Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
185 words
Apparatus for controlling the amount of fuel supplied to an internal combustion engine, comprising: a fuel injection pump for injecting fuel under pressure; an electromagnetic valve operatively connected to said fuel injection pump for opening and closing a fuel passage through which pressurized fuel escapes so as to determine the amount of fuel injected from said pump; first means for detecting an operating condition of said engine; second means for detecting a reference position of a movable member of said fuel injection pump; and third means for controlling said electromagnetic valve in accordance with information from said first and second means, said third means including memory means for storing prestroke time data and actual injection time data respectively, said third means continuously detecting a successively increasing variable from the instant that said electromagnetic valve is closed, comparing said successively increasing variable with a value corresponding to the sum of said prestroke time and said actual injection time, which is determined on the basis of the engine operating condition, and opening said electromagnetic valve to terminate fuel injection when the former equals or exceeds the latter.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
185 words
Apparatus for controlling the amount of fuel supplied to an internal combustion engine, comprising: a fuel injection pump for injecting fuel under pressure; an electromagnetic valve operatively connected to said fuel injection pump for opening and closing a fuel passage through which pressurized fuel escapes so as to determine the amount of fuel injected from said pump; first means for detecting an operating condition of said engine; second means for detecting a reference position of a movable member of said fuel injection pump; and third means for controlling said electromagnetic valve in accordance with information from said first and second means, said third means including memory means for storing prestroke time data and actual injection time data respectively, said third means continuously detecting a successively increasing variable from the instant that said electromagnetic valve is closed, comparing said successively increasing variable with a value corresponding to the sum of said prestroke time and said actual injection time, which is determined on the basis of the engine operating condition, and opening said electromagnetic valve to terminate fuel injection when the former equals or exceeds the latter.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
54 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said third means is arranged to detect when said engine is in idling condition, to detect the engine speed, to compare said engine speed with a predetermined idling engine speed, and to either lengthen or shorten said prestroke time in accordance with the result of the comparison.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
60 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said third means is arranged to detect the engine operating condition with respect to respective cylinders of said engine, and to either lengthen or shorten said prestroke time, which is provided for respective cylinders, so that closing duration of said electromagnetic valve is controlled for each of said cylinders in a different manner.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for manually changing said prestroke time.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
57 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said third means is arranged to compare said value corresponding to the sum of said prestroke time and said actual injection time with a predetermined value which is prestored in a memory, and to limit the closing duration of said electromagnetic valve within a duration corresponding to said predetermined value.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, further comprising means for manually changing said predetermined value.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
70 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first means comprises an engine speed sensor and an accelerator pedal position sensor so that said actual injection time is basically determined in accordance with information from these sensors by said third means; and an engine coolant temperature sensor and atmospheric pressure sensor so that said actual injection time is corrected in accordance with information from these sensors by said third means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second means comprises a bottom-dead center sensor producing a pulse when a plunger of said fuel injection pump assumes its bottom-dead point, so that said electromagnetic valve is closed in response to said pulse.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
46 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fuel passage communicates between a spill port communicating with a compression chamber, and a fuel chamber of low pressure, so that communication between said spill port and said fuel chamber is established when said electromagnetic valve is opened.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
190 words
A method for controlling the amount of fuel supplied to an internal combustion engine by means of a fuel injection pump which injects fuel under pressure, and an electromagnetic valve operatively connected to said fuel injection pump for opening and closing a fuel passage through which pressurized fuel escapes so as to determine the amount of fuel injected from said pump, said method comprising the steps of: (a) detecting the operating condition of said engine; (b) detecting a reference position of a movable member of said fuel injection pump; (c) closing said electromagnetic valve in response to the detection of said reference position; (d) continuously measuring a successively increasing variable from the instant of closure of said electromagnetic valve; (e) determining actual injection time in accordance with detected engine operating condition; (f) reading out prestroke time from a memory; (g) obtaining a value corresponding to the sum of said actual injection time and prestroke time; (h) comparing said successively increasing variable with said value corresponding to the sum of said actual injection time and prestroke time; and (i) opening said electromagnetic valve when said variable equals or exceeds said value.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
190 words
A method for controlling the amount of fuel supplied to an internal combustion engine by means of a fuel injection pump which injects fuel under pressure, and an electromagnetic valve operatively connected to said fuel injection pump for opening and closing a fuel passage through which pressurized fuel escapes so as to determine the amount of fuel injected from said pump, said method comprising the steps of: (a) detecting the operating condition of said engine; (b) detecting a reference position of a movable member of said fuel injection pump; (c) closing said electromagnetic valve in response to the detection of said reference position; (d) continuously measuring a successively increasing variable from the instant of closure of said electromagnetic valve; (e) determining actual injection time in accordance with detected engine operating condition; (f) reading out prestroke time from a memory; (g) obtaining a value corresponding to the sum of said actual injection time and prestroke time; (h) comparing said successively increasing variable with said value corresponding to the sum of said actual injection time and prestroke time; and (i) opening said electromagnetic valve when said variable equals or exceeds said value.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the operating condition detecting step comprises a step of detecting the engine speed and the accelerator pedal position.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the reference position detecting step comprises a step of detecting the bottom-dead center of a plunger of said fuel injection pump.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the closing step comprises a step of closing said electromagnetic valve immediately after the detection of said reference position.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the closing step comprises a step of closing said electromagnetic valve with a predetermined time delay from the instant of the detection of said reference position.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the determining step comprises a step of selectively reading out actual injection time the values of which are prestored in the form of a map.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a step of correcting said prestroke time in accordance with engine operating condition.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the reading out step and the sum-obtaining step are respectively executed for respective cylinders of said engine, with a plurality of prestroke time values being prestored in said memory.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a step of limiting the sum within a maximum value stored in a memory.