US 6,681,741 B2 · Control apparatus for internal combustion engine

Abstract

During an operation to warm up a catalyst at an early time, an engine control apparatus adjusts an intake valve to a target opening position, which is set to provide a sufficient flow velocity of a flow of intake air flowing through the intake valve. Thus, fuel stuck on the intake passage is evaporated and, in addition, mixed gas in a combustion chamber is well agitated. Furthermore, the engine control unit controls a fuel injection period, a fuel injection timing and an ignition timing in accordance with the opening timing of the intake valve. Therefore, an amount of stuck fuel is reduced according to increase in the flow velocity of intake air.

Drawings

Drawings are temporarily unavailable. Open the PDF at USPTO

Drawings

Claims30

Dependent claims

A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, which executes retard angle control of an ignition timing in order to warm up a catalyst at an early time, the control apparatus comprising:

a fuel injection valve for injecting fuel;
a fuel injection volume control means for controlling a fuel injection volume of fuel injected by the fuel injection valve;
an intake valve for opening and closing an intake passage of the internal combustion engine;
an intake variable valve timing mechanism for variably setting an opening timing of the intake valve;
and
an intake variable valve timing control means for retarding the opening timing of the intake valve to control the intake valve timing mechanism,
wherein the intake variable valve timing control means includes a retard angle control means for adjusting the opening timing of the intake valve set by the intake variable valve timing control means to a timing at a retard angle after a cold start of the internal combustion engine, and
wherein the fuel injection volume control means includes a retard-time fuel control means for executing fuel injection volume control based on the opening timing of the intake valve adjusted by the retard angle control means.

5 more elements

A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine comprising:

a fuel injection valve for injecting fuel;
a fuel injection volume control means for controlling a fuel injection volume of fuel injected by the fuel injection valve;
an intake valve for opening and closing an intake passage of the internal combustion engine;
an intake valve adjusting mechanism capable of variably adjusting opening timing of the intake valve and/or lift quantity;
an intake valve adjusting means for controlling the valve adjusting mechanism so as to set the opening timing of the intake valve and/or lift quantity at desired values;
and
a stuck fuel reducing means for reducing the amount of fuel stuck on an intake system by adjusting the opening timing of the intake valve and/or lift quantity so as to increase the flow velocity of intake air and by correcting the fuel injection volume on the basis of the adjusted opening time of the intake valve and/or adjusted lift quantity.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description20,413 words

Summary933 words

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to a control apparatus for an internal combustion engine provided with a variable valve timing mechanism.

#2. Related Art

Brief description of the drawings39 figures

#The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description made with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

#FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing electronic control parts of the first embodiment;

Detailed description18,696 words

#The present invention is described in detail with reference to various embodiments directed to a gasoline internal combustion engine.

#First Embodiment

#Referring to FIG. 1, an internal combustion engine 1 includes a piston 3 movable up and down inside each cylinder 2. A combustion chamber 4 is formed on the upper side of the piston 3. An ignition plug 5 is provided on the combustion chamber 4. The combustion chamber 4 is connected to an intake passage 6 and an exhaust passage 7 through an intake port 6a and an exhaust port 7a, respectively.

Facts

Application

10/000,354Filed 4 Dec 2001

Priority

JP 2000-3685014 Dec 2000

Published

US 2002/0066436 A16 Jun 2002

Granted

27 Jan 2004

Term ended

31 Jul 2022

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment, including 239 days of adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification17 codes

F02D 41/0002
Electrical control of supply of combustible mixture or its constituents: controlling intake air
F01L 1/34
Valve-gear or valve arrangements, e.g. lift-valve gear: characterised by the provision of means for changing the timing of the valves without…
F02D 13/0215
Variable control of intake and exhaust valves: changing the valve timing only
F02D 13/0238
Changing the valve timing only: by shifting the phase, i.e. the opening periods of the valves are constant

Timeline

4 Dec 2000Priority claimedJP 2000-368501
4 Dec 2001Application filedUS 10/000,354
4 Dec 2001Assigned to Denso Corporationassignment of assignor's interest
6 Jun 2002PublishedUS 2002/0066436 A1
27 Jan 2004GrantedUS 6,681,741 B2
31 Jul 2022Term endedEstimated, includes 239 days of adjustment

Control apparatus for internal combustion engine

Life of this patent

Control apparatus for internal combustion engine

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims30

Description20,413 words

Drawings

Classification17 codes

Life of this patent

Description20,413 words