Patents by Inventor Jan L. Bennett

Jan L. Bennett 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: 6843232
    Abstract: A fuel pressure regulator for use with an internal combustion engine includes a housing, a valve assembly in the housing, an elastic diaphragm connecting the valve assembly to the housing, a stop on one of the housing and the support and a spring between the housing and the valve assembly. The housing includes an inlet, an outlet and a longitudinal axis. The valve assembly is intermediate the inlet and the outlet and selectively opens fluid communication between the inlet to the outlet when a fuel pressure at the inlet is at least equal to an over-pressure amount. The valve assembly is displaceable along the longitudinal axis by an opening distance when a fuel pressure at least equal the over-pressure amount acts on the diaphragm so that the diaphragm does not exceed its yield strength. The diaphragm is in fluid communication with the inlet and elastically displaceable along the longitudinal axis up to a maximum distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive Corp.
    Inventors: Michael Keesee, Jan L. Bennett, Robert Jackson
  • Publication number: 20040000293
    Abstract: A fuel pressure regulator for use with an internal combustion engine includes a housing, a valve assembly in the housing, an elastic diaphragm connecting the valve assembly to the housing, a stop on one of the housing and the support and a spring between the housing and the valve assembly. The housing includes an inlet, an outlet and a longitudinal axis. The valve assembly is intermediate the inlet and the outlet and selectively opens fluid communication between the inlet to the outlet when a fuel pressure at the inlet is at least equal to an over-pressure amount. The valve assembly is displaceable along the longitudinal axis by an opening distance when a fuel pressure at least equal the over-pressure amount acts on the diaphragm so that the diaphragm does not exceed its yield strength. The diaphragm is in fluid communication with the inlet and elastically displaceable along the longitudinal axis up to a maximum distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Publication date: January 1, 2004
    Inventors: Michael Keesee, Jan L. Bennett, Robert Jackson
  • Patent number: 6293259
    Abstract: The fuel system includes a fuel tank for supplying fuel to a fuel rail having fuel injectors and a fuel pressure regulator for regulating the pressure of the fuel supplied to the fuel rail to a predetermined pressure. The pressure regulator includes a spring-biased ball movable toward and away from a valve seat with an intervening flow channel director. The flow channel director is sized to provide a substantially constant regulated pressure over a flow range typical for automotive engine use, i.e., a pressure of 350-430 kPa over a flow range of 20-50 kg/hr. The pressure regulator provides the predetermined regulated pressure without a movable diaphragm dividing the regulator into flow and non-flow chambers on opposite sides of the diaphragm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2001
    Assignee: Siemens Automotive Corporation
    Inventors: Jason T. Kilgore, Jan L. Bennett, Barry S. Robinson
  • Patent number: 6230685
    Abstract: A fuel system damper is provided having a housing which is separated by a diaphragm into first and second chambers. The first chamber is sealed and contains a spring biased toward the diaphragm. The second chamber has an opening to allow fuel from a fuel rail to enter the damper and contact the diaphragm. The second chamber includes a radial shoulder that maximizes an effective area of the diaphragm. A spacer is disposed in the second chamber that engages the diaphragm to prevent the diaphragm from contacting the radial shoulder. The spacer maintains the diaphragm in a position to provide the maximum effective area of the diaphragm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: Siemens Automotive Corporation
    Inventors: Jason T. Kilgore, Barry S. Robinson, Jan L. Bennett
  • Patent number: 5509444
    Abstract: A flow through pressure regulator as may be used in a fuel delivery system for a motor vehicle has a contained, but floating ball valve. The ball valve open and closes a central passageway through the diaphragm of the regulator. The diaphragm divides the interior of the regulator into 2 chambers, both of which has fuel. A retainer means supports the ball and allows both axial and radial movement and coupled with a small bias spring seating in a bore, the ball functions to automatically seat itself. The small bias spring does not interfere with the ball valve seating itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 23, 1996
    Assignee: Siemens Automotive Corporation
    Inventors: Barry S. Robinson, Jan L. Bennett, Christopher T. Vannoy
  • Patent number: 5435345
    Abstract: A flow-through type fuel pressure regulator having, for its valve element, a sphere laser-welded to the housing end wall of the fuel inlet chamber, and for its valve seat, a coined circular surface circumscribing a through-passage in an annular member at the center of a movable wall (diaphragm) that divides the fuel inlet chamber from the fuel outlet chamber and that is resiliently biased toward the fuel inlet chamber by a spring that is disposed in the fuel outlet chamber. The annular member includes a series of circumferentially spaced bars that form a cage for the sphere, allowing the sphere to guide the motion of the central region of the movable wall relative to the sphere substantially along the axis of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1995
    Assignee: Siemens Automotive L.P.
    Inventors: Barry S. Robinson, Jan L. Bennett