Patents by Inventor Robin J. Drane

Robin J. Drane 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).

  • Vacuum decay testing method
    Patent number: 8327691
    Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for determining whether a leak is present in an evaporative emission control system 10 for on-board diagnostic purposes. The method comprises predicting for a leak of predetermined size the time period required for the vacuum to fall from a predicted starting vacuum to a predetermined level of vacuum at which the state of a switch changes, checking at the end of the time period the state of the switch and using the state of the switch as an indication of whether a leak greater than the predetermined size is present in the evaporative emission control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Robin J. Drane, Nick Wright
  • VACUUM DECAY TESTING METHOD
    Publication number: 20100064774
    Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for determining whether a leak is present in an evaporative emission control system 10 for on-board diagnostic purposes. The method comprises predicting for a leak of predetermined size the time period required for the vacuum to fall from a predicted starting vacuum to a predetermined level of vacuum at which the state of a switch changes, checking at the end of the time period the state of the switch and using the state of the switch as an indication of whether a leak greater than the predetermined size is present in the evaporative emission control system 10.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2009
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Robin J. Drane, Nick Wright