EP0443785A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for controlling engine torque and wheel spin
Assignee: ZF International UK Ltd
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Filing: 1991-02-15
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-02-15
Abstract
Abstract A wheel spin detector (11) monitors (9) the speeds of vehicle wheels (7, 8) and supplies a signal to an engine management system (5) when excessive wheel spin is detected. The engine management system (5) includes a fuel controller (6) which, in response to the signal from the detector (11), reduces engine torque by inhibiting the supply of fuel to one or more cylinders of the engine (1) such that either all cylinders are continuously fuelled or continuously unfuelled (pattern 2,4,6,8,10,12 having an even number of firing cylinders or one and only one cylinder is intermittently fuelled (pattern 1,3,5... having an odd number of firing cylinders). When an unfuelled cylinder is fuelled again, the mixture supplied to it may be temporarily enriched.
Inventors
- 👤 Benjamin James Bradshaw
- 👤 Barry John Bridgens
- 👤 Michael John Howes
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 18:41
CPC Classifications
F; F02; F02D; F02D45/00; B; B60; B60K; B60K28/00; B60K28/10; B60K28/16; F02D41/00; F02D41/008; F02D41/0087; F02D2250/00; F02D2250/18; F02D2250/21
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
81 words
An apparatus for controlling the torque of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, comprising a fuel controller arranged to operate the engine in any one a plurality of reduced torque modes by inhibiting the supply of fuel to at least one cylinder, characterised in that the fuel controller (6) is arranged to control the supply of fuel such that, in each of the reduced torque modes, at least one cylinder is continuously unfuelled and the or each remaining cylinder is continuously fuelled.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
74 words
An apparatus for controlling the torque of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, comprising a fuel controller arranged to operate the engine in any one of a plurality of reduced torque modes by inhibiting the supply of fuel to at least one cylinder, characterised in that the fuel controller (1) is arranged to control the supply of fuel such that, in each of the reduced torque modes, one and only one cylinder is intermittently fuelled.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
54 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 2, characterised in that the fuel controller (1) is arranged to enrich the combustible mixture to the one and only one cylinder in each of the reduced torque modes when the one and only one cylinder in each of the reduced torque modes is being supplied with fuel.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
118 words
An apparatus for controlling the torque of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, comprising a fuel controller arranged to operate the engine in any one of a plurality of reduced torque modes by inhibiting the supply of fuel to at least one cylinder, characterised in that the plurality of reduced torque modes comprises first and second sets of modes and in that the fuel controller (1) is arranged to control the supply of fuel such that, in the or each mode of the first set, at least one cylinder is continuously fuelled and the or each remaining cylinder is continuously unfuelled and, in the or each mode of the second set, one and only one cylinder is intermittently fuelled.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, characterised in that, in the or each mode of the second set, the fuel controller (1) is arranged to enrich the combustible mixture to the intermittently fuelled cylinder when the intermittently fuelled cylinder is being fuelled.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
83 words
An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the fuel controller (1) is arranged, when changing from a first of the reduced torque modes to a second of the reduced torque modes such that an unfuelled cylinder at the end of the first mode becomes a fuelled cylinder at the start of the second mode, to enrich the combustible mixture supplied to the cylinder for at least a first cylinder cycle in the second reduced torque mode.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
62 words
An apparatus for controlling the torque of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, comprising a fuel controller arranged to reduce engine torque by intermittently fuelling at least one cylinder characterised in that the fuel controller (1) is arranged to enrich the combustible mixture supplied to the or each intermittently fuelled cylinder in a fuelled cycle of the cylinder following an unfuelled cycle thereof.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
41 words
An apparatus for controlling wheel spin for a vehicle driven by a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, characterised by comprising means (9, 11) for detecting wheel spin and an apparatus for controlling torque as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
53 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 8, characterised by control means responsive to the detecting means (9, 11) for controlling the apparatus for controlling torque so as to reduce torque progressively until wheel spin falls below a first predetermined level and to increase torque progressively until wheel spin exceeds a second predetermined level.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 9, characterised in that the first predetermined level is equal to the second predetermined level.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
47 words
A method of controlling the torque of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, comprising selectively operating the engine in any one of a plurality of reduced torque modes, in each of which at least one cylinder is continuously unfuelled and the or each remaining cylinder is continuously fuelled.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
39 words
A method of controlling the torque of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, comprising selectively operating the engine in any one of a plurality of reduced torque modes, in each of which one and only one cylinder is intermittently fuelled.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as claimed in Claim 12, characterised in that the intermittently fuelled cylinder in each mode is supplied with an enriched combustible mixture when being fuelled.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
80 words
A method of controlling the torque of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, comprising selectively operating the engine in any one of plurality of reduced torque modes, the plurality of reduced torque modes comprising a first set of modes, in the or each of which at least one cylinder is continuously unfuelled and the or each remaining cylinder is continuously fuelled, and a second set of modes, in the or each of which one and only one cylinder is intermittently fuelled.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as claimed in Claim 14, characterised in that, in the or each mode of the second set, the intermittently fuelled cylinder is supplied with an enriched combustible mixture when being fuelled.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
78 words
A method as claimed in any one of Claims 11 to 15, characterised in that, when changing from a first of the reduced torque modes to a second of the reduced torque modes such that an unfuelled cylinder at the end of the first mode becomes a fuelled cylinder at the start of the second mode, the combustible mixture supplied to the cylinder is enriched for at least a first cylinder cycle in the second reduced torque mode.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
48 words
A method of controlling the torque of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine comprising reducing engine torque by intermittently fuelling at least one cylinder and enriching the combustible mixture supplied to the or each intermittently fuelled cylinder in a fuelled cycle of the cylinder following an unfuelled cycle thereof.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
45 words
A method of controlling wheel spin for a vehicle driven by a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, comprising detecting wheel spin and controlling the engine so as to reduce engine torque by means of a method as claimed in any one of Claims 11 to 17.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as claimed in Claim 18, characterised in that torque is reduced progressively until wheel spin falls below a first predetermined level and is increased progressively until wheel spin exceeds a second predetermined level.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method as claimed in Claim 19, characterised in that the first predetermined level is equal to the second predetermined level.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
FR2524556A1
Cited
FR2544390A1
Cited
FR2601413A1
Cited
US4860849A
Cited
EP0322790A2
Cited
DE3913523A1
Cited
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