Patents Examined by Sizo Vilakazi
  • Patent number: 8567374
    Abstract: The present invention provides an internal combustion engine comprising an engine body 100, an overhang 101 projecting from a cylinder row end the engine body 100 and extending from an intake side 21 to an exhaust side 23 of the engine body, and an EGR pipe 41 disposed in a space 102 defined under the overhang 101 with a gap 103 between the EGR pipe 41 and the cylinder row end of the engine body, thereby avoiding the excessive cooling of EGR gas passing through the EGR pipe 41 while reducing a length of a passage defined by the EGR pipe 41, and preventing members disposed near the EGR pipe 41 from being damaged by heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuaki Shimoyama, Kenji Tsukahara, Kazuhiro Matsui
  • Patent number: 8555864
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine has a high-pressure exhaust-gas recirculation line and a low-pressure exhaust-gas recirculation line with a low-pressure exhaust-gas recirculation valve. The low-pressure exhaust-gas recirculation line branches off from the exhaust-gas system downstream of a turbine of an exhaust-gas turbocharger and opens into a fresh-air system upstream of a compressor of the exhaust-gas turbocharger. An exhaust-gas flap is disposed in the exhaust-gas system downstream from where the low-pressure exhaust-gas recirculation line branches off from the exhaust-gas system. At least one pressure sensor is disposed in the low-pressure exhaust-gas recirculation line and configured such that the at least one pressure sensor determines a pressure difference in the low-pressure exhaust-gas recirculation line between a point upstream of the low-pressure exhaust-gas recirculation valve and a point downstream of the low-pressure exhaust-gas recirculation valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Hans-Georg Nitzke, Jörg Larink, Jens Jeschke, Thomas Lang, Jürgen Wendt, Achim Freitag, Jörn Müller, Axel Groenendijk, Lothar Nee, Uwe Scher, Werner Aberle, Dieter Mannigel
  • Patent number: 8555855
    Abstract: A throttle valve control system for an internal combustion engine includes plural throttle bodies with respective intake passages formed therethrough. Each of the respective throttle bodies includes a throttle valve shaft and a throttle valve, the throttle valves are operated by an actuator via the throttle valve shafts. The throttle bodies are each provided with plural fuel injection valves, and fuel lines which connect adjacent fuel injection valves together are arrayed in parallel with a direction of the throttle valve shafts, and are arranged between the throttle bodies and the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomohiro Tsutsumi
  • Patent number: 8544440
    Abstract: A marine vessel propulsion device includes an engine, an intake pathway which has a gas flow hole in the inner surface thereof and is arranged to supply air to the engine, and an air restrictor disposed on the upstream side with respect to the gas flow hole of the intake pathway. The air restrictor has a vent hole, and is arranged to restrict the amount of air to flow into the engine via the intake pathway. The vent hole of the air restrictor is arranged at a position which is near the inner surface of the intake pathway and corresponds to the gas flow hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Eiichi Hirose
  • Patent number: 8539935
    Abstract: A fuel injection device includes a fuel injection valve for injecting fuel, which is distributed from a pressure-accumulation vessel. A pressure sensor is located in a fuel passage, which extends from the pressure-accumulation vessel to a nozzle hole. The pressure sensor is located closer to the nozzle hole than the pressure-accumulation vessel. A storage unit stores individual difference information obtained by an examination. The individual difference information indicates an injection characteristic of the fuel injection valve and indicates at least one of an injection response time delay between an injection start point and a time point, at which a fluctuation is caused by the start of fuel injection in detected pressure of the pressure sensor, and a parameter for calculating the injection response time delay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichiro Nakata, Koji Ishizuka
  • Patent number: 8534262
    Abstract: In a diesel engine 1 with fuel injection valves 6a and 6b for injecting fuel 5a, 5b into a combustion chamber 4, respectively, the valves 6a and 6b are arranged such that they are opposed to each other horizontally and diametrically of the combustion chamber 4 in a plan view and are out of alignment in height to each other axially of a cylinder 2. With the valves 6a and 6b being positioned close to and away from the cylinder head 7, respectively, an upper surface of the piston 3 has a rising gradient extending from its side adjacent to the valve 6b toward its side adjacent to the valve 6a up to diametrically halfway of the piston 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: IHI Corporation
    Inventors: Youichi Marutani, Yasunori Ashikaga, Takayuki Yamada, Mamoru Kurashina
  • Patent number: 8534266
    Abstract: An oil separator is provided to deposit gas fuel contained in the oil components for connection to a gas fuel line to a gas-powered combustion engine, which is a housing with an inlet opening and an outlet opening for gas fuel, one recorded in the cabinet, which gas fuel then is flowable through the filter element, the sealing between a with the airflow associated stream dream and a receipt with the airflow associated outlet opening starting area is, and one in the inlet opening in the direction of gravity below an outlet with the airflow associated oil collection tank to record in the entrance area by gravity separation from the remote oil gas fuel includes. Furthermore, the oil separator a second oil collection tank to record from the filter element expiring contain oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Andreas Jauss, Ingo Zumbroich
  • Patent number: 8522750
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing automatic pressure balancing of an internal combustion engine. The engine includes cylinders, fuel injector valves provided to selectively deliver fuel directly into the cylinders, fuel-balancing valves each fluidly connected to the fuel injector valves for controlling the fuel delivered to the fuel injector valves and cylinder pressure sensors each mounted to one of the cylinders. The method comprises an automatic pressure balancing procedure including the steps of monitoring a cylinder pressure in each of the cylinders, determining a peak combustion pressure produced in each of the cylinders, calculating a mean peak pressure produced in all of the cylinders, calculating a pressure difference between the mean and the peak pressure and incrementally adjusting the fuel delivered by one of the fuel-balancing valves to the corresponding fuel injector valve mounted to the cylinder having the pressure difference larger than a predetermined pressure value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Delaware Capital Formation, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward Flanagan, Steve Follmar, William Griffith
  • Patent number: 8522757
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine having an engine block for internal combustion, a high-pressure (HP) turbocharger for delivering pressurized intake air to the engine block, a low-pressure (LP) turbocharger for delivering pressurized intake air to the HP turbocharger, a turbogenerator for recovering heat energy from the exhaust gas downstream of the LP turbocharger to generate electricity, and an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system comprising an EGR-pump drawing exhaust gas from an EGR inlet located downstream of the turbogenerator, wherein the EGR-pump controllably delivers exhaust gas to an EGR mixer in the pressurized intake air stream at a location between the LP turbocharger and HP turbocharger. An electronic control unit (ECU) is adapted to command the EGR-pump to deliver a desired EGR flow-rate to the engine block based on look-up tables and either open-loop and/or closed-loop control algorithms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: Carl T. Vuk
  • Patent number: 8522756
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine defined as having an engine block for internal combustion, a high-pressure turbocharger for delivering pressurized intake air to the engine block, a low-pressure turbocharger for delivering pressurized intake air to the high-pressure turbocharger, a turbogenerator for recovering heat energy from the exhaust gas downstream of the low-pressure turbocharger to generate electricity, and an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system comprising an EGR-pump drawing exhaust gas from an EGR inlet located between the low-pressure and high-pressure turbocharger turbines, wherein the EGR-pump controllably delivers exhaust gas to an EGR mixer in the pressurized intake air stream at a location between the low-pressure and high-pressure turbocharger compressors. An electronic control unit (ECU) is adapted to command the EGR-pump to deliver a desired EGR flow-rate to the engine block based on look-up tables and either open-loop and/or closed-loop control algorithms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Carl T. Vuk, Richard E. Winsor
  • Patent number: 8522758
    Abstract: A number of systems and methods are disclosed which increase the replenishment interval for anti-knock fluid. This is especially important during activities which require a large amount of anti-knock fluid, such as towing. In some embodiments, the systems and methods are used to reduce anti-knock fluid consumption. For example, changes to engine operation, such as rich operation, spark retarding, upspeeding, and variable valve timing, all serve to reduce the amount of anti-knock fluid required to eliminate knocking. In other embodiments, the composition of the anti-knock fluid is modified, such as by using a higher octane fluid, or through the addition of water to the anti-knock fluid. In other embodiments, the replenishment interval is increased through a larger anti-knock fluid storage capacity. In one embodiment, a three tank system is used where the third tank can be used to store gasoline or anti-knock fluid, depending on the driving conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Ethanol Boosting Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Leslie Bromberg, Daniel R. Cohn
  • Patent number: 8522740
    Abstract: In a system, a setting unit sets historical information in response to a manual transient operation. The manual transient operation triggers automatic start of the engine. The historical information represents that the manual transient operation has existed. A validation unit has a first identifier uniquely identifying the vehicle. The validation unit carries out validation communications, in at least one of direct and indirect procedures, with a communication device storing therein a second identifier of the vehicle. The communication device is used by a user of the vehicle. The validation communications use the first and second identifiers. The validation unit validates whether the user is certificated based on the validation communication result. An engine starting unit automatically starts the engine when the historical information has been set by the setting unit and when it is determined that the user of the vehicle is certificated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Katsuyuki Ando
  • Patent number: 8516991
    Abstract: To improve an ignitability to a fuel having a low compressed ignitability in a combustion chamber in a compressed self-ignition diffusive combustion mode operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shiro Tanno, Yasushi Ito
  • Patent number: 8505511
    Abstract: A glow plug includes: a tubular body (2) having at one of its ends a plug head (10) as well as a zone for being fixed into a bore, an arm (4) mounted on the body (2) of the plug at the end opposite to the plug head (10), and secured to the body (2) in a linking zone (16), an elastically deformable portion (18), located between the linking zone (16) with the arm (4) and the zone fixing the plug body (2), such that the linking zone (16) is mobile and can move longitudinally relative to the so-called stationary fixing zone, and a pressure sensor (8) arranged between an element (30) secured to the linking zone (16) and a fixed element (20) of the plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignees: Continental Automotive France, Federal-Mogul Ignition Srl
    Inventors: Alain Ramond, John Burrows, Sandro Goretti, Cyrille Patri, Laura Beretta
  • Patent number: 8505515
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine with a fuel injection system is provided. The injection system includes a source of pressurized fuel positioned outside an oil-wetted space of an engine and a fuel injector positioned within the space. An engine component that is a part of an engine system other than the fuel injection system is attached to the engine outside the oil-wetted space by a fastener. The fastener is provided with an internal passage forming part of a hydraulic communication between the source of pressurized fuel and the injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB
    Inventors: Sergi Yudanov, Lars Tenglund
  • Patent number: 8505505
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine is employed for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine. The control apparatus includes a variable valve operating mechanism which changes a valve characteristic of an engine valve; a valve stop mechanism which stops opening/closing of the engine valve in at least one cylinder; and a controller which executes a variable valve control that makes an actual value of the valve characteristic match a target value by executing a hydraulic pressure control for the variable valve operating mechanism, and which operates the valve stop mechanism so that a reduced-cylinder operation is performed when an engine operating state is in a preset reduced-cylinder operation region. If it is determined that a pressure of hydraulic fluid supplied to the variable valve operating mechanism satisfies a preset condition when the engine operating state is in the reduced-cylinder operation region, the controller prohibits the variable valve control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihito Moriya
  • Patent number: 8495988
    Abstract: A fuel vapor storage and recovery system for a vehicle includes a fuel tank containing a volume of fuel and first and second vapor storage devices fluidly connectable via a controllable valve device. The second vapor storage device includes an electrically heatable substrate thermally coupled to fuel vapor adsorbent material. A vent valve connects to atmospheric air via a second end of the second vapor storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Sam R. Reddy
  • Patent number: 8498797
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine is employed for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine. The control apparatus includes a variable valve operating mechanism which changes a valve characteristic of an engine valve; a valve stop mechanism which stops opening/closing of the engine valve in at least one cylinder; and a controller which executes a variable valve control that makes an actual value of the valve characteristic match a target value by executing a hydraulic pressure control for the variable valve operating mechanism, and which operates the valve stop mechanism so that a reduced-cylinder operation is performed when an engine operating state is in a preset reduced-cylinder operation region. If it is determined that a pressure of hydraulic fluid supplied to the variable valve operating mechanism satisfies a preset condition when the engine operating state is in the reduced-cylinder operation region, the controller prohibits the variable valve control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihito Moriya
  • Patent number: 8494752
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide an engine having a revision means which regulates rotation speed of each of cylinders while reflecting specific unevenness of rotation of each of the cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Yanmar Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Adachi, Shusuke Okada, Tomohiro Otani
  • Patent number: 8489309
    Abstract: In a feedback control system in which a base gain having a constant value or a variable gain is set as a feedback gain in accordance with the state of the system and an input value is calculated based on a function having, as variables, a proportional term and an integral term, the integral term is recalculated when a discriminant value obtained by substituting a base proportional term calculated using the base gain for the proportional term and a normal integral term calculated using the feedback gain for the integral term in the function is larger than an upper limit value. The integral term is recalculated in such a way that a value obtained by substituting the base proportional term for the proportional term and the recalculated integral term for the integral term in the function becomes equal to or smaller than the upper limit value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shigeki Nakayama