US4368707A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Adaptive charge forming system for controlling the air/fuel mixture supplied to an internal combustion engine
Assignee: FUEL INJECTION DEVELOPMENT Corp A CORP OF NJ
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Filing: 1980-07-28
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Granted: 1983-01-18
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Expires: 2000-07-28
Abstract
Abstract An adaptive charge forming system for an internal combustion engine is disclosed which monitors a parameter of engine combustion efficiency, such as power output, and derives a signal indicating the direction and amplitude of power change. The fuel mixture control system responds to changes in power output, regardless of their source, to maintain the engine air/fuel ratio in a preferred region. In a preferred embodiment, engine crankshaft angular acceleration is monitored to maintain the air/fuel mixture at the lean limit. A stepping motor is used to control a value for bleeding additional air into the charge; a clock provides steady pulses to the motor, tending to lean the mixture, while enrichment is effected upon the detection of each weak combustion event. The clock frequency thus sets the equilibrium rate of weak combustion events, defining the optimal mixture to be supplied to the engine.
Inventors
- 👤 Ervin Leshner
- 👤 Michael D. Leshner
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 14:09
CPC Classifications
F; F02; F02M; F02M69/00; F02M69/16; F02M69/18; F02B; F02B1/00; F02D; F02D41/00; F02D41/02; F02D41/14; F02D41/1497; F02D41/1498; F02M31/00; F02M31/02; F02M31/16; F02M31/18; F02D2200/00; F02D2200/02; F02D2200/10; F02D2200/1015; F02D41/0025; F02D41/0047; F02D41/005; F02M26/00; F02M26/52; F02M26/53; F02M26/54; Y; Y02; Y02T; Y02T10/00; Y02T10/10; Y02T10/12
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
110 words
Apparatus for controlling valve means for altering the ratio of the fuel/air mixture supplied to an engine to equal an optimum ratio varying in accordance with the instantaneous power output of said engine, comprising: means for providing a first fixed signal for controlling said valve means to alter said mixture in a first direction; means for providing a second variable signal proportional to departure of said mixture from said optimum ratio to cause said valve means to alter said mixture in a second opposite direction; and means for controlling said valve means adapted to alter said ratio at a rate proportional to the difference between said first and second signals.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
110 words
Apparatus for controlling valve means for altering the ratio of the fuel/air mixture supplied to an engine to equal an optimum ratio varying in accordance with the instantaneous power output of said engine, comprising: means for providing a first fixed signal for controlling said valve means to alter said mixture in a first direction; means for providing a second variable signal proportional to departure of said mixture from said optimum ratio to cause said valve means to alter said mixture in a second opposite direction; and means for controlling said valve means adapted to alter said ratio at a rate proportional to the difference between said first and second signals.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said second variable signal proportional to departure of the ratio of said mixture from said optimum ratio is generated by means for monitoring the instantaneous power output of said engine.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said means for monitoring comprises means for differentiating a signal proportional to the instantaneous crankshaft speed of said engine.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first direction is the direction of leaning said mixture and said second direction is the direction of enrichening said mixture.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
93 words
An adaptive system for altering the fuel/air ratio of the charge supplied to an engine comprising means for monitoring operation of said engine and for detecting when the rate of change of power output by said engine exceeds a predetermined negative value, means for gradually and continually leaning the charge supplied to said engine, and means for instantaneously richening said charge, at a rate proportional to the rate of change of power output by said engine in response to signals output by said means for monitoring operation of said engine, upon said detection.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
93 words
An adaptive system for altering the fuel/air ratio of the charge supplied to an engine comprising means for monitoring operation of said engine and for detecting when the rate of change of power output by said engine exceeds a predetermined negative value, means for gradually and continually leaning the charge supplied to said engine, and means for instantaneously richening said charge, at a rate proportional to the rate of change of power output by said engine in response to signals output by said means for monitoring operation of said engine, upon said detection.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 5 wherein said means for monitoring operation of said engine measures the angular velocity of the crankshaft of said engine.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 5 wherein said charge is altered by valve means controlled to bleed a variable quantity of air into said charge.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 7 in which said valve means is operated by electric servomotor means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
51 words
The system of claim 8 wherein said servomotor means is a stepping motor, and said means for gradually and continually leaning said charge comprises clock means for supplying a steady train of pulses to said stepping motor, whereby said valve means is gradually controlled to bleed more air into said charge.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
40 words
The system of claim 9 wherein said means for richening said charge comprise means for applying pulses to said stepping motor in response to said detection, whereby said valve means is instantaneously controlled to bleed less air into said charge.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
100 words
Apparatus for the controlling of the ratio of the fuel/air mixture supplied to an internal-combustion engine, comprising: means for providing a first signal indicative of the power output by said engine; means for differentiating said first signal and for producing a second signal indicative of the rate of change of said first signal; and means for altering said fuel/air ratio in response to said second signal exceeding a predetermined level, wherein said means for altering said fuel/air ratio is controlled to alter said ratio at a rate dependent on the amount by which said second signal exceeds said predetermined level.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
100 words
Apparatus for the controlling of the ratio of the fuel/air mixture supplied to an internal-combustion engine, comprising: means for providing a first signal indicative of the power output by said engine; means for differentiating said first signal and for producing a second signal indicative of the rate of change of said first signal; and means for altering said fuel/air ratio in response to said second signal exceeding a predetermined level, wherein said means for altering said fuel/air ratio is controlled to alter said ratio at a rate dependent on the amount by which said second signal exceeds said predetermined level.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 11 wherein a third signal comprising a series of pulses is produced by said second signal exceeding said predetermined level and is used to control said means for altering said fuel/air ratio.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the frequency of the pulses comprising said third signal depends on the degree to which said second signal exceeds said predetermined level.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of any of claims 11, 12 or 13 wherein said means for altering said fuel/air ratio is controlled to alter said ratio only when said second signal is negative.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
136 words
Apparatus for controlling the fuel/air ratio of the charge supplied to an internal combustion engine, comprising: valve means for controllably varying the ratio of the charge; electric servo motor means for controlling said valve means; first signal source means for applying a first bias signal to said servo motor for biasing variation of the ratio of said charge in a first direction; and second signal source means for applying a varying second signal, generated in response to sensed engine operating parameters, to said servo motor to cause variation of the ratio of said charge in a second direction opposite said first direction, whereby equilibrium operation is reached by said servo motor means when said first bias signal is substantially equalled by said varying second signal, thus controlling said ratio in order to control said operating parameters.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
136 words
Apparatus for controlling the fuel/air ratio of the charge supplied to an internal combustion engine, comprising: valve means for controllably varying the ratio of the charge; electric servo motor means for controlling said valve means; first signal source means for applying a first bias signal to said servo motor for biasing variation of the ratio of said charge in a first direction; and second signal source means for applying a varying second signal, generated in response to sensed engine operating parameters, to said servo motor to cause variation of the ratio of said charge in a second direction opposite said first direction, whereby equilibrium operation is reached by said servo motor means when said first bias signal is substantially equalled by said varying second signal, thus controlling said ratio in order to control said operating parameters.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said servo motor means comprises a stepping motor.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said first signal source means is a clock for applying a steady stream of pulses to said servo motor means.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said second signal source means comprises means for supplying pulses to said servo motor means in response to detection that the rate of change of the power output of said engine exceeds a predetermined rate.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
49 words
The apparatus of claim 18, comprising: means for producing a first signal dependent on the instantaneous power output by said engine; means for producing a second signal in response to differentiation of said first signal; and means for outputting a pulse when said second signal exceeds a predetermined level.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 19 wherein instantaneous engine angular velocity is input to said means for producing a first signal dependent on instantaneous power output by said engine.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
113 words
Apparatus for controllably varying the fuel/air ratio of the charge supplied to an internal combustion engine, comprising: means for detecting weak combustion events, and outputting first pulses in response thereto; means for generating a steady stream of pulses; and means for varying the air/fuel ratio of said charge in response to said pulses, said first pulses being applied to vary said ratio in a first sense and said stream of pulses applied to vary said ratio in the opposite sense, whereby the fuel/air ratio is urged toward an equilibrium point at which the average rate of said weak combustion events is substantially equal to the rate of said steady stream of clock pulses.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
113 words
Apparatus for controllably varying the fuel/air ratio of the charge supplied to an internal combustion engine, comprising: means for detecting weak combustion events, and outputting first pulses in response thereto; means for generating a steady stream of pulses; and means for varying the air/fuel ratio of said charge in response to said pulses, said first pulses being applied to vary said ratio in a first sense and said stream of pulses applied to vary said ratio in the opposite sense, whereby the fuel/air ratio is urged toward an equilibrium point at which the average rate of said weak combustion events is substantially equal to the rate of said steady stream of clock pulses.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said means for varying the air/fuel ratio of said charge comprises servo motor means controlled to vary said charge in response to said pulses.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said means for detecting weak combustion events comprises means for differentiating the instantaneous crankshaft velocity.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said equilibrium point is preset at a selected lean mixture combustion limit for said engine.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1986-01-17 | 1986-07-19 | 1987-01-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1990-01-17 | 1990-07-19 | 1991-01-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1994-01-17 | 1994-07-19 | 1995-01-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |