# US 5,704,326 A · Air induction system for internal-combustion engine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,704,326 A - Document ID: US5704326A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/729,617 - Filed: 1996-10-11 - Granted: 1998-01-06 - Earliest claimed: 1992-12-10 - Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd. - Inventors: Teruhiko Minegishi; Minoru Oosuga; Junichi Yamaguchi; Yasushi Sasaki; Hiroyuki Nemoto; Yuzo Kadomukai; Ryuhei Kawabe - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5704326A ## CPC - F02D 9/1095: {Rotating on a common axis, e.g. having a common shaft} - F02B 27/021: {Resonance charging (combined with oscillating pipe charging F02B27/0221)} - F02B 27/0247: {Plenum chambers; Resonance chambers or resonance pipes} - F02B 31/08: having multiple air inlets - F02B 31/085: {having two inlet valves} - F02B 75/22: with cylinders in V, fan, or star arrangement - F02M 35/10045: {Multiple plenum chambers; Plenum chambers having inner separation walls (for V-engines F02M35/116; for resonance charging F02B27/02)} - F02M 35/10065: {Valves arranged in the plenum chamber} - F02M 35/10216: {Fuel injectors; Fuel pipes or rails; Fuel pumps or pressure regulators} - F02M 35/10249: {Electrical or electronic devices fixed to the intake system; Electric wiring (electric heaters F02M31/12; sensors F02M35/10373)} - F02M 35/10262: {Flow guides, obstructions, deflectors or the like (for generating a charge motion in the cylinder F02B31/00; for re-atomising condensed fuel or homogenising fuel-air mixture F02M29/00)} - F02M 35/116: for engines with cylinders in V-arrangement or arranged oppositely relative to the main shaft - F02M 69/044: {for injecting into the intake conduit downstream of an air throttle valve} - F02B 27/0273: {Flap valves} - F02B 2275/18: DOHC [Double overhead camshaft] - F05B 2260/96: Preventing, counteracting or reducing vibration or noise - F05C 2225/08: Thermoplastics - Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies - 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) - F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G) - F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF - F05B: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G - F05C: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO MATERIALS, MATERIAL PROPERTIES OR MATERIAL CHARACTERISTICS FOR MACHINES, ENGINES OR PUMPS OTHER THAN NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract The present invention provides a compact air induction system for an internal-combustion engine in which an air inlet section, a collection section and the intake port section for a plurality of cylinders of the internal-combustion engine are formed adjacent to each other and connected directly or through a partition wall. A control unit for controlling the engine is mounted in the passage at the downstream of the air inlet section. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An air collector for guiding a flow of air from an air inlet to an intake port body of an internal combustion engine, via at least first and second sequentially connected air flow passages, said air collector comprising: a first air flow body having a concave transverse cross section formed by longitudinal side walls connected by a longitudinal top wall, said side walls and top wall defining a longitudinal channel; a second air flow body having a concave transverse cross section formed by longitudinal side walls connected by a longitudinal top wall, said side walls and top wall defining a longitudinal channel; said second air flow body being nested in said first air flow body, whereby said first air flow passage is defined by said longitudinal channel of said first air flow body, and said second air flow passage is defined by said longitudinal channel of said second air flow body, said first and second air flow passages being separated by said top wall of said second air flow body. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein: said side walls of said first air flow body have a width which is greater than a width of said side walls of said second air flow body; and said side walls of said first and second air flow bodies are juxtaposed, forming a double wall thickness. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first and second air flow bodies are made of a resin material. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the respective channels of said first and second air flow bodies each have a longitudinal partition wall connected with said top wall, substantially perpendicular thereto, which partition wall divides said channel into two longitudinal portions. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said air flow passages are arranged longitudinally adjacent each other parallel to the internal combustion engine. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said air flow passages are stacked perpendicularly to the internal combustion engine. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said intake port body comprises air intake tubes which are made of metal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said air collector further comprises means for mounting said air collector on said intake port body, with said channel of said second air flow body adjacent said intake port body. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first and second air flow passages are connected by an opening in said top wall of said second air flow body. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a control unit mounted on an interior surface of a wall of said air collector, for controlling said internal combustion engine. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising an electric wire for supplying electricity to a fuel supply device, said wire being arranged on an interior surface of a wall of said air collector. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said wire is embedded in a wall of said collector. ### Claim 13 Method of manufacturing an air collector for guiding a flow of air from an air inlet to an intake port body of an internal combustion engine via at least first and second sequentially connected air flow passages, said method comprising the steps of: providing a first air flow body having a concave transverse cross section formed by longitudinal side walls connected by a longitudinal top wall, said side walls and top wall defining a longitudinal channel; providing a second air flow body having a concave transverse cross section formed by longitudinal side walls connected by a longitudinal top wall, said side walls and top wall defining a longitudinal channel; inserting said second air flow body into said first air flow body, whereby said first air flow passage is defined by said longitudinal channel of said first air flow body and said second air flow passage is defined by said longitudinal channel of said second air flow body, said first and second air flow passages being separated by said top wall of said second air flow body. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) Apparatus according to claim 13 wherein: said side walls of said first air flow body have a width which is greater than a width of said side walls of said second air flow body; and said inserting step comprises inserting said second air flow body into said channel of said first air flow body to an extent that the side walls of said second air flow body are covered by the side walls of the first air flow body, forming a double wall thickness. ### Claim 15 An air collector for guiding a flow of air from an air inlet to an intake port body of an internal combustion engine, said air collector comprising: at least first and second air flow passages for connecting said air inlet with said intake port body, said at least first and second air flow passages being sequentially connected with respect to said flow of air and arranged longitudinally adjacent each other, with each air flow passage separated form an adjacent air flow passage by a shared wall; wherein said first and second air flow passages are formed by first and second air flow bodies, each having a concave transverse cross section formed by longitudinal side walls connected by a longitudinal top wall, said side and top walls forming a longitudinal channel, said second air flow body being nested in said first air flow body, whereby said first air flow passage is formed in said channel of said first air flow body, and said second air flow passage is formed in said channel of said second air flow body, and said top wall of said second air flow body forms said shared wall. ### Claim 16 An air collector for guiding a flow of air from an air inlet to an intake port body of an internal combustion engine, said air collector comprising: at least first and second air flow paths for connecting said air inlet to said intake port body, each of said first and second air flow paths comprising a passage section connected in fluid flow communication with said air inlet and a collector section connected in fluid flow communication with said intake port body, said passage section and said collector section being sequentially coupled in fluid flow communication with each other, disposed longitudinally adjacent to each other, and separated from each other by a shared wall; wherein said collector section of said first air flow path and said collector section of said second air flow path are disposed laterally adjacent each other and separated by a shared wall having an opening therein and a control valve for progressively closing off said opening, to regulate a resonance point of a respective air column in each of said respective air flow paths. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) Apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said passage sections of said first and second flow paths are disposed laterally and outwardly adjacent to said collector sections, which are disposed between said passage sections. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) Apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said internal combustion engine has combustion cylinders which are arranged in first and second banks, and wherein said first air flow path is coupled to guide a flow of air to cylinders of said first bank, and said second air flow path is coupled to guide a flow of air to cylinders of said second bank. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) Apparatus according to claim 16 wherein an air flow direction of said passage sections is antiparallel to an air flow direction of said collector sections.