Internal-combustion engines – Accessories – Covers – trays – vibrators – corrosion inhibitors – air filters
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-15
2001-08-21
Kamen, Noah P. (Department: 3747)
Internal-combustion engines
Accessories
Covers, trays, vibrators, corrosion inhibitors, air filters
C060S611000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06276328
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to diesel engine air intake shut down devices and methods and more particularly to air intake shut down devices which operate automatically shutting down the air intake of an over revving turbo charged diesel engine and which is actuated by variations in intake air pressure and vacuum. The device is self monitoring, may be bypassed or locked-out for over the road vehicle use, may be operated by any number of vehicle engine conditions such as oil pressure, coolant temperature, and engine speed. The device may be set up fully automatic requiring no electrical power or user input for operation and may also include a manual trip lever.
BACKGROUND ART
Diesel engines are frequently damaged or destroyed by over revving, over heating, or operating with no or low oil pressure. Often diesel engines are operated in remote locations without monitoring by persons, instruments or equipment which would either automatically or manually shut down the engine when a detrimental condition arises. Additionally, diesel engines installed in tractor trailer rigs are frequently damaged or destroyed by operating with no or low oil pressure, in an overheated condition, or over revving. Over revving may occur when a diesel is operated in an atmosphere with high levels of volatile hydrocarbons, which may occur near oil wells, chemical plants, mining, and fuel loading areas. In these areas fugitive volatile hydrocarbons may be drawn into the diesel engine air intake and used as unregulated fuel for the engine which then uncontrollably revs resulting in catastrophic engine failure and possibly explosion. Diesel fuel shut off devices are not effective since the atmosphere is the fuel source via the engine air intake system. Accordingly, air intake shut off devices are employed which are either manually or automatically actuated. With manually operated shut down systems the operator is usually not near the tripping mechanism and the over revving and engine failure usually occurs with such rapidity that manual input is not possible. Automated air intake shut down devices are frequently actuated by electrical components with various sensors for monitoring engine conditions. While these prior art shut down devices which utilize electrical actuators are useful the various electrical components often fail leaving the entire shut down system inoperable. Additionally air intake shut down systems installed on over the road trucks are not able to be deactivated to prevent inadvertent shut down during normal driving conditions. It is also desirable to deactivate the over revving component of the shut down device, for over the road use, while maintaining operation of other shut down parameters, such as oil pressure and water temperature. There is a need for a shut down system to protect a diesel engine from over revving, low oil pressure, high coolant temperature and which may be activated manually, requires no external power supply for operation, and the over revving component may be deactivated or bypassed if desired while retaining the oil pressure and water temperature shut down control. The present invention accomplishes these and other goals by utilizing an air intake shut off valve which is tripped to shut off air flow there through by specific engine parameters including over revving, oil pressure, and coolant temperature. The device utilizes variations in the ratio between the air pressure and vacuum measured in different locations of the air intake of a turbo charged diesel engine during load and no load conditions. During load conditions, such as when the output shaft of the engine is coupled to a load, such as a truck drive train, a pump or some other machinery, a slight vacuum is created between the turbo and air filter, while at the same time between the turbo and the engine, air pressure increases. During no load conditions, such as uncontrolled over revving which occurs when the engine throttle is opened and the engine output is not coupled to a load, vacuum is increased and the amount of air pressure increase is lower. The invention utilizes these disproportionate pressure and vacuum changes to regulate and trip the shut off valve. The device includes a butterfly valve mounted within the engine air intake and between the air cleaner and the turbo charger intake. The valve is moved from an open position to a closed position by a tripping mechanism which is tripped by the movement of a pair of diaphragms which is caused by changes in air pressure and vacuum within the air intake system both upstream and downstream of the turbo charger of the engine. A primary diaphragm moves the tripping mechanism to a closed by the influence of vacuum between the turbo charger and the air filter, while the other diaphragm regulates and counteracts movement of the primary diaphragm by the influence of increased air pressure between the turbo charger and the engine during high revving load conditions. The dual diaphragm system, with one diaphragm regulating the other, assures the shut down device will only operate when the engine is over revving during no load conditions. Other engine parameters are linked to the shut down system by utilizing truck air, created by the onboard truck air pump, which is utilized to influence movement of the diaphragms and valve if oil pressure drops or water temperature increases. The invention includes a system which allows the over revving component of the shut down device to be bypassed or deactivated while maintaining the oil pressure and water temperature controls, which is very useful for over the road truck use. The device may also be retro fitted on DETROIT™ diesel engines equipped with a blower to control closing the flapper valve in the same manner.
GENERAL SUMMARY DISCUSSION OF INVENTION
It is thus an object of the invention to provide a diesel engine air intake shut down device for a turbo charged diesel engine with a valve positioned in the air intake tube of the engine and between the turbo charger and air filter and where the valve includes a tripping mechanism which moves the valve to a closed position blocking the flow of air through the air intake tube, movement of a pair of diaphragms trips the mechanism, where one side of a primary diaphragm is in communication with a vacuum obtained from the air intake tube between the air filter and the turbo charger which provides a force on the primary diaphragm urging the primary diaphragm to move in a tripping direction, and one side of a regulating diaphragm is in communication with air pressure obtained from the air intake tube between the turbo charger and the engine which provides a force on the regulating diaphragm urging the regulating diaphragm to resist movement of the primary diaphragm in the tripping direction, when the force applied to the primary diaphragm exceeds the force applied to the regulating diaphragm the diaphragms move to a tripping direction and the valve closes.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a diesel engine air intake shut down device for installation on turbo charged diesel engines with a butterfly valve positioned in the air intake tube of the engine and which valve includes a tripping mechanism which moves the valve to a closed position blocking the flow of air into the engine's air intake, where the tripping mechanism is self contained, operates on changes in air pressure and vacuum which occurs at different locations of the air intake tube and wherein the tripping mechanism only operates to close the valve when the engine is operating in an over speed condition without a load. In other words the shut down device only operates when the engine over revs and is not coupled, by its drive output, to a loading device, such as a drive train of a truck or tractor, a pump or some other machinery.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a diesel engine air intake shut down device which is fully automatic does not require any outside power source or electrical components for operation.
It is a still further object of the invent
Denton Daniel Webster
Denton Jewell Marie
Denton Jewell Marie
Jolly Michael B.
Kamen Noah P.
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