Patent US4172434A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4172434A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Internal combustion engine
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1978-01-06
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Granted: 1979-10-30
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Expires: 1998-01-06
Abstract
Abstract In order to reduce engine output torque, a gasoline engine can omit the ration of fuel from a proportion of its cylinder cycles, employing a pattern of successive inhibition and enablement of its fuel rations. For a given output torque, different patterns of successive enablement and inhibition can be selected to minimize transmission of vibration from the engine to its environment. Selection of the optimum pattern can be made automatically.
Inventors
- 👤 Donald K. Coles
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 10:14
CPC Classifications
F; F02; F02D; F02D41/00; F02D41/02; F02D41/14; F02D41/1497; F02D41/1498; F02D41/008; F02D41/0087; F02B; F02B1/00; F02B1/02; F02B1/04; F02D2200/00; F02D2200/02; F02D2200/10; F02D2200/1015
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
241 words
An improved vibration control for an internal combustion engine having one or more combustion chambers, each combustion chamber being partially bounded by its movable piston, the one or more pistons being mechanically coupled to a common power output shaft, the engine having means for executing a series of combustion chamber cycles, the engine having means for providing a ration of fuel in each of its combustion chamber cycles, first control means overriding the fuel providing means, which can enable or inhibit the fuel ration in a first repetitive pattern of successive enabled and inhibited combustion chamber cycles, the period of repetition containing D combustion chamber cycles, where D is an integer greater than one and smaller than a hundred, the number of enabled combustion chamber cycles within each period being N, the fraction of enabled cycles being the quotient of N divided by D, the improvement comprising: second control means overriding the fuel providing means, which can enable or inhibit the fuel ration in a second repetitive pattern of successive enabled and inhibited combustion chamber cycles, the second repetitive pattern being different from the first repetitive pattern, but having the same fraction of enabled cycles as the first repetitive pattern, vibration control means for switching from the first pattern to the second pattern and from the second pattern to the first pattern while the engine is running, in order to reduce transmission of mechanical vibration from the engine to its environment.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
241 words
An improved vibration control for an internal combustion engine having one or more combustion chambers, each combustion chamber being partially bounded by its movable piston, the one or more pistons being mechanically coupled to a common power output shaft, the engine having means for executing a series of combustion chamber cycles, the engine having means for providing a ration of fuel in each of its combustion chamber cycles, first control means overriding the fuel providing means, which can enable or inhibit the fuel ration in a first repetitive pattern of successive enabled and inhibited combustion chamber cycles, the period of repetition containing D combustion chamber cycles, where D is an integer greater than one and smaller than a hundred, the number of enabled combustion chamber cycles within each period being N, the fraction of enabled cycles being the quotient of N divided by D, the improvement comprising: second control means overriding the fuel providing means, which can enable or inhibit the fuel ration in a second repetitive pattern of successive enabled and inhibited combustion chamber cycles, the second repetitive pattern being different from the first repetitive pattern, but having the same fraction of enabled cycles as the first repetitive pattern, vibration control means for switching from the first pattern to the second pattern and from the second pattern to the first pattern while the engine is running, in order to reduce transmission of mechanical vibration from the engine to its environment.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
A vibration control as recited in claim 1, wherein means are provided for measuring the engine speed, and in which said means for switching between the first and second patterns can operate automatically in at least partial dependence on the engine speed.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
245 words
An improved vibration control for an internal combustion engine, the engine having a plurality of at least four combustion chambers, each combustion chamber being partially bounded by its movable piston, the plurality of pistons being mechanically coupled to a common power output shaft, each combustion chamber having means for executing a series of combustion chamber cycles, each combustion chamber having means to provide a ration of fuel during each of its cycles; the engine having first control means, overriding the fuel providing means, for steadily enabling the fuel ration to a first set of M combustion chambers while steadily inhibiting the fuel ration from the remainder of the combustion chambers, M being an integer in the range two to ten inclusive, the improvement comprising: second control means overriding the fuel providing means, for steadily enabling the fuel ration to a second set of the combustion chambers while steadily inhibiting the fuel ration from the remainder of the combustion chambers, the second set having the same integral number of the combustion chambers as the first set, the second set including at least one of the combustion chambers that is not included in the first set, vibration control means for switching enablement of fuel rations from the first set of combustion chambers to the second set of combustion chambers and from the second set to the first set while the engine is running, in order to reduce transmission of mechanical vibration from the engine to its environment.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
245 words
An improved vibration control for an internal combustion engine, the engine having a plurality of at least four combustion chambers, each combustion chamber being partially bounded by its movable piston, the plurality of pistons being mechanically coupled to a common power output shaft, each combustion chamber having means for executing a series of combustion chamber cycles, each combustion chamber having means to provide a ration of fuel during each of its cycles; the engine having first control means, overriding the fuel providing means, for steadily enabling the fuel ration to a first set of M combustion chambers while steadily inhibiting the fuel ration from the remainder of the combustion chambers, M being an integer in the range two to ten inclusive, the improvement comprising: second control means overriding the fuel providing means, for steadily enabling the fuel ration to a second set of the combustion chambers while steadily inhibiting the fuel ration from the remainder of the combustion chambers, the second set having the same integral number of the combustion chambers as the first set, the second set including at least one of the combustion chambers that is not included in the first set, vibration control means for switching enablement of fuel rations from the first set of combustion chambers to the second set of combustion chambers and from the second set to the first set while the engine is running, in order to reduce transmission of mechanical vibration from the engine to its environment.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
A vibration control as recited in claim 3, wherein means are provided for measuring the engine speed, and in which said means for switching enablement of fuel rations between the first and second sets can operate automatically in at least partial dependence on the engine speed.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1982-10-29 | 1983-04-30 | 1983-10-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1986-10-29 | 1987-04-30 | 1987-10-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1990-10-29 | 1991-04-30 | 1991-10-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |