Did You Know...
...that the video game, Pong, was invented by a guy who graduated at the bottom of his engineering class? Nolan Bushnell spent more time running the games at a local amusement park than he did on his studies at the University of Utah. His dreams of working for Disney's amusement empire were dashed when the company wouldn't hire him. Taking a boring job, Nolan daydreamed about electronic versions of popular games. He invented Pong, the first video game, and went on to found Atari Co.
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7472682 | System having a screw A system having a screw structure includes a casing and a self-tapping screw. The casing includes a through hole. The self-tapping screw includes a male thread portion and an unthreaded column portion arranged relative to each other in a longitudinal direction of th... | 01/06/2009 |
| 7302929 | Air bypass device in multiple throttle body To improve an air bypass device in bypass air flow and designing freedom, a locking stepped part 3, a bush inserting hole 4, and a valve body drive mechanism inserting hole 5 are provided above an upper end 2a of a valve body guidi... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7270111 | Composite engine speed control A common engine speed control mechanism for small internal combustion engines, which may be configured to allow for actuation of the speed control mechanism between stop, idle, and various engine running speed positions by actuation of one of a selected plurality of... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7263977 | Method and device for operating an internal combustion engine in overrun conditions A method is provided for operating an internal combustion engine 10 in overrun condition, which method includes the steps of: release of a monitoring of a control signal for a power actuator of the internal combustion engine when predetermined release conditi... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7264230 | Carburetor and solenoid assemblies and methods of assembling the same An engine carburetor and a solenoid valve assembly therefor and methods of assembling the same. The carburetor has a body with a fuel and air mixing passage communicating with an air bleed passage. A cavity extends into the body for communication with the air bleed ... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7195527 | Operational control device for jet propulsion watercraft A jet propulsion unit for a small watercraft includes a reverse thrust arrangement. The reverse thrust arrangement includes a water diverter bucket assembly moveable between an open position and a closed position with respect to a steering nozzle of the jet propulsi... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7168407 | Operation unit of engine An operation unit is provided with an engine operation box storing a control operation portion controlling an opening degree of a throttle valve and a start switch terminal connected to a start motor; a throttle operating lever for controlling the opening degree fro... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7165532 | Engine speed control with high speed override mechanism A secondary engine speed control mechanism for small internal combustion engines, including an operator control which is manually operable to override an engine running speed which is set by the engine's primary speed control mechanism and governed by the governor. ... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7152563 | Operation unit of engine The invention provides an operation unit of an engine provided with a throttle operating lever operating a throttle valve of the engine from an idle position to a full-open position, two terminals connected to an inner side of a drive circuit of a start motor, a con... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7152580 | Engine speed control with high speed override mechanism A secondary engine speed control mechanism for small internal combustion engines, including an operator control which is manually operable to override an engine running speed which is set by the engine's primary speed control mechanism and governed by the governor. ... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7143744 | Detection device and method for throttle opening degree, and compensation device and method for target throttle opening degree A throttle opening degree TA is converted to a reference opening area SB based on a map MAPsbta representing the relationship between the throttle opening degree and the opening area in a deposit-free state. An actual opening area SA after the deposit amount is chan... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7128309 | Automatic choke system for carburetor An automatic choke system includes: a wax-type temperature sensing section; and an output section which opens a choke valve of a carburetor in response to heat receiving operation of the temperature sensing section. Temperature sensing section includes: a bottomed c... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7124736 | Idling opening degree control apparatus in intake air control apparatus To make a motor to control throttle valve opening degree compact and reduce electricity consumption, a throttle valve lever (4) attached to a throttle valve shaft (3) has a roller (4b) and an operating arm portion (4a), a lo... | 10/24/2006 |
| 7117846 | Throttle control apparatus To avoid interference of control wires and make a throttle control apparatus to be compact, the apparatus is structured such that a drive lever is mounted on one end of a throttle valve shaft protruding from one side outer wall of the throttle body and connected to ... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7056165 | Control system for outboard motor The control system establishes an engine warm-up protocol based, at least in part, on elapsed time from engine start. The control system provides a reduced reliance on engine temperature as a basis for determining an appropriate engine idle speed. The control system... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7055502 | Single cylinder engine and vehicle provided with the same A single cylinder engine includes an engine body having a cylinder and a combustion chamber, an intake opening that faces the combustion chamber, and an intake passage in communication with the combustion chamber through the intake opening, a piston provided in the ... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7047937 | Internal combustion engine An internal combustion engine is provided, and has a throttle element mounted in the intake channel of the engine so as to be pivotable, via a throttle shaft, between an idling position and a full-load position. An abutment is fixedly connected with the throttle sha... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7044150 | Combination vent/check valve assembly A bidirectional valve comprising a flexible member with an aperture formed therein. The flexible member reacts to differential pressure thereacross by deforming, thereby causing the inside surfaces of the aperture to separate and create a vent path. The bidirectiona... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7013868 | Accelerator signal offset system A disclosed accelerator pedal offset system includes a first connector that can be coupled to an accelerator pedal of a motor vehicle and a second connector that can be coupled, in place of the accelerator pedal, to an engine control module of the vehicle. The secon... | 03/21/2006 |
| 6733351 | Induction system for marine engine An induction system for a marine engine is provided. The induction system selectively provides additional intake air to the watercraft when a rider docks the watercraft. The additional intake air provides docking thrust to the watercraft, enabling the rider to more ... | 05/11/2004 |
| 6729298 | Linkage assembly for variable engine speed control A linkage assembly for a vehicle having a vehicle body and an engine mounted thereto. The linkage assembly is operably disposed between a user-operable speed control input mechanism, e.g., a foot-operated accelerator, and the engine. The linkage assembly includes fi... | 05/04/2004 |
| 6523521 | Hot water type first idle control device A hot water type first idle control device includes a heating chamber through which cooling water for an engine is allowed to flow, a wax case heated by the heating chamber, and a device housing in which the wax case is accommodated and retained. In the h... | 02/25/2003 |
| 6375151 | Return spring mechanism for an electronic throttle control assembly A vehicle electronic throttle control assembly includes a position controlling device that automatically returns the throttle assembly components to a home position. A generally arcuate spring interacts with a plate portion supported on a shaft that is as... | 04/23/2002 |
| 6189506 | Throttle shaft rotation limiting device A throttle valve for throttling the combustion air flow for an internal combustion engine is disclosed, having a body with a throat, a butterfly in the throat to throttle flow, and a shaft connected to the butterfly to operate it. The shaft has an arm tha... | 02/20/2001 |
| 6167867 | Throttle lever assembly A throttle lever assembly for controlling the actuation of a throttle valve in an internal combustion engine has a throttle shaft pivotally secured to a housing. An idle stop lever is mounted to and radially extends from an end portion of the shaft for en... | 01/02/2001 |
| 6142118 | Engine idle control An engine idle and speed control arrangement incorporating a butterfly-type throttle valve. The throttle valve is disposed so that it is at a relatively small angle to a plane containing the throttle valve axis and extending perpendicular to the direction... | 11/07/2000 |
| 6134984 | Throttle lever device A throttle lever device for a small-sized vehicle includes an operating lever which is rotated manually about a pivot shaft to pull or return a cable connected to a throttle valve in a fuel supply unit such as a carburetor. The throttle lever device inclu... | 10/24/2000 |
| 6019084 | Idle speed control assembly The present invention is an apparatus for controlling the idle speed of an internal combustion engine. The engine has a throttle linkage with a movable control member. The idle speed control apparatus includes a bracket, a bolt, a spring and a nut. An ele... | 02/01/2000 |
| 6014954 | Fine adjustment of the slow speed operation of an engine A slow speed adjustment mechanism is provided that allows an internal combustion engine to be manually adjusted to operate at a slow speed which is slightly faster than the idle speed of the engine. A tubular member is provided with an outer threaded surf... | 01/18/2000 |
| 5762158 | Remote motorcycle idle adjustment control device A remote motorcycle idle adjustment control device attachable to a motorcycle and which allows the remote adjustment of a carburetor of the motorcycle by a rider while the rider is riding the motorcycle. The device includes a bracket, a slender, horizonta... | 06/09/1998 |
| 5740781 | Starting system for an internal combustion engine A starting system for an internal combustion engine is provided for enhancing engine startability and performance by simultaneously controlling the volume of air flowing through a carburetor and the ratio of an air/fuel mixture through a single manual ope... | 04/21/1998 |
| 5726503 | Low speed idle actuator and method of use thereof A low speed idle actuator for an internal combustion engine usable, e.g., in an electrical power generator, can be easily and precisely adjusted to set, adjust, or readjust the low speed idle setting of the engine. The actuator includes (1) an electromagn... | 03/10/1998 |
| 5722367 | Engine idle speed air control A control device for bypassing intake air around a closed throttle valve of an operating engine while it is idling. The device has a main flow control valve controlling bypass air flow in the bypass air passageway of the device and movable to closed and o... | 03/03/1998 |
| 5551395 | Control system for power tool with internal combustion engine A string trimmer with a control system for electric start, throttling, compression release, and engine kill control. An interlock is provided for preventing a start switch from being actuated unless the throttle trigger is fully actuated to a throttle ful... | 09/03/1996 |
| 5495836 | Throttle-valve control apparatus for spark-ignition two-cycle engines A throttle-valve control apparatus is provided for allowing switching from an ordinary-combustion state to an AR-combustion state or vice versa to take place with ease in an AR-combustible spark-ignition two-cycle engine wherein, at least during a light-l... | 03/05/1996 |
| 5243941 | Actuator for engine idling control mechanism An actuator for an engine idling control mechanism, which includes a throttle valve disposed in an intake manifold tube, a slidable plunger unit, a drive mechanism for forcibly sliding the plunger unit, a detecting device for detecting whether the throttl... | 09/14/1993 |
| 5090380 | Idling speed adjustment system for engine An idling speed adjustment system for an engine, in which a pulse width for corrected fuel injection in the idling operation of the engine is set by adjusting idling adjustment means adapted to be adjusted from outside the system. Subsequently, a pulse wi... | 02/25/1992 |
| 5035216 | Idling speed adjusting system for an automotive engine An idling speed control system is arranged such that idling speed of an automotive engine is controlled to a desired idling speed. The system has a memory for storing data for changing the desired idling speed. The data are applied by operating an outside... | 07/30/1991 |
| 5024196 | Idle speed adjusting system for internal combustion engine An idle speed adjusting system for effecting feedback control of the idle speed of an internal combustion engine comprises a reference control amount output circuit for producing and delivering a reference control signal necessary for maintaining a comman... | 06/18/1991 |
| 4986236 | Idle speed control apparatus An idle speed control apparatus for controlling the idle speed of an internal combustion engine includes a main inlet air passage, a throttle valve positioned in the main air passage, a bypass air passage connected to the main air passage and bypassing th... | 01/22/1991 |
