Fuel injection cold start and evaporative control method and apparatus for carrying out same

Claim 1

Apparatus for reducing exhaust and inoperative pollutants produced by a high speed injection system for a spark-ignition internal combustion engine of the type including a rotating shaft, an intake manifold, one or more cylinders each having an injection valve responsive to a control signal for injecting and mixing a predetermined quantity of full-range fuel with air to form a combustible mixture for delivery to said cylinders of said engine, and computing means including synchronization and condition means for controlling said injection valves through generation of said control signals as a function of one or more engine operating parameters, said synchronizing means being operatively connected to each of said injection valves for synchronizing operation thereof as a function of predetermined angular shaft position by generating a series of start signals for said injector valves, said condition means responsive to each of siid start signals as well as to signals indicative of other operating parameters, for controlling the duration of energization of said injection valves, comprising: i. a cannister assembly containing adsorbent material (a) capable of selectively adsorbing high molecular weight constituents of said full-range fuel at cold start while eluting substantially unimpeded a cold start fuel effluent composed essentially of only low molecular weight constituents as well as (b) capable of selectively absorbing vapor constituents of said full-range fuel during an inoperative state of said engine, ii. valve and conduit network means attached between said cannister assembly, said injector valves, said intake manifold and a reservoir means for said full-range fuel for providing selective flow of said fuel including said cold start fuel between said cannister assembly, said reservoir means and each of said injector valves, said network means including a first plurality of conduit and valve means including first and second valve means controlling flow relative to said cannister assembly so as to allow, (a) in a first operating state, flow of said full-range fuel from said reservoir means to said cannister assembly and flow of said cold start fuel effluent from said cannister assembly to said each injector valve to provide for rapid starting of said engine without producing excessive exhaust pollutants and, (b) in a second operating state, full-range fuel to flow from said reservoir means to said each injector valve in sequence thereby bypassing said cannister assembly after said eNgine is in a normal running condition, said network means also including a second plurality of conduit means including a third valve means operatively connected between said cannister assembly and said fuel reservoir means for selectively conveying vapor evaporative emissions of said fuel within said fuel reservoir to said cannister assembly, when said engine is in said inoperative state, iii. control means operatively connected to said first, second and third valve means of said valve and conduit network for changing operation states so as to direct fuel flow relative to said cannister assembly, said reservoir and injector valves as a function of one or more engine operating parameters.