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US4377145A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Intake vacuum sensing system with correction device for an internal combustion engine

Assignee: Nissan Motor Co Ltd
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Filing: 1980-09-24
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Granted: 1983-03-22
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Expires: 2000-09-24
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Abstract

Abstract An intake vacuum sensor with a correction device for determining intake vacuum in an engine intake manifold can correct the sensor output when intake vacuum temperature introduced into the sensor is relatively high or the engine is driven for a relatively long period. The correction device comprises a memory unit for storing a correction coefficient, a correction circuit for correcting the sensor output based on the correction coefficient and a valve means for selectively introducing the intake vacuum and atomospheric air to the vacuum sensor. The memory unit, correction circuit and valve means are operatively responsive to the correction command from an engine control means.

Inventors

  • 👤 Hatsuo Nagaishi

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-25 08:46
CPC Classifications
F; F02; F02D; F02D41/00; F02D41/24; F02D41/26; F02D41/28; F02D41/02; F02D41/04; F02D41/045; F02D41/2406; F02D41/2425; F02D41/2429; F02D41/2451; F02D41/2474; F02P; F02P5/00; F02P5/04; F02P5/145; G; G01; G01M; G01M15/00; G01M15/04; G01M15/09; F02D41/2438; Y; Y02; Y02T; Y02T10/00; Y02T10/10; Y02T10/40

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 242 words
An intake vacuum sensing system for an internal combustion engine comprising: a vacuum sensor connected with an intake manifold of the internal combustion engine and adapted to produce a sensor signal having a signal value proportional to the vacuum pressure in the intake manifold; a switching valve means interposed between said vacuum sensor and said intake manifold and in communication with the atmosphere for selectively introducing either the intake vacuum or atmospheric air into said vacuum sensor, which switching valve means is responsive to a correction command to introduce atmospheric air for a predetermined period of time; a correction command generator cyclically generating said correction command to be fed to said switching valve means, which correction command generator is responsive to the turning on of an engine starter switch to produce the first correction command; a memory unit operative in response to said correction command to store a sensor signal value representative of atmospheric air pressure, which memory unit is responsive to said first correction command to store the sensor signal value as a memory value and is responsive to a trailing correction command for updating said memory value with the sensor signal value; a correcting means responsive to said correction command to compare the sensor signal value with said memory value stored in said memory means, and for determining the difference therebetween, said correction means correcting the sensor signal value indicative of detected intake vacuum pressure based on the determined difference.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 242 words
An intake vacuum sensing system for an internal combustion engine comprising: a vacuum sensor connected with an intake manifold of the internal combustion engine and adapted to produce a sensor signal having a signal value proportional to the vacuum pressure in the intake manifold; a switching valve means interposed between said vacuum sensor and said intake manifold and in communication with the atmosphere for selectively introducing either the intake vacuum or atmospheric air into said vacuum sensor, which switching valve means is responsive to a correction command to introduce atmospheric air for a predetermined period of time; a correction command generator cyclically generating said correction command to be fed to said switching valve means, which correction command generator is responsive to the turning on of an engine starter switch to produce the first correction command; a memory unit operative in response to said correction command to store a sensor signal value representative of atmospheric air pressure, which memory unit is responsive to said first correction command to store the sensor signal value as a memory value and is responsive to a trailing correction command for updating said memory value with the sensor signal value; a correcting means responsive to said correction command to compare the sensor signal value with said memory value stored in said memory means, and for determining the difference therebetween, said correction means correcting the sensor signal value indicative of detected intake vacuum pressure based on the determined difference.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 17 words
A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said switching valve means is an electromagnetic valve.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 24 words
A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said correction command generator is operative in response to turning on the engine ignition switch.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 50 words
A system as set forth in claim 2 or 3, wherein said correction command is a pulse signal having pulse width defining an energized period of said switching valve means to introduce atmospheric air into said vacuum sensor and operate said memory means to update the value of sensor signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 34 words
A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said correction means clamps said final sensor signal at the value immediately before said correction command and maintains said clamped value during the pulse duration.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 230 words
An intake vacuum sensing system for an internal combustion engine comprising: a pressure sensor for detecting the pressure of a fluid introduced therein and for producing a sensor signal having a value proportional to the detected fluid pressure; a switching valve provided in a passage connecting said pressure sensor and an intake manifold of the engine, said switching valve communicating to atmosphere to selectively introduce the intake vacuum or atmospheric air into said pressure sensor, said switching valve being movable between a first position connecting said intake manifold to said pressure sensor and a second position exposing said pressure sensor to atmosphere and being responsive to a correction command to switch the valve position from said first position to said second position; a memory unit for storing a memory value representative of atmospheric pressure when the engine starter switch is turned on and, said memory unit updating said memory value with said sensor signal value in response to said correction command; and a control circuit responsive to the turning on of said starter switch for producing the correction command, said control circuit being operative to obtain a correction value based on a difference between said sensor signal value and said memory value stored in said memory unit and to correct the sensor signal value with the obtained correction value to produce a sensor output representative of the corrected sensor signal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 230 words
An intake vacuum sensing system for an internal combustion engine comprising: a pressure sensor for detecting the pressure of a fluid introduced therein and for producing a sensor signal having a value proportional to the detected fluid pressure; a switching valve provided in a passage connecting said pressure sensor and an intake manifold of the engine, said switching valve communicating to atmosphere to selectively introduce the intake vacuum or atmospheric air into said pressure sensor, said switching valve being movable between a first position connecting said intake manifold to said pressure sensor and a second position exposing said pressure sensor to atmosphere and being responsive to a correction command to switch the valve position from said first position to said second position; a memory unit for storing a memory value representative of atmospheric pressure when the engine starter switch is turned on and, said memory unit updating said memory value with said sensor signal value in response to said correction command; and a control circuit responsive to the turning on of said starter switch for producing the correction command, said control circuit being operative to obtain a correction value based on a difference between said sensor signal value and said memory value stored in said memory unit and to correct the sensor signal value with the obtained correction value to produce a sensor output representative of the corrected sensor signal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 35 words
A system as set forth in claim 6, wherein said switching valve incorporates therein an electromagnetic actuator responsive to said correction command to switch said switching valve from said first position to said second position.
Claim 10
Independent Claim 34 words
A system as set forth in claims 6 or 7, wherein said control circuit clamps the sensor signal indicative of the vacuum pressure in the intake manifold valve in response to the correction command.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3460520A Cited
US3712275A Cited
US3908614A Cited
US4111041A Cited
US4195531A Cited
US4165650A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1986-03-21 1986-09-20 1987-03-22 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1990-03-21 1990-09-20 1991-03-22 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1994-03-21 1994-09-20 1995-03-22 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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