Patents by Inventor Dennis P. McGrath

Dennis P. McGrath 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: 7757673
    Abstract: Prior art fuel line check valves remain closed after engine off and cool down. Diurnal heating and the resultant pressure increase in the fuel line causes fuel vapor emissions through small openings in the fuel line (e.g., at the injector tips). The invention provides a check valve for a vehicle fuel line which opens in response to engine cooling and remains open while the engine is off to relieve subsequent increasing pressure in the fuel line due to diurnal heating thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David H. Burke, William L. Villaire, Dennis P. McGrath, John G. Fischer
  • Publication number: 20090056817
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a fuel pressure regulator includes a housing defining a fuel inlet and a fuel outlet, and a ball in the housing is movable between a closed configuration, wherein fluid communication between the inlet and outlet is blocked, and an open configuration, wherein fluid communication between the inlet and outlet is not blocked. Fuel pressure urges the ball toward the open configuration. A spring in the housing is engaged with the ball to urge the ball toward the closed configuration. Also, a ball holder is engaged with the ball and spring and is oriented to receive fluid pressure from the inlet when the ball is moved away from the closed configuration. Fluid pressure from the inlet acts directly against the ball holder as well as against the ball to assist moving the ball toward the open configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventors: Jose L. Almaraz, Dennis P. McGrath
  • Publication number: 20090007889
    Abstract: Prior art fuel line check valves remain closed after engine off and cool down. Diurnal heating and the resultant pressure increase in the fuel line causes fuel vapor emissions through small openings in the fuel line (e.g., at the injector tips). The invention provides a check valve for a vehicle fuel line which opens in response to engine cooling and remains open while the engine is off to relieve subsequent increasing pressure in the fuel line due to diurnal heating thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2008
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Inventors: David H. Burke, William L. Villaire, Dennis P. McGrath, John G. Fischer
  • Patent number: 7444995
    Abstract: Prior art fuel line check valves remain closed after engine off and cool down. Diurnal heating and the resultant pressure increase in the fuel line causes fuel vapor emissions through small openings in the fuel line (e.g., at the injector tips). The invention provides a check valve for a vehicle fuel line which opens in response to engine cooling and remains open while the engine is off to relieve subsequent increasing pressure in the fuel line due to diurnal heating thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David H. Burke, William L. Villaire, Dennis P. McGrath, John G. Fischer
  • Patent number: 7299492
    Abstract: A security system and method for granting multi-level access to data items in a distributed network. An architecture is provided, comprising: an authentication server that provides access to a web portal using a web services based communication framework; a system for securely establishing security credentials for an end user logging into the authentication server system; an access directory that obtains the security credentials for the end user from the authentication server, generates a set of XML credential data based on a predefined XML schema, and returns the XML credential data to the authentication server; and wherein the authentication server passes the XML credential data to the web portal in order to grant access to the end user for data items accessible via the web portal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ralph W. Thrash, Dennis P. McGrath, Anthony M. Paper, Siddharth N. Purohit
  • Patent number: 7246607
    Abstract: Prior art fuel line check valves remain closed after engine off and cool down. Diurnal heating and the resultant pressure increase in the fuel line causes fuel vapor emissions through small openings in the fuel line (e.g., at the injector tips). The invention provides a check valve for a vehicle fuel line which opens in response to engine cooling and remains open while the engine is off to relieve subsequent increasing pressure in the fuel line due to diurnal heating thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David H. Burke, William L. Villaire, Dennis P. McGrath, John G. Fischer
  • Patent number: 7086388
    Abstract: A combination valve for fuel delivery system of a vehicle having an engine, the fuel delivery system being configured to pump fuel to the engine and the fuel delivery system has a regulator for regulating the pressure of the fuel when it is being pumped to the engine by the fuel delivery system, the combination valve comprising: an outer housing defining an inner opening for slidably receiving a body portion of a system pressure relief valve therein, the body portion of the system pressure relief valve defining an inner opening for slidably receiving a body portion of a check valve therein, the body portion of the check valve being configured to provide a first fluid pathway in a first direction when the body portion of the check valve moves from a closed position to an open position as the body portion of the check valve moves in the first direction within the inner opening of the body portion of the system pressure relief valve, the body portion of the system pressure relief valve being configured to provid
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert A. Roth, Dennis P. McGrath
  • Publication number: 20030056769
    Abstract: A fuel pressure regulator assembly for a fuel delivery module of a fuel system of a vehicle includes a housing having a cavity therein and a valve seat extending into the cavity and a passageway extending through the valve seat. The fuel pressure regulator assembly also includes a movable piston disposed in the cavity of the housing and a seal connected to the piston and disposed between the piston and the valve seat. The fuel pressure regulator assembly further includes a biasing mechanism disposed in the cavity to bias the piston and the seal toward the valve seat to close the passageway.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2002
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Inventors: Dennis P. McGrath, Ulf Sawert, Grover W. Preston, Carlos A. Gutierrez
  • Patent number: 5080077
    Abstract: A modular fuel delivery system including a reservoir in fuel tank, an electric high pressure pump in the reservoir fed only from inside the reservoir, and a jet pump fed only from the fuel tank and discharging into the reservoir to keep the latter filled and energized from the high pressure pump. A check valve is disposed between the jet pump inlet and the fuel tank to prevent backflow into the fuel tank. A partition on the bottom of the reservoir separates the jet pump discharge from the high pressure pump inlet and defines a standpipe around and above the jet pump discharge so that the jet pump stays submerged in fuel when the high pressure pump empties the reservoir. The pumping efficiency of the jet pump when submerged is better than when dry so that the delay in restarting the engine after the both the fuel tank and the resvoir are pumped empty is minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1992
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Ulf Sawert, Timothy F. Coha, Dennis P. McGrath