Patents by Inventor William Douglas Walker

William Douglas Walker 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: 7209023
    Abstract: An ignition coil for an internal combustion engine minimizes the propagation of cracks in the encapsulate material surrounding the components of the ignition coil and provides a supplemental dielectric barrier. In one embodiment, the ignition coil comprises a housing, an outer core, an inner coil, and a coil assembly. The housing includes a bottom wall connected to an outer wall extending around the periphery of the housing. The outer core is positioned inside the outer wall, while the inner core is positioned inside the outer core. The coil assembly includes a primary winding and a secondary winding concentrically positioned relative to each other. The coil assembly is mounted to the inner core and positioned inside the outer core. The housing further includes an inner wall extending along the inner periphery of the outer core and positioned between the outer core and the coil assembly to prevent propagation of cracks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: James John Klocinski, Robert Charles Bauman, Rick S. Burchett, William Douglas Walker
  • Patent number: 7053746
    Abstract: A magnetic core assembly for an ignition coil assembly allows unique exterior shapes to be formed by an outer insulation layer, while speeding up the manufacturing process. Generally, the magnetic core assembly comprises a core of ferromagnetic material and an overmold over the exterior of the core. The overmold generally comprises an insulating layer injection molded over the core. Various structures may be incorporated into the core assembly for injection molding, while a second insulative layer provides additional thermal and electrical insulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Alex William Widiger, Todd Christopher Sexton, William Douglas Walker, Richard William St. John
  • Patent number: 6956457
    Abstract: A pencil ignition coil assembly module (40) that has a frusto-conically tapered core (46) and encapsulation (280) surrounding the side of the core. Features (216, 230, 234) center the core to a bobbin 48. A retainer (240, 240A) captures the core within the bobbin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Alex William Widiger, David Charles Stine, Todd Christopher Sexton, William Douglas Walker
  • Patent number: 6794974
    Abstract: A pencil ignition coil assembly module (40) that has a frusto-conically tapered core (46) and encapsulation (280) surrounding the side of the core. Features (216, 230, 234) center the core to a bobbin 48. A retainer (240, 240A) captures the core within the bobbin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Alex William Widiger, David Charles Stine, Todd Christopher Sexton, William Douglas Walker
  • Publication number: 20040070477
    Abstract: A pencil ignition coil assembly module (40) that has a frusto-conically tapered core (46) and encapsulation (280) surrounding the side of the core. Features (216, 230, 234) center the core to a bobbin 48. A retainer (240, 240A) captures the core within the bobbin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2003
    Publication date: April 15, 2004
    Applicant: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Aex William Widiger, David Charles Stine, Todd Christopher Sexton, William Douglas Walker
  • Publication number: 20040056577
    Abstract: A pencil ignition coil assembly module (40) that has a frusto-conically tapered core (46) and encapsulation (280) surrounding the side of the core. Features (216, 230, 234) center the core to a bobbin 48. A retainer (240, 240A) captures the core within the bobbin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2003
    Publication date: March 25, 2004
    Applicant: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Alex William Widiger, David Charles Stine, Todd Christopher Sexton, William Douglas Walker
  • Patent number: 6668810
    Abstract: An ignition coil assembly of the type which is directly mounted onto an associated internal combustion engine spark plug. The coil assembly includes a spark plug boot section made of a highly elastic material with an inside cylindrical passageway. The inside passageway features ribs which engage a high voltage connection coil spring positioned in the passageway to make an electrical connection between the coil and spark plug high voltage terminals. The spring has a generally constant outside diameter outer section except its end segments have a reduced diameter where they contact the high voltage terminals. The passageway ribs retain the spring in position prior to its installation and after its removal from the associated spark plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard William St. John, William Douglas Walker, Todd C. Sexton, Rick S. Burchett, Alex William Widiger, Francis Martin Donahue, III
  • Patent number: 6650219
    Abstract: A pencil ignition coil assembly module (40) that has a frusto-conically tapered core (46) and encapsulation (280) surrounding the side of the core. Features (216, 230, 234) center the core to a bobbin 48. A retainer (240, 240A) captures the core within the bobbin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Alex William Widiger, David Charles Stine, Todd Christopher Sexton, William Douglas Walker
  • Publication number: 20030117248
    Abstract: A removable mounting bracket for attaching a component to a mounting surface includes a bracket body having a mounting projection and a plurality of elongated retaining members extending outwardly therefrom. The mounting projection cooperates with a fastener for fastening the component to the mounting surface. At least one of the retaining members has an aperture formed therein that releasably engages a corresponding plurality of mounting tabs formed on the component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2001
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Inventors: Richard William St. John, William Douglas Walker, Todd Christopher Sexton, Alex William Widiger, Robert Lloyd Huotari
  • Patent number: 6178957
    Abstract: An ignition coil assembly module (40) that can be connected to and disconnected from an engine spark plug. The module elements are arranged as a succession of cylindrical layers about a central ferromagnetic core (46). From innermost to outermost, the succession is: a) a secondary bobbin (48), b) a secondary coil (58), c) a secondary encapsulant (194) encapsulating the secondary coil, d) a primary bobbin (50), e) a primary coil (56), f) an inner wall (181) of an environmental shield (42) encapsulating the primary coil, g) a ferromagnetic shell (52), and h) an outer wall (180) of the environmental shield encapsulating the shell. The primary bobbin forms a liquid container for holding secondary coil encapsulant. A terminal (100) extends through a transverse wall (71) of the primary bobbin for carrying secondary current from the secondary coil to another terminal (118) on the other side of the transverse wall that connects to a spark plug (80).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Alex William Widiger, Gregg Michael Stefansky, Todd Christopher Sexton, William Douglas Walker
  • Patent number: 6114933
    Abstract: An ignition coil assembly module (40) that can be connected to and disconnected from an engine spark plug. The module elements are arranged as a succession of cylindrical layers about a central ferromagnetic core (46). From innermost to outermost, the succession is: a) a secondary bobbin (48), b) a secondary coil (58), c) a secondary encapsulant (194) encapsulating the secondary coil, d) a primary bobbin (50), e) a primary coil (56), f) an inner wall (181) of an environmental shield (42) encapsulating the primary coil, g) a ferromagnetic shell (52), and h) an outer wall (180) of the environmental shield encapsulating the shell. The primary bobbin forms a liquid container for holding secondary coil encapsulant. A terminal (100) extends through a transverse wall (71) of the primary bobbin for carrying secondary current from the secondary coil to another terminal (118) on the other side of the transverse wall that connects to a spark plug (80).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Alex William Widiger, Gregg Michael Stefansky, Todd Christopher Sexton, William Douglas Walker