Throttle control system and throttle control method
AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorHiroshi Fujitani
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A throttle control system includes a throttle device and a controller that controls the throttle device. The controller executes a driving process of driving the electric motor such that a target angular position of the specific gear continues to increase beyond or decrease below the initial position. The controller executes a determination process of determining that wear has occurred in the gear mechanism based on that a non-rotation time in which the angular position detected by the rotation sensor does not change during execution of the drive process being greater than or equal to a predetermined specified time.
Claims6
A throttle control system comprising:
- a throttle device;
- and
- a controller configured to control the throttle device, wherein,
- the throttle device includes:
- an electric motor including a drive shaft;
- a gear mechanism including a plurality of gears and configured to be driven by rotation of the drive shaft;
- a driven shaft configured to be rotated by the gear mechanism;
- a throttle valve configured to be selectively opened and closed by rotation of the driven shaft;
- a rotation sensor configured to obtain an angular position of a specific gear that is one of the gears;
- and
- a spring mechanism configured to urge the specific gear such that the angular position agrees with a predetermined initial position when receiving no torque from the electric motor or the driven shaft,
- the controller is configured to execute
- a driving process of driving the electric motor such that a target angular position of the specific gear continues to increase beyond or decrease below the initial position;
- and
- a determination process of determining that wear has occurred in the gear mechanism based on that a non-rotation time in which the angular position detected by the rotation sensor does not change during execution of the driving process is greater than or equal to a predetermined specified time.
A method of controlling a throttle device,
- the throttle device including
- an electric motor having a drive shaft;
- a gear mechanism including a plurality of gears and configured to be driven by rotation of the drive shaft;
- a driven shaft that is rotated by the gear mechanism;
- a throttle valve configured to be selectively opened and closed by rotation of the driven shaft;
- a rotation sensor configured to acquire an angular position of a specific gear that is one of the gears;
- and
- a spring mechanism configured to urge the specific gear such that the angular position agrees with a predetermined initial position when receiving no torque from the electric motor or the driven shaft,
- the method comprising:
- executing a driving process of driving the electric motor such that a target angular position of the specific gear continues to increase beyond or decrease below the initial position;
- and
- determining that wear has occurred in the gear mechanism based on that a non-rotation time in which the angular position detected by the rotation sensor does not change during execution of the driving process is greater than or equal to a predetermined specified time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.