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Kruse Technology Partnership (“Kruse”) is an Anaheim, California partnership that owns several U.S. patents relating to its higher efficiency and cleaner burning diesel engines.
In previous posts (here, here and here) I discussed infringement suits in which Kruse accused DMAX, Ltd., Isuzu and General Motors of infringing U.S. Patent Nos. 5,265,562 (“‘562 patent”), 6,058,904 (“‘904 patent”) and 6,405,704 (“‘704 patent”) relating to higher efficiency and lower emission diesel engines.
Last month Kruse filed a fourth patent action against several defendants, including Daimler, Mercedes-Benz USA, Volkswagen, Ford and Chrysler. The complaint (kruse-daimler_complaint.pdf) alleges that the defendants are infringing the Kruse patents by making and selling engines and vehicles equipped with engines that practice the patented methods.
The asserted patents are entitled “Internal combustion engine with limited temperature cycle” and are directed to Kruse’s “Limited Temperature Cycle” technology, which limits peak combustion temperatures in direct injection gas and diesel engines.Â
The Limited Temperature Cycle injects fuel in multiple increments both before and after ignition.  According to Kruse’s web site, such injection of partial quantities of fuel reduces the combustion temperature, boosts thermal efficiency and reduces certain chemical emissions.
The asserted patents claim this process and describe an engine incorporating the invention. The engine (10) comprises a block (12), a cylinder head (14) and a cylinder (16) having a piston (18).Â
Fuel is supplied to the engine (10) by a fuel injection system (36). The engine (10) also includes an air induction system (26) having an air intake valve (28) in the cylinder head (14).
One key feature of the process is the maintenance of a proper fuel/air mix in the engine to reduce the temperature and the work of compression. According to the ‘904 patent, the fuel injection system (36) precisely regulates this fuel/air mixture for combustion and exhaust emission control.
The complaint requests that the court issue permanent injunctions against the defendants and award Kruse compensatory damages for the alleged infringement.
