Patents Issued in December 25, 2001
  • Patent number: 6332407
    Abstract: A computer work station provided with separate shelves to support a monitor, a keyboard, a mouse pad, a printer or the like is described herein. The monitor shelf is mounted to the main body via a pair of parallel arms allowing this shelf to be moved towards or away from the user while maintaining the generally horizontal attitude of the shelf. A locking mechanism is provided to maintain the desired monitor shelf position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Artítalia Inc.
    Inventor: Antonio Vardaro
  • Patent number: 6332408
    Abstract: A novel method of combustion air control for multiple burner furnaces, whereas a pressure transducer is located in the air piping downstream of each zone air flow control device. The pressure transducer sends a feedback signal to a pressure control loop that is in a logical cascade from the furnace temperature control loop. The pressure control loop repositions the air flow control device to compensate for changes in both downstream and upstream conditions. Output from the temperature control loop is interpreted by the pressure control loop as a changing remote set-point value. In one embodiment, the system is ideally suited to compensate for the pressure drop changes that occur across a zone air flow control valve, when flow rate changes occur as burners are started or stopped, thus providing a substantially higher turndown ratio and better control at low fire settings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Inventors: Michael Howlett, Gordon Alexander Murray, William E. Crowle
  • Patent number: 6332410
    Abstract: The invention relates to a grate for incineration plants for the incineration of combustible material, in particular refuse, comprising at least one grate track, which is composed of fixed and movable grate-lining rows, which are arranged alternately in the direction of flow of the combustible material and have a number of grate-lining units lying side by side, the grate-lining units being connected in the region of their rear end to fixed and movable grate-lining carriers respectively and moving with their front end on or over the following grate-lining unit, and a drive being assigned to the movable grate-lining units, which drive has a torsion bar led out of the underblast region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Alstom
    Inventors: Friedrich Freiermuth, Max Künzli
  • Patent number: 6332411
    Abstract: The furnace is intended for burning solid fuel (mainly fire-wood) in continuous mode of operation, with significant amount of heat released in the form of hot combustion products usable in wood-drying installations, for house heating, destroying of refuse, etc. The invention allows simplifying the design of the furnace, features high efficiency of fuel burning and high power density, and improves reliability and serviceability. The furnace includes the shaft loading hopper (1), the combustion chamber (2) located under the loading hopper (1), and the expansion chamber (3) located behind the combustion chamber (2) and provided with the forced ventilation (5). The atmospheric air, heated to the temperature of combustion products in the expansion chamber (3), is supplied to the combustion chamber (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Inventors: Olga Panteleimonovna Skrotskaya, Viktor Georgievich Skrotsky
  • Patent number: 6332412
    Abstract: A ground-engaging paired row furrow forming tool includes a tool body having fore and aft ends with an outer edge defined on each of two opposing sides of the tool body. A furrowing wing is located adjacent each of the opposing sides and protrudes from bottom portions of the tool body. The tool body has lower surfaces including a central front surface portion which is angled upwards towards the fore end and a center passage is defined between the furrowing wings. This passageway is in part defined by a central rear surface portion which is adapted to be substantially aligned fore to aft in a direction of travel T during operation of the ground engaging tool. This paired row opener works well without compromise in a broad range of soil conditions without fouling and enables planting of seed rows spaced widely apart while minimizing soil surface disturbance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Flexi-Coil Ltd.
    Inventors: Gerry Steven Swab, James Wayne Henry
  • Patent number: 6332413
    Abstract: A seed tube for an agricultural implement having a seed metering mechanism for uniformly dispensing seeds. The seed tube defined an enclosed curved seed pathway extending between opposite ends of the tube. To promote control over the seeds passing through the tube, the tube has a smooth but decreasing cross-sectional configuration between the ingress and egress ends of the tube. The tube generally includes a front wall, a rear wall and a pair of side walls. The front wall is generally separated into an upper and lower portion. An opening in the front wall, which is provided to receive a monitoring device, is associated with the lower front wall portion. In addition, the lower front wall portion is stepped forward relative to the upper front wall portion. The enclosed seed pathway further includes a narrowed front edge extending in an upward direction from the egress end of the tube along some section of the front wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Case Corporation
    Inventors: John F. Stufflebeanm, Lisle J. Dunham, Thomas A. Olson, Chad M. Johnson, David N. Slowinski
  • Patent number: 6332414
    Abstract: A sewing machine accessory with an accessory head which can be quickly and easily attached and removed from a sewing machine. One version of the accessory head can be mounted to a sewing machine foot, while another version can be mounted on a sewing machine shank. Either version can use a protrusion in a mating slot to serve as the mounting connection, configured so that simply inserting the protrusion into the slot is sufficient for attachment, and simply removing the protrusion from the slot is sufficient for detachment. A particular embodiment of the accessory can enable straight seams or hems to be sewn parallel to a material edge without requiring a steady hand or great skill by the operator. An edge guide is provided with a predetermined offset from the sewing machine needle, thus permitting the operator to guide the material through the sewing mechanism in a very straight line, with the resulting seam being a consistently accurate distance from the edge of the material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Wizarad Attachment Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Steven R. Tayrien, Peter A. Terranova
  • Patent number: 6332415
    Abstract: A sewing machine for sewing large work pieces such as sails or tarps, has a sewing bed with a large trough, the axis of which is perpendicular to the axis of the sewing head support arm. Fabric is held within the trough, either by being folded, bunched or rolled, with fabric being either fed into the trough as stitching progresses, or is drawn out of the trough during stitching. The fabric may be rolled, bunched or folded within the trough. The trough may be selectively covered with a removable cover plate, to provide a flat sewing bed for sewing of smaller pieces of fabric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Hinpergers Poly Industries Ltd.
    Inventors: Peter Hinsperger, James Fitchett
  • Patent number: 6332416
    Abstract: A needle for introducing a thread into or through a fabric includes an elongated needle blade having a longitudinal axis; a needle point; and an eye traversing the needle blade at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis. The needle eye has an inlet and an outlet situated on opposite sides of the needle blade. The needle further has a protuberance formed on the needle blade. The protuberance adjoins the eye outlet and projects laterally away from the needle blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Groz-Beckert KG
    Inventors: Hans-Kurt Wohnhas, Bernd Hillenbrand, Gerd Horn
  • Patent number: 6332417
    Abstract: A sewing machine needle includes a central longitudinal axis; a blade extending at least partially coaxially with the axis and terminating in a point; and an eye passing though the blade transversely to the axis and having an opening direction. The eye has opposite openings on opposite sides of the blade. Two mutually spaced walls forming part of the blade have respective inner faces bounding the eye. An indentation is provided in the blade in a region of at least one of the eye openings. The indentation reduces the height of at least one part of the eye walls as measured from the axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Groz-Beckert KG
    Inventor: Harry Vornholt
  • Patent number: 6332418
    Abstract: A sewing machine related to the present invention comprises a needle plate and feed dogs. A second feed dog slot provided at the cloth send-in side of a portal shaped needle hole of the needle plate is shifted to the right side from the center of the portal shaped needle hole. The left side first feed dog slot is extending toward the second feed dog slot side in the cloth send-in side of the portal shaped needle hole, so as to be formed a wide breadth portion from side to side. A first cross-piece of the needle plate is disposed between the wide breadth portion and a needle drop portion of the portal shaped needle hole, and a second cross-piece of the needle plate is disposed between the second feed dog slot and said needle drop portion. The first cross-piece is formed wider in the cloth feed direction than the second cross-piece. A differential feed dog disposed in the cloth send-in side of the needle drop portion is composed in a shape combining each feed dog slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Pegasus Sewing Machine Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masanori Hayashi
  • Patent number: 6332419
    Abstract: An auxiliary device of a sewing machine capable of making three net-like stitches has two clipping members connected to each other. A hooked plate is movably passed through between the clipping members to pull a first kind of threads for same to hold in position. The front ends of the clipping members are disposed under a curved hook of a thread guide, and relatively close to needles of the first threads such that, in sewing operation, the first threads can be connected with a net thread controlled by the thread guide and a shuttle to form the net-like stitch without possibility of the first threads falling off the clipping members and failing to connect the net thread.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Inventor: Fei-Lung Ku
  • Patent number: 6332420
    Abstract: A sail is formed on a mold in a three dimensional fashion. The sail is a laminate having three corners. The sail includes two outer layers of film and an inner yarn structure. Yarns radiate from each corner of the sail and terminate at an edge opposite the corner. Additional secondary reinforcing elements may be added between the film layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: North Marine Group
    Inventor: John H. Rodgers
  • Patent number: 6332421
    Abstract: A boat fender system and a method for deploying a cylindrical fender. The system includes a U-shaped member having a spindle on which is rotatably mounted a fender, and a lateral arm portion which is detachably connected to a locking assembly attached to a boat. The method includes mounting the fender to be freely rotatable about its longitudinal axis, and maintaining the fender in a vertical orientation and in a fixed position relative to the boat so that the fender comes into rolling contact with both the boat and a mooring structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Inventors: Larry Leonard, Frank Lucchesi
  • Patent number: 6332422
    Abstract: A hull is described having bow, stern, port and starboard sides. At least one chine extends longitudinally from a first point near the bow to a second point near the stern of the hull. At least one wedge section is disposed along the at least one chine and is adapted to minimize porpoising of the hull when in operation. A boat having such a hull is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Bombardier Motor Corporation of America
    Inventor: Fernand Laroche
  • Patent number: 6332423
    Abstract: A marine anchor having a shank connectible to an anchor rode at one end and having a double ploughshare fluke rigidly mounted at the other end thereof is described. The fluke consists of two symmetrically mounted part-cylindrical blades disposed on each side of a central ridge in the medial plane of the shank and extending from a forward apex to divergent trailing ends. A ballast weight is mounted under the convex surfaces of the blades and contained within the tangential plane to the convex surfaces. Each blade is also provided with a fin along the outer edge thereof, perpendicular to the central edge and located aft of the junction of the shank and the fluke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Kingston Anchors Limited
    Inventor: Edward R Petersen
  • Patent number: 6332424
    Abstract: A hands free signal device for use in conjunction with a scuba system. The hands free signal device includes an inflatable member engaged with an inflation source. The inflation source, for example, can be a tank of compressed air commonly used in scuba diving or can be a smaller, self-contained cylinder of carbon dioxide. The signaling device is adapted for use in conjunction with a scuba diving buoyancy compensation jacket and is activated by pulling on a cord within easy reach of the scuba diver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Inventor: Stephen B. Frink
  • Patent number: 6332425
    Abstract: A pulse voltage of duty ratio 5% or below and repetition frequency 400 KHz or above is supplied in order to suppress the notch, charge build-up damage, subtrench and bowing due to the electron shading phenomenon. Thus, a cycle for accelerating electrons occurs in the substrate bias, so that the electron shading phenomenon does not occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Inventors: Naoyuki Kofuji, Shin Arai, Kazunori Tsujimoto, Tatsumi Mizutani, Keizo Suzuki, Kenichi Mizuishi
  • Patent number: 6332426
    Abstract: An apparatus for feeding animals provided with a supply channel which receives wrapped feed bales and sequentially delivers them one by one by gravity to a location wherein they are held and a plastic wrapper is removed from them by a severing element. The plastic wrapping is seized by two side-by-side cylinders which discharge it through a discharge conduit. The wrapper is severed by a wire cutter suspended from a framework surrounding the bale therein, the cutter being suspended from springs and connected on each end to motors for reciprocating same. Optionally, the cutter wire can be heated. The bale is held in place during the cutting operation and then released to be received by cutting elements that cut the fodder therein to dimensions which can be consumed by the animals. A delivery mechanism including a nozzle carries the cut fodder to stalls to be consumed by the animals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Lely Research Holding A.G. A Swiss Limited Liability
    Inventor: Karel van den Berg
  • Patent number: 6332427
    Abstract: A feeder for small birds having an elongated tube with a plurality of spaced apart perch support openings drilled therethrough and spaced above each perch support opening is a feed dispensing opening, a perch rod received within each of the perch support openings, a top cap removably receivable on the tube top end and having a central opening therethrough, a bottom cap removably received on the tube bottom end and having an opening therethrough and a flexible line received through the tube and through the opening in the top cap whereby the top cap can be slidably moved on the line and the line extending through the opening in the bottom cap by which the line is secured to said bottom cap, the line having an upper portion above the top cap by which the line may be secured to a support structure and by which the tube is vertically supported, the top and bottom caps being removable for filling or emptying the tube of bird feed without removing the line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Inventor: Bob G. Coulson
  • Patent number: 6332428
    Abstract: A water dispenser detachably connected to a joint on a trough for supplying water to domestic animals is provided. The water dispenser mainly includes a stopper having an upper sleeve portion screwed into the joint, a lower tubular portion being beveled to provide a curved cut, and a control opening located in the stopper between the sleeve and the tubular portions. A control rod having a flange provided near an upper end thereof is disposed in the stopper with the flange closing the control opening and a lower part of the control rod extended into the tubular portion to expose from the curved cut. A ring nut is screwed to the sleeve portion to confine a spring to the stopper between the ring nut and the flange of the control bar, so that the spring normally pushes the flange downward to tightly close the control opening and thereby stop water from flowing from a water pipe screwed into an upper end of the joint into the trough via the water dispenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Inventors: Fu-Yuan Li, Ming-Yen Chiang
  • Patent number: 6332429
    Abstract: This application relates to an improved container for holding pet litter. The container has a bottom surface and an outer wall extending upwardly from the perimeter of the bottom surface. The container also has an inner wall coupled to or seated on the outer wall and supported above the bottom surface. The container is partially filled with pet litter to a level below the bottom edge of the inner wall. The inner wall extends adjacent to and inwardly of the outer wall and functions as a urine splashguard, thereby preventing litter clumps from sticking to the outer wall and fouling it. This eliminates the need to dump the entire contents of the container in order to clean the outer wall. In one embodiment of the invention, the inner wall is pivotably and removably coupled to the outer wall. In another embodiment the inner wall has an upper rim which is supported on an upper edge of the outer wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Theodore International Corporation
    Inventor: Theodore Gramlich
  • Patent number: 6332430
    Abstract: An aquarium accessory device which when installed within an aquarium substantially functions as an aesthetically pleasing blind for concealment of unsightly algae covered items. Such items may include typical water filters, heaters, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Inventors: Cathy D. Santa Cruz, Laura J. Sperry, Ronald E. Sperry
  • Patent number: 6332431
    Abstract: A perch for trimming the nails of a bird to a predetermined length so as to prevent over trimming and bleeding resulting therefrom. The perch includes a core that perches the bird, a sheet of sandpaper that is rolled around the core and trims the nails of the bird, and a sleeve that is movably disposed on the sheet of sandpaper and assures that the nails of the bird are trimmed only to the predetermined length so as to prevent the over trimming and the bleeding resulting therefrom. The sleeve is entirely covered with a plurality of throughbores that communicate with the sheet of sandpaper and receive the nails of the bird therethrough when the bird is perched uninhibitedly thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Inventor: Barry F. Brown
  • Patent number: 6332432
    Abstract: An animal-borne instrumentation system having an integrated tail assembly that reduces hydrodynamic drag while inducing positive buoyancy and providing increased useable space for instrumentation storage. The system comprises a submersible, pressure-resistant housing and means for harnessing the housing to an animal under study. The housing is designed to contain any combination of image and data-logging and/or transmission equipment useful for obtaining information about the animal or its habitat, as well as other gear necessary to support such equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: National Geographic Society
    Inventor: Gregory John Marshall
  • Patent number: 6332433
    Abstract: A gas engine operated machine includes a machine unit that includes an engine burning a gas fuel, and a working device driven by the engine, the machine unit being surrounded by and fixed to a rigid frame formed by framing an elongated frame material, and an upper portion of the machine unit being covered with a roof, such that the operated machine is easy to handle and attractive in appearance, and it is possible to effectively avoid another object colliding against piping parts such as a gas fuel pressure regulator and the like, or rain water, dust and the like striking against the piping parts, thereby stabilizing the operation of the piping parts and enhancing the durability of the piping parts. A roof includes an upper cover bulged upwards, and a lower cover mounted to a lower surface of the upper cover, and supported on a rigid frame through vibration-damping members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Kobayashi, Takayoshi Sugiyama, Haruo Tsusaka, Takanori Sato
  • Patent number: 6332434
    Abstract: A hydrogen generating system is provided for use in internal combustion engines for increasing the efficiency of the engine and decreasing emissions from the engine. The hydrogen generating system has an electrolysis cell for generating hydrogen and oxygen gases by electrolysis of an aqueous solution, a power source for providing electrical power to the electrolysis cell, an outlet flow means for introducing the generated gases into the intake manifold system of an internal combustion engine, a monitoring means for monitoring the operating conditions of the hydrogen generating system, and a control means connected to the monitoring means for controlling the operation of the hydrogen generating system in response to the monitoring means. The invention is also directed to a controller for controlling a hydrogen generating system for use in an internal combustion engine for increasing the efficiency of the engine and decreasing emissions from the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: FatPower Inc.
    Inventors: Mario De Souza, Gabi Balan
  • Patent number: 6332435
    Abstract: The invention minimizes the problem of deterioration in engine strength by concentration of stress due to the combustion load in a hole portion provided on a crank journal support wall in a crank case and reduces pumping loss. Further, the invention discharges blow-by gas smoothly, while reducing the engine weight. There is provided a crank journal support portion structure disposed in a crank case of a horizontal opposed type engine, wherein a hole portion communicating with an adjacent cylinder is opened at rotation angular positions of a crank journal yielding small stress generated at a crank journal support wall portion by transmitting combustion load to the crank journal via a piston connecting rod, in the vicinity of the crank journal support hole of the crank journal support wall portion disposed between respective cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keiji Kaita
  • Patent number: 6332436
    Abstract: A method for the control of an electromagnetic actuator coupled to a respective valve and provided with a moving member actuated magnetically, by means of a net force, in order to control the movement of the valve between a closed position and a position of maximum opening, a pair of electromagnets disposed on opposite sides with respect to the moving member and an elastic member adapted to maintain the valve in a rest position. The method comprises the stages of estimating the disturbing forces acting on the valve, calculating an actual force as a function of the objective force value and the disturbing forces and implementing this actual force value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Magneti Marelli S.p.A.
    Inventors: Nicola Di Lieto, Gilberto Burgio, Roberto Flora
  • Patent number: 6332437
    Abstract: An adjusting unit for actuating a device for variable control of valves of an internal combustion engine for load control of the engine via the inlet stroke function of the valves. The adjusting unit includes a gear unit with a cylindrical worm, on whose circumferential surface a thread is embodied. A displacement element that meshes with the thread of the worm is guided displaceably on the worm, and the displacement element is in communication with an actuating element of the device. A drive unit sets the worm into a rotary motion about its longitudinal axis which drives the displacement element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Udo Sieber, Ulrich Kappenstein
  • Patent number: 6332438
    Abstract: A vane-type variable valve timing control apparatus, wherein in a feedback control for bringing a rotation phase between a crank shaft and a cam shaft into agreement with a target value, a feedback gain is changed over according to a target rotation phase and a direction in which the rotation phase is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Unisia Jecs Corporation
    Inventor: Kenichi Machida
  • Patent number: 6332439
    Abstract: The vane type hydraulic actuator according to the present invention comprises a guide locking mechanism (guide stopper pin) (1) for guiding the rotor (44) to a locking position where the rotor (44) can be locked to the case (43), and a retaining locking mechanism (retaining stopper pin) (4) for retaining the rotor (44) to the case (43), after the rotor (44) is guided to the locking position. The actuator having vanes, wherein the length in the peripheral direction of the tip portion of the vane having the locking mechanism is substantially identical to that of the vane which is located symmetrically thereto. The length in the peripheral direction of the tip portion of the other vanes is shorter than that of the vane having the locking mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mutsuo Sekiya, Katsuyuki Fukuhara, Masafumi Sugawara
  • Patent number: 6332440
    Abstract: The four-stroke cycle internal combustion engine for portable working machines, which employs a toothed belt in the power transmission mechanism thereof, is disclosed. There is provided an OHC type four-stroke cycle internal combustion engine including a power transmission mechanism disposed vertically along a cylinder portion for transmitting the rotation of a crankshaft to a camshaft, wherein the power transmission mechanism comprises intermediate transmission members linked to the camshaft through a toothed belt and a rotation speed transmission member for reducing the rotation speed from the crankshaft and for transmitting it to the intermediate transmission members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Kioritz Corporation
    Inventors: Noboru Nagai, Yumin Liu, Tsuneo Araki
  • Patent number: 6332441
    Abstract: A tensioner for a camshaft driving chain (a plunger device 17 shown in the first embodiment of the invention) and a hydraulic control valve 21 are disposed close to each other. An oil passage 31 for supplying an oil pressure to the tensioner is caused to branch off from a downstream side of an oil filter 27 provided at an inlet port 28 of the hydraulic control valve. With this construction, the arrangement of the oil passage can be simplified, and therefore not only can man hours required for forming the oil passage be reduced, but also the number of components required can also be reduced by commonizing the oil filter. Accordingly, it is possible to provide an improved assembling arrangement for a tensioner and a hydraulic control valve in an internal combustion engine without involving an increase in production costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo
    Inventors: Izumi Sugiyama, Toshiyuki Satou, Kensuke Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6332442
    Abstract: An intake air duct serves as a passage for supplying air to an engine, and includes a first intake air passage, a second intake air passage, an opening-and-closing valve, an interlocking member and a coiled spring. The opening-and-closing valve is disposed swingably in the second intake air passage so as to open and close the second intake air passage. The interlocking member is disposed outside the first intake air passage or the second intake air passage, and swings by interlocking with the swinging of the opening-and-closing valve. The coiled spring is disposed swingably outside the first intake air passage or the second intake air passage, and has a swinging end, which is brought into contact with a surface of the interlocking member. The swinging end slides on a surface of the interlocking member as the swinging of the interlocking member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Komada, Kazuo Fujihara, Yoshikazu Hirose, Takahiro Komori, Hitoshi Kino, Hidetoshi Ishihara
  • Patent number: 6332443
    Abstract: More lubricating oil can be supplied to a connecting rod bearing provided in a connecting rod to provide excellent lubrication between the connecting rod and a crank pin. A pair of oil groove portions 13a and 13b is provided in an inner circumferential surface portion 17 of a crank journal bearing 11, which extends in the movement direction of a piston 32 and which is disposed opposite to each other. A lubricating oil supplying passage 28 is provided between the crank journal 10 and the crank pin 20, one end portion 29 of which is opened to the groove portions 13a and 13b provided in the crank journal bearing 11, the other end portion 30 of which is opened to an inner circumferential surface portion 23 of the connecting rod bearing 22, and which supplies the lubricating oil to the connecting rod bearing 22.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keiji Kaita
  • Patent number: 6332444
    Abstract: A power unit includes an engine portion and a transmission portion. The bottom portion of a crankcase of the power unit is formed into a shape, in which the right and left sides thereof are tilted downwardly toward a central portion. A main shaft, a counter shaft, and an output shaft of a transmission chamber are disposed one above the other on a right side of a crankshaft. An oil tank is disposed on a right side of the transmission. A bulkhead divides the transmission chamber from the oil tank. The oil tank is formed into an approximately crescent shape with its lower end extending under the output shaft. A suction port of a feed pump is provided in the lowest portion of the crescent shaped oil tank. An oil inlet is provided directly over the oil tank. An overflow hole for allowing oil to overflow into a transmission chamber is provided in the bulkhead. An oil pump is provided in the crank case on the left side of the crank shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoru Narita, Toshiyuki Kubota, Noriaki Takano
  • Patent number: 6332445
    Abstract: An engine is operated with two groups of cylinders, one of which groups is constantly powered and a second of said groups is selectively operated by cutting it in and out. The second group of cylinders is cut in and out by switching the valve lift of the associated charge-changing valves. The valve lift of the constantly operated cylinder group is also independently variable so that in both operating states of the second cylinder group, consumption-optimized valve lifts can be set for the first cylinder group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche AG
    Inventors: Hartmut Voss, Joachin Grunberger
  • Patent number: 6332446
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine including solenoid-operated intake and exhaust valves is operable in a partial operating mode with at least one cylinder being deactivated, without suffering from vibration of the engine. Where particular cylinders are deactivated under cylinder deactivation control, the exhaust valve of each deactivated or inactive cylinder is opened for a certain period of time which starts ahead of the bottom dead center. The timing of opening the exhaust valve is determined so that the pressure within the inactive cylinder is lower than the atmospheric pressure when the exhaust valve is opened. The timing of closing the exhaust valve is determined so that the peak value of the pressure within the inactive cylinder becomes almost equal to the peak value of the pressure within active cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Isao Matsumoto, Hideyuki Nishida
  • Patent number: 6332447
    Abstract: A dish-shaped combustion chamber (14) is formed in a diesel engine piston (13), and a fuel injector (16) is installed on the center axis of this combustion chamber (14). A device (3,41) is provided for varying the intake air amount aspirated into the engine. It is determined whether the engine is an idle running state or a normal running state. The device (3,41) is controlled so that the intake air amount in the idle running state is less than the intake air amount in the normal running state, and the injector (16) is controlled so that part of the fuel is injected before a main injection when the engine is in the idle running state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuji Kimura, Osamu Aoki
  • Patent number: 6332448
    Abstract: In a fuel supply device which supplies fuel in a main tank (8) to a vehicle engine (20), a fractional distiller (9) fractionates the fuel in the main tank (8) into a high octane fuel component and a low octane fuel component, and stores these fuel components in subtanks (10, 11). The high octane fuel component is supplied by a high pressure intermittent pump (16), and the low octane fuel component is supplied by a variable pressure pump (15), to a fuel injector (17) of the engine (20). A controller (1) identifies a running region by the rotation speed and load of the engine (20), determines the proportion of fuel components supplied to the engine (20) according to the identified running region and controls a discharge pressure of the variable pressure pump (15) so that the determined proportion is achieved. When the storage amount of one of the subtanks (10, 11) falls below a minimum value, the proportion of fuel components supplied to the engine (20) from the other subtank (11, 10) is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiro Ilyama, Hiroshi Miyakubo
  • Patent number: 6332449
    Abstract: A device comprising a cylindrical sliding gate (3), transversely arranged relative to the air conduit(s) (2) in a bore (4) arranged in a cylinder head (1) movable between a first position closing (P2) the conduit (2) and a second position opening (P1) the conduit (2) by the action of an actuating arrangement (16, 14; 17; 18, 19).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignees: Automobiles, Peugeot, Automobiles Citroën
    Inventor: Didier Girard
  • Patent number: 6332450
    Abstract: In a throttle control apparatus of an internal combustion engine, when the driver operates an accelerator so as to cause a motor vehicle to proceed to a steady-state running mode, a target throttle opening amount is no longer controlled to a throttle opening amount that depends upon an operated amount of the accelerator. Instead, the throttle opening amount is controlled to a value that provides a steady-state required torque. In this manner, the vehicle is immediately brought into a desired steady-state running mode, without requiring the driver to repeatedly operate the accelerator since the accelerator operation is not directly reflected by the throttle opening amount. Thus, the driver need not frequently repeat accelerator operations when the vehicle enters a steady-state running mode, thus assuring improved driveability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Harufumi Muto, Kei Masuda, Makoto Fujita, Naoto Kushi
  • Patent number: 6332451
    Abstract: A rotary valve actuator arrangement including a rotary valve and an electromagnetic actuator actuating the rotary valve. The rotary valve includes a valve shaft rotatable about an axis and a valve body disposed on the valve shaft for unitary rotation therewith. The electromagnetic actuator includes two stator cores, two coils wound on the stator cores, and a rotor rotatable about the axis and including two projecting portions opposed to the stator cores. Mutually opposed surfaces of the stator cores and the projecting portions define a continuously variable area forming a magnetic path when the coil is energized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Unisia Jecs Corporation
    Inventors: Hisaaki Sato, Masato Kumagai, Tomoaki Araki, Keiichi Kai
  • Patent number: 6332452
    Abstract: The invention proposes a method for torque monitoring in the case of Otto engines in motor vehicles, in which a reference torque value (M0) is derived from the speed (n) of the Otto engine and the air mass (L) supplied and, in homogeneous lean operation (lambda=1 to 1.4), this reference torque value (M0) is corrected by a signal derived from a signal (&lgr;ist) from a lambda probe and is then compared with a torque value (Mmax) specified by the driver. Torque-reducing interventions in the control of the engine are performed if the corrected reference torque value (M0) exceeds the torque value (Mmax) specified by the driver by a specifiable factor or value. This method allows reliable and accurate torque monitoring, even at lambda values greater than 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Martin Debusmann, Tobias Roulet
  • Patent number: 6332453
    Abstract: Using a control coil having a high response characteristic suited to valve opening and a hold coil suited to a hold to valve open during fuel injection using a small current, during the valve opening time, a high voltage is applied to the control coil suited to the valve opening operation and, during the time the valve is to be held open a low and stabilized voltage is applied to the hold coil. In a fuel injection apparatus, drive manner employed during a valve opening time and a valve hold time is optimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Yamakado, Yoshio Okamoto, Yzo Kadomukai, Yoshiyuki Tanabe, Hiromasa Kubo, Toshio Takahata, Kenji Tabuchi, Yasunaga Hamada
  • Patent number: 6332454
    Abstract: A driving apparatus for an electromagnetic valve which supplies fuel to an engine comprises a conduction control circuit and a current-limit-value setting circuit. The conduction control circuit turns on and off an FET so that a conduction current flowing through a coil of the electromagnetic valve has a magnitude equal to a predetermined current limit value while a microcomputer is outputting a driving signal to the conduction control circuit. The predetermined current limit value used in the conduction control circuit is set at a first current limit value during a predetermined period starting at a point of time the microcomputer outputs the driving signal. When the predetermined period has lapsed, the predetermined current limit value is switched from the first current limit value to a second current limit value which is smaller than the first current limit value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Toru Itabashi, Atsushi Yamada
  • Patent number: 6332455
    Abstract: A device for controlling fuel injection preventing the wasteful consumption of electric power and expanding the dynamic range for controlling the amount of fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mamoru Sumida, Norihisa Fukutomi, Osamu Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 6332456
    Abstract: An apparatus for detecting a concentration of a vapor fuel in a lean-burn internal combustion engine includes a module for performing purge concentration learning when in a lean-burn where an air/fuel ratio sensor does not sufficiently work. When detecting the concentration of the vapor fuel during a lean-burn operation of the internal combustion engine, the internal combustion engine is switched over to a homogeneous combustion operation from a lean-burn operation, and the concentration of the vapor fuel is detected under the homogeneous combustion operation. Alternatively, the combustion is switched over to the homogeneous combustion when in a rich spike and when ensuring a brake negative pressure, and hence the concentration of the vapor fuel is detected by utilizing this timing. The thus detected and learned concentration of the vapor fuel is utilized for the purge control when in the lean-burn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Zenichiro Mashiki
  • Patent number: 6332457
    Abstract: A method of heating fuel using a heated tip fuel injector includes providing an internal combustion engine having at least one fuel injector, the at least one fuel injector having an internal heater; energizing the engine starter and the internal heater; injecting fuel using closed valve injection; changing the load on the engine and substantially simultaneously switching to open valve injection; and after catalyst light-off, substantially simultaneously switching to closed valve injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Siemens Automotive Corporation
    Inventor: William James Imoehl