Patents Examined by Tea Holbrook
  • Patent number: 10024295
    Abstract: An ignition timing control device has a knocking detection unit and an ignition timing adjustment unit. In a condition that the operation state of the internal combustion engine is suitable for adjustment of the ignition timing, the ignition timing control device outputs to an igniter an adjusted ignition signal as adjusted (corrected) by an adjusted ignition timing determination process. The ignition timing control device outputs to the igniter a reference ignition signal as it is outputted from an internal combustion engine control unit without adjustment (correction) in a condition that the operation state of the internal combustion engine is not suitable for adjustment of the ignition timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Isao Suzuki, Koji Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10018156
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for assessing the quality of water in a water injection system using existing engine sensors. A change in manifold charge temperature following a water injection may be compared to a change in intake oxygen level to determine an error between an amount of water delivered to the engine and an amount of water actually used in the engine. The error may be correlated with the water quality and used for correcting subsequent water injection commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael McQuillen, Daniel A. Makled, Mohannad Hakeem, Gopichandra Surnilla
  • Patent number: 9995192
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a crankcase ventilation device for a vehicle and, more specifically, to a crankcase ventilation device for a vehicle, which: prevents a back flow of blow-by gas to a new air inflow valve according to a rise in pressure and a rise in a flow rate inside a crankcase; prevents deterioration in the inside of an engine due to unburned fuel contained in the blow-by gas and minute particles of engine oil, generation of sludge, and an engine failure; and minimizes contamination of an intake system by providing a new air inflow control valve having a nozzle and a diaphragm, so as to block a back flow of the blow-by gas to a new air inflow hose due to an excessive rise in pressure inside the crankcase during a process for re-circulating and re-burning the blow-by gas discharged from the crankcase of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Hyuk Jin Kang
  • Patent number: 9988964
    Abstract: An ebullient cooling device includes: an internal combustion engine cooled by boiling a coolant flowing through a coolant passage formed within the internal combustion engine; a gas-liquid separator that separates a coolant discharged from the internal combustion engine into a liquid-phase coolant and a gas-phase coolant; a condenser that is disposed on a downstream side of the expander, and cools the gas-phase coolant having passed through the expander so as to be changed into a liquid-phase coolant; a first passage that supplies the liquid-phase coolant from the condenser to the coolant passage formed within the internal combustion engine; a second passage that is branched from the first passage, and is connected to the gas-liquid separator; and a control valve that controls a supply state of a liquid-phase coolant supplied to the gas-liquid separator from the condenser through the second passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masahiro Sato
  • Patent number: 9976471
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for expediting warm up of an internal combustion engine cylinder block and engine oil utilizing an existing oil coolant circuit. A method for warming up an internal combustion engine with at least one cylinder, a cylinder block which is formed by an upper crankcase half mounted to a lower crankcase half, said lower crankcase half containing an oil sump which is fed, via a supply line, by a coolant jacket, an inlet side of said coolant jacket supplied in turn with oil via the oil sump by an oil pump, the method comprising: releasing oil from the coolant jacket via gravity to reduce a cooling capacity of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jan Mehring, Moritz Klaus Springer, Bernd Steiner, Thomas Lorenz
  • Patent number: 9957947
    Abstract: A method for introducing microwave energy into a combustion chamber of a reciprocating internal combustion engine with at least one cylinder with a cylinder head in which the microwaves reach the combustion chamber through a microwave window, wherein the microwaves are run about a circumference of the combustion chamber and radially injected into the combustion chamber through at least a portion of a combustion chamber wall functioning as a microwave window. The method and the internal combustion engine facilitate a precise control of a beginning of a space ignition of a fuel air mix in the combustion chamber so that an optimum low emission combustion of a fuel is achieved with an efficiency that is higher compared to conventional reciprocating piston combustion engines. In general the invention provides safe ignition of lean fuel air mixtures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: MWI Micro Wave Ignition AG
    Inventors: Armin Gallatz, Volker Gallatz
  • Patent number: 9945317
    Abstract: When a main injection is performed, a first timing that is a time earlier than a second timing is selected as the valve opening starting timing, and a first period that is the period of time shorter than a second period is selected as the control period. Also, when a pilot injection is performed, the second timing that is the time later than the first timing is selected as the valve opening starting timing, and the second period that is the time longer than the first period is selected as the control period. Thus, in an injector with increased valve opening responsiveness, the valve opening behavior of a control valve of the injector in fuel injection with a minute injection quantity can be stabilized without replacing a control device, particularly an EDU with that of a large current specification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Motoya Kanbara, Daiji Ueda
  • Patent number: 9938942
    Abstract: A fuel supply system includes a fuel pump having a bottom inlet end configured to pick up fuel and a top discharge end configured to discharge fuel at a pressure higher than that of the inlet end. A housing defines a pressure vessel in fluid communication with the discharge end of the fuel pump. The fuel pump is secured with respect to the housing so that the pressure vessel is laterally adjacent the fuel pump and the pressure vessel and the fuel pump have overlapping heights. Exactly one check valve is positioned between the discharge end of the fuel pump and the pressure vessel, and the check valve is spaced laterally away from the discharge end of the fuel pump at an inlet to the pressure vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Paul Mason, Hans-Peter Braun
  • Patent number: 9932891
    Abstract: An engine system 10A is characterized by having a first electrolyzing device 11A for electrolyzing water into hydrogen and oxygen, an engine 12 which runs on the combustion of a mixed gas of the hydrogen and oxygen generated by the first electrolyzing device 11A, a battery 14 for storing electricity, a boosting coil 16 for boosting the voltage of electricity stored in the battery and supplying the boosted high-voltage electricity to the first electrolyzing device 11A and ignition plugs of the engine 12, and an alternator 15 for generating electricity from the running of the engine and supplying the generated electricity to the battery 14. The engine system can be driven by simply replenishing water without requiring construction of refilling stands or replacement of tanks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: YUTAKASHOJI CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazunori Tsurumi
  • Patent number: 9932924
    Abstract: A blow-by gas returning (BGV) apparatus includes a blow-by gas storage unit, a throttle device placed in an intake passage, a BGV passage for allowing blow-by gas to flow to the intake passage downstream of the throttle device for recirculation, and a PCV valve for regulating a flow rate of blow-by gas. An abnormality diagnosis device includes an air flow meter to detect an intake amount in the intake passage upstream of the throttle device and an electronic control unit (ECU) for diagnosis. The ECU controls the PCV valve to a first opening degree and a second opening degree when an engine is during deceleration fuel cut, and diagnoses abnormality of the BGV apparatus based on a first intake amount detected under control with the first opening degree and a second intake amount detected under control with the second opening degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: AISAN KOBYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mamoru Yoshioka, Shinji Kawai, Makoto Fukui, Kasumi Mishima, Hirokazu Tashita, Tsutomu Kuniyoshi, Kensuke Hiroi
  • Patent number: 9920665
    Abstract: A control method using a continuous variable duration apparatus provided to adjust opening duration of an intake valve of an engine may include: setting a desired deceleration speed when a vehicle starts decelerating, determining a pumping loss by the engine that is required for the desired deceleration speed, setting desired duration for the required pumping loss by the engine, and controlling duration of the intake valve on the basis of the set desired duration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Kiyoung Kwon, Ingee Suh, Kyoung Pyo Ha, In Sang Ryu, Back Sik Kim
  • Patent number: 9920662
    Abstract: A cam cap is placed on a journal of a camshaft attached to a sprocket to constitute a bearing supporting the journal. The cam cap includes an accommodating groove in which a thrust plate provided on the journal is accommodated, an oil passage having an opening at a position facing a camshaft oil groove of the journal, the oil passage communicating with the accommodating groove, and an oil reservoir provided in a first sidewall of the accommodating groove. The cam cap is placed on the journal such that the accommodating groove is located at a position closer to the sprocket than is the opening of the oil passage. When the thrust plate is accommodated in the accommodating groove, the oil passage and the oil reservoir communicate with each other at a position outward of an outer peripheral edge of the thrust plate in a radial direction of the thrust plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshio Musha
  • Patent number: 9920787
    Abstract: A connecting rod (10) has a big end bearing eye (11) for attachment to a crankshaft, a small end bearing eye (12) for attachment to a piston, and an eccentric adjusting device (13) for adjusting an effective connecting rod length. The eccentric adjusting device (13) has eccentric rods (15, 16) that engage on an eccentric lever (14), an eccentric (36) that is guided in an aperture in the eccentric lever (14) and in the small end bearing eye (12) and an aperture for accommodating a piston pin (37). Lubricating oil bores (38, 39) are introduced into the small end bearing eye (12) via which a lubricating oil film can be built up between the small end bearing eye (12) and the eccentric (36). The small end bearing eye (12) has a larger radial wall thickness in those regions in which the lubricating oil bores (38, 39).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: DR. ING. H.C.F. PORSCHE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Michael Paul
  • Patent number: 9920682
    Abstract: Water-temperature sensors for detection of temperature of cooling water 12 having passed through an engine 1 are increased in number into two (18 and 19). A controller 20 is provided to confirm that each of detection values of the water-temperature sensors 18 and 19 is within a normal range and then employ either of the detection values as temperature of the cooling water 12. The controller 20 is configured such that, when either of the detection values of the water-temperature sensors 18 and 19 is out of the normal range, the remaining detection value within the normal range is employed as temperature of the cooling water 12.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: HINO MOTORS, LTD.
    Inventor: Takayuki Nishi
  • Patent number: 9915216
    Abstract: A method for ascertaining the absolute fuel injection quantity of the injectors of an internal combustion engine including a cylinder number, the average absolute total injection quantity of the injectors being ascertained based on a run-up test in which all cylinders of the engine are active, recorded measurement data, and a predetermined engine-specific factor which is proportional to the moment of inertia of the engine when all cylinders are active, and the measurement data being essentially suited for describing the chronological progression of the engine speed during the run-up test, in particular a reached maximum engine speed, a first rate of change of the engine speed during the run-up with active injection, a second rate of change of the engine speed with inactive injection, and an idling speed of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventor: Christian Horn
  • Patent number: 9903239
    Abstract: An engine includes: a block defining a cylinder bore; a crankshaft mounted for rotation in the block; a piston disposed in the cylinder bore; a connecting rod interconnecting the piston to the crankshaft; and a cylinder head coupled to the block and including: a combustion chamber aligned with the cylinder bore and having an intake opening and an exhaust opening communicating therewith; an intake port; an exhaust port; a rotatable inlet valve barrel disposed between the intake opening and the intake port and having a first diameter; and a rotatable exhaust valve barrel disposed between the exhaust opening and the exhaust port and having a second diameter different from the first diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: VAZTEC ENGINE VENTURE, LLC
    Inventors: Darrick Vaseleniuck, David Vaseleniuck
  • Patent number: 9897021
    Abstract: A system includes a combustion engine having an intake manifold and an exhaust manifold, an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system coupled to the combustion engine and configured to route exhaust generated by the combustion engine from the exhaust manifold to the intake manifold, and a first knock sensor coupled to the combustion engine and configured to measure vibrations of the combustion engine and output a first vibration signal. The system also includes a controller communicatively coupled to the combustion engine, the knock sensor, the EGR system, or any combination thereof. The controller is configured to determine a peak firing pressure (PFP) within the combustion engine and control operations of both the combustion engine and the EGR system based on the PFP.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Jeffrey Jacob Bizub, Dhruval Bhatt
  • Patent number: 9885265
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine crankcase ventilation rotating coalescer includes an annual rotating coalescing filter element, an inlet port supplying blow by gas from the crankcase to the hollow interior of the annular rotating coalescing filter element, and an outlet port delivering clean separated, air from the exterior of the rotating element. The direction of flow by gas inside-out, radially, outwardly from the hollow interior to the exterior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Cummins Filtration IP Inc.
    Inventors: Brian W. Schwandt, Scott P. Heckel, Saru Dawar, Chirag D. Parikh, Christopher E. Holm, Peter K. Herman, Gregory W. Hoverson, Rohit Sharma, Benoit Le Roux, Jean-Luc Guichaoua, Shiming Feng, Gerard Malgorn, Arun Janakiraman, Jerald J. Moy, Himani Deshpande, Barry M. Verdegan, Howard E. Tews, Roger L. Zoch
  • Patent number: 9884361
    Abstract: A method for producing a shaft, in particular a balance shaft, crankshaft and the like, having at least one substantially annular bearing seat and at least one unbalance portion. The method includes the steps: provision of a shaft blank; formation of the at least one unbalance portion and of at least two opposite bearing seat side members by a forming process; and deformation of the at least two opposite bearing seat side members by a shell tool such that the bearing seat side members are bent together, whereby the at least one substantially annular bearing seat is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Hirschvogel Umformtechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Hans-Juergen Britzger
  • Patent number: 9856846
    Abstract: Provided is a system of carrying out engagement of a pinion and a ring gear at optimal timing and suppressing a bite-in sound, in a vehicle including an idle stop system. In a vehicle control device including an automatic stop unit which automatically stops an engine on the basis of an operating state of a vehicle; an automatic start unit which controls a starter during a period until the engine completely stops after the automatic stop unit executes the automatic stop of the engine, and restarts the engine; and an engine rotation detection unit which detects or operates a crank phase or a rotation number of the engine, the automatic start unit determines a control command of the starter at an interval shorter than an update interval of a signal of the engine rotation detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Matsufuji, Toshio Hori, Koji Onishi, Yoshiaki Nagasawa, Shigenori Nakazato