THERMAL CHOKE, AUTOSTART GENERATOR SYSTEM, AND METHOD OF USE THEREOF

• US 20170130676A1
• Filed: 11/05/2015
• Published: 05/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Dewey Electronics Corp.
• Original Assignee: Ini Power Systems Inc. (The Dewey Electronics Corp.)
• Inventors: Markoski, Larry J., Simmons, Timothy C.
• Granted Patent: US 10,030,609 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 1/02 Arrangements for cooling cylinders or cylinder heads, e.g. ducting cooling-air from its pressure source to cylinders or along cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 11/02 convertible from fuel-air mixture compression to air compression or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 63/048 Portable engine-generator combinations
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 75/16 Engines characterised by number of cylinders, e.g. single-cylinder engines F02B75/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/02 characterised by hand, foot, or like operator controlled initiation means
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 1/12 with means for electrically heating thermostat
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 29/04 having screens, gratings, baffles or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 31/005 using a heat-pipe heat-pipe per se F28D
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 31/135 Fuel-air mixture
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 31/18 to vaporise fuel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels

Abstract

A thermal choke, includes (1) a body, comprising a heat conductive material, (2) an electric heater, on or in the body, (3) a temperature sensor, on or in the body, and (4) a fin, in a channel surrounded by the body. The thermal choke is configured to fit between a throttle assembly and a cylinder of a spark ignition engine.

Claims

1. A thermal choke, comprising:

(1) a body, comprising a heat conductive material,

(2) an electric heater, on or in the body,

(3) a temperature sensor, on or in the body, and

(4) a fin, in a channel surrounded by the body,

wherein the thermal choke is configured to fit between a throttle assembly and a cylinder of a spark ignition engine.

2. The thermal choke of claim 1, comprising (4) a plurality of fins, in the channel surrounded by the body.

3. The thermal choke of claim 1, wherein the heat conductive material comprises metal.

4. The thermal choke of claim 3, wherein the heat conductive material comprises brass.

5. The thermal choke of claim 1, comprising (2) a plurality of electric heaters on or in the body.

6. (canceled)

7. An engine, comprising:

(A) a throttle assembly,

(B) a cylinder, fluidly connected to the throttle assembly,

(C) a spark plug, in the cylinder, and

(D) a thermal choke, between the throttle assembly and the cylinder,

wherein the thermal choke comprises

(i) a thermal choke body, comprising a heat conductive material,

(ii) an electric heater, on or in the body, and

(iii) a temperature sensor, on or in the thermal choke body.

8. The engine of claim 7, wherein the thermal choke further comprises:

(iv) a fin, in a channel surrounded by the thermal choke body.

9. The engine of claim 8, comprising:

(ii) a plurality of electric heaters on or in the thermal choke body, and

(iv) a plurality of fins, in the channel surrounded by the thermal choke body,

wherein the heat conductive material comprises metal.

13. The engine of claim 9, further comprising:

(I) a gasket spacer comprising a heat insulating material, between the throttle assembly and the thermal choke, and

(J) a gasket spacer comprising a heat insulating material, between the cylinder and the thermal choke,

wherein the throttle assembly comprises;

(I) a fuel bowl,

(II) a temperature sensor, on the fuel bowl, and

(III) a carburetor.

10-12. -12. (canceled)

14. A portable flexible fuel generator, having an engine, comprising:

(A) a throttle assembly,

(B) a cylinder, fluidly connected to the throttle assembly,

(C) a spark plug, in the cylinder,

(D) a thermal choke, between the throttle assembly and the cylinder,

(E) a primary fuel tank, fluidly connected to the cylinder,

(F) an air intake path, fluidly connecting atmosphere to the cylinder,

(G) a coolant path, which provide a flow path for coolant to cool the cylinder, and

(H) a thermal controller, along the coolant path,

wherein the thermal choke comprises

(i) a body, comprising a heat conductive material,

(ii) an electric heater, in the body, and

(iii) a temperature sensor, on the body.

15. The generator of claim 14, wherein the thermal choke further comprises:

(iv) a fin, in a channel surrounded by the body.

16. The generator of claim 15, wherein the throttle assembly comprises:

(I) a fuel bowl, and

(II) a temperature sensor, on the fuel bowl.

18. The generator of claim 15, further comprising:

(I) a gasket spacer comprising a heat insulating material, between the throttle assembly and the thermal choke, and

(J) a gasket spacer comprising a heat insulating material, between the cylinder and the thermal choke.

20. The generator of claim 15, wherein the throttle assembly comprises (Ill) a carburetor.

17. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

22. A pull-start activator for pull starting an engine, comprising:

(I) a mount,

(II) an electric motor, attached to the mount,

(III) a spindle, attached to the motor, and

(IV) optionally, a cover on the mount, covering the motor and spindle,

wherein the spindle is configured to connect to a pull start of an engine.

25. An auto-start remote generator system, comprising:

(1) a generator, having an engine, a pull start for the engine and attachment elements,

(2) the pull-start activator of claim 22, and

(3) an auto-start remote,

wherein the generator comprises a thermal choke,

the auto-start remote comprises,

(a) a power source, capable of being electrically connected to the generator and the pull-start activator, and

(b) a controller, configured to operate the thermal choke and the pull-start activator using power from the power source, when electrically connected to the generator and the pull-start activator, and

the thermal choke comprises

(i) a body, comprising a heat conductive material,

(ii) an electric heater, in the body, and

(iii) a temperature sensor, on the body.

29. The auto-start remote generator system of claim 25, further comprising:

(4) a first cable, electrically connecting the auto-start remote to the generator, and,

(5) a second cable, electrically connecting the auto-start remote to the pull-start activator.

31. A method of operating the auto-start remote system of claim 29, comprising:

providing power to the thermal choke, until the thermal choke reaches a predetermined temperature, and

activating the electric motor of the pull-start activator, to start the engine of the generator.

33. The auto-start remote generator system of claim 25, wherein the controller comprises a computer readable medium and a computer program product stored on the computer readable medium, for carrying out a method of operating the auto-start remote system, the method comprising:

providing power to the thermal choke, until the thermal choke reaches a predetermined temperature, and

activating the electric motor of the pull-start activator, to start the engine of the generator.

23-24. -24. (canceled)

26-28. -28. (canceled)

30. (canceled)

32. (canceled)

34. A method of reducing start-up emissions from an engine, comprising:

providing a thermal choke to the engine;

supplying electricity to the thermal choke to heat the thermal choke; and

starting the engine;

wherein the thermal choke comprises

(1) a body, comprising a heat conductive material,

(2) an electric heater, on or in the body,

(3) a temperature sensor, on or in the body, and

(4) a fin, in a channel surrounded by the body, and

the thermal choke is present between a throttle assembly and a cylinder of the engine.

35-41. -41. (canceled)