Patents by Inventor Ayumu HORIBA

Ayumu HORIBA has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20140182360
    Abstract: A evaporated fuel processing device includes a seal valve that seals off the fuel tank from the atmosphere, a canister, a changeover valve that allows or inhibits communication of the canister with the atmosphere, the canister internal pressure sensor, a controller that sends an open/close command to the seal valve and the changeover valve, a diagnosis unit that performs leak diagnosis of an evaporated fuel sealing system, and a negative pressure pump that generates pressure in the evaporated fuel sealing system. The diagnosis unit performs leak diagnosis of the entirety of the evaporated fuel sealing system before performing leak diagnosis of a canister side section. The diagnosis unit performs function diagnosis of the seal valve with the seal valve closed and the changeover valve at a shut-off position based on whether the detection value of the tank internal pressure sensor varies beyond a predetermined range of the generated pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ayumu Horiba
  • Patent number: 8739767
    Abstract: A vapor processing apparatus includes a tank-inner-pressure detector, an atmospheric-pressure detector, a canister, a control valve and a controller. The tank-inner-pressure detector is configured to detect tank inner pressure of a fuel tank retaining fuel to be supplied to an engine. The atmospheric-pressure detector is configured to detect atmospheric pressure. The canister is configured to adsorb and collect vapor generated in the fuel tank. The control valve is disposed in a vapor channel connected to the fuel tank. The controller is configured to control opening and closing of the control valve based on a value detected by the tank-inner-pressure detector, a value detected by the atmospheric-pressure detector, and a correction value learned in advance, when in a predetermined state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ayumu Horiba, Masakazu Kitamoto
  • Publication number: 20140116401
    Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to provide an evaporated fuel treatment device capable of performing a function diagnosis of a sealing valve with high accuracy even if an internal combustion engine is in operation. The evaporated fuel treatment device includes a sealing valve that blocks a fuel tank from the atmosphere, a canister, a canister internal pressure detection unit, a control part that performs an instruction for opening or closing the sealing valve and controls a purge, and a diagnostic part that performs a function diagnosis of an evaporated fuel sealing system including the fuel tank, the canister, and the sealing valve. The diagnostic part performs the function diagnosis of the sealing valve based on whether or not a canister internal pressure detected by the canister internal pressure sensor varies beyond a predetermined range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2013
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ayumu HORIBA, Mahito SHIKAMA
  • Publication number: 20140116402
    Abstract: An evaporated-fuel processing apparatus including: a sealing valve which is arranged in a communication path between the atmosphere and a fuel tank mounted on a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, and shuts an internal space of the fuel tank off from the atmosphere; an open/close member which covers a fuel filling port of the fuel tank; a refueling-intention-information acquisition unit which acquires information indicating an intention of refueling; and a control unit which issues an opening command for opening the sealing valve when the refueling-intention-information acquisition unit acquires the information indicating an intention of refueling, and allows the open/close member to open when a time elapsed from the moment at which the opening command is issued exceeds a first predetermined time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ayumu HORIBA, Hiroshi KITAMURA, Masakazu KITAMOTO, Koichi HIDANO, Mahito SHIKAMA, Hiroaki WATANABE
  • Patent number: 8640676
    Abstract: An evaporated fuel treatment apparatus includes a control valve having a dead zone range in which an evaporated fuel is blocked even if the opening angle is increased from a close position in opening direction and a communicating range in which the evaporated fuel is allowed to flow therethrough when opening angle is increased from the dead zone range. A control unit determines whether the opening angle is switched between the dead zone range and the communicating range. The switching is determined on the basis of a pressure inside the fuel tank detected with a pressure sensor and an air-fuel ratio detected by an air-fuel ratio sensor. A control valve installed in a communication path between a fuel tank and a canister is prevented from being seized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ayumu Horiba, Masakazu Kitamoto, Junji Saiga, Yoshikazu Kaneyasu
  • Patent number: 8627802
    Abstract: An evaporated fuel treatment apparatus including a canister for adsorbing an evaporated fuel in a fuel tank, a control valve at a vapor path communicating with a fuel tank and a canister, has a dead-zone range where a flow of the evaporated fuel is blocked even if an opening angle of the control valve is increased in an open direction from zero opening angle, and allows the evaporated fuel to flow through over the dead-zone range. The control unit increases the opening angle from substantially zero to a predetermined angle in the dead-zone range and stands by prior to the opening control, and increases the opening angle from the predetermined angle upon the opening control. An output value by control unit set in the dead-zone range is compared with a detected value to detect a failure of the control valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ayumu Horiba, Masakazu Kitamoto, Koichi Hidano, Junji Saiga
  • Patent number: 8596251
    Abstract: An evaporated fuel treatment apparatus including a canister for adsorbing an evaporated fuel in a fuel tank, a control valve at a vapor path communicating with a fuel tank and a canister, has a dead-zone range where a flow of the evaporated fuel is blocked even if an opening angle of the control valve is increased in an open direction from zero opening angle, and allows the evaporated fuel to flow through over the dead-zone range. The control unit increases the opening angle from substantially zero to a predetermined angle in the dead-zone range and stands by prior to the opening control, and increases the opening angle from the predetermined angle upon the opening control. An output value by control unit set in the dead-zone range is compared with a detected value to detect a failure of the control valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ayumu Horiba, Masakazu Kitamoto, Koichi Hidano, Junji Saiga
  • Publication number: 20120118159
    Abstract: An evaporative emission control system includes a fuel tank, a canister, a normally-closed control valve, a filler pipe, and a breather pipe. The fuel tank is to store fuel. The canister is to adsorb evaporative fuel generated in the fuel tank. The normally-closed control valve is provided in a vapor passage connecting the fuel tank to the canister. The fuel is delivered to the fuel tank through the filler pipe. The breather pipe includes a communicating passage, an opening, and at least one hole. The communicating passage connects the fuel tank to the filler pipe. The opening is provided at a first end of the breather pipe in the fuel tank. The opening is located below a predetermined fuel level in the fuel tank. The at least one hole is located above the predetermined fuel level in the fuel tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi KITAMURA, Koichi Hidano, Ayumu Horiba, Masakazu Kitamoto, Yoshikazu Kaneyasu
  • Publication number: 20120097269
    Abstract: A vapor processing apparatus includes a tank-inner-pressure detector, an atmospheric-pressure detector, a canister, a control valve and a controller. The tank-inner-pressure detector is configured to detect tank inner pressure of a fuel tank retaining fuel to be supplied to an engine. The atmospheric-pressure detector is configured to detect atmospheric pressure. The canister is configured to adsorb and collect vapor generated in the fuel tank. The control valve is disposed in a vapor channel connected to the fuel tank. The controller is configured to control opening and closing of the control valve based on a value detected by the tank-inner-pressure detector, a value detected by the atmospheric-pressure detector, and a correction value learned in advance, when in a predetermined state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ayumu HORIBA, Masakazu Kitamoto
  • Publication number: 20110220071
    Abstract: An evaporated fuel treatment apparatus includes a control valve having a dead zone range in which an evaporated fuel is blocked even if the opening angle is increased from a close position in opening direction and a communicating range in which the evaporated fuel is allowed to flow therethrough when opening angle is increased from the dead zone range. A control unit determines whether the opening angle is switched between the dead zone range and the communicating range. The switching is determined on the basis of a pressure inside the fuel tank detected with a pressure sensor and an air-fuel ratio detected by an air-fuel ratio sensor. A control valve installed in a communication path between a fuel tank and a canister is prevented from being seized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ayumu HORIBA, Masakazu KITAMOTO, Junji SAIGA, Yoshikazu KANEYASU
  • Publication number: 20110203554
    Abstract: An evaporated fuel treatment apparatus including a canister for adsorbing an evaporated fuel in a fuel tank, a control valve at a vapor path communicating with a fuel tank and a canister, has a dead-zone range where a flow of the evaporated fuel is blocked even if an opening angle of the control valve is increased in an open direction from zero opening angle, and allows the evaporated fuel to flow through over the dead-zone range. The control unit increases the opening angle from substantially zero to a predetermined angle in the dead-zone range and stands by prior to the opening control, and increases the opening angle from the predetermined angle upon the opening control. An output value by control unit set in the dead-zone range is compared with a detected value to detect a failure of the control valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ayumu HORIBA, Masakazu KITAMOTO, Koichi HIDANO, Junji SAIGA