Patents Examined by Thomas Denion
  • Shape memory alloy composite flexible substrates
    Patent number: 9314885
    Abstract: A programmable shape device is described. The device comprises a wire grid made from a shape memory material. The grid is embedded in a transparent polymer. Under normal conditions, the device can be folded into any shape. Upon actuation, the device reverts back to a programmed parent shape. Such a device can be made into one shape during its desired use and another shape during storage or transportation. Methods of making and using a programmable shape device are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC
    Inventors: Sung-Wei Chen, Christopher J. Rothfuss
  • Internal combustion engine
    Patent number: 9316180
    Abstract: In an exhaust gas turbocharger system for charging an engine including a compressor arrangement at a charging fluid side LL and a turbine arrangement at an exhaust gas side AG, a further compressor which is driven by a separate controllable drive and whose primary side is connected to the charging fluid side LL while its secondary side is connected to the exhaust gas side is provided for compressing charge air taken from the charging fluid side and supply it to the exhaust gas side for assisting driving the exhaust gas turbines so as to maintain them at relatively high speeds in transition periods including engine idling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: MTU FRIEDRICHSHAFEN GMBH
    Inventor: Joerg Heiermann
  • Adjustable camshaft drive
    Patent number: 9316127
    Abstract: A camshaft drive includes a drive shaft having at least one cam for actuating a valve of an internal combustion engine. A shaft-in-shaft system is disposed parallel to the drive shaft and has an inner shaft and an outer shaft each having at least one cam for actuating a valve. The outer shaft is connected to an outer shaft transmission element in a manner fixed against relative rotation. A hydraulic transmission device includes a stator, a rotor, and an intermediate member. The inner shaft is coupled to the drive shaft via the hydraulic transmission device which is operatively connected to an adjusting device and to a control device for setting a desired phase angle between the inner shaft and the outer shaft. A drive element is coupled to the drive shaft. The drive element is directly coupled both to the outer shaft transmission element and to the stator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Uwe Elfers
  • Superelastic shape memory alloy overloading and overheating protection mechanism
    Patent number: 9316212
    Abstract: An actuation assembly adapted for driving a load and protecting against overloading and overheating conditions, includes an actuator defining a stroke when exposed to an activation signal, and further includes a protection device comprising a superelastic shape memory alloy element connected in series to and cooperatively configured with the actuator, and operable to both produce a secondary work output path for the actuator and discontinue the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Alan L. Browne, Nancy L. Johnson
  • Engine unit and work vehicle
    Patent number: 9316136
    Abstract: Two sets of assemblies are arranged such that a diesel particulate filter device of an assembly as a first set, a selective catalytic reduction device of the assembly as the first set, a selective catalytic reduction device of an assembly as a second set, and a diesel particulate filter device of the assembly as the second set are located next to each other in this order. Respective first and second connection pipes are routed through a region directly underneath an arrangement region where the two selective catalytic reduction devices and the like are arranged, and connected to the respective diesel particulate filter devices. Thereby, an engine unit and a work vehicle which facilitate connection between an engine and an exhaust gas treatment structure and can reduce a load on the first and second connection pipes due to vibration can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Kobayashi, Katsuhiro Tsutsumi, Hirofumi Miyamoto
  • Housing bell with integrated pressure accumulator having a flanged cover
    Patent number: 9309790
    Abstract: A pressure accumulator for a camshaft phaser of an internal combustion engine, including a housing that accommodates a piston and forms a cavity fillable with a hydraulic fluid. The cavity is configured as a hole and is closed by a cover on at least one side so as to be fluid-tight, whereby the cover is fastened to the housing by a flanged connection. A method for the production of a pressure accumulator for a camshaft phaser, including a pressure accumulator that forms a cavity, whereby a piston is placed into the cavity, and subsequently, a cover is put in place over the cavity—sealing it off towards the outside—in such a way that a material portion of the housing or of the cover creates such a positive connection between the cover and the housing that the cover is affixed in its position relative to the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO. KG
    Inventors: Jens Hoppe, Ali Bayrakdar, Marco Meisborn
  • Exhaust system for an off-road vehicle
    Patent number: 9309800
    Abstract: An exhaust system for an off-road vehicle including an outlet port configured to release exhaust gas and an outlet stack disposed about the outlet port, in which at least a portion of the outlet stack is radially spaced from the outlet port to form a gap between the outlet stack and the outlet port. The outlet stack is configured to direct a flow of exhaust gas from the outlet port toward a distal end of the outlet stack. The exhaust system further includes an exhaust shield in close proximity or coupled to the outlet stack comprising at least one opening and an electronic control unit (ECU) disposed within the exhaust shield. The gap is configured to establish an airflow path from the at least one opening to a region of the outlet stack downstream from the outlet port, and the ECU is positioned within the airflow path between the at least one opening and the gap to facilitate cooling of the ECU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Rajeshwar R. Adupala, Daniel A. Morey, William Schroeder
  • Control device for internal combustion engine
    Patent number: 9309815
    Abstract: A control device for an internal combustion engine is provided with: a variable valve driving mechanism capable of changing a working angle of an intake valve while keeping a maximum magnitude of lift and opening timing constant; a reduction catalyst which absorbs nitrogen oxide in exhaust during lean combustion and reduces the nitrogen oxide absorbed during rich combustion; and a control unit changing, according to a load on the internal combustion engine, an amount of advance of closing of the intake valve at the time of switching to rich combustion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noriyuki Takada, Shinobu Ishiyama, Takashi Ogawa
  • Nutating fluid-mechanical energy converter
    Patent number: 9309862
    Abstract: One example of a nutating fluid-mechanical energy converter includes a stator and a rotor. The stator includes an outer cylinder having a longitudinal passage 101 and an inner guide cylinder disposed longitudinally within the outer cylinder. The inner guide cylinder and outer cylinder are concentric and define an annulus for fluid flow. A longitudinal guide is attached to an outer surface of the inner guide cylinder and extending outwardly toward an inner surface of the outer cylinder. The rotor is positioned in the annulus to be eccentric relative to the outer cylinder. The rotor has a sidewall with a guide opening to receive the longitudinal guide. Fluid flowing through the annulus imparts a torque on the rotor causing the rotor to nutate within the annulus. The nutational motion of the rotor can be converted into a rotational motion using a suitable rotary output device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Krunal Kanubhai Mehta, Ragi Lohidakshan Poyyara, Amitkumar Suresh Rawool
  • Exhaust manifold
    Patent number: 9303555
    Abstract: An exhaust manifold for at least a portion of an internal combustion engine having a defined number of combustion chambers includes a plurality of inlet ports and four outlet ports. A first pair of the four outlet ports are disposed in gas flow communication with a first subset of the plurality of inlet ports, and a second pair of the four outlet ports different from the first pair are disposed in gas flow communication with a second subset of the plurality of inlet ports different from the first subset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Ko-Jen Wu, Dustin Loveland
  • Diesel engine and transverse turbocharger
    Patent number: 9303552
    Abstract: A turbocharger is mounted on a diesel engine (e.g., a marine diesel engine), with the turbocharger's turbine axis transverse to a crankshaft axis of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jason Ozolins, Mahantesh Navalagund, Charles B. Atz, Vijayaselvan Jayakar, Senthilkumar Anandhakrishnan, Pratap Subhash Shitole
  • Cylinder valve system and method for altering valve profile
    Patent number: 9303534
    Abstract: A cylinder valve system in an engine is provided. The cylinder valve system includes a first oil pressurized bore corresponding to a cylinder valve and in fluidic communication with a control valve assembly, the control valve assembly comprising at least one hydraulic valve and a second oil pressurized bore corresponding to the cylinder valve and in fluidic communication with the control valve assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Charles Fabros
  • Methods and systems for variable displacement engine control
    Patent number: 9297348
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for selecting a group of cylinders for selective deactivation, in a variable displacement engine system, based at least on a regeneration state of an exhaust catalyst. The position of one or more valves and throttles may be adjusted based on the selective deactivation to reduce back-flow through the disabled cylinders while also maintaining conditions of a downstream exhaust catalyst. Pre-ignition and knock detection windows and thresholds may also be adjusted based on the deactivation to improve the efficiency of knock and pre-ignition detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: James Michael Kerns, Michael James Uhrich, Stephen B. Smith, Adam Nathan Banker
  • Concentric camshaft phaser flex plate
    Patent number: 9297281
    Abstract: A variable cam timing apparatus (10) and method of assembly for transmitting rotational torque between a driving rotary member (15b) and a driven rotary member (15a). The flexible coupling (14) can include an axis of rotation coinciding with, and an outer peripheral edge (14a) extending at least partially around, or completely surrounding, a common rotational axis of the driving rotary member (15b) and the driven rotary member (15a). The flexible coupling (14) including a flexible body (14b) having a plurality of apertures (14c, 14d) formed therein at angularly spaced positions relative to one another for connection therethrough with respect to the driving and the driven rotary members (15b, 15a) permitting adjustment for perpendicularity and axial misalignment, while maintaining a torsionally stiff coupling between the driving and driven rotary members (15b, 15a).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: BorgWarner, Inc.
    Inventors: James Sisson, Christopher J. Pluta
  • Power plant
    Patent number: 9297277
    Abstract: A power plant is provided and includes components for generating power from fluids at high and intermediate pressures, a pathway defined between the components along which a heated fluid flows to the one of the components for generating power from fluids at intermediate pressures and a circuit fluidly coupled to the pathway to cool a portion of the heated fluid prior to the portion of the heated fluid reaching the one of the components for generating power from fluids at intermediate pressures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Debabrata Mukhopadhyay, Abhishek Agrawal, Vishwas Kumar Pandey, Nestor Hernandez Sanchez, Donkada Santhosh
  • Cam phaser system and method
    Patent number: 9297282
    Abstract: An engine system is provided. The engine system includes a drive component coupled to a first end of a camshaft and mechanically coupled to a crankshaft and a cam phaser coupled to a second end of the camshaft and mechanically coupled to and spaced away from the drive component, the cam phaser configured to alter the timing of the camshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin Durand Byrd, Jamie Charles Hanshaw
  • Moisture separator reheater and nuclear power plant
    Patent number: 9297592
    Abstract: One embodiment of a moisture separator reheater includes: heater headers that supply the heating fluid to heat transfer tube groups for heat exchange with the steam; partition plates that guide the steam from a moisture removal section to the heat transfer tube group and then to the heat transfer tube group. The heat transfer tube groups each includes a plurality of heat transfer tubes each having a forward passage part, a backward passage part, and a bent tube part. The forward and the backward passage parts extend in a longitudinal direction of a body drum and the bent tube part connects the forward and the backward passage parts. The bent tube pipe is provided outside end plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Shogo Kurihara, Koichi Yoshimura
  • Device for monitoring the flapping and/or lag behavior of a blade of a rotorcraft rotor
    Patent number: 9284849
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a rotorcraft rotor (1) having a plurality of blades (3) movably mounted on a hub (2) via blade roots (4) that are respectively associated therewith. The rotor (1) is fitted with an information capture appliance having at least one measurement assembly (E1) comprising a flexible bar (11) interposed in engagement at its respective ends between the hub (2) and a blade root (4) that is allocated thereto. A strain gauge (7, 8) formed of a SAW transducer is implanted on the bar (11) and generates information relative to the bending of the bar (11) following tilting orientations of the blade root (4) in flapping (B) and/or in lag (T).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS
    Inventors: Christophe Perrin, Nicolas Imbert, Charles Chuc
  • Motion translating assembly and a wave energy generation system using the assembly
    Patent number: 9284940
    Abstract: A system and method for converting wave energy into electric energy in an intelligent, practical, and efficient manner. The system utilizes a power input shaft coupled with a vertically reciprocating buoy to rotate a crank gear and a ratchet gear meshing therewith. When the gears rotate, a plurality of generators coupled therewith produce electric energy. A flexible pivot device connects the power input shaft and the crank gear for absorbing impacts against the system from irregular and variable passing waves. The power input shaft is adjusted in response to water level fluctuations for maximum efficiency. A counterbalancing and maintenance device is coupled with the buoy to improve energy conversion efficiency and to uplift the buoy to a safe position in extreme conditions. An intelligent control system is included to monitor, control, and optimize the operations of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Inventor: Michael Fuquan Lee
  • Blade safety mechanism for open rotor engine system
    Patent number: 9284843
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for safely handling an undesired blade event in an open rotor engine system. In one illustrative embodiment, an occurrence of an undesired blade event in an open rotor engine system is detected. Electrical energy is allowed to flow into a conductor embedded in the blade in response to the undesired blade event. The conductor is vaporized when the electrical energy flowing through the conductor heats the conductor to a temperature above a selected threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventor: William John Koch, IV