Patents by Inventor Eric A. Benham

Eric A. Benham 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).

  • Publication number: 20240060464
    Abstract: At least some embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to pump assemblies. In some embodiments, the pump is a high-pressure pump for an engine. The pump includes: an inlet valve configured to receive fuel; an armature coupled to the inlet valve and configured to actuate the inlet valve; and a pump barrel comprising a barrel guide, the barrel guide comprising a protrusion and configured to guide a motion of the armature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Inventors: Eric A. Benham, Karthik Sethuraman, Donald J. Benson, Michael Andrew Lucas, Richard E. Duncan
  • Publication number: 20230304482
    Abstract: A pump inlet valve includes a valve body and a plunger assembly. The valve body includes a valve body cavity. The plunger assembly is arranged within the valve body cavity and includes a plunger body, a plunger barrel formed at the plunger body so as to form a plunger barrel volume, and a plunger. The plunger is configured to move within the plunger barrel to thereby allow a fluid to flow past the plunger assembly when the plunger is in an open position and to inhibit the fluid from flowing past the plunger assembly when the plunger is in a closed position. The plunger is configured to allow continuous fluid communication between the plunger barrel volume and a supply inlet, through which fluid is supplied to the pump inlet valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2023
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Inventors: Donald J. Benson, Karthik Sethuraman, Michael A. Lucas, Eric A. Benham, Richard E. Duncan
  • Publication number: 20230287873
    Abstract: A pumping assembly includes at least one removable unit barrel pumping assembly coupled to a housing of the pumping assembly. The pumping assembly further includes a drive member having a roller configured to engage a portion of the unit barrel pumping assembly during operation of the pumping assembly. The roller is configured to include a plurality of geometric shapes to distribute load forces during operation of the pumping assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Inventors: Donald J. Benson, Eric A. Benham, Ahmad M. Sabri, Samuel David Griffith Magnuson
  • Publication number: 20230265817
    Abstract: High-pressure fuel pumps and systems incorporating the same are disclosed. The fuel pump includes a housing with at least one fluid feed port, a barrel with at least one fluid receiving port, and a clamp to secure the barrel to the housing. The barrel has a first surface configured to contact a second surface of the housing to form a groove. The groove provides fluid communication between the at least one fluid feed port of the housing and the at least one fluid receiving port of the barrel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2023
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Inventors: Eric A. Benham, Karthik Sethuraman, Richard E. Duncan
  • Patent number: 11719207
    Abstract: A plunger is provided for reciprocating inside the barrel of a fuel pump. The plunger has a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end of the plunger includes a cavity that defines a depressed volume within the plunger. A volume filler is disposed in the cavity, where the volume filler is constrained in the cavity by a retaining element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Donald J. Benson, Bela Doszpoly, Eric A. Benham, Ahmad M. Sabri, Richard E. Duncan
  • Publication number: 20230235729
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a high-pressure fuel pump having barrel sets comprising offset, opposing barrel units within the same plane and having plungers disposed therein. The high-pressure fuel pump further includes a camshaft having at least one offset lobe and a cam ring encircling the lobe and in contact with the plungers, which translate the rotational movement of the camshaft to longitudinal movement of the plungers, controlling inflow, compression, and outflow of fuel within the pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2020
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventors: Eric A. Benham, Mustafa Utku Unal, Donald J. Benson, Samuel David Griffith Magnuson, Benjamin Scott Myser
  • Publication number: 20230167794
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a high-pressure fuel pump including a barrel unit, a plunger, and a camshaft assembly having an eccentric cam lobe including a surface of the lobe. A follower is provided between the plunger and the surface of the lobe of the camshaft assembly to facilitate translation between the rotational movement of the camshaft assembly to axial movement of the plunger. The follower includes arcuate surfaces configured to mate with corresponding arcuate surfaces of the lobe of the cam shaft assembly and the plunger, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2023
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Inventors: Samuel David Griffith Magnuson, Donald J. Benson, Matthew B. State, Eric A. Benham, Aleksandr E. Lesin, Karthik Sethuraman
  • Publication number: 20220412297
    Abstract: A plunger is provided for reciprocating inside the barrel of a fuel pump. The plunger has a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end of the plunger includes a cavity that defines a depressed volume within the plunger. A volume filler is disposed in the cavity, where the volume filler is constrained in the cavity by a retaining element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventors: Donald J. Benson, Bela Doszpoly, Eric A. Benham, Ahmid M. Sabri, Richard E. Duncan
  • Publication number: 20220010870
    Abstract: A tappet assembly (100) used in mechanical equipment includes a tappet body (108) having a cylindrical shape and including a lower carrier portion (152) and an upper shell portion (158) having a cavity (150) defined by an inner wall (160) of the upper shell portion (158) and a top surface (154) of the lower carrier portion (152). The lower carrier portion (152) and the upper shell portion (158) are integrally formed as a single-piece unit. A post (162) extends upwardly from the top surface (154) of the lower carrier portion (152) and is configured to reduce a peak contact pressure associated with the tappet body (108).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2019
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Inventors: Steven Valentin, Ross A. Phillips, Romaine O. Edwards, Eric A. Benham, Marian Trocki, Richard E. Duncan, Neil Jeffries, Karthik Sethuraman
  • Patent number: 10436164
    Abstract: A roller assembly, comprising a roller shoe having a bottom surface, and a groove at the bottom surface, the groove having a semicircular portion and a straight portion extending from the semicircular portion, the semicircular portion having a first diameter and the straight portion having a first width, and a cylindrical roller positioned in the roller shoe groove, the cylindrical roller having a second diameter, wherein the first width is greater than or equal to the first diameter and the second diameter is less than the first width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Cummins, Inc.
    Inventors: Chin-pei Wang, Matthew B. State, Eric A. Benham, Justin Gregory Wenger, Alexander E. Lesin, Kyle J. Brewer
  • Publication number: 20180266374
    Abstract: A roller assembly, comprising a roller shoe having a bottom surface, and a groove at the bottom surface, the groove having a semicircular portion and a straight portion extending from the semicircular portion, the semicircular portion having a first diameter and the straight portion having a first width, and a cylindrical roller positioned in the roller shoe groove, the cylindrical roller having a second diameter, wherein the first width is greater than or equal to the first diameter and the second diameter is less than the first width.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Applicant: CUMMINS INC.
    Inventors: Chin-pei WANG, Matthew B. State, Eric A. Benham, Justin Gregory Wenger, Alexander E. Lesin, Kyle J. Brewer
  • Patent number: 9677496
    Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method are disclosed for controlling a fuel injector using multipulse fuel injection. According to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, the system includes a fuel sequence controller configured for use with a fuel injector having an injector configuration modeled by a body pressure characteristic that includes a rail pressure and an injection rate shape, where the fuel sequence controller is structured to determine an estimate of the injected fuel quantity delivered from the fuel injector at the determined body pressure characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: David M. Carey, Eric A. Benham
  • Patent number: 9644590
    Abstract: A fuel injector has a plurality of injection fuel delivery passages, which transport fuel from a proximate end to an injector cavity near the distal end of the fuel injector, wherein less than a total number of injection fuel delivery passages include an orifice. This configuration provides a reduction in fueling variation from pulse to pulse (multi-pulse) with respect to pulse separation due to pressure variation while allowing a sufficient amount of fuel flow to the injector cavity. Thus, the consistency of Start-Of-Injection (SOI) and opening rate both improve significantly and advantageously. For compactness, the orifices may be positioned in a cover plate used to retain the components of the injection control valve assembly and may further be arranged in an arc segment when viewed along a longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: CUMMINS INC.
    Inventors: Paul Peavler, Donald J. Benson, Paul Douglas Free, Jeffrey C. Huang, Eric Benham, C. Edward Morris, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20160017837
    Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method are disclosed for controlling a fuel injector using multipulse fuel injection. According to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, the system includes a fuel sequence controller configured for use with a fuel injector having an injector configuration modeled by a body pressure characteristic that includes a rail pressure and an injection rate shape, where the fuel sequence controller is structured to determine an estimate of the injected fuel quantity delivered from the fuel injector at the determined body pressure characteristic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2014
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Inventors: David M. Carey, Eric A. Benham
  • Publication number: 20150219054
    Abstract: A fuel injector has a plurality of injection fuel delivery passages, which transport fuel from a proximate end to an injector cavity near the distal end of the fuel injector, wherein less than a total number of injection fuel delivery passages include an orifice. This configuration provides a reduction in fueling variation from pulse to pulse (multi-pulse) with respect to pulse separation due to pressure variation while allowing a sufficient amount of fuel flow to the injector cavity. Thus, the consistency of Start-Of-Injection (SOI) and opening rate both improve significantly and advantageously. For compactness, the orifices may be positioned in a cover plate used to retain the components of the injection control valve assembly and may further be arranged in an arc segment when viewed along a longitudinal axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Applicant: Cummins Inc
    Inventors: Paul Peavler, Donald J. Benson, Paul Douglas Free, Jeffrey C. Huang, Eric Benham, C. Edward Morris, JR.
  • Publication number: 20140224223
    Abstract: A system and method is provided for controlling the amount of fuel delivered during an injection event by measuring the drain fuel flow from a valve that controls the injection event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: CUMMINS INC.
    Inventors: Donald J. BENSON, Daniel E. ARONHALT, David M. CAREY, Sanjay MANGLAM, Hisham K. MOZAFFAR, Eric BENHAM, Paul PEAVLER