Patents by Inventor Andy Bennett

Andy Bennett 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: 11242852
    Abstract: An automobile vehicle variable displacement pump includes a pump body having a pump shaft extending through the pump body. A rotor is connected to the pump shaft and co-rotates with the pump shaft. The rotor has multiple radially outwardly directed slots. A vane support ring supports multiple vanes, the vanes individually slidably received in one of the slots of the rotor. A slide is rotatably connected to the pump body having the rotor and the vane support ring positioned within an inner wall of the slide. A bow spring plate defining a biasing member directly contacts the slide to bias the slide to rotate about an arc of curvature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Andy Bennett, Sr., Sean McGowan
  • Publication number: 20200309120
    Abstract: An automobile vehicle variable displacement pump includes a pump body having a pump shaft extending through the pump body. A rotor is connected to the pump shaft and co-rotates with the pump shaft. The rotor has multiple radially outwardly directed slots. A vane support ring supports multiple vanes, the vanes individually slidably received in one of the slots of the rotor. A slide is rotatably connected to the pump body having the rotor and the vane support ring positioned within an inner wall of the slide. A bow spring plate defining a biasing member directly contacts the slide to bias the slide to rotate about an arc of curvature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2019
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Andy Bennett, SR., Sean McGowan
  • Publication number: 20200080555
    Abstract: A variable displacement pump is provided which better distributes stress across the rotor structure thereby reducing the risk of the rotor cracking and/or failing. The variable displacement pump includes a housing, a vane control ring, a rotor, a plurality of vanes, a slider ring, a biasing means, and a regulator valve. The housing defines an inlet port and a discharge port. The rotor may be rotationally driven by a drive shaft and coaxially aligned with the drive shaft. The rotor may define a plurality of primary ribs and a plurality of corresponding secondary ribs with an aperture defined between each primary rib and secondary rib. Each primary rib defines a primary rib thickness and each secondary rib defines a secondary rib thickness which is less than the primary rib thickness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2018
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: Andy Bennett, SR., Sean M. McGowan, Mark R. Claywell
  • Patent number: 10570788
    Abstract: The oil pan assembly includes an oil pan and a slideable cover. The oil pan includes a base and a sidewall which surrounds the base wherein the base and the sidewall are configured to retain a pool of oil. The oil pan further includes a peripheral flange operatively configured to be coupled to an engine block. The slideable cover is affixed to the oil pan and is configured to maintain the pool of oil proximate to the base of the oil pan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Andy Bennett, Sean M McGowan
  • Publication number: 20200032791
    Abstract: Variable displacement pumps and biasing assemblies for the same are disclosed. Example pumps may include a housing having an inlet and an outlet, and a rotor fixed for rotation with a shaft, with the shaft rotatably mounted within the housing. The pump may further include a plurality of radially extending vanes slidably disposed in the rotor, and a pivotable ring member defining a control chamber about the rotor, with the ring member being pivotable within the housing to vary an eccentricity of the ring member with respect to the rotor. The pump may further include a biasing assembly applying a biasing force to the ring member in a first direction about the shaft, with the biasing assembly including at least one resilient element extending longitudinally along a stand, and a sliding support slidably disposed on the stand and laterally supporting the resilient element with respect to the stand.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2018
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventors: Andy Bennett, SR., Anthony Anzalone, Bryan K. Pryor
  • Publication number: 20200025198
    Abstract: A sprocket gerotor pump includes an outer gerotor gear configured to rotate about a first axis. The outer gerotor gear includes an outer gear body including a plurality of internal gear teeth extending from the outer gear body toward the first axis. The sprocket gerotor pump includes an inner gerotor gear configured to rotate about a second axis. The inner gerotor gear includes an inner gear body and a plurality of external gear teeth extending from the inner gerotor gear away from the second axis. The external gear teeth mesh with the internal gear teeth. Rotating the outer gerotor gear causes rotation of the inner gerotor gear. The sprocket gerotor pump further includes a sprocket integrally coupled with the outer gerotor gear such that the sprocket and the outer gerotor gear collectively form a one-piece structure. The sprocket is driven by a chain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Applicant: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Andy Bennett, SR., Sean M. McGowan
  • Publication number: 20190338771
    Abstract: A variable displacement vane pump includes a housing, an expandable vane control ring, a rotor, a plurality of vanes, slider ring, and biasing means. The expandable vane control ring defines a gap. The plurality of vanes may be slidably disposed in the rotor. The slider ring is pivotally affixed to the housing via a pivot. The slider ring may form a plurality of pumping chambers with the expandable vane control ring, the rotor and the vanes. The distal end of each vane in the plurality of vanes is configured to abut and slide along an inner surface of the slider ring while the rotor rotates and the expandable vane control ring is configured to temporarily contract when intermittent friction is experienced between the inner surface and any vane in the plurality of vanes—so that the plurality of vanes continuously slide along an inner surface of the slider ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2018
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Inventors: Andy Bennett, SR., Sean M. McGowan, Bryan K. Pryor, David R. Staley
  • Publication number: 20190128155
    Abstract: The oil pan assembly includes an oil pan and a slideable cover. The oil pan includes a base and a sidewall which surrounds the base wherein the base and the sidewall are configured to retain a pool of oil. The oil pan further includes a peripheral flange operatively configured to be coupled to an engine block. The slideable cover is affixed to the oil pan and is configured to maintain the pool of oil proximate to the base of the oil pan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventors: Andy Bennett, Sean M. McGowan
  • Patent number: 10247295
    Abstract: An exemplary assembly includes a housing including a flange extending from a perimeter of the housing, a cover including an edge tab extending from a perimeter of the cover, a gear set positioned between the housing and the cover, an alignment member positioned between the flange and the edge tab, the alignment member adjacent to an exterior surface of the gear set, and a ring at least partially encircling the housing, the ring including an anti-rotation member and a securing tab. The edge tab and the alignment member are enclosed by the anti-rotation member to maintain a radial position of the gear set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Inventor: Andy Bennett, Sr.
  • Patent number: 10240681
    Abstract: A pressure relief valve includes a valve housing having an inlet end with an inlet opening having a valve seat surface surrounding the inlet opening. The valve housing defines an outlet end with a plurality of outlet holes and a valve chamber disposed between the valve seat and the outlet end. One of the plurality of outlet holes has a smaller cross section than the other outlet holes. The valve chamber includes a plurality of radially protruding grooves extending radially beyond a base diameter. One of the plurality of radially protruding grooves has a groove cross section that is smaller than a groove cross section of the remaining grooves, which along with the smaller outlet hole cause a lateral pressure imbalance on the valve member so that the valve member tends to remain in contact with a side of the valve seat while permitting relief flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Andy Bennett, Sr., Joel H. Pike
  • Publication number: 20190072196
    Abstract: A pressure relief valve includes a valve housing having an inlet end with an inlet opening having a valve seat surface surrounding the inlet opening. The valve housing defines an outlet end with a plurality of outlet holes and a valve chamber disposed between the valve seat and the outlet end. One of the plurality of outlet holes has a smaller cross section than the other outlet holes. The valve chamber includes a plurality of radially protruding grooves extending radially beyond a base diameter. One of the plurality of radially protruding grooves has a groove cross section that is smaller than a groove cross section of the remaining grooves, which along with the smaller outlet hole cause a lateral pressure imbalance on the valve member so that the valve member tends to remain in contact with a side of the valve seat while permitting relief flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Inventors: Andy BENNETT, SR., Joel H. PIKE
  • Patent number: 10156293
    Abstract: In one or more embodiments, a pressure relief valve for a fluid pump has a valve head that has a recessed outlet-side surface that confronts a support end of a spring such that the valve head extends past the support end of the spring toward a pump outlet. The spring is biased to urge the valve head against a valve seat to a seated position. The spring is also configured to be compressed when fluid pressure at an inlet to the relief valve exceeds fluid pressure at the outlet by at least a predetermined amount such that the valve head is pushed away from the valve seat to an unseated position. A pressure relief valve may have multiple outlets at least some of which have unequal flow areas such that fluid pressure distribution across the flow area of the pressure relief valve cavity is nonsymmetrical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Andy Bennett, Joel H. Pike
  • Patent number: 9581158
    Abstract: A submersible electric pump includes a housing adapted to be submerged within a fluid to be pumped having apertures extending therethrough. An electric motor stator is positioned within the housing in communication with the apertures and is adapted to be in contact with the fluid. Inner and outer pump rotors are positioned within the housing in meshed engagement with one another to pump fluid when rotated. A plurality of permanent magnets are fixed for rotation with the outer rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Magna Powertrain Inc.
    Inventors: Gil Hadar, Andy Bennett
  • Publication number: 20140119963
    Abstract: A submersible electric pump includes a housing adapted to be submerged within a fluid to be pumped having apertures extending therethrough. An electric motor stator is positioned within the housing in communication with the apertures and is adapted to be in contact with the fluid. Inner and outer pump rotors are positioned within the housing in meshed engagement with one another to pump fluid when rotated. A plurality of permanent magnets are fixed for rotation with the outer rotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2014
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: Magna Powertrain Inc.
    Inventors: Gil Hadar, Andy Bennett
  • Patent number: 8696326
    Abstract: An externally mounted electric fluid pump for pumping fluid within a power transmission device is disclosed. The pump includes a housing adapted to be mounted to an external surface of the power transmission device. The pump is positioned within the housing and includes an input member. An electric motor is positioned within the housing and drives the input member. A controller is positioned within the housing to control the electric motor and vary the output of the pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Magna Powertrain Inc.
    Inventors: Gil Hadar, Andy Bennett, Liping Wang
  • Patent number: 8632321
    Abstract: A submersible electric pump includes a housing adapted to be submerged within a fluid to be pumped having apertures extending therethrough. An electric motor stator is positioned within the housing in communication with the apertures and is adapted to be in contact with the fluid. Inner and outer pump rotors are positioned within the housing in meshed engagement with one another to pump fluid when rotated. A plurality of permanent magnets are fixed for rotation with the outer rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Magna Powertrain Inc.
    Inventors: Gil Hadar, Andy Bennett
  • Publication number: 20100290934
    Abstract: An externally mounted electric fluid pump for pumping fluid within a power transmission device is disclosed. The pump includes a housing adapted to be mounted to an external surface of the power transmission device. The pump is positioned within the housing and includes an input member. An electric motor is positioned within the housing and drives the input member. A controller is positioned within the housing to control the electric motor and vary the output of the pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2009
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Inventors: Gil Hadar, Andy Bennett, Liping Wang
  • Publication number: 20100129239
    Abstract: A submersible electric pump includes a housing adapted to be submerged within a fluid to be pumped having apertures extending therethrough. An electric motor stator is positioned within the housing in communication with the apertures and is adapted to be in contact with the fluid. Inner and outer pump rotors are positioned within the housing in meshed engagement with one another to pump fluid when rotated. A plurality of permanent magnets are fixed for rotation with the outer rotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2009
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Inventors: Gil Hadar, Andy Bennett
  • Publication number: 20080304961
    Abstract: A novel and useful improvement to vane pumps, both variable displacement vane pumps and fixed displacement vane pumps, provides a supply of pressurized fluid to the region within the diameter of the pump rotor which would otherwise be a region of reduced pressure wherein air could be ingested by the pump. By reducing or preventing the ingestion of air, operating noise and damage to the pump can be reduced and wear in an engine or other system supplied from the pump can be reduced. The supply of pressurized working fluid also can be used to lubricate auxiliary components and/or accessories as well. Further, a portion of the supply of pressurized working fluid to this region can act to supercharge the pump, reducing the occurrence of cavitation at higher operating speeds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2006
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Inventors: Gurvinder Bhogal, David Seto, Andy Bennett