Patents Examined by Ruben Picon-Feliciano
  • Patent number: 10753313
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a support structure for a rotary part of an engine (2). The support structure includes crank journal bearing metals (14) and crank pin bearing metals (24, 124). Each crank journal bearing metal (14) includes chamfers (16) and crowned portions (17). On the other hand, each crank pin bearing metal (24, 124) includes chamfers (26) and no crowned portion or crowned portions (127) on its inner peripheral surface. The crowned portions (127) are inclined at a smaller angle than the crowned portions (17).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaaki Okagawa, Satoshi Imamura, Shohei Kimura
  • Patent number: 10738731
    Abstract: A galleryless steel piston for an internal combustion engine is provided. The piston has a monolithic piston body including an upper wall forming an upper combustion surface with first and second portions. The first portion extends annularly along an outer periphery of the upper wall and the second portion defines a combustion bowl. The piston further includes undercrown surface located directly opposite the combustion bowl with an exposed 2-dimensional surface area allowing for contact of cooling oil. The exposed 2-dimensional surface area ranges from 25 to 60 percent of a cross-sectional area defined by a maximum outer diameter of the piston body. To further enhance cooling, a portion of the undercrown surface is concave or convex, such that oil is channeled during reciprocation of the piston from one side to the opposite side of the piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Tenneco Inc.
    Inventors: Jeff Riffe, Michael Weinenger
  • Patent number: 10731926
    Abstract: A unit for storing and releasing thermal energy including a plurality of blocks each having a body the lateral walls of which delimit a chamber suited to receiving storage and release elements of PCM type, to be placed in heat exchange relationship with a refrigerating or heat-transfer fluid circulating between the chambers via passages; and elements for the thermal management of the chambers arranged around said chambers and at least some of which include a thermally insulating material and others a PCM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Hutchinson
    Inventors: Fabrice Chopard, Paul Bline, Cédric Huillet, Fanny Geffray, Boris Chauvet, Nadine Poupa, Christophe Dominiak
  • Patent number: 10731600
    Abstract: A piston includes a piston body having an outer cylindrical surface and defined along a longitudinal piston center axis. The piston further includes a piston bowl with a half section profile with a bowl entry extending radially from the longitudinal piston center axis; a bowl recess extending radially from the bowl entry; and a soot shelf extending from the bowl recess to define a soot shelf axial height (H) and a soot shelf radial width (W). The soot shelf includes an inner step being formed by an inner step base surface extending radially from the bowl recess; an outer step being formed by a step shoulder surface extending axially from the inner step base surface and an outer step base surface extending radially from the step shoulder surface; and a soot shelf shoulder surface extending axially from outer step base surface to the end perimeter surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Nam Hyo Cho, Changdeo D. Gaikwad, Nagesh Choudhary, Amandeep Sharma
  • Patent number: 10724538
    Abstract: A centrifugal compressor includes an impeller that rotates about an axis; an inlet guide vane including a plurality of vanes disposed on an upstream side of the impeller and provided at intervals in a circumferential direction of the axis, the inlet guide vane being directed inward in the radial direction between adjacent vanes, and forming a guide flow path having an exit angle in the radial direction and guiding the fluid; and a suction flow path that introduces the fluid from a part in a circumferential direction into the inlet guide vane. The exit angle of the vane of the first region on the one side when viewed from the suction flow path in the inlet guide vane is displaced to the suction flow path side as compared to the exit angle of the vane of a second region on the opposite side of the one side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMPRESSOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Nakaniwa, Satoru Yoshida
  • Patent number: 10724386
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine, having: a disk; a plurality of blades secured to the disk, each of the plurality of blades having a platform located between a root portion and an airfoil portion of the blade, wherein the platform of one of the plurality of blades is configured to define a cavity with a platform of an adjacent blade that is secured to the disk; a damper seal located in the cavity and positioned adjacent to a gap defined by edges of the platforms of the blades; and a damper restraint located on an interior surface of each platform, wherein the damper restraint extends into the cavity and is a raised feature configured to contact a peripheral edge portion of a damper seal when it is adjacent to the gap defined by the platforms of the blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Charles Thistle, Mohamed Hassan
  • Patent number: 10724543
    Abstract: A variable-pitch vane system for a gas turbine engine includes a plurality of vanes and a synchronization ring assembly operably connected to the plurality of vanes. The synchronization ring assembly includes a first synchronization ring, a second synchronization ring and a bridge bracket connecting the first synchronization ring to the second synchronization ring. The bridge bracket includes a first face sheet, a second face sheet, a honeycomb core located between the first face sheet and the second face sheet, a first attachment feature located at a first end of the bridge bracket at which the first synchronization ring is secured, and a second attachment feature located at a second end of the bridge bracket at which the second synchronization ring is secured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Gary D. Roberge
  • Patent number: 10724423
    Abstract: A prechamber assembly for a cylinder of a combustion engine is disclosed in which a plurality of ports placing a prechamber volume in fluid communication with the cylinder. A non-actuated, fixed orifice extends between the prechamber volume and a passageway formed in the prechamber assembly to permit combustion gases in the prechamber volume to enter the passageway. The passageway is configured to vent combustion gases therein out of the body. The orifice may reduce NOx emissions produced in the prechamber volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Andrew Loetz
  • Patent number: 10724481
    Abstract: An air centrifugation device (1), associated to an internal combustion engine (2), which includes at least one cylinder (21), provided with air by an air intake (22), and rejecting combustion gases by an exhaust orifice (23), includes a wheel (11), provided with blades to accelerate the gases by a rotational movement, the wheel is mounted on an axle (12) and placed inside an envelope (13) containing the wheel, while the envelope has preferably a circular shape, the whole system including at least one air intake orifice (14) and at least two distinct exhaust orifices (15) and (16), provided to collect separately the oxygen molecules from exhaust orifice (15), and the nitrogen molecules from exhaust orifice (16), while at least one connecting pipe (3) is provided between the oxygen exhaust orifice and the air inlet system (24) of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Inventor: Andre Prieur
  • Patent number: 10718291
    Abstract: A method of forming an engine is provided. A liner is cast with an outer surface with a first texture extending circumferentially from a first end to a second end of the liner. A circumferential section of the outer surface of the liner is coated with an insulative, thermoset material with a lower thermal conductivity than the texture. An engine and a cylinder liner for the engine are provided. The liner has first and second ends with an outer surface extending therebetween. An outer surface of the liner has axial sections defining a texture and an insulative thermoset coating to form material interfaces with the block with different thermal conductivities thereacross.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan Burns, Robert Rentschler, Brian Nellenbach
  • Patent number: 10718299
    Abstract: An intake system of a vehicle, includes an air cleaner case, an air filter that is arranged inside the air cleaner case and positively charged, and a self discharge type static eliminator that decreases an amount of electrification charge on a wall surface of the air cleaner case within a limited range about a location where the self discharge type static eliminator is installed, when the self discharge type static eliminator is installed on the wall surface of the air cleaner case. An peripheral edge part of the air filter is held by an air filter holding part of the air cleaner case. The self discharge type static eliminator is installed on an outer wall surface of the air filter holding part of the air cleaner case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshio Tanahashi, Yoji Kanehara, Koshi Yamada
  • Patent number: 10711724
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes circuitry configured to control a fuel injector of the internal combustion engine to stop injecting fuel to reduce torque generated by the internal combustion engine during upshift. The circuitry is to acquire a target injection amount parameter corresponding to a target injection amount of the fuel to be injected by the fuel injector to operate the internal combustion engine based on an operation state parameter corresponding to an operation state of the internal combustion engine. The circuitry is to acquire a minimum injectable amount parameter corresponding to a minimum injectable amount of the fuel injectable from the fuel injector. The circuitry is to control the fuel injector to start injecting the fuel when the minimum injectable amount parameter exceeds the target injection amount parameter while the fuel injector is controlled to stop injecting the fuel during the upshift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro Takeuchi, Yosuke Naito, Koichiro Shinozaki
  • Patent number: 10711743
    Abstract: The invention relates to a cover (1) suitable for installation at least facing a heat exchanger (28) between a feed gas flow for an internal combustion engine and a so-called coolant, said heat exchanger (28) comprising a bundle (32) and an area (33) for distributing the coolant in the bundle (32), characterized in that the cover (1) comprises a protrusion (2) suitable for limiting the circulation of the feed gas flow at the coolant distribution area (33).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Valeo Systemes Thermiques
    Inventors: Nicolas Vallee, Yoann Naudin
  • Patent number: 10711661
    Abstract: A method for operating a drive apparatus, having a reciprocating-piston engine and an exhaust-gas-driven turbocharger, of a motor vehicle, the reciprocating-piston engine being operated in a four-stroke mode during on-load operation; and the exhaust-gas-driven turbocharger having an electrical machine, in particular a media gap machine, that is operated in generator mode during overrun operation of the reciprocating-piston engine. During overrun operation, the reciprocating-piston engine is operated in a two-stroke mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Robert Bosh GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Nau, Michael Bauerle
  • Patent number: 10711731
    Abstract: The present invention is related to a method for manufacturing a water cooling system (20) inside a casted cylinder head (10), the water cooling system (20) comprising an upper water jacket (21) and a lower water jacket (22) and wherein a transition channel (23) is located between the upper water jacket (21) and the lower water jacket (22). Further, the invention is related to a water cooling system (20) inside a casted cylinder head (10), comprising an upper water jacket (21) and a lower water jacket (22) wherein the upper water jacket (21) and the lower water jacket (22) are fluidly connected by at least one transition channel (23).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignees: FEV Europe GmbH, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: John Van Gerven, Lukas Rüttgers
  • Patent number: 10697367
    Abstract: Embodiments of an engine generator set are provided herein with a compact, modular design and improved cooling characteristics. The engine generator set embodiments may generally comprise a horizontally shafted engine and alternator, and a cooling system. In some embodiments, the embodiments may include a set of on-board transformers. The cooling system includes one or more components, such as a radiator and one or more electrically driven fans, which are mounted above and/or below the horizontally shafted engine and alternator in a vertical stack. A generator set housing encloses the horizontally shafted engine and alternator, the cooling system and the set of on-board transformers (if included), as well as other generator set components. Due in part to the vertical stacking of the cooling system components, a height of the generator set housing may be substantially larger than a length of the generator set housing, resulting in a substantially reduced footprint, as compared to conventional generator sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Enchanted Rock, LTD.
    Inventors: W. Thomas McAndrew, Mario Joseph Rene Metivier, Clark James Thompson
  • Patent number: 10697336
    Abstract: In one embodiment, there is provided a dock for a replaceable fluid container for an engine, the fluid container having: a fluid reservoir; and at least one fluid port having a coupling adapted to couple with a fluid circulation system associated with the engine; the dock having: a fastening mechanism configured to cooperate with the container such that, as the container is inserted into the dock, the fastening mechanism acts first to seat the fluid container in the dock but in an undocked condition and then, as the container is inserted further into the dock, acts to bring the fluid container into an engaged condition in which the fluid container is docked with a docking interface of the dock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Castrol Limited
    Inventors: Christopher Dawson, Steven Paul Goodier, Gary Howard, Adrian Michael Woodward
  • Patent number: 10690102
    Abstract: Provided is an internal-combustion engine starting device in which a control unit controls a motor to realize a first starting mode of starting an internal-combustion engine by increasing a rotation speed of the internal-combustion engine to a predetermined first rotation speed NE1 by the motor and a second starting mode of starting the internal-combustion engine by increasing the rotation speed of the internal-combustion engine to a second rotation speed NE2 set higher than the first rotation speed NE1 and set based on a temperature of a coolant by the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Yoshida, Yuichi Masukake, Atsuki Iwamitsu
  • Patent number: 10690176
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for cooling a piston arranged within a cylinder of an engine. Oil received from a connecting rod bearing and crank journal interface may be continuously transferred via an internal conduit in a connecting rod coupled to the piston wherein the internal conduit is formed within a hollow flange of the connecting rod. The oil may then be sprayed in a continuous manner via an external nozzle to an underside of the piston, enabling continuous piston cooling as the piston travels from a top-dead-center (TDC) position to a bottom-dead-center position (BDC) and back.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas G. Leone, Jeffrey Eliot Chottiner, Rick L. Williams
  • Patent number: 10683783
    Abstract: A method for operating a motor vehicle provided with a hybrid drive apparatus. The hybrid drive device is equipped with an internal combustion engine that can be operated with a fuel, as well as with an electric engine, and a lubricant is supplied at least intermittently to the internal combustion engine. At the same time, a lubricant dilution value is determined with a dilution of the lubricant so that the internal combustion engine is started when a first threshold value is exceeded by the lubricant dilution value, and when the motor vehicle is located on a regeneration route of an anticipated driving route of the motor vehicle and the regeneration route is sufficient to reduce the lubricant dilution value by a specified value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Boris Blasinski