Patents Examined by Xiao Mo
  • Patent number: 9062631
    Abstract: A straight port and a swirl port supply low-oxygen-concentration gas and high-oxygen-concentration gas into a combustion chamber of an engine such that high-level-oxygen-concentration gas and low-level-oxygen-concentration gas are formed from the high-oxygen-concentration gas and the low-oxygen-concentration gas in an adjacent region of the combustion chamber, which is adjacent to a fuel mist injected from an injection hole of a fuel injection valve. The high-level-oxygen-concentration gas is located in a corresponding area of the adjacent region, which is generally opposite from the fuel injection hole, and the low-level-oxygen-concentration gas is located in a remaining area of the adjacent region, which is other than the corresponding area of the adjacent region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masumi Kinugawa, Kohei Motoo, Munehisa Horibe
  • Patent number: 9062618
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling an automatic stop-start system of an automotive vehicle is disclosed. The system monitors the status of the parking brake to determine if the parking brake is in a state of transition between an applied state and a released state (in either direction). If the parking brake is in a state of transition, then the automatic re-starting of the engine is inhibited until the parking brake is no longer in a state of transition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Eric Michael Rademacher, Kirk Pebley, Karl-Peter Hesseler, David Anthony Symanow, Donna L. Bell
  • Patent number: 9038596
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for addressing pre-ignition that may be induced in response to actions taken to mitigate a cylinder misfire. An amount of engine load limiting applied may be adjusted to reduce the likelihood pre-ignition while also addressing component over-temperature issues. By limiting an engine load while shutting off fuel in a misfiring cylinder, and while combusting a lean air-fuel mixture in the remaining cylinders, pre-ignition induced by the misfire-mitigating lean combustion conditions can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Chris Paul Glugla, Paul Charles Mingo, Robert Sarow Baskins, Sue Kay Wagers
  • Patent number: 9004048
    Abstract: A gas sensor assembly for sensing a pressure of a gas including a housing, a carrier, an electronic chip, a cap and a biasing apparatus. The housing has a wall defining cavity with a port open to the gas. The carrier is mounted to the wall in the cavity. The electronic chip is secured to the carrier on an opposed side from the port and includes a diaphragm portion exposed to the port. The cap is mounted to the chip on an opposed side from the carrier. The biasing apparatus is located between the cap and the wall of the housing, with the biasing apparatus being configured to bias the cap toward the chip whereby gas pressure acting against the diaphragm is opposed by the biasing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Freeman C. Gates, Fadi M. Naddaf, William R. Goodwin
  • Patent number: 8977471
    Abstract: A multicylinder engine is provided with a fuel injector for each cylinder. An ECU defines a fuel injection condition of the fuel injector based on an engine driving condition and executes a fuel injection control for each cylinder based on the defined fuel injection condition. The ECU computes an engine speed with respect to each cylinder. While the engine is running, the fuel injection condition is operated in an operation cylinder. A fuel property is determined based on the engine speed of the operation cylinder and an engine speed of a non-operation cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Higuchi, Koji Ishizuka
  • Patent number: 8967127
    Abstract: An intake apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes a plurality of branch pipes connected at downstream ends thereof to an engine main body, an intake chamber to which upstream ends of the branch pipes are connected, and a common intake air introducing part connected to the center of the intake chamber in a cylinder arrangement direction. The intake chamber includes a projecting part projecting toward the engine main body relative to the common intake air introducing part. An EGR introducing passage is connected to the center of the projecting part in the cylinder arrangement direction. A downstream end of the EGR introducing passage is directed toward a wall of the projecting part on the common intake air introducing part side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masatatsu Enami, Osamu Watanabe, Akihiro Katsuura, Shinji Wakamoto, Takayuki Namai
  • Patent number: 8965667
    Abstract: A method for starting an engine includes sensing a triggering event and monitoring pressure in a fuel rail. A cam shaft of the engine is oscillated with a cam phaser. The cam shaft does not complete a full rotation during the oscillation. A fuel rail pump is operated with the oscillating cam shaft until the monitored pressure in the fuel rail reaches a minimum level, and the engine is started after reaching the minimum level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: David P. Sczomak, Robert J Gallon, Joseph J. Moon
  • Patent number: 8925524
    Abstract: A fuel injector includes a nozzle body with a nozzle bore, a first valve needle received within the nozzle bore and being engageable with a first seat region to control fuel delivery through a first set of nozzle outlets, and a second valve needle received within a valve bore provided in the first valve needle and being engageable with a second seat region arranged to control fuel delivery through a second set of nozzle outlets. A control chamber for fuel is provided between the first valve needle and the second valve needle, wherein movement of the first valve needle is responsive to fuel pressure in the control chamber, and wherein movement of the second valve needle is mechanically coupled to an armature of the first actuator arrangement. A second actuator arrangement controls movement of the first valve needle by controlling fuel flow into the control chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Delphi International Operations Luxembourg S.A.R.L.
    Inventor: Michael Peter Cooke