IP Library Granted Patent US 9,989,016
Granted Patent B2
US 9,989,016 · App. 14/773,955 · Granted Jun 5, 2018

Electronic controlled fuel enrichment system

Inventor: Matthew A. Braun (Caro, MI)
Assignee: Walbro LLC
F02M17/38F02M7/10F02M17/04F02M17/10F02M17/34F02M17/42G05D11/13F02M1/16F02M17/08
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,989,016
App. No.
14/773,955
Granted
Jun 5, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

An apparatus for delivering a fuel-air mixture to an engine is provided. The apparatus includes: a carburetor having one or more passages and one or more chambers, wherein at least some of the passages and chambers are in communication with one another; and a fluid pump communicated with the carburetor and pumping fluid into or out of the carburetor to influence an fuel-to-air ratio of a fuel and air mixture delivered from the carburetor.

Claims (21)

1. An apparatus for delivering a fuel-air mixture to an operating engine, comprising:

a carburetor having a fuel and air mixing passage for supplying a fuel and air mixture to an operating engine, a fuel metering system having a flexible diaphragm defining at least in part on one side a fuel metering chamber connected to and supplying fuel to the fuel and air mixing passage and on another side of the flexible diaphragm defining at least in part a reference chamber;

a piezo-electric fluid pump in fluid communication with one of the fuel metering chamber or the reference chamber and configured to change a fuel-to-air ratio of a fuel and air mixture delivered from the carburetor to the operating engine; and

an electronic controller configured to determine an instantaneous fuel demand of the operating engine and to control operation of the piezo-electric fluid pump to change the fuel-to-air ratio of the fuel and air mixture supplied by the carburetor to the operating engine in response to the determined instantaneous fuel demand of the operating engine.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , which also comprises a fuel pump with a pump chamber in communication with the fuel metering chamber.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the fuel pump also comprises a pressure pulse chamber operable by changes in pressure in the pressure pulse chamber to supply fuel to the fuel metering chamber.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid pump is a fuel pump in fluid communication with the fuel metering chamber and operable to change at least one of the volume, flow rate, or pressure of the fuel metering chamber.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid pump is an air pump in fluid communication with the reference chamber and operable to change at least one of the volume or pressure of the reference chamber.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , which also comprises a gasoline fueled engine with a capacitive discharge ignition system which also powers the piezo-electric pump and the electronic controller.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , which also comprises a gasoline fueled engine with a capacitive discharge ignition system which also powers the piezo-electric pump and the electronic controller.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid pump displaces a fluid from the fuel metering chamber or the fluid pump displaces a fluid to the fuel metering chamber and is operable to change at least one of the volume, flow rate, or pressure of the fuel metering chamber.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the piezo-electric pump is an air pump.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the piezo-electric pump is a fuel pump.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 which also comprises a general purpose gasoline fueled engine with a capacitive discharge ignition system which also powers the piezo-electric pump and the electronic controller.

12. A system for delivering a fuel-air mixture to an operating engine, comprising:

a carburetor having a fuel and air mixing passage for supplying a fuel and air mixture to an engine and a fuel chamber for supplying fuel to the fuel and air mixing passage;

a piezo-electric pump having a passage separate from the fuel chamber and directly communicating with the fuel and air mixing passage and configured to supply fluid to such fuel and air mixing passage to change the fuel-to-air ratio of the fuel and air mixture delivered from the carburetor to the operating engine; and

an electronic controller configured to determine an instantaneous fuel demand of the operating engine and to control operation of the piezo-electric pump to change the fuel-to-air ratio of the fuel and air mixture supplied by the carburetor to the operating engine in response to the determined instantaneous fuel demand of the operating engine.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the piezo-electric pump is an air pump.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the piezo-electric pump is a fuel pump.

15. The system of claim 12 which also comprises a general purpose gasoline fueled engine with a capacitive discharge ignition system which also powers the piezo-electric pump and the electronic controller.

Assignments (8)
STATEMENT REGARDING RELEASE OF LIENS IN PATENTS, INCLUDING LIEN IN FAVOR OF GLAS USA LLC RECORDED AT R/F 071674/0688 Recorded Mar 25, 2026
From: FIRST BRANDS GROUP HOLDINGS, LLC
To: WALBRO LLC (FORMERLY KNOWN AS WALBRO ENGINE MANAGEMENT, L.L.C.)
Reel/Frame 075247/0779 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 25, 2026
From: OVERDRIVE ACQUISITION, LLC
To: POLARIS INDUSTRIES INC.
Reel/Frame 075242/0950 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 16, 2026
From: WALBRO LLC (F/K/A WALBRO CORPORATION AND WALBRO ENGINE MANAGEMENT, L.L.C.); WALBRO CO., LTD. (ALSO KNOWN AS WALBRO KK); WALBRO INTERNATIONAL HOLDING B.V.
To: OVERDRIVE ACQUISITION, LLC
Reel/Frame 075110/0001 →
FIRST LIEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 18, 2025
From: AIRTEX INDUSTRIES, LLC; AIRTEX PRODUCTS, LP; APC INTERMEDIATE HOLDINGS, LLC; APC PARENT, LLC; ASC INDUSTRIES, INC.; AUTOLITE OPERATIONS LLC; AVM EXPORT, INC.; BPI ACQUISITION COMPANY, LLC; BPI EC, LLC; BPI HOLDINGS INTERNATIONAL, LLC; BRAKE PARTS INC CHINA LLC; BRAKE PARTS INC INDIA LLC; BRAKE PARTS INC LLC; CARDONE INDUSTRIES, INC.; CARRAND COMPANIES, INC.; CARTER CARBURETOR HOLDINGS, LLC; CARTER CARBURETOR, LLC; CARTER FUEL EXPORT, INC.; CARTER FUEL SYSTEMS, LLC; CHAMPION LABORATORIES, INC.; CWD HOLDING, LLC; CWD INTERMEDIATE HOLDINGS I, LLC; CWD INTERMEDIATE HOLDINGS II, LLC; CWD, LLC; DALTON CORPORATION; DALTON CORPORATION, KENDALLVILLE; MANUFACTURING FACILITY DALTON CORPORATION, ASHLAND; MANUFACTURING FACILITY DALTON CORPORATION, STRYKER MACHINING FACILITY CO.; DALTON CORPORATION, WARSAW MANUFACTURING FACILITY; EAGLE CASTING, LLC; EAGLE MACHINING, LLC; FIRST BRANDS GROUP INTERMEDIATE, LLC; FIRST BRANDS GROUP, LLC; FRAM GROUP IP LLC; FRAM GROUP OPERATIONS LLC; FRAMAUTO HOLDINGS, LLC; FUEL FILTER TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; GLOBAL REMAN VENTURES, LLC; HEATHERTON HOLDINGS, LLC; HOPKINS ACQUISITION, INC.; HOPKINS MANUFACTURING CORPORATION; HORIZON EURO FINANCE LLC; HORIZON GLOBAL AMERICAS INC.; HORIZON GLOBAL COMPANY LLC; HORIZON GLOBAL CORPORATION; HORIZON INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LLC; IBI INTERNATIONAL HOLDING COMPANY, INC.; INTERNATIONAL BRAKE INDUSTRIES, INC.; JASPER ACQUISITION CORP.; JASPER RUBBER PRODUCTS, INC.; KTRI HOLDINGS, INC.; KTRI OFFSHORE HOLDINGS, LLC; LONGMAN ENTERPRISES, INC.; PHNX ACQUISITION CORP.; PREMIER MARKETING GROUP, LLC; PYLON MANUFACTURING CORP.; PYLON SOUTH BEND, INC.; QUALIS AUTOMOTIVE, L.L.C.; QUALIS ENTERPRISES, LLC; QUALITOR ACQUISITION INC.; QUALITOR AUTOMOTIVE, LLC; QUALITOR SUBSIDIARY H, INC.; QUALITOR SUBSIDIARY S, INC.; QUALITOR, INC.; REMAN MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL LLC; SDC TX, LLC; SMART CHOICE, LLC; SPECIALTY PUMPS GROUP, INC.; STRONGARM, LLC; TAE BRAKES, LLC; TAE CHINA HOLDINGS, INC.; TMD INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LLC; TMD MEXICO LLC; TOLEDO MOLDING & DIE, LLC; TRANSPORTATION AFTERMARKET ENTERPRISE, LLC; TRICO HOLDING CORPORATION; TRICO PRODUCTS CORPORATION; TRICO TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; TRIDONEX USA LLC; UCI ACQUISITION HOLDINGS (NO. 4) LLC; UCI INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS PARENT, INC.; UCI INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC.; UCI INTERNATIONAL, LLC; UCI PENNSYLVANIA, INC.; UCI-AIRTEX HOLDINGS, INC.; UNITED COMPONENTS, LLC; UNIVERSAL AUTO FILTER LLC; VIPER ACQUISITION I, INC.; VIPER ACQUISITION, INC.; WALBRO LLC; WALBRO MIDCO LLC; WEM US CO.
To: GLAS USA LLC
Reel/Frame 071674/0688 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 10, 2023
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: WALBRO LLC
Reel/Frame 065198/0833 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 8, 2021
From: WALBRO LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 058055/0101 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 7, 2016
From: WALBRO ENGINE MANAGEMENT L.L.C.
To: WALBRO LLC
Reel/Frame 038012/0569 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 14, 2015
From: BRAUN, MATTHEW A.
To: WALBRO ENGINE MANAGEMENT, L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 036552/0903 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61785744 · Mar 14, 2013
Related Publication 20160040628A1 · Feb 11, 2016