Patents Examined by Thomas N. Moulis
  • Patent number: 7900603
    Abstract: An automobile-use high pressure fuel injection accumulator-distributor comprised of a body of an automobile-use high pressure fuel injection accumulator-distributor to which pipe attachment holders for attaching fuel distribution pipes for distributing fuel to injection nozzles at an equal pressure are joined by liquid phase diffusion bonding etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignees: Nippon Steel Corporation, Fukujukogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushi Hasegawa, Ryuichi Honma, Yutaka Takagi
  • Patent number: 7895990
    Abstract: A fuel injection system designed to determine a correction value for correcting the quantity of fuel sprayed from a fuel injector into an internal combustion engine. The fuel injection system instructs the fuel injector to inject the fuel into the engine a plurality of times cyclically to learn an injection characteristic unique to the fuel injector and changes an injection duration for which the fuel is to be sprayed in each of injection events to disperse the injection durations evenly around a target injection quantity, thereby enabling the correction value to be determined in a decreased number of injections of fuel for a decreased amount of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Kouji Ishizuka, Kouichi Sugiyama, Manabu Tsujimura, Tetsuya Ohno
  • Patent number: 7891337
    Abstract: A fuel injection system designed to learn the quantity of fuel sprayed actually from a fuel injector into an internal combustion engine. When the engine is placed in a given learning condition, the system works to spray different quantities of the fuel for different injection durations in sequence to the engine through the fuel injector to collect a plurality of data on the quantity of the fuel sprayed actually from the fuel injector. The system analyzes the corrected data to determine an injection characteristic of the fuel injector, which may have changed from a designer-defined basic injection characteristic of the fuel injector, and uses the injection characteristic in calculating an injection duration or on-duration for which the fuel injector is to be opened to spray a target quantity of fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Takeuchi, Kouji Ishizuka, Manabu Tsujimura
  • Patent number: 7891342
    Abstract: In a fuel injection system of an internal combustion engine that includes, but is not limited to injectors (I1-I4), each of which is adapted to deliver a predetermined amount of pressurized fuel to a combustion chamber of a respective cylinder (C1-C4) of the engine, a high-pressure accumulator volume common to the injectors (I1-I4) and arranged to maintain the fuel at high-pressure, a pressure sensor for measuring fuel pressure in the accumulator volume, a metering unit for adjusting the fuel pressure in the accumulator volume as a function of the measured pressure, so as to maintain a predetermined target injection pressure set-point dependent on the engine operating point by returning excess fuel to a fuel tank; and an electronic control unit arranged for controlling fuel injection timing and quantity by operating injectors control valves, the operating pressure is controlled by triggering retarded injections (INJpost) of a predetermined quantity of fuel to the combustion chamber of the cylinders (C1-C4) of
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Maura Dintino, Roberto Vernassa, Paolo Zamboni
  • Patent number: 7886717
    Abstract: A fuel injector, especially for the direct injection of fuel into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, includes a nozzle body able to be inserted into a recess of a cylinder head, a valve housing, a plug abutting the valve housing, and at least one fixation element, which fixes the nozzle body in its position in the recess, the fixation element extending from a connection region (28) between the valve housing and the plug on the spray-discharge side. The at least one fixation element has a reinforcement having a spherical contour at an outer periphery, the reinforcement being formed by at least one outwardly projecting element having an outwardly curving end face and/or having a planar end face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Ingo Rettig, Martin Scheffel, Anh-Tuan Hoang, Martin Buehner, Andreas Eckbauer
  • Patent number: 7886727
    Abstract: Systems and methods for an engine are described. In one example, a system may include a variable venturi coupled in an intake of the engine; an exhaust gas recirculation system having an exhaust gas recirculation flow path, the exhaust gas recirculation flow path coupled to the variable venturi; and a vacuum-utilizing device or system coupled to the variable venturi. In another example, a method may include coordinating adjustment of an exhaust gas recirculation valve coupled to the exhaust gas recirculation system, a fuel vapor purging valve coupled to the fuel vapor purging system, and the variable venturi in response to operating conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Norman Ulrey, Ross Dykstra Pursifull
  • Patent number: 7886721
    Abstract: In a two-piece fuel reservoir (7), one of the components has a container wall (8) and the other component has a container bottom (9). The components are sealed from each other and can also be configured as a single piece with other components, such as for example a pump bracket (5), thereby allowing for the fuel reservoir (7) to be assembled from standardized components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Eduard-Siegfried Sanden
  • Patent number: 7874281
    Abstract: In a method and a device for operating an internal combustion engine with a fuel pump, which on the drive side is coupled with a camshaft or a crankshaft, and a fuel accumulator, which is supplied by the fuel pump and to which a pressure sensor is assigned for sensing the pressure in the fuel accumulator, to each cycle of the internal combustion engine a first and a second crankshaft rotation (CRK_R1, CRK_R2) are assigned. Depending on a signal sequence (P_F_S) of the sensed pressure in the fuel accumulator which is characteristic of the respective crankshaft rotation it is ascertained whether the crankshaft is in its first or second rotation (CRK_R1, CRK_R2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Delp, Gerhard Eser
  • Patent number: 7866304
    Abstract: An engine assembly may include a crankcase ventilation assembly having a fuel separator assembly. The fuel separator assembly may include a condensing unit and a vaporizing unit. The condensing unit may include a gas region and a liquid retaining region. A gas inlet may be in fluid communication with the gas region and a gas flow from the engine block including fuel vapor. The condensing unit may convert the fuel vapor to liquid fuel. The first gas outlet may be in fluid communication with an engine air inlet and provide a remainder of the gas flow thereto. The fluid region may store and provide the liquid fuel to the vaporizing unit through a liquid inlet. The vaporizing unit may convert the liquid fuel to fuel vapor and a second gas outlet may provide the fuel vapor to the air inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Paulo A. Riedel, Thomas A. Spix, Leandro D. Nadai, Claudio Engler Pinto
  • Patent number: 7856960
    Abstract: A control method of a direct injection system of the common-rail type provided with a shut-off valve for controlling the flow rate of a high-pressure fuel pump; the control method contemplates the steps of: feeding the pressurized fuel to a common rail by means of a high-pressure pump which receives the fuel through a shut-off valve; cyclically controlling the opening and closing of the shut-off valve for choking the flow rate of fuel taken in by the high-pressure pump; adjusting the flow rate of fuel taken in by the high-pressure pump by varying the ratio between the duration of the opening time and the duration of the closing time of the shut-off valve; determining a lower limit value of the opening time of the shut-off valve; and adjusting the driving frequency of the shut-off valve so that the real opening time of the shut-off valve is always over the lower limit value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Magneti Marelli Powertrain S.p.A.
    Inventors: Gabriele Serra, Matteo De Cesare
  • Patent number: 7856962
    Abstract: A fuel system for a direct injection internal combustion engine having a fuel rail and at least one annular cup secured to the fuel rail so that fuel from the fuel rail flows into the cup. A direct injection fuel injector has a portion axially insertable into the fuel cup to a connected position. A recessed channel on the fuel injector registers with a slot in the annular cup when in the connected position so that a U-shaped clip insertable into the cup slots and the fuel injector channels secures the fuel injector and cup together against axial movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Products (USA), Inc.
    Inventors: William T. Harvey, Steven J. Miller, Hiroaki Saeki
  • Patent number: 7849837
    Abstract: In an working machine in which: an engine and a fuel tank for the engine are mounted on a machine body; an air cleaner mounted outside the machine body has a cleaner case including a cylindrical case body and a lid body being mounted on one end of the case body, and a cleaner element being housed in the cleaner case and dividing the inside of the cleaner case into a pre-purification chamber and a post-purification chamber; and an air-outlet pipe is connected to an intake system of the engine with an intake duct interposed therebetween, a canister capable of absorbing a vaporized fuel generated in the fuel tank is attached to the fuel tank or the machine body; a purge joint communicating with the post-purification chamber is provided to the lid body of the air cleaner; and a purge conduit extending from the canister is connected to the purge joint. Accordingly, it is possible to take a vaporized fuel generated in the fuel tank into the engine by utilizing the lid body of the air cleaner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Hasebe, Yasunori Matsubara
  • Patent number: 7849679
    Abstract: A fuel delivery system for a combustion engine is provided. The fuel delivery system includes an exhaust treatment device, a fuel injection unit, a fuel supply, and a fuel pump. The fuel pump includes at least one inlet configured to receive fuel from the fuel supply. A first fixed-output pumping element is configured to generate a first fuel flow at a first pressure and a first flow rate. A second fixed-output pumping element is configured to generate a second fuel flow at a second pressure and a second flow rate. At least one of the second pressure and the second flow rate is different from the first pressure and the first flow rate. A first outlet is configured to direct the first fuel flow to the fuel injection unit. A second outlet is configured to direct the second fuel flow to the exhaust treatment device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc
    Inventors: Drew Christopher Donnelli, Ye Tian, Joseph Shane Burkitt
  • Patent number: 7845336
    Abstract: A fuel delivery system is provided for a combustion engine having an exhaust treatment device. The fuel delivery system includes a fuel supply, an injector configured to pressurize fuel and inject the pressurized fuel into the combustion engine, and a transfer pump configured to direct fuel from the fuel supply to the injector. The fuel delivery system also includes an electric pump configured to selectively direct fuel from the fuel supply to the injector during a priming event, and to selectively direct fuel from the fuel supply to the exhaust treatment device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc
    Inventors: Joseph Shane Burkitt, Ye Tian, Drew Christopher Donnelli
  • Patent number: 7832375
    Abstract: An engine system and a method of starting an internal combustion engine of the engine system are described. In one embodiment, the method includes adjusting a fuel pressure within a fuel rail to exceed a pressure of a pressure relief valve. The method may be particularly useful during degradation of a fuel pressure sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Dusa, Joseph Lyle Thomas, Gopichandra Surnilla, Joseph Norman Ulrey, Ross Dykstra Pursifull
  • Patent number: 7832374
    Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods for pressurization of a fuel line of an engine. In one embodiment, a fuel charging system for an engine is provided. The fuel charging system includes a first fuel pump in fluid communication with a fuel tank to generate a first fluid pressure within a first fuel line. The fuel charging system also includes a second fluid pump having a reciprocating piston including a low pressure end and a high pressure end. The low pressure end is in fluid communication with the first fuel pump through the first fuel line and the high pressure end is in fluid communication with an engine fuel rail through a second fuel line. The reciprocating piston is driven by the first fluid pressure to generate a second fluid pressure within the second fuel line, wherein the second fluid pressure is greater than the first fluid pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas R Verner, Craig D Marriott, Kenneth J Buslepp, Jeff L Swain
  • Patent number: 7827969
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fuel supply device that can suppress the excessive heating of a fuel supplied from a fuel pump into an internal combustion engine even if a control module is cooled. The fuel supply device (1) comprises a set plate (10) attached to a mounting hole (34a) of a fuel tank (34), an electric fuel pump (30) attached to an inner surface of the set plate (10), a control module (14) attached to an outer surface of the set plate (10), the control module driving the fuel pump (30) using electric power supplied from the exterior, and a heat radiating member (32) for radiating heat generated in the control module. One end of the heat radiating member (32) is thermally connected to the control module (14), and the other end of the heat radiating member (32) protrudes downward from the inner surface of the set plate (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Aisan Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuji Yamamoto, Tetsuji Inoue
  • Patent number: 7827971
    Abstract: An engine assembly may include an engine defining a cylinder bore, a fuel tank, a fuel supply assembly in fluid communication with the fuel tank and the cylinder bore, a fuel return assembly in fluid communication with the fuel supply assembly and the fuel tank, and a fuel filter assembly. The fuel filter assembly may include a filter casing having an inlet, an outlet and a bypass opening, and a filter media located within the filter casing. The filter media may be located between the inlet and the outlet, defining a dirty fuel region of the filter assembly between the inlet and the filter media and a clean fuel region between the filter media and the filter outlet. The bypass opening may be in fluid communication with the dirty fuel region and the fuel return assembly to draw gases out of the dirty fuel region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Raj P. Ranganathan, Henry W Harper, Robert D. Straub
  • Patent number: 7827964
    Abstract: A fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine includes a fuel injector pocket, formed within a cylinder head, for housing an injector which sprays fuel into a combustion chamber defined by the cylinder head and a piston crown. The injector is mounted with an isolator which is loaded at a lower, elastic rate during lower power operation, with the elastic load element being stacked solid and subject to higher rate column loading during high power operation of the engine and injection system. The isolator controls unwanted injector ticking noise, while protecting the integrity of the injector's tip seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies
    Inventors: Yitzong Chern, Deanna Hoffman, Mario Joseph Felice, Steven Homco, Joseph Basmaji
  • Patent number: 7827968
    Abstract: An engine control system comprises a camshaft, a cam phaser module, a pressure sensor, and an engine control module. The camshaft is operably coupled to a crankshaft of an engine. Rotation of the camshaft operates a fuel pump in driving communication with a cam of the camshaft. The cam phaser module provides hydraulic pressure to change a rotational position of the cam about the camshaft. The pressure sensor determines a cam phaser pressure signal based on a pressure of fluid in the cam phaser module. The engine control module diagnoses a condition of the fuel pump based on the cam phaser pressure signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Cinpinski, Donovan L. Dibble