Interconnection Between Plenums Patents (Class 123/184.49)
  • Patent number: 9121375
    Abstract: This air intake control valve includes a valve body rotatably mounted on a surge tank of an internal-combustion engine, rotated between an open position and a closed position to open and close a fluid passage formed in a partition wall internally dividing the surge tank into two parts and a valve body sealing member arranged on the outer periphery of the valve body, providing a seal between the partition wall and the valve body by coming into contact with the partition wall of the surge tank at the closed position of the valve body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masato Ishii, Takuya Kato, Shinichi Oya, Masaru Inoue
  • Patent number: 8991366
    Abstract: A dual path fresh air system, having a first air supply path, the first path supplies air to at least one first cylinder set; a second air supply path, the second path supplies air to at least on second cylinder set; a first exhaust gas recirculation inlet fluidly connected to the first path to introduce recirculated exhaust gas into the first path; a second exhaust gas recirculation inlet fluidly connected to the second path to introduce recirculated exhaust gas into the second path; a first valve member, which is arranged upstream of the first exhaust gas recirculation inlet in the first path, wherein the first valve member controls fluid flowing through a cross section of the first path; and a second valve member which is arranged upstream of the second exhaust gas recirculation inlet in the second path, for controlling fluid flowing through a cross section of the second path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Mahle International GmbH
    Inventors: Alfred Elsässer, Achim Gommel, Marco Warth
  • Patent number: 8955484
    Abstract: An air intake control valve includes a body extending to divide an inner portion of a surge tank of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine into two portions, the body serving as a divided surface to divide the inner portion of the surge tank into the two portions, a valve element operated to rotate for opening and closing a fluid passage formed at the body, and a seal member sealing between a sealed surface of the surge tank and an outer periphery of the body, the seal member including a seal portion constituted by two contact portions that make contact with the sealed surface in a state where the two contact portions extend in directions opposite from each other relative to the divided surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masato Ishii, Yusuke Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8640667
    Abstract: A mounting device can mount an intake manifold to an engine and includes a bending moment applying device applying a bending moment to the intake manifold as the intake manifold is mounted to the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Aisan Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ichiro Hisada, Shoubin Han, Hironori Tanikawa
  • Patent number: 8528510
    Abstract: An intake assembly for a 3-cylinder, V-configured engine comprises an intake manifold configured to conduct combustion air to a first, two-cylinder, cylinder head housing assembly and a second, single-cylinder, cylinder head housing assembly. A centrally extending plenum defines a plenum axis. A first plurality of intake runners, in fluid communication with the plenum, extend from a front side and transition through a circumferential arc around an upper side to deliver combustion air to, the first, two-cylinder, cylinder head housing assembly. A single intake runner, in fluid communication with the centrally extending plenum, extends from a rear side and transitions through a circumferential arc around the upper side to deliver combustion air to, the second, single-cylinder, cylinder head housing assembly. A zip tube delivers combustion air to the central plenum at a location that is between one of the first plurality of intake runners and the single cylinder intake runner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Alan W. Hayman, Eric C. Douse
  • Patent number: 8302576
    Abstract: A variable intake system may include a single plenum that is connected to runners and that has a space formed therein, a first barrier that divides the space inside the plenum into a first space and a second space, a first variable valve that is mounted on the first barrier to connect or isolate the first space and the second space to/from each other, a variable pipe of which one side thereof is connected to the plenum and the other side is closed, a second barrier that divides the variable pipe into at least two spaces, and a second variable valve that is mounted on the second barrier to connect or isolate the at least two spaces to/from each other to improve intake efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Jaeseok Choi
  • Publication number: 20120132169
    Abstract: An air intake control valve includes a body extending to divide an inner portion of a surge tank of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine into two portions, the body serving as a divided surface to divide the inner portion of the surge tank into the two portions, a valve element operated to rotate for opening and closing a fluid passage formed at the body, and a seal member sealing between a sealed surface of the surge tank and an outer periphery of the body, the seal member including a seal portion constituted by two contact portions that make contact with the sealed surface in a state where the two contact portions extend in directions opposite from each other relative to the divided surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masato ISHII, Yusuke Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8122864
    Abstract: An intake manifold for a multicylinder internal combustion engine includes a number of inlet runners operatively connected with a mounting flange. A sealing region circumscribes only an outer periphery of the mounting flange and does not extend between adjacent ones of the intake runners. The sealing region includes a continuous groove formed in the mounting flange and a sealing composition applied to the groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies
    Inventors: Katherine Jane Randall, Christopher William Newman, Todd Brewer
  • Patent number: 7743744
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine for a vehicle comprises a pair of intake collectors (3A, 3B) and a communicating pipe (13) connecting the pair of intake collectors (3A, 3B). A negative pressure supply port (15) supplying intake negative pressure of the internal combustion engine to a brake booster is provided at an end of the communicating pipe (13). By providing an air amount deviation compensating arrangement which compensates for a deviation in the amounts of air flowing into the pair of intake collectors (3A, 3B) from the brake booster when braking of the vehicle is released, the amounts of air supplied to the internal combustion engine from the pair of the intake collectors (3A, 3B) are equalized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 7540269
    Abstract: An example induction system for an engine includes a plenum in fluid communication with multiple primary runners. A plenum valve is arranged between first and second chambers of the plenum, which are respectively in fluid communication with first and second sets of the primary runners. The plenum valve is configured to move between open and closed positions and regulate flow between the first and second chambers. A second runner is arranged upstream from and in fluid communication with the plenum. A runner valve is arranged in the secondary runner and configured to vary the amount of flow through the secondary runner. A common actuator is interconnected to both the plenum and runner valves and is configured to move both of the plenum and runner valves between desired positions to achieve desired valve configurations that tune the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Mahle International GmbH
    Inventors: Stephen Francis Bloomer, Yuhua Zhu
  • Patent number: 7469690
    Abstract: There is provided a supercharger system for supercharging a vehicle engine includes a first lower intake manifold adapter attached to the vehicle engine. The supercharger system further includes a second lower intake manifold adapter attached to the vehicle engine. The first and second lower intake manifold adapters can be attached to respective first and second cylinder heads of the vehicle engine. The supercharger system further includes a plate situated between the first and the second lower intake manifold adapter, where the plate is adapted to receive a supercharger on a bottom surface of the plate. The supercharger provides compressed air that flows through the first and the second lower intake manifold adapter to the vehicle engine. The supercharger system further includes an upper manifold plenum chamber situated over the plate, where the upper manifold plenum chamber receives the compressed air from the supercharger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: High Performance Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Bill Kavadeles
  • Patent number: 7395795
    Abstract: An outboard motor is mounted on a hull and has an engine disposed in an upright position in a cowling so that a crankshaft thereof extends generally vertically during cruising. An embodiment of the motor includes a first surge tank disposed on the opposite side of a cylinder head of the engine with respect to the crankshaft of the engine; long intake pipes that communicate with the first surge tank and an intake port of the engine; second surge tanks disposed between the long intake pipes and the engine for communicating with the first surge tank; short intake pipes provided in the midway of the long intake pipes on the engine side for communicating with the second surge tanks; and on-off valves for opening and closing the short intake pipes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Yamaha Marine Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Osakabe, Yoshibumi Iwata
  • Patent number: 7370622
    Abstract: An induction system is designed for an engine that includes a manifold having a plenum in fluid communication with primary runners. A plenum valve is arranged between first and second chambers of the plenum that are respectively in fluid communication with first and second sets of the primary runners. The plenum valve is configured to move between open and closed positions to regulate flow between the first and second chambers. A secondary runner is arranged upstream from and in fluid communication with the plenum. The secondary runner includes first and second runner portions with the second runner portion being shorter than the first runner portion. A runner valve is arranged in the secondary runner between the first and second runner portions and is configured to selectively direct flow through the first and second runner portions to the plenum to obtain a desired effective tuning length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Nahle International GmbH
    Inventors: Stephen Francis Bloomer, John Francis Marentette, Richard Donald McWilliam, Yuhua Zhu
  • Patent number: 7021262
    Abstract: An air intake system for an outboard motor provides parallel air flow paths between an opening formed in a cowl of the outboard motor and an air intake manifold of an engine under the cowl. A first air path flows in a relatively direct path between the opening in the cowl and the first inlet of a plenum chamber. A second air flow flows in a less direct path from the opening in the cowl to a second inlet of the plenum chamber. The second air flow is used to remove heat from a preselected component, such as an alternator, before it rejoins the first air flow within the cavity of the plenum chamber and is directed, in combination with the first air flow, through an intake air conduit connected to an outlet of the plenum chamber and to an air intake manifold of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
    Inventors: David J. Belter, Troy J. Kollmann, Wade A. Loberger, Eric S. Mueller, Jeffrey J. Broman
  • Patent number: 6978755
    Abstract: In an air intake apparatus of an internal combustion engine, disassembling a surge tank made of resin with an intake air control valve into divided pieces, and bonding the divided pieces by vibration adhesion, for preventing the intake air control valve from breaking or characteristic thereof from changing during the vibration adhesion or for ensuring a sealing property between parts, an inner space in the surge tank is divided into first and second chambers by providing a horizontal partitioning wall within the surge tank. The surge tank is divided into a middle piece made of resin and formed integrally with the partitioning wall, a lower piece made of resin, and an upper piece also made of resin, and these three pieces are bonded by the vibration adhesion to form the surge tank. A communicating hole for making the first chamber communicate with the second chamber is formed in the partitioning wall, and a valve body for opening and closing the communication hole is provided in the communicating hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: Aisan Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroki Yamamoto, Hitoshi Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 6955149
    Abstract: A simplified variable intake manifold is disclosed for use with an internal combustion engine. The manifold utilizes a single valve actuator to vary the resonant frequency of a pair of plenums. The two plenums are joined by first and second communication passages of differing lengths connected to provide cross flow between two plenums. Each plenum has an inlet for receiving intake air from a throttle body and a group of runners adapted for connection with a like group of engine cylinders to direct inlet air from the plenums to combustion chambers of the cylinders. A control valve having an elongated shaft extends through the first and second communication passages and includes separate blades rotatable with the shaft to open or close the passages to provide at least three modes of tuning of the plenums. A stepper motor or other suitable device acts upon the shaft to rotate the blades within the communication passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Mark J. Christie, Richard M. Frank
  • Patent number: 6928980
    Abstract: A control device switches an engine between normal operation mode and special operation mode. In the normal operation mode, an independent cylinder configuration is formed to produce combustion independently in individual cylinders. In the special operation mode, a two-cylinder interconnect configuration is formed so that burned gas discharged from preceding cylinders currently in an exhaust stroke is introduced into following cylinders currently in an intake stroke through intercylinder gas channels, a lean mixture having a high air-fuel ratio is combusted in the preceding cylinders, and a mixture produced by supplying fuel to the burned gas is combusted in the following cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Masahisa Yamakawa, Keiji Araki, Takayoshi Hayashi, Toshiaki Nishimoto
  • Patent number: 6896566
    Abstract: A watercraft comprises two air-intake boxes 5, 8 mounted in air-intake pipes 6, 9 of the engine 1. The air-intake box 5 is provided on one side of the engine 1 and located lower than a waterline of the watercraft and the air-intake box 8 is provided on the other side of the engine 1 and located higher than the waterline. End portions of the air-intake pipes 6, 9, which are located downstream in air flow in the air-intake boxes 5, 8, are connected to upper portions of the air-intake boxes, respectively. The air-intake pipe 6 is provided with a throttle valve 7. An air-suction valve 12 is adapted to suction air from upstream of the throttle valve 7 and deliver it to the vicinity of an exit of an exhaust port. The air suction valve 12 is provided with a noise absorbing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keiji Takahashi, Toshio Araki
  • Patent number: 6796280
    Abstract: An intake air control valve of the invention has a valve body and a valve holder, and is attached to a communication hole on a partition wall separating a surge tank chamber within a surge tank of a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine by fitting and inserting a valve holder. A valve hole is formed within the valve holder, and a butterfly type valve body is attached via a valve shaft so as to freely open and close a valve hole. A seal member is fitted to a groove provided in a peripheral edge portion of the valve holder. The seal member is formed by a fitting and attaching portion fitted and attached to an inner side of the groove of the valve holder and a leading end seal portion brought into contact with an inner peripheral portion of the communication hole in the partition wall. Recess portions open to an inner side of the groove is provided in the fitting and attaching portion in parallel in a longitudinal direction so as to be sectioned by a plurality of ribs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignees: Aisan Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, NOK Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki Yamamoto, Tadashi Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20040144353
    Abstract: An air intake structure of an engine has a first intake air passage and a second intake air passage provided independently and having downstream end portions branched into a plurality of intake ducts connected to a plurality of cylinders of the engine. The neighborhood of the downstream end portion of the first intake air passage and the neighborhood of the downstream end portion of the second intake air passage can be brought into communication by a first communication element. The first intake air passage and the second intake air passage are rendered communicable by a second communication element upstream from the first communication element in the flowing direction of intake air. The first communication element and the second communication element are controlled in accordance with the operating state of the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2003
    Publication date: July 29, 2004
    Inventors: Yoshinori Yakabe, Hidetoshi Ono, Atsuhito Ito, Katumi Ezaki
  • Patent number: 6557511
    Abstract: A suction system has an arrangement for utilizing resonance effects and is suitable for an internal-combustion engine having opposed cylinder banks. The suction system has a resonance container which has boundary walls. On the one hand, the resonance container is connected with the atmosphere and, on the other hand, it is connected with cylinders of the internal-combustion engine, the arrangement being provided in the resonance container as a control device which can vary the resonance cross-section, and the resonance container is connected with a feeding device having separate feeding pipes. For optimizing the torque behavior of the internal-combustion engine, the control device is fixed from the idling to a medium rotational speed range in a first end position and, together with the feeding pipes of the feeding device, forms two guiding channels which supply the cylinders the two cylinder banks with air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Erwin Rutschmann, Armin Schweizer
  • Patent number: 6412471
    Abstract: A throttle body and an air control system that integrates the electronic engine control modules, sensors, actuators, and associated wiring on a throttle body is disclosed. In one version of the invention, there is provided a throttle body including a throttle body wall defining an airflow passage in the throttle body, a movable throttle plate that substantially conforms to the interior dimensions of the air flow passage, an engine control device (such as a sensor or an actuator) attached to the throttle body wall, and engine control electronics mounted to the throttle body wall in spaced apart relationship with the engine control device, the engine control electronics being electrically connected with the engine control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: John Trublowski, Timothy J. Yerdon, Jeff Klas, Mitch DePerno, Bertrand R. Mohr, Marc Bronzetti
  • Publication number: 20020033159
    Abstract: An air guiding system is provided for an internal-combustion engine of a piston-type construction and includes an air filter and a feeding device for a suction system connected with cylinders of the internal-combustion engine. A receptacle, through which air flows, is arranged in a pipe between the air filter and the feeding device for influencing resonances. For optimizing the sound characteristics of the internal-combustion engine, the pipe is interrupted in the area of the receptacle, and a cross-section of the receptacle is larger than the cross-section of pipe sections of the pipe extending to the receptacle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2001
    Publication date: March 21, 2002
    Inventor: Juergen Schorn