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US 6,964,260 B2Granted
Electronic engine control device
AssigneeYamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsHaruhiko Samoto, Tomoaki Kishi
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AssigneeYamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsHaruhiko Samoto, Tomoaki Kishi
Estimating the term…
An electronic engine control unit for a motorcycle or other two-wheeled vehicle gradually decreases engine torque at the time of a failure so as to eliminate an uneasy feeling that an operator might experience if the engine torque were to be reduced abruptly. When a failure is detected, a throttle valve is closed gradually by initially closing the valve quickly and then slowly closing the valve so as to obtain a smooth decrease in engine torque. In addition, the ignition timing is changed gradually toward retardation to gradually decrease engine torque. Alternatively, the ignition pulses to the cylinders are thinned out gradually to cause a gradual decrease in engine torque. As a further alternative in the case of a multi-cylinder engine, the ignition pulses are stopped on a cylinder-by-cylinder basis to cause a gradual decrease in engine torque.
A two-wheeled vehicle having an engine comprising:
A two-wheeled vehicle comprising an engine, said engine comprising a throttle valve and an ignition plug, an actuator drivingly engaged with said throttle valve, a engine control device communicating with said actuator and said ignition plug, an accelerator demand sensor communicating with said engine control device, a throttle sensor communicating with said engine control device, a side stand switch communicating with said engine control device and a turnover switch communicating with said engine control device, said engine control device adapted to determine when a failure occurs of a sensor selected from the group consisting of said accelerator demand sensor, said throttle sensor, said side stand switch and said turnover switch, said engine control device further adapted to reduce engine torque when said failure of said sensor exceeds a predetermined period of time by gradually varying an engine control parameter, said engine control parameter being selected from the group consisting of ignition timing and throttle opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.