# US 2022/0089260 A1 · Outboard motor

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2022/0089260 A1
- Document ID: US20220089260A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/428,751
- Filed: 2019-11-13
- Published: 2022-03-24
- Earliest claimed: 2019-02-13
- Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Tatsuya Kuroda
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220089260A1

## CPC

- B63H 20/24: {Arrangements, apparatus and methods for handling exhaust gas in outboard drives, e.g.} exhaust gas outlets {(in engines, e.g. outboard marine engines, F01N)}
- F01N 13/004: {specially adapted for marine propulsion, i.e. for receiving simultaneously engine exhaust gases and engine cooling water (for submerged exhausting F01N13/12; treating exhaust by using liquids F01N3/04)}
- B01D 53/94: by catalytic processes
- F01N 1/089: {using two or more expansion chambers in series (F01N1/083, F01N1/084, F01N1/086 take precedence)}
- F01N 3/021: by means of filters
- F01N 3/101: {Three-way catalysts}
- F01N 3/20: specially adapted for catalytic conversion (F01N3/22 takes precedence)
- F01N 11/00: Monitoring or diagnostic devices for exhaust-gas treatment apparatus
- F01N 13/0093: {the purifying devices are of the same type}
- F02B 61/045: {for marine engines}
- F02D 41/0235: {in relation with the state of the exhaust gas treating apparatus (control of exhaust gas treating apparatus per se F01N)}
- F02D 41/1441: {Plural sensors}
- F02D 41/1454: {the characteristics being an oxygen content or concentration or the air-fuel ratio}
- F01N 2560/025: for measuring or detecting O2, e.g. lambda sensors
- F01N 2590/021: for outboard engines
- F01N 2900/1621: Catalyst conversion efficiency
- B63H: MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING (propulsion of air-cushion vehicles B60V1/14; specially adapted for submarines, other than nuclear propulsion, B63G; specially adapted for torpedoes F42B19/00)
- F01N: GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES (arrangements in connection with gas exhaust of propulsion units in vehicles B60K13/00; combustion-air intake silencers specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines F02M35/00; protecting against, or damping, noise in general G10K11/16)
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G)
- F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W)

## Abstract

An outboard motor that controls combustion in an engine according to a purification rate by a catalyst and is capable of performing efficient engine combustion. The outboard motor includes a catalyst provided in an exhaust manifold of an engine and a second catalyst provided in an exhaust pipe, an air-fuel ratio sensor and an O2 sensor, which are located on an upstream side and a downstream side of the catalyst, respectively, and a controller for controlling combustion in the engine. The controller calculates an exhaust gas purification rate based on a value detected by the air-fuel ratio sensor or the O2 sensor and controls the combustion in the engine so as to make the exhaust gas purification rate appropriate.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An outboard motor comprising:
a first catalyst, which is installed in an exhaust flow passage of an engine;
a second catalyst, which is installed on a downstream side of the first catalyst;
exhaust gas sensors, which are installed on an upstream side and a downstream side of the first catalyst; and
a controller, which performs combustion control in the engine, wherein
based on a value being detected by the exhaust gas sensor, which is installed on the downstream side, the controller calculates a purification rate of exhaust gas after passing through the first catalyst and based on the purification rate of the exhaust gas after passing through the first catalyst, determines what amount of purification attained by the second catalyst makes exhaust gas after passing through the second catalyst appropriate, and
the controller calculates the purification rate of exhaust gas based on the value being detected by the exhaust gas sensor, which is installed on the downstream side and performs the combustion control in the engine so as to make the purification rate of the exhaust gas appropriate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein the controller performs combustion control in the engine by comparing an O2 amount of exhaust gas after passing through the first catalyst, the O2 amount being detected by the exhaust gas sensor which is installed on the downstream side, with an appropriate O2 amount on a rich side and an appropriate O2 amount on a lean side, the appropriate O2 amounts being previously measured, and when the O2 amount of the exhaust gas after passing through the first catalyst is out of a range of the appropriate O2 amount on the rich side and the appropriate O2 amount on the lean side, by correcting an air-fuel ratio such that the O2 amount is within the range of the appropriate O2 amount on the rich side and the appropriate O2 amount on the lean side.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein when the O2 amount of the exhaust gas after passing through the first catalyst is abnormal, the O2 amount being detected by the exhaust gas sensor which is installed on the downstream side, the controller determines that the first catalyst is abnormal.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein each of the exhaust gas sensors is any of an air-fuel ratio sensor or an O2 sensor.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein the first catalyst is a ceramic catalyst and the second catalyst is a metal catalyst.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The outboard motor according to claim 1, wherein a particulate filter is located on a downstream side of the second catalyst.

### Claim 7

(canceled)