 12, 2019Assignee: MAHLE International GmbHInventors: Fabio Menotti, Ioan Stefan, Dieter Gabriel, Ralph Klein, Luiz Perrone, Michael Lapp, Joachim Wagenblast
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Patent number: 10215149Abstract: A plasma header gasket for use with an internal combustion engine includes electrodes disposed around the perimeter of apertures in the gasket corresponding to piston cylinders in the engine. The electrodes produce a plasma spark in time with the engine to increase the efficiency of combustion. The plasma spark produces an ignition discharge compatible with various types of engines and types of fuels.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 2013Date of Patent: February 26, 2019Inventor: Serge V. Monros
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Patent number: 10190482Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a cylinder block that defines a cylinder and a cylinder head mounted to the cylinder block. The engine additionally includes a gas compressor configured to selectively pressurize air being received from the ambient for delivery to the cylinder. The engine also includes an intake valve that is operatively connected to the cylinder head and controls delivery of the selectively pressurized air to the cylinder for combustion therein. Furthermore, the engine includes an air inlet assembly arranged between the intake valve and the compressor. The air inlet assembly is configured to supply the pressurized air to the cylinder and includes at least one passage configured to collect a condensate from the pressurized air. A vehicle having such an engine is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2015Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Alan W. Hayman, Eric C. Douse
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Patent number: 10190480Abstract: A engine block cover plate is described having a depression shaped to guide coolant flow around a bend in a coolant circuit, the plate further including a plurality of oil ports. One example method of operation may include guiding a coolant flow around a bend in a cooling circuit within an engine block via the cover plate, the cover plate having coolant and oil ports positioned therein, and adjusting a valve positioned on the cover plate to control a flow of oil through the oil port in response to an engine component temperature. In this way, flow losses may be decreased while enabling improved oil flow control with reduced system complexity.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2013Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Cliff Maki, Thomas Polley, Jeffrey Allen Mullins, Sonny E. Stanley
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Heat-insulating structure of member facing engine combustion chamber, and process for producing same
Patent number: 10161297Abstract: A heat-insulating layer exhibiting high resistance to cracks, peeling, deformation, and gasoline and high heat insulation is obtained on the wall surface of an engine member (19). First, a heat insulator layer including a silicone-based resin and hollow particles containing a Si-based oxide is formed on a wall surface of the engine member (19). Then, Si-based oxide is produced through oxidation of a silicone-based resin in at least part of the surface of the heat insulator layer by heating the surface of the heat insulator layer. Thereafter, a catalytic metal is added to the silicone-based resin in the surface of the heat insulator layer and/or Si-based oxide derived from the hollow particles. Using the catalytic metal as nuclei, electroless plating is performed. In this manner, a heat-insulating layer (21) in which the surface of the heat-insulating film (27) is covered with a plating film (29) is obtained.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2013Date of Patent: December 25, 2018Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Satoshi Nanba, Shinji Kadoshima, Daiji Katsura, Nobuo Sakate, Takakazu Yamane, Akihide Takami -
Patent number: 10161346Abstract: Methods are provided for controlling a direct injection fuel pump, wherein a solenoid spill valve is energized and de-energized according to certain conditions. A control strategy is needed to operate the direct injection fuel pump outside regions where pump operation may be variable and inaccurate, where the regions may be characterized by smaller pump commands as well as smaller displacement volumes. To maintain a suitable range of pump commands and displacements while operating outside the low accuracy regions, a method is proposed that involves clipping calculated pump commands when the calculated pump commands lie within the low accuracy regions.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2014Date of Patent: December 25, 2018Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Joseph Norman Ulrey, Ross Dykstra Pursifull
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Patent number: 10164410Abstract: The following invention relates to an ignition coil assembly for an ignition system comprising an ignition coil where said assembly has a main axis and is configured for insertion into and/or removal out of a well associated with an internal combustion engine, wherein the assembly comprises an elongated extension body made of flexible material, said extension body comprising an upper end portion and a lower end portion wherein the extension body is arranged to be transversally bendable in relation to the main axis so that the upper end portion and the lower end portion may assume an angle (?) in relation to each other.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2013Date of Patent: December 25, 2018Assignee: SEM ABInventors: Lars-Ake Andersson, Jorgen Bengtsson, Bert Gustafsson
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Patent number: 10161336Abstract: Systems and methods for determining operation of a cylinder deactivating/reactivating device are disclosed. In one example, degradation of the cylinder deactivating/reactivating device is based on intake manifold oxygen concentration.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2013Date of Patent: December 25, 2018Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Jeffrey Allen Doering, Chris Paul Glugla, Michael James Uhrich
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Patent number: 10161361Abstract: A method for operating a liquid coolant circuit of an internal combustion engine is described in which the coolant circuit contains an integrated EGR cooler such that the cooling system has a single circuit with two operational modes. The method includes a controller that can switch between operational modes to enable delivery of coolant to the EGR cooler when the flow of coolant through the block cooling circuit is blocked. In the second operational mode, the method also includes using an auxiliary pump to pass coolant to the EGR cooler while bypassing the main coolant pump, which can occur by adjusting the flow of coolant through the circuit so the flow through a bypass line is reversed relative to the inherent forward direction of flow in the bypass line during the first operational mode.Type: GrantFiled: January 2, 2013Date of Patent: December 25, 2018Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Hans Guenter Quix, Rainer Lach, Jan Mehring
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Patent number: 10161352Abstract: An engine block assembly includes an engine block casting including a plurality of cylinder bores disposed in series, each cylinder having a cylinder wall. Outer engine block walls are peripheral to the cylinder walls. A channel is formed between outer peripheral surfaces of the cylinder walls and the outer engine block walls. A coolant passage fluidly connects through the outer block walls to the channel. A water jacket insert includes an upper flange, a strut portion and a lower flange. A plurality of orifices are formed in the strut portion. A compressible seal attached to the lower flange of the water jacket insert, which is assembled into the channel and conforms to a bottom portion of the channel.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2014Date of Patent: December 25, 2018Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Glenn E. Clever, Patricia A. Stark
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Patent number: 10145409Abstract: There is provided a bearing apparatus of a crankshaft for an internal combustion engine. The bearing apparatus includes a crankshaft having a plurality of journal portions and a plurality of crank pin portions; a main bearing supporting the crankshaft; and a bearing housing holding the main bearing. The plurality of journal portions include a first journal portion having a lubricating oil passage and a second journal portion not having the lubricating oil passage. The first and second journal portions and are supported by the first and second main bearings and. The bearing housing includes an Al alloy upper housing and an Fe alloy lower housing. The groove depth of the oil groove of the upper half bearing of the second main bearing is one half or less than the groove depth of the oil groove of the upper half bearing of the first main bearing.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2016Date of Patent: December 4, 2018Assignee: DAIDO METAL COMPANY LTD.Inventors: Kenta Kato, Osamu Ishigo, Yasushi Saito
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Patent number: 10138840Abstract: A surface of a piston and/or a cylinder head and/or a cylinder bore of an internal combustion cylinder with selectively applied plasma transferred wire arc coating which acts as a thermal barrier improving fuel efficiency and reducing fuel emissions and a method of producing the plasma transferred wire arc coating on a surface of a piston and/or cylinder head and/or a cylinder bore of a compression ignition and/or spark ignition engine.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2015Date of Patent: November 27, 2018Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: William Charles Ruona, Rick L. Williams, Thomas G. Leone, Clifford E. Maki
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Patent number: 10138772Abstract: Systems and methods are described for reducing friction within a transmission and an internal combustion engine including a PCV system. A gaseous fuel source is fluidly coupled to the transmission via a flow control valve and the transmission, in turn, is fluidly coupled to an air inflow line of the PCV system. The flow control valve is configured to control a flow of gaseous fuel into the transmission and there on into the PCV system and crankcase.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2014Date of Patent: November 27, 2018Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventor: David Karl Bidner
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Patent number: 10131988Abstract: A sliding element, such as a piston ring, for use in diesel or highly supercharged spark-ignition engines with iron-based mating running elements is provided. The sliding element includes a base material made of cast iron or steel and a coating. The coating includes a CrN layer, an Me(CxNy) layer, and a DLC layer extending from the inside to the outer side respectively. The DLC layer consists of a metal-containing substructure layer and a metal-free DLC top layer. The Me(CxNy) layer is crystalline and Me is tungsten (W), chromium (Cr), or Silicon (Si). The hardness of the metal-free DLC top layer is harder than the metal-containing substructure layer.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2010Date of Patent: November 20, 2018Assignee: Federal-Mogul Burscheid GmbHInventors: Marcus Kennedy, Michael Zinnabold
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Patent number: 10132238Abstract: Motion control of a hydraulic free-piston engine is achieved in order to enable advanced combustions such as low temperature combustion. To accomplish this, an active controller acts as a virtual crankshaft, which causes a piston to follow a reference trajectory using energy from a storage element. Given the periodic nature of free-piston engine motion, an advanced controller of the present invention is preferably of robust repetitive type that is capable of tracking periodic reference signals.Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2013Date of Patent: November 20, 2018Assignee: Regents of the University of MinnesotaInventors: Zongxuan Sun, Ke Li, Ali Sadighi
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Patent number: 10125674Abstract: An engine without a compressor or a turbine comprises a combustion chamber for burning a fuel-air mixture formed by mixing a fuel with outside air; and an outside air introduction part for introducing outside air into the combustion chamber. The outside air introduction part comprises an intake main port for introducing outside air into the combustion chamber from the direction along the central axis of the combustion chamber and a plurality of intake sub-ports for introducing outside air into the combustion chamber from the direction toward the central axis. The intake sub-ports comprise ejection openings capable of ejecting outside air toward a collision point inside the combustion chamber. Streams of outside air ejected from the ejection openings of the intake sub-ports mutually collide at the collision point and are thereby compressed.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2011Date of Patent: November 13, 2018Assignee: WASEDA UNIVERSITYInventor: Ken Naitoh
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Patent number: 10100773Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for accurately estimating an engine volumetric efficiency in a multi-fuel engine system operating with different fuels and different injection systems. The volumetric efficiency is revised based on the fraction of each fuel in the total fuel injection amount as well as based on the injection type for each fuel. The volumetric efficiency estimate compensates for the partial pressure effect and charge cooling effect of each fuel as well as each injection type.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2014Date of Patent: October 16, 2018Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Gopichandra Surnilla, Michael Howard Shelby
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Patent number: 10087870Abstract: A fuel injection controller is applied to a fuel injector injecting fuel to be combusted in an internal combustion engine by an open-valve operation of the valve body according to an electromagnetic suction force generated by an energization of a coil. The fuel injection controller controls an injection state of the fuel injector by controlling a coil current flowing through the coil. The fuel injection controller includes an increasing control portion which increases the coil current to a first target value, a holding control portion which holds the coil current increased by the increasing control portion to the first target value, and a changing portion which changes the first target value according to the operation state of the internal combustion engine.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2013Date of Patent: October 2, 2018Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Keita Imai, Eiji Ito
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Patent number: 10082092Abstract: Various systems and methods are described for generating vacuum within an engine intake. An intake throttle including a hollow throttle plate having a plurality of perforations along its circumference is mounted on a hollow shaft, which in turn may be coupled to a vacuum consumption device. When vacuum is demanded by the vacuum consumption device, the opening of the throttle plate may be decreased and vacuum may be generated by flowing intake air past the perforated edge of the throttle plate.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 2014Date of Patent: September 25, 2018Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventor: Xiaogang Zhang