Device for detecting air-fuel ratio of engine

Claim 1

A device for detecting an air-fuel ratio of an engine by measuring an oxygen concentration of an exhaust gas by means of an oxygen sensor including a pair of oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte materials arranged in the gas to be measured, said solid electrolyte materials having electrodes formed on the surfaces thereof and being arranged in confronting relation with each other, with a predetermined restricted region formed therebetween, one of said solid electrolyte materials constituting an oxygen pump element and the other constituting a cell element that develops an electromotive force for measuring an oxygen concentration ratio, said device comprising means for applying a variable electromotive current to the oxygen pump element in response to variations in oxygen concentration for causing the cell element to generate a constant predetermined reference voltage, means for producing an output signal of the oxygen sensor related to the electromotive current applied to the oxygen pump, said output signal being subject to hunting variations in response to pulsations in the exhaust gas, and a filter circuit for receiving and smoothing the output signal of the oxygen sensor for producing the value of the detected air-fuel ratio, said filter circuit having a time constant which is variably set so that it is in proportional relation with respect to the number of revolutions per unit of time of the engine.

Claim 2

A device for detecting an air-fuel ratio of an engine by measuring an oxygen concentration of an exhaust gas by means of an oxygen sensor including a pair of oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte materials arranged in the gas to be measured, said solid electrolyte materials having electrodes formed on the surfaces thereof and being arranged in confronting relation with each other, with a predetermined restricted region formed therebetween, one of said solid electrolyte materials constituting an oxygen pump element and the other constituting a cell element that develops an electromotive force for measuring an oxygen concentration ratio, said device comprising means for applying a variable electromotive current to the oxygen pump element in response to variations in oxygen concentration for causing the cell element to generate a constant predetermined reference voltage, means for producing an output signal of the oxygen sensor related to the electromotive current applied to the oxygen pump, said output signal being subject to hunting variations in response to pulsations in the exhaust gas, and a filter circuit for receiving and smoothing the output signal of the oxygen sensor for producing the value of the detected air-fuel ratio, said filter circuit having a time constant which is variably set so that it is in proportional relation with respect to the number of revolutions per unit of time of the engine.

Claim 3

A device for developing a signal representing oxygen concentration in an exhaust gas of an engine with an oxygen sensor that produces a hunting output signal with continual variations, comprising, an oxygen sensor having an oxygen pump element and a cell element with a restricted region formed therebetween, said elements being of an oxygen-ion PG,10 conductive solid electrolyte material, means for applying a variable electromotive current to the oxygen pump element in response to variations in oxygen concentration for causing the cell element to generate a constant predetermined reference voltage, means for producing an output signal of the oxygen sensor related to the electromotive current applied to the oxygen pump, said output signal being subject to hunting variations in response to pulsations in the exhaust gas, a filter circuit for receiving and smoothing the hunting output signal, said filter circuit having a variable time constant, and means for varying said filter circuit time constant in proportion to the rotational speed of the engine.

Claim 4

A device for developing a signal representing oxygen concentration in an exhaust gas of an engine with an oxygen sensor that produces a hunting output signal with continual variations, comprising, an oxygen sensor having an oxygen pump element and a cell element with a restricted region formed therebetween, said elements being of an oxygen-ion PG,10 conductive solid electrolyte material, means for applying a variable electromotive current to the oxygen pump element in response to variations in oxygen concentration for causing the cell element to generate a constant predetermined reference voltage, means for producing an output signal of the oxygen sensor related to the electromotive current applied to the oxygen pump, said output signal being subject to hunting variations in response to pulsations in the exhaust gas, a filter circuit for receiving and smoothing the hunting output signal, said filter circuit having a variable time constant, and means for varying said filter circuit time constant in proportion to the rotational speed of the engine.