Patents by Inventor Robert Koenen
Robert Koenen 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: 20170058471Abstract: A snowthrower includes a body, a chute rotatable relative to the body among multiple chute positions, wherein the chute is configured to discharge snow from the snowthrower, a motor for rotating the chute, a user input device, and an electronic control unit configured to control the motor to automatically rotate the chute from a first chute position on a first side of a zero degree chute position aligned with the forward direction of travel of the snowthrower to a second chute position on a second side of the zero degree chute position upon actuation of the user input device.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 9, 2016Publication date: March 2, 2017Applicant: Briggs & Stratton CorporationInventors: Jason J. Raasch, Robert Koenen, Dan Brueck
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Publication number: 20170030298Abstract: An engine that includes an air intake, a combustion chamber, an air passageway that is configured to channel air from the air intake toward the combustion chamber, a carburetor, a throttle plate, and a fuel atomizer. The carburetor includes a fuel bowl with a fuel well, a carburetor passageway that is fluidly coupled to the air passageway and configured to channel air and fuel to the combustion chamber, and a carburetor nozzle that has an inlet configured to receive fuel from the fuel well and an outlet disposed proximate to a constricted section of the carburetor passageway. The throttle plate is disposed downstream of the carburetor nozzle, and the fuel atomizer is configured to provide fuel to the carburetor passageway.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 29, 2016Publication date: February 2, 2017Applicant: Briggs & Stratton CorporationInventors: Robert Koenen, Jason A. Hansen, Daniel Brueck, Andrew J. Paskov
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Patent number: 9493920Abstract: A snowthrower includes a body, a chute rotatable relative to the body among a plurality of chute positions, wherein the chute is configured to discharge snow from the snowthrower, a motor for rotating the chute, a user input device configured to set a preferred chute bearing, and an electronic control unit configured to control the motor to automatically rotate the chute to an appropriate chute position to maintain the chute at the preferred chute bearing without additional input from the user input device.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2015Date of Patent: November 15, 2016Assignee: Briggs & Stratton CorporationInventors: Jason J. Raasch, Robert Koenen, Dan Brueck
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Publication number: 20160312755Abstract: A starting battery for use with an internal combustion engine including an electric starting system with a starter motor is provided. The starting battery includes a battery cell and a control system including a timer and configured to operate a starter motor of an internal combustion engine. The control system is configured to actuate the starter motor to start the internal combustion engine in response to a user input and deactivate the motor after a predetermined amount of time measured by the timer.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2016Publication date: October 27, 2016Applicant: Briggs & Stratton CorporationInventors: Robert Koenen, Matthew Markowski, Michael Meyer, James Nommensen
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Patent number: 9404465Abstract: A starting battery for use with an electric starting system includes a starter motor and a battery receiver. The starting battery includes a lithium-ion battery cell, two voltage output terminals, and an enable terminal. The voltage output terminals of the starting battery are configured to connect to two voltage output terminals of the battery receiver to complete a circuit between the lithium-ion battery cell and the starter motor when the starting battery is attached to the battery receiver. The enable terminal of the starting battery is configured to connect to an enable terminal of the battery receiver to receive an enable signal to the starting battery to allow the starting battery to provide power to the starter motor to start an internal combustion engine.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2015Date of Patent: August 2, 2016Assignee: Briggs & Stratton CorporationInventors: Robert Koenen, Matthew Markowski, Michael Meyer, James Nommensen
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Publication number: 20160146174Abstract: Outdoor power equipment includes an internal combustion engine including an electric motor, a battery receiving port, a rechargeable battery removably attached to the battery receiving port, wherein the rechargeable battery is configured to power the electric motor to start the engine, an implement driven by the internal combustion engine, a release mechanism movable to an engaged position to put the implement in a ready-to-run condition in which the implement is ready to be driven by the engine, a run sensor configured to detect the ready-to-run condition, a switch actuated by the release mechanism, and a control module coupled to the switch so that the switch provides a signal to the control module when the release mechanism is in the engaged position and the control module turns on the electric motor to start the engine in response to the signal from the switch and the run sensor detecting the ready-to-run condition.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 29, 2016Publication date: May 26, 2016Applicant: Briggs & Stratton CorporationInventors: Jason A. Hansen, Robert Koenen, David W. Procknow, Stephen J. Lavender, Jason D. Elvers
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Publication number: 20160115933Abstract: A starting battery for use with an electric starting system includes a starter motor and a battery receiver. The starting battery includes a lithium-ion battery cell, two voltage output terminals, and an enable terminal. The voltage output terminals of the starting battery are configured to connect to two voltage output terminals of the battery receiver to complete a circuit between the lithium-ion battery cell and the starter motor when the starting battery is attached to the battery receiver. The enable terminal of the starting battery is configured to connect to an enable terminal of the battery receiver to receive an enable signal to the starting battery to allow the starting battery to provide power to the starter motor to start an internal combustion engine.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 31, 2015Publication date: April 28, 2016Applicant: Briggs & Stratton CorporationInventors: Robert Koenen, Matthew Markowski, Michael Meyer, James Nommensen
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Publication number: 20160108881Abstract: A lawn mower includes an internal combustion engine, a rotary tool driven by the internal combustion engine, an electric motor coupled to the internal combustion engine and configured to start the internal combustion engine, a receiving port mounted to the internal combustion engine, an energy storage device configured to be selectively inserted into and removed from the receiving port without tools, a first user interface, and a second user interface, wherein the electric motor starts the internal combustion engine upon actuation of the first user interface and the second user interface.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2015Publication date: April 21, 2016Applicant: Briggs & Stratton CorporationInventors: Jason A. Hansen, Robert Koenen, David W. Procknow, Stephen J. Lavender, Jason D. Elvers
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Publication number: 20160067726Abstract: A pressure washer includes a prime mover, a pump, and a spray gun. The spray gun including a handle with a first grip portion, a barrel including a second grip portion, a flow-control valve movable between an open position and a closed position, and a user interface to control the flow-control valve. A presence sensor is coupled to the second grip portion to detect the presence of the user's second hand. A first wireless system is electrically coupled to the presence sensor. A second wireless system is electrically coupled to the prime mover. The first wireless system transmits a start signal to the second wireless system when the presence sensor detects the presence of the second hand of the user. The second wireless system, upon receiving the start signal causes the prime mover to start operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 3, 2015Publication date: March 10, 2016Applicant: Briggs & Stratton CorporationInventors: Richard Gilpatrick, Robert Koenen, Dan Klika
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Patent number: 9267482Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a cylinder, an exhaust, a fuel tank, an engine cover, a power take off configured to drive an implement, an electric starting system including a starter motor, a battery receiving port, and a rechargeable battery removably attached to the battery receiving port, and an electric start control module including a switch configured to be actuated by a release mechanism configured to put the implement in the ready-to-run condition and a controller coupled to the switch, wherein the switch is configured to provide a signal when the release mechanism is in the engaged position, wherein the controller is configured to receive the signal, wherein the controller it configured to turn on the starter motor to start the internal combustion engine upon receipt of the signal from the switch and an input from a run sensor confirming that the implement is in the ready-to-run condition, and wherein the rechargeable battery is configured to power the starter motor to start the engine.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2014Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: Briggs & Stratton CorporationInventors: Jason A. Hansen, Robert Koenen, David W. Procknow, Stephen J. Lavender, Jason D. Elvers
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Patent number: 9228556Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes an engine block including a cylinder, a piston positioned within the cylinder, a crankshaft configured to be driven by the piston, a fuel system for supplying an air-fuel mixture to the cylinder, a starter motor, and a lithium-ion battery mounted on the engine, the lithium-ion battery configured to power the starter motor to start the engine, wherein the piston is configured to reciprocate in the cylinder along a cylinder axis, wherein the lithium-ion battery includes at least one lithium-ion cell having a longitudinal cell axis, and wherein the cylinder axis and the longitudinal cell axis are not parallel to one another.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2015Date of Patent: January 5, 2016Assignee: Briggs & Stratton CorporationInventors: Robert Koenen, Matthew Markowski, Michael Meyer, James Nommensen
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Patent number: 9220192Abstract: A lawn mower includes an internal combustion engine, a rotary tool driven by the internal combustion engine, an electric motor coupled to the internal combustion engine and configured to start the internal combustion engine, a receiving port mounted to the internal combustion engine, an energy storage device configured to be selectively inserted into and removed from the receiving port without tools, a first user interface, and a second user interface, wherein the electric motor starts the internal combustion engine upon actuation of the first user interface and the second user interface.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2014Date of Patent: December 29, 2015Assignee: Briggs & Stratton CorporationInventors: Jason A. Hansen, Robert Koenen, David W. Procknow, Stephen J. Lavender, Jason D. Elvers
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Publication number: 20150345459Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes an engine block including a cylinder, a piston positioned within the cylinder, a crankshaft configured to be driven by the piston, a fuel system for supplying an air-fuel mixture to the cylinder, a starter motor, and a lithium-ion battery mounted on the engine, the lithium-ion battery configured to power the starter motor to start the engine, wherein the piston is configured to reciprocate in the cylinder along a cylinder axis, wherein the lithium-ion battery includes at least one lithium-ion cell having a longitudinal cell axis, and wherein the cylinder axis and the longitudinal cell axis are not parallel to one another.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 10, 2015Publication date: December 3, 2015Applicant: BRIGGS & STRATTON CORPORATIONInventors: Robert Koenen, Matthew Markowski, Michael Meyer, James Nommensen
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Publication number: 20150315982Abstract: An electronic governor system includes a motor, a transmission coupled to the motor, a throttle plate coupled to the transmission, the throttle plate movable to multiple positions between closed and wide-open, wherein power is supplied to the motor to move the throttle pate to a desired position and wherein power is not supplied to the motor to maintain the throttle plate in the desired position.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 1, 2015Publication date: November 5, 2015Applicant: BRIGGS & STRATTON CORPORATIONInventors: Robert Koenen, Daniel Brueck
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Patent number: 9127658Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes an engine block including a cylinder, a piston positioned within the cylinder, a crankshaft configured to be driven by the piston, a fuel system for supplying an air-fuel mixture to the cylinder, and an electric starting system including a starter motor, a battery receiver, and a lithium-ion battery removably attached to the battery receiver, wherein the lithium-ion battery is configured to power the starter motor to start the engine.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2014Date of Patent: September 8, 2015Assignee: Briggs & Stratton CorporationInventors: Robert Koenen, Matthew Markowski, Michael Meyer, James Nommensen
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Publication number: 20150128459Abstract: A snowthrower includes a body, a chute rotatable relative to the body among a plurality of chute positions, wherein the chute is configured to discharge snow from the snowthrower, a motor for rotating the chute, a user input device configured to set a preferred chute bearing, and an electronic control unit configured to control the motor to automatically rotate the chute to an appropriate chute position to maintain the chute at the preferred chute bearing without additional input from the user input device.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 23, 2015Publication date: May 14, 2015Applicant: BRIGGS & STRATTON CORPORATIONInventors: Jason J. Raasch, Robert Koenen, Dan Brueck
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Publication number: 20150053164Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a cylinder, an exhaust, a fuel tank, an engine cover, a power take off configured to drive an implement, an electric starting system including a starter motor, a battery receiving port, and a rechargeable battery removably attached to the battery receiving port, and an electric start control module including a switch configured to be actuated by a release mechanism configured to put the implement in the ready-to-run condition and a controller coupled to the switch, wherein the switch is configured to provide a signal when the release mechanism is in the engaged position, wherein the controller is configured to receive the signal, wherein the controller it configured to turn on the starter motor to start the internal combustion engine upon receipt of the signal from the switch and an input from a run sensor confirming that the implement is in the ready-to-run condition, and wherein the rechargeable battery is configured to power the starter motor to start the engine.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2014Publication date: February 26, 2015Applicant: BRIGGS & STRATTON CORPORATIONInventors: Jason A. Hansen, Robert Koenen, David W. Procknow, Stephen J. Lavender, Jason D. Elvers
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Patent number: 8938894Abstract: A snowthrower includes a body, a chute rotatable relative to the body among multiple chute positions, wherein the chute is configured to discharge snow from the snowthrower, a motor for rotating the chute, a chute position detector configured to detect a current chute position, a compass sensor configured to detect a snowthrower bearing, and an electronic control unit configured to, in a compass guidance operating mode, control the motor to move the chute to an appropriate chute position to maintain the chute at a preferred chute bearing in response to a comparison of the snowthrower bearing detected by the compass sensor and the current chute position detected by the chute position detector.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2013Date of Patent: January 27, 2015Assignee: Briggs & Stratton CorporationInventors: Jason J. Raasch, Robert Koenen, Dan Brueck
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Patent number: D776052Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2014Date of Patent: January 10, 2017Assignee: Briggs & Stratton CorporationInventors: James Nommensen, Paul D. Kluck, Matthew Markowski, Robert Koenen, Dale S. DiIulio, Bart Mayer, Brian D. Neeley
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Patent number: D776610Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2014Date of Patent: January 17, 2017Assignee: Briggs & Stratton CorporationInventors: James Nommensen, Paul D. Kluck, Matthew Markowski, Robert Koenen, Dale S. DiIulio, Bart Mayer, Brian D. Neeley