Solenoid vacuum control valve means and apparatus and system for controlling the air-fuel ratio supplied to a combustion engine

A control valve assembly for producing an output fluid control pressure of varying predetermined magnitudes, comprising housing means, first conduit means carried by said housing means for supplying said output fluid control pressure to associated operating apparatus, second conduit means carried by said housing means leading to a first source of relatively low fluid pressure, third conduit means leading to a second source of relatively high fluid pressure, valve means operatively carried by said housing means movable to at least first and second operating positions, said valve means being effective when in said first operating position to close communication as between said first and second conduit means while completing communication between said first and third conduit means, said valve means also being effective when in said second operating position to close communication as between said first and third conduit means while completing communication as between said first and second conduit means, wherein said second and third conduit means respectively comprise first and second calibrated passage means, and actuating means effective for actuating said valve means as to cause said valve means to alternately move to said first and second operating positions in order to thereby alternately complete said communication between said first and second conduit means and said first and third conduit means thereby producing said output fluid control pressure within said first conduit means of a resulting magnitude which is not less than the magnitude of said relatively low fluid pressure and which is not greater than the magnitude of said relatively high fluid pressure.

In combination with a carburetor for a combustion engine wherein said carburetor comprises induction passage means for supplying motive fluid to said engine, a source of fuel, main fuel metering system means communicating generally between said source of fuel and said induction passage means, idle fuel metering system means communicating generally between said source of fuel and said induction passage means, selectively controlled modulating valving means effective to controllably alter the rate of metered fuel flow through each of said main fuel metering system means and said idle fuel metering system means, said modulating valving means being effective to so alter said rate of metered fuel flow in response to control signal means generated as a consequence of selected indicia of engine operation, said modulating valving means comprising first conduit means for supplying an output fluid pressure of a variable and controlled magnitude to said fuel metering system means, second conduit means leading to a source of relatively low fluid pressure, third conduit means leading to a source of relatively high fluid pressure, valve means movable to at least two selected positions and effective when in a first of said selected positions to close communication as between said second and said first conduit means while completing communication between said first conduit means and said third conduit means, said valve means being effective when in a second of said selected positions to close communication as between said first conduit means and said third conduit means while completing communication as between said second conduit means and said first conduit means, and first and second calibrated restriction means, said first restriction means being in circuit with said second conduit means to control the rate of flow through said second conduit means when said valve means is in said second of said selected positions, and said second restriction means being in circuit with said third conduit means to control the rate of flow through said third conduit means when said valve means is in said first of said selected positions.

In combination with a carburetor for a combustion engine wherein said carburetor comprises induction passage means for supplying motive fluid to said engine, a source of fuel, main fuel metering system means communicating generally between said source of fuel and said induction passage means, idle fuel metering system means communicating generally between said source of fuel and said induction passage means, selectively controlled modulating valving means effective to controllably alter the rate of metered fuel flow through each of said main fuel metering system means and said idle fuel metering system means, said modulating valving means being effective to so alter said rate of metered fuel flow in response to control signal means generated as a consequence of selected indicia of engine operation, said modulating valving means comprising first conduit means for supplying an output fluid pressure of a variable and controlled magnitude to said fuel metering system means, second conduit means leading to a source of relatively low fluid pressure, third conduit means leading to a source of relatively high fluid pressure, and valve means movable to at least two selected positions and effective when in a first of said selected positions to close communication as between said second and said first conduit means while completing communication between said first conduit means and said third conduit means, said valve means being effective when in a second of said selected positions to close communication as between said first conduit means and said third conduit means while completing communication as between said second conduit means and said first conduit means.

In combination with a carburetor for a combustion engine wherein said carburetor comprises induction passage means for supplying motive fluid to said engine, a source of fuel, main fuel metering system means communicating generally between said source of fuel and said induction passage means, idle fuel metering system means communicating generally between said source of fuel and said induction passage means, selectively controlled modulating valving means effective to controllably alter the rate of metered fuel flow through said main fuel metering system means, said modulating valving means being effective to so alter said rate of metered fuel flow in response to control signal means generated as a consequence of selected indicia of engine operation, said modulating valving means comprising first conduit means for supplying an output fluid pressure of a variable and controlled magnitude to said fuel metering system means, second conduit means leading to a source of relatively low fluid pressure, third conduit means leading to a source of relatively high fluid pressure, and valve means movable to at least two selected positions and effective when in a first of said selected positions to close communication as between said second and said first conduit means while completing communication between said first conduit means and said third conduit means, said valve means being effective when in a second of said selected positions to close communication as between said first conduit means and said third conduit means while completing communication as between said second conduit means and said first conduit means.

In combination with a carburetor for a combustion engine wherein said carburetor comprises induction passage means for supplying motive fluid to said engine, a source of fuel, main fuel metering system means communicating generally between said source of fuel and said induction passage means, idle fuel metering system means communicating generally between said source of fuel and said induction passage means, selectively controlled modulating valving means effective to controllably alter the rate of metered fuel flow through said main fuel metering system means, said modulating valving means being effective to so alter said rate of metered fuel flow in response to control signal means generated as a consequence of selected indicia of engine operation, said modulating valving means comprising first conduit means for supplying an output fluid pressure of a variable and controlled magnitude to said fuel metering system means, second conduit means leading to a source of relatively low fluid pressure, third conduit means leading to a source of relatively high fluid pressure, valve means movable to at least two selected positions and effective when in a first of said selected positions to close communication as between said second and said first conduit means while completing communication between said first conduit means and said third conduit means, said valve means being effective when in a second of said selected positions to close communication as between said first conduit means and said third conduit means while completing comunication as between said second conduit means and said first conduit means, and first and second calibrated restriction means, said first restriction means being in circuit with said second conduit means to control the rate of flow through said second conduit means when said valve means is in said second of said selected positions, and said second restriction means being in circuit with said third conduit means to control the rate of flow through said third conduit means when said valve means is in said first of said selected positions.

Apparatus for controlling the air-fuel ratio supplied to a combustion engine, comprising a carburetor, said carburetor comprising induction passage means for supplying motive fluid to said engine, a source of fuel, main fuel metering system means communicating generally between said source of fuel and said induction passage means, idle fuel metering system means communicating generally between said source of fuel and said induction passage means, selectively controlled modulating valving means effective to controllably alter the rate of metered fuel flow through said main fuel metering system means, said modulating valving means being effective to so alter said rate of metered fuel flow in response to control signal means generated as a consequence of selected indicia of engine operation, said modulating valving means comprising first conduit means for supplying an output fluid pressure of a variable and controlled magnitude to said fuel metering system means, second conduit means leading to a source of relatively low fluid pressure, third conduit means leading to a source of relatively high fluid pressure, valve means movable to at least two selected positions and effective when in a first of said selected positions to close communication as between said second and said first conduit means while completing communication between said first conduit means and said third conduit means, said valve means being effective when in a second of said selected positions to close communication as between said first conduit means and said third conduit means while completing communication as between said second conduit means and said first conduit means, and first and second calibrated restriction means, said first restriction means being in circuit with said second conduit means to control the rate of flow through said second conduit means when said valve means is in said second of said selected positions, and said second restriction means being in circuit with said third conduit means to control the rate of flow through said third conduit means when said valve means is in said first of said selected positions.