Patents by Inventor Brian T. Kenyon

Brian T. Kenyon 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: 11852054
    Abstract: A variable camshaft timing (VCT) system includes an independent camshaft phaser, receiving input from a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, having an output coupled to one of an inner concentric camshaft or an outer concentric camshaft; and a dependent camshaft phaser, coupled to the other of the inner concentric camshaft or the outer concentric camshaft, comprising a half-Oldham link configured to permit radial movement of the inner concentric camshaft relative to the outer concentric camshaft in one radial direction and at least one pivotable arm configured to permit radial movement of the inner concentric camshaft relative to the outer concentric camshaft in another, different radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: BORGWARNER INC.
    Inventors: Chad M. McCloy, David C. White, Shawn Blackmur, Timothy W. Kunz, Brian T. Kenyon
  • Patent number: 11753970
    Abstract: A hydraulically-actuated variable camshaft timing (VCT) system comprises a spool valve including a sleeve and a spool, having a plurality of radially-outwardly extending lands, received within a sleeve; a sleeve fluid pathway, extending axially along the sleeve and formed within the sleeve, configured to receive fluid from a fluid supply; an advancing port in the sleeve in fluid communication with an advancing chamber of a hydraulically-actuated camshaft phaser; a retarding port in the sleeve in fluid communication with a retarding chamber of the hydraulically-actuated camshaft phaser; a first fluid supply port formed in the sleeve; a second fluid supply port formed in the sleeve; and an exhaust port axially positioned in the sleeve in between the first fluid supply port and the second fluid supply port or in between the advancing port and the retarding port, wherein the exhaust port is configured to selectively receive fluid from either the advancing chamber or the retarding chamber depending on an axial pos
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: BORGWARNER INC.
    Inventor: Brian T. Kenyon
  • Publication number: 20230090525
    Abstract: A variable camshaft timing (VCT) system includes an independent camshaft phaser, receiving input from a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, having an output coupled to one of an inner concentric camshaft or an outer concentric camshaft; and a dependent camshaft phaser, coupled to the other of the inner concentric camshaft or the outer concentric camshaft, comprising a half-Oldham link configured to permit radial movement of the inner concentric camshaft relative to the outer concentric camshaft in one radial direction and at least one pivotable arm configured to permit radial movement of the inner concentric camshaft relative to the outer concentric camshaft in another, different radial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Chad M. McCloy, David C. White, Shawn Blackmur, Timothy W. Kunz, Brian T. Kenyon
  • Publication number: 20230076718
    Abstract: A hydraulically-actuated variable camshaft timing (VCT) system comprises a spool valve including a sleeve and a spool, having a plurality of radially-outwardly extending lands, received within a sleeve; a sleeve fluid pathway, extending axially along the sleeve and formed within the sleeve, configured to receive fluid from a fluid supply; an advancing port in the sleeve in fluid communication with an advancing chamber of a hydraulically-actuated camshaft phaser; a retarding port in the sleeve in fluid communication with a retarding chamber of the hydraulically-actuated camshaft phaser; a first fluid supply port formed in the sleeve; a second fluid supply port formed in the sleeve; and an exhaust port axially positioned in the sleeve in between the first fluid supply port and the second fluid supply port or in between the advancing port and the retarding port, wherein the exhaust port is configured to selectively receive fluid from either the advancing chamber or the retarding chamber depending on an axial pos
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventor: Brian T. Kenyon
  • Publication number: 20220316367
    Abstract: A hydraulically-actuated variable camshaft timing (VCT) system comprises a spool valve including a sleeve and a spool, having a plurality of radially-outwardly extending lands, received within the sleeve; a first fluid supply port in the sleeve configured to receive fluid from a fluid supply; a second fluid supply port in the sleeve configured to receive fluid from the fluid supply; an advancing port in the sleeve in fluid communication with an advancing chamber of a hydraulically-actuated camshaft phaser; a retarding port in the sleeve in fluid communication with a retarding chamber of the hydraulically-actuated camshaft phaser; and an exhaust port axially positioned in the sleeve in between the first fluid supply port and the second fluid supply port or in between the advancing port and the retarding port, wherein the exhaust port is configured to selectively receive fluid from either the advancing chamber or the retarding chamber depending on an axial position of the spool relative to the sleeve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventor: Brian T. Kenyon
  • Patent number: 11339688
    Abstract: A valve assembly that can be employed in a variable camshaft timing (VCT) phaser assembly. The valve assembly includes a metal sleeve and a check valve. The check valve, in an implementation, has an integral construction with the metal sleeve. The integral construction has multiple designs, one of which includes an overmolded construction of the check valve with the metal sleeve. The valve assembly can also include a valve housing which, in the implementation of the VCT phaser assembly, is a center bolt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: BORGWARNER, INC.
    Inventors: Andrew V. Degner, Brian T. Kenyon, Chad M. McCloy
  • Patent number: 11174762
    Abstract: A variable camshaft timing (VCT) control valve assembly includes: a control valve having one or more lands and a valve cavity; one or more cavity vents in the control valve are configured to communicate fluid between an outer surface of the control valve and the valve cavity; a valve sleeve having a sleeve cavity that receives the control valve and a plurality of apertures, at least one of the apertures is configured to be in fluid communication with an advance fluid chamber of a VCT device and another of the apertures is configured to be in fluid communication with a retard fluid chamber; the control valve slides axially relative to the valve sleeve; and one or more reed valves, attached to an outer surface of the valve sleeve, configured to control the flow of fluid between one of the advance fluid chamber or the retard fluid chamber and the other of the advance fluid chamber or the retard fluid chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: BORGWARNER, INC.
    Inventors: Brian T. Kenyon, Matthew Minnig
  • Patent number: 11137076
    Abstract: A spool valve assembly, configured to control the flow of fluid, includes a spool valve, configured to move axially along an axis to control fluid flow, having a spool cavity and a plurality of spool apertures that communicate fluid between the spool cavity and an outside surface of the spool valve; a valve sleeve, in which the spool valve is concentrically positioned, that slidably receives the spool valve; and a valve plug, received within the spool cavity, having at least one plug aperture and a plug cavity, wherein the spool apertures at least partially overlap the plug aperture(s) in a radial direction to permit the flow of fluid between the plug cavity and the outside surface within a defined flow rate variance regardless of the angular position of the valve plug relative to the angular position of the spool valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: BORGWARNER, INC.
    Inventors: Brian T. Kenyon, Joshua D. Plumeau
  • Publication number: 20210231032
    Abstract: A valve assembly that can be employed in a variable camshaft timing (VCT) phaser assembly. The valve assembly includes a metal sleeve and a check valve. The check valve, in an implementation, has an integral construction with the metal sleeve. The integral construction has multiple designs, one of which includes an overmolded construction of the check valve with the metal sleeve. The valve assembly can also include a valve housing which, in the implementation of the VCT phaser assembly, is a center bolt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Inventors: Andrew V. Degner, Brian T. Kenyon, Chad M. McCloy
  • Patent number: 9803520
    Abstract: A variable camshaft timing device can operate using pressure generated by camshaft torque energy to transfer fluid from one working chamber to another work chamber or operate via an external fluid pressure source to fill one working chamber while simultaneously exhausting an opposing working chamber or operate using both modes simultaneously. The mode of the variable camshaft timing device is determined by the position of the control valve. The lock pin is controlled by fluid from one of the working chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventors: Franklin R. Smith, Brian T. Kenyon
  • Patent number: 9695716
    Abstract: A variable camshaft timing device can operate using pressure generated by camshaft torque energy to transfer fluid from one working chamber to another work chamber or operate via an external fluid pressure source to fill one working chamber while simultaneously exhausting an opposing working chamber or operate using both modes simultaneously. The mode of the variable camshaft timing device is determined by the position of the control valve. The lock pin is controlled by fluid from one of the working chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventors: Franklin R. Smith, Brian T. Kenyon
  • Publication number: 20170058726
    Abstract: A variable camshaft timing device can operate using pressure generated by camshaft torque energy to transfer fluid from one working chamber to another work chamber or operate via an external fluid pressure source to fill one working chamber while simultaneously exhausting an opposing working chamber or operate using both modes simultaneously. The mode of the variable camshaft timing device is determined by the position of the control valve. The lock pin is controlled by fluid from one of the working chambers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: Franklin R. Smith, Brian T. Kenyon
  • Publication number: 20170058727
    Abstract: A variable camshaft timing device can operate using pressure generated by camshaft torque energy to transfer fluid from one working chamber to another work chamber or operate via an external fluid pressure source to fill one working chamber while simultaneously exhausting an opposing working chamber or operate using both modes simultaneously. The mode of the variable camshaft timing device is determined by the position of the control valve. The lock pin is controlled by fluid from one of the working chambers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: Franklin R. Smith, Brian T. Kenyon