Patents by Inventor Masami Nagano

Masami Nagano 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: 20030136113
    Abstract: A control method of an engine including at least an HC adsorbing catalyst for adsorbing HC at a low temperature, and emitting adsorbed HC at a high temperature, and a three-way purifying function on the same carrier, and an NOx adsorbing catalyst having an NOx adsorbing function for adsorbing or occluding NOx in oxidizing atmosphere, and emitting NOx in reducing atmosphere, and a three-way purifying function. The engine operated with stoichiometric value or a rich air-fuel when a temperature of the HC adsorbing catalyst and/or a temperature of the NOx adsorbing catalyst is equal to/lower than a predetermined value. The engine is operated with a lean air-fuel ratio when a temperature of the HC adsorbing catalyst and/or a temperature of the NOx adsorbing catalyst is equal to/higher than the predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Publication date: July 24, 2003
    Inventors: Shinji Nakagawa, Minoru Ohsuga, Masami Nagano
  • Patent number: 6588399
    Abstract: In a fuel injection apparatus of an internal combustion engine comprising a fuel injector, an intake valve device for opening and closing an intake port, and an intake air flow control device arranged in an upstream side of the intake valve device, a fuel injection is synchronized with an intake stroke of the engine. A fuel spray is oriented to an inner wall face which is positioned in an opposite side to an inner wall face of a cylinder heads in a fuel injector side and the fuel spray is transported by an air flow having a strong fluidization which is entered from the intake air control device. In a port injection lean burn engine, an adhesion to the wall face according to the fuel spray can be reduced, and a quality and a formation state of an air-fuel mixture in a cylinder can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Okamoto, Yuzo Kadomukai, Ayumu Miyajima, Masami Nagano, Tadashi Someno
  • Patent number: 6584962
    Abstract: In an engine control apparatus for a multicylinder engine including an injection pulse width-setting unit for setting an injection pulse width for an injection valve situated in each cylinder based on signals output from an engine operational condition-detection system situated in a vehicle; the injection pulse width-setting unit includes an engine starting injection pulse-setting unit for setting an injection pulse width for each cylinder in the engine starting operation, and the engine starting injection pulse-setting unit includes an injection pulse width-correction unit for determining a correction coefficient to a basic injection pulse width, for each cylinder at each cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2003
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeyuki Nonomura, Masami Nagano, Minoru Ohsuga, Toshiharu Nogi
  • Patent number: 6557521
    Abstract: With a composition where there are provided an injection valve installed on each cylinder and a high-atomizing injection valve installed in the upstream, it is aimed to prevent worsened start-up performance and unburnt gas exhaust resulting from adhesion of the fuel on the suction air passage as a result of reduced air for atomization during the start-up cranking. With a composition equipped with an injection valve installed on each cylinder of an internal combustion engine and an air-assist type high-atomizing injection valve in the upstream, there is provided an injection controlling means that injects the fuel by the injection valve installed on the suction port during the start-up cranking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takanobu Ichihara, Masami Nagano, Toshiharu Nogi
  • Patent number: 6543412
    Abstract: A main passage mounting a throttle valve and an air bypass flow passage for reducing HC emission by promoting atomization of the fuel spray injected from the assembly pipe fuel injector are integrated in a body of an intake air control device arranged upstream of an assembly pipe in a one-piece structure to form a unit. Thereby, the intake air control device can be easily manufactured and easily mounted on and dismounted from the intake air system. The amount of HC emitted during warming-up operation of an internal combustion engine is reduced by efficiently supplying fuel spray injected from an assembly pipe fuel injector at the time of starting and warming-up operations for the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Amou, Yoshio Okamoto, Yuzo Kadomukai, Takehiko Kowatari, Ayumu Miyajima, Masami Nagano, Takanobu Ichihara, Hiroaki Saeki, Tadashi Someno
  • Patent number: 6543419
    Abstract: In a multi-port fuel injection system for a lean burn engine, the attaching of fuel particles from the fuel spray onto a wall surface, which is a problem in atomizing injected fuel, is reduced, and the quality and shape of the mixed gas in the cylinders of the engine is improved. The engine has a fuel injector 1; an intake valve 6 for opening and closing an intake port; and an intake air flow control device 10. The injected fuel is shaped to provide a low penetration fuel spray when the engine is operated in a low load state and at a low rotation speed, and the injected fuel is shaped to provide a high penetration fuel spray when the engine is operated in a high load state and at a high rotation speed. The fuel is injected in synchronism with the intake stroke of the engine, and it is transported by the air flow flowing through the intake air flow control device 10 to suppress the attaching of fuel particles from the fuel spray onto a wall surface of the intake manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ldt., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Okamoto, Yuzo Kadomukai, Ayumu Miyajima, Masami Nagano, Tadashi Someno
  • Patent number: 6536412
    Abstract: A control device for an internal combustion engine including fuel injection valves which are disposed at an air intake port for the internal combustion engine and inject fuel from the air intake port toward respective cylinders for the internal combustion engine; and an air flow velocity accelerating means which accelerates air flow velocity in the air intake port, wherein the fuel injection time from the fuel injection valves is controlled in synchronism with and during an air intake stroke for the internal combustion engine as well as respective injection ports of the fuel injection valves are positioned at or near an accelerated air flow portion formed by the air flow velocity accelerating means. Thereby, in a multi point fuel injection system quality and spatial formation of air fuel mixture in the respective cylinders is enhanced and transportation time delay due to atomization of injected fuel droplet diameter is eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Someno, Masami Nagano, Yuzo Kadomukai, Yoshio Okamoto
  • Patent number: 6519513
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle control apparatus which is capable of improving the deterioration of the emission performance unique to the hybrid vehicle during idle stop by purifying the exhaust gas remaining in the engine intake pipe, the cylinders, the exhaust pipe and the catalyst. The apparatus comprises two drive sources including an engine operated by fuel combustion and an electric motor/generator operated by electric energy. A residual exhaust gas purifier purifies the gas remaining in the intake pipe, the cylinders, the exhaust pipe and the catalyst of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Nakagawa, Minoru Osuga, Masami Nagano, Hiroyuki Takamura
  • Patent number: 6508236
    Abstract: Atomizing air flowing in an atomizing gas passage is merged with a fuel spray to promote atomization of the fuel, and carrier air flowing in a carrier gas passage is merged with the fuel spray at a further downstream position so as to surround the fuel spray. By doing so, the atomized fuel spray is carried to the downstream side so as to prevent the fuel spray from adhering onto the wall surface. The starting-up performance, fuel consumption and exhaust gas cleaning of an internal combustion engine are improved in this way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Amou, Yoshio Okamoto, Takehiko Kowatari, Ayumu Miyajima, Yuzo Kadomukai, Toru Ishikawa, Masami Nagano, Takanobu Ichihara, Hiroaki Saeki, Kenji Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20030010018
    Abstract: Disclosed is a control unit for an internal combustion engine which can activate the three way catalyst at the early stage and can lessen the deterioration of the exhaust in an internal combustion engine such as HC, CO, and NOx, etc. from the exhaust gas when starting. The control unit for an internal combustion engine is provided with three way catalyst and HC adsorbent on an exhaust side. The control unit alternately controls the A/F between a rich state and a lean state in order to quicken the activation of the three way catalyst when the internal combustion engine starts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2002
    Publication date: January 16, 2003
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Nakagawa, Minoru Ohsuga, Masami Nagano
  • Publication number: 20020123831
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle control apparatus which is capable of improving the deterioration of the emission performance unique to the hybrid vehicle during idle stop by purifying the exhaust gas remaining in the engine intake pipe, the cylinders, the exhaust pipe and the catalyst. The apparatus comprises two drive sources including an engine operated by fuel combustion and an electric motor/generator operated by electric energy. A residual exhaust gas purifier purifies the gas remaining in the intake pipe, the cylinders, the exhaust pipe and the catalyst of the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2001
    Publication date: September 5, 2002
    Inventors: Shinji Nakagawa, Minoru Osuga, Masami Nagano, Hiroyuki Takamura
  • Publication number: 20020088433
    Abstract: A fuel supply system for use in an internal combustion engine, comprising: an intake passage; a downstream fuel injection valve near the port of each cylinder of the engine and downstream of the intake passage; and a controller, wherein the intake passage includes a fuel injection/evaporation device which has an upstream fuel injection valve; a heater for evaporating injected fuel; and an air passage for supplying the injected fuel with air. The controller is adapted to control the amount of fuel injected from the downstream fuel injection valve and the upstream fuel injection valve, thereby controlling the fuel-air ratio of the injected fuel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2001
    Publication date: July 11, 2002
    Inventors: Masami Nagano, Takanobu Ichihara
  • Publication number: 20020083925
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fuel injection device comprising an intake pipe having interior wall surfaces for providing air from an upstream side to a downstream side and a fuel injection port disposed in the intake pipe between the surfaces for providing fuel into the intake pipe and an air guide member disposed in the intake pipe in a plane substantially parallel to the surfaces for guiding air separately towards an air flow layer passage and a main air passage wherein the air guided towards the air flow layer passage has a speed at least greater than the air guided towards the main air passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2001
    Publication date: July 4, 2002
    Inventors: Masami Nagano, Tadashi Someno, Masahiro Toyohara
  • Publication number: 20020050266
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, an amount of spray attaching onto an inner wall surface of an intake pipe is reduced by forming two-directional spray of highly atomized fuel. The highly atomized two-directional spray can be obtained by a spray forming means which is constructed by piling a fuel in-plate 13 forming fuel passages, a swirl plate 14 forming fuel passage for adding swirl forces to the fuel, and an injection plate 15 for determining injection directions of the fuel. Further, penetrations of the sprays injected toward two directions are made different from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2001
    Publication date: May 2, 2002
    Inventors: Yoshio Okamoto, Yuzo Kadomukai, Motoyuki Abe, Ayumu Miyajima, Masami Nagano
  • Publication number: 20010039936
    Abstract: With a composition where there are provided an injection valve installed on each cylinder and a high-atomizing injection valve installed in the upstream, it is aimed to prevent worsened start-up performance and unburnt gas exhaust resulting from adhesion of the fuel on the suction air passage as a result of reduced air for atomization during the start-up cranking.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2001
    Publication date: November 15, 2001
    Inventors: Takanobu Ichihara, Masami Nagano, Toshiharu Nogi
  • Patent number: 6308687
    Abstract: There is disclosed a fuel supply control apparatus for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having an injector with air assist, a reasonable system in which injection is made during intake stroke when air assist air is supplied by the air assist, and injection is made during exhaust stroke when no air assist is effected, and an air assist volume, a droplet size and an operating condition are combined. With this construction, the fuel injection timing is shifted from the intake stroke side to the exhaust stroke side in accordance with an air assist volume so as to enhance the exhaust gas quality in which optimum micro-granulation and atomization of fuel are held, the fuel efficiency and the drivability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2001
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masami Nagano, Seiji Asano, Mamoru Nemoto
  • Publication number: 20010027776
    Abstract: A main passage mounting a throttle valve and an air bypass flow passage for reducing HC emission by promoting atomization of the fuel spray injected from the assembly pipe fuel injector are integrated in a body of an intake air control device arranged upstream of an assembly pipe in one-piece structure to form a unit. Thereby, the intake air control device can be easily manufactured, and easily mounted on and dismounted from the intake air system. An amount of HC emitted at warming-up operation of an internal combustion engine is reduced by efficiently supplying fuel spray injected from an assembly pipe fuel injector at starting and warming-up operations to the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2001
    Publication date: October 11, 2001
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Amou, Yoshio Okamoto, Yuzo Kadomukai, Takehiko Kowatari, Ayumu Miyajima, Masami Nagano, Takanobu Ichihara, Hiroaki Saeki, Tadashi Someno
  • Publication number: 20010025628
    Abstract: Atomizing air flowing in an atomizing gas passage is merged with fuel spray to promote atomization of the fuel, and carrier air flowing in a carrier gas passage is merged with the fuel spray at a further downstream position so as to surround around the fuel spray. By doing so, the atomized fuel spray is carried to the downstream side so as to prevent the fuel spray from adhering onto the wall surface. Starting-up performance, fuel consumption and exhaust gas cleaning of an internal combustion engine are improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2001
    Publication date: October 4, 2001
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Amou, Yoshio Okamoto, Takehiko Kowatari, Ayumu Miyajima, Yuzo Kadomukai, Toru Ishikawa, Masami Nagano, Takanobu Ichihara, Hiroaki Saeki, Kenji Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20010023681
    Abstract: A control device for an internal combustion engine including fuel injection valves which are disposed at an air intake port for the internal combustion engine and inject fuel from the air intake port toward respective cylinders for the internal combustion engine; and an air flow velocity accelerating means which accelerates air flow velocity in the air intake port, wherein the fuel injection time from the fuel injection valves is controlled in synchronism with and during an air intake stroke for the internal combustion engine as well as respective injection ports of the fuel injection valves are positioned at or near an accelerated air flow portion formed by the air flow velocity accelerating means. Thereby, in a multi point fuel injection system quality and spatial formation of air fuel mixture in the respective cylinders is enhanced and transportation time delay due to atomization of injected fuel droplet diameter is eliminated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2001
    Publication date: September 27, 2001
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Someno, Masami Nagano, Yuzo Kadomukai, Yoshio Okamoto
  • Publication number: 20010023686
    Abstract: In a port fuel injection lean burn engine, attaching of fuel spray onto a wall surface, which is a problem at atomizing injected fuel, is reduced, and the quality and shaping state of the mixed gas in cylinders of the engine is improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2001
    Publication date: September 27, 2001
    Inventors: Yoshio Okamoto, Yuzo Kadomukai, Ayumu Miyajima, Masami Nagano, Tadashi Someno