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).
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Publication number: 20240060464Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2023Publication date: February 22, 2024Inventors: Eric A. Benham, Karthik Sethuraman, Donald J. Benson, Michael Andrew Lucas, Richard E. Duncan
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Publication number: 20230304482Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: May 31, 2023Publication date: September 28, 2023Inventors: Donald J. Benson, Karthik Sethuraman, Michael A. Lucas, Eric A. Benham, Richard E. Duncan
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Publication number: 20230287873Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2023Publication date: September 14, 2023Inventors: Donald J. Benson, Eric A. Benham, Ahmad M. Sabri, Samuel David Griffith Magnuson
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Publication number: 20230265817Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: May 1, 2023Publication date: August 24, 2023Inventors: Eric A. Benham, Karthik Sethuraman, Richard E. Duncan
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Patent number: 11719207Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 22, 2019Date of Patent: August 8, 2023Assignee: Cummins Inc.Inventors: Donald J. Benson, Bela Doszpoly, Eric A. Benham, Ahmad M. Sabri, Richard E. Duncan
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Publication number: 20230235729Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2020Publication date: July 27, 2023Inventors: Eric A. Benham, Mustafa Utku Unal, Donald J. Benson, Samuel David Griffith Magnuson, Benjamin Scott Myser
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Publication number: 20230167794Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2023Publication date: June 1, 2023Inventors: Samuel David Griffith Magnuson, Donald J. Benson, Matthew B. State, Eric A. Benham, Aleksandr E. Lesin, Karthik Sethuraman
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Publication number: 20220412297Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 22, 2019Publication date: December 29, 2022Inventors: Donald J. Benson, Bela Doszpoly, Eric A. Benham, Ahmid M. Sabri, Richard E. Duncan
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Publication number: 20220010870Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2019Publication date: January 13, 2022Inventors: Steven Valentin, Ross A. Phillips, Romaine O. Edwards, Eric A. Benham, Marian Trocki, Richard E. Duncan, Neil Jeffries, Karthik Sethuraman
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Patent number: 10436164Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 23, 2014Date of Patent: October 8, 2019Assignee: Cummins, Inc.Inventors: Chin-pei Wang, Matthew B. State, Eric A. Benham, Justin Gregory Wenger, Alexander E. Lesin, Kyle J. Brewer
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Publication number: 20180266374Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2014Publication date: September 20, 2018Applicant: CUMMINS INC.Inventors: Chin-pei WANG, Matthew B. State, Eric A. Benham, Justin Gregory Wenger, Alexander E. Lesin, Kyle J. Brewer
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Patent number: 9677496Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: July 16, 2014Date of Patent: June 13, 2017Assignee: Cummins Inc.Inventors: David M. Carey, Eric A. Benham
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Patent number: 9644590Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 31, 2014Date of Patent: May 9, 2017Assignee: CUMMINS INC.Inventors: Paul Peavler, Donald J. Benson, Paul Douglas Free, Jeffrey C. Huang, Eric Benham, C. Edward Morris, Jr.
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Publication number: 20160017837Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: July 16, 2014Publication date: January 21, 2016Inventors: David M. Carey, Eric A. Benham
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Publication number: 20150219054Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: January 31, 2014Publication date: August 6, 2015Applicant: Cummins IncInventors: Paul Peavler, Donald J. Benson, Paul Douglas Free, Jeffrey C. Huang, Eric Benham, C. Edward Morris, JR.
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Publication number: 20140224223Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: February 8, 2013Publication date: August 14, 2014Applicant: CUMMINS INC.Inventors: Donald J. BENSON, Daniel E. ARONHALT, David M. CAREY, Sanjay MANGLAM, Hisham K. MOZAFFAR, Eric BENHAM, Paul PEAVLER