Patents Issued in April 8, 2014
  • Patent number: 8689738
    Abstract: Feeding method and production technology of a vegetarian feed for carnivorous fish prepared from Spirulina and Chlorella algae that are produced by cell proliferation in production tanks in electrolyzed water with chlorine-neutralizing sodium thiosulfate and are subsequently dried, pelleted and packaged. The fish feed can be employed without the fish having diarrhea. As a result, the water in fish breeding tanks does not become immoderately eutrophic and at the same time the daily weight gain of the fish is not affected. An optimum daily growth rate and a fish flesh quality can be achieved without the use of animal and fish-based proteins in the fish food ration. The fish food is also inexpensive and ecologically sustainable and ethically acceptable, since it contributes to the rescue of the remaining fish stocks in waters worldwide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Inventor: Hanspeter Steffen
  • Patent number: 8689739
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system and method for displaying animals in temperature controlled enclosures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: United Pet Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Stanley J. Owens, Chad W. Robbins, Joseph M. Flora, Douglas R. Carr, John Von Buelow
  • Patent number: 8689740
    Abstract: A pet wash tub includes a funnel-type hair-diverter arrangement established at all corners near the drain, to slope from the front and sides of the tub, angled downwardly towards the drain. The tub is located inside a pet wash station, which includes a wash room and an equipment room. Specifically, the tub is located in the wash room that includes a floor with a slope that acts to rinse water spilled onto the floor under an opening under a dividing wall between the wash room and the equipment room. A collection trough is located in the equipment room to collect the water as it drains from the wash room. Further, the equipment room includes a control panel and hose extensions for air and washing water/soap such that a user can activate the various systems depending on preference while washing a pet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: CCSI International, Inc.
    Inventor: Russell L. Caldwell
  • Patent number: 8689741
    Abstract: The present invention features a thermal management system for a hybrid electric vehicle. Such a system includes a heater core supplies heat for heating the vehicle's interior by heat exchange between a coolant and air of the vehicle's interior, a coolant line fluidly coupling an engine and heater core so the coolant being circulated by a coolant pump passes there through. A bypass valve is located in the coolant line in proximity to the engine and is selectively opened and closed according to the on/off state of the engine and so that the coolant does not pass through the engine but passes through only the heater core in the engine off state. Such a system includes a heat exchanger fluidly coupled to another heat source so the coolant is heated by the heat exchanger and supplied to the heater core when in the off state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Corporation, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Hee Sang Park, Ho Seok Jeon, Hyun Kim, June Kyu Park, Jung Hwan Yun, Jun Mo Ku, Sang Ha Kim
  • Patent number: 8689742
    Abstract: A coolant flow control system (100, 200) includes an integrated coolant flow control and heat exchange device (10, 50). The device includes a valve body part (20, 60) and a heat exchange part (30, 70). According to the system, all the coolant flow from the engine is delivered back to the engine after passing through the valve body part (20, 60) and then the heat exchange part (30, 70) in which it passes over the heat exchanger part (40, 80). The valve body part (20, 60) by positioning of the coolant flow wall (26, 66) allows multiple flow modes and coolant paths to branch out (or converge) from (or to) thereby controlling the flow in all coolant circuit branches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation, Hyundai America Technical Center, Inc.
    Inventors: John William Myers, Mark Allen Bourcier
  • Patent number: 8689743
    Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine has a piston head and a piston skirt. The piston head has a circumferential ring belt and a circumferential cooling channel. The piston skirt has a working surface assigned to its major thrust side and to its minor thrust side. A bore that proceeds from the cooling channel is provided, which ends in the working surface assigned to the major thrust side, and is disposed at an incline, in such a manner that the bore exit encloses an acute angle (?) with the center axis (M) of the piston. An opening is formed in the working surface, and a deflection surface inclined relative to the working surface is provided between the bore and the bore exit. The working surface assigned to the major thrust side has a depression which forms at least one oil capture region above the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventor: Rainer Scharp
  • Patent number: 8689744
    Abstract: The present invention is provided with one or more inserts that are inserted at the lower portion of a water jacket formed at siamese portions between cylinder bores of a cylinder block and increase the flow of cooling water at the upper portion of the water jacket, in order to provide a cooling device and an insert for a water jacket of an internal combustion engine, which is inserted at the lower portion of the water jacket formed at the siamese portions of the cylinder block to increase the flow of cooling water, improves cooling efficiency of the siamese portions of the cylinder block by inducting recirculation of the cooling water at the lower portion, and improves fuel efficiency by making the temperature uniform in the stroke direction of the piston of the cylinder block and reducing friction of the piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Dongsuk Chae, Kwangsik Yang, Taewon Park, Wootae Kim, Sanghee Lee, Jaeheon Lee, Changseok Oh, Kiwoong Song
  • Patent number: 8689745
    Abstract: A split-cycle air-hybrid engine includes a rotatable crankshaft. A compression piston is slidably received within a compression cylinder and operatively connected to the crankshaft. An expansion piston is slidably received within an expansion cylinder and operatively connected to the crankshaft. A crossover passage interconnects the compression and expansion cylinders. The crossover passage includes a crossover compression (XovrC) valve and a crossover expansion (XovrE) valve defining a pressure chamber therebetween. An air reservoir is operatively connected to the crossover passage. An air reservoir valve selectively controls air flow into and out of the air reservoir. The engine is operable in an Air Expander and Firing (AEF) mode. In the AEF mode, the pressure in the air reservoir is greater than or equal to approximately 5 bar absolute, preferably greater than or equal to approximately 7 bar absolute, and more preferably greater than or equal to approximately 10 bar absolute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Scuderi Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Riccardo Meldolesi, Nicholas Badain, Ian Gilbert
  • Patent number: 8689746
    Abstract: A device for the variable adjustment of valve lift curves of gas exchange valves of an internal combustion engine, which has a hydraulic consumer, a camshaft and a volume accumulator. The camshaft is arranged in the internal combustion engine in a rotatably mounted manner by camshaft bearings. The interior of the camshaft has a cavity. Bores are formed on the camshaft in the region of the camshaft bearings and, via the bores, the cavity communicates with the camshaft bearings. The volume accumulator is arranged in the cavity and has a housing which extends in a region of at least one camshaft bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Mathias Boegershausen
  • Patent number: 8689747
    Abstract: A valve timing control device comprises a drive-side rotational member synchronously rotatable with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine; a driven-side rotational member mounted coaxially with the drive-side rotational member and synchronously rotatable with a camshaft for opening and closing a valve of the internal combustion engine; a fluid pressure chamber defined by the drive-side rotational member and the driven-side rotational member; a partition provided in at least one of the drive-side rotational member and the driven-side rotational member for dividing the fluid pressure chamber into a retarded angle chamber and an advanced angle chamber; a fluid feeding/discharging mechanism for controlling feed/discharge of working fluid relative to the fluid pressure chamber; a locking mechanism for restricting a relative rotational phase of the driven-side rotational member relative to the drive-side rotational member to a predetermined phase between a most retarded angle phase and a most advanced angle
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaki Kobayashi, Mitsuru Uozaki
  • Patent number: 8689748
    Abstract: In a valve timing control apparatus, phase-retard and phase-advance hydraulic chambers are defined among a plurality of shoes formed in a housing and a plurality of vanes formed integral with a rotor fixed to a camshaft. The rotor has a large-diameter portion formed between a first group of adjacent vanes and a small-diameter portion formed between a second group of adjacent vanes. The innermost end of a shoe of the shoes, opposed to the outer peripheral surface of the small-diameter portion, is configured to protrude radially inward rather than the innermost end of a shoe of the shoes, opposed to the outer peripheral surface of the large-diameter portion. A lock pin is located in the large-diameter portion of the rotor, whereas a lock hole, with which the lock pin slides into and out of engagement, is located in the inner face of a sprocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8689749
    Abstract: A valve timing controller has a control valve and a linear solenoid. The control valve is disposed in an interlocking rotor constructed by a vane rotor and a camshaft. The linear solenoid includes a movable member having an output shaft, and a bearing portion supporting the movable member to reciprocate and rotate. A spool of the control valve is contact with the output shaft. The output shaft contacts a sphere-shaped end surface of the spool, at a contact position offset in a radial direction from a center axis of the spool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Masanori Suzuki, Yoshiyuki Murao
  • Patent number: 8689750
    Abstract: A camshaft phase adjustment device comprises a housing receiving a camshaft. A driving gear member has a first gear and a camshaft receiving portion. The driving gear member transfers motion from the driveshaft to the first gear, which is meshed with a second gear. A second and third gear are mounted on an axle parallel to the camshaft. The second gear and third gear rotate with the same angular velocity. The third gear transfers motion to a fourth gear. The fourth gear is coupled to the camshaft for transferring angular motion to the camshaft such that the camshaft rotates with the angular velocity of the fourth gear. An actuator rotates the housing about the axis of the camshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventor: David Gerard Genise
  • Patent number: 8689751
    Abstract: The disclosed structure achieves a desired balance between higher-rigidity and weight saving in a connection-type rocker arm which integrally rocks a plural of arm portions. The rocker arm has a plurality of arm portions integrally formed on a swinging base end side of the rocker arm which are forked and extend towards a swinging end of the rocker arm, a connecting portion which integrally connects each swinging end of the arm portions, and a concave thinning portion which overlaps a swinging trajectory of the connecting portion, when viewed in the axis direction of the pivot shaft of the rocker arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Kubo, Yuki Uzawa, Masahiro Nakashima
  • Patent number: 8689752
    Abstract: A vertical-type air-cooled OHV engine includes a valve operating system and has a shroud guiding cooling air, which is generated by a cooling fan driven by a crankshaft such that the cooling air flows in an up-down direction with respect to a cylinder head. Intake and exhaust valves are arranged respectively on opposite sides of a vertical plane that is parallel to an axis of the crankshaft and that includes an axis of a cylinder bore. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a vertical-type air-cooled OHV engine capable of evenly cooling both of intake and exhaust valves without changing a route of cooling air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushi Shimazaki, Takeshi Maeda
  • Patent number: 8689753
    Abstract: The roller finger follower employs two independent lost motion arms and a coupling device that locks both arms. A coupling element allows for changing from locked to unlocked mode. Components of the coupling element include a shuttle pin with a head, a shank and a cutout on which a rod is positioned, a coil spring which surrounds the outside diameter of the shuttle pin shank, and an end cap. By positioning the spring on the shuttle pin shank, a large spring diameter and short spring height can be used which allows for compact packaging. Also, a low spring rate is required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Jeff Villemure
  • Patent number: 8689754
    Abstract: An assembly for a valve drive of an internal combustion engine, which has a hydraulic support element and a cam follower connected by way of a clamp. The follower rests on one end via a cap on a spherical head of a pressure piston of the support element. The piston extends in a bore of a housing of the support element. The clamp flanks the cap with holding strips along the sides. The inner sides run in a guide zone on the outer shell of the piston. The housing has an opening for hydraulic fluid that can be conducted between the housing and the piston through at least one passage in the piston to a storage chamber. The guide zone on the piston is also designed as an anti-rotation mechanism therefore. The piston is installed in a defined manner and is torsionally oriented in relation to the cam follower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Christgen, Peter Sailer, Frank Himsel
  • Patent number: 8689755
    Abstract: A cam for a camshaft of an internal combustion engine may include an axial extension with a holding contour for receiving a holding tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Mahle International GmbH
    Inventors: Falk Schneider, Antonio Menonna, Stefan Steichele
  • Patent number: 8689756
    Abstract: A method for generating and applying at least one voltage pulse, which provides a cleaning effect for a stop switch, to a stop connection assigned to the stop switch, which stop connection is provided on a digitally controlled magnetic ignition circuit of an electrical device, wherein the magnetic ignition circuit generates a voltage wave series from half waves, the amplitude of which decreases over time, and/or at least one voltage pulse in a medium voltage range, wherein if a voltage wave series is generated, at least one later half wave in the voltage wave series, which half wave follows the first half wave temporally and therefore has a lower amplitude, is applied as a voltage pulse to the stop connection, and/or in that if at least one voltage pulse in a medium voltage range of 12 V to 50 V is generated, the one or more voltage pulses are applied to the stop connection and thereby exert a cleaning effect on the stop switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Prufrex Engineering E Motion GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Holger Dauster, Leo Kiessling
  • Patent number: 8689757
    Abstract: A Belt Driven Electric Starter System (BES) may have an idle pulley is composed of pivot point idle pulley forming pivot points at both sides of driving belt, which is wound on starter generator pulley and crank pulley, and driven idle pulley forming the fixing point, and a side of tension controller is fixed to engine and the opposite side is fixed to starter generator combined with starter generator pulley, such that it is possible to more effectively use the empty space without interference with the other portions in the entire layout of the BES. Further, excessive tension of driving belt due to starter generator when the engine is started can be attenuated by retraction of tension controller that moves with starter generator, while the excessive tension of driving belt due to crank pulley when electricity is generated can also be attenuated by extension of tension controller that moves with starter generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Company
    Inventors: Jongwon Lee, Hyounghyoun Kim
  • Patent number: 8689758
    Abstract: An ECU for controlling a starter includes a transistor in addition to transistors, which turn on relays provided for a pinion gear and a motor of the starter, respectively. The transistor is provided in a current path, which connects a line of a battery voltage and a junction between upstream side ends of coils of the relays. The ECU operates the starter by turning on the three transistors, which turn on the relays. It further detects abnormality based on voltages of terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Ryouta Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8689759
    Abstract: A dual drive pump system for rear wheel or front wheel drive automatic transmission in a motor vehicle includes a dual drive pump disposed off-axis of the transmission input shaft axis and driven by a gear train driven by a hub. The dual drive pump is also driven by a gear train driven by an engine starter motor. Torque multiplication through the gear train allows the dual drive pump to have a smaller displacement while still providing the hydraulic pressure needs of the transmission. The dual drive pump may be driven by either an engine or the engine starter motor depending on the operating conditions of the motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: John C. Schultz
  • Patent number: 8689760
    Abstract: A poppet valve for controlling fuel in an electronically actuated valve assembly for diesel engine fuel injection systems comprising along a common axis a stem with a cylindrical guide and a neck, and a circular head, the neck being smaller in cross section than the guide, and the head being larger than the guide, the head having a conical surface facing the guide, the conical surface having an annular primary sealing area and a receding surface area radially outward of the primary sealing area, the primary sealing area having an inside diameter less than a diameter of the guide, an outside diameter greater than the guide and oriented obtusely to the axis, the receding surface area merging with the primary sealing area at an outside diameter of the primary sealing area, the receding surface area being oriented more obtusely to the axis than the orientation of the primary sealing area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Buescher Developments, LLC
    Inventor: Anh Pham
  • Patent number: 8689761
    Abstract: A forged exhaust poppet valve and a method of solution heat treating the same are provided. The forged exhaust poppet valve (10) includes a head portion (12) which has a seat portion (14) on the outer periphery thereof and is integral with a diametrically tapered neck portion (16) connected to a stem portion (18). Using a radio-frequency heating apparatus, a solution heat treatment is given to a predetermined transitional region (A) of the neck portion and the stem portion that is exposed to exhaust air during a valve opening period such that the grain size in the region (A) does not exceed ASTM 10, thereby securing a necessary high-temperature creep strength in the region (A) and a necessary hardness (wear resistance) in the seat portion (14) and thereby rendering the exhaust poppet valve highly durable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Nittan Valve Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhito Tanaka, Hisanaga Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 8689762
    Abstract: A process for remanufacturing a cylinder head that includes a worn or damaged rocker arm stand adapted to receive a rocker shaft to which at least one rocker arm is mounted, the steps including machining a channel in a surface of the worn or damaged rocker arm stand, securing an insert into the channel, and machining the insert to form a remanufactured inner facing surface. The remanufactured cylinder head includes at least one rocker arm stand that has a machined channel with a remanufactured insert secured therein, the rocker shaft being disposed adjacent the inner facing surface, not the rocker arm stand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Bach, Curtis Graham, Trent Simpson, Michael Bridges
  • Patent number: 8689763
    Abstract: The rotary engine includes a circular stator, a circular rotor rotating about the stator; the rotor and the stator being separated by a circular cylinder and at least one element with two flanges. The rotor includes two compression pistons attached to the inner surface of the rotor. These two pistons are located at the two extremities of a first diameter of the rotor and kept substantially in contact with the outer surface of the stator. The stator includes a recess at each extremity of a diameter. Each recess forms a compression chamber with the compression piston positioned at the end of the recess in the direction of rotation of the rotor and one of the flanges of the element with two flanges, referred to as the cylinder head flange. The motive force is applied to the compression piston when the pressure of the gases inside the compression chamber is suddenly increased to a predefined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Inventor: Henri Pandolfo
  • Patent number: 8689764
    Abstract: A rotary engine which provides a supplemental phase of compression between a first phase of compression and a second phase of compression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Aerojet Rocketdyne of De, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark David Horn, Glenn L. Havskjold, Calvin Q. Morrison, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8689765
    Abstract: The invention comprises a rotary engine method and apparatus configured with a cap seal. A cap seal restricts fuel flow from a fuel compartment to a non-fuel compartment and/or fuel flow between fuel chambers, such as between a reference expansion chamber and any of an engine: rotor, vane, housing, and/or a leading or trailing expansion chamber. Means for providing cap sealing force to seal the cap against a rotary engine housing element comprise one or more of: a spring force, a magnetic force, a deformable seal force, and a fuel force. The dynamic caps ability to track a noncircular path are particularly beneficial for use in a rotary engine having an offset rotor and with a non-circular inner rotary engine compartment having engine wall cut-outs and/or build-ups. The dynamic sealing forces further provide cap sealing forces over a range of temperatures, pressures, fuel flow rates, and operating engine rotation rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Inventor: Merton W. Pekrul
  • Patent number: 8689766
    Abstract: A positive displacement internal combustion engine with the strongest mechanism for converting thermal energy of combustion gases to rotational motion, being composed of a body with spherical combustion chamber, and three spatial eccentrics being placed in said spherical chamber. The mechanism is particularly suitable for heavily loaded detonation and homogeneous charge compression ignition engines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Inventor: Wieslaw Julian Oledzki
  • Patent number: 8689767
    Abstract: A method for the operation of homogeneous charge compression ignition engines (HCCI) using gasoline or similar single-stage ignition fuels. Partial fuel stratification (PFS), intake pressure boosting and controlled BDC-intake temperatures, typically in the range of 95° C. to about 125° C., are used to reduce combustion pressure rise rates (PRR), and therefore, the knocking propensity of homogeneous charge compression ignition engines operating on gasoline or similar fuels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: John E. Dec, Yi Yang, Nicolas Dronniou
  • Patent number: 8689768
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a fuel injection control apparatus for controlling fuel injection and a method therefor in an engine having first and second intake passages provided with first and second fuel injection valves, respectively. Fuel injection modes using the two injection valves include an alternative injection mode in which the first and second fuel injection valves are alternately operated every predetermined number of cycles and a combined injection mode in which both the first and second fuel injection valves are used for each cycle. Then, the combined injection mode is selected in a full load range. In a partial load range, the alternative injection mode is selected in a cold state and the combined injection mode is selected after warm-up. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce an equilibrium amount of adhering fuel to an inner wall of an intake passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masayuki Saruwatari
  • Patent number: 8689769
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for controlling compression-braking performance of an engine having a piston in a combustion cylinder. The method may include providing a valve in fluid communication with the combustion cylinder and at least one valve actuator operable to control the valve to perform compression-braking by opening the valve, which may include opening the valve to a first peak-valve-opening during a compression stroke of the piston and opening the valve to a second peak-valve-opening before a second half of an expansion stroke of the piston. The method may also include determining a target value for a stress in the at least one valve actuator. Additionally, the method may include designing the magnitude and timing of the first peak-valve-opening as a function of the target for the stress in the at least one valve actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Homa Afjeh, Edwin Henry Langewisch
  • Patent number: 8689770
    Abstract: A control system and method for engine braking for a includes an engine braking control and at least one exhaust valve actuator responsive to demands from the braking control for causing the exhaust valve to open. The braking control is configured to command the exhaust valve actuator to substantially open and substantially close the exhaust valve at least twice during each engine cycle, a first event and a second event, when the pressure within the exhaust manifold is greater than the pressure in the cylinder. The braking control can also command the exhaust valve actuator to substantially open and substantially close during a third event between the first and second events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: International Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC
    Inventor: Qianfan Xin
  • Patent number: 8689771
    Abstract: A device is provided that may be adapted to control or monitor the pressure level of a fluid system. The device includes a member composed of a shape memory alloy in a superelastic state. The member is configured to undergo a phase change from a high modulus Austenitic phase to a low modulus Martensitic phase and stretch in response to an activation stress. In one embodiment, the member defines two ends such that one end of the member is operatively connected to a fixed point. Another end of the member is operatively connected to a movable element. As the member stretches in response to the activation stress, the movable element is translated relative to the fixed point. In another embodiment, the member includes two plates with respective holes that are selectively aligned when the first and second plates stretch or deform in response to the activation stress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Nancy L. Johnson, Alan L. Browne, Xiujie Gao, Paul W. Alexander, Nicholas W. Pinto, IV, Richard J. Skurkis, Scott R. Webb
  • Patent number: 8689772
    Abstract: A common rail fuel injector includes a fuel inlet, a set of nozzle outlets, a drain outlet, a nozzle chamber and a needle control chamber. A needle control valve includes a ceramic control valve member movable between a closed position in contact with a flat valve seat to block the needle control chamber from the drain outlet, and an open position at which the needle control chamber is fluidly connected to the drain outlet. A solenoid actuator is mounted in the injector body and includes an armature movable between an overtravel position and an energized position, but the armature has a stable un-energized position between the overtravel position and the energized position. A needle valve member is positioned in the injector body and includes an opening hydraulic surface exposed to fluid pressure in the nozzle chamber, and a closing hydraulic surface exposed to fluid pressure in the needle control chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory William Hefler, Adam Leonard Stecklein, Daniel Richard Ibrahim
  • Patent number: 8689773
    Abstract: A toy projectile launching system that launches a toy projectile. The launcher has a handle. The handle is offset between two supports. A first arm element is coupled to the first support. A first elastic loop is anchored to the first arm element. The first elastic loop has a looped section that extends into an open area. A second arm element is coupled to the second support. A second elastic loop is anchored to the second arm element. The second elastic loop has a looped section that extends into the open area. The looped sections of the first elastic loop and the second elastic loop are spaced to receive and engage opposing hook elements on the toy projectile when the toy projectile is manually drawn through the open area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: KMA Concepts Limited
    Inventors: Steve Walterscheid, Brian K. Lapointe, Peter Cummings
  • Patent number: 8689774
    Abstract: A stock is attached to a recoil pad or a crank assembly by a sliding joint assembly. The stock includes one portion of the sliding joint assembly and the recoil pad and crank assembly include the other portion of the sliding joint assembly. The portions of the sliding joint assembly have complementary shapes, such as a tongue and a slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Hunter's Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Gregory J. Ritz
  • Patent number: 8689775
    Abstract: A compound bow comprises a bow handle that a user holds with his or her hand. A pair of bow blades are combined with both ends of the bow handle, of which at least one bow blade is rotatably combined with the bow handle. A pair of pulleys are rotatably combined with respective rear ends of the pair of the bow blades so as to rotate around a rotating axis of each pulley. A bow string extends between the pair of pulleys and is pulled for discharge of an arrow. A blade rotating unit rotates the bow blade and is rotatably combined with the bow handle, in order to adjust or release tension of the bow string by adjusting distance between the pair of the pulleys in the case of controlling the tension of the bow string or disjointing or repairing the bow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Inventor: Chang Ho Eee
  • Patent number: 8689776
    Abstract: The present invention provides an integrally configured flow channel system for application in the basic structure of a paintball gun, which enables increasing speed of vaporization to produce a high working pressure. The structure is solid, and maintains high safety for the operating mechanism. The system mainly includes a gun main body having a long rectangular shape and provided with heat conducting properties, and is longitudinally defined with a bolt. A chamber is defined parallel to the bolt, and a pre-vaporizer is longitudinally defined close to the chamber and the inner surface bordering on the exterior of the gun main body. One end of the pre-vaporizer affords passage to the chamber, and another end is joined to a pressure source through a lead-in port. The pre-vaporizer effectively uses the heat effectively exchanged from the heat stored by the gun main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Inventors: Guang-Jia Hou, Cheng-Lin Chan
  • Patent number: 8689777
    Abstract: Wire for cutting feedstock and a method for cutting feedstock with the wire. The wire may include an iron based alloy comprising at least 35 at % iron, nickel and/or cobalt in the range of about 7 to 50 at %, at least one non-metal or metalloid selected from the group consisting of boron, carbon, silicon, phosphorus, and/or nitrogen present in the range of about 1 to 35 at %, and one metal selected from the group consisting of copper, titanium, molybdenum, aluminum, and/or chromium present in the range of about 0 to 25 at %, wherein the wire has an aspect ratio of greater than one and exhibits metallic and/or crystalline phases of less than 500 nm in size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: The NanoSteel Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel James Branagan, Brian E. Meacham, Jason K. Walleser, Jikou Zhou, Alla V. Sergueeva, David Paratore
  • Patent number: 8689778
    Abstract: The masonry cutting device generally includes a portable, lightweight frame having an integral upper cutting edge and a center space, a lifting device supported by the frame within the center space and below the upper cutting edge, wherein the lifting device moves a lower cutting edge towards the upper cutting edge for cutting a masonry item between thereof. The lower cutting edge is attached to a guide member which includes slotted ends for travelling along the frame to keep the lower cutting edge in alignment with the upper cutting edge. The lifting device is generally comprised of a shortened, hydraulic jack having a release member, manually-operable handle, and optional spacer. Also included are bias members for exerting a downward force upon the guide member and a catch tray generally comprised of a wired grid that is removable upon the frame and used to catch the cut masonry items.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Kolmar Investments, LLC.
    Inventor: Daniel Flores
  • Patent number: 8689779
    Abstract: A gas burner with a burner lower part with a lower gas distribution chamber which is open at the top and a radial secondary air passage to supply secondary air to an inner region of the gas burner, and a burner upper part positioned loosely on the burner lower part and partially closing off the lower gas distribution chamber, and which includes a burner ring, in which an annular upper gas distribution chamber is configured, and which has a gas throughflow opening corresponding to the lower gas distribution chamber and connecting the lower gas distribution chamber to the upper gas distribution chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
    Inventors: Christophe Cadeau, Jörn Naumann
  • Patent number: 8689780
    Abstract: A low pressure forced air heater is provided having a variable speed motor driving a fan and a compressor. An amount of the pneumatic output from the compressor is communicated through an air bleed valve and the remainder is communicated through an air output orifice. The air output orifice is in communication with a fuel nozzle and causes fuel to be drawn from a tank, atomized and combusted in a combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Procom Heating, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph B Lee, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8689781
    Abstract: An oven appliance is provided. The oven appliance includes a cabinet and a pair of doors mounted to the cabinet. A latch selectively secures one of the pair of doors in a closed position. A pair of seals assists with sealing the chamber of the cabinet when the pair of doors is in the closed position. The seals of the pair of seals overlap and engage each other when the pair of doors is in the closed position such that both doors of the pair of doors are secured in the closed position when the latch secures the one of the pair of doors in the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John Mark Chilton, John Adam Yantis, Scott Thomas Kershner, Joshua Stephen Wiseman
  • Patent number: 8689782
    Abstract: A gas burner includes a burner body and a simmer plate assembly. The burner body includes a central cavity in which at least one flame is provided. The simmer plate assembly includes a plate portion and a base portion configured to support the plate portion. The assembly is configured to be at least partially and removably inserted into the central cavity. The plate portion is configured to act as a barrier between the at least one flame and a heated object placed above the gas burner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Electrolux Home Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Padgett
  • Patent number: 8689783
    Abstract: A cooking appliance for insertion into a cut-out in a work top includes a peripheral lateral wall having four wall sections. Each wall section has on the outer face thereof at least one resiliently deformable compression element. Two such cooking appliances disposed adjacently in the shared cut-out in the work top can be mounted by inserting a first one of the two cooking appliances into the cut-out. An intermediate wall is arranged on a free face of the first cooking appliance so that compression elements of the first cooking appliance adjoining the intermediate wall engage in a first group of recesses in the intermediate wall, and a second one of the two cooking appliances is inserted into the cut-out so that compression elements of the second cooking appliance adjoining the intermediate wall engage in a second group of recesses in the intermediate wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
    Inventors: Anne-Francoise Cosentino, Jürgen Desor, Sebastien Dubois, Guillaume Hoffbeck, Dzmitry Kucharavy, Gael Mollet, Gildas Violain, Virginie Willmes
  • Patent number: 8689784
    Abstract: An improved solar concentrator, where because sunlight is focused into parallel or collimated beams the light can be reflected and controlled by a series of mirrors and collected to form increasingly powerful collimated beams targeted onto a reactor; where each array tracks the sun with a dual-axis solar tracker, an array has multiple units that have a collecting fresnel lens, a collimating lens and a mirror, an array has a centralizing mirror which gathers the fresnel unit light in middle of each array, the array beams are then reflected off of a series of mirrors that bounce the light beams form mirror to mirror and collect the beam energy from multiple arrays into one or more high power beams, which are bounced off mirrors until they hit the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Inventor: James Matthew Monsebroten
  • Patent number: 8689785
    Abstract: The present invention provides dispensing apparatus for delivering metered doses of product from a pressurized dispensing container comprising: a housing for receiving a pressurized dispensing container; a dose counting mechanism comprising indication means for displaying to a user an indication associated with the number or quantity of doses dispensed from, or the number or quantity of doses remaining in, the received pressurized dispensing container; the dose counting mechanism further comprising an indexing mechanism for advancing the indication means on actuation of the received pressurized dispensing container; wherein the dispensing apparatus comprises an indexing member capable of moving within the housing in sync with the received pressurized dispensing container; wherein on actuation of the received pressurized dispensing container in a normal mode of operation the indexing member is able to interface with the indexing mechanism to apply a force to the indexing mechanism sufficient to incrementally a
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Consort Medical PLC
    Inventors: Andrew Wright, Martin Swain, William Southby, Richard Warby
  • Patent number: 8689786
    Abstract: An aerosol generator device comprises an elongate body with an interior passageway extending longitudinally to its mouth end. The device receives an interchangeable, pressurized canister charged with a nicotine containing liquid that is discharged in a metered dose on manual actuation of a trigger that causes a valve in the canister to open and discharge through a discharge tube. Inner and outer collar members releasably couple the canister with a bayonet action. The trigger is rotatably mounted on the body about a trigger axis spaced from and extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the device, and has a manually depressible surface portion under a flexible cover, and a camming surface portion that drives a slidable nozzle member inwardly of the body to press the discharge tube inwardly of the canister and the valve so as to form an aerosol from the liquid released from the canister.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: British American Tobacco (Investments) Limited
    Inventor: Steven Michael Schennum
  • Patent number: 8689787
    Abstract: There is described an apparatus (1) for respiratory support and non-invasive detection of alveolar derecruitment for patients suffering from respiratory failure. Such an apparatus (1) generally comprises a mechanical ventilator (3) for inspiration/expiration functions and means (15) allowing to impose an additional periodic pressure component (Pstim) having a higher frequency than the spectral content of the inspiration/expiration pressure component (Presp). There are provided computing means (12) to obtain the inspiratory average reactance (Xrs) of the respiratory system of the patient (2) as the positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) varies, in order to detect the presence of alveolar derecruitment. There is also described a procedure allowing to obtain an optimal positive end-expiratory pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Politecnico di Milano
    Inventors: Raffaele Dellaca′, Andrea Aliverti, Antonio Pedotti