Patents by Inventor Alan W. Hayman

Alan W. Hayman has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10494964
    Abstract: Provided are oil reservoirs and engine oil circulation systems including an upper sump capable of receiving oil from an engine, a lower sump disposed vertically below the upper sump, a valve-controlled orifice (VCO) penetrating the upper sum bottom, an oil chimney capable of receiving oil and communicating oil to the lower sump, and an oil conduit capable of extracting oil from the lower sump. Methods for operating systems include maintaining the VCO in an open position for a draw down duration temporally proximate an engine cold start, subsequently circulating oil between the engine and the oil reservoir, actuating the VCO to a closed position subsequent to the draw down duration for a warmup duration, and actuating the VCO to an open position subsequent to the warmup duration. Methods can further include actuating the VCO to an open position during the warmup duration in response to an increased oil demand event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Brad J. Heckman, Alan W. Hayman
  • Patent number: 10378393
    Abstract: An improved cam follower for a vehicle engine includes a body, a spring seat, a tower, a spring and an anti-rotation member. The body defines a body diameter, a first open end, and a second end. The spring seat includes a spring seat opening and an interlock portion. The spring seat may be affixed to the first open end of the body. The spring seat further includes a spring seat diameter wherein the spring seat diameter is greater than the body diameter. The tower may be disposed in a pin housing through the spring seat opening at the first open end of the body. The tower further includes an upper flange and a spring which abuts the upper flange at a first spring end. The second spring end abuts the spring seat. The anti-rotation member accordingly may be coupled to the body via the spring seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Alan W Hayman, Jared M Satkowiak, Robert S McAlpine
  • Patent number: 10323601
    Abstract: A cooling jacket for an engine has upper and lower bodies. The upper body includes a plurality of upper portions. Each upper portion has a top orifice and a bottom orifice. The lower body is located below the upper body and includes a plurality of lower portions. Each lower portion has a lower orifice aligned with a respective one of the bottom orifices so as to permit a coolant to flow through the lower orifice and into the bottom orifice. The coolant flows from that lower portion to the respective one of the upper portions. Each upper portion has at least one upper passageway extending through that upper portion from the bottom orifice to the top orifice so that the coolant entering the upper passageway of that upper portion flows through the upper portion to the top orifice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Akram R. Zahdeh, Dan L. Alden, Alan W. Hayman
  • Publication number: 20190107075
    Abstract: A cooling jacket for an engine has upper and lower bodies. The upper body includes a plurality of upper portions. Each upper portion has a top orifice and a bottom orifice. The lower body is located below the upper body and includes a plurality of lower portions. Each lower portion has a lower orifice aligned with a respective one of the bottom orifices so as to permit a coolant to flow through the lower orifice and into the bottom orifice. The coolant flows from that lower portion to the respective one of the upper portions. Each upper portion has at least one upper passageway extending through that upper portion from the bottom orifice to the top orifice so that the coolant entering the upper passageway of that upper portion flows through the upper portion to the top orifice.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2017
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Inventors: Akram R. Zahdeh, Dan L. Alden, Alan W. Hayman
  • Patent number: 10190482
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a cylinder block that defines a cylinder and a cylinder head mounted to the cylinder block. The engine additionally includes a gas compressor configured to selectively pressurize air being received from the ambient for delivery to the cylinder. The engine also includes an intake valve that is operatively connected to the cylinder head and controls delivery of the selectively pressurized air to the cylinder for combustion therein. Furthermore, the engine includes an air inlet assembly arranged between the intake valve and the compressor. The air inlet assembly is configured to supply the pressurized air to the cylinder and includes at least one passage configured to collect a condensate from the pressurized air. A vehicle having such an engine is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Alan W. Hayman, Eric C. Douse
  • Publication number: 20180347412
    Abstract: An improved cam follower for a vehicle engine includes a body, a spring seat, a tower, a spring and an anti-rotation member. The body defines a body diameter, a first open end, and a second end. The spring seat includes a spring seat opening and an interlock portion. The spring seat may be affixed to the first open end of the body. The spring seat further includes a spring seat diameter wherein the spring seat diameter is greater than the body diameter. The tower may be disposed in a pin housing through the spring seat opening at the first open end of the body. The tower further includes an upper flange and a spring which abuts the upper flange at a first spring end. The second spring end abuts the spring seat. The anti-rotation member accordingly may be coupled to the body via the spring seat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Inventors: Alan W Hayman, Jared M Satkowiak, Robert S McAlpine
  • Publication number: 20180298797
    Abstract: Provided are oil reservoirs and engine oil circulation systems including an upper sump capable of receiving oil from an engine, a lower sump disposed vertically below the upper sump, a valve-controlled orifice (VCO) penetrating the upper sum bottom, an oil chimney capable of receiving oil and communicating oil to the lower sump, and an oil conduit capable of extracting oil from the lower sump. Methods for operating systems include maintaining the VCO in an open position for a draw down duration temporally proximate an engine cold start, subsequently circulating oil between the engine and the oil reservoir, actuating the VCO to a closed position subsequent to the draw down duration for a warmup duration, and actuating the VCO to an open position subsequent to the warmup duration. Methods can further include actuating the VCO to an open position during the warmup duration in response to an increased oil demand event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Inventors: Brad J. Heckman, Alan W. Hayman
  • Publication number: 20180112633
    Abstract: A multi-cylinder spark-ignition internal combustion engine includes a plurality of first and second intake valves disposed between the air intake system and a corresponding plurality of engine cylinders. The engine also includes a dedicated-cylinder exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system including an exhaust runner fluidly connected between exhaust valve(s) of one of the cylinders and the air intake system of the engine. A controllable intake valve activation system is configured to control openings of the plurality of first and second intake valves. A controller is operatively connected to the engine and the controllable intake valve activation system, and includes an instruction set to monitor operation of the engine, and control openings of the plurality of first intake valves and control openings of the plurality of second intake valves to generate in-cylinder mixing of a cylinder charge that achieves combustion stability for an engine speed/load operating point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Publication date: April 26, 2018
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Edward J. Keating, Alan W. Hayman
  • Publication number: 20180058390
    Abstract: A cylinder head casting for a three cylinder engine having a dedicated exhaust gas recirculation cylinder and two non-dedicated cylinders, includes three combustion chamber upper wall portions. First and second exhaust ports/runners extend from two of the three combustion chamber upper wall portions, respectively, for the non-dedicated cylinders and are paired together prior to a first common breakout at an exhaust flange in a side face of the cylinder head. A third exhaust port/runner extends from the other of the three combustion chamber upper wall portions corresponding to the dedicated EGR cylinder remains separated from the first and second exhaust port runners until a separate second breakout at the exhaust flange.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2016
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventors: Alan W. HAYMAN, Robert S. McALPINE
  • Publication number: 20170321622
    Abstract: Disclosed are integrated exhaust manifold (IEM) cylinder heads, methods for making and methods for using IEM cylinder heads, and motor vehicles with an engine and IEM cylinder head assembly. Disclosed, for example, is an IEM cylinder head for a motor vehicle with an engine and an exhaust system. The IEM cylinder head includes a body that mounts to the engine's cylinder block. The cylinder head body integrally defines: multiple chamber surfaces each aligning with a cylinder bore and piston to define a combustion chamber; multiple exhaust ports each communicating with a cylinder bore to evacuate exhaust gas therefrom; multiple exit ports communicating with the exhaust system to evacuate exhaust gas from the cylinder head; and multiple exhaust runners each extending from an exhaust port to one exit port. These exhaust runners are fluidly isolated from each other to each transmit exhaust gases from a single one of the cylinder bores.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2016
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Alan W. Hayman, Rodney E. Baker
  • Patent number: 9810173
    Abstract: An engine assembly includes a cylinder head having an intake side and an exhaust side opposite the intake side. The cylinder head has an intake port, an exhaust port, and a combustion chamber in fluid communication with the intake port and the exhaust port. The engine assembly further includes a port fuel injector coupled to the cylinder head. The port fuel injector is disposed closer to the exhaust side than to the intake side of the cylinder head. Further, the port fuel injector is fluid communication with the intake port to allow fuel to be injected directly into the intake port. The engine assembly further includes a direct fuel injector coupled to the cylinder head. The direct injector is in fluid communication with the combustion chamber to allow fuel to be injected directly into the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Alan W. Hayman, Edward J. Keating, Rodney E. Baker
  • Patent number: 9797512
    Abstract: An assembly such as a piston assembly for an engine includes a piston pin that has an outer member and a core. The outer member has a cavity extending lengthwise therethrough. The cavity has a first volume. The core is fit to the outer member in the cavity, and has a second volume less than the first volume. For example, the second volume may be less than the first volume because the core has an opening, because the core is shorter in length than the cavity, or both. A method of manufacturing a piston pin includes providing an outer member having a first density and a first length, creating a cavity that extends lengthwise through the outer member, providing a core having a second density and a second length, and inserting the core into the cavity of the outer member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Alan W. Hayman, Rodney E. Baker, Dale E. Murrish, Amit Kumar, Balakrishna Chinta
  • Patent number: 9752531
    Abstract: An engine assembly may include an engine block, a first piston, a second piston, and a cylinder head. The first piston may be located in a first cylinder bore and the second piston may be located in a second cylinder bore. The cylinder head may be coupled to the engine block and cooperate with the first cylinder bore and the first piston to define a first combustion chamber and with the second cylinder bore and the second piston to define a second combustion chamber. The cylinder head may define a first intake and exhaust port arrangement in communication with the first combustion chamber and may define a second intake and exhaust port arrangement in communication with the second combustion chamber. The second intake and exhaust port arrangement may include a greater total number of ports than the first intake and exhaust port arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Alan W. Hayman
  • Patent number: 9670823
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a cylinder block defining a cylinder, a cylinder head, and an exhaust manifold operatively connected to the cylinder head and configured to exhaust post-combustion gasses from the cylinder. The engine also includes a turbocharger having a turbine housing and configured to be driven by the post-combustion gasses from the exhaust manifold, to pressurize an airflow being received from the ambient, and to discharge the pressurized airflow to the cylinder. The engine additionally includes a cooling module arranged between the turbine housing and the cylinder head and defining a third coolant jacket configured to cool the turbine housing. A vehicle employing such an engine is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Alan W. Hayman, Robert S. McAlpine
  • Publication number: 20170138295
    Abstract: An engine assembly includes a cylinder head having an intake side and an exhaust side opposite the intake side. The cylinder head has an intake port, an exhaust port, and a combustion chamber in fluid communication with the intake port and the exhaust port. The engine assembly further includes a port fuel injector coupled to the cylinder head. The port fuel injector is disposed closer to the exhaust side than to the intake side of the cylinder head. Further, the port fuel injector is fluid communication with the intake port to allow fuel to be injected directly into the intake port. The engine assembly further includes a direct fuel injector coupled to the cylinder head. The direct injector is in fluid communication with the combustion chamber to allow fuel to be injected directly into the combustion chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Alan W. Hayman, Edward J. Keating, Rodney E. Baker
  • Patent number: 9650989
    Abstract: An engine assembly is provided including a block defining a plurality of cylinders. A plurality of pistons are disposed in the plurality of cylinders and a crankshaft is drivingly attached to the plurality of pistons. A cover is mounted to an end of the block and supports a crankshaft seal around the crankshaft. The cover includes a dimpled pattern in a surface adjacent to the crankshaft seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Eric D. Staley, Alan W. Hayman, Thomas A. Spix
  • Publication number: 20170114898
    Abstract: An assembly such as a piston assembly for an engine includes a piston pin that has an outer member and a core. The outer member has a cavity extending lengthwise therethrough. The cavity has a first volume. The core is fit to the outer member in the cavity, and has a second volume less than the first volume. For example, the second volume may be less than the first volume because the core has an opening, because the core is shorter in length than the cavity, or both. A method of manufacturing a piston pin includes providing an outer member having a first density and a first length, creating a cavity that extends lengthwise through the outer member, providing a core having a second density and a second length, and inserting the core into the cavity of the outer member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2015
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Alan W. Hayman, Rodney E. Baker, Dale E. Murrish, Amit Kumar, Balakrishna Chinta
  • Publication number: 20170058823
    Abstract: A cylinder head defines an inlet port having an exit. A valve seat insert defines a seat cut surface that is disposed adjacent to the exit of the inlet port. A cross section of the inlet port parallel to a centerline of the inlet port defines a long turn edge of the inlet port cross section. The long turn edge of the inlet port cross section defines a flow path trajectory of the inlet port. The seat cut surface and the flow path trajectory are substantially aligned to extend the flow path trajectory of the long turn edge of the inlet port cross section across the seat cut surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Alan W. Hayman, Kenneth M. Eastman, Edward J. Keating, Erwan Gautier
  • Patent number: 9574537
    Abstract: A first fuel rail of an engine connects to first fuel injectors and a second fuel rail connects to second fuel injectors. The first fuel injectors each includes a tip portion projecting through an opening in the cylinder head into the combustion chamber. The second fuel injectors each includes a tip portion projecting through an opening in a bottom portion of an intake port. The first fuel rail includes first mounting brackets each including an aperture, and outwardly projecting mounting bosses, and fixedly attaches to the cylinder head via fasteners that pass through the apertures of the first mounting brackets and attach to the mounting bosses of the cylinder head. The second fuel rail includes second mounting brackets each including an aperture. The second fuel rail fixedly attaches to the first fuel rail via fasteners that attach to the mounting bosses of the first fuel rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Alan W. Hayman, Eric C. Douse
  • Publication number: 20170030257
    Abstract: An electrically driven compressor is used to supplement a turbocharger on an engine featuring cylinder deactivation to alleviate the shortcomings of a single turbocharger in order to extend the deactivated operating ranges. The electrically driven compressor is also operable to enhance transient boost development of a turbocharged engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Inventors: Ko-Jen WU, Alan W. HAYMAN, Robert GALLON