US4890586A — Intake device for an internal combustion engine

Claim 1

Independent Claim 160 words

An intake system for an internal combustion engine having at least one intake port for receiving a charge mixture and mixture development means for preparing said charge mixture, said intake system supplying air thereto and comprising: a relatively short fixed intake pipe forming a high speed inlet tract tuned for high engine speed operation, said fixed intake pipe having a high speed intake opening; a guide pipe separated from said intake opening of said fixed intake pipe and having an intake tract terminating in a low speed intake opening; a moveable intake pipe movably mounted on said guide pipe so as to selectively abut said fixed intake pipe to collectively form a low speed inlet tract with said fixed intake pipe and said guide pipe, said low speed inlet tract being tuned for low engine speed operation; and air flow resistance control means for varying the resistance of said intake system in response to movement of said moveable intake pipe.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 160 words

An intake system for an internal combustion engine having at least one intake port for receiving a charge mixture and mixture development means for preparing said charge mixture, said intake system supplying air thereto and comprising: a relatively short fixed intake pipe forming a high speed inlet tract tuned for high engine speed operation, said fixed intake pipe having a high speed intake opening; a guide pipe separated from said intake opening of said fixed intake pipe and having an intake tract terminating in a low speed intake opening; a moveable intake pipe movably mounted on said guide pipe so as to selectively abut said fixed intake pipe to collectively form a low speed inlet tract with said fixed intake pipe and said guide pipe, said low speed inlet tract being tuned for low engine speed operation; and air flow resistance control means for varying the resistance of said intake system in response to movement of said moveable intake pipe.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 14 words

The intake system of claim 1 wherein said mixture development means is a carburetor.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 119 words

The intake system of claim 1 wherein said fixed intake pipe, moveable intake pipe and guide pipe collectively form a variable length intake tract; said air flow resistance control means including a housing surrounding said variable length intake tract, said housing having at least a high speed chamber provided with a high speed chamber inlet and a low speed chamber having a low speed chamber inlet; said high speed intake opening communicating with said high speed chamber, said low speed intake opening communicating with said low speed chamber, said low speed chamber inlet being more restrictive than said high speed chamber inlet thereby causing a variation in air flow resistance in response to movement of said moveable intake pipe.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 24 words

The intake system of claim 3 wherein said low speed chamber inlet is provided between said high speed chamber and said low speed chamber.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 22 words

The intake system of claim 4 wherein said high speed chamber inlet is provided between said high speed chamber and an atmosphere.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 36 words

The intake system of claim 5 wherein an air filter is positioned across said high speed chamber intermediate between said high speed chamber inlet and said high speed intake opening and said low speed chamber inlet.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 23 words

The intake system of claim 3 wherein said low speed chamber inlet and said high speed chamber inlet both communicate with an atmosphere.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 14 words

The intake system of claim 6 wherein said mixture development means is a carburetor.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 61 words

The intake system of claim 1 wherein said fixed intake pipe, moveable intake pipe and guide pipe collectively form a variable length intake tract; said air flow resistance control means including, a housing surrounding said variable length intake tract and having a housing air inlet, and variable inlet damper means for varying the air flow resistance through said housing air inlet.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 16 words

The system of claim 9 wherein said variable inlet damper means includes a hinged damper door.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 16 words

The system o claim 9 wherein said variable inlet damper means includes a sliding damper door.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 43 words

The system of claim 1 wherein said mixture development means comprises a variable fuel adjusting carburetor, said intake system further comprising means for selectively varying the mixture produced by said variable fuel adjusting carburetor in cooperation with movement of said moveable intake pipe.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 215 words

An intake system for an internal combustion engine having at least one intake port for receiving a charge mixture and mixture development means for preparing said charge mixture, said intake system supplying air thereto and comprising: a relatively short fixed intake pipe forming a high speed inlet tract tuned for high engine speed operation, said fixed intake pipe having a high speed intake opening; a guide pipe separated from said intake opening of said fixed intake pipe and having an intake tract terminating in a low speed intake opening; a moveable intake pipe movably mounted on said guide pipe so as to selectively abut said fixed intake pipe to collectively form a low speed inlet tract with said fixed intake pipe and said guide pipe, said low speed inlet tract being tuned for low engine speed operation; said moveable intake pipe moving from a low speed position spaced away from said fixed intake pipe to a high speed position in abutment with said fixed intake pipe, said internal combustion engine being susceptible to a transient power drop during movement of said moveable intake pipe through positions intermediate therebetween; and transient power drop reduction means for reducing at least the duration of transient power drop relative to the speed of movement of said moveable intake pipe.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 215 words

An intake system for an internal combustion engine having at least one intake port for receiving a charge mixture and mixture development means for preparing said charge mixture, said intake system supplying air thereto and comprising: a relatively short fixed intake pipe forming a high speed inlet tract tuned for high engine speed operation, said fixed intake pipe having a high speed intake opening; a guide pipe separated from said intake opening of said fixed intake pipe and having an intake tract terminating in a low speed intake opening; a moveable intake pipe movably mounted on said guide pipe so as to selectively abut said fixed intake pipe to collectively form a low speed inlet tract with said fixed intake pipe and said guide pipe, said low speed inlet tract being tuned for low engine speed operation; said moveable intake pipe moving from a low speed position spaced away from said fixed intake pipe to a high speed position in abutment with said fixed intake pipe, said internal combustion engine being susceptible to a transient power drop during movement of said moveable intake pipe through positions intermediate therebetween; and transient power drop reduction means for reducing at least the duration of transient power drop relative to the speed of movement of said moveable intake pipe.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 38 words

The system of claim 13 wherein said transient power drop means comprises slit means opening only during intermediate positions of said moveable intake pipe for increasing the speed of the change in air flow within the inlet tract.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 51 words

The system of claim 13 wherein said transient power drop means comprises a first slit provided in said moveable intake pipe and a second slit provided in said guide pipe, said first and second slits overlapping to allow air to pass therethrough only during intermediate positions of said moveable intake pipe.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 28 words

The system of claim 15 wherein said first and second slits do not overlap in said high speed position or said low speed position of said moveable pipe.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 29 words

The system of claim 13 further comprising: air flow resistance control means for varying the resistance of said intake system in response to movement of said moveable intake pipe.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 14 words

The intake system of claim 13 wherein said mixture development means is a carburetor.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 119 words

The intake system of claim 13 wherein said fixed intake pipe, moveable intake pipe and guide pipe collectively form a variable length intake tract; said air flow resistance control means including a housing surrounding said variable length intake tract, said housing having at least a high speed chamber provided with a high speed chamber inlet and a low speed chamber having a low speed chamber inlet, said high speed intake opening communicating with said high speed chamber, said low speed intake opening communicating with said low speed chamber, said low speed chamber inlet being more restrictive than said high speed chamber inlet thereby causing a variation in air flow resistance in response to movement of said moveable intake pipe.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 24 words

The intake system of claim 19 wherein said low speed chamber inlet is provided between said high speed chamber and said low speed chamber.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 22 words

The intake system of claim 20 wherein said high speed chamber inlet is provided between said high speed chamber and an atmosphere.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 252 words

An intake system for a multi-cylinder combustion engine having at least two intake ports for receiving a charge mixture and mixture development means for preparing said charge mixture, said intake system supplying air thereto and comprising: a purality of relatively short fixed intake pipes, a fixed intake pipe being associated with each engine cylinder and forming a high speed inlet tract tuned for high engine speed operation, each said fixed intake pipe having a high speed intake opening; a plurality of guide pipes, a guide pipe being associated with each engine cylinder and being separated from said intake opening of its associated said fixed intake pipe and having an intake tract terminating in a low speed intake opening; a plurality of moveable intake pipes, a moveable intake pipe being associated with each engine cylinder and being moveably mounted on its associated said guide pipe so as to selectively abut its associated said fixed intake pipe to collectively form a low speed inlet tract with said fixed intake pipe and said guide pipe, said low speed inlet tract being tuned for low engine speed operation; drive means for shifting each of said moveable intake pipes between said high speed position and said low speed position, said drive means differentially driving said moveable intake pipes of different cylinders with slightly different timings so that the transient power drop associated with different said cylinders occurs at slightly different times to reduce the total transient power drop at any given time occurring in said multi-cylinder engine.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 252 words

An intake system for a multi-cylinder combustion engine having at least two intake ports for receiving a charge mixture and mixture development means for preparing said charge mixture, said intake system supplying air thereto and comprising: a purality of relatively short fixed intake pipes, a fixed intake pipe being associated with each engine cylinder and forming a high speed inlet tract tuned for high engine speed operation, each said fixed intake pipe having a high speed intake opening; a plurality of guide pipes, a guide pipe being associated with each engine cylinder and being separated from said intake opening of its associated said fixed intake pipe and having an intake tract terminating in a low speed intake opening; a plurality of moveable intake pipes, a moveable intake pipe being associated with each engine cylinder and being moveably mounted on its associated said guide pipe so as to selectively abut its associated said fixed intake pipe to collectively form a low speed inlet tract with said fixed intake pipe and said guide pipe, said low speed inlet tract being tuned for low engine speed operation; drive means for shifting each of said moveable intake pipes between said high speed position and said low speed position, said drive means differentially driving said moveable intake pipes of different cylinders with slightly different timings so that the transient power drop associated with different said cylinders occurs at slightly different times to reduce the total transient power drop at any given time occurring in said multi-cylinder engine.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 45 words

The intake system of claim 22 wherein said multi-cylinder internal combustion engine is an in-line four cylinder engine having first and second adjacent cylinder pairs, said drive means shifting the moveable intake pipes associated with said first and second cylinder pairs at slightly different times.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 18 words

The system of claim 22 wherein said mixture development means includes a carburetor associated with each said cylinder.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 29 words

The system of claim 22 further comprising: air flow resistance control means for varying the resistance of said intake system in response to movement of said moveable intake pipe.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 123 words

The intake system of claim 25 wherein said fixed intake pipes, moveable intake pipes and guide pipes collectively form a variable length intake tract associated with each cylinder; said air flow resistance control means including a housing surrounding said variable length intake tracts, said housing having at least a high speed chamber provided with a high speed chamber inlet and a low speed chamber having a low speed chamber inlet; said high speed intake opening communicating with said high speed chamber, said low speed intake opening communicating with said low speed chamber, said low speed chamber inlet being more restrictive than said high speed chamber inlet thereby causing a variation in air flow resistance in response to movement of said moveable intake pipe.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 24 words

The intake system of claim 26 wherein said low speed chamber inlet is provided between said high speed chamber and said low speed chamber.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 65 words

The system of claim 22 further comprising: transient power drop reduction means for reducing at least the duration of transient power drop relative to the speed of movement of said moveable intake pipes, said transient power drop means including slit means opening only during intermediate positions of said moveable intake pipe for increasing the speed of the change in air flow within the inlet tract.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 51 words

The system of claim 28 wherein said slit means comprises a first slit provided in each said moveable intake pipe and a second slit provided in each said guide pipe, said first and second slits overlapping to allow air to pass therethrough only during intermediate positions of said moveable intake pipes.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 153 words

An intake system for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having a plurality of intake ports for receiving a charge mixture and mixture development means for preparing said charge mixture, said intake system supplying air to said internal combustion engine via said mixture development means, comprising: variable length intake tract means for providing an adjustable effective length intake tract tuned to the rotational speed of said engine for each said cylinder; said variable length intake tract means developing a transient power drop in each said cylinder during adjustment of the effective length of said intake tract; and drive means for adjusting the effective length of the intake tract, said drive means varying the timing of the adjustment of effective length between different said cylinders so that the transient power drop associated with different said cylinders occurs at different times to reduce the total transient power drop in said multi-cylinder engine at any given time.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 153 words

An intake system for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having a plurality of intake ports for receiving a charge mixture and mixture development means for preparing said charge mixture, said intake system supplying air to said internal combustion engine via said mixture development means, comprising: variable length intake tract means for providing an adjustable effective length intake tract tuned to the rotational speed of said engine for each said cylinder; said variable length intake tract means developing a transient power drop in each said cylinder during adjustment of the effective length of said intake tract; and drive means for adjusting the effective length of the intake tract, said drive means varying the timing of the adjustment of effective length between different said cylinders so that the transient power drop associated with different said cylinders occurs at different times to reduce the total transient power drop in said multi-cylinder engine at any given time.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 50 words

The intake system of claim 30 wherein said multi-cylinder internal combustion engine is an in-line four cylinder engine having first and second adjacent cylinder pairs, said drive means adjusting this effective intake tract length of associated with the cylinders of said first and second cylinder pairs at slightly different times.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 18 words

The system of claim 30 wherein said mixture development means includes a carburetor associated with each said cylinder.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 37 words

The system of claim 30 further comprising: air flow resistance control means for varying the resistance of said intake system in response to effective length of the induction tracts developed by said variable length intake tract means.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 98 words

A charge supply system for an internal combustion engine having at least one intake port for receiving a charge mixture comprising: a carburetor supplying mixture to said intake port; variable length intake tract means for supplying intake air to said carburetor and for providing an adjustable effective length intake tract tuned to the rotational speed of said engine; air flow resistance control means for varying the resistance of said charge system to vary the mixture supplied by said carburetor and responding to the effective length of said intake tract as provided by said variable length intake tract means.

Claim 39

Dependent Claim 98 words

A charge supply system for an internal combustion engine having at least one intake port for receiving a charge mixture comprising: a carburetor supplying mixture to said intake port; variable length intake tract means for supplying intake air to said carburetor and for providing an adjustable effective length intake tract tuned to the rotational speed of said engine; air flow resistance control means for varying the resistance of said charge system to vary the mixture supplied by said carburetor and responding to the effective length of said intake tract as provided by said variable length intake tract means.

Claim 40

Independent Claim 128 words

A method of supplying charge to an internal combustion engine to improve the performance thereof, the internal combustion engine having at least one intake port for receiving a charge mixture and a carburetor mounted to said input port said method comprising: (a) supplying charge to the engine with a carburetor mounted to said intake port; (b) varying the effective length of the intake tract providing air to said intake port through said carburetor to enhance the performance of said engine; and (c) varying the air flow resistance of the intake system including said carburetor and intake tract in conjunction with said step (b) to correct the air/fuel ratio provided to said intake port by said carburetor to reduce the influence of positive pressure waves on said air/fuel ratio.

Claim 41

Independent Claim 128 words

A method of supplying charge to an internal combustion engine to improve the performance thereof, the internal combustion engine having at least one intake port for receiving a charge mixture and a carburetor mounted to said input port said method comprising: (a) supplying charge to the engine with a carburetor mounted to said intake port; (b) varying the effective length of the intake tract providing air to said intake port through said carburetor to enhance the performance of said engine; and (c) varying the air flow resistance of the intake system including said carburetor and intake tract in conjunction with said step (b) to correct the air/fuel ratio provided to said intake port by said carburetor to reduce the influence of positive pressure waves on said air/fuel ratio.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1993-01-01	1993-07-03	1994-01-02	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1997-01-01	1997-07-03	1998-01-02	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2001-01-01	2001-07-03	2002-01-02	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Intake device for an internal combustion engine

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag