US5154151A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for controlling engine torque and wheel spin
Assignee: ZF International UK Ltd
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Filing: 1991-02-20
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Granted: 1992-10-13
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Expires: 2011-02-20
Abstract
Abstract A wheel spin detector monitors the speeds of vehicle wheels and supplies a signal to an engine management system when excessive wheel spin is detected. The engine management system includes a fuel controller which, in response to the signal from the detector, reduces engine torque by inhibiting the supply of fuel to one or more cylinders of the engine such that either all cylinders are continuously fuelled or continuously unfuelled or one and only one cylinder is intermittently fuelled. When an unfuelled cylinder is fuelled again, the mixture supplied to it may be temporarily enriched.
Inventors
- 👤 Benjamin J. Bradshaw
- 👤 Barry J. Bridgens
- 👤 Michael J. Howes
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 00:20
CPC Classifications
F; F02; F02D; F02D45/00; B; B60; B60K; B60K28/00; B60K28/10; B60K28/16; F02D41/00; F02D41/008; F02D41/0087; F02D2250/00; F02D2250/18; F02D2250/21
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
98 words
An apparatus for controlling torque of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, said apparatus comprising fuel control means for operating the engine in any one of a plurality of reduced torque modes in each of which the engine produces a reduced torque which is different from that produced by the engine in each other of the plurality of reduced torque modes, said fuel control means including means for inhibiting supply of fuel such that, in each of the plurality of reduced torque modes, at least one of the cylinders is continuously unfuelled and each remaining cylinder is continuously fuelled.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
98 words
An apparatus for controlling torque of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, said apparatus comprising fuel control means for operating the engine in any one of a plurality of reduced torque modes in each of which the engine produces a reduced torque which is different from that produced by the engine in each other of the plurality of reduced torque modes, said fuel control means including means for inhibiting supply of fuel such that, in each of the plurality of reduced torque modes, at least one of the cylinders is continuously unfuelled and each remaining cylinder is continuously fuelled.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
61 words
An apparatus for controlling torque of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, said apparatus comprising fuel control means for operating the engine in any one of a plurality of reduced torque modes, said fuel control means including means for inhibiting supply of fuel such that, in each of the plurality of reduced torque modes, one and only one cylinder is intermittently fuelled.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
61 words
An apparatus for controlling torque of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, said apparatus comprising fuel control means for operating the engine in any one of a plurality of reduced torque modes, said fuel control means including means for inhibiting supply of fuel such that, in each of the plurality of reduced torque modes, one and only one cylinder is intermittently fuelled.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, in which said inhibiting means enriches a combustible mixture supplied to the one and only one cylinder when the one and only one cylinder is fuelled.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
105 words
An apparatus for controlling torque of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, said apparatus comprising fuel control means for operating the engine in any one of a plurality of reduced torque modes comprising first and second sets of modes, the first set comprising at least one mode and the second set comprising at least one mode, said fuel control means including means for inhibiting supply of fuel such that, in each mode of the first set, at least one cylinder is continuously unfuelled and each remaining cylinder is continuously fuelled and, in each mode of the second set, one and only one cylinder is intermittently fuelled.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
105 words
An apparatus for controlling torque of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, said apparatus comprising fuel control means for operating the engine in any one of a plurality of reduced torque modes comprising first and second sets of modes, the first set comprising at least one mode and the second set comprising at least one mode, said fuel control means including means for inhibiting supply of fuel such that, in each mode of the first set, at least one cylinder is continuously unfuelled and each remaining cylinder is continuously fuelled and, in each mode of the second set, one and only one cylinder is intermittently fuelled.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which said inhibiting means enriches a combustible mixture supplied to the one and only one cylinder when the one and only one cylinder is fuelled.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which said inhibiting means enriches a combustible mixture supplied to at least one cylinder when the at least one cylinder changes from being an unfuelled cylinder to being a fuelled cylinder.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
67 words
An apparatus for controlling torque of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, said apparatus comprising fuel control means for controlling supply of a combustible mixture including fuel to the engine, means for intermittently supplying the combustible mixture to at least one of the cylinders, and means for temporarily enriching the combustible mixture when said supplying means resupplies the combustible mixture to the at least one of the cylinders.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
67 words
An apparatus for controlling torque of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, said apparatus comprising fuel control means for controlling supply of a combustible mixture including fuel to the engine, means for intermittently supplying the combustible mixture to at least one of the cylinders, and means for temporarily enriching the combustible mixture when said supplying means resupplies the combustible mixture to the at least one of the cylinders.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
72 words
A method of controlling torque of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, said method comprising selectively operating the engine in any one of a plurality of reduced torque modes, in each of which the engine produces a reduced torque which is different from that produced by the engine in each other of the plurality of reduced torque modes, by continuously unfuelling at least one of the cylinders and continuously fuelling each remaining cylinder.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
72 words
A method of controlling torque of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, said method comprising selectively operating the engine in any one of a plurality of reduced torque modes, in each of which the engine produces a reduced torque which is different from that produced by the engine in each other of the plurality of reduced torque modes, by continuously unfuelling at least one of the cylinders and continuously fuelling each remaining cylinder.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
38 words
A method of controlling torque of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, said method comprising selectively operating the engine in any one of a plurality of reduced torque modes by intermittently fuelling one and only one of the cylinders.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
38 words
A method of controlling torque of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, said method comprising selectively operating the engine in any one of a plurality of reduced torque modes by intermittently fuelling one and only one of the cylinders.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as claimed in claim 9, in which the one and only one of the cylinders, when fuelled, is supplied with an enriched combustible mixture.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
96 words
A method of controlling torque of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, said method comprising selectively operating the engine in any one of a plurality of reduced torque modes exclusively comprising a first set of modes and a second set of modes, the first set comprising at least one mode and the second set comprising at least one mode, wherein in each mode of the first set, at least one cylinder is continuously unfuelled and each remaining cylinder is continuously fuelled and, in each mode of the second set, one and only one cylinder is intermittently fuelled.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
96 words
A method of controlling torque of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, said method comprising selectively operating the engine in any one of a plurality of reduced torque modes exclusively comprising a first set of modes and a second set of modes, the first set comprising at least one mode and the second set comprising at least one mode, wherein in each mode of the first set, at least one cylinder is continuously unfuelled and each remaining cylinder is continuously fuelled and, in each mode of the second set, one and only one cylinder is intermittently fuelled.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
101 words
A method of controlling torque of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, said method comprising selectively operating the engine in any one of a plurality of reduced torque modes comprising first and second sets of modes, wherein, in an at least one of the first set of modes, at least one cylinder is continuously unfuelled and each remaining cylinder is continuously fuelled and, in an at least one of the second set of modes, one and only one cylinder is intermittently fuelled, and in which the one and only one of the cylinders, when fuelled, is supplied with an enriched combustible mixture.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
101 words
A method of controlling torque of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, said method comprising selectively operating the engine in any one of a plurality of reduced torque modes comprising first and second sets of modes, wherein, in an at least one of the first set of modes, at least one cylinder is continuously unfuelled and each remaining cylinder is continuously fuelled and, in an at least one of the second set of modes, one and only one cylinder is intermittently fuelled, and in which the one and only one of the cylinders, when fuelled, is supplied with an enriched combustible mixture.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
112 words
A method of controlling torque of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, said method comprising selectively operating the engine in any one of a plurality of reduced torque modes comprising first and second sets of modes, wherein, in an at least one of the first set of modes, at least one cylinder is continuously unfuelled and each remaining cylinder is continuously fuelled and, in an at least one of the second set of modes, one and only one cylinder is intermittently fuelled, and in which a combustible mixture supplied to at least one cylinder is enriched when the at least one cylinder changes from being an unfuelled cylinder to being a fuelled cylinder.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
112 words
A method of controlling torque of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, said method comprising selectively operating the engine in any one of a plurality of reduced torque modes comprising first and second sets of modes, wherein, in an at least one of the first set of modes, at least one cylinder is continuously unfuelled and each remaining cylinder is continuously fuelled and, in an at least one of the second set of modes, one and only one cylinder is intermittently fuelled, and in which a combustible mixture supplied to at least one cylinder is enriched when the at least one cylinder changes from being an unfuelled cylinder to being a fuelled cylinder.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
47 words
A method for controlling torque of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, said method comprising reducing the torque by intermittently fuelling at least one cylinder and temporarily enriching a combustible mixture supplied to the at least one cylinder in a fuelled cycle thereof following an unfuelled cycle thereof.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
47 words
A method for controlling torque of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, said method comprising reducing the torque by intermittently fuelling at least one cylinder and temporarily enriching a combustible mixture supplied to the at least one cylinder in a fuelled cycle thereof following an unfuelled cycle thereof.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-10-13 | 1996-04-13 | 1996-10-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-10-13 | 2000-04-13 | 2000-10-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-10-13 | 2004-04-13 | 2004-10-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |