Inertia supercharging induction system for multi-cylinder internal combustion engine

Claim 2

In an internal combustion engine: a first group of cylinders, the ignition sequence of said first group of cylinders being discontinuous; a second group of cylinders, the ignition order of said second group of cylinders being discontinuous; and an induction system for supplying air to said first and second group of cylinders, said induction system comprising: a first elongate collector section with which said first group of cylinders fluidly communicate via branch runners, said first collector section having first and second ends; a second elongate collector section fluidly discrete from said first collector section and with which said second group of cylinders fluidly communicate via branch runners, said second collector setion having first and second ends; a surge tank; first and second induction conduits leading from said surge tank to said first and second collector sections respectively, said first and second conduits fluidly communicating with said first and second collector sections at the respective first ends thereof; a connection passage leading from said first collector section to said second collector section; and a valve disposed in said connection passage, said valve being arranged to assume a closed position wherein communication between said first and second collector sections is prevented and an open position wherein communication is permitted, said valve being arranged to change from said closed position to said open position upon the magnitude of a selected operational parameter of said engine exceeding a predetermined level.

Claim 3

An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first group of cylinders comprises three cylinders and said second group of cylinders comprises three cylinders.

Claim 4

An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said cylinders includes a combustion chamber which communicates with the a runner via an induction port, said induction port having a predetermined cross sectional area.

Claim 5

An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said engine has a predetermined displacement and wherein each of said collector sections has an internal volume which is greater than half of the engine displacement.

Claim 6

An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 3 wherein the cross sectional area of said induction conduits is equal to or greater than 2.5 times the cross sectional area of said induction ports.

Claim 7

An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the length of said connection passage is 0.33 to 1.5 times the length of a collector section.

Claim 8

An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said connection passage has a cross-section which is smaller than the cross-section of the collector sections.

Claim 9

An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first and second collector sections are arranged side by side, and wherein said surge tank is elongate and is arranged to extend essentially parallel to the said collector sections, wherein said connection pipe as an essentially U-shape and is disposed flat on top of aid first and second collectors.

Claim 10

In an internal combustion engine: a first group of cylinders, the ignition sequence of said first group of cylinders being discontinuous; a second group of cylinders, the ignition order of said second group of cylinders being discontinuous; and an induction system for supplying air to said first and second group of cylinders, said induction system comprising: a first elongate collector section with which said first group of cylinders fluidly communicate via branch runners, said first collector section having first and second ends; a second elongate collector section fluidly discrete from said first collector section and with which said second group of cylinders fluidly communicate via branch runners, said second collector section having first and second ends; a surge tank; first and second induction conduits leading from said surge tank to said first and second collector sections respectively, said first and second conduits fluidly communicating with said first and second collector sections at the respective first ends thereof; a connection passage leading from said first collector section to said second collector section; and a valve disposed in said connection passage, said valve being arranged to assume a closed position wherein communication between said first and second collector sections is prevented and an open position wherein communication is permitted, said valve being arranged to change from said closed position to said open position upon the magnitude of a selected operational parameter of said engine exceeding a predetermined level; wherein said first and second collector sections are arranged side by side, and wherein said surge tank is elongate and is arranged to extend essentially parallel to said collector sections, wherein said connection pipe has an essentially U-shape and is disposed flat on said first and second collectors; and wherein said first and second induction conduits are not equal in length and wherein the volumes of said first and second collector sections are different.

Claim 11

In an internal combustion engine: a first group of cylinders, the ignition sequence of said first group of cylinders being discontinuous; a second group of cylinders, the ignition order of said second group of cylinders being discontinuous; and an induction system for supplying air to said first and second group of cylinders, said induction system comprising: a first elongate collector section with which said first group of cylinders fluidly communicate via branch runners, said first collector section having first and second ends; a second elongate collector section fluidly discrete from said first collector section and with which said second group of cylinders fluidly communicate via branch runners, said second collector section having first and second ends; a surge tank; first and second induction conduits leading from said surge tank to said first and second collector sections respectively, said first and second conduits fluidly communicating with said first and second collector sections at the respective first ends thereof; a connection passage leading from said first collector section to said second collector section; and a valve disposed in said connection passage, said valve being arranged to assume a closed position wherein communication between said first and second collector sections is prevented and an open position wherein communication is permitted, said valve being arranged to change from said closed position to said open position upon the magnitude of a selected operational parameter of said engine exceeding a predetermined level; wherein said first and second collector sections are arranged side by side, and wherein said surge tank is elongate and is arranged to extend essentially parallel to said collector sections, wherein said connection pipe has an essentially U-shape and is disposed flat on said first and second collectors; and wherein said first and second induction conduits are not equal in length and wherein the volumes of said first and second collector sections are different.

Claim 12

In an internal combustion engine: a first group of cylinders, said first group of cylinders having a discontinuous ingition sequence; a second group of cylinders, said second group of cylinders having a discontinuous ignition sequnce; and a naturally aspirated induction system for supplying air to said first and second group of cylinders, said naturally aspirated induction system comprising: a first elongate collector section, said first section being fluidly communicated with the cylinders of said first group of cylinders, said first collector having first and second ends; a second elongate collector section, said second collector section being fluidly communicated with the cylinders of said second group of cylinders, said second collector section having first and second ends; an air cleaner; a surge tank fluidly communicated with said air cleaner; a throttle valve operatively disposed between said surge tank and said air cleaner; first and second induction conduits leading from said surge tank to said first and second collector sections respectively, said first and second conduits fluidly communicating with said first and second collector sections at the respective first ends thereof; a connection passage interconnecting said first and second collector sections; and a valve disposed in said connection passage, said valve being arranged to be selectively openable in response to the value of an engine operational parameter exceeding a predetermined level.

Claim 13

In an internal combustion engine: a first group of cylinders, said first group of cylinders having a discontinuous ingition sequence; a second group of cylinders, said second group of cylinders having a discontinuous ignition sequnce; and a naturally aspirated induction system for supplying air to said first and second group of cylinders, said naturally aspirated induction system comprising: a first elongate collector section, said first section being fluidly communicated with the cylinders of said first group of cylinders, said first collector having first and second ends; a second elongate collector section, said second collector section being fluidly communicated with the cylinders of said second group of cylinders, said second collector section having first and second ends; an air cleaner; a surge tank fluidly communicated with said air cleaner; a throttle valve operatively disposed between said surge tank and said air cleaner; first and second induction conduits leading from said surge tank to said first and second collector sections respectively, said first and second conduits fluidly communicating with said first and second collector sections at the respective first ends thereof; a connection passage interconnecting said first and second collector sections; and a valve disposed in said connection passage, said valve being arranged to be selectively openable in response to the value of an engine operational parameter exceeding a predetermined level.

Claim 14

In an internal combustion engine: a first group of cylinders, the ignition sequence of said first group of cylinders being discontinuous; a second group of cylinders, the ignition order of said second group of cylinders being discontinuous; and an induction system for supplying air to said first and second group of cylinders, said induction system comprising: a first elongate section with which said first group of cylinders fluidly communicate via branch runners, said first collector section having first and second ends; a second elongate collector section fluidly discrete from said first collector section and with which said second group of cylinders fluidly communicate via branch runners, said second collector section having first and second ends; a supercharger; a surge tank in fluid communication with said supercharger for receiving air under pressure therefrom; first and second induction conduits leading from said surge tank to said first and second collector sections respectively, said first and second conduits fluidly communicating with said first and second collector sections at the respective first ends thereof; a connection passage leading from said first collector section to said second collector section; and a valve disposed in said connection passage, said valve being arranged to assume a closed position wherein communication between said first and second collector sections is prevented and an open position wherein communication is permitted, said valve being arranged to change from said closed position to said open position upon the magnitude of a selected operational parameter of said engine exceeding a predetermined level.

Claim 15

In an internal combustion engine: a first group of cylinders, the ignition sequence of said first group of cylinders being discontinuous; a second group of cylinders, the ignition order of said second group of cylinders being discontinuous; and an induction system for supplying air to said first and second group of cylinders, said induction system comprising: a first elongate section with which said first group of cylinders fluidly communicate via branch runners, said first collector section having first and second ends; a second elongate collector section fluidly discrete from said first collector section and with which said second group of cylinders fluidly communicate via branch runners, said second collector section having first and second ends; a supercharger; a surge tank in fluid communication with said supercharger for receiving air under pressure therefrom; first and second induction conduits leading from said surge tank to said first and second collector sections respectively, said first and second conduits fluidly communicating with said first and second collector sections at the respective first ends thereof; a connection passage leading from said first collector section to said second collector section; and a valve disposed in said connection passage, said valve being arranged to assume a closed position wherein communication between said first and second collector sections is prevented and an open position wherein communication is permitted, said valve being arranged to change from said closed position to said open position upon the magnitude of a selected operational parameter of said engine exceeding a predetermined level.

Claim 16

In a supercharged internal combustion engine: a first group of cylinders, said first group of cylinders having a discontinuous ignition sequence; a second group of cylinders, said second group of cylinders having a discontinuous ignition sequence; and an induction system associated with a supercharger for supplying air to said first and second group of cylinders, said induction system comprising: a first elongate collector section, said first section being fluidly communicated with the cylinders of said first group of cylinders, said first collector having first and second ends; a second elongate collector section, said second collector section being fluidly communicated with the cylinders of said second group of cylinders, said second collector section having first and second ends; a surge tank fluidly communicated with the supercharger; a throttle valve, said throttle valve being disposed upstream of said surge tank; first and second induction conduits leading from said surge tank to said first and second collector sections respectively, said first and second conduits fluidly communicating with said first and second collector sections at the respective first ends thereof; a connection passage interconnecting said first and second collector sections, said connection passage having cross-section smaller than the cross-section of each of the collector sections; and a valve disposed in said connection passage, said valve being arranged to be selectively openable in response to the value of an engine operational parameter exceeding a predetermined level.

Claim 17

In a supercharged internal combustion engine: a first group of cylinders, said first group of cylinders having a discontinuous ignition sequence; a second group of cylinders, said second group of cylinders having a discontinuous ignition sequence; and an induction system associated with a supercharger for supplying air to said first and second group of cylinders, said induction system comprising: a first elongate collector section, said first section being fluidly communicated with the cylinders of said first group of cylinders, said first collector having first and second ends; a second elongate collector section, said second collector section being fluidly communicated with the cylinders of said second group of cylinders, said second collector section having first and second ends; a surge tank fluidly communicated with the supercharger; a throttle valve, said throttle valve being disposed upstream of said surge tank; first and second induction conduits leading from said surge tank to said first and second collector sections respectively, said first and second conduits fluidly communicating with said first and second collector sections at the respective first ends thereof; a connection passage interconnecting said first and second collector sections, said connection passage having cross-section smaller than the cross-section of each of the collector sections; and a valve disposed in said connection passage, said valve being arranged to be selectively openable in response to the value of an engine operational parameter exceeding a predetermined level.