Patents Examined by Yi-Kai Wang
  • Piston with insulating air gap formed by additive manufacturing
    Patent number: 11459977
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a piston, comprising: a skirt having an upper body portion; and a crown formed on the upper body portion by an additive manufacturing process, the crown including at least one air gap formed and positioned to reduce heat transfer from combustion to at least one cooling gallery formed in the piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignees: CUMMINS INC., SCANIA CV AB
    Inventors: Jordan E. Kelleher, Lyle E. Kocher, Dwight A. Doig, Brett A. Boas
  • Circulating coolant fluid in hybrid electrical propulsion systems
    Patent number: 11453508
    Abstract: A hybrid propulsion system includes a heat engine configured to drive a heat engine shaft. An electric motor configured to drive a motor shaft. A transmission system is connected to receive rotational input power from each of the heat engine shaft and the motor shaft and to convert the rotation input power to output power. A first lubrication/coolant system is connected for circulating a first lubricant/coolant fluid through the heat engine. A second lubricant/coolant system in fluid isolation from the first lubrication/coolant system is connected for circulating a second lubricant/coolant fluid through the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Jean Dubreuil, Eric LaTulipe
  • Engine oil system and a lid
    Patent number: 11452953
    Abstract: The invention relates to an engine oil system (1, 1?, 101) for supplying oil to oil using components (3) in a vehicle (800). The engine oil system comprises an oil pan (10) for holding oil received from the oil using components, an oil pump (20) fluidly connected to the oil pan for pumping oil from the oil pan to the oil using components, and an oil filter (30, 30? 130) configured for cleaning the oil. The oil filter has a filter inlet (32, 32?, 132) for receiving oil to be cleaned, and a filter outlet (34, 34? 134) for discharging oil from the oil filter. The oil filter is arranged in the oil pan such that, in use, the filter outlet discharges oil into the oil pan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Magnus Svensson, Roger Bodén
  • Auxiliary coolant pump with bypass
    Patent number: 11448117
    Abstract: An auxiliary coolant pump for circulating a coolant in a vehicle thermal system having a main coolant pump includes a housing, an impeller, a motor selectively driving the impeller, a coolant inlet configured to receive the coolant, a coolant outlet fluidly coupled to the coolant inlet, and a bypass passage fluidly coupled between the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet. When the main coolant pump is on, the auxiliary coolant pump is selectively turned off such that coolant flows through the bypass passage to reduce or eliminate restriction of the coolant flow rate in the thermal system. When the main coolant pump is off, the auxiliary coolant pump is selectively turned on such that coolant continues to flow through at least a portion of the thermal system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventor: Matthew T Bartlett
  • Magnetic chip detector
    Patent number: 11448636
    Abstract: Magnetic chip detectors for detecting magnetic chips in a lubrication fluid are provided. The chip detector includes a first electric terminal, a second electric terminal and a magnet. The second electric terminal is spaced apart from the first electric terminal to define a gap between the first and second electric terminals. The gap exposes a cavity formed in the magnet for collecting magnetic chips. The cavity accommodates the accumulation of smaller and relatively harmless magnetic chips without triggering an alarm to reduce the occurrence of nuisance alarms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Alan Padilla Martinez, Pierre Castonguay, Hubert Caron-Saint-Georges
  • Enhanced aero diesel engine
    Patent number: 11428157
    Abstract: A ferritic aero diesel engine. The ferritic aero diesel engine includes an iron crankcase, a steel crankshaft and eight steel piston assemblies. The iron crankcase has a flat, horizontally opposed eight cylinder arrangement with a first set of cylinder walls defining a first set of cylinders in a first bank and a second set of cylinder walls defining a second set of cylinders in an opposed second bank. The steel crankshaft is rotatably mounted at least partially within the iron crankcase. Each of the steel piston assemblies of the plurality of steel piston assemblies is received within a respective cylinder of the iron crankcase and is coupled to the steel crankshaft. The first and second sets of cylinder walls have a minimum wall thickness of between approximately 4.8 and 5.2 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. Fuchs, Steven M. Weinzierl, Oliver Schneider, Markus Evers
  • Port shapes for enhanced engine breathing
    Patent number: 11415075
    Abstract: A cylinder having at least one intake port and at least one exhaust port, wherein the at least one intake port includes an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface of the intake port having an entrance portion and an outlet portion, the upper surface arced from the entrance portion to the outlet portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignees: CUMMINS INC., ACHATES POWER, INC.
    Inventors: Randall L. Zehr, Robert G. Sperry
  • Contamination removing device and turbocharger including contamination removing device
    Patent number: 11415050
    Abstract: A contamination removing device for removing a contamination from oil for lubricating a rolling bearing supporting a rotary shaft of a turbocharger includes a body portion including an oil channel for the oil to flow, and a contamination removing element for removing the contamination from the oil flowing through the oil channel, the contamination removing element being provided in the oil channel. The body portion is configured to be detachable from the housing so that the oil channel and an oil supply channel for the oil to flow communicate with each other, the oil supply channel being formed in a housing of the turbocharger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES ENGINE & TURBOCHARGER, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Shigeno, Yoshitomo Noda
  • Apparatus and method for temperature control of transmission fluid, and vehicle system
    Patent number: 11408500
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling temperature of automatic transmission fluid, and a vehicle system are provided. The apparatus includes a determination device that determines whether a temperature difference between the temperature of the automatic transmission fluid and a target temperature thereof satisfies a heating control condition of the automatic transmission fluid at the start of charging. A then adjusts the temperature of the automatic transmission fluid by outputting an operation control signal for at least one driving unit of a thermal management system, when the temperature difference satisfies the heating control condition of the automatic transmission fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Jae Young Choi, Hoon Han, Jee Wook Huh
  • Engine system
    Patent number: 11401871
    Abstract: An engine system including: an engine configured to output shaft power by burning fuel, and a system main portion configured to operate using the shaft power of the engine. The engine system further includes: an operation controlling unit, and a power source unit configured to convert commercial power to operating power and supply the operating power to the operation controlling unit. The power source unit includes: a system main portion-side power source unit configured to supply operating power for controlling the operation of the system main portion, and an engine-side power source unit configured to supply operating power for controlling the operation of the engine. The system main portion-side power source unit and the engine-side power source unit are provided individually and separately from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: YANMAR POWER TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoko Nobuhara, Takayuki Ikeda
  • Apparatus for improving efficiency and emissions of combustion
    Patent number: 11384718
    Abstract: A robust apparatus to improve the efficiency and emissions of a combustion process using a plurality of cell elements disposed within a housing that is placed in the air intake to a combustion chamber. The ozone cell includes an element assembly where the cell elements are bonded together with two or more mounting rings. The mounting rings incorporate rubber-like mechanical isolation such as an o-ring between the mounting rings and the cell elements. The cell elements may also include rubber-like isolation between the insulating tubes and the outer electrodes. The robust element assembly as described herein is better suited to survive the harsh environment of the ozone cell place in or near a combustion engine or process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Clack Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Marc Allen Bossert, Rance Edd McKenzie
  • Oil reservoir vent valve
    Patent number: 11383854
    Abstract: An oil reservoir assembly includes a tank, a return passage, a pressurization valve, a first passage, and a vent valve. The tank includes a canister, a fill port, an first oil outlet, an second air outlet, and an inlet. The inlet is disposed in the canister and is connected to a restrictor. The return passage is connected to the inlet of the tank and to a scavenge pump. The pressurization valve is fluidly connected to the second air outlet of the tank. The first passage is connected to the pressurization valve and to an accessory gearbox of the engine. The vent valve is disposed in the return passage and includes a body, a channel extending through the body, an inlet orifice, and an outlet orifice. The inlet orifice is disposed in an end of the body. The outlet orifice is fluidly connected to the inlet orifice via the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Michael R. Blewett, Matthew Allen Slayter
  • Control method for hybrid vehicle and control apparatus for hybrid vehicle
    Patent number: 11377086
    Abstract: A control method for a hybrid vehicle is provided. The hybrid vehicle includes an electric motor (13) that drives the vehicle to travel, a generator (12) that supplies power to the electric motor (13), and an engine (11) that drives the generator (12). The control method includes: when bringing the electric motor (13) into a regenerative state, operating the generator to drive the engine (11) in a state in which fuel supply to the engine (11) is cut, thereby executing, in accordance with required deceleration, the motoring control for consuming the output power of the electric motor (13); and when the required deceleration decreases and driving of the engine (11) by the generator (12) is requested upon execution of the motoring control, imposing a restriction on a change in the rotational speed of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Ariyoshi, Satomi Eto
  • Cylinder head and engine
    Patent number: 11371465
    Abstract: The cylinder head 3 includes: a lower deck; a wall portion including an upper deck and a lower deck; an upper deck that is provided above the lower deck so as to face the lower deck and that defines a cooling water flow space between the lower deck and the upper deck; and a wall portion that is formed between the lower deck and the upper deck and includes a valve-hole forming wall 40 forming an intake valve hole and an exhaust valve hole which are opened into a lower surface of the lower deck. The lower deck includes: a cooling water introduction hole that passes through the lower deck in a vertical direction so as to extend in a circumferential direction of a virtual circle VC surrounding a valve-hole forming wall in a plan view; and a rib that projects from an upper surface of the lower deck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuuki Kageyama, Shouhei Nagasaka
  • Gas turbine engine cooled sump buffer air system
    Patent number: 11365682
    Abstract: A shaft assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a shaft, a bearing, and an annular sump cover. The shaft is arranged along an axis and configured to rotate about the axis. The bearing is coupled to the shaft to facilitate rotation of the shaft about the axis. The annular sump cover is fixed relative to the axis and is configured to allow a lubrication fluid and a buffer air into an air chamber formed between the shaft, the bearing, and the annular sump cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Kerry J. Lighty, Paul O'Meallie
  • Locomotive fluid heater control system
    Patent number: 11352940
    Abstract: A method of controlling a fluid heater control system for a locomotive, the fluid heater control system including a heater assembly including a water pump and a heating element, the method including determining if a fuel pump of the locomotive is on, if the fuel pump is off, activating the heater assembly, running the water pump for a first predetermined period of time, determining if a temperature of the fluid is greater than a first predetermined threshold, and if the temperature of the fluid is greater than the first predetermined threshold, deactivating the water pump for a second predetermined time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Power Drives, Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley Robert Gates, Sean R. Jackson, Kevin W. O'Neal
  • Electric device and method for controlling electric device
    Patent number: 11338791
    Abstract: A method for controlling an electric device including: a step of comparing the rotation speed of an internal combustion engine at the time when it has been determined that the internal combustion engine is to transition to a rotation stop state with a specified threshold; and a step of performing rotation-speed increasing control, in a case where the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine at the time of the determination is higher than the threshold, in which in a case where the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine at the time of the determination is not higher than the threshold, the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine is not made higher than the rotation speed at the time of the determination but is let to decrease to stop the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuki Fujita, Shunsuke Baba
  • Method for controlling a drive system, and drive system
    Patent number: 11338789
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling a drive system with at least two drive units (20), each of which is paired with at least one control unit (22), wherein —a total target torque (30) is calculated by means of a master control unit (22a), —the total target torque (30) is divided into respective individual target torques (32) for each of the drive units (20) by the master control unit (22a), and —the drive units (20) are actuated by the paired control units (22) on the basis of the corresponding individual target torques (32). The invention is characterized in that the threshold torques (34) corresponding to the drive units (20) are ascertained and taken into consideration by the master control unit (22a) when dividing the total target torque (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Bentley Motors Limited
    Inventors: Steffen Gruner, Benjamin Kaczor, Norbert Weiss, Axel Ibenthal
  • Hybrid vehicle and method of controlling hybrid vehicle
    Patent number: 11325583
    Abstract: A vehicle includes: a motor generator; an engine having a forced induction device; and a HV-ECU. An operation region of the engine includes a PM generating region in which an amount of particulate matters included in exhaust gas of the engine is more than a predetermined amount due to a load of the engine being abruptly increased during boosting by the forced induction device. The PM generating region is a low-rotation and high-torque region. When assistance by the motor generator is sufficiently obtained and the engine is operated in the PM generating region, the HV-ECU restricts an increasing rate of the torque of the engine to be less than or equal to an upper limit rate. The HV-ECU complements, by the torque of the motor generator, the torque of the engine restricted by restricting the increasing rate of the torque of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi Yonezawa, Satoshi Yoshizaki, Osamu Maeda, Daigo Ando, Yoshikazu Asami, Kenji Itagaki, Shunsuke Oyama, Koichiro Muta
  • Electromagnetic valve driver
    Patent number: 11319912
    Abstract: An electromagnetic valve driver includes: an electric power feeder configured to apply a power voltage obtained by switching a battery voltage to one end of an electromagnetic coil of an electromagnetic valve; a detector configured to detect a drive current flowing through the electromagnetic coil; and a power supply configured to supply power to the detector. The electric power feeder adjusts the drive current by operating in a state in which the power voltage is applied to the electromagnetic coil on the basis of a detection value of the detector. The power supply supplies the power obtained by sampling and holding a reference power in a period excluding a switching period of the battery voltage in the electric power feeder to the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Ogawa, Motoaki Kato, Kengo Nomura