Patents Examined by Thomas Moulis
  • Patent number: 10006398
    Abstract: A control system for a multiple fuel internal combustion engine on a vehicle in a fleet of vehicles may include at least one gas analyzer configured to monitor real-time characteristics of gaseous fuel being supplied to the engine, a fleet management data monitoring module, and a cylinder pressure sensor associated with each cylinder of the engine. The control system may further include a data collection module configured to receive real-time fuel characteristics measurements from the gas analyzer, fleet data characteristic of one or more operational parameters, fuel usage, and performance results for vehicles in the fleet, and cylinder pressure measurements from each of the cylinder pressure sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Nathan P. Atterberry, Matthew J. Engfehr
  • Patent number: 10001099
    Abstract: A high-pressure pump arrangement for a combustion engine comprises a high-pressure pump with the first flange, a pump guidance with a second flange. The high-pressure pump is at least partially arranged in the pump guidance and the pump guidance is arranged in the combustion chamber. A first thermally insulating layer is at least partially arranged between the first flange and the second flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR EUROPE TECHNICAL CENTER GMBH, HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Stephan Fitzner
  • Patent number: 10001103
    Abstract: The present disclosure teaches a system for starting an engine in which at least two starter assemblies are employed to crank a ring gear of an engine. At least one of the starter assemblies has a “smart relay” configured with an auto-retry function that detects abutment and corrects it by powering the solenoid off and then on again. Advantageously, multiple starter assemblies can be in electrical communication with one another so that click-no-crank events in the starter assemblies can be corrected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: BORGWARNER, INC.
    Inventor: Michael E. Kirk
  • Patent number: 9995203
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes an engine block having a cylinder bore and a cylinder head having a flame deck surface disposed at one end of the cylinder bore. A piston connected to a rotatable crankshaft and configured to reciprocate within the cylinder bore has a piston crown portion facing the flame deck surface such that a combustion chamber is defined within the cylinder bore and between the piston crown and the flame deck surface. A fuel injector having a nozzle tip disposed in fluid communication with the combustion chamber has at least one nozzle opening configured to inject a fuel jet into the combustion chamber along a fuel jet centerline. At least one arcuate indent is formed in the top surface in aligned fashion with the fuel jet and including an entry surface, a recirculation surface and a wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Bobby John, Jonathan W. Anders, Kerry A. Delvecchio
  • Patent number: 9989025
    Abstract: A distal end portion of an injector is fitted into a mounting member. A fuel joint having a connecting pipe portion is connected to a proximal portion of the injector. A joint pressing member which restricts the displacement of the fuel joint in the direction away from the mounting member is fixed by fastening to the mounting member. The injector is fixed to the mounting member by restricting the displacement of the fuel joint by the joint pressing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yusaburo Tani
  • Patent number: 9982623
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for preventing overflow of fuel from a vehicle fuel tank are provided may prevent liquid fuel from overflowing into a canister by for a predetermined time storing liquid fuel, which overflows from a fuel tank through a vent valve while the vehicle is traveling, in a fuel overflow prevention chamber, and by returning the fuel in the fuel overflow prevention chamber to the fuel tank by driving a fuel pump in a reverse direction when an engine is turned off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Keun Soo Kim, June Young Park, Chang Jun Park, Seung Kyun Lee, Chang Han Park
  • Patent number: 9976502
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adjusting an amount of water injected upstream of a group of cylinders based on a determined maldistribution of water among cylinders during a water injection event. In one example, a method may include injecting a first amount of water upstream of a first group of cylinders and a different, second amount of water upstream of a second group of cylinders based on operating conditions of the respective cylinder groups. Further, the method may include adjusting water injection and engine operating parameters in response the evaporated and/or condensed portion of water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mohannad Hakeem, Gopichandra Surnilla, Christopher House, Michael Howard Shelby, Joseph Norman Ulrey
  • Patent number: 9964062
    Abstract: A first test injection of a fuel injector is performed with a first test Energizing Time and the actual fuel quantity injected is measured to obtain a first point of a characteristic curve representing a relationship between the injector Energizing Time and the fuel quantity which is actually injected. A ratio between the actual fuel quantity injected and a nominal fuel quantity corresponding to the first test Energizing Time is calculated and used to determine a plurality of corrected Energizing Times for subsequent test injections. The subsequent test injections are performed using the corrected Energizing Times and the actual fuel quantity that has been injected during each one of the subsequent test injections is measured to obtain further points of the characteristic curve. The characteristic curve of the fuel injector is modeled based on the obtained further points and used to control the operation of the fuel injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Angelo Cancellieri, Paul Leonardo Claude
  • Patent number: 9964051
    Abstract: In various described embodiments skip fire control is used to deliver a desired engine output. A controller determines a skip fire firing fraction and (as appropriate) associated engine settings that are suitable for delivering a requested output. In one aspect, the skip fire controller is arranged to select a base firing fraction that has a repeating firing cycle length that will repeat at least a designated number of times per second at the current engine speed. Such an arrangement can be helpful in reducing the occurrence of undesirable vibrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Tula Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Mohammad R. Pirjaberi, Adya S. Tripathi, Louis J. Serrano
  • Patent number: 9957879
    Abstract: A heat exchanger includes: a first flow passage for an engine coolant; a second flow passage for an engine oil; a third flow passage for a transmission oil; and plural plates that partition the first, the second and the third flow passage. The first flow passage is configured to allow the engine coolant to be heat-exchanged with both the engine oil and the transmission oil via the plates. The second flow passage is arranged in the same layer with the third flow passage. The first flow passage is arranged in a different layer from the layer of the second and the third flow passage. The third flow passage is disposed on an upstream side and second flow passage is disposed on a downstream side in a flow direction of the engine coolant in the first flow passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Daisuke Tokozakura, Kazuya Arakawa, Takahiro Shiina
  • Patent number: 9951711
    Abstract: A control device for an engine includes an angular velocity detecting unit that detects the angular velocity of a rotating shaft which is driven according to an output of an engine, an angular acceleration calculating unit that calculates angular acceleration based on the angular velocity detected by the angular velocity detecting unit, a heat generation timing calculating unit that calculates a certain timing when the ratio of an amount of heat generation in a cylinder to the total amount of heat generation of one cycle falls in a predetermined range, based on a change of the angular acceleration calculated by the angular acceleration calculating unit, and a combustion control unit that controls combustion in the cylinder by comparison between the certain timing calculated by the heat generation timing calculating unit and a predetermined heat generation timing reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuo Kurata, Jun Akasegawa, Koji Satake, Tetsuro Ishida
  • Patent number: 9951738
    Abstract: This invention provides a computer implemented method which allows the driver to request engine shut down and engine and restarts the engine of a motor vehicle by changing driver brake pedal force, that is, the force which the driver applies to the brake pedal, after the vehicle has stopped. After the vehicle has stopped, changes in the driver brake pedal force are compared to threshold values to determine if the driver is requesting an engine stop or an engine start.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Voyomotive, LLC
    Inventors: Peter Yorke, Robert Vogt, IV, Adam Sloan
  • Patent number: 9951678
    Abstract: An intake air control device includes: an intake air flow channel that includes an air flow pipe furcated into multiple branch flow channels that communicate with the same combustion chamber; an intake air valve provided to the air flow pipe to adjust an opening degree of the air flow pipe in accordance with a rotation angle thereof; a swirl valve provided to any one of the multiple branch flow channels to adjust an opening degree of the branch flow channel in accordance with a rotation angle thereof; and a cam plate that is rotatable and has a first cam slot. The intake air valve has a first protrusion inserted in the first cam slot. The first cam slot has a first rotation section within which the first protrusion slides and rotates about the rotational shaft of the intake air valve in response to rotation of the cam plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Jin Ha Kim, Seung Jae Kang
  • Patent number: 9945337
    Abstract: A piezo injector for direct fuel injection may comprise an injector body, an actuator unit having a piezoelectric actuator with a head plate and a base plate, a hydraulic coupler having a coupler piston, a coupler cylinder, and a coupler spring, and a nozzle unit having a nozzle needle arranged in a nozzle body. The piezoelectric actuator is surrounded by a corrugated tube braced between the head plate and the base plate such that the piezoelectric actuator has a preload imparted to it. The coupler spring forces the coupler piston against a face side, facing toward the coupler piston, of the nozzle needle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventor: Willibald Schuerz
  • Patent number: 9945285
    Abstract: An air-pressure booster includes a tube, an indirect flow pass and a direct flow pass respectively formed inside the tube. A tapered neck is formed on one end of the tube and connects to an air output nozzle which is connected to an engine. When the engine is working, air passes through the indirect flow pass and the direct flow pass. The air rates respectively generated from the indirect flow pass and the direct flow pass are different and form a whirlpool inside the tapered neck, outputting an enhanced air force and pressure. Therefore, the air-pressure booster could increase efficiency of fuel use and could reduce oil consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Inventor: San-Chun Meng
  • Patent number: 9945306
    Abstract: There is provided an art of performing correction of a coefficient in a model calculation formula of an intake valve model that is applied to an internal combustion engine including a turbocharger, in a wide engine operation region. An amendment value ? of a map value a in a correction value calculating operation region is calculated (step 10), and a straight line expressing a relation of a turbocharging pressure Pcmp and a cylinder air filling rate KL is calculated (step S14). A point (Pcmpn, KLn) on the calculated straight line is specified (step S16), and correction of the map value a is performed (step S18). Thereby, a correction value a? of the map value a in an operation region that differs in the turbocharging pressure Pcmp from the correction value calculating operation region is calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru Tanaka, Ryutaro Moriguchi
  • Patent number: 9938954
    Abstract: An ECU outputs an ignition signal Si to an ignition apparatus through an ignition communication line, and outputs a discharge waveform control signal Sc with a logic H through a waveform control communication line. The ignition apparatus performs the closing operation of an ignition switching element, in a period during which the ignition signal Si is input. In an input period of the discharge waveform control signal Sc after stopping the input of the ignition signal Si, the ignition apparatus controls the electric current to flow through a primary coil, by the opening-closing operation of a control switching element. When the voltage of the waveform control communication line Lc is the logic H in an output stop period of the discharge waveform control signal Sc, the ECU determines that the waveform control communication line is abnormal, and executes a fail-safe process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Satoshi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9938943
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for dispensing a liquid additive into a fuel circulation circuit (2) for an internal combustion engine, in particular for an engine equipping a vehicle, said device comprising: a tank (26) containing the additive, an enclosure (24) communicating with the fuel circulation circuit (2) and inside which the tank (26) containing the additive is inserted, means for injecting additive connected to the tank (26) and the fuel circulation circuit (2) and making it possible to dispense the additive in the fuel circulation circuit (2), and control means for controlling the injection means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignees: RHODIA OPERATIONS, FILTRAUTO
    Inventors: Virginie Harle, Michael Lallemand, Thierry Seguelong, Guy Monsallier
  • Patent number: 9932954
    Abstract: An ignition device for engine according to the present invention performs continuous spark discharge of an ignition plug by using a multiplex signal, an integration signal or a control signal. In the multiplex signal, discharge continuous signals IGW#1 to 4 for cylinders of the engine have been multiplexed. In the integration signal, a discharge continuous signal IGW and a secondary current instruction signal IGA have been added to an ignition signal IGT. In the control signal, the secondary current instruction signal IGA has been added into the multiplex signal or the integration signal. This structure can reduce the total number of signal lines connected between an ECU and a controller, and further reduce a signal line to transmit the secondary current instruction signal IGA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naohisa Nakamura, Hisaharu Morita, Kouji Andoh, Shunichi Takeda
  • Patent number: 9933334
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes an engine control system configured to control an engine. The engine control system comprises a processor configured to receive a vibration signal sensed by a knock sensor disposed in an engine, and to receive a crankshaft signal sensed by a crank angle sensor disposed in the engine, wherein the crankshaft signal is representative of an engine crank angle. The processor is further configured to monitor a valve timing by deriving a cylinder head acceleration measurement via the vibration signal received by the knock sensor, wherein the processor is configured to monitor the valve timing by deriving a valve lash based on the vibration signal, the engine crank angle, and a threshold valve lash model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Sandro Rivellini