Patents Examined by Thomas N. Moulis
  • Patent number: 7931011
    Abstract: A high-pressure fuel supply circuit, which supplies fuel in a fuel tank to injectors of an internal combustion engine, may includes a fuel pump that is employed so as to feed the fuel in the fuel tank with pressure to the injector, wherein one or more fuel pumps may be employed so as to improve a compression ratio of the fuel; a separator provided with a selective check valve so as to separate air from the fuel supplied by the fuel pump; and an injection pump receiving the fuel from the separator, compressing it, and feeding it with pressure to the injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Bong Sang Lee
  • Patent number: 7931010
    Abstract: A fuel supply system for a boat prevents deterioration in engine startability and includes a vapor separator tank arranged to contain fuel at an inner fuel level “P” at a predetermined height, an injector arranged to supply fuel to an engine, and a high-pressure fuel pump that is disposed outside the vapor separator tank and that is arranged to supply the fuel reserved in the vapor separator tank to the injector. The high-pressure fuel pump includes a negative pressure generating portion arranged to generate negative pressure when the high-pressure fuel pump draws fuel, the negative pressure generating portion being positioned lower than the fuel level “P” in the vapor separator tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiko Kato, Yoshiyuki Kadobayashi
  • Patent number: 7931007
    Abstract: The fuel-injection device is characterized by an especially low-noise design. The fuel-injection device includes at least one fuel injector and a fuel rail having at least one pipe connection, the fuel injector being introduced into a receiving bore of the pipe connection, and the fuel rail having a discharge opening to supply fuel to the fuel injector. Provided between the fuel injector and the fuel rail is a pressure-wave guide connecting both, in such a way such that dynamic pressure fluctuations in the fuel injector are able to be routed largely past the volume of the receiving bore of the pipe connection. The fuel-injection device is especially suitable for the direct injection of fuel into a combustion chamber of a mixture-compressing internal combustion engine having external ignition, but it is also suitable for the injection of fuel into an intake manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Fischer, Ulrich Fischer, Peter Lang
  • Patent number: 7926469
    Abstract: This fuel injector assembly (1) is used to inject fuel into a combustion chamber (52) of an engine. It comprises a needle control unit (14) adapted to actuate a needle (15) to deliver fuel to the chamber (52), an amplifier unit (13) adapted to increase the pressure of a quantity of fuel coming from an accumulator (3) of fuel under pressure and a cam (4) driven feeder unit (12) adapted to feed the accumulator (3) with fuel under pressure. No external pump is needed to feed the accumulator (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Renault Trucks
    Inventors: Guillaume Millet, Mourad Hedna
  • Patent number: 7926473
    Abstract: An air supply system for a reciprocating internal combustion engine includes an air inlet and a mixing volute for receiving charge air from the air inlet. The mixing volute is configured to impart swirl in a first direction to charge air passing from the air inlet and into the volute. An EGR injector introduces exhaust gas into charge air passing through the mixing volute, with the EGR injector being configured to impart swirl in a direction which is opposite to the swirl produced by the mixing volute. This causes the EGR gases and the charge air to become thoroughly mixed within a very short path length through the mixing volute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies
    Inventors: David Currie, Ivan Lazich
  • Patent number: 7926470
    Abstract: A relief valve is provided for use with a fuel system. The relief valve may have a housing forming an inlet, an outlet, and a central bore fluidly connecting the inlet to the outlet. The relief valve may also have a valve element disposed within the central bore of the housing and being configured to move between a flow-passing position and a flow-blocking position. The valve element may have a passageway continuously communicating the inlet of the housing with the outlet of the housing. The relief valve may also have a resilient member situated to bias the valve element toward the flow-blocking position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Donald J. Lockridge, Aaron C. Luft
  • Patent number: 7921827
    Abstract: To provide an accumulator fuel injection device, so as to stabilize the operation of a pressure control valve for controlling a fuel pressure in an accumulator. The accumulator fuel injection device includes a pressure control valve 6 for controlling the fuel pressure in the accumulator by moving an armature 13 in an armature chamber 22 and by adjusting escaped volumes of the fuels from the accumulator 2 due to a valving element 11 formed integral with the armature 13 in a control chamber 21 introducing the fuels in the accumulator 2. A means for attenuating the pressure transmitted from the accumulator 2 to the valve seat 10 is provided in the valve seat 10 disposed between the control chamber 21 and the accumulator 2 of the pressure control valve 6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Yanmar Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobu Kobayashi, Hajimu Imanaka, Mitsuyoshi Kawarabayashi
  • Patent number: 7925418
    Abstract: Various systems and methods are described for operating an engine in a vehicle in response to fuel having varying amounts of alcohol. One example method comprises delivering fuel to the engine, limiting engine speed during vehicle operation to a maximum permitted engine speed, the maximum permitted engine speed responsive to the amount of alcohol in the fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Phil Andrew Fabien
  • Patent number: 7921826
    Abstract: To make it possible to pump a fuel from a supply pump into an accumulator, even when a pressure control means provided with a pressurized fuel pathway is out of action. In a fuel supply system of an engine, which is provided with pressure control means controlling a fuel pressure in an accumulator, on the pressurized fuel pathway delivering the fuel from a feed pump via a supply pump having a plurality of plungers into the accumulator, at least one pressurized fuel pathway is not provided with the pressure control means and the other pressurized fuel pathways are provided with the pressure control means, out of the plurality of pressurized fuel pathways delivering the fuel from the feed pump via plurality of plungers into the accumulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Yanmar Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobu Kobayashi, Hajimu Imanaka, Mitsuyoshi Kawarabayashi
  • Patent number: 7918128
    Abstract: A fuel injector for an internal combustion engine is provided. The fuel injector is equipped with a fuel pressure sensor, a sensor circuit such as an amplifier, and a valve actuator such as a piezoelectric actuator. The fuel injector also includes a conductive shield which is disposed between the sensor circuit and actuator drive terminals to supply electric power to the actuator and works to shield the sensor circuit from electric noises arising from the drive terminals, thereby minimizing the addition of the noises to an output of the fuel pressure sensor, as being processed in the sensor circuit, and ensuring the accuracy in determining the pressure of fuel based on the output of the fuel pressure sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Kondo, Tooru Taguchi, Fumiaki Arikawa
  • Patent number: 7918209
    Abstract: A coupling arrangement for coupling an injection valve to a cylinder head of a combustion engine has a housing with a central longitudinal axis coupled to a fuel rail at a first axial end area and to a valve body at a second axial end area of the housing, and the valve body being arranged at the central longitudinal axis having at least one first protrusion arranged facing a second axial end area of a first ring element. Furthermore, the first ring element is arranged at least partly circumferentially the valve body at the first protrusion, wherein at a first axial end area of the first ring element the first ring element is in contact with the housing at the second axial end area and at the second axial end area the first ring element rests on the cylinder head. The first ring element has a plastic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Gianbattista Fischetti, Mauro Grandi, Matteo Soriani
  • Patent number: 7918208
    Abstract: A movable portion is movable from a closed position, in which the movable portion is in contact with a valve element, to an opened position so as to supply fuel from a fuel portion to a compression chamber through a fuel passage. A drive control unit supplies of a small driving current, which is sufficient to maintain the movable portion at the closed position, to a coil portion so as to move the movable portion from the opened position to the closed position. The drive control unit switches the supply of the small driving current to supply of the large driving current in the course of the movement of the movable portion to the closed position by supplying the small driving current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Hasegawa, Masahiro Yokoi, Yoshihito Suzuki, Kaoru Oda
  • Patent number: 7913670
    Abstract: A fuel delivery system includes a fuel tank having at least a main chamber. A reservoir is disposed in the main chamber. A fuel pump and venturi jet structure are provided in the reservoir. The venturi jet structure includes a jet inlet having a nozzle for receiving fuel from the fuel pump. A fuel inlet tube structure has a first end associated with the nozzle and a second end extending into a portion of the fuel tank. A mixing tube is in communication with, and downstream of, the jet inlet and the fuel inlet tube structure. An outlet is in communication with, and downstream of, the mixing tube. A length of the fuel inlet tube structure is greater than a length of the outlet, and the mixing tube is mounted so that an axis thereof is generally horizontal ±39.90 degrees with respect to the bottom surface of the reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems US, Inc.
    Inventor: Raymond Holtz
  • Patent number: 7905206
    Abstract: A control system for an engine having a cylinder is disclosed having an engine valve configured to affect a fluid flow of the cylinder, an actuator configured to move the engine valve, and an in-cylinder sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a characteristic of fuel entering the cylinder. The control system also has a controller in communication with the actuator and the sensor. The controller is configured to determine the characteristic of the fuel based on the signal and selectively regulate the actuator to adjust a timing of the engine valve based on the characteristic of the fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc
    Inventors: Martin L. Willi, Scott B. Fiveland, David T. Montgomery, Weidong Gong
  • Patent number: 7905215
    Abstract: A fuel supply apparatus includes a movable unit, a coil, a drive circuit portion, and a drive control portion. The drive circuit portion energizes the coil with a drive electric current of a first value such that the movable unit is displaced from an opening-side position to a closing-side position. The drive circuit portion energizes the coil with the drive electric current of a second value that is smaller than the first value such that the movable unit is held at the closing-side position. The drive control portion controls the drive circuit portion to change the drive electric current from the first value to the second value while the movable unit is being displaced toward the closing-side position based on energization of the coil with the drive electric current of the first value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihito Suzuki, Tsutomu Furuhashi, Masahiro Yokoi, Jun Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 7905216
    Abstract: To provide a common rail that can prevent stress concentration from arising locally with respect to intersecting portions between a flow path and branching paths and can prevent damage such as cracks. A common rail that is used in a fuel injection system of an internal combustion engine comprises: a rail body portion that includes inside of itself a flow path along an axial direction; and branching pipe portions that are arrayed along the axial direction of the rail body portion, project from and are molded integrally with the rail body portion, and each of which includes inside of itself a branching path that branches from the flow path, wherein edges of inlets of the branching paths at intersecting portions between the flow path and the branching paths are chamfered, and, of the edges, the radius of curvature of the edges in the axial direction of the rail body portion is larger than the radius of curvature of the edges in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the rail body portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Bosch Corporation
    Inventors: Yozo Kutsukake, Ryomei Yawata, Kenichi Kubo, Shogo Yarita, Kiyoshi Tateda
  • Patent number: 7900608
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for monitoring reverse flow of fuel vapors and/or air through a vehicle fuel vapor recovery system, said fuel vapor recovery system coupled to an engine intake of a boosted internal combustion engine. One example method comprises, during boost, when the fuel vapor recovery system is commanded to be sealed from the intake, indicating degradation based on a pressure value at a venturi in the fuel vapor recovery system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mark William Peters, Richard Shimon, Robert Roy Jentz, Scott Bohr, Ross Dykstra Pursifull
  • Patent number: 7900607
    Abstract: A fuel vapor storage and recovery apparatus includes a fuel vapor storage canister, said fuel vapor storage canister comprising at least first and second vapor storage compartments filled with an absorbent material, for instance filled with activated carbon, at least a vapor inlet port, an atmospheric vent port and a purge port. Said fuel vapor storage canister defines an air flow path between said vapor inlet port and said atmospheric vent port during shut-off of the internal combustion engine of the vehicle. During purging cycles there is defined an air flow path between said atmospheric vent port and said purge port wherein said first and second vapor storage compartments are arranged in concentric relationship and wherein said first and second vapor storage compartments in flow direction are separated from each other by an air gap diffusion barrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Kautex Textron GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Tobias Lang, Piers Catton, Ulrich Karsch, Tho Truong Huynh
  • Patent number: 7900602
    Abstract: An embodiment of a direct injection assembly of the common-rail type provided with a fuel tank, a manifold, a high-pressure pump for feeding the fuel to the manifold, a low-pressure pump provided with an intake pipe and connected to the high-pressure pump by means of the intake pipe to feed the fuel taken from the tank to the high-pressure pump; and a shut-off valve of the ON/OFF type which is arranged along the intake pipe to adjust the delivery of the fuel fed to the high-pressure pump; and a pressure regulator, which is arranged along the intake pipe immediately upstream of the shut-off valve to keep the pressure of the fuel inside the intake pipe under a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Magneti Marelli S.p.A.
    Inventors: Michele Petrone, Pasquale Dragone, Massimo Mattioli, Daniele De Vita, Andrea Cobianchi
  • Patent number: 7900616
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes an exhaust system, an oxygen sensor in the exhaust system and a sensor malfunction monitor. The sensor malfunction monitor measures a rate of change of a signal from the sensor on detecting a turning point of the signal and detects a malfunction when a rate of change of the signal exceeds a threshold. Alternatively, the sensor malfunction monitor measures a response time interval starting from a point in time at which a diagnostic function begins to force an air-fuel ratio to change (e.g., from lean-to-rich or rich-to-lean) and ends at a point in time when a turning point of the signal is detected. The sensor malfunction monitor detects a malfunction when the delay time of the response time interval, or average delay time from a plurality of measured response time intervals, exceeds a time threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Jonathan Saunders