Variable valve control apparatus for engine and method thereof
AssigneeHitachi Unisia Automotive, Ltd.
InventorsHirokazu Shimizu, Kenichi Machida
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a constitution to control a valve lift amount of an intake valve to achieve a target intake air amount, a target valve overlap amount is calculated based on an engine load and an engine rotation speed, and target valve timing is calculated based on a target valve lift amount and the target valve overlap amount, so that the valve overlap amount is maintained at a requested value corresponding to operating conditions.
Claims19
A variable valve control apparatus for an engine, comprising:
- a variable valve event and lift mechanism varying a valve lift amount of an engine valve;
- a variable valve timing mechanism varying a phase of the engine valve relative to a crankshaft during an opening period of the engine valve;
- an operating condition detector detecting operating conditions of the engine;
- and
- a control unit that receives a detection signal from said operating condition detector, and outputs control signals to said variable valve event and lift mechanism and said variable valve timing mechanism based on said detection signal,
- wherein said control unit:
- calculates a target valve lift amount and a target valve overlap amount based on the operating conditions of the engine;
- calculates a target valve timing based on said target valve lift amount and said target valve overlap amount;
- outputs a control signal to said variable valve event and lift mechanism based on said target valve lift amount;
- and
- outputs a control signal to said variable valve timing mechanism based on said target valve timing.
A variable valve control apparatus for an engine, comprising:
- variable valve event and lift means for varying a valve lift amount of an engine valve;
- variable valve timing means for varying a phase of the engine valve relative to a crankshaft during an opening period of the engine valve;
- operating condition detecting means for detecting operating conditions of the engine;
- target valve lift amount calculating means for calculating a target valve lift amount based on said operating conditions;
- target valve overlap amount calculating means for calculating a target valve overlap amount based on said operating conditions;
- target valve timing calculating means for calculating target valve timing based on said target valve lift amount and said target valve overlap amount;
- and
- control means for outputting control signals to said variable valve event and lift means and said variable valve timing means, based on said target valve lift amount and said target valve timing.
A variable valve control method for an engine, for controlling a variable valve event and lift mechanism varying a valve lift amount of an engine valve and a variable valve timing mechanism varying a phase of the engine valve relative to a crankshaft during an opening period of the engine valve, comprising the steps of:
- detecting operating conditions of the engine;
- calculating a target valve lift amount based on said operating conditions;
- calculating a target valve overlap amount based on said operating conditions;
- calculating target valve timing based on said target valve lift amount and said target valve overlap amount;
- outputting a control signal to said variable valve event and lift mechanism based on said target valve lift amount;
- and
- outputting a control signal to said variable valve timing mechanism based on said target valve timing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.