Patents by Inventor Dan L. Alden

Dan L. Alden 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: 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: 8960134
    Abstract: A cooling system for an engine having a plurality of piston cylinders. The cooling system can include a liquid coolant source having liquid coolant and a cylinder cooling passage network having an inlet and an outlet for receiving and transmitting the liquid coolant. The cylinder cooling passage network having a plurality of individual upstream fluidic passages each being fluidly coupled to the inlet to directly receive the liquid coolant from the liquid coolant source in parallel flow. The cylinder cooling passage network further having a plurality of cylinder jacket passages each extending about at least a portion of a corresponding one of the plurality of piston cylinders and being positioned immediately adjacent thereto. The cylinder jacket passages are fluidly coupled directly to a corresponding one of the plurality of individual upstream fluidic passages to receive the liquid coolant and transmit the liquid coolant to the outlet for improved cooling performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Akram R. Zahdeh, Dan L. Alden, Colin Blacklock Bosman, Robert S. McAlpine
  • Publication number: 20150034028
    Abstract: A cooling system for an engine having a plurality of piston cylinders. The cooling system can include a liquid coolant source having liquid coolant and a cylinder cooling passage network having an inlet and an outlet for receiving and transmitting the liquid coolant. The cylinder cooling passage network having a plurality of individual upstream fluidic passages each being fluidly coupled to the inlet to directly receive the liquid coolant from the liquid coolant source in parallel flow. The cylinder cooling passage network further having a plurality of cylinder jacket passages each extending about at least a portion of a corresponding one of the plurality of piston cylinders and being positioned immediately adjacent thereto. The cylinder jacket passages are fluidly coupled directly to a corresponding one of the plurality of individual upstream fluidic passages to receive the liquid coolant and transmit the liquid coolant to the outlet for improved cooling performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Applicant: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Akram R. ZAHDEH, Dan L. ALDEN, Colin Blacklock BOSMAN, Robert S. MCALPINE
  • Patent number: 8739756
    Abstract: A cooling system for an engine assembly includes an engine block that defines a coolant flow passage configured to carry coolant through the engine block. The engine block also defines an oil flow passage configured to carry lubricating oil through the engine block. The oil flow passage at least partially surrounds the coolant flow passage and is sufficiently adjacent to the coolant flow passage so that the lubricating oil flowing in the oil flow passage is cooled by the coolant flowing in the coolant flow passage by heat transfer through the engine block. The engine block may define ridges along the coolant flow passage that increase a surface area of the coolant flow passage to increase heat transfer capability. The engine block may define two such coolant flow passages, a first and a second coolant flow passage, positioned so that the oil flow passage passes between the coolant flow passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Naser I. Hineiti, Dan L. Alden, Akram R. Zahdeh, Brian D. Kaminski
  • Patent number: 8695562
    Abstract: A cooling system for an engine assembly includes an engine block that defines a coolant flow passage configured to carry coolant through the engine block. The engine block also defines an oil flow passage configured to carry lubricating oil through the engine block. The oil flow passage at least partially surrounds the coolant flow passage and is sufficiently adjacent to the coolant flow passage so that the lubricating oil flowing in the oil flow passage is cooled by the coolant flowing in the coolant flow passage by heat transfer through the engine block. The engine block may define ridges along the coolant flow passage that increase a surface area of the coolant flow passage to increase heat transfer capability. The engine block may define two such coolant flow passages, a first and a second coolant flow passage, positioned so that the oil flow passage passes between the coolant flow passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Naser I. Hineiti, Dan L. Alden, Akram R. Zahdeh, Brian D. Kaminski
  • Patent number: 8550039
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a pump assembly includes sand casting a pump housing with a cavity and die casting an impeller that includes pump blades and a first portion of a shroud. The pump housing may be sand cast as a one-piece component and the impeller may be die cast as another one-piece component. A pump cover is provided with a second portion of the shroud. The pump cover is inserted into the cavity so that the second portion of the shroud is adjacent to the first portion of the shroud, providing a substantially continuous surface defining flow channels through the impeller. A pump assembly manufactured according to the method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Naser I. Hineiti, Dan L. Alden
  • Publication number: 20120240880
    Abstract: A cooling system for an engine assembly includes an engine block that defines a coolant flow passage configured to carry coolant through the engine block. The engine block also defines an oil flow passage configured to carry lubricating oil through the engine block. The oil flow passage at least partially surrounds the coolant flow passage and is sufficiently adjacent to the coolant flow passage so that the lubricating oil flowing in the oil flow passage is cooled by the coolant flowing in the coolant flow passage by heat transfer through the engine block. The engine block may define ridges along the coolant flow passage that increase a surface area of the coolant flow passage to increase heat transfer capability. The engine block may define two such coolant flow passages, a first and a second coolant flow passage, positioned so that the oil flow passage passes between the coolant flow passages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Naser I. Hineiti, Dan L. Alden, Akram R. Zahdeh, Brian D. Kaminski
  • Publication number: 20120103285
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a pump assembly includes sand casting a pump housing with a cavity and die casting an impeller that includes pump blades and a first portion of a shroud. The pump housing may be sand cast as a one-piece component and the impeller may be die cast as another one-piece component. A pump cover is provided with a second portion of the shroud. The pump cover is inserted into the cavity so that the second portion of the shroud is adjacent to the first portion of the shroud, providing a substantially continuous surface defining flow channels through the impeller. A pump assembly manufactured according to the method is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Naser I. Hineiti, Dan L. Alden
  • Patent number: 8051825
    Abstract: An engine assembly may include an engine block, a cylinder head, and a valvetrain assembly. The cylinder head may be fixed to the engine block. The valvetrain assembly may include a valve actuating member, a support member, and a first fastener engaged with the support member and the engine block that fixes the support member to the engine block. The valve actuating member may be rotatably supported on the support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Nicholas Patrick Lester, Dan L. Alden
  • Publication number: 20100050974
    Abstract: An engine assembly may include an engine block, a cylinder head, and a valvetrain assembly. The cylinder head may be fixed to the engine block. The valvetrain assembly may include a valve actuating member, a support member, and a first fastener engaged with the support member and the engine block that fixes the support member to the engine block. The valve actuating member may be rotatably supported on the support member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Nicholas Patrick Lester, Dan L. Alden