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US4586478A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Air-fuel ratio control method and apparatus for an internal combustion engine

Assignee: Toyota Motor Corp
•
Filing: 1982-08-09
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Granted: 1986-05-06
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Expires: 2002-08-09
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Abstract

Abstract Closed-loop air-fuel ratio control performed by detecting the concentration of a predetermined component in the exhaust gas, by calculating an air-fuel ratio correction factor depending upon the detected concentration, and by correcting the fuel amount in accordance with the air-fuel ratio correction factor even when the engine is warming up. This closed-loop air-fuel ratio control operation is stopped by fixing the air-fuel ratio correction factor to a predetermined value when the engine is under acceleration during warm-up.

Inventors

  • 👤 Susumu Nogami
  • 👤 Yukio Suzuki
  • 👤 Hiroshi Takahashi
  • 👤 Kan Otsuka

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-30 13:10
CPC Classifications
F; F02; F02D; F02D41/00; F02D41/02; F02D41/14; F02D41/1438; F02D41/1486; F02D41/1488; F02D41/1489; F02D41/04; F02D41/06; F02D41/068

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim 211 words
An air-fuel ratio control method for an internal combustion engine, including the steps of: detecting the concentration of a predetermined component of the exhaust gas; calculating, as a function of detected concentration, an air-fuel ratio correction factor to obtain a stochiometric air-fuel ratio; detecting an engine temperature; correcting an amount of fuel supplied to the engine in accordance with said detected engine temperature under an engine warm-up condition; correcting with closed-loop control the amount of fuel supplied to the engine in accordance with said air-fuel ratio correction factor, said closed-loop correcting being performed even when the engine is under a warm-up condition; determining whether the engine is under a warm-up condition; determining whether the engine is under an accelerating condition; stopping closed-loop air-fuel ratio control for a predetermined constant period of time by fixing said air-fuel ratio correction factor to a predetermined constant value when the engine is determined to be in both the accelerating and warm-up conditions, said predetermined constant value being equal to a value of the air-fuel ratio correction factor at a time when the closed-loop air-fuel ratio correction amount is zero; and resuming closed-loop air-fuel ratio control when said predetermined constant period of time has elapsed to subsequently obtain a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio under the accelerating condition.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 211 words
An air-fuel ratio control method for an internal combustion engine, including the steps of: detecting the concentration of a predetermined component of the exhaust gas; calculating, as a function of detected concentration, an air-fuel ratio correction factor to obtain a stochiometric air-fuel ratio; detecting an engine temperature; correcting an amount of fuel supplied to the engine in accordance with said detected engine temperature under an engine warm-up condition; correcting with closed-loop control the amount of fuel supplied to the engine in accordance with said air-fuel ratio correction factor, said closed-loop correcting being performed even when the engine is under a warm-up condition; determining whether the engine is under a warm-up condition; determining whether the engine is under an accelerating condition; stopping closed-loop air-fuel ratio control for a predetermined constant period of time by fixing said air-fuel ratio correction factor to a predetermined constant value when the engine is determined to be in both the accelerating and warm-up conditions, said predetermined constant value being equal to a value of the air-fuel ratio correction factor at a time when the closed-loop air-fuel ratio correction amount is zero; and resuming closed-loop air-fuel ratio control when said predetermined constant period of time has elapsed to subsequently obtain a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio under the accelerating condition.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 33 words
An air-fuel ratio control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises a step of inhibiting the stoppage of the closed-loop air-fuel ratio control after the engine is fully warmed-up.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 37 words
An air-fuel ratio control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said accelerating condition detecting step includes a step of detecting whether or not the throttle valve of the engine is opened from the fully closed position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 39 words
An air-fuel ratio control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said accelerating condition detecting step includes a step of detecting whether or not the speed increase of the intake-air flow rate of the engine exceeds a predetermined value.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 201 words
An air-fuel ratio control apparatus for an internal combustion engine comprising: means for detecting the concentration of a predetermined component of the exhaust gas; means for calculating, as a function of said detected concentration, an air-fuel ratio correction factor to obtain a stochiometric air-fuel ratio; means for detecting an engine temperature; means for correcting an amount of fuel supplied to the engine in accordance with said detected temperature under an engine warm-up condition; means for correcting by closed-loop control the amount of fuel supplied to the engine, in accordance with said air-fuel ratio correction factor, correction being performed even when the engine is under a warm-up condition, means for determining whether the engine is under a warm-up condition; means for determining whether the engine is under an accelerating condition; means for stopping closed-loop air-fuel ratio control for a predetermined constant period of time by fixing said air-fuel ratio correction factor to a predetermined constant value when the engine is determined by said detecting means to be in both the accelerating and warm-up conditions, said predetermined constant value being equal to a value of the air-fuel ratio correction factor at a time when the closed-loop air-fuel ratio correction amount is zero; and
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 201 words
An air-fuel ratio control apparatus for an internal combustion engine comprising: means for detecting the concentration of a predetermined component of the exhaust gas; means for calculating, as a function of said detected concentration, an air-fuel ratio correction factor to obtain a stochiometric air-fuel ratio; means for detecting an engine temperature; means for correcting an amount of fuel supplied to the engine in accordance with said detected temperature under an engine warm-up condition; means for correcting by closed-loop control the amount of fuel supplied to the engine, in accordance with said air-fuel ratio correction factor, correction being performed even when the engine is under a warm-up condition, means for determining whether the engine is under a warm-up condition; means for determining whether the engine is under an accelerating condition; means for stopping closed-loop air-fuel ratio control for a predetermined constant period of time by fixing said air-fuel ratio correction factor to a predetermined constant value when the engine is determined by said detecting means to be in both the accelerating and warm-up conditions, said predetermined constant value being equal to a value of the air-fuel ratio correction factor at a time when the closed-loop air-fuel ratio correction amount is zero; and
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 27 words
means for resuming closed-loop air-fuel ratio control when said predetermined constant period of time has elapsed to subsequently obtain a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio under the accelerating condition.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 27 words
means for resuming closed-loop air-fuel ratio control when said predetermined constant period of time has elapsed to subsequently obtain a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio under the accelerating condition.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 32 words
An air-fuel ratio control apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said apparatus further comprises means for inhibiting the stoppage of the closed-loop air-fuel ratio control after the engine is fully warmed-up.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 36 words
An air-fuel ratio control apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said accelerating condition detecting means includes means for detecting whether of not the throttle valve of the engine is opened from the fully closed position.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 38 words
An air-fuel ratio control apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said accelerating condition detecting means includes means for detecting whether or not the speed increase of the intake-air flow rate of the engine exceeds a predetermined value.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3983850A Cited
US3971354A Cited
US4143623A Cited
US4187812A Cited
US4240389A Cited
US4375210A Cited
US4398517A Cited
US4498441A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1989-05-05 1989-11-04 1990-05-06 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1993-05-05 1993-11-04 1994-05-06 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1997-05-05 1997-11-04 1998-05-06 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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