Patents by Inventor Justin CRAFT

Justin CRAFT 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: 11378036
    Abstract: Systems are provided for cooling a cylinder block via bore bridge cooling passages. In one example, a cylinder block with a bore bridge positioned between a first cylinder and a second cylinder, the cylinder block also including a coolant jacket at least partially surrounding the first cylinder and the second cylinder, has at least one cooling passage positioned within the bore bridge. An inlet of the at least one cooling passage has a larger area than an outlet of the at least one cooling passage and at least a portion of the at least one cooling passage has a non-cylindrical geometry formed by a lost core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Justin Craft, Phil Cierpial, Mathew Hintzen, Antony Schepak, Daryl Self, Baran Celikten, Paul Shoemaker
  • Publication number: 20220106924
    Abstract: Systems are provided for cooling a cylinder block via bore bridge cooling passages. In one example, a cylinder block with a bore bridge positioned between a first cylinder and a second cylinder, the cylinder block also including a coolant jacket at least partially surrounding the first cylinder and the second cylinder, has at least one cooling passage positioned within the bore bridge. An inlet of the at least one cooling passage has a larger area than an outlet of the at least one cooling passage and at least a portion of the at least one cooling passage has a non-cylindrical geometry formed by a lost core.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Publication date: April 7, 2022
    Inventors: Justin Craft, Phil Cierpial, Mathew Hintzen, Antony Schepak, Daryl Self, Baran Celikten, Paul Shoemaker
  • Patent number: 11255299
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system in a vehicle. In one example, a system may include a cylinder head including an integrated exhaust manifold (IEM), an EGR cartridge including an EGR valve positioned in the cylinder head at a central collector region of the IEM, and a water jacket formed within the cylinder head, the water jacket including at least one cooling passage that extends around a circumference of the EGR cartridge. In this way, an EGR system is provided that has a reduced volume between an exhaust valve of a cylinder to the EGR valve, reducing packaging space and complexity of the EGR system while increasing engine performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Thomas Reinhart, Chad Michael Strimpel, Justin Craft, Gianluca Mantovano, Jacob Andrew Pleshe
  • Patent number: 11131267
    Abstract: Systems are provided for cooling a cylinder block via bore bridge cooling passages. In one example, a system may include a cylinder block with a first cylinder and a second cylinder adjacent to the first cylinder and a bore bridge positioned between the first cylinder and the second cylinder, the cylinder block further including a coolant jacket at least partially surrounding the first cylinder and the second cylinder. The system may further include a cooling passage positioned within the bore bridge, the cooling passage including an inlet fluidly coupled to the coolant jacket and an outlet positioned at a deck face of the cylinder block, the cooling passage curving from the inlet to the outlet with a curvature greater than zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Justin Craft, Phil Cierpial, Mathew Hintzen, Antony Schepak, Daryl Self, Baran Celikten, Paul Shoemaker
  • Patent number: 11105334
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a coolant pump. In one example, the coolant pump may be a dual-volute coolant pump with an impeller driving circulation of coolant through the pump and a seal disposed around a shaft of the impeller. A set of anti-vortex structures may be arranged within an inner chamber of the pump, the structures generating a pressure differential in the inner chamber that drives a cross-flow of coolant, thereby convectively cooling the seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Justin Craft, William Michael Sanderson, Timothy Comer
  • Patent number: 10927847
    Abstract: A pump is provided with a pump housing defining a volute chamber positioned between a central inlet and an impeller face, with the housing defining a recess intersecting the face and surrounding an aperture, and the housing defining sequentially first and second ramps, a wall section, and a protrusion extending into the recess. An impeller is positioned within the chamber adjacent to the face, with the impeller connected to a drive shaft extending through the aperture. A method is provided for cooling a drive shaft sealing member by controlling fluid flow through the pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Justin Craft, William Michael Sanderson
  • Publication number: 20200378347
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system in a vehicle. In one example, a system may include a cylinder head including an integrated exhaust manifold (IEM), an EGR cartridge including an EGR valve positioned in the cylinder head at a central collector region of the IEM, and a water jacket formed within the cylinder head, the water jacket including at least one cooling passage that extends around a circumference of the EGR cartridge. In this way, an EGR system is provided that has a reduced volume between an exhaust valve of a cylinder to the EGR valve, reducing packaging space and complexity of the EGR system while increasing engine performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Paul Thomas Reinhart, Chad Michael Strimpel, Justin Craft, Gianluca Mantovano, Jacob Andrew Pleshe
  • Publication number: 20200362875
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a coolant pump. In one example, the coolant pump may be a dual-volute coolant pump with an impeller driving circulation of coolant through the pump and a seal disposed around a shaft of the impeller. A set of anti-vortex structures may be arranged within an inner chamber of the pump, the structures generating a pressure differential in the inner chamber that drives a cross-flow of coolant, thereby convectively cooling the seal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Inventors: Justin Craft, William Michael Sanderson, Timothy Comer
  • Publication number: 20190292974
    Abstract: A pump is provided with a pump housing defining a volute chamber positioned between a central inlet and an impeller face, with the housing defining a recess intersecting the face and surrounding an aperture, and the housing defining sequentially first and second ramps, a wall section, and a protrusion extending into the recess. An impeller is positioned within the chamber adjacent to the face, with the impeller connected to a drive shaft extending through the aperture. A method is provided for cooling a drive shaft sealing member by controlling fluid flow through the pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2018
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Inventors: Justin CRAFT, William Michael SANDERSON
  • Patent number: 9840961
    Abstract: An engine is provided with a cylinder head defining a coolant jacket therein that is formed from a series of passages interconnected by a series of curved junctions to direct coolant about spark plugs, exhaust valves, and an integrated exhaust manifold in the head. The cooling jacket has a first longitudinal passage with an annular section about a spark plug, a second longitudinal passage with an annular section about an exhaust valve, and a third passage surrounding an integrated exhaust manifold and fluidly connecting the first and second passages. The first passage has a continuously decreasing area and the second passage has a continuously increasing area in a direction of coolant flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Justin Craft, John Christopher Riegger, Philip Damian Cierpial
  • Publication number: 20170306831
    Abstract: An engine is provided with a cylinder head defining a coolant jacket therein that is formed from a series of passages interconnected by a series of curved junctions to direct coolant about spark plugs, exhaust valves, and an integrated exhaust manifold in the head. The cooling jacket has a first longitudinal passage with an annular section about a spark plug, a second longitudinal passage with an annular section about an exhaust valve, and a third passage surrounding an integrated exhaust manifold and fluidly connecting the first and second passages. The first passage has a continuously decreasing area and the second passage has a continuously increasing area in a direction of coolant flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Inventors: Justin CRAFT, John Christopher RIEGGER, Philip Damian CIERPIAL