Patents Examined by Thomas N. Moulis
  • Method and apparatus for controlling a fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine in a vehicle
    Patent number: 7422002
    Abstract: A method and a device for controlling a fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, whereby the internal combustion engine has a common rail, a high-pressure pump, a flow control valve for controlling the fuel delivery rate of the high-pressure pump into the common rail and a control unit for triggering the flow control valve. The method comprises the steps of determining the prevailing fuel demand in the common rail as a function of the prevailing driving state of the vehicle and controlling the pulse duty factor and frequency of the triggering of the flow control valve as a function of the prevailing fuel demand determined in the common rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Stephan Mueller
  • Common rail supplementary atomizer for piston engines
    Patent number: 7418927
    Abstract: A common rail supplementary atomizer of this invention, when used on a piston internal combustion engine, equipped with a common rail fuel injection system, improves slurry atomization, following injection, by expansion of gases, previously dissolved in the water phase of the slurry. This gas expansion separates the several fuel particles in each slurry droplet formed first during fuel injection. The thusly separated fuel particles subsequently burn more rapidly and completely, due to this fuel particle separation improving air access to the fuel. Apparatus is described for dissolving atomizing gas into the water phase of the slurry, in a contactor chamber at a pressure greater than the pressure prevailing in the engine cylinder volume, at the time of slurry injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Inventor: Joseph Carl Firey
  • Evaporative fuel treatment system
    Patent number: 7418952
    Abstract: An evaporative fuel treatment system is disclosed that includes a canister, a detection passage having a reduced area portion, and switching device that switches fluid communication. Also included is a depressurizing device for depressurizing the detection passage coupled to the detection passage on a side of the reduced area portion opposite to the switching device, and a pressure detecting device. Moreover, the system includes an evaporative fuel state calculating device for calculating an evaporative fuel state in the mixture based on a cutoff pressure, an air pressure, and a mixture pressure of a mixture of air and the evaporative fuel. In one embodiment, the cutoff pressure, the air pressure, and the mixture pressure are detected independently and discontinuously. In another embodiment, the cutoff pressure and the air pressure are detected on a continual basis during purge of the evaporative fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masao Kano, Shinsuke Takakura, Noriyasu Amano, Shinsuke Kiyomiya, Yuusaku Nishimura
  • Fuel injector having recessed check top
    Patent number: 7415969
    Abstract: A fuel injector for a machine is disclosed. The fuel injector has a nozzle member with a first end and a second end. The first end of the fuel injector has at least one orifice. The fuel injector also has a control chamber located at the second end of the nozzle member with an end wall portion approximately orthogonal to an axial direction of the nozzle member. The fuel injector further has a port disposed in the end wall portion of the control chamber and at least one passageway in fluid communication with the control chamber via the port. The fuel injector additionally has a needle valve element with a tip end and a base end. The tip end is configured to selectively block fuel flow through the at least one orifice. The base end has a recess configured to cap off the port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Jinhui Sun, Dennis H. Gibson, Haijun Kang
  • Modular fuel delivery assembly for an aircraft engine
    Patent number: 7415968
    Abstract: An engine includes a fuel rail and fuel delivery devices, such as fuel injectors, that deliver fuel to corresponding cylinder assemblies. The use of the fuel rail and fuel injectors allows unused fuel to be purged from the engine at the end of the engine's operating cycle, thereby minimizing the creation of fuel vapor within the engine. The fuel rail is assembled from modular fluid conduit adaptors and fluid conduits. With such modularity, a custom fuel rail can be assembled for any size engine. The use of the fluid conduit adaptors and fluid conduits allows motion of the cylinder assemblies relative to the fuel rail during operation to minimize the application of potentially damaging forces on the fuel rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Lycoming Engines, a division of Avco Corporation
    Inventors: Scott E. Matas, Steven J. Bowes
  • Fuel vapor recovery canister
    Patent number: 7409946
    Abstract: A vehicle fuel system includes a fuel vapor recovery canister containing a carbon bed configured to capture hydrocarbon material associated with fuel vapor discharged from the fuel tank into the canister. A purge vacuum is applied to the canister to draw fuel vapor carrying reclaimed hydrocarbon material from the canister into an intake manifold coupled to an engine so that the reclaimed hydrocarbon material can be burned in the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Stant Manufacturing Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy James King
  • Fuel supply apparatus of engine
    Patent number: 7406950
    Abstract: The invention can avoid an energy dissipation and a consumption of an apparatus by minimizing a driving amount of a fuel pump and maintain an improved fuel supply state, in a fuel supply system injecting a liquefied gas fuel by an injector and supplying to an engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Nikki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Umerujan Sawut, Masashi Iwasaki, Shinya Yamaguchi
  • Accumulator fuel system
    Patent number: 7406936
    Abstract: An accumulator fuel system for an internal combustion engine having a plurality of engine cylinders, includes an accumulator fuel volume (12; 112) for supplying high pressure fuel to one or more of a plurality of injectors (10) of the fuel system, each of which is arranged to supply fuel to an associated one of the engine cylinders. The accumulator fuel volume (12; 112) is integrated within an engine component, where the engine component provides a purpose other than that solely of an accumulator volume for storing high pressure fuel. For example, the accumulator volume (12; 112) is defined in one embodiment within a rocker shaft (32) of the engine and in another embodiment within the engine cylinder head (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Knight, Andy Male
  • Common rail system with pressure amplification
    Patent number: 7406945
    Abstract: A fuel system includes a fuel rail that communicates fuel at a first pressure through a fuel amplifier to a fuel injector. The fuel pressure amplifier increases the pressure from the first pressure to a second pressure. The second pressure is higher than the first pressure and is communicated through each of the plurality of fuel injectors. The fuel amplifiers provide for the application of fuel pressure without the need to configure each and every fuel system component for the corresponding higher pressures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems US, Inc.
    Inventor: Ulrich Augustin
  • Method and device for controllling an injector
    Patent number: 7406952
    Abstract: An injector has a valve pin whose position is adjustable according to the pressure prevailing in a control chamber and which blocks a fluid flow through at least one injection port in a closed position. The injector has a control chamber that is hydraulically coupled to a high-pressure fluid reservoir, a piezo actuator, and a control valve which hydraulically connects and disconnects the control chamber, the piezo actuator acting upon said control valve. A combination of a triggering period for the piezo actuator and electric power that is to be fed to the piezo actuator is varied from a predefined initial combination to a target combination in which a pressure curve is detected that is characteristic of a movement of the control valve out of the closed position thereof without fluid being proportioned through the injection port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Joachim Frank, Hellmut Freudenberg, Manfred Weigl
  • Method and device for operating an internal combustion engine
    Patent number: 7404394
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine has an intake duct, which opens into at least one inlet of at least one cylinder. It also has a tank purging valve, which is configured to control the initiation of a tank purging flow into the intake duct at an inlet point upstream of the respective inlet of the respective cylinder. A main path is configured in the intake duct and a recirculation path is configured there with a recirculation control element, a recirculation inlet from the main path into the recirculation path and a recirculation outlet from the recirculation path into the main path. The recirculation outlet is disposed in the main path upstream in relation to the recirculation inlet. A cylinder tank purging fuel mass is determined as a function of an opening angle of the tank purging valve and an opening angle of the recirculation control element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Wolfgang Mai, Jens Pache, Matthias Wiese
  • Fuel supply device for motorcycle and motorcycle
    Patent number: 7401597
    Abstract: A fuel supply device for a motorcycle facilitates a narrower vehicle width to improve maneuverability. A fuel tank is disposed above a body frame, and a first fuel pump is fixed to a part of the fuel tank facing the body frame and positioned inside of the fuel tank via a mount seat. The first fuel pump is disposed such that at least a portion of the mount seat overlaps the vehicle body frame as viewed from above the motorcycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Munetaka Koike, Shidehiko Miyashiro
  • Purge flow control to reduce air/fuel ratio imbalance
    Patent number: 7401600
    Abstract: A fuel control system that regulates a purge flow from a fueling system to an engine includes a sensor that monitors an engine speed and a first module that determines a PWM frequency of a purge valve based on the engine speed. The PWM frequency includes a first period that is based on a second period that corresponds to two engine cycles. A second module regulates the purge valve based on the PWM frequency during engine operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory E. Labus, Jerry W. Kortge, William R. Cadman
  • Fuel injection device of internal combustion engine
    Patent number: 7398765
    Abstract: A fuel injection device has a two-way control valve driven by a two-position actuator. The control valve directly controls oil pressure in a back pressure chamber to control an injection operation of an injection nozzle. A two-position three-way flow passage switching valve operated by control pressure of the control valve selectively connects a control chamber of a pressure intensifier with a fuel supply passage leading to a pressure accumulator or a pressure release passage leading to a low-pressure system to indirectly control oil pressure in the control chamber. The flow passage switching valve starts a pressure intensifying operation in retard of the injection operation. When pressure is supplied to the control chamber, stoppage of the pressure intensification operation and returning operation of the pressure intensifier do not lag behind the injection operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshihisa Yamamoto
  • Electrostatic discharge solution for grounding struts and spring in fuel supply unit
    Patent number: 7398769
    Abstract: A fuel supply unit (40) for vehicles includes a flange assembly (28) and a reservoir assembly (38). The flange assembly includes a flange (36), at least a pair of metal struts (26) extending from the flange, and electrically conductive spring structure (20). The spring structure includes a first and second spring members (24, 26) having coils. Each coil receives at least a portion of an associated strut. A central leg member (30) joins the first and second spring members. The reservoir assembly includes a reservoir (42), a fuel pump (44) in the reservoir, a fuel filter (46) in the reservoir and associated with the fuel pump for filtering fuel. The fuel filter has an electrically conductive portion (48). The struts are coupled with the reservoir with the spring members being disposed between the flange and the reservoir. The central leg member contacts the electrically conductive portion of the fuel filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems US, Inc.
    Inventor: Parag Athalye
  • Fuel reservoir of a motor vehicle fuel injection system
    Patent number: 7398766
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fuel reservoir of a fuel injection system of a motor vehicle, having at least one fastening portion and one connecting element for fastening to an internal combustion engine, in which the connecting element has at least one first bearing face, which in the installed position points essentially toward the engine, and at least one second bearing face, which in the installed position points essentially away from the engine; and that the fastening portion is received in at least some portions between the bearing faces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Uwe Liskow
  • Fuel-injection system for an internal-combustion engine
    Patent number: 7395812
    Abstract: The injection system comprises a high-pressure pump (7) with variable flowrate, having a number of pumping elements (18) actuated with reciprocating motion and provided each with a corresponding intake valve (22). An accumulation volume (28) is supplied with fuel at low pressure from an intake pipe (10) of the pump (7) through a solenoid valve (31) controlled as a function of the operating conditions of the engine (2). The accumulation volume (28) is in communication with the intake valves (22) through corresponding outlet holes (29), and the solenoid valve (31) is provided with nebulizer holes (36) such as to generate corresponding jets of fuel, each directed towards at least one of said outlet holes (29).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Mario Ricco, Adriano Gorgoglione, Raffaele Ricco, Sergio Stucchi
  • Electronic voltage regulation for a marine returnless fuel system
    Patent number: 7395814
    Abstract: A fuel system for a marine propulsion device controls the pressure of liquid fuel within a fuel rail by altering the pump speed of a fuel pump. The fuel pressure in the rail is measured by a pressure transducer which provides an output signal to a microprocessor that allows the microprocessor to select an operating speed for the fuel pump that conforms to a desired fuel pressure in the rail. By decreasing or increasing the operating speed of the positive displacement fuel pump as a function of the measured pressure in the rail, the microprocessor can accurately regulate the fuel pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
    Inventors: Luke A. Doepke, Michael A. Torgerud, Troy J. Kollmann
  • Control system of internal combustion engine
    Patent number: 7395808
    Abstract: There is provided a control system for controlling an internal combustion engine with an exhaust system provided with a catalyst, comprising a fuel cut means for stopping the supply of fuel to the internal combustion engine when the vehicle in which the internal combustion engine is mounted is in a decelerating state, the control system of an internal combustion engine characterized in that, in the case that the fuel cut is executed, when the speed SPD of the vehicle is higher than a predetermined first vehicle speed Sh, the intake air amount Ga of the internal combustion engine is made smaller than the intake air amount Gai of when the internal combustion engine is in the idling state (step 120), while when the speed SPD is the first vehicle speed Sh or less, the intake air amount Ga is made larger than the intake air amount Gai of when the internal combustion engine is in the idling state (step 130).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mamoru Yoshioka
  • Jet pump, fuel feed apparatus having the same, and method for welding the same
    Patent number: 7387112
    Abstract: A jet pump is provided for supplying fuel from a fuel tank into a sub-tank, which is accommodated in the fuel tank. The jet pump includes a welded portion adapted to being welded to an outer wall surface of a bottom portion of the sub-tank. A swirl portion defines therein a swirl chamber. A jet nozzle generates negative pressure by jetting swirl-flowing fuel passing through the swirl chamber so as to draw fuel from the fuel tank into the sub-tank. A pressure-receiving portion defines a clearance with respect to the swirl portion. The pressure-receiving portion extends from the welded portion in a direction to distant from the sub-tank. The pressure-receiving portion is applied with force toward the welded portion when the welded portion is welded to the sub-tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Masaharu Oohashi, Kenji Okabe