Patents Examined by Xiao En Mo
  • Patent number: 11686281
    Abstract: An override module allowing a vehicle operator to default the status of an automated start-stop system to “off.” A first embodiment uses a module that is installed in-line with a manual override button. A second embodiment uses a module that is installed on the vehicle's CAN bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Inventors: Charles D. Daly, William H. Jones, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11686242
    Abstract: A pre-combustion chamber system is presented. The pre-combustion chamber system includes a pre-combustion chamber housing defining a pre-combustion chamber, a cooling chamber housing surrounding the pre-combustion chamber housing, a cooling chamber defined between the pre-combustion chamber housing and the cooling chamber housing. The pre-combustion chamber system includes a flow agitator arranged in the pre-combustion chamber housing protruding into the pre-combustion chamber. The flow agitator increases flow disturbance in the pre-combustion chamber for improving mixture of fuel and air. Cooling of the pre-combustion chamber system is improved by dividing the cooling chamber into a cooling inner chamber and a cooling outlet chamber or by arranging cooling fins in the pre-combustion chamber housing extending into the cooling chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Ryan McLaughlin, Kevin Alexander
  • Patent number: 11661911
    Abstract: Provided is an evaporated fuel treatment device configured to adsorb and desorb an evaporated fuel originating in a fuel tank. A first adsorption chamber is arranged in a flow passage. A second adsorption chamber is connected to the first adsorption chamber, and is arranged, in the flow passage, closer to an atmosphere port with respect to the first adsorption chamber. A first adsorption layer is arranged within the first adsorption chamber, and adsorbs the evaporated fuel. A second adsorption layer is arranged within the second adsorption chamber, and adsorbs the evaporated fuel. A sectional area of the second adsorption layer perpendicular to a direction in which the evaporated fuel flows through the second adsorption layer being larger than a sectional area of the first adsorption layer perpendicular to a direction in which the evaporated fuel flows through the first adsorption layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: FUTABA INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takuya Nakagawa, Masahito Hosoi, Tamami Ina
  • Patent number: 11655781
    Abstract: A canister, mounted in a vehicle with an engine and including one or more chambers, includes adsorbents, an inflow port, an atmosphere port, an outflow port, and an adjusting member. The adjusting member is placed in a target chamber of the two or more chambers together with a corresponding adsorbent of the adsorbents. The target chamber is provided with a cushioning area located adjacent to at least one port of the ports. Two or more rod-shaped portions have first and second cross-sections orthogonal to a flow direction of an atmosphere and a fuel vapor. The first cross section is formed in the cushioning area, and the second cross-section is formed at a position distanced from the at least one port relative to the cushioning area. The first cross-section has a smaller area than an area of the second cross-section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: FUTABA INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Koji Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 11655782
    Abstract: A valve device increases or decreases a flow rate of EGR gas. The valve device includes a housing, a bypass valve body, and an EGR valve body. The housing includes a first upstream passage into which the EGR gas cooled by an EGR cooler flows, a second upstream passage into which the EGR gas that bypasses the EGR cooler flows, and a downstream passage connected to the first upstream passage and the second upstream passage, and provided downstream with respect to the first upstream passage and the second upstream passage. The bypass valve body opens and closes the second upstream passage. The EGR valve body is provided in the downstream passage and rotates around an EGR valve axis to open and close the downstream passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuichiro Moritani, Hideki Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11649776
    Abstract: A system and methods for a turbo-boost control system are disclosed for providing a driver of a vehicle with greater control over vehicle performance. The turbo-boost control system instructs an electronic control unit of the vehicle to increase the manifold pressure to a higher level before releasing the pressure through a waste gate so as to provide a greater power output of the engine. The turbo-boost control system includes a control module, a wiring harness, and a signal adjuster. The wiring harness couples the control module with a turbo inlet pressure sensor, a manifold absolute pressure sensor, and an electronic control unit of the vehicle. The control module sends signals to the electronic control unit based on input readings from the turbo inlet pressure sensor and the manifold absolute pressure sensor. The signal adjuster includes a rheostat that enables manual adjustment of the power output of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: K&N Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Steve Williams
  • Patent number: 11639117
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems, devices, and methods for analyzing health of vehicle batteries. Vehicle batteries tend to degrade over time. The described systems, devices, and methods quantify this degradation (or quantify remaining health of the battery) by comparing average energy used to charge or discharge the battery by a charge level unit to a nominal quantity of energy used to charge or discharge a battery in optimal health by a charge level unit. Charge data for previous charge events of the vehicle battery can be used in the calculation, and can be filtered by identifying qualified charge events based on at least one of a number of metrics. Usage data for previous usage events of the vehicle battery can be used in the calculation, and can be filtered by identifying qualified usage events or subgroups of usage event based on at least one of a number of metrics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Geotab Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Joseph Mendes
  • Patent number: 11639682
    Abstract: A method of providing a passive ignition pre-chamber for an internal combustion engine. The pre-chamber is typically implemented as a cap on the electrode end of a spark plug and encloses a pre-chamber volume in which fuel is mixed with air to form a consistently ignitable mixture. The pre-chamber is passive in the sense that gas exchange with the engine's main combustion chamber is realized by local flow fields near nozzles into the main chamber and by pressure differences between the pre-chamber and the main chamber. The nozzles are sized such that at least one of the nozzles has a larger diameter than the remaining nozzles, as optimized using flow field and pre-chamber turbulence analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
    Inventors: Kevin L. Hoag, Matthew M. Hoffmeyer, Bansal Shah, Zainal Abidin
  • Patent number: 11635033
    Abstract: An engine includes an exhaust manifold, an intake manifold, and an EGR device configured to supply EGR gas from the exhaust manifold to the intake manifold. An EGR cooler is provided at a side of the exhaust manifold, and a longitudinal direction of the EGR cooler is in an up-down direction of the engine in a used state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: YANMAR POWER TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yu Matsui, Masato Kishiura
  • Patent number: 11635047
    Abstract: A flow control valve may include a housing including a fluid-flow channel, a valve seat including a valve hole and positioned in the fluid-flow channel, an electric motor disposed in the housing, and a valve body configured to be axially moved toward and away from the valve seat by the electric motor via a feed screw mechanism. The valve body includes a straight projecting portion. The projecting portion is configured to be positioned in the valve hole in an initial valve body lifting range in which a lift distance of the valve body relative to the valve seat is not greater than a predetermined lift distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: AISAN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koma Ito, Shinji Murai
  • Patent number: 11629673
    Abstract: The present invention provides an EGR cleaning station and method of use for efficiently cleaning EGR from soot and debris. The gas recirculation cleaning station is primarily comprised of: a cleaning tank; a water tank; a heating system; a pump; an inlet hose; an outlet hose; and, exterior housing. The EGR cleaning station isolates the EGR while mounted onto the internal combustion engine. The cleaning of the EGR occurs without the need to remove the EGR from the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: FLEET EMISSION SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventor: Scott Storey
  • Patent number: 11619189
    Abstract: An engine and one or more aftertreatment subsystems integrated into one system for optimization and control. At least one controller may be connected to the engine and the one or more aftertreatment subsystems. The controller may contain and execute a program for the optimization and control of the one system. Controller may receive information pertinent to the engine and the one or more aftertreatment subsystems for the program. The controller may prescribe setpoints and constraints for measured variables and positions of actuators according to the program to aid in effecting the optimization and control of the one system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Garrett Transportation I Inc.
    Inventors: Jaroslav Pekar, Daniel Pachner
  • Patent number: 11619196
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for diagnosing degradation and/or alteration in an evaporative emission control system of a vehicle. In one example, a method for a vehicle may comprise, during a refueling event, detecting presence or absence of a fuel vapor canister coupled to a vent line of the evaporative emission control system of the vehicle based on a response of a hydrocarbon sensor coupled to the vent line. In this way, hydrocarbon emissions may be reduced by identifying vehicles with tampered or degraded evaporative emission control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Aed Dudar
  • Patent number: 11608772
    Abstract: A pre-chamber arrangement (100) for a gas engine (1), including a pre-chamber body (20) accommodating a volume (30); and a supply device (50) for supplying a gaseous medium (52) into the pre-chamber volume (30); wherein the pre-chamber body (20) has a bottom portion (22) with channels (40) for allowing gas to flow between the pre-chamber volume (30) and a main combustion chamber (10) of the gas engine (1). Each channel (40) extends along a channel axis (C) from an inner opening (42) facing the pre-chamber volume (30) to an outer opening (44) configured to face the main combustion chamber (10). The bottom portion (22) has a curved outer surface (24). The channels (40) are obliquely arranged in relation to a radius (r) of the bottom portion (22). The bottom portion has flat surfaces (46) surrounding the outer openings of the channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Scania CV AB
    Inventors: Svante Lejon, Pål Axelsson
  • Patent number: 11603805
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for reducing a possibility of hydrocarbon (HC) release to atmosphere from an evaporative emissions control (EVAP) system. In one example, a method may include, isolating a fuel vapor canister of the EVAP system from atmosphere and an engine intake manifold upon conditions being met for a potential hydrocarbon (HC) breakthrough from the fuel vapor canister.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Aed Dudar, Finn Tseng
  • Patent number: 11598245
    Abstract: An engine system is provided, which includes a cylinder block, a cylinder head, a piston, a main combustion chamber, a subchamber, an injector that injects fuel into the main combustion chamber, a main spark plug that ignites a mixture gas inside the main combustion chamber, a subspark plug that ignites the mixture gas inside the subchamber, and a controller electrically connected to the injector, the main spark plug and the subspark plug. When an engine load is above a given reference load, the controller controls, in a low-speed range below a given reference engine speed, the ignition devices so that the subignition is performed after the main ignition, and the controller controls, in a high-speed range exceeding the reference engine speed, the ignition devices so that only the subignition is performed, or so that the main ignition is performed at the same timing as or after the subignition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Ryohei Ono, Yuji Harada, Kenji Uchida
  • Patent number: 11585299
    Abstract: Systems for hybrid electric engines have a fuel vapor canister (FVC) in fluid communication with (i) fuel vapor in a fuel tank with a refueling valve therebetween, (ii) an intake manifold with a canister purge valve therebetween, and (iii) atmospheric pressure (atm) with a canister vent valve (CVV) therebetween, a bypass loop around the refueling valve, and a pressure sensor upstream of both the refueling valve and the CVV. The loop has a control pump and a control valve controlling fluid communication with atm, and in a first mode, control valve and CVV open, pumps fuel vapor to the FVC for pressure control, then closes the control valve; in a second mode, control valve closed and CVV open, pumps atm to the FVC; and in a third mode, control valve and CVV open, pumps fuel vapor to the FVC to a pre-selected threshold to close the CVV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Dayco IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin W. Lucka, Donald P. Tinsley, III, Matthew C. Gilmer
  • Patent number: 11577673
    Abstract: A motor module includes: a motor; a driving unit; a control unit; a communication unit that performs communication via a network in the vehicle; and a connection unit to which an operation module is connected without going through the network. The control unit determines identification information of a vehicle-mounted device based on a voltage applied according to a connection state between the motor module and the operation module, controls the driving unit based on control information with information which coincides with the identification information transmitted from a management module that manages the motor module and received by the communication unit, and controls the driving unit to operate the vehicle-mounted device based on an operation signal input from the operation module according to an operation state of the operation module via the connection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: NIDEC MOBILITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi Fujita, Katsunori Kigoshi
  • Patent number: 11578683
    Abstract: A pre-chamber arrangement (100) for a gas engine (1), including a pre-chamber body (20) accommodating a volume (30); and an inlet passage (40) with an inlet port (42), for supplying a gaseous medium (50) into the pre-chamber volume (30); the pre-chamber volume (30) extends in a longitudinal direction (L) between a top end (32) and a bottom end (34); the pre-chamber volume (30) is configured to accommodate an end of a spark plug (60) at the top end (32) and at the bottom end (34), the pre-chamber body (20) has openings (26) for allowing gas to flow between the pre-chamber volume (30) and a main combustion chamber (10) of the gas engine (1); the inlet port (42) is positioned, at a distance (D) from the top end (32) of the pre-chamber volume (30), in the longitudinal direction (L), such that a volume of residual gases is trapped at the top end of the pre-chamber volume when the gaseous medium is supplied into the pre-chamber volume during an intake stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Scania CV AB
    Inventors: Svante Lejon, Pål Axelsson
  • Patent number: 11566559
    Abstract: A precombustion chamber gas engine includes a main-chamber forming portion forming a main combustion chamber, a precombustion-chamber forming portion forming a precombustion chamber communicating with the main combustion chamber via a plurality of nozzle holes, and an ignition device disposed in the precombustion chamber and having an ignition portion spaced from a main chamber central axis of the main combustion chamber at a predetermined distance. In a plan view, the precombustion chamber has a near-ignition region including the ignition portion and a far-ignition region opposite to the near-ignition region separated by a borderline passing through a precombustion chamber central axis of the precombustion chamber and perpendicular to a straight line passing through the precombustion chamber central axis and the ignition portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES ENGINE & TURBOCHARGER, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazutoshi Nomura, Daisuke Takemoto, Satoshi Yamada, Akihiro Yuuki, Shunya Sasaki