Method for operating a multi-cylinder jump-spark ignition engine and operation control system thereof

Claim 2

Method for operating a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine comprising the steps of: throttling both a suction flow of air-fuel mixture newly supplied to a first combustion chamber and an exhaust flow of combustion gas flowing out of said first combustion chamber, or throttling only said exhaust flow during a non-load operation of the engine to cause compression ignition combustion to occur in said first combustion chamber; and stopping a suction flow of air-fuel mixture newly supplied to a second combustion chamber during said non-load operation to stop combustion operation in said second combustion chamber.

Claim 3

Method for operating a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: supplying additional new air-fuel mixture to said first combustion chamber during said non-load operation of said engine.

Claim 4

Method for operating a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of: throttling at least said exhaust flow from said first combustion chamber during low-speed, low-load operation of said engine; and throttling both a suction flow of air-fuel mixture newly supplied to said second combustion chamber and said exhaust flow of combustion gas flowing out of said second combustion chamber or throttling only said exhaust flow during said low-speed, low-load operation of said engine to cause compression ignition combustion to occur in said second combustion chamber.

Claim 5

Method for operating a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of: in shifting operation mode of said engine from said non-load operation to said low-speed, low-load operation, throttling either one of said suction flow to said first combustion chamber and said exhaust flow from said first combustion chamber to maintain said compression ignition combustion in said first combustion chamber; and causing normal jump-spark ignition combustion to occur in said second combustion chamber at an advanced ignition timing.

Claim 6

Method for operating a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: stopping the suction flows of newly supplied air-fuel mixture to said first and second combustion chambers during rapid deceleration operation of said engine to stop the combustion operations in said first and second combustion chambers.

Claim 7

Method for operating a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine according to claim 5, further comprising the step of: causing jump-spark ignition operation to occur in said first combustion chamber when an engine r.p.m. falls below a predetermined r.p.m. during said deceleration operation of said engine.

Claim 8

Method for operating a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine according to claim 6, further comprising the step of: advancing ignition timing in said first combustion chamber carrying out the jump-spark ignition operation when the engine r.p.m. falls below said predetermined r.p.m. during said deceleration operation of said engine.

Claim 9

Method for operating a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine according to claim 6, further comprising the step of: supplying additional new air-fuel mixture to said first combustion chamber carrying out the jump-spark ignition operation when said engine r.p.m. falls below said predetermined r.p.m. during said deceleration operation of said engine.

Claim 10

Method for operating a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: causing normal jump-spark ignition combustion to occur in said first and second combustion chambers during warm-up operation of said engine where engine temperature is below a predetermined temperature.

Claim 11

Method for operating a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: maintaining the jump-spark combustion in said first combustion chamber while stopping the suction flow of newly supplied air-fuel mixture to said second combustion chamber to stop the combustion operation in said second combustion chamber when an engine r.p.m. falls below a predetermined r.p.m. during deceleration operation of said engine.

Claim 12

Method for operating a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine according to claim 10, further comprising the step of: supplying additional new air-fuel mixture to said first combustion chamber carrying out the jump-spark ignition combustion when said engine r.p.m. falls below said predetermined r.p.m. during said deceleration operation of said engine.

Claim 13

A 2-cycle internal combustion engine comprising: a cylinder having first and second cylinder bores; first and second pistons reciprocally disposed in the respective cylinder bores; a cylinder head cooperating with said cylinder and said pistons to define first and second combustion chambers, respectively; first and second spark plugs exposed to said first and second combustion chambers, respectively, for igniting air-fuel mixture introduced therein by spark discharges; an ignition control device for supplying ignition energy to said first and second spark plugs at respective ignition timings; means disposed in a suction passage for producing said air-fuel mixture; a throttle valve pivotally disposed in said suction passage downstream of said air-fuel mixture producing means for controlling the amount of said air-fuel mixture; first and second suction manifold branches connected to said suction passage downstream of said throttle valve; first and second suction ports operatively communicated with said first and second suction manifold branches, said first and second suction ports opening to said first and second combustion chambers, respectively, for introducing said air-fuel mixture thereto; first and second exhaust ports opening to said first and second combustion chambers, respectively, for exhausting combustion gases produced therein; an exhaust manifold connected to said exhaust ports for conveying the combustion gases to an atmosphere; first throttle means arranged in at least one of said first suction port, said first exhaust port and said first exhaust manifold, for throttling at least one of a suction flow of the air-fuel mixture supplied to said first combustion chamber through said first suction port and an exhaust flow of the combustion gas flowing out of said first combustion chamber through said first exhaust port and said first exhaust manifold, during non-load operation of said engine, to cause compression ignition operation to occur in said first combustion chamber; and second throttle means arranged in at least one of said second suction port and said second suction manifold for stopping the supply of suction flow of the air-fuel mixture supplied to said second combustion chamber through said second suction port, during said non-load operation of said engine, to stop combustion operation in said second combustion chamber.

Claim 14

A 2-cycle internal combustion engine comprising: a cylinder having first and second cylinder bores; first and second pistons reciprocally disposed in the respective cylinder bores; a cylinder head cooperating with said cylinder and said pistons to define first and second combustion chambers, respectively; first and second spark plugs exposed to said first and second combustion chambers, respectively, for igniting air-fuel mixture introduced therein by spark discharges; an ignition control device for supplying ignition energy to said first and second spark plugs at respective ignition timings; means disposed in a suction passage for producing said air-fuel mixture; a throttle valve pivotally disposed in said suction passage downstream of said air-fuel mixture producing means for controlling the amount of said air-fuel mixture; first and second suction manifold branches connected to said suction passage downstream of said throttle valve; first and second suction ports operatively communicated with said first and second suction manifold branches, said first and second suction ports opening to said first and second combustion chambers, respectively, for introducing said air-fuel mixture thereto; first and second exhaust ports opening to said first and second combustion chambers, respectively, for exhausting combustion gases produced therein; an exhaust manifold connected to said exhaust ports for conveying the combustion gases to an atmosphere; first throttle means arranged in at least one of said first suction port, said first exhaust port and said first exhaust manifold, for throttling at least one of a suction flow of the air-fuel mixture supplied to said first combustion chamber through said first suction port and an exhaust flow of the combustion gas flowing out of said first combustion chamber through said first exhaust port and said first exhaust manifold, during non-load operation of said engine, to cause compression ignition operation to occur in said first combustion chamber; and second throttle means arranged in at least one of said second suction port and said second suction manifold for stopping the supply of suction flow of the air-fuel mixture supplied to said second combustion chamber through said second suction port, during said non-load operation of said engine, to stop combustion operation in said second combustion chamber.

Claim 15

A 2-cycle internal combustion engine according to claim 12, wherein; said first and second throttle means do not throttle the suction flows to said first and second combustion chambers and the exhaust flows from said first and second combustion chambers when an engine temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature, to cause normal jump-spark ignition combustion to occur in said first and second combustion chambers.

Claim 16

A 2-cycle internal combustion engine according to claim 12, further comprising: means for supplying additional air-fuel mixture to said first combustion chamber during the non-load operation of said engine.

Claim 17

A 2-cycle internal combustion engine according to claim 12, wherein; said first throttle means comprises a scavenging valve arranged in said first suction port to throttle the suction flow of the air-fuel mixture supplied to said first combustion chamber.

Claim 18

A 2-cycle internal combustion engine according to claim 12, wherein; said first throttle means comprises an throttle valve arranged in said exhaust manifold to throttle the exhaust flow of the combustion gas flowing out of said first combustion chamber.

Claim 19

A 2-cycle internal combustion engine according to claim 12, wherein; said first throttle means comprises a scavenging valve arranged in said first suction port to throttle the suction flow of the air-fuel mixture supplied to said first combustion chamber, and an exhaust throttle valve arranged in said exhaust manifold to throttle the exhaust flow of the combustion gas flowing from said first combustion chamber.

Claim 20

A 2-cycle internal combustion engine according to claim 12, wherein; said second throttle means comprises a scavenging valve arranged in said second suction port to stop the suction flow of the air-fuel mixture supplied to said second combustion chamber.

Claim 21

A 2-cycle internal combustion engine according to claim 12, wherein; said second throttle means comprises a scavenging valve arranged in said second suction manifold branch to stop the suction flow of the air-fuel mixture supplied to said second combustion chamber.

Claim 22

A 2-cycle internal combustion engine according to claim 12, wherein; during low-speed, low-load operation of said engine, said first throttle means throttles either one of the suction flow to said first combustion chamber and the exhaust flow from said first combustion chamber to maintain the compression ignition combustion in said first combustion chamber, and said second throttle means throttles the suction flow to said second combustion chamber to cause the compression ignition combustion to occur in said second combustion chamber.

Claim 23

A 2-cycle internal combustion engine according to claim 20, wherein; during transitional operation of said engine from said non-load operation to said low-speed, low-load operation, said first throttle means throttles either one of the suction flow to said first combustion chamber and the exhaust flow from said first combustion chamber to maintain the compression ignition combustion in said first combustion chamber, and said second throttle means causes the passage in which it is arranged to be fully opened to cause the normal jump-spark ignition combustion to occur in said second combustion chamber.

Claim 24

A 2-cycle internal combustion engine according to claim 21, wherein; said ingition control device includes means for advancing ignition timing for said second spark plug during said transitional operation of said engine from said non-load operation to said low-speed, low-load operation.

Claim 25

A 2-cycle internal combustion engine according to claim 12, wherein; said first and second throttle means stop the supply of the air-fuel mixture to said first and second combustion chambers, respectively, during rapid deceleration operation of said engine, to stop the combustion operations in said first and second combustion chambers.

Claim 26

A 2-cycle internal combustion engine according to claim 23, wherein; said first throttle means causes the passage in which it is arranged to be fully opened and when an engine r.p.m. falls below a predetermined r.p.m. during the rapid deceleration operation of said engine, to cause the normal jump-spark ignition combustion to occur in said first combustion chamber.

Claim 27

A 2-cycle internal combustion engine according to claim 24, wherein; said ignition control device includes means for advancing ignition timing for said first spark plug when the engine r.p.m. falls below said predetermined r.p.m. during the rapid deceleration operation of said engine.

Claim 28

A 2-cycle internal combustion engine according to claim 24, further comprising: means for supplying additional air-fuel mixture to said first combustion chamber when said engine r.p.m. falls below said predetermined r.p.m. during the rapid deceleration operation of said engine.

Claim 29

A 2-cycle internal combustion engine according to claim 12, wherein; when an engine r.p.m. falls below a predetermined r.p.m. during deceleration operation of said engine, said first throttle means maintain the passage in which it is arranged fully opened to maintain the normal jump-spark ignition combustion in said first combustion chamber, and said second throttle means stops the supply of the suction flow of the air-fuel mixture to said second combustion chamber to stop the combustion operation in said second combustion chamber.

Claim 30

A 2-cycle internal combustion engine according to claim 27, further comprising: means for supplying additional air-fuel mixture to said first combustion chamber carrying out the jump-spark ignition combustion when the engine r.p.m. falls below said predetermined r.p.m. during the deceleration operation of said engine.

Claim 31

A 2-cycle internal combustion engine according to claim 14, wherein; said means for supplying additional air-fuel mixture comprises a bypass passage for connecting said suction passage extending between said air-fuel mixture producing means and said throttle valve with said first suction manifold branch to bypass said throttle valve, and a solenoid valve arranged in said bypass passage to open said bypass passage during the non-load operation of said engine.

Claim 32

A 2-cycle internal combustion engine according to claim 26 wherein; said means for supplying additional air-fuel mixture comprises a bypass passage for connecting said suction passage extending between said air-fuel mixture producing means and said throttle valve with said first suction manifold branch to bypass said throttle valve, and a solenoid valve arranged in said bypass passage to open said bypass passage when the engine r.p.m. falls below said predetermined r.p.m. during the deceleration operation of said engine.

Claim 33

A 2-cycle internal combustion engine according to claim 27, wherein: said means for supplying additional air-fuel mixture comprises a bypass passage connecting said suction passage extending between said air-fuel mixture producing means and said throttle valve with said first suction manifold branch to bypass said throttle valve, and a solenoid valve arranged in said bypass passage to open said bypass passage when the engine r.p.m. falls below said predetermined r.p.m. during the deceleration operation of said engine.

Claim 34

A 2-cycle internal combustion engine according to claim 22, wherein; said means for advancing the ignition timing comprises a passage for connecting a vacuum chamber controlling the ignition timing of said ignition control device with one of said suction manifold branches, and a solenoid valve arranged in said passage to open said passage during said transitional operation to introduce the suction vacuum to said vacuum chamber.

Claim 35

A 2-cycle internal combustion engine according to claim 25, wherein; said means for advancing the ignition timing comprises a passage for connecting a vacuum chamber controlling the ignition timing of said ignition control device with one of said suction manifold branches, and a solenoid valve arranged in said passage to open said passage when the engine r.p.m. falls below said predetermined r.p.m. during the deceleration operation of said engine, to introduce the suction vacuum to said vacuum chamber.